Favorite Five Shot Snub Revolver Courses of Fire

#wheelgunwednesday

While some consider the five shot snub revolver passé, it is still a common self-defense tool and viable when used correctly. Using a snub correctly does require a bit of familiarity and practice, so here are some practice regimens that are appropriate for snubs and can be used at most indoor ranges. CCW Qualification Courses have value in that they provide structure for practice and a modest measure of skill determination. Note that simply shooting a CCW Qualification Course on your own DOES NOT mean you are authorized to carry a handgun in that area. Check the local laws for carry requirements.

All Courses of Fire are untimed. Any silhouette target can be used. When using the B-27 target, only count hits inside the 8 ring. For those who feel confident of their marksmanship ability, put a sheet of paper on the silhouette and only count hits on it.

• New York State CCW Qualification Course – 5 rounds
  • Silhouette at 4 yards.
  • With an unloaded revolver, draw, snap at the target, and safely reholster. Draw the unloaded revolver, load with five rounds, and come to Low Ready. Fire five rounds at the target.
  • Four of five rounds must hit the target to successfully qualify.
• Nevada CCW Qualification (5 shot revolver version) – 25 rounds
  • Silhouette at 3 yards.
  • Load with five rounds, and come to Low Ready. Fire five rounds at the target.
  • Move Silhouette to 5 yards.
  • Load with five rounds, and come to Low Ready. Fire five rounds at the target, reload, and fire five more rounds at the target.
  • Move Silhouette to 7 yards.
  • Load with five rounds, and come to Low Ready. Fire five rounds at the target, reload, and fire five more rounds at the target.
  • Of the 25 rounds, 18 must hit the target to qualify.
• LAPD Retired Officer Qualification Course – 10 rounds
  • Silhouette at 7 yards.
  • Load with five rounds and reholster. Draw, shoot five rounds, reload, and shoot five more. If the range does not permit drawing from a holster, start from Low Ready.
  • Seven of the 10 rounds must hit for a successful qualification.
• San Diego (California) Sheriff CCW Qualification Course – 15 rounds
  • Silhouette at 7 yards.
  • Load with five rounds, and come to Low Ready. Fire five rounds at the target.
  • Move Silhouette to 5 yards.
  • Load with five rounds, and come to Low Ready. Fire five rounds at the target.
  • Move Silhouette to 3 yards.
  • Load with five rounds, and come to Low Ready, holding the revolver in the Primary Hand Only. Fire three rounds at the target. Transfer the revolver to the Support Hand Only and fire two more rounds at the target.
  • Of the 15 rounds, 13 must hit the target to qualify.
• Kansas Concealed Carry License Qualification Test – 25 rounds
  • Silhouette at 3 yards.
  • Load with five rounds, and come to Low Ready, holding the revolver in the Primary Hand Only. Fire five rounds at the target.
  • Move Silhouette to 7 yards.
  • Load with five rounds, and come to Low Ready with both hands. Fire five rounds at the target, reload, and fire five more rounds at the target.
  • Move Silhouette to 10 yards.
  • Load with five rounds, and come to Low Ready with both hands. Fire five rounds at the target, reload, and fire five more rounds at the target.
  • Eighteen of the 25 rounds must hit the target to qualify.

Trigger manipulation practice is enhanced if after firing a shot, we open the cylinder, spin it, and then close it without looking at the round placement. Only fire one shot after closing the cylinder and then open and spin it again. As the rounds become fired, we will encounter fired cases as we press the trigger. By watching the sights carefully as we press the trigger, any jerking of the trigger will be obvious. These dummy snaps are where we learn to press the trigger smoothly.

Although reloading can be done with loose ammunition from a box of ammo, it’s more useful to have some kind of loading device. Using a loading device gives some practice at reloading the revolver under some conditions of stress. The snub shooting organization Snub Noir https://snubnoir.com/ uses three devices in their matches. They are looped ammunition carrier, flexible loading strip, and speed loader. Other possibilities are 2x2x2 ammo pouch and dump pouch for loose ammunition.

These Courses of Fire don’t have to be shot all at once. At the point of feeling fatigued or bruised from recoil, pack it up, and call it a day. Have fun with your practice and you’ll be more inclined to do it more often.