Recently, I completed the Rangemaster Firearm Instructor Development Course out in Texas and I picked up a really neat drill that I want to share with you today.
It only takes 9 rounds of ammo and it tests just about every defensive handgun skill that you might possibly need.
To quote Tom Givens, the designer of the drill, it tests “… movement off the line of force, rapid presentation from concealment, accurate placement of multiple fast shots, a malfunction remedy, and an empty gun reload, all under time pressure. It only requires nine rounds, one target, and a timer or stopwatch to test/measure all of these skills.”
I was really impressed with it when I was introduced to the drill, but then forgot to record the details (there was not a lot of downtime in that class). Luckily, I ran into it again online so I wanna share it with you now.
Try this one out the next time you go shooting and post your times to the comments!
Tom Givens recently posted an entire description of the drill to his (excellent)Rangemaster newsletter. I’m re-posting it here for you
THE 3M TEST (Marksmanship, Movement, Manipulations)
SETUP:
Distance: 5 Yards
Target: Â RM-Q (scored 5/3), or a VSRT (scored 5/4/3), or an IDPA target (scored 5/3/0) for the Comstock Count version. If pass/fail scoring, only the highest value hit zone counts
SCORING:
Pass/Fail Scoring:
The shooter fails if he/she:
** Does not move on the draw, the malfunction, and the reload
** Does not tap the magazine before running the slide on the malfunction
** Places a single hit outside the highest scoring zone on the target.
Time limit is 15 seconds for a Combative Pistol student and 12 seconds for instructors.
Comstock Count Scoring:
Total Points Possible = 45 points
Points Divided by Time = Index
Index Multiplied by 30 = Score
Example:
42 points, fired in 12.15 seconds
———
42 ÷ 12.15 = 3.46 (Index)
3.46 x 30 = 103.8 (Score)
Par Score = 100
Any score over 100 (par) is very good work. Anything over 125 is extremely high skill.
DESCRIPTION:
For many years, Larry Nichols was the Rangemaster of the Burbank, California, police department. He devised the original, simpler version of this drill. He showed it to John Farnam probably 30 years ago, and John modified it to fit his curriculum. John showed his version to me 20 years ago, and I made changes to fit my curriculum. This is the version we currently use.
One silhouette target, at 5 yards. For our purposes, we will use an RM-Q (scored 5/3), or a VSRT (scored 5/4/3), or an IDPA target (scored 5/3/0) for the Comstock Count version. If pass/fail scoring, only the highest value hit zone counts.
Shooter starts with handgun loaded with six live rounds (one in chamber, five in magazine) and one dummy round in the magazine. Dummy is not the top round nor the bottom round in the magazine.
Someone else should load the magazine so the shooter does not know where in the magazine the dummy round lies.
Shooter starts holstered, hands in interview stance. On signal, side step, draw, and fire until a malfunction occurs. On the malfunction, side step, fix it, and continue to fire. When the gun runs empty, side step, perform an emergency reload, and fire 3 additional shots.
The shooter must move on the draw, move on the malfunction, and move on the reload. There is a ten-point penalty for any shot that misses the target on Comstock scoring. For pass/fail scoring, any round outside the highest value zone is a failure.
This drill tests movement off the line of force, rapid presentation from concealment, accurate placement of multiple fast shots, a malfunction remedy, and an empty gun reload, all under time pressure. It only requires nine rounds, one target, and a timer or stopwatch to test/measure all of these skills.
This drill is not intended to be shot over and over, trying to get an impressive score. I use this drill as a skill check, shot totally cold, at the beginning of a practice session. If you can pass this, or score above 125 on Comstock, on demand, you are probably an adequate defensive shooter.
Give This Drill A Shot And Post Your Times To The Comments!
If I recall correctly, we ran this drill using the PASS/FAIL scoring.
I have to look at my notes to see if I recorded my time. I want to say that Tom ran it around 8 seconds or so …
You do it and send me your score and I’ll try and do it again the next time I’m at the range.
I shot this drill today. Scored a 145.
I did this Spring 2017 at Reichard Ranch with John Farnam. IIRC, it was 24 feet, 5 shots, reload then 3 shots on a reactive target that I think I remember as 5×8 inches, could have been 8×11. 22 seconds allotted. I was using an airweight Smith 638 with the Pachmayr Compac grips which were a little too big for my hands. I used speed strips at first but after the first five tries, John and friends had me use the speedloader. I passed and made basic rank on about the tenth try. We had to start in the ready stance, go to “can’t help you sir” with arms up, draw, fire five, move, reload, fire three. Pass/fail. No malfunction drill because revolvers don’t malfunction. j/k. Not as often.
Glad to hear you’ve done it AND gotten to train with Farnam!
Paced off the distance in my living room and read up on the target sizes: I think it was a 6×11 reactive paddle target at 21 feet, 22 seconds for Basic level. “I can’t help you sir”, arms up, timer beep, Move, draw, shoot five, move, unload, reload, shoot three. I was drawing from pants pocket and grabbing speedloaders from windbreaker pocket.
Please define “emergency reload?” Just to be clear, does that mean a 2nd mag loaded with 3 or does it mean same mag reloaded with 3 loose rounds? Thanks.
“emergency reload” = slidelock reload – shoot the pistol to empty (which is an “emergency”) and get it reloaded
The 2nd mag is loaded with the rounds yes.
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