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G.C.Montgomery wrote:Here's some additional material you may find useful. By no means is it a complete list...There are many, many other resources out there. There are just what I came up with off the top of my head.

"The Farnam Method of Defensive Handgunning" by John Farnam.
"Women Learning to Shoot: A Guide for Law Enforcement Officers" by Vicki Farnam and Diane Nicholl can actually be a good resource for any new shooter.
"Surgical Speed Shooting" by Andy Sanford
"Tactical Pistol Marksmanship" by Gabe Suarez
"The Combative Perspective" by Gabe Suarez.

Good choices. If I may, I would like to add Suarez' "The Tactical Advantage", both in its 1998 book and 2006 DVD formats, as studies in "tactics". SouthNarc's "Fighting Handgun" DVD is another take on handgun shooting, and is very highly spoken of. Thunder Ranch and Gunsite also put out DVDs, though I am sure they come short of delivering the full instructional experience at those facilities.

G.C.Montgomery wrote:Do not get sold on the musings of a single "authority." As you mature as a shooter, you will eventually develop your own opinions and there will be times that concepts you thought were fundamental are suddenly challenged in such a way that you completely change your way of thinking. Also, DO NOT under estimate the importance of hand-to-hand combative skills or alternative systems such as OC or compliance devices. We've said over and over again that not every defensive problem can or should be resolved with a gun.

VERY WELL SAID!

Having read, seen and learned material from a variety of sources, one thing I have noticed is that sometimes a particular instructor or author may have a particular idea or ideas of what a fight would be like, or they may emphasize a particular type of fight in their instruction, based upon their fight experiences and/or the training venue.

To prepare for success vis a vis the proverbial "elephant", it makes sense to get pictures of "elephants" from as many angles as possible, before you find yourself face to face with one. Learning from a wide variety of sources, and finding and using what works well for you and setting aside what does not, can help without actually going "elephant hunting" as some of these instructors and authors have done.

I obtained a copy of Jeff Cooper's To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth, and I found the first two sections (The Present and The Pistolero)useful. Interesting and useful philosophical commentary, ideas on mindset, and much more. Cooper called things as he saw them, straight up/neat, holding nothing back, uncowed by liability concerns, and it is very refreshing to read, particularly in these times. There is a lot of material toward the end that is not applicable to CCW, but it can be interesting reading. It is a book worth buying new, particularly if you do not have an prior experience with the Modern Technique or are not interested in the schools that promote it.

Cooper was never a big fan of unsighted gunfire (or point shooting), insisting upon, at minimum, a rough flash sight picture (or blitzblick, as it is sometimes called). Someone correct me if I am wrong, but the derivative Modern Technique/Gunsite crowd are even less enthusiastic about unsighted fire. However, the NRA's PPOH doctrine covers some "point-shooting", and I know there are other trainers out there that address this type of shooting.

I am not deliberately being unduly critical here, but I would prefer to separate the word handgun from tactics. To me, the word "tactics" denotes how one moves within a potentially- or known-hostile environment to maximize your advantage and minimize your disadvantage vis-a-vis one's opponent. Handgun marksmanship and how one chooses to manipulate a handgun of one's choosing can be treated seperately, particularly for a beginner.