Self-Defense Tip: Don’t Fake Scan

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Wow. This guy is fast. Well, he’s fast at clearing a double feed. When the deed is done, BatterieSnare shoots at what can only be called a leisurely pace. After that (:35), he lowers his gun, pulls it in slightly, and glances left and right. He retracts his weapon a bit more and does it again. Then he stands up and scans again. His bird-like head movements are cursory. Perfunctory. Meaningless. At no point did BS actually LOOK at what was on either side of him . . .

I see this at the range all the time. Shoot, retract, fake scan left, fake scan right, re-holster. Double quick.

First, what’s with the near-instant gun retraction? In a military environment, with multiple threats sneaking up you from every direction, weapon retention may be job one. Out on the street, the most likely threat is the same one you just shot. Or someone within your immediate field of view.

Here’s an option: keep your arms extended in the firing position and your head still. Scan with your eyes, searching for trouble whilst looking over the gun. If you need to fire again—at the same target or roughly in the same direction—you can shift your eyes from the target back to the sights in an instant, re-orient the gun left or right (if necessary), and let loose the dogs of war.

After the forward facing scan, I like to bring the gun back as I turn my head left. And then put the weapon into a low ready and turn head and body right. Exactly how and when you pull your gun in and begin your side scan can depend on any number of factors. But best practice is best practice. For example . . .

It’s a good idea to move as you scan. Sitting duck. Standing shooter. Same diff. I would go so far as to say that moving after shooting is more important than rapidly checking your six and nine o’clock positions.

Second, training yourself to glance left and right after a string trains you to glance left and right after a self-defense shooting. Again, what’s the big hurry? Anyone who wants to do you ill after you just shot someone else in self-defense is probably going to . . . wait for it . . . hide. And THEN cap yo’ ass.

What are the chances of seeing a perp hiding during a split second scan? Nil. As I said above, you need to LOOK for trouble. Shoes underneath cars, a head darting out from behind a tree, etc. At the same time, check for cover and concealment.

And that’s yet another problem with training at an indoor or home range: it’s a familiar, sterile environment. There really isn’t anything to look at. You could ask a friend to stand behind you with a playing card, but then you’re training yourself to look for someone holding a playing card.

Hence my desire to train at as many ranges as possible. In any case, force yourself to slow your scan down. Make it real; note your environment. Otherwise, your training technique is working against you, as is so often the case.