Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I think Dirty Harry should feel fortunate this was in an area with a desert backdrop, because, he could’ve killed an innocent bystander had that been in a parking lot somewhere! One handed whilst holding a pen and shooting with your middle finger?! It didn’t seem like the situation really called for that rushed of a response, considering the tactics of the other officer, who was closer to the threat and was the one engaging the guy prior to his violent action. But, I suppose I wasn’t there.

  2. I saw this video earlier on one of those liberal news sites and they were bashing the cops big time saying this guy should never been shot. The comment section lit up with all the libtards coming on there calling the cops every name in the book, murderers, they should have their guns taken away and cops should not be allowed to carry guns. One guy posted the only good cop is a dead cop. The libtards in this country are becoming mentally unhinged daily

  3. Great question. I think my answer is both. I don't train with 1 hand much at all. I don't train dropping an item at all. I plan to put more attention on both. We train quite a bit as a family, at least working with my children as they mature and purchase their own firearms. More classes are becoming a greater consideration.

  4. I believe everyone should practice both. It's absolutely best to drop whatever you have and get both hands on the gun, but sometimes you can't. If you're holding a child or leading/pushing someone to safety. If one of your arms is otherwise out of the fight (shot or other injury) being able to effectively put shots on target single handed with either primary or support hand is a very useful skill to have.

  5. That police officer was lucky. That fool had the drop on him, but he just stood there with the gun at his side and he didn't try to shoot. I just don't agree that he should have turned and ran. That fool would have had half a magazine emptied in that cops direction if he really wanted to before that cop was behind cover. He was straight line retreating from the perp. Hitting a moving Target moving away from you is much easier than one moving semi perpendicular direction and leading the shot. He's just lucky!

  6. The first job that I ever had where I thought I might be under threat and I carried a firearm. I consistently practiced a good percent of the time strong hand, we can, both hands with strong hand as primary, and at least a familiarity with weak hand as primary. Even at age 22 I already knew the number of things that can go wrong in Close Encounters. In the military I was lucky enough to be stationed in a remote enough location that one point where I could practice fairly long range shooting with handguns.
    I always tried to make sure that I can hit what I need to hit one handed first. I've always thought that the second hand was a support system not an Aiming system. If you don't have the basics down. If you only practice your strongest position you can only function in your strongest position. An actual encounters, you may never get the opportunity to be at your best.

  7. I definitely think you should train both – dropping everything and going to two hands AND one-handed shooting under pressure. For sure, the default reaction should have been to drop everything and use two hands, that situation could have ended badly for the officers. In this case, kind of worked to their benefit, providing (dangerous) distraction for the first officer to get to cover and take a careful shot.

  8. John, I think you need to practice both. I have a .357 and had to have 3 fingers on my right hand (and I am right handed) operated on. My dogs had gotten into a bad fight and I got my fingers too close and 3 of my fingers were actually bit, with one being bit off. The other two were bitten to the bones. Only by the Grace of the Lord, did I get to not only keep all three fingers (because the surgeron said I would lose the one finger and possibly lose my whole hand because of how bad I had gottten bit, but also because I had just fed my dogs, so the one that bit me had dog food, blood, hair, and fesces in his mouth because he bit my other dog in the anal area, all in his mouth when he bit me). Anyway,, with such a large weapon, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to shoot with my dominant hand. Again, by the Grace of the Lord, God gave me the strength in my fingers and hand to one-handed and two-handed shoot the gun. With 19 lbs pressure to shoot a .357 with 158 grain, hydro-shock, hollow-point bullets in my revolver, I think it is very important to shoot both one-handed and two-handed.. For conceal carry I am looking to get a .40 cal either Kimber or Glock. Two-handed may be preferred, but sometimes you have only one hand you can use. I also think people need to learn to shoot their weapons with their non-dominant hand, in case they are shot in the domant hand or the dominnant hand is somehow unusabe. Just my quarter's worth since I wrote a mini-book.

  9. I don't think he hid the gun for a planned suicide by cop. Not at all. I think he hid it because he didn't want the cops to find it. He may have thought he would skate on the being impaired part, and only took to the suicide by cop scenario after it was clear he wasn't going home. I don't think it was his first choice at all.

    Sad though that he didn't find his life worth what he would have to go through with an impaired charge. That was just too much for him in his inebriated state I guess. Glad no officers were hurt.

  10. Loved the position the second officer had. Perfect marksmanship. Center mass hit dropped him on contact. On the other hand the first officer was just “pissin in the wind” could have been effective but not likely. Two hands is always better then one! And thank you John for all the content. Each and every scenario you post teaches us important lessons!

  11. What a waste and a prime example of making bad choices. The officer did an excellent job of protecting himself and those around him. The second officer needs to go back to basic firearms training.

    I know that my practice regimen will now include starting with something in hand and dropping it.

Leave a Reply