Monday, May 12, 2008 Rama: Hackathorn and letting it rip By Karlon N. Rama Stage Five
OWING to the conditions of the times, many law enforcement people I know carry guns even while off duty. Because of the dangerous tasks they perform, I don’t blame them. It is better, after all, to have a gun and not need it than need a gun and not have it.
The most common mode of carry for these off-duty lawmen is to place it in a light holster and stuff it inside the waistband. The gun is concealed by tucking one’s t-shirt or garment out.
The holsters—locally manufactured ones are mostly made with leatherette although imported brands like the Sidekick line from Uncle Mike’s are of synthetic fiber—protect the gun from the wearer’s sweat. For the wearer, the holster makes carry a bit more comfortable.
They feature a specially shaped hook, made of some sort of metal or plastic, which catches with the belt. Thus, when the gun owner needs to draw, the holster stays in place.
Drawing from concealed carry is quite different from the speed draw we see competition shooters perform in matches. The rigs are different. In matches, the holster is worn outside. In concealed carry, the holster is covered by garment.
The type of garment will dictate the technique of the draw.
Sweep and clear. If one carries the gun inside the waistband, over a shirt that is tucked-in and then covered by a front-open garment like a jacket or vest, the shooter needs to clear the covering garment sideways before drawing.
One good technique begins with both the shooting and support hand moving up into the abdomen. The fingers of the shooting hand then touch the body midline and track back, carrying the garment with it.
The shooting hand then goes for the gun and a straight draw is made. The shooting hand then brings the gun up the midline, where it is met by the support hand. A proper two-handed presentation then follows.
Another good technique for an open-garment carry was developed by the late Bill Jordan. He would carry something heavy—like six .357 cartridges in a speed loader—in his strong-side pocket. When he had to draw, he would throw his strong-side hip back. The momentum would make his coat fly back and clear, allowing him to make a straight draw.
According to his equally legendary student, gun instructor and writer Massad Ayoob, Jordan was lightning fast with this technique.
The Rip. If the gun is worn inside the waistband and concealed directly by the wearer’s shirt, the shooter needs to clear the garment upwards before drawing.
One of the strongest techniques I’ve seen was developed by another firearms instructor and writer, Ken Hackathorn, and is universally known as the Hackathorn Rip.The technique involves the support hand coming down to the appendix area of the shooter’s strong-side and grabbing a fistful of the garment at its bottom edge. The garment is then ripped upward towards the body’s centerline, leaving the gun exposed for the shooting hand to draw.
The only drawback to the technique is that it requires the use of both hands. Unfortunately, in situations involving defensive shooting, one cannot always assume both of one’s hands are free.
Ayoob developed a modification of the Hackathorn Rip, requiring only the use of the shooting hand.
His technique involves having the thumb of his strong hand hook the garment in line with the seam of his trousers. With his hand moving up, he throws his hip to the back, giving him a clear path from which to draw.
Whatever the technique, three things are required: practice, practice and practice.
Match. Speaking of lawmen, the Philippine National Police Alumni Association Inc. Central Visayas chapter will hold a two-day shooting match from May 31 to June 1 at the CPRA Firing Range in Lapu-Lapu City.
The Course of Fire, designed by the National Range Officers’ Institute, features five pistol, three rifle and three shotgun stages.
We’ll have the match results and other details on Wednesday.
