Saturday, July 07, 2012

SUL

Speed reholstering, bad idea.  Say Uncle links to an article talking about the problems inherent in holstering a pistol.  The worst part is that you're liable to shoot yourself, which is bad juju at best.

Draw your pistol with the speed necessary, of course.  As Wyatt Earp so famously said, “Fast is fine but accuracy is final. You must learn to be slow in a hurry.” Once you've taken the pistol out, there's no reason to be in a hurry to put it back. Take your time.

"But, PawPaw," you ask, "how do I present myself as non-threatening if I don't immediately intend to shoot?"  Simple, my child.  SUL position.  It's explained here, but a picture is worth a thousand words.

Hands on belly, thumbs interlocked, muzzle down.  Elbows at side.  It's very safe.  In the SRO business, we call it the schoolhouse position.  The firearm is immediately ready for action, but it's non-threatening.  I can holster here at leisure, or be immediately ready to re-engage, at my option.

Once you draw the pistol, everyone is going to know that you're carrying.  There's no rush to put it back in your holster, indeed, it shouldn't be holstered until whatever prompted you to draw in the first place has ceased to be a threat.  You can re-holster at leisure.  Safely, with your finger off the trigger.  Learn to use SUL.  It's a great gun-handling skill.


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