As firearms enthusiasts, we're always looking for ways to improve our skills and stay safe on the range. Clint Smith's "The Drill" is a comprehensive training program designed to help shooters develop the skills needed for self-defense scenarios.
Key Takeaways
Clint Smith's "The Drill" training program is designed to help shooters develop the following skills:
- Improve marksmanship and accuracy
- Develop smooth and efficient reloading techniques
- Learn to deal with non-compliant threats and malfunctions
- Increase proficiency in drawing from a holster and engaging targets quickly
- Enhance strong and support hand shooting skills
Setup
To prepare for this training program, you will need the following setup:
- Standard white paper plates for target practice at 15 yards.
- A 3" x 5" index card placed above the top dinner plate.
- Dinner plates stacked one above the other with the index card on top.
Training Program Instructions
Marksmanship Drill
The Marksmanship Drill is designed to test your accuracy, control, and trigger reset skills.
- Start in the ready position.
- Fire 10 singles on chosen target at 15 yards. (Practice proper sight alignment and trigger control.)
- From the ready position fire 5 sighted doubles. (Practice your trigger reset by keeping the gun steady between shots.)
Loading Drill
The Loading Drill is designed to test your reloading skills under pressure.
- Put one round in your handgun, fire, when the gun goes empty keep the muzzle on the target and reload.
- Keep the gun between you and the target and reload. Do this drill 10 times.
Non-Compliant Threats
This part of the training program is designed to simulate real-world scenarios where an attacker may not comply with verbal commands or may attempt to close distance, requiring a decisive response.
- From the ready position fire 2 shots on the center plate and 1 shot on the card. Do this 2 times. (Slow down for your head shots.)
- Fire 3 shots on the center plate and 1 on the card. Do this 2 times.
- Fire 2 shots on the center plate, 2 shots on the lower plate and 1 shot on the card. Do this 1 time.
Drawing
No self-defense training program is complete without practice drawing from a holster smoothly, and with speed.
- With an unloaded firearm draw 10 to 15 times correctly, and smoothly, following through to include a sight picture and hammer fall.
- Load, draw and fire 10 singles, holstering between shots. Remember safety on and finger straight while holstering.
Malfunctions
Do not assume that everything will always work as advertised. Malfunctions happen, and this training program does not ignore them.
- Leave the magazine unseated with one in the chamber and fire when ready.
- Stick a piece of brass in the top of the ejection port.
- Set up a double feed.
The response is always the same, when the gun does not fire. Tap the magazine. Rack the slide harder and attempt to fire. If it still doesn't work, remove the magazine and place under your strong hand little finger. Rack the slide 3 times and reload the gun and fire if you have a valid target.
Strong and Support Hand
Fire 5 shots strong hand only from the ready position, carefully transfer the gun to your support hand and fire 5 shots.
