We get a lot of customers with concealed carry permits coming into the range to practice and improve their shooting skills for self defense. Most limit their practice to simple marksmanship and that’s OK, because our range really isn’t set up for more advanced tactical drills. Good marksmanship and the correct self-defense mindset are important parts of any self-defense plan. But how many people really think through the entire scenario of using a pistol for self defense?
I’d like to share with you the story of an American soldier who took mindset and pistol marksmanship to a new level. His name was Alvin York and he was an American soldier who fought in France in World War One. Fighting in the trenches, a German sergeant and five soldiers armed with rifles and fixed bayonets charged York’s position from a distance of only 25 yards. York’s rifle held five rounds and was slow to reload. He drew his 1911 pistol (which had a 7-round magazine) and proceeded to shoot the last soldier (number 6) at the back of the group. The other Germans didn’t know York had shot one of their comrades and continued to charge York’s position. He then shot soldier number 5 and then number 4 and so on until only the German sergeant was still running and then York shot him. York did all of this with one accurate shot to each soldier and all in less time than it took for the Germans to run 25 yards to York’s position.
Alvin York won because he had the correct mindset to win and because he practiced accurate, aimed fire.
John
