A U.S. Army soldier trains with a Glock 19 shooting from the kneeling position at Warriorschool in the Arizona desert. Uncle Sam is currently issuing 9mm Glock 19s, along with SIG 228s and Beretta M9s, to certain personnel.

During my law enforcement career I had complete confidence in my ability to protect life and property because I routinely qualified with the firearms that I carried on and off duty. Qualifying with firearms enabled me to go into harm's way knowing that I was a better shot than the average criminal who had no formal training and never qualified.

Have you qualified lately? Or, to put it another way, have you had your marksmanship and firearms handling skills properly tested? I am referring to a law enforcement-style timed course of fire with at least one combat reloading drill that involves shooting at a man-size target at distances ranging from three to 25 yards. The key word in this discussion is "lately."

As a retired U.S. Customs agent, I am authorized to carry firearms on an interstate basis pursuant to H.R. 218, the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004, provided that I qualify with a handgun once a year. Since this law requires qualified individuals to meet the firearms training standards of a law enforcement officer in their state of residence, I have to qualify with a personally owned handgun on an unfamiliar course of fire. The quarterly firearms qualification course that I used in the Customs Service is different than the course of fire approved by the authorities in my state of residence.

The first time I qualified under H.R. 218 I used a 9mm SIG 228. When it came time to renew my certification I decided to qualify with both a semiauto and a revolver so I could have more flexibility in choosing a gun for concealed carry. The moment of truth came when I loaded six rounds in my Smith & Wesson Model 64 .38-caliber revolver with a two-inch barrel and waited for the instructor to signal me to draw and fire from the 25-yard line. The fact that I just finished qualifying with my 9mm SIG 229 and gained an almost perfect score did not help much when I realized that it had been several years since I qualified with a short-barreled revolver.

The author checks out a Heckler & Koch P2000 with a DAO Law Enforcement Modification (LEM) trigger.

Fortunately, I had no problem qualifying and was certified to carry both semiauto pistols and revolvers on an interstate basis for another 12 months. That day I felt like a rookie in the police academy when I spotted all the holes in the right place, except for a single 9mm round and two .38 Special rounds that I put out of the scoring area into the target's right arm when I was firing at 25 yards.

After I qualified I decided I had to write an article on this subject because with the exception of divine intervention, nothing can do more to help you win a gunfight than confidence. And naturally, the best way to acquire confidence is to train hard and be tested in various ways.

This police officer is running through a practical qualifications course with his Glock. Note the two-hand hold in one photo and a weak-hand shot in the other. It's always a good idea to practice with your weak hand.

One way to hone your gunfighting skills is to attend scenario-based force-on-force training with simulated munitions. For obvious reasons, training with non-lethal simulated munitions, such as General Dynamics' Simunition products, is significantly more realistic than engaging paper targets because paper targets don't shoot back. While wearing the proper safety equipment and protective clothing, you can use a pistol with a conversion kit to challenge other suitably armed individuals in a very realistic fashion. Paintball and Airsoft guns can also be used to develop your tactical capabilities. Simunition products are only available to law enforcement personnel and government agencies.

Even if you train with simulated munitions, you should continue to develop your marksmanship skills with a handgun by engaging paper targets. Since many legally armed individuals have no law enforcement or recent military training, I thought it might be helpful to provide some suggestions on how you can train and qualify. While I don't expect the average legally armed civilian to participate in advanced or specialized firearms training, I do think it is appropriate to practice as often as possible and maintain some level of acceptable proficiency.

The author's youngest son is training here with his .45 ACP Kimber Warrior 1911. Shown is a close view of him executing a combat reload from his DeSantis N81 ankle holster.

Fortunately, it is possible for citizens to receive basic and advanced firearms training at various well-respected private training schools. Even though these courses can be expensive, they are worth every penny, especially for those who have never received any formal firearms training elsewhere.