17 Sept 03

Muzzle Down!

In our defensive rifle and shotgun programs, I am emphasizing that students are well advised to keep the muzzle of their longarm angled downward, with that butt in its shoulder index as much of the time as possible. When mounted at eye level or in the depressed/ready position, I advise that the support hand we well forward on the forend, grasping it firmly, rather than merely resting the forend on an open hand. One is well advised to have strength on his weapon.

Retention is the reason. If an attacker can get within arm's reach and get under the barrel, pushing it up and toward the shooter, the shooter will find subsequently getting the weapon pointed at the attacker to be nearly impossible. He will probably have to default to his pistol, and fast! On the other hand, if an attacker can only grasp the barrel and forend from the top, the shooter can simply fall backward, the effect of which will be to get the weapon pointed at the attacker.

Retention is the forgotten imperative in much longarm training. Forget it at your peril! Much of the defensive longarm work that we do is at what would normally be considered pistol ranges. In fact, many times a pistol would be a superior weapon for such tasks. However, if one finds himself armed with a rifle or shotgun during such close-range encounters, he will probably not have the option of changing weapons. That being the case, retention becomes a crucial issue.

We must thus ask ourselves every time we train (with any weapon for that matter), "How retainable is my weapon when I'm in this posture or when I'm performing this technique?" Put another way, "If someone made a serious attempt to disarm me right now, what would I do in response, and how successful would I likely be?"

Frail, impotent, and weak stances and postures may work fine during competitions, but remember, when participating in a quaint shooting contest, nobody will suddenly try to rip your weapon out of your hands and then shoot you with it. Next time you're confronting dangerous suspects, someone just might!

/John