Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns SPEEDROCK

Went to the range today to test some rifle rounds, but there was an event going on, so decided to pass on testing the rifle rounds. Not wanting to waste the trip, I managed to find a 25 yard pistol bay open, and made a decision I hadn't planned on--to perform some "Speedrock" sessions with the "very difficult to fire fast and accurately" .40 S&W. My version of the Speedrock may be slightly different than yours, but essentially they are likely the same--give or take a few inches. Being conservative, I like the gun out in front of body plane by a few inches--for safety...

As I had planned on just the rifle shooting, I did not bring along the shot timer this session in order to minimize gear--so cannot give exact/precise times. Targets were paper plates at 3 yards. Load was Federal 180 grain FMJ aluminum case (ie. "Blazer"). Rig was a Glock M. 23 in a Bladetech, IWB Klipt holster, wearing medium weight jacket, unzipped.




Decided to start with a single "warm-up": At one yard from the plate, draw and fire five shots from the "Speedrock", while retreating from 1 to 3 yards. Managed five hits, (seen below), so ready to start a five-plate session.








Remainder of shooting was the actual "Speedrock" from 3 yards. Session was 5 plates at 3 yards, firing 5 shots from the 3 yard line into each plate--from a concealed draw--in typical "Speedrock" fashion. (when I fire in this method, the gun is at navel level, and about 1 foot in front of body plane). These five shot strings were fired very fast--and as is typical in the Speedrock, controlling recoil with one hand, of course.


Plate # 1: 4 hits;
Plate # 2: 5 hits;
Plate # 3: 5 hits;
Plate # 4: 5 hits;
Plate # 5: 3 hits;


If figuring for all 6 plates (warm-up included), and I've done the math correctly, that's 27 hits out of 30, for a percentage of 90%. If leaving the warm-up out, this is 22 hits out of 25, for a percentage of 88%. Some inconsistency--but respectable, and surely good enough for me.










Closer view from the side:









I decided to learn how to do these because an old LE acquaintance told me his accounting of a situation where he used this very maneuver to save his life about 30 years ago.


There has been some mention in these threads of "firing without sights" ie., "point shooting", and short of using my Seecamp (that has no sights--but I utilize the contour of the rear slide-face to aim, so it does not qualify), this is the only time I knowingly do so, as I do not even see the gun (save for a slight peripheral view), when doing this--eyes are strictly on the target. I believe that there is a complex "geometrical interworking" going on between the eye, the position of the gun, and the target. This can readily be achieved with some effort/practice...


I know, some might say, "but you dislike the .40 S&W, and do not care for Glocks." True, but if I didn't use them, how could I offer any useful/experiential comments???

Looks like a good time and good clean fun!

BTW, what range, If I may ask?

Mac,


hope all is going well for you and your family.


it was a lot of fun, but i sure was hoping to fire the rifle today--but that gives me an excuse to go again very soon, and something to look forward to...


often, i shoot on BLM land about 50 miles from here--but it is too dry right now, and there is subsequent fire danger. today i was shooting at the Logan range--technically, the Manhattan Wildlife Association--a great place to go--been going there since the mid 70's...


maybe sometime in the coming years, i can get down your way again--that Leatherman Peak has been in the back of my mind since the Borah trip--the view of it from the Borah ridge sucks the wind out of a guy...!

It nearly appears that those valuable skillsets such as accurately executing the "Speedrock" at close ranges of 10 feet and under, have gone the way of the dodo bird--about like canning pickles, making home-made ice cream, building nice furniture, and carefully inletting stocks, etc.

I would have guessed that over the years numerous campfire handgunners would have been occasionally working on this reasonably useful skillset...

Good game, I must try it, but have no timer.. Should be fun anyway..

Hi Vel, nice to see you and Mac on the sight.. I always learn something from both of you..

WyoCoyoteHunter,

Thank you for the good words.

This is a good skillset for most anyone to acquire, and it is also a good exercise running revolvers DA. 5-round sets are convenient, as this is nicely compatible with 5-shot snub revolvers, which are so often carried concealed by many.

I would shoot this without using a shot timer until you acquire a reasonable degree of skill--work to get the hits, then use a timer and work on your speed.

Learning skillsets such as fast mag changes, efficiently hitting multiple targets, etc., are great skills to have. However, a most necessary skillset--especially at very close range--is the ability to get a CCW out and firing--fast. Thus the "speedrock." The speedrock--or whatever label and variation one attaches to the concept--is something to master early on. Bill Jordan lists some other approaches to look into in his celebrated book.

I decided to learn how to master this technique because of an incident that occurred to a LEO acquaintance just over three decades ago, which I mentioned in a thread about 2 years ago--a thread about "Proper Stance"

here is a copy of that post:




if a person is a outright beginner, he/she will need very good basic instruction in a few different stances, to keep them from making glaring mistakes. then, over time--one's body develops a sense of how it must be--a lot of quality trigger time will sculpt the position that's best for that particular person. in addition, differing scenarios may call for some minor fluidity, as everything is living/dynamic--sometimes even "requiring" subtle adjustments.


phasic.


of course away from the range, things can suddenly develop far differently from the "proper stance"....


consider the subtle difference between "having no stance", and having "no stance". the first one is ignorance, the second one is reactive.

for example; about 23 years ago, i had an leo acquaintance from down in the southeast (i'll call him "RG"), tell me his accounting of a situation that occurred when he was responding to a call:

as he drove up on the scene and began to open his door, a strong-arm robber with awesome dire intent was just beginning the swing, to stick the backside of a 24 oz claw hammer in the top of RG's skull. barely 2/3 of the way out of the vehicle, he drew and fired 3 shots with his .45 from the waist--according to RG the first shot hit his mid-section, the second hit his chest, and the third struck his head. the pill was a speer 200 gr hp.

RG basically conveyed that he was in a stance not unlike being in the middle of slipping on the ice--ie., "no stance", and it surely carried the day.

given that he toted an HK p9s (with heel release), he was lucky the mag was fully seated on his vehicle exit that time/day.

RG told me that day to day as he entered his vehicle to patrol, the HK p9s heel style magazine release was occasionally prone to scraping against the back of the seat--disengaging the mag catch...


ultimately, the only "rule" is--there are no rules....

There are shot timers available for Smartphones.

MM

Thanks again all of you.. Learned some more good stuff..