Ed McGivern lived from 1874 to 1957 and was from Lewistown, Montana. He is a world renowned shooter. He owns a Guinness world record for five shots into a target smaller than a half-dollar in under a half a second. Ed also was a supporter of long distance shooting with the 357 revolver at ranges up to 600 yards. My Son and I have practiced at the 100 range with 1911’s and have had good luck. It is more like lobbing than target practice. I could not even imagine hitting a target at 600 yards with a 357 magnum pistol.
- He could break six simultaneously hand thrown clay pigeons (standard trap targets) in the air before they hit the ground.
- He could hit a tin can hand thrown 20 ft. in the air six times before it hit the ground.
- He could shoot-drive a tack or nail into wood.
- He could shoot the spots out of playing cards, or even split a playing card edge on.
- He could shoot a dime on the fly.
I am a 1911 fan and for many years have carried semi-automatics rather than revolvers. After many years, I finally looked at revolvers for backups and primary carry when a smaller frame is required for discretion. I have settled on several models like the Taurus 357 snub nose, or the Smith and Wesson Airweight .38. I have 3 or 4 great holsters that allow for very discreet carry. If you are going to carry a gun, we believe that you must practice with the handgun while drawing from the holster, purse, or method of carry.
I was looking for training materials and found Ed McGiverns book. Ed has detailed information of learning the quick draw, practice drills, law enforcement drills, long range pistol shooting, hip shooting and trigger control.
“When any person can develop and consistently maintain perfect trigger control, perfect scores will usually be the result, for the reason that under such conditions there necessarily must be a regular and consistently uniform result. Perfect trigger control means squeezing the trigger very carefully and properly at all times, while the holding is exactly right and when correct alignment of the sights assures the shooter that the gun is in a perfect position in relation to the object, …”
There are good teaching items in the book for any CCW instructor looking for some tips to teach their students, and there is a lot of information for the general gun enthusiast. While I still prefer my 1911, I have become more of a revolver fan in the last few years. When you’re selecting a pistol that best fits your needs, do not forget to look at the revolver. Ask your local instructor for his opinion and even get him or her on the range to help show you the differences.
Happy trails and keep the lead down range – Clark.
Posted on
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
by Clark