Defensive Pistolcraft DVD

I got my hands on a DVD of a 1987 Jeff Cooper video series. Four volumes of "Defensive Pistolcraft." Part of my effort to get my hands on training materials. It's not as good as going to a class, or going to Gunsite for a week (oh what a joy that would be) but it is something.

The video quality wasn't great because it was a DVD taken from old VHS tape, but it's upfront that its information is valuable enough to release it in that form. For that I am grateful.

The material is review from all the stuff I have read that Colonel Cooper wrote, but seeing the techniques demonstrated was good reinforcement. And I am a Cooper Fanboi, so it was just pleasant to see the man speak. He even peppers the lecture with some stories.

Thanks to the Gunblogger/Para/Blackhawk/Jarret training, I learned that I am not holding the pistol tight enough. Jeff Cooper would also say I am not holding it tight enough.

I saw his 5 count presentation drill. Grip, Up, or Clear, click, smack, frontsight or look, shoot or press. In other words, with your eyes on the target, First grip the pistol as you would shoot, finger off the trigger, but the rest of your grip as you would when firing, the support hand moves out at belly height. Then pull the pistol up from your holster with your . Move the gun forward, muzzle down, while disengaging the safety with an audible click. You next smack your support hand into position and your arms are now in the Weaver postion gun still pointing down, but the angles are all right so you just have to pivot up at the shoulders to bring the piece to bear in front of you, your finger enters the trigger guard at this step. Next, you DO pivot it up to our eyes, taking the slack out of the trigger, and shifting your view focus from the target to the frontsight, pausing ever so slightly at the top, culmination of the lift so you don't keep proceeding up. Pausing even for a microsecond. Finally, press the trigger and shoot, the hammer falls.

It seems like a good drill, and I have no other instruction for drawing from the leather.

Of course he emphasizes the 4 rules of gun safety. And the color coded combat mindset. And I learn/confirm what the Flash Sight Picture is.

He goes on to explain the Hatcher Units extrapolated by General Julian Hatcher that explains a lot to Jeff Coopers satisfaction the effect of bullet ballistics on living tissue. Cooper thinks the Hatcher formulas go a long way to explaining real world conditions because of the real world data gathered 100 years ago, rather than relying on simple foot-pounds of force comparison or the results from ballistic gelatin tests. That information was new to me, and fascinating.

The bumper music and transition scenes was pure 1980's and kind of odd, but I can overlook that.