What are good draw times on a pistol?

Howdy y'all. Was playing around tonight timing my draw, got to wondering what some good/average draw times are?

 

I went back and forth with myself trying to decide if I was going to say that exact thing Brokor. As long as you are faster than the other guy, and your aim isn't off, you're in.

What are you trying to do? I ask honestly, not as a joke. Is there a contest? If so, what's the prize? If it's for your own edification, practice all the time and get faster and faster while retaining accuracy. Draw is only one part of it, making a hole appear where you want is arguably the more important part. Don't draw to frighten the other person, draw as part of the act of firing, at least once, and removing the threat.

If it clears leather (or nylon or kydex or whatever) be ready, willing, able and primed to pull the trigger with the intent to destroy something.

If you aren't quite ready to start pulling the trigger with every draw at the range on live ammo, consider a barrel/chamber laser. It fits in the chamber and there are some that turn on for a second when the firing pin hits the "primer". Set it up, rack the slide or set the cylinder, draw and "fire". See if the light shines where you want to hit. Do it again, and again, and again, and again and...well you get the picture.

Now go outside and run around the block.

Go through the exercise again.

Do pushups until your arms are shaky.

Do the exercise again.

Now go drink a jolt cola and/or an energy fizz and/or a 5-hour energy. Be buzzed on caffeine and do it again.

Your reactions and ability will change with your mental and physical state so, practice in multiple states. Yes, getting it out in a hurry is important, doing so as part of a larger whole is more important.

 

Smooth IS fast, and Fast IS smooth! Practice until you you can draw with out even thinking about if your fast enough!
The art of accurately presenting a weapon involves so many variables, and to try and master them all will take more then your life time. Focus on what you can, building the muscle memory is the real goal, when you present the weapon, you are on target ready to fire!!!

 

I have a lot of experience with this. My goal is to hit the other guy before he hits me. Muscle memory is on point.

just got curious about comparative data. Little curious about where I stand on the fast-slow scale, little curious in general.

 

Since no one wants to put a number to it, I will. A 1 1/2 sec draw is good. That is just clearing leather (or what ever) and getting the gun up to eye level for the first shot. Not great, but good. 1 second is very good. If you have a sub-one second draw from a carry holster and can hit a target in 1 1/2 seconds OR UNDER you are doing very well!

Set your timer for three seconds. At the buzzer, hands at side or surrender position, practice both, draw and get as many aimed hits at a target 3 yards away (that is 9 ft for the math wizards out there). I can get off 8 aimed shots (8 rd mag for my 1911) and on a good day, reload, before the buzzer goes off at 3 seconds. That is middle of the pack at my club, 12 or 13 out of 25 shooters. Nice center of mass hits too.

A LOT of the BS artists, who claim to be faster than greased BS, don't even have their gun out of the holster when the timer goes off after 3 seconds. After their fourth or fifth attempt you can be sure they aren't going to either and are all loud mouthed idiots who can only shoot their mouths off, not their guns. You know who you are, and so do I.

 

Thanks Legion489! Never thought of myself as fast (always someone faster), but don't really have much to measure myself by...good to have a comparison. Pretty happy with myself by those numbers.

 

One of my USPSA buddies shot himself in the leg while practicing several months back. He hit his Ruger .380 in his pocket and still has pieces of the Ruger and a .40 slug in his knee. We call him Quick-Draw.

 

What is more important is getting the gun on target efficiently, not so much about being super fast. You can be the quickest draw in the world, but if you cant hit your first shot, you lose any advantage of speed you may have had. A good draw should take about 1 1/2 to 2 seconds if your in practice and your carry method allows that, Some of us are that fast, and some are not, no matter how hard we practice. I'm slow by those standards, BUT, you will likely not even see me draw!

 

.295 is the speed to beat.

 

From what holster, located where on your body, concealed by clothing or open carried. All points that will effect the speed at which you can present efficiently (which is not always the fastest).

 

A long time ago I had a job guarding a storage yard on the edge of town. There was no one out the but me and the coyotes so I walked around the fence line practicing a 4 point draw. I did not practice for speed I just did it over and over and over again.

Then one night while I was walking the fence line I scared something. It was dark and to this day I have no idea what it was but it jumped up, ran right by me, cleared the fence (which is why I think it was an animal not a person) and took off.

It wasn't until it was all over that I realized my pistol was in my hand.

I used to lay block for a living and they guy that taught me always said "You practice doing it right. Speed will come." I do timed shooting but I never try for speed. The few times I've ever had to draw a gun I don't remember actually doing it I just did it.

 

I practice pulling, safety off, and racking in one smooth motion. Its quick enough for me.

 

The average human takes approximately 3 seconds to recognize and react to a threat!!! From the time your eyes see, your brain computes, and your body reacts can take what seems a life time!!! Driving teaches us to leave a 3 second of more gap between cars, and at night time that number goes up even more. Apply that thinking to self defense and that 21 foot window looks very very small. I know for a fact that even I can cover that 21 feet VERY quickly, so imagine having to see, think, and react fast enough it that!!! Sobering isn't it! Good questions Axes, always good to think and train for these types of situations!

 

Well I got a real long Sea Story, but I'll give the readers digest version. From a Miami Rig with a Charters Arms .44 Target Bulldog, I drew and accurately fired in less time than I could flick off and on a touch light switch. Needless to say COMNAVKITCHENSINK named that pistol "Towel Killer". Had to put up a plastic sticky wash cloth holder to cover the .44 caliber hole at the back of the shower. Took several cubits of duct tape to repair the outer skin of the trailer. That towel will never do a PHYSIO impression off the shower curtain bar again, you bet-ya! LOL.

 

This is a difficult concept to communicate in writing but when I'm out and about I'm really careful who I let in my bubble*.

If I don't know you and it's clear you're trying to close the gap on me I'm not above telling you straight up to stop right there and not to come any closer to me.

I try to keep a 6-10 foot reaction gap at all times when I'm out of my home especially if I'm out after 9P

*No this doesn't mean I walk down the aisle at Walmart and tell people to back up but if I'm in a public space and you try to approach me I'm going to stop you