A few days ago, we talked some about the myth of overpenetration with an AR-15 vs. a pistol for home defense and whether you’re better off carrying your gun muzzle-up or muzzle-down in a home defense situation. (If you missed it, you can read it >HERE<)
Today, we’ve got a great video for you, showing both why you were probably taught (correctly) to keep your muzzle pointed at the ground AND why you’re probably better off learning to carry it muzzle-up in a home defense situation.
Muzzle down is a great choice when there is a concern of negligent discharges. It maximizes the safety of those in, above, and beyond where you are shooting.
In a fight for your life, in your home, muzzle up combined with trigger discipline maximizes your ability to safely stop the threat that you and your loved ones are facing.
This was just a couple of minutes from the 10+ hour Home Defense Rifle DVD course. It’s both the most comprehensive home defense course I’ve seen AND the most comprehensive carbine course I’ve seen.
On the home defense side, it goes into tactics to keep your home from being targeted, how to make it take home invaders MINUTES longer to get into your home (giving you additional time to respond), how to create plans that carry over from fire to medical emergencies to home invasions.
On the carbine side…most carbine courses teach you how to shoot the AR-15. That’s great. You’ll learn that. But more importantly, you’ll learn how to FIGHT with the AR-15 and specifically how to fight with it in the context of your home.
Learn more now by clicking >HERE<
14 Comments
Chris
October 5, 2016Trained Tier 1 Operators tend not to make mistakes with loaded weapons. Those of us who are not so well trained (and equipped) have solo/group safety issues to think about. ON FOOT (Indoors/Outdoors: You (singular) against a BG (singular) need to see The Tueller Drill (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tueller_Drill) for instructional value. You (singular) against BGs (multiple) will have to evaluate your performance when adrenaline and hypoxia have put your cerebral cortex off line. Which is fastest? Guns up? Or guns down? High intensity PT may help simulate the brain fade and shakes that come with such confrontations, but a ProShot Timer and stationary paper targets will not give you accurate feedback. You (multiple) against BGs (multiple) can be extraordinarily dangerous for you (multiple) where no SOPs have been drilled into you (multiple). IN A VIC: Guns up (aka porcupine) is mostly a war zone profile. But rolling to your gate, tower, or ECP for guard mount would be safest for all passengers, guns down. Think about it. Do you want to be shot in the head or the foot? The correct answer is: neither. But of the 2. You might go home alive with an unintended discharge into your foot. POINT: up or down is situationally dependent. So, train both ways. Thousands of reps. Use what works if the times comes. Dry Fire cards and Dry Fire Fit cards will help.
Ox
May 3, 2017Hey Chris, there’s a couple things I’d add…
First, be very careful what conclusions you come to after reviewing the Wikipedia entry. I am confident that Tueller would hang his head and shake it. You see, the Tueller drill simply says that it takes roughly 1.5 seconds for someone to go from a full stop to covering 21 feet.
If you can react, draw, and make a couple of hits in 1.5 seconds, you’ve tied…your attacker has 2 holes and you’ve been stabbed.
If you can do it faster, there’s still a really good chance that you’re going to get cut at that distance, unless your shot hits your attacker’s central nervous system.
The big thing with the Tueller drill is to realize that you need to use cover and movement if you get behind the curve.
Brennen Munro
May 3, 2017Hi Ox, Another reason why many, if not most Tier 1 Shooters were trained to muzzle down, is because the Cycle Trainers did not want us cooking off a round and taking out one of them on the cats! (catwalks) And for Chris, I have seen guys get get bumped, trip, run their ass into something, among a sundry of other things and discharge their firearm. Shit happens…
Thomas Schuckman
October 4, 2016I am a Disabled Vietnam Vet: 68-70., but I also teach edged weapons fighting and throwing techniques. My humble Blog: TOM’S JOURNAL. email: [email protected] –Learn to use the Army method, where the whole rifle is a weapon and bayonet, too.
Mike
October 4, 2016Very good info. I remember getting training involving the difference in handling a “pistol” in a self defense situation vs the common way you see on t.v. or the movies. At least according to what I was told, it’s better to keep the weapon pointed down, (arms straight with proper grip for sight alignment) – and is faster to engage the enemy, than the typical movie posture, (elbows bent, weapon pointed up), where you have to drop or extend out to straighten your arms. Don’t know if it’s right or wrong now.
Ox
October 4, 2016“Sabrina grip”…with your pistol by your right cheek (for right handers) can actually be a great defensive position, if done correctly. It’s much faster than straight-arms-down and it puts you in a much better position to defend against surprise strikes.
Bradley
October 4, 2016Seems to me that the one and two hand up positions shown here can obstruct more of your view and peripheral as you are clearing a home….just my initial thought. The down ready leaves your view wide open with no obstructions to your view or peripheral.
Ox
October 4, 2016Try it 🙂 See if it makes any difference.
Here’s another drill you might want to try…have someone swing a pool noodle at your head as you go through a doorway and see if you prefer muzzle up or muzzle down.
Dan
September 30, 2016If someone grabs your long gun (either muzzle up, or muzzle down) draw sidearm and end the threat. No need to struggle over possession.
Ox
September 30, 2016There are some techniques that sound great…right until you try them with a non-compliant training partner.
I strongly encourage you to try that technique with a non-compliant training partner, but I can tell you from experience that the speed and dynamics of a real-life fight make that a less-than-ideal course of action…in many cases, simply punching your attacker in the throat or finger gouging them in the eye instead of going for your sidearm will be faster and more effective.
Gabby
September 29, 2016Sirs I do understand why it is taught (Muzzle up) However I don’t fully agree with it. If you grab the muzzle when it is down at 45 deg angle. I can still shoot your legs, if my mussel is up all I can shoot is up until after we get done wrestling over the gun. It also works with hand guns.
I currently teach Navy personnel how to shoot, muzzle up is what we teach wither I agree with it or not. It does have its place in the tactical world.
Ox
September 29, 2016Fair point…AND your muzzle rise will bring subsequent shots into the abdomen and chest.
Here’s one other advantage that I’ve found in working with “creative” (evil), non-compliant training partners…If I am surprised for any reason and my first cue is the realization that something (stick, knife, roundhouse, etc.) is coming at my chest/head, I’m able to defend myself much faster when my muzzle is already in front of my face.
The opposite is also true…when my muzzle is up, I’m more vulnerable to surprise groin/leg strikes.
Muzzle-up also works with handguns…quite well in fact. It looks comically similar to Charlie’s Angels…only there are specific, DRAMATIC differences that takes it from being something to laugh at to being an incredibly combat effective technique.
Cindy Voter
September 29, 2016As a woman I find this very helpful because I may not be able to grapple my fire arm away from a threat with the traditional method of the downward ready position. This makes a lot more sense for me. I also live in a trailer so tight quarters for any fighting.
Paul F. Park, MD
September 29, 2016Very Informative.
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