Extend your arms toward the target and lock on.

There’s also the issue of the safety. There are several theories regarding when the safety of a gun should be disengaged. I’m not a fan of disengaging the safety during the early stages of the draw stroke, as the gun may not aimed in an appropriate direction.

My preferred technique is “on target, off safety/off target, on safety.” In other words, disengage the safety only when your gun is pointed at the target target. If your gun has a decocking mechanism, decock the gun just as soon as you are finished shooting or before bringing the gun off the target if you haven’t fired.

When it’s time to reholster the gun, simply reverse the procedure. Bring the gun back to your chest with both hands still on the gun. Remove your support hand and place it on your chest as you slide the gun across and down your chest. Rotate the gun downward and insert it into the holster.

Don’t use your support hand to guide the gun into the holster, as the muzzle will most likely cross your hand. If your holster requires a second hand to hold it open, throw it out and get a holster with a reinforced opening.

So that, really, is all there is to it. For new shooters, I recommend that the draw be dissected into sections and practiced one step at a time in reverse order.

(IMPORTANT: Before training with live ammunition, practice extensively with an unloaded gun. Don’t live fire until you are completely comfortable with the draw.)

Start by holding the gun in both hands at the chest, remembering to grip the gun properly. Extend the gun upward into the line of vision and toward the target. Pull the trigger once the sights are on target and your arms are fully extended. Practice this 10 to 20 times. Start slow and increase speed only after you have gained confidence.

Next, start with the gun on the side of your chest and your support hand flat on your chest. Move the gun toward the center of your chest and grip the gun with the support hand. Extend toward the target and press the trigger. Do this for 10 to 20 repetitions.

The third part starts with the gun just above the holster and pointed down toward the holster with your support hand flat against your chest. Angle the gun up, bring it up the side of your chest, meet the support hand and extend. Once you are comfortable with those increments, continue the process by beginning with your hand on the gun while in the holster. Finally, start in a relaxed body position, then get into a combat stance with your support hand on your chest, grip the gun and complete the draw stroke.

The only difference between a one-hand grip and a two-hand grip is the use of the support hand. Body and leg position should remain the same.

Slow and smooth movement is the key. The smoother you go, the faster you can hit well. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. While that may sound odd, fast movements tend to be jerky and overextend your movements. The resulting shaking and repositioning actually takes more time to correct than if you had drawn smoothly. A smooth draw means that you won’t have to correct and compensate for unnecessary movements. Speed and accuracy will come with practice.

Once you’re comfortable with the draw, don’t forget to practice clearing your concealment garment as well. If you use a vest, swing it open hard enough so it completely clears your gun. I add 10 to 15 quarters in both side pockets of my vests and coats for added weight to help the swing.