Gunfights are lethal. Period. You either walk away unscathed or with gunshot wounds of varying degrees if lucky.
For the unfortunate, the morgue is the next destination and obviously, this is not an option for anyone. Fighting to survive has possibilities of serious life-changing injuries that could put one in a wheelchair, and you do not want that either.
Should this happen, you need some basic skills in self-surgery for survival when you cannot access medical intervention in time. However, the best strategy in a gunfight should be to come out on top, unscathed. This calls for top-notch training to hone your skills, condition your reflexes, and enhance capacity for split-second decisions.
Here are my rules for surviving a gunfight.
If You Must Fight, Fight to Win
Contents
The golden rule is to avoid a gunfight, but if you must fight, then fight to win. Sometimes you are not the aggressor but the gunfight chooses you and naturally, you have to fight for your life. At other times, it makes sense to avoid an escalation if circumstances allow.
Jean Gray, who is one of the best politics and history essay writers, works at Write my assignment. He says that military tacticians developed a situational awareness theory known as the OODA loop that can help you assess your options in a hostile environment. Observe your adversary, orientate their actions, decide on the best course of action, and proceed to act.
Exploit Situational Awareness
Street gun fights take place in built up areas and one needs good situational awareness and some basic urban survival skills to come out on top. Perfecting situational awareness as skill sharpens strategic thinking under pressure and ability to exploit available opportunities, enhances observation of your immediate environment, and gives you an edge in a confrontation.
Draw and shoot in the direction of the enemy to suppress his fire as you quickly seek cover. If no immediate cover is available, falling and rolling on the ground as you return fire is a good way to avoid receiving fatal hits.
Effective Use of Your Firearm
If you are to survive a gunfight or better still win, you must master your firearm. For you to shoot with accuracy, you need a good grip and trigger control. The choice of a gun is key to how comfortably you will handle in a gunfight. Check different guns to see which fits your grip perfectly with better trigger reach and comfortable weight when loaded.
How smoothly you pull the trigger determines the accuracy of your shot. Jerky trigger action tends to pull the muzzle off target and only wastes your ammo. Practice smooth and controlled trigger pulls for accurate shots.
Save Ammo, Shoot Accurately
In a gunfight, you either hit to neutralize the enemy or their shot hits you and you are toast. Training and consistent practice are basic to acquiring target accuracy skills. Constant practice will improve your grip. Enhance your trigger control, as well as weapon alignment. As you practice with the firearm of your choice, you will naturally begin to adopt a body position or a stance that works for you.
He says that a gunfight scene thrives on heightened adrenaline and if you are not physically fit, you will not survive. Keep yourself fit to enhance mental alertness while in the thick of a shootout. Quick reactions and physical movement is necessary to stay clear of incoming shots as you fire back in motion.
Quick on The Draw Saves Life
Fumbling with your firearm in a gunfight is a sure death sentence. When faced with a sudden gun attack, time is of the essence and one second too late could mean life or death. The moment you take a hit before drawing your piece, you lose the advantage and suffer disorientation due to the injury.
Select a holster that allows you a fast draw or, if hampered by security features, practice your draw many times over to overcome the impediment. To survive in a gunfight, you must not lose advantage or worse still find yourself gripped by panic. Panic is your worst enemy as it impairs judgment and leads to costly mistakes.
Reload Fast to Sustain Fire
A cool-headed adversary could be counting your shots and waiting for that short break in fire when you reload to go one over you or switch positions.
To maintain your advantage, you must practice quick reloads on the move and by feel without looking at what you are doing. This keeps your eyes on your enemy and gives you a slim chance of getting him in-between positions if you are fast on the reload.
Carry your spare magazines where you can reach them quickly and easily when reloading to save valuable seconds. Always remember gunfights are fast-paced and slow movers pay with their lives.
Be Ready to Handle Malfunctions
Like any other mechanical device, guns are prone to failure bang in the middle of use. Two things you must do to survive a gunfight in such circumstances. First, quickly reach for your backup gun to stay in the fight if you have one.
Second, practice quick dismantling and reassembling of your gun to understand how it works and know what to do to clear double feeds and stovepipe jams in tight situations. To stay alive while doing this, ensure you have good cover and be quick about it before your adversary notices you have a problem.
Be Tactical When Selecting Cover
Whereas cover is vital to your survival, it could also work against you if all it offers is a hiding spot without room to take a shot. Quickly abandon a cover that boxes you into a rabbit hole before you lose exit. Put into practice the situational awareness training to assess your environment for options.
Tactically, a good cover is one that overs cover and concealment at the same time. Concealment allows you to stay out of sight from your opponent while able to see him. This allows you both advantage and safety as they cannot shoot at you without sighting.
Train and Practice Multiple Times
Knowing all of the above is of no use to you in a real-life situation if your instincts are not conditioned right. To train your mind and physical prowess takes lots of time in simulated practice. A properly trained mind reacts instinctively at the sound of a gunshot and can be crucial in an ambush.
Check out at your local shooting range for simulations that can sharpen your skills and instincts. Regardless of your security level or profession, always keep in mind that a gunfight can ensue without notice and you must be prepared at all times. Once again, remember situational awareness.
Conclusion
Remember the first point above: find a way to avoid a gunfight but if you must fight, then fight to win. There are no prizes for losers except the cold slab. Understand that gunfights are lethal and always approach them on high alert and sense of preparedness.
