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Run and Gun Defense
Am Shooting Journal ^ | 6/1/2017 | T McHale

Posted on 06/01/2017 6:35:02 AM PDT by w1n1

or it could be called "run and gun"
When you're just plinking at the range, it's no big deal to just stand and fire away, but in a self-defense situation, the very first thing you should do is move. Moving helps turn the tables on your attacker by forcing them to react to what you’re doing. It also makes you much harder to hit, should they decide to start shooting. You have two goals when making that shot while moving.

First, don't trip. That might cause you to shoot yourself, or someone else.

Second: You want to keep as stable as possible shooting platform, so you can hit what you're aiming at. The easiest way to do that is to act like a tank, but be a fast tank.

Another thing to think about is the use of airsoft (not covered in this video) to go head to head against someone. Play it out in scenario based such as street muggings, active shooter response, etc. See the run and gun footage here.


TOPICS: Hobbies; Outdoors
KEYWORDS: banglist; personaldefense; pistolshooting

1 posted on 06/01/2017 6:35:03 AM PDT by w1n1
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To: w1n1

Airsoft is vastly underrated as a training tool. Much of what you need to do to be adquately trained can be done in your backyard.


2 posted on 06/01/2017 6:50:28 AM PDT by buffaloguy
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To: w1n1; buffaloguy

Run and gun, reminiscent of bad and easy video games.


3 posted on 06/01/2017 6:54:07 AM PDT by wastedyears (Prophecy of sky Gods, the sun and moon)
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To: w1n1

Indeed, moving is critical. Moving with a purpose and end in mind is even more important. Moving of rthe sake of moving may be the only tatic available given a wide open situation, but if cover ( stuff that would stop a bullet) is availa le, that is where you should be moving towards, all things being equal ( usually they aren’t).

Shooting on the move is a rather difficult task to do well w/o regular practice. Skills on how to effectively move AND shoot are not that hard to learn, but difficult to be really good. It may be wise to move fast to cover w/o engaging if there are innocents behind your threat area, and engage from cover with more certainty- suppressive fire is usually not a good idea for folks who have no “qualified immunity” or are not in a bona fide war zone where ROE are much different.

One may simply want to run full out to cover rather than try to deliver accurate fire and move quickly.

You can see for yourself how much movement to your sight picture moving your whole body induces- so foot work that both creates a more stable platform AND allows you move safely but quickly off /to cover is needed. Some teach fencing like moves- one foot at a time, kind of sliding the legs while keeping the torso and head/arms rather stable, others teach foot over foot as in normal walking- the former works very well on smooth surfaces, the latter may be more effective on broken/uneven ground. Learn and practice both- dry fire is a good way to see what works for you and what doesn’t. Practice to teach yourself that needed muscle memory and to make it an automatic skill.

Many ranges do not allow shooting on the move, but your local IPSC/USPAA or IDPA clubs will welcome you with what you have- and you can get all sorts of help from accomplished shooters. Not all the techniques that work in sport competition make sense in combat, but you will be able to think things through and decide. Having some skill is better than finding yourself in a LF situation with no skills and having to do what you know- and stand form and shoot head to head- not a good proposition.


4 posted on 06/01/2017 6:58:02 AM PDT by Manly Warrior (US ARMY (Ret), "No Free Lunches for the Dogs of War")
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To: w1n1
First, don't trip. That might cause you to shoot yourself, or someone else.

Second: You want to keep as stable as possible shooting platform, so you can hit what you're aiming at.


These would be my two concerns if I ever am forced to use my gun in self-defense. I'm afraid I probably would not run - I'm just hopeful I'll have the presence of mind in a stressful situation to remember what I've learned in courses and in practice at the range and get off a good shot.
5 posted on 06/01/2017 7:02:03 AM PDT by AnotherUnixGeek
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To: w1n1

I see two choices: When I’m running, I plan to run and move quickly. When I’m shooting, I plan to shoot and hit what I’m aiming at. I don’t plan to mix the two goals much, although I’m okay with a half-second transition from one goal to the other.


6 posted on 06/01/2017 7:18:40 AM PDT by Pollster1 ("Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed")
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To: Manly Warrior

I have trained with some of the best pistol shooters the Army has ever produced. They are beyond amazing. The current thinking from them is that if you are moving AND shooting with a handgun you are losing. They currently teach that you only move if you have a compromised position. It is much better to shoot from decent cover with good accuracy than be in the open tossing off shots. Some of them go IPSC etc shoots and make it look to easy. Kind of annoys me! lol...

The other thing I learned for them is that slow is fast and fast is slow. Major head rewrite for me.


7 posted on 06/01/2017 7:26:25 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$
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To: mad_as_he$$
The other thing I learned for them is that slow is fast and fast is slow. Major head rewrite for me.

Funny enough, the same theory works for racing. My fastest timed laps always felt slow to me, because it was smooth, and I was comfortable. The laps that felt fast to me, were actually slow, because I was off-line, correcting steering to much, working the pedals too much, etc...

8 posted on 06/01/2017 8:14:33 AM PDT by IYAS9YAS (An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees! - Kipling)
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To: IYAS9YAS

Interesting observation. Thanks.


9 posted on 06/01/2017 8:23:05 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$
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To: w1n1

Don't forget the "commando roll"!

10 posted on 06/01/2017 8:38:43 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Manly Warrior
Shooting on the move is a rather difficult task to do well w/o regular practice.

It looks easy in the movies and TV.
I tried it. Whoa!
Muy difficult.

11 posted on 06/01/2017 10:29:45 AM PDT by Vinnie
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To: Vinnie

You just haven’t watched enough movies and TV. ;)


12 posted on 06/01/2017 4:59:33 PM PDT by Redcitizen
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To: mad_as_he$$

Agreed on all points. However, as I alluded to earlier, all of these “games’ competitions do not necessarily teach good tactics. IPSC being probably the most sporting in nature, IDPA being the most defensively realistic in nature.

If you tried IDPA rules at an ISPC/USPA shoot, you would likely be left looking for cover..... to reload. If you tried the USPA at an IDPA shoot, you’d be DQ’s for failure to do right concerning cover, reloads and movement....

For fun, I shot an G27 from a concealment holster at USPA shoots for a while- carrying only 9 round mags made for lots of speed reloads and those longish 30+ yard targets were a bear to do well on- but I shot my previous class and even won a few stages ( short ones).


13 posted on 06/02/2017 6:03:34 AM PDT by Manly Warrior (US ARMY (Ret), "No Free Lunches for the Dogs of War")
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To: Manly Warrior

We agree and congratulations!


14 posted on 06/02/2017 6:41:27 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$
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To: w1n1

The first rule in a gunfight is to always win. Cheat if you must.

Make your attacker advance through a wall of bullets . . . You may get killed with your own gun, but he’ll have to beat you to death with it, cause it’ll be empty.

If you’re in a gun fight.
* If you’re not shooting, you should be loading.
** If you’re not loading, you should be moving,
*** If you’re not moving’, you’re dead.


15 posted on 06/02/2017 10:16:49 AM PDT by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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