In my classes I have a drill each student shoots to see if the gun/caliber they carry is compatible with their level of skill. I call it the “Two Second Drill” and it is merely four rounds fired at twenty feet into a 6 x 9-inch rectangle.
This represents the high chest region where many vital organs are located, twenty feet is the length of a typical confrontational distance and four rounds fired in two seconds is a reasonable time limit based on the history of armed conflict.
Broken down, the drill is the first-round hits in one second from a ready/muzzle diversion position with the final three spread over an additional second or in splits of .33 seconds. To me, this shows the student can control the recoil of their chosen pistol and caliber.
It is amazing how many people cannot accomplish this simple drill because they are shooting “too much gun” for their individual skill level.
After all these years, I have come to understand that the secret to handgun stopping power is where you shoot your adversary and how many times you can shoot them. This requires training, practice; skill and a level of ruthlessness that permits you to stand up and exchange potentially life ending rounds with another human being. Some old west gunfighters called it “deliberation” a word I am trying to bring back when combative pistol craft is discussed.
No amount of new gear or “wonder” gun will change this. In the end, what will a person be doing after you shoot them? Probably the same thing they were doing before you shot them, a harsh reality indeed.
