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Police Products with Lindsey J. Bertomen

Tip: On the range, reholster reluctantly

While I was a candidate in Military Academy, one of the mantras we were compelled to repeat was, “If what you are doing is not getting the desired results, experiment with new behavior.” It was based on a quote that is often attributed to Albert Einstein, “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” It is unknown if he was really the inventor of this quote, but as a trainer, I have a duty to recommend experimenting with new behavior.

When you’re training to draw and fire, knock off the “double-tap-and-reholster” stuff, especially if your buddy is helping you by yelling “Threat!” or “Gun!” in your ear. Sometimes you need to shoot one shot, other times you need to empty the magazine and reload. Do not establish a mental/physical pattern by always firing the same number of bullets.

Whatever you do, REHOLSTER RELUCTANTLY. Going back to a holstered gun should be deliberate, not automatic.

The training mission here is to train to shoot and assess, rather than use a “cookie cutter” approach. Yes, you may add “moving to cover” to this kind of drill anytime.

In the meantime, stay safe!