Analogue Guns for Training and Practice
Greg Ellifritz https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/ posted an heirloom article that is totally worth reading. Several of my colleagues have commented to me about having people trying to use small guns in a class and how it handicaps the clients that do. I have long been an advocate of using a larger size handgun, with the same action type and controls, for practice and training. It’s what I call an analogue. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/analogue#h1 “something that is similar or comparable to something else either in general or in some specific detail”
Small guns are great for carry but are often painful to shoot for any useful amount of training or practice. Using a larger analogue allows a shooter to develop skill and familiarity that can be transferred to the smaller handgun.
This is especially true for Airweight snub revolvers. Even practicing with a steel framed analogue instead of an Airweight makes a world of difference. Using something like a Model 10 snub allows a shooter to get in a meaningful practice session without the pain caused by an Airweight.
For shooters who are serious about improving their skill level, there’s a lot of downside to the philosophy of “shoot what you carry.” Having a second gun, analogous to the carry gun has a lot of upside.
If you would like to read more in-depth articles about self-defense and personal protection, please consider subscribing to my Patreon page.
Tiny Guns – Keeping It Real
My friend Mark Luell recently published a post about his “Dog Walk Rig,” which is a very interesting take on the subject of really tiny guns. https://www.growingupguns.com/2026/11/04/underwear-gun-naa-sentinel-mini-revolver/
In his article, he references a Patreon post I recently made. One of my Patrons had asked about incidents involving really small guns, such as mini-revolvers.
“Claude, do you have any real world experiences or insights as to use, and actual examples of these tiny guns in actual shootings? I envision them useful in very specific scenarios.”
https://www.patreon.com/TacticalProfessor/posts/tiny-guns-irl-173153879
It’s an interesting discussion about Rule 1 of a gunfight; “Have a Gun,” so I’ve unlocked the Patreon post and anyone can read it.
I’ve owned an NAA mini and didn’t care for it so I sold it. My issue was that the gun was so small and the sights so off that I couldn’t hit anything past arm’s length. This latest evolution of the mini seems to be more useful.
What’s noteworthy about the discussion is that it brings up something the late Pat Rogers said.
“The Mission drives the gear train.”
In my case, copperheads on a dog walk aren’t one of my concerns. Rat shot doesn’t fit into my mission profile. But in Mark’s case it does. In the case of the motel clerk referenced in my Patreon article, the mini with solids was ideal for her mission profile.
Once again, we’re back to that discussion about METT-TC. https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2019/12/01/mett-tc-and-how-it-applies-to-us/
What’s The Best Load For A Snub Revolver?
#wheelgunWednesday
From Legendary Lawman Chuck Haggard:
“It’s an equilateral triangle. Is the ammo reliable? Does it shoot accurately to the sights? Does it penetrate enough?
Then we can start to think about the nuances of bullet performance.”
The 5^4 Black Belt Test
More about the topic and drill on my Patreon page.
https://www.patreon.com/TacticalProfessor/posts/whats-best-load-173016099
Frugal Firearms Podcast – Part 2
The second part of my blathering on Frugal Firearms is up.
https://rss.com/podcasts/frugalfirearmspodcast/3228377/
The little Bauer .25 autoloader came up in the discussion. I haven’t shot mine in years so I broke it out and shot it yesterday. That was definitely a ‘gun whisperer’ exercise.
The Course of Fire I used was the New York State Concealed Carry License Live-Fire Proficiency Assessment.
The New York target is three sheets of paper in landscape mode stacked vertically. This is very similar in size to an FBI Q target. That seemed very generous to me so I used only one sheet of paper.
I managed to pass it several times. In fact, I never managed to fail it. Although many people will scoff at this Assessment as a marksmanship test, it is a workable Firing Solution for over 80% of the Armed Citizen incidents in my database. Oh, the horror!
Frugal Firearms Podcast – Part I
We had fun talking about Little Crappy Pistols, among other things, on Frugal Firearms.
There was a long list of topics and we ended up going much longer so the podcast is in two parts. Here’s Part I
https://rss.com/podcasts/frugalfirearmspodcast/3213813
When Part 2 is up, I’ll post the link.
