This summer I had an amazing opportunity to travel to Colorado and take a Train the Trainer defensive and competition handgun class from my good friend Lanny Barnes. I met Lanny earlier that spring at the She Never Quit annual charity fundraiser hosted by the Women’s Outdoor Media Association. Since then, she has encouraged me to train in ways that take me outside of my comfort zone and become a better, more rounded shooter, she’s also been begging me to come out and take a class with her.
Since I was going to Colorado, I decided to use this trip to get to know the Walther F-Series a little better. I had shot it before at a class taught by Tatana Whitlock. I learned a lot about the functions of the F-Series in this class. I can manipulate the gun with both my strong hand and weak hand. We even ran drills using our strong hand only and weak hand only. With the experience under my belt, I wanted to build a stronger relationship with it by working on different scenarios such as competition shooting and self-defense.
Once I got to the ranch, I met the two other girls I would be training with. Both were from Texas and were very nice. They got to try out the Walther F-Series as well and were impressed with the grip.
That is my favorite part about the F-Series, I have smaller hands and I have a few of my handguns grips modified to fit my hand better but I appreciate that Walther noticed the need for this and did something about it. Other companies that have tried “shrinking” guns usually opt to take a double-stack mag and replace it with a single-stack mag, but Walther didn’t “shrink” anything, instead they redesigned it. By doing this, Walther was able to use the same 15 round magazine for the PDP F-Series that is used for the PDP Compact and PPQ M2 pistols.
Something that I don’t do nearly enough is practice for self-defense scenarios. When I go to the range I usually practice drills or stages in preparation for an upcoming match or if I shoot with friends so we can compare runs or techniques and see what works best for each of us. Any type of practice is good, but there are some very specific types of training that need just as much or even more practice, and that is self-defense.
How do you carry when you conceal? In your pocket? Inside the waistband? Outside the waistband with a vest or coat covering the gun? In a purse? It may depend on where you are going and what you are doing. When I worked at a sporting goods store I always carried IWB, but when I go horseback riding I carry OWB or in a fanny pack. Sometimes I carry it in my purse. When I was talking to Lanny she asked me if I had ever shot a gun through a purse … I had never thought of doing that. I just always assumed that if I ever needed to use my conceal carry I would draw it out of my purse, but she pointed out that might not always be an option. Lanny told me about how she practiced shooting through a purse and her experience was that most guns didn’t cycle after the first shot. Knowing that information could save your life. That is why practicing drawing from concealment is so important.
In Colorado, we practiced drawing one-handed from appendix carry while protecting our heads with our weak arm. I used my strong hand to lift my shirt under my elbow to hold it out of the way and then gripped the gun and shot. The gun was only 5 inches from my body, I had never shot a pistol like that, I always extend my arms but in a self-defense scenario that may not be an option.
Whether you are an experienced shooter or just getting into it I encourage you to try out the Walther PDP F-Series. Always keep looking for ways to improve your skills so that you are prepared for anything and remember It’s Your Duty to be Ready.
