Monday, July 1, 2013

So you want to play pistol, eh?

So you want to play pistol, eh?

   One thing that’s going to be of paramount importance is your rig. How you carry your pistol, mags, and necessities is going to have a HUGE impact on how well you do, how frustrated you don’t get, and how likely you are to keep playing pistol. First, envision yourself behind a bunker. Now, with your current vest, are your elbows sticking out when you reload? Can you crawl, or do you have gear on your front? It’s ok to set it up however you want, but be mindful of such things. Do you have a dump pouch? You’ll need one.

   Another important piece is a holster. There are drop leg holsters, belt, vest and a number of other options. With so many styles to choose from, you might feel overwhelmed. Let me just say that the very best way to choose is baptism by fire, to coin an old term. By that I mean, PLAY! You will get a very quick understanding on what works best for you. It will also help you set up the rest of your vest.

   Considering you will usually have between 7-10 rounds before you have to reload, you definitely need a reload pattern that is fast, efficient and committed to muscle memory. Also, tubes cut down to 7-8 rounds (depending which pistol you are rocking) are great for magazine reloads when things cool off. You also need to put your 12 grams where you can access them without fumbling, yet they don’t “clink” when you move. 12 gauge shotgun shell accessories are great for this, not to mention more custom options are becoming available as pump and stock play have a dedicated manufacturer following these days. Another aspect that bears mentioning is to get used to reloading mags without ever taking your eyes off of what’s in front of you. Again, muscle memory.

   If snapping is a critical skill for speed ballers with a DM10 and 200 round hopper, it is infinitely more important for a pistol player. One of the advantages of playing pistol is a small profile popping out of a bunker to take a shot. You need to be able to hit what you aim at, expose no more of yourself than absolutely necessary, and shoot left and right. That’s right, being ambidextrous is a major plus for a pistol player. It comes with experience, as does accuracy with your pistol. If you shoot right handed out of the left side of a bunker, you’ll be sacrificing some of that profile advantage you get playing with a pistol.

   CQC stands for close-quarter-combat, and will be a separate article. A lot of what you’ll read there will translate to pistol play. That said, the last thing I’d like to mention is how important a strong core and cardiovascular health is to the pistol player. Snapping, sprinting, and holding uncomfortable positions for that awesome elimination are all mandatory tools of the pistol player. If you’re like me, you’ll find that as you start playing pistol, you will have unparalleled opportunities to advance. You’ll find yourself moving up a LOT more, and with that comes being more aggressive. Waiting until he stops to reload, knowing how many rounds are left in your current magazine to give yourself covering fire, running and shooting, flanking, all come into play. You’ll have to get used to playing tight to available cover, perhaps tighter than you have ever had to before. For what it’s worth, the first time you cleanup with a pistol, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

No comments:

Post a Comment