Post your draw times

[kurth83]

Starting to do quick-draw times with the Pug/BW.
For me all are pocket carry with a Blackhawk tecgrip holster.  Pocket carry is the slowest of all common carry options AFAIK.

The test guns for me:
Ruger LCP max with laser (makes aiming faster).
NAA Pug and BW (both are about the same, I show both holster grip and BW grip).

Why practice draw times?  Most self defense scenarios are over in 3 seconds, draw time is critical.

NOTE: All draw times were measured with the cylinder removed for safe dry-fire practice.

My times are slow compared to anything competition-like where 1 sec times are common, and for open carry holsters 2 seconds are achievable by many with some practice.  I am not familiar with common IWB times, but when I see videos of ppl having to lift their shirt with one hand and draw with the other I know its not for me, no way to draw a gun one-handed with that kind of carry.

I post two sets of times:
Distance target: time to shoot with a good sight picture (a distance target of say 10-15 feet away), this is how ppl normally measure draw time.
Close up: belly gun/hip-shot type of draw where aiming is less necessary, this one seems highly appropriate for NAA guns.

My distance times:
Ruger LCP MAX w' laser    = 2.5 sec to the first shot about 3 secs without the laser.
Pug or BW with BW grip   = 3 sec to first shot with the BW grip on both.
Pug/BW with holster grip = 4 sec to first shot.

Close up timing:
Ruger/LCP MAX                = 1 sec - since the gun is already cocked, just draw and pull the trigger.
Pug or BW with BW grip    = 1.5-2 sec - cocking is hard, and my hand gets tired practicing draws.  My times are inconsistent and vary from1.5 to 2 seconds, I practiced a bit and got most of them under 2 secs.
Pug or BW w' holster grip  = 3 sec - unfolding and cocking are both time consuming.

The surprise was that I could get that first distance shot off in only slightly more time than the laser, the reason is I could easily and repeatably cock while lining up the sight picture.

All other times are as expected, and fall short of better carry options, I wish it was better.  I have seen ppl cock the gun with their opposing hand, called western style, I haven't tried that yet, but would prefer a one handed shooting ability anyway.

I also had the trigger slip occasionally when trying to cock in dry fire.  I deliberately tested that and the trigger stops in the half cocked position, so I would have had to recock to fire.  I think that's better than the gun going off with a cylinder in a partially revolved state (which could be bad).  Nice little safety touch there.  Dry fire practice is about getting all contingencies into your muscle memory, so the half-cocked slip is important to me.

While I would have liked to see slightly better times, in general it is what you want to see, up close draws are faster (which is desirable), and the distance ones are surprisingly close to other guns, at least for me.

[theysayimnotme]

Post how lonh until you shoot yourself.

[Anvil]

Sorry but my draw times are negligent until needed. 

[bearcatter]

Fear and adrenaline tend to make you move faster.....

[kurth83]

Post how lonh until you shoot yourself.

Maybe it wasn't clear, dry fire only.  I probably should have mentioned 99.99% of my drawing practice is dry-fire.  My range only allows practicing stuff like that in private or group sessions with a shooting instructor.  Safety first...

[Rick_Jorgenson]

Post how lonh until you shoot yourself.

Maybe it wasn't clear, dry fire only.  I probably should have mentioned 99.99% of my drawing practice is dry-fire.  My range only allows practicing stuff like that in private or group sessions with a shooting instructor.  Safety first...

Good job practicing!! Not enough people do

You may want to get with an instructor so you can also practice shot placement along with timing your shot's

The fastest shot AND best shot placement is key to protecting yourself.
JMHO

[kurth83]

Yes I have had many sessions with them.  I know what a good sight picture looks like so that makes the dry fire practice more useful.  The times posted are to get a good sight picture and pull the trigger on an empty gun.  I can shoot 1-1.5" groups at 5 yds if I go slow and careful.  When going faster I get 3-5" groups typically.  I have enough shooting practice I can vary the accuracy based on time and distance requirements.  The goal was to get all that automatic so I know without thinking what I have to do to hit a target whether close or farther away.

[RogueTS1]

Use a shot timer and real ammo and those times are bound to go up a little. Average human reaction time hovers right around .25 of a second. Dry fire is good but real shots fired is more real. Still interesting though. 

[Rick_Jorgenson]

Use a shot timer and real ammo and those times are bound to go up a little. Average human reaction time hovers right around .25 of a second. Dry fire is good but real shots fired is more real. Still interesting though. 

