Drawing From Concealment Part II: Pull and Rotate

How is your training progressing? You’re well on your way to becoming a skilled practitioner at drawing from concealment! As you continue to practice the techniques already taught, and as you gradually incorporate the new skill drills on retrieving your gun from the holster and the ones yet to come, the necessary techniques for drawing your firearm safely and effectively from under your clothing will begin to feel like second nature, and your self-assurance will increase.

Repetition is key

It’s likely that you have identified a preferred holster, the one that you use most often, if not always. This is where the concept of using the same gun and holster every day comes in. Once you find a holster that you love, you become familiar with the draw and become very skilled at it. By performing the same movements every day, you commit them to memory, reducing the number of variables you have to deal with. Although you’ll need to think about clearing your clothing as you’ll be wearing different outfits, your draw becomes routine. However, using a variety of holsters regularly will require ongoing practice and training.

Technique For The Pull

In the previous lesson, we learned about clearing clothing and achieving a firm firing grip on the gun. Now, we will move on to the next set of techniques: pull and rotate.

After successfully clearing your clothing and obtaining a stable firing grip on your gun, it is time to pull the gun from the holster. However, before pulling the gun out of the holster, ensure that you have a solid and steady stance.

The Pull

Maintaining a straight trigger finger outside the holster, pull the firearm straight up and completely out of the holster. The direction of the pull may vary depending on the holster type and its position on the body.

Clear The Holster

You must ensure that you have fully revealed and cleared the top of the holster by pulling the muzzle of the gun completely out of the holster. This step is not finished until the muzzle of the gun is pulled straight up (or out) to a sufficient height to be above the top of the holster.

An example from IWB leggings

An example from a belly band

Practice Tip – The Pull

Make sure your gun is unloaded before practicing the following steps with a holstered gun. Check and double-check your gun to ensure that there is no ammunition in the barrel, magazine, or the room you are practicing in. Look into the chamber through the top of the slide to verify that there is no ammunition present.

It is crucial to practice pulling your gun from the holster every day while getting dressed. Make sure to practice the various pull motions for all clothing styles and the different holster options you use. This will allow you to get a feel for how high and far you need to pull to clear your holster and clothing.

Stand in front of a mirror to perform this practice.

You can also record yourself on your phone and re-watch your technique or ask someone to watch you from the side.

Begin with the clothing clearing steps we discussed last week

Observe yourself as you clear your clothing and establish a firm grip on your gun. Slowly pull the gun out of the holster while monitoring your movements to ensure that the muzzle of the gun is lifted high enough to fully clear the holster and there is no risk of pointing the gun at your body.

Repeat this exercise daily and become comfortable with the amount of force and distance required, while carefully observing yourself in the mirror. As you gain proficiency, increase the speed and confidence of your pull.

Mastering this technique is crucial since, in a life-threatening situation, any delay or complication during your draw caused by the gun getting caught up in the holster or your clothing could have devastating consequences.

Technique For Rotating The Gun On Target

Now that your gun is safely out of the holster and your trigger finger is straight and on the slide, it’s time to rotate the gun to point towards your target. This is a crucial step and must be done efficiently and safely.

Efficiency is important because you want to get the muzzle pointed at the target as quickly as possible. Safety is important because you don’t want the gun to point at yourself or anyone else.

The orientation of this step may vary depending on where you pulled your gun from. Usually, you will be pulling it from somewhere on your midsection, with the muzzle pointing downwards.

Next

Lower your firing arm’s elbow and rotate your wrist to point the muzzle of your gun at your intended target downrange. Make sure to keep your elbow close to your body to streamline the motion and make it efficient and quick.

In a situation where someone’s life is on the line, there is no time for extraneous or unnecessary movements.

Note

If your firearm has a manual safety feature, you should practice disengaging it after every rotation. When your life is on the line, every fraction of a second counts, so it’s essential to be able to disable the safety feature as quickly as possible. Once your muzzle is on target and you begin to extend the gun into firing position, you should be able to immediately disengage the safety feature. We will discuss the technique of extension in the next session.

 

Practice Tip For Rotating The Gun On Target

Practice Tip For Rotating The Gun On Target
You will want to practice this rotate motion over and over. Watch yourself and keep an eye on your elbow. Try to keep it as close to your body as possible to streamline the motion. Is your muzzle in a safe direction as you transition from the pull and rotate the gun?
 
As you begin to put all of these steps together you want to see a smooth, movement without stopping in-between steps.
 

To Recap

In summary, we have learned about the crucial techniques of clearing your clothing to access and achieve the correct grip on your holstered gun. We then proceeded to the next step of pulling the gun out of the holster, ensuring there is enough space to rotate the gun without any obstruction. It is essential to practice these steps for each clothing and holster combination you use.