By Dave Spaulding
InterMedia Outdoors
I have been very fortunate with regard to firearms training in that I have been to lot of schools, but I’ve reached the time in my lifewhere I can no longer expect to see continual improvements in my skills. Today I’m just trying to hang on to what I have, and I spend more time contemplating what I have learned and how to realistically apply it to likely situations. Lately I’ve been thinking about the Readyposition.
Ready takes several forms, but before we can decide what is best, we must first understand what “ready” means. A Ready position is one in which you are prepared to act, and in the case of defensive firearms use, this means you are ready to shoot if the situation warrants.
We will never know what awaits us, so any Ready position needs to be situationally dependent. Can any single one achieve such a lofty goal, to work for every possible situation? If we are honest and forget loyalty to a particular school or instructor, we will probably answer no. With this is mind, let’s take a look at the more popular readypositions being taught and see how they can be used.
Guard Position
The Guard position (also called Low Ready) was made popular by thelate Jeff Cooper as part of his Modern Technique of the Pistol. Whenused as intended, it is the fastest Ready position to get on target as it requires only about 18 inches of movement to lift the gun from a 45-degree angle to the eye/target line.
This 45-degree angle keeps the gun off an adversary when standing 20 feet or so away but keeps the gun very visible, making it an excellent threat-management position. If attacked, the shooter merely lifts the gun and presses the trigger. Nothing could be simpler. The problem arises when it is used improperly.
Many have difficulty holding a 45-degree angle for any length of time and end up lowering the muzzle straight to the ground to relieve the weight. This same position is also used during building searches so the extended gun does not “telegraph” around a corner.
I have seen this “drop” position accepted during many police firearms training programs as it is considered “range safe,” but instructors are actually doing harm. First, it is difficult to lift the gun quickly from a full “drop” position and stop instantly for an accurate shot. Most either under or over travel the high chest region, resulting in ineffective shot placement.
I have also seen police officers point their guns at their own feet/ legs or trap it against the wall while trying to look around corners. How ready does this position make a person who might need the gunto save their lives?
Third Eye/Compressed Guard
I made a mistake in the early 1990s when I wrote an article for a law enforcement trade journal and called this Ready position the Third Eye, and it has created some confusion. I should have called it theCompressed Guard since this is what it really is.
I was looking for a position that would take the gun’s muzzle off target but would still allow the gun to be deployed both smoothly andaccurately. I had just returned from the Mid-South Institute for Self Defense Shooting, where I had been trained in what is called the Chest Ready, but I felt that having the muzzle constantly forward wouldnot be wise.
What I found worked I called the Third Eye as it allowed the gun to move where ever the eyes/head looked without excessive motion. The Third Eye, what I now call the Compressed Guard in my classes, is nothing more than bending the elbows once in the Guard position to keep the gun from going muzzle-down.
To use the Compressed Guard, merely place your gun in the prescribed 45-degree angle and then bend your elbows until they index on yourrib cage.
You will note the handgun’s muzzle is still depressed but is rested in a position that requires nothing more than a push of the gun or straightening of the elbows to get on target.
Since I shoot with a thumbs-forward grip, I merely straighten my elbows and push my thumbs where I want the gun to go. I have found this position allows me to intersect the eye/target line with minimal effort and can be performed regardless of position--including pivoting or turning.
The Compressed Guard was never intended to be a replacement for the Guard but merely a supplement so the gun would not be lowered to the ground. This position has also been used successfully during searches and other high-risk incidents, and I find it to be a wonderful bridge position.
I have heard instructors use these titles interchangeably. Implementation also changes depending on the instructor, but as a general rule the gun is held parallel to the ground with the muzzle pointing straight forward and the hands/wrists resting against the chest.
Some use this technique with the elbows straight out from the chest while others recommend the elbows be kept against the torso. Havingsmacked my funny bone a number of times--and noting how it affects my ability to shoot--I keep my elbows tucked in.
