[VIDEO] Have You Practiced Firing From A Vehicle? Here Are Two Drills To Practice

Stuck in a vehicle during a firefight?  Your going to have a bad day.  Being stuck in any container means your freedom of movement is limited and most commercial vehicles offer little protection against small arms fire.  In this video, Graham Combat goes over some practical, sensible techniques to drawing from the driver’s side and passenger’s side.

This is something that concealed carriers ought to practice.  Even if you’re an extremely good shot, if you don’t know the mechanics of drawing your pistol and putting it on target – the fight may be over before it started.

The practicality and feasibility of working through these techniques may differ depending on how your outdoor pistol range is situated.  There is no substitute for practice.  And what you practice is exactly what you will rely upon in a high-stress hostile environment.

Alternatives for those who can’t take a vehicle out onto the range:

Dry Fire Exercises

This cannot be understated or undervalued.  Ensuring that your concealed carry firearm is unloaded, you can practice both of the following exercises.  It’s very much recommended this is a place that is out of view of others but most ideally it would be an outdoor range.

Vehicle Borne:  Front-side Defense

Situation:  You just got into your car in a parking lot.  Pretend it’s a busy mall parking lot with vehicles to the front, rear, and sides.  Space is extremely limited.  You have an unknown number of attackers or threats approaching you from the front.

Simulation:  Eyes closed.  Have a friend or shooting partner position targets to the front of your vehicle (or simulated vehicle) without telling you how many or where – so long as they are spaced apart and in the front field of fire.  Recommended distances should vary from 5 to 25 yds and starting off, three targets.

Load one magazine with four to six rounds and another with only two to three rounds.

1. Once the range is clear, open your eyes.
2. If you haven’t already, load the first magazine (it doesn’t matter which) into your pistol.
3. Open your driver’s side door and bring your concealed carry pistol from its holster to a supported position between the open door and the vehicle compartment.
4. From a supported, seated position, engage all targets with two rounds.
5. Make sure to include at least one magazine change.

Starting off – focus on getting the mechanics right.  Speed will come with familiarity.  The only thing that matters in this exercise is hits.  If you hit two out of three targets, focus on marksmanship first and speed second.  If you hit no targets, bring all targets to the 5 yard line.

Vehicle Borne: Attack From The Rear

Situation:  You’re in a parking lot getting into your car.  There’s a wall in front of you and cars to the rear.  Active shooting begins somewhere behind you.  Use your mirrors to try to spot the attackers without giving away your position.  Once the targets have been acquired, engage with two rounds each.

Simulation:  If you can use a real vehicle for this simulation – great.  If not, simply work from the seated position.  Use a hand-held rearview mirror or equivalent.  You can get as creative as you want to simulate a car interior.  Remember – the more difficult the training exercise, the better the pay-off if you need to use it.

Have a shooting companion position at least three targets on the range.  You will be facing away from him or her while the targets are being positioned at variable distances of 5 to 25 yds.

Once the range is clear, load two magazines the same as before.  Insert first magazine into the pistol.

1. Place your concealed carry firearm into your holster.
2. Taking your mirror, locate each of the targets.
3. Minimizing your profile out of the driver’s side, roll so you can engage the target closest to you first.  Engage with two rounds.
4. Use the vehicle to provide as much cover as possible as you crest your pistol onto the two (or more) remaining targets).  Engage each with two rounds.  At least one magazine change should have occurred during this time.
5. Always use the cover of the vehicle to your advantage whenever possible and minimize your profile outside of it.

After these two drills, always practice scanning your horizon for additional targets before reloading and returning to holster.

Safety is always a number one priority.  If doing these exercises at a range, ensure that the range is clear (“hot”) prior to start.  Always communicate with shooting partners to ensure they know what you’re doing.  Never engage a target with any live person in the field of fire.