Serious Mistakes Gunowners Make Link Updates
Some of the links to Serious Mistakes Gunowners Make have become unworkable over the years. The buttons have the current link and take my readers directly to the sources.
For those who aren’t familiar with it, here are some reviews.
Reviews
GAT Daily https://gatdaily.com/articles/claude-werner-serious-mistakes-gun-owners-make/
Pistol Training dot com https://pistol-training.com/serious-mistakes-gunowners-make/
KR Training https://blog.krtraining.com/book-review-serious-mistakes-gunowners-make-werner-2019/
CCW Safe Podcasts Discussing concepts in the book
AI tells me:
The most common ‘complaint’ from reviewers is actually a compliment to the content: several prominent reviewers expressed disappointment that it is strictly sold as a digital file (PDF/eBook).
I’m working on a print edition but it may take a little time.
Thanks for all the support my readers have given me over the years, it means a lot.
If you would like to read more in-depth articles about self-defense and personal protection, please consider subscribing to my Patreon page.
https://www.patreon.com/TacticalProfessor
Reasonable Proficiency
#fridayfundamentals
This question was posed to me as a possible discussion point for an upcoming podcast.
“Do people train adequately to a point of reasonable proficiency with their firearms? If not, what sort of drills would help them develop while being sufficiently interesting to keep them engaged?”
The note I wrote to myself for the discussion was as follows:
Let’s define “reasonable proficiency.” I often hear the FBI Qualification, which I consider elitist nonsense and ridiculous. My two favorite assessments are the New York State Concealed Carry License Live-Fire Proficiency Assessment and the San Diego County (California) CCW Practical Qualification.
New York is five rounds at 4 yards. San Diego is 5 rounds at each of 7, 5, and 3 yards. San Diego requires Primary Hand Only and Support Hand Only shooting at 3 yards. The two total 20 rounds. New York’s standard is four of the five shots must hit a silhouette target. San Diego’s standard is 13 of the 15 shots must hit a silhouette target. An Armed Citizen who simply shot those to standard once a quarter would prove formidable in a confrontation.
The ability to put five shots, or less, onto a criminal attacker at a range of three to seven yards will solve almost every incident in my database. There are exceptions but they represent fewer than one percent.
Let’s not overthink our expectations of newer or less experienced gunowners. All that does is intimidate and discourage them. Keeping inexperienced shooters engaged starts out by having a little empathy for where they are at in the process and remembering where we all started.
When the podcast goes live, I’ll post a link.
If you would like to read more in-depth articles about self-defense and personal protection, please consider subscribing to my Patreon page.
Another thought about Dot Sights ‘and more’
#fridayfundmentals
Several articles in Greg Ellifritz’s Weekend Knowledge Dump https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/weekend-knowledge-dump-september-18-2026 are very relevant to Friday Fundamentals today.
Fretting About Pistol Red-Dot Zeroes Is Silly
https://gatdaily.com/articles/fretting-about-pistol-red-dot-zeroes-is-silly
“It’s crazy to think about the fact that we’re discussing differences in points of impact between 1 and 1 ½ inches. These are tiny measurements in considering everything else pertaining to handgun shooting. In fact, think about how even proficient shooters would likely struggle to consistently shoot a “100” on a standard NRA B-8 target with a typical red-dot equipped pistol. And the 10-ring on a B-8 is 3.36 inches in diameter!”
This mirrors my thoughts about the worries folks have expressed about the non-adjustability of the Ruger ReadyDot sight. When I mounted it on a SCCY Gen 3, the Point of Impact had diverged from the X Ring Point of Aim into the 9 ring of a B-27 target at 10 yards. Would this make the slightest difference when shooting a concealed carry qualification test or in an actual Personal Protection incident? I doubt it.
You Can Improve Your Shooting Almost Anywhere…Even At An Indoor Range
Years ago, the Tactical Professor did his annoying little numbery thing and determined that in the Atlanta metro area, 999 out of 1,000 gunowners only have access to an indoor range to practice. And Atlanta has a lot of outdoor gun clubs compared to most metro areas. The hitch is that you have to be a member or know a member to shoot at one. My club has a several year waiting list.
