Too many officers either don’t carry off-duty or don’t train with the gun they carry off-duty. Law enforcement, in general, neglects firearms training. We tend to focus on check-the-box actions like qualifications instead of meaningful skill-building — and we do even less when it comes to concealed carry.
Officers owe it to their families, their communities and themselves to carry off-duty and train with the gun they carry from concealment. Agencies owe it to their officers to teach gun and holster selection for concealed carry, and to provide courses that build a base skill level for off-duty carry.
I challenge officers to spend at least 15 minutes a week doing drills with their concealed carry setup. This can be done dry or live fire — preferably a combination of both.
Critical skills to master for off-duty carry
- Drawing consistently from different hand positions
- Drawing with only one hand available
- Drawing while moving aggressively
- Target transitions
- One-handed shooting (strong and support hand only)
- Recoil management (especially with a subcompact)
The more skilled an officer is with a firearm, the less likely they are to use unreasonable force. They are also more likely to end a threat quickly while minimizing risk to innocent people.
Deliberate practice matters. Train hard.
Police1 firearms training resources
- 10 firearms training drills for off-duty carry
- Range drills for training on your own time
- Master your shooting: Gear and training tips to build a stable shooting platform
- Essential shooting range equipment for your range bag
| WATCH: Transition with speed and accuracy: Todd Fletcher presents a quick drill for target precision
