I’m coming back to this thread with some info and conclusions.
8 months ago I wrote that I agreed with 2 seconds draw and accurate shot.
I still agree with this quote, however I found the frequent and consistent practice to be very helpful to drastically shorten this time. It doesn’t mean the draw has to be super fast, but once I know I can do it well in 1.4 second I feel super confident close to 2 seconds.
In January 1 st, when I wrote my post, I was able to draw from AIWB and hit 4 inch circle at distance 15 ft in 1.75 s. That was my average time when I really felt good at.
Right now I can do the same in 1.4 s, still feeling good and very confident. Additionally I’m able to draw and put 5 accurate rounds in 1.75 s… and that is the result I love !
But to be understood… it is not about how fast I can draw… right now I know I do not need to rush to have a perfect hit below 2 seconds, which is very important to me. I hate misses and I know that under the stress everything can fall apart and extra time for perfect draw is needed.
As others have mentioned, the Active Self Protection YTube channel is a very good source of information not based on theories, but based on observation of actual defensive encounters (https://www.youtube.com/c/ActiveSelfProtection/videos).
The times specified of 2.0, 1.5 and 1.0 are put as a measure so you can practice and know YOUR capabilities. With that knowledge you can then properly estimate WHEN in a defensive encounter you have an appropriate opportunity to “take your turn”. If the attacker is completely facing away from you a 2.0 seconds draw to first shot (DTFS) gives you the opportunity. If the attacker is showing you his ear, a DTFS of 1.5 seconds gives you the opportunity, etc… The real issue is that your DTFS number is something that YOU have to know. You have to practice so that you KNOW that you can consistently and accurately draw and shoot in X amount of seconds. This allows you to exploit opportunities when they present themselves. Cheating the draw (hand on grip surreptitiously) also gives you certain advantages, so practice under those conditions also.
To practice, I have been using the MantisX system, specifically the Holster Draw Analysis Drill. It is a wonderful tool to capture each phase of the draw, so you can make accurate adjustments and get better. My issue is still defeating the outer garment with some specific shirts I have. I have found some other shirts that work much better. You can see definitive improvements the more you practice, and practice correctly. Eliminate extraneous parts of the draw (shoulder slump, head dip, incorrect presentation, bad grip, etc.) and you start getting better times. If you can video yourself during practice you can also see things you might be doing that are not necessary. The practice has also made it so I figured out that my initial position for my holster was not very effective for me, the grip was difficult to achieve. A little tweaking and the grip is now much better.
Another thing I have been looking at is USPSA competition. Locally there is a club that will allow draw from concealment. So I’m going to go practice there. My local ranges are somewhat difficult about drawing from appendix carry (understandable liability), so the USPSA competition seems like a good avenue to live fire practice.
Best of luck in your search for faster time in draw from concealment.