Gunowners who want to develop even a modicum of proficiency have to learn how to do that on their own at an indoor range. That’s the underlying concept for my book Indoor Range Practice Sessions. https://store.payloadz.com/details/2501143-ebooks-education-indoor-range-practice-sessions.html
It’s also why most of the articles in my 2024 Shooting Illustrated series are most of the articles in my 2024 Shooting Illustrated series are oriented toward an indoor range (i.e., resource constrained) environment. https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/near-to-far-marksmanship-practice/ There are almost a dozen articles, one per month. After a year of one practice session per month, a gunowner will have some degree of proficiency.
As President Theodore Roosevelt said:
“Do what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are.”
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/quote/do-what-you-can-with-what-youve-got-where-you-are
Related to this is my rebuttal of “Everyone needs to get training.” Looking at the number of available facilities and instructors, it would take nearly 100 years to put every US gunowner through an equivalent of the NRA Basics Of Pistol Shooting course. The time it would take to put everyone through the equivalent of the NRA Personal Protection In The Home course isn’t even worth calculating.
This analysis was done over 10 years ago before the big boom in gun purchases during the past decade, so the situation is probably much more difficult now. Gunownership is way up and facilities are being put out of business on a weekly basis.
People are strange
When you’re a stranger
https://onherownlife.substack.com/p/people-are-strange
The title is a play on the song by The Doors
As the late WT Aprill often said, “They are not like you.” Don’t assume that people are going to be grateful for your help. Some will, some won’t. Understand there’s risk in helping others.
My Patreon is Graduate level study of Personal Protection. It’s not for everyone but some people really like it.
https://www.patreon.com/TacticalProfessor
9/2 Challenge
To keep my blood pressure down from the malfeasance of the NYC administration, I shot the Langdon Tactical 9/2 Challenge yesterday. There are two videos, one First Person Shooter. and the other 3rd person perspective. It’s a good drill and I enjoyed shooting it.
Here is the First Person Shooter. The 3rd person perspective is linked in the end screen.
I like to think of it as practicing the destruction of the enemies of our great Nation. My BP was only 117/71 this morning so I guess it worked.
The Langdon Tactical webpage with more information about the Challenge is here.
5 + 1 Drill
#fridayfundamentals
Last night’s IDPA match at Johns Creek Indoor Gun Range concluded with a Standards stage. It was a simple drill that we can call 5+1. Some variation of this drill is the last stage of every match there. It began loaded with five rounds and an available reload of at least two rounds. Since I was shooting my Model 65 revolver, I used a full speedloader for the reload. A single IDPA target was placed at 7 yards.
The drill was to: draw and fire four shots to the body, one shot to the head, reload, and fire one more shot to the head.
The drill is timed and scored. Although it seems simple on the surface, it includes a number of marksmanship components.
- Draw to a good first shot
- Three splits (successive shots to the same target, in this case the eight inch – 0 zone of the body)
- A transition (shot to a different target, in this case the four inch – 0 zone of the head)
- A reload
- One shot to a precision target (in this case the four inch – 0 zone of the head)
- Follow through on the last shot
It also requires the shooter to remember the drill while being timed. This may seem straightforward but every match several shooters make some kind of Procedural Error, such as shooting too many shots, forgetting where the shots are supposed to go, or riding the slide stop so the slide doesn’t lock back. Not having the slide lock back doesn’t incur a Procedural Penalty but if you look at the gun for a bit before initiating the reload, there’s additional time on your score.
For many shooters, the trip ups come at three places; the first shot, the shot after the reload, and following through on the last shot. Missing the first shot is the single most common marksmanship error. Missing the first shot after a stoppage clearance, e.g., a reload, is the second most missed shot. Not following through after the last shot is the source of many dropped shots.
Those two shots, first and first after a reload, require the shooter to ‘Shoot better,’ as Bill Rogers https://rogersshootingschool.com/ says it. It’s easy to let the trigger finger get ahead of the sights but that’s a mistake. In 1893, Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, wrote in his book The Wilderness Hunter:
“No possible rapidity of fire can atone for habitual carelessness of aim with the first shot.”
Some concepts are timeless, regardless of what gun you’re shooting or what sighting system it has on it.
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