[nikto]

had the trigger guard completely exposed. The rig held the gun "dropped" from the waistbelt level a few inches. The holster's cylinder area was lined with metal, so shaped as to let the cylinder turn while the gun was still holstered. Bill advocated that you start pulling the trigger with the gun still in the rig, and finish the pull as you got the gun "lined up" with your enemy. Several cops managed to shoot themselves with this rig, and nobody uses it in any serious way anymore. But it was back then, considered to be "it", cause Jordan himself was so fast with it (using primer only wax ammo, mostly)

the strap on this rig did not allow a fast draw. Bill added it, saying it was for retaining the gun while you ran, climbed around box cars, etc. The gun would fall out of this rig by its own weight, another reason that this rig is no longer used for live ammo type work. Bill once told Hack that "only gravity and the grace of God" kept his gun in the rig. In his book, Bill said that, after fast draw practice, dryfiring, and reloading the gun with live ammo, you should fasten the strap, so as to prevent that "tragic last "practice draw". One of Bill's kills was another Border Patrolman, guys. You CAN teach yourself to be TOO fast to draw and fire. It's a literal razor's edge sort of thing.

 

[nikto]

I"ve seen Thell Reed, at the Leatherslap before the Columbia conference", use his Anderson "thunderbolt' rig and 1911 to draw before a man could see him move and clap his hands. The guy tried several times, but each time, closed his hands on the sides of the slide of thell's 1911. He started with his gun hand "hovering" just off of the gun butt, however, which is bs. One of the reasons Jeff had us use the surrender hand start position was to force the fast draw guys to drop that bs. Another reason was the use of "open front" competition rigs, which were literally just "shelves" on which the gun sat. I had Arganbright make me one for the 1911, and the gun would fall out if you took a single step. There was a retaining strap for the gun, until you were ready to compete, of course. Not having to the lift the gun up and rearward "really" speeds-up your draw to the weaver., from .10 or .20 second faster than from a secure speed rig. that's for a top hand. It helps the less fast man quite a bit more.

From the hand hover start (used in the SW pistol league's leather slaps, I was getting times in the low 60s, going to Weaver, right off of the bat with the open-front rig. One handed point shots were in the .40's with this sort of utterly impractical rig, live ammo, hand hover start, 10" gong at 10 ft. I only practiced with the open front rig for about a week, cause I could see that it was messing me up for ccw. I saw the same thing when Mike Harries used the "Snik" break front plastic rig. When you ccw the gun IWB, you GOTTA lift it to draw it. So practicing shoving it straight forward out of the openly worn rig, is dangerous bs.