MCRGO Concealed Pistol Class Student Reference guide

5 Rules of Gun Safety and Handling

1) Every Firearm is loaded.

2) Always point the muzzle of a firearm in a Safe Direction.

• What is a safe direction?

3) Always keep your finger off the trigger until choosing to shoot.

• Where is your trigger finger placed when not shooting?

4) Only have your firearm accessible to authorized persons.

• Who is an authorized person?

5)Only have your firearm loaded when choosing to shoot.

3P’s 1. Practice 2. Protection 3. Plan

Three main parts of a pistol

1) Frame – The part of the pistol to which everything else is attached

2) Barrel - the tube through which the bullet moves when the gun is fired.

3) Action - the mechanism that loads, locks, fires, and extracts the cartridges.

• Breech – Where the cartridge enters immediately before discharge

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MCRGO Concealed Pistol Class Student Reference guide

Common Types of Pistols

• Semi Automatic - uses the energy of the fired cartridge to cycle the action of the firearm and advance the next available cartridge into position for firing. One cartridge is fired each time the trigger of a semi-automatic pistol is pulled.

• Pros and cons

• Revolver - A repeating handgun that has a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers. The revolver allows the user to fire multiple rounds without reloading. The cylinder revolves to align the next chamber and round with the hammer and barrel, which gives this type of firearm its name.

• Pros and cons

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MCRGO Concealed Pistol Class Student Reference Guide

Single Action Vs. Double Action Single Action – The trigger has one job. Depressing the trigger releases the hammer. What does the single action trigger pull feel like?

Double Action – The trigger has two jobs. Depressing the trigger cocks and releases the hammer. What does the double action trigger pull feel like?

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MCRGO Concealed Pistol Class student Reference Guide

Ammunition

Three ways to identify proper ammunition for your firearm.

Stamped on the barrel

Owner’s manual – most can be found online

On the actual box of ammunition or cartridge

Ammunition loaded to higher than normal maximum average pressure (MAP) and creating a higher than normal velocity is typically identified as; +P (Plus Pressure) , +P+ (even more pressure) , Magnum ( more pressure than +P+) and will most likely be stamped on the barrel, in the owner’s manual, and on the actual box of ammunition.

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MCRGO Concealed Pistol Class student Reference Guide

Ammunition – Malfunction

Always keep your firearm pointed in a safe direction when determining failure to fire.

Hang Fire - Delayed fire

• Wait 30 seconds. It does fire, but there is a delay between the time the firing pin hits the bullet’s primer and when the round goes off.

Misfire – primer is struck but the round does not go off.

• Treat a misfire like a hang fire. Keep the firearm pointed in a safe direction for at least 30 seconds.

Squib – less than normal pressure

• When a fired projectile does not carry enough force and becomes stuck in the gun barrel instead of exiting it.

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MCRGO Concealed Pistol Class Student Reference Guide

Always keep your firearm pointed in a safe direction when

clearing a stoppage or determining a malfunction.

Stoppage - Temporary interruption in the cycle of operation

Magazine induced stoppage – improperly seated or damaged magazine

• Sharply tap the base of the magazine to make sure it is properly seated in the gun and then rack the slide. This seats the magazine, clears a defective round and chambers a new one.

Stovepipe stoppage - Failure to eject

• Tap, Roll, Rack, Assess

Failure to feed – round was not loaded into the chamber or the magazine wasn't inserted enough (seated)to load a round.

• Tap, Roll, Rack, Assess

Double feed - round enters the chamber with a second round stripped out of the gun’s magazine and trying to join it, with the second round jammed against the back of the first.

• Press the magazine release, strip the magazine from the pistol and then cycle several times to clear both of these rounds. Reinsert the magazine, rack and assess.

Failure to fire – depress trigger and nothing happens

• Safety on? Proper ammunition?

• Trap, Roll, Rack, assess

Malfunction – Mechanical failure

Failure to function normally or satisfactorily

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Fundamentals of pistol shooting

Consistency equals accuracy

Aiming

• sight alignment

• sight picture

Breath Control

• Impacts the accuracy of your shot. How?

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MCRGO Concealed Pistol Class Student Reference Guide

Fundamentals of pistol shooting

Hold control Grip

Stance

a) Isosceles b) Weaver c) Chapman Trigger control Steady pressure on the trigger straight to the rear to release the hammer or firing pin. Follow through Prevents any unnecessary movement before the bullet exits the barrel

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Levels of Awareness

Level 1 – Complacent

Level 2 – Observant

Level 3 – Hazard

Level 4 – Action

“Under pressure, you don’t rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training. That’s why we train so hard. “

Anonymous Navy SEAL

Emotional Reactions to Stress

Fight/Flight

Freeze/Posture

Submit

Physical Reaction to Stress

Vision – focus on the threat

• Tunnel vision

• Time Dilation

Auditory Exclusion

Adrenaline Dump

Emotional Aftermath

Excitement

Disgust

Guilt

Uncertainty

Acceptance

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Carrying your Firearm in Public

Concealed Vs. Open Carry

MCRGO is neutral, we support RESPONSIBLE gun ownership

This is a Concealed Pistol Class – Concealed means the average person cannot readily see that you have a firearm.

No special privileges are granted for carrying a firearm in public.

Make a plan for where you are going. Are firearms allowed in transit and at your destination?

Have a backup plan for storage if firearms are not allowed.

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Tactical Marksmanship – Only Hits count!

Cover Vs. Concealment Cover will likely stop a bullet

Concealment may not (curtains)

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Notes