If you are new to defensive pistol shooting, you will need some basic equipment to get started.
Primary Handgun Any off-the-shelf semi-auto pistol or revolver suitable for concealed carry will work for Utah Polite Society events. We strongly suggest you use the gun you carry as your primary self-defense gun. Although you may shoot just about any handgun you care to bring at our events, you may be best served by using a primary sidearm that falls within the following suggested guidelines:
Our events usually consist of two to four courses of fire that either exercise specific defensive shooting skills or simulate defensive encounters. These typically require drawing from the holster, shooting while moving, and/or shooting from behind cover. The simulated defensive encounters are randomized for each participant, require evaluating the defensive situation in real time, and executing tactics appropriate to the situation.
Our group's motivation is the practice of skills that will serve you well if you ever find yourself in an escalated altercation (really ugly fight). As such, you'll find the biggest difference between our organization and other, similar organizations is that our shooting matches are not competitions. They are not geared for scoring. (We don't really keep score.) Our soul purpose is to impress upon participants a good skill set and good habits.
Safety 1. All guns are always loaded – handle them as loaded guns.
2. Don’t point your gun at anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until on target and ready to shoot.
4. Be sure of your target and what’s behind it. Equipment Requirements
Use what you carry. The intent of UPS is to allow participants to gain proficiency with the equipment they carry for self-defense.
All equipment used must adhere to the safety rules outlined above. Specifically, it must allow drawing and holstering without muzzle sweeping any part of the participant’s body and without muzzle sweeping bystanders.
Participants are required to have and use eye and ear protection. Equipment Recommendations
Gun: The gun used should be appropriate for concealed carry, and can be a revolver or semi-auto.
Holster: The holster used should be worn on the strong side hip and allow one-handed re-holstering.
Magazines/Speedloaders: Should be the same as used for everyday carry. At least three magazines/speedloaders are recommended.
Magazine/Speedloader Pouches: The pouches used should be the same as used for carry. Magazine should be carried on the non-dominant side with bullets forward.
Hot Range Procedures
All guns are loaded all the time. However guns may not be un-holstered or handled except as outlined below.
Ammunition and magazines may be handled anywhere except the safety area.
Magazines may be charged anywhere except the safety area.
Make Ready: At the beginning of the event the event coordinator will have all participants line up and make ready.
Double action guns will be decocked and carried with the hammer down.
Single action guns will have the manual safety engaged and carried cocked and locked.
All guns will be holstered once they have been made ready.
Safety Area: May be used to handle guns and related equipment and to perform administrative actions.
All guns must be unloaded before bringing them to the safety area.
Ammunition may not be handled at the safety area.
Clearing Butt: Used to unload guns when leaving the range, and reload guns when re-entering the range. Typical uses of the clearing butt are:
Firing Point: Any point from which a participant is expected to fire during the course of an exercise.
The participant may handle the gun, load/unload the gun, perform administrative actions, and fire the gun at the firing point.
At the end of scenario exercises, the participant must scan for additional threats, and put the gun in the appropriate condition before holstering.
Range Commands
· Exercise Walkthrough
· Understand the Course of Fire
· Start Signal
· Muzzle
· Finger
· Stop/Ceasefire
Gun Handling
Four-Stage Draw: · Grip · Clear-Rotate · Catch · Push. Re-holster: · Do not sweep the off hand with the muzzle during the re-holster. · Place it on the stomach or chest in order to keep track of where it is. · Do not use the off hand to hold the holster open or to move retention straps out of the way. · Bring the gun above the holster with the muzzle horizontal and then tip it into the holster. Slide-lock Reload: · Eject spent magazine and let it fall free. · Index fresh magazine with index finger. · Place back of magazine to back of magazine well. · Push magazine sharply with heal of hand. · Release slide using off hand to release slide stop or slingshot slide. Tactical Reload: · Retrieve fresh magazine with off hand. · Index magazine with index finger. · Eject partial magazine into off hand between “pinky” and next finger. · Place back of fresh magazine to back of magazine well. · Push magazine sharply with heal of hand. · Pocket partial magazine. Magazine Exchange with Retention: · Eject partial magazine and retain with off hand. · Pocket partial magazine. · Index fresh magazine with index finger. · Place back of magazine to back of magazine well. · Push magazine sharply with heal of hand.
In skills drills, you will receive either a target score or be scored on the number of targets you neutralize.
In a simulated defensive encounter, your use of tactics, use of cover, movement, threat identification, and threat neutralization will be evaluated by those observing. At end of the evaluation they will determine if you survived the encounter, if individuals you were protecting survived the encounter, if you were charged criminally, or if you were sued civilly.
It is sometimes feasible to resolve a defensive encounter by escaping without firing a shot.
There is seldom just one “right” solution to any given defensive scenario. Often there may be no good solutions; just the option to choose the solution you think may yield the least bad outcome.
Four Laws Of Firearm Safety 1. All guns are always loaded. Even if they are not, treat them as if they are. 2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. (For those who insist this particular gun is unloaded, see Rule 1.) 3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target. 4. Identify your target, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything that you have not positively identified.
Where These Rules Apply The four laws of firearm safety apply everywhere, not just at the range. The safety procedures, below, apply at all locations within the Hendricksen Range grounds (including the parking lot).
Handguns 1. Handguns must remain holstered or cased when not at the firing point, clearing butt, or safety area. 2. Participants may manipulate firearms at the safety area provided the muzzles are pointed at the berm. No ammunition is allowed at the safety area. 3. Participants may load and unload firearms at the clearing butt. 4. Participants may unholster firearms at the firing point when under the supervision of a safety officer.
Long Guns 1. Long guns must remain cased behind the deadline, unless performing maintenance functions at the safety area 2. Participants may manipulate firearms at the safety area provided the muzzles are pointed at the berm. No ammunition is allowed at the safety area. 3. Participants may case and uncase firearms at the clearing butt provided the muzzles are pointed safely toward the berm. Uncased firearms may be placed in the rifle rack, on the adjacent table pointing into the berm, or may be slung muzzle down (safety on or bolt retracted). 4. Once slung, firearms must remain slung until racked, cased, or at the firing point under the direction of a safety officer. 5. The deadline extends laterally across the range just up range of the clearing butt. Long guns must be cased up range of the deadline, and may be slung muzzle down downrange of the deadline. 6. Long guns will be loaded and unloaded at the safety officers direction.