According to several friends who were air marshals before the program’s rapid growth, this position was adopted as the best way to get the pistol on target when seated in the tight confines of coach class. When engaging in the linear environment of an aircraft, the gun needs to be ready before the air marshal rises to confront a terrorist or hijacker, and in this situation it makes a great deal of sense as the gun can be fired anywhere from chest to full extension.
The position has been adopted by a number of special operations and police SWAT teams due to the rapid deployment capability, but it can be hazardous in some situations. The muzzle crosses everything, andwe should remember one of the cardinal rules of gun safety is “neverpoint your muzzle at anything you are not willing to shoot, kill or destroy.”
I once saw a police officer approach a stopped vehicle using the Chest Ready. When I asked him what the threat was, he told me, “It wasa suspicious vehicle.” Is this a sound reason to point a gun at another person? When in doubt, there is no doubt--don’t. The time saved by pointing a gun is not that great as compared to what might happen if you were to trip or suffer an unintentional convulsive grip on the gun.
If it is reasonable to point one’s gun at a threat, by all means do it, but be sure of your target. I once got up in the middle of the night to investigate a suspicious sound, only to confront one of my daughter’s boyfriends. I did not have my gun at Chest Ready, and I’m glad I didn’t.
High Ready
This position is nothing new. I first learned it in the early 1980s for both revolver and shotgun use, but it fell from grace because it blocks the shooter’s view below the gun. The gun’s front sight is elevated to the eye/target line and kept there while searching.
The position is fast on target and allows the shooter to quickly reference the front sight but blocks the lower field of view. While searching a house for a burglar, a fellow deputy and I used the High Ready, only to discover later that we overlooked the suspect lying nextto a bed. When thinking about it later, the deputy figured he scanned right overtop of him.
Having spoken to a number of returning vets from Iraq, I understand that the High Ready is used extensively over there due to the increasing number of attacks that come from balconies or rooftops. This would be the correct use of this position as high threats would not be blocked, and if the threat is to come from above, it would make no sense to point your gun at the ground.
Another note on using this in a search. I once conducted a search with another deputy who stopped at a corner and craned his neck around to take a quick peek. In doing so, he moved his revolver to the side and ended up pointing his gun at his own head.
Close Retention Ready
History has shown that the majority of handgun fights are close-quarter affairs. In such a situation, using the Guard or Compressed Guard could result in having your gun taken away, so having it in a position in which it can be used and defended is sound.
The best Ready position for use in “the hole” (double arm’s lengthor about six feet) is the Close Retention position. When using this,the gun is held back against the torso with the muzzle pointing straight ahead. I like to index my flagged thumb against my chest as a way of ensuring I have it correct and the moving slide will not snag onclothing.
This is also the position you should achieve whenever drawing froma strong-side belt holster. By doing so, you are prepared to shoot anywhere from here to full extension of the arms if the situation dictates. Its use allows the off hand to fend, fight or perform needed tasks.
The great thing about these four positions is they can be used interchangeably by merely bending the elbows, flowing smoothly from one to the next with minimal effort.
Based on the situation you face, the gun can start in the Guard position and as circumstances develop the elbows can be bent--bringing the gun closer to the torso but with a still-depressed muzzle.
If a threat is imminent or you have reason to believe it is, the gun’s muzzle can be raised parallel to the ground by bending the elbows more and elevating the gun. If a closer position is needed, the hands separate and the shooting arm elbow is bent farther to the rear, bringing the gun into close retention.
I have found very little difference in the time it takes to deliver an accurate shot from each of these positions. When shooting at an eight-inch square at 24 feet, I have found that sub-one second hits can be obtained with all. During a recent training session, my times (in seconds) for each were as follows:
Guard: 0.62
Compressed Guard: 0.70
Chest Ready: 0.68
Close Retention (pushed out to full extension): 0.79
In Close Retention, I fired the gun at full extension. As noted inthe text, you can actually fire from any point in this position, butI used full extension to make it an apples-to-apples comparison withthe other positions. While one position may appear significantly faster, keep in mind that the blink of an eye is between 0.30 and 0.33 seconds, thus the time between each can only be measured by an electronic timer. Speed of deployment should not be the primary concern whenusing a particular Ready position, the circumstances you are facing should be.--DS
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