Bad advice

R

Ralph G. Briscoe

New member
I've noticed that since I began reading gun and outdoor magazines (c. 1958) the quality of writing has steadily declined. I generally ignore it, but while perusing the magazine rack at the local Kroger's this evening I saw such a profound example of dangerous stupidity I had to mention it. The latest issue of Concealed Carry magazine contains an article by one Kevin R. Davis entitled "Revolvers to the Rescue." His mention of the importance of close-range practice includes a picture of Kevin R. at the range shooting at a silhouette target with a snubby at a range of about 5 feet one-handed with his arm fully extended to eye level...aiming. It violates common sense, as well as the advice of experts, as this approach offers your assailant the best possible chance of disarming you, deflecting your aim, or grabbing the revolver to lock up the cylinder. 5 feet is point-shooting range, and time to keep your weapon close to your body. I hope this guy's bad example doesn't get anybody killed.
 
Ideally, the best position to shoot from the one that you are most effective with; however, it's always good to practice strong and weak shooting, as well as any other possible position that you may instantly find yourself when needing to react. If that was their intention then I hope that they would make that clarification, otherwise, I don't know....
 
yeah you shouldn't have to aim from that distance at any rate andor regardless of how one looks at it(at least that is how I was trained).
 
At < 5 ft, fire from retention, and pray that it doesn't turn into a hand-to-hand fight. If it does, keep control of your weapon, and know how to use your hands and a knife better than the other guy.
 
I have not seen the picture. Is is possible that the angle of the shot skewed the perspective? What exactly was he doing? Was he just standing there or was he dynamically moving off the "X"?

As has been mentioned before; people who carry guns tend to get the hammer syndrome - Every problem is a nail. Not all situations call for a gun. Usually at 0-5 feet, you do not have time to go to your gun, you need to create distance. I have been advocating for years that the gun is only part of your system, you need hand to hand skills.

Ralph, you started reading this mag in 1958? My dad was born in 1955.

Wow.

Just thought to toss that out there.
Click to expand...

And I was born in 1961, so?
 
Nanuk,

Makes us feel kind of like Peter Ustinov in Logan's Run, no?

"Renew! Renew!"

Then again, I was '68 vintage, so I am probably only mid-generation older than p loader.

Back on topic, for the most part, I take articles in gun mags with a great grain of salt. I also advocate for basic hand to hand skills training.
 
my arm is about 18-22 inches so thats almost half. i def would not extend past a retention/ hipfire draw. your just beggin to get your gun grabbed at that short of distance.
 
It isn't just the gun magazines that show the decline of journalism.
It used to be that people who actually knew the subject wrote about it.
Now, it seems it's more people who write for a living pretending to be the experts that they aren't.
 
what you mean the person whos whole experience with firearms has been plinking and playing call of duty isnt qualified to write a how to manual for firearms use?
 
I can assure you that photo was staged like that only so they could get the shooter and the target all in the same photo. Photo shoots have almost nothing to do with reality. But you are correct, all of the gun magazines are written at about a 4th grade level today (as are most newspapers). Their only purpose is to sell advertising.
 
I wouldn’t base any conclusions on a picture. If you can use your sights at 5ft, 10ft, 2ft then use your sights. Unless you practice "point shooting" or any shooting you won't hit anything, especially under stress.
 
I keep wondering why more people here don't write for gun magazines, since the current writing is held in such low regard. Maybe you all could do better.
 
Some of us do.

Full disclosure: I'm no longer the editor at Concealed Carry Magazine. Stepped down this summer to chase my own dreams. :) Still on good terms with the publisher and the new editor, and wish them all the best.

pax
 
I wouldn't let a staged/posed photo in a commercial magazine article unduly concern me. Who knows the author's intent, or whether that particular image was even intended to appear in the article with that caption? Mix ups in editing have apparently been known to occur.

Some of you guys seem intent on making me feel old. I was born in the early 50's ... :p

While magazines are interesting and entertaining, it's not like they're remotely able to take the place of a qualified live instructor/trainer. ;)

Then again, when I was a teenager I bought a slew of the Bruce Tegner books 2-3 years before I actually started formal martial arts training. Not quite the same thing. :eek:

I wish I'd all of those books in my collection, though. I think I only have a couple of them remaining.
 
they arent interested in taking on writers who arent already in the 'industry". so perhaps once you become the only gunsmith with a 3 year waiting list, win the ipsc crap/ 3 gun thing 4 years running with a perfect score each time, then try to get a writing gig.
 
Hmmm, I just noticed this thread has become more generalized, and isn't about tactics or training any more. Hold on -- I'm going to move it over to GenDisc.

pax
 
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