The shot timer and/or the rotating targets just don't lie exaggerate  (you need to be using real ammo and shot timer for the true test) 

During a drill, if I'm really on my game that day I can get 6 to 7 inch groups in 1.5 to 1.8 seconds averaged at 5 yards. (9mm Sig P-210 or .45 1911)

Using a mini, I'm sure that would increase my time dramatically (3 to 4 seconds? using a shot timer) and 0 grouping (no hits) if using 2 second timed turning targets.

[Rick_Jorgenson]

Fear and adrenaline tend to make you move faster.....

And, less accurate without practice 
JMHO 

[theysayimnotme]

Post how lonh until you shoot yourself.

Maybe it wasn't clear, dry fire only.  I probably should have mentioned 99.99% of my drawing practice is dry-fire.  My range only allows practicing stuff like that in private or group sessions with a shooting instructor.  Safety first...

Dry firing rimfire firearms can damage them.

[bearcatter]

I don't dryfire any gun, unless I absolutely have to to check something, and then it's only once or twice. Even with snap caps (or wall anchors), the hammer is smacking into the rear of the firing pin. The tip of the firing pin is still hitting something, even though it's softer than steel. It still stresses the firing pin and the FP spring(s).

[kurth83]

I'm sorry to have to say that just isn't accurate AFAIK, dry-firing is a large part of the handgun community, entire books about dry fire training have been written (amazon), and manufacturers are well aware:
https://www.amazon.com/Dry-Fire-Training-Practical-Pistol-Shooter/dp/1497319633

The trick is each manufacturer has different guidelines for their various models.

NAA is repeatedly reported to say it is safe to dry fire with the cylinder removed.  Anyone aware of a direct quote?  I am willing to be corrected.

Lore here says replace the main spring after 4-5k cycles regardless of dry vs live fire.  So yes there is some wear and tear from dry-firing, but for a gun designed for it, it should do reasonably well.

22's (rimfires) are the most notorious for not allowing dry firing because the hammer will ping the surface in front of it (the cylinder in this case) resulting in damage to the firing pin and the cylinder.  So you always have to check the manufacturer guidelines and buy what is appropriate if you want to incorporate dry-firing into your practice routine.

I checked into all that before I bought an NAA.

You can search the forums here and you will see dry-fire comes up every so often.

[coppertop]

Takes me about 5 minutes to draw a bath.
Seconds to draw straws.
Can draw a cartoon in a few minutes as well.

As far as drawing a weapon, never timed it and don't plan to. Too many variables to consider and it's better to just develop muscle memory not speed. Muscle memory to know where your gun is and how to use it in high stress situations. It's not the speed, it's the effectiveness. Much like it isn't the number of rounds you send down range, it's how many hit the target that counts.

Plus.. if I'm carrying my NAA, it's a defensive weapon. My first reflex is likely to create some distance by moving for cover or pushing the offender away, then drawing my weapon. Don't get me wrong, practice is key to responsible firearms ownership but I just don't see how seeing how fast you can draw helps.

[LHB]

I always like the arguments about dry firing.   There are those that say that they have never dry fired a firearm, all that means to me is that they never spent any time in the military, or at least in the Marines.   Bigbird can correct me, but I spent a lot more time dry firing than I did firing live ball ammo.
Back in the day when I shot IPSA, after a stage, you were told to make your piece safe, and that meant to drop the hammer on the empty chamber, to prove it was empty, and safe.   Failure to drop the hammer on the empty chamber was going to lead to an embarrassing, and maybe painful experience with the range officer, who, depending on their mood, and how the day was going, might get violent.

[theysayimnotme]

Note that I specified RIMFIRE. The blade & the cylinder (or chamber) will be damaged over time.

[RogueTS1]

I'm sorry to have to say that just isn't accurate

Really just depends on the weapon. Rimfires, for the most part should not be dry fired. Their firing pins will likely damage the cylinder or chamber face. Removing the cylinder may help with this if doing so is possible but that hammer face is still beating upon the frame wall without any sort of cushion. Snap caps will fix that dilemma though.

Highly tuned 1911's are another one. The dropping of the hammer will not hurt anything but the constant racking of the slide, if not done correctly, can damage the extractor and the chamber face. (Ask Bill Wilson and Ken Hackathorn).

Center fire Revolvers with firing pin attached to the hammer are another gun that should not be dry fired without snap caps. It simply snaps the firing pin in short amount of time.

In short, just depends.

[bearcatter]

I cringe at people saying they dry fired a handgun thousands of times while watching TV.......