Jerry Miculek never disappoints when it comes to practical firearms drills. This time, in the video linked below, he addresses the importance of dry practice with your appendix carry EDC, along with some tips on how to do it correctly.
As always, it’s safety first. Make certain the chamber and magazine are empty. Use a chamber flag if you can. It’s also a good idea to make certain you don’t have any ammo or loaded mags on you or anywhere nearby. That way you don’t accidentally pick up anything you shouldn’t. If you’re new to concealed carry, keep in mind that a quality holster and belt are important as well. They keep the gun secure and make sure it’s always in the place you expect it to be.
Do it Safe. Do it Right.
This exercise is all about drawing your carry gun in a safe and effective manner. If you develop the proper muscle memory beforehand, to the point where you do it automatically, you’ll be able to execute it in a high-stress situation.
Right out of the gate, Jerry stresses trigger finger awareness. “Trigger discipline is going to be paramount,” he says. “You never go into the trigger guard unless the muzzle is parallel to the ground. That has to be ingrained.”
Also, be aware of your shooting technique and how you’re indexed on your intended target. In this case, Jerry uses the isosceles stance as an example. Drawing from the appendix carry to an isosceles stance requires awareness of the angle of your drawing arm to the firearm. If the arm is in line with the pistol as you draw, it tends to push the muzzle past the centerline to the weak side, requiring you to recover to the center before firing.
That tendency can be mitigated by learning to cock out your elbow before drawing, which will help bring the gun up properly in line with your dominant eye and on the intended target. Cocking the elbow isn’t a natural action and will require lots of repetition until you do it without thinking. As soon as the gun comes level with the ground, Jerry says, “you can address the trigger, press it out, and make the shot.”
Practice Correct Holstering of Your Gun
Another tip is something that probably isn’t addressed enough: holstering the gun. Jerry says that when you’re holstering or reholstering, focus on something different from a firing position. It requires you to think before putting the gun in the holster. Jerry does that by placing his firing hand thumb high on the back of the slide, behind the rear sights. That makes him aware of his trigger finger, which should be parallel to the muzzle outside the trigger guard.
When holstering the gun, be conscious of where it is pointing. With appendix carry, it’s very easy to point the gun at your stomach when putting the gun in. Bad idea. Always minimize your exposure to the muzzle. Take your time. Pull your shirt out of the way with your off-hand. Pull your gut up and away if need be. Keep the muzzle pointed straight down as much as possible as it goes into the holster. Push it in with your thumb so there’s no chance to snag the trigger. Practice this as part of your dry fire so you do it automatically when the gun is loaded. Jerry says holstering the gun before attaching the holster to your belt is a good idea if you want to do that.
What About When You’re Seated?
Drawing while seated is something that many people probably don’t practice enough if they practice it at all. A big consideration here is that, when seated, a larger portion of your body, mainly your legs, will be in front of you and exposed to the muzzle as you draw. This makes trigger discipline even more important.
Be aware of all the territory you have to cover before getting into the trigger guard as the muzzle comes parallel to the ground. Reaching a parallel position or putting sights on target is the only time you should mount the trigger. Again, this requires lots of practice to do it safely and correctly while under stress.
Going Hot
To repeat, when you go hot with live ammo, drawing and holstering the gun requires extreme care. Practicing with an empty gun can help develop good habits. When you do reach the point of drawing into live fire, practice applying the gun to the target at the speed you expect to encounter a threat in the real world. Practice with your strong hand and transition to your weak hand.
Repetition is key. “Always work in cycles,” Jerry says. “Smoothly and consistently. Dry fire and take it from there.”
Do you have any tips on dry fire from the draw? Let us know in the comments.