Todd Fletcher

Combative Firearms Training

Take Police1’s 30 days to better firearms skills challenge

Don't worry, this challenge isn’t a huge time commitment, but you will see big improvements in your skills and mindset

For more from Todd Fletcher, see his series for Police1 registered members: Police Firearms: Discussion, Drills & Demos.

It doesn’t matter what your current skill level is, when it comes to firearms training, we all have room for improvement. The fact of the matter is that police officers don’t get anywhere near the amount of firearms training they should to do their jobs defending their lives and the lives of the people in our communities. There are many reasons for this: time, money, range resources and ammunition shortages to name a few. But these are just excuses for not taking training into our own hands.

Let’s be honest, if we knew we were heading into a gunfight at some point soon, we would work our tails off to improve our skills before that life-or-death battle. Unfortunately, many of us suffer from an optimism bias when it comes to someone threatening our lives. Optimism bias is the belief that things will work out just fine on an individual level and that bad things only happen to other people. Even when officers are being assaulted and killed at record rates, many of us believe it won’t happen to us.

The problem is it can happen to us at any time, any place and under any conditions. Will you be ready to answer that call? Your spouse, children, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers want you to return home safe after every shift. This 30-day challenge can help improve your firearm skills so you can prevail on the street and return home safely to the most important people in your life.

This 30-day challenge isn’t a huge time commitment, but you will see big improvements in your skills and mindset. Are you ready? Let’s get to work! (Complete the box below to download a one-page sheet outlining the 30-day challenge for easy reference.)

Slideshow resources

Day 6: Press out drill

Day 9: Tactical reloads and speed reloads

Day 11: Great firearms training with low ammo count drills

Day 13: One hole drill

Day 16: Both hands drill, one hand drill and under a jacket drill

Day 18: Run your patrol rifle like a pro

Day 19: Reloads

Day 20: Hammer fire and jack hammer fire

Day 22: Carrying and training with a BUG

Day 23: 3 steps to learning from failure

Day 26: Rifle to handgun transitions

Day 27: 10x10 drill and BFM drill

Complete the box below to download a one-page sheet outlining the 30-day challenge for easy reference.

30 Days to Improved Firearm Skills

About the author

Todd Fletcher is the owner and lead instructor for Combative Firearms Training, LLC providing training for law enforcement firearms instructors from coast to coast. He has over 25 years of training experience as a firearms and defensive tactics instructor. He retired after more than 25 years as a full-time police officer and over 31 years of law enforcement experience.

Todd is a member of the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) and the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA). He is a member of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA), and was selected as the 2022 ILEETA Trainer-of-the-Year. He is also a member of the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI) and won the 2023 IALEFI Top Gun Award. He can be reached at Todd@CombativeFirearms.com.