4 Tips to Practice Transitioning From Rifle to Handgun

If you have your sights set on tactical competitions, it’s important to know how to transition from a rifle to a handgun seamlessly. While you need to be a great shot with each to win, mastering the transition can save you precious seconds, and could be the difference between a win and walking home empty-handed. Grab your M4A1 and a handgun, and try these tips to help you switch guns quickly.

Start Slow

Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. The key to smooth transitions is to start slow. Start at half of your normal speed. This helps build muscle memory while helping you prevent mistakes. The first order of business isn’t being accurate, but mastering the mechanics of going from holding your M4 carbine to drawing your sidearm. As you start mastering the key parts of the movements, you can pick up the pace. It takes time to get up to speed, and it takes plenty of practice, but starting slow is key to mastering the transition.

Getting the Rifle Out of the Way

A key part of transitioning from your rifle to your handgun is getting your rifle out of the way. It’s best to use a sling so you can drop it and quickly move it, rather than trying to place your rifle on a table or toss it to the ground. Typically, you want to use your non-dominant hand to slide the rifle down and across your body, giving your dominant hand the room you need to draw your handgun. Whether your rifle is malfunctioning or empty, it should be on safe before you drop it to the side. Practice flicking the safety and moving the rifle first so it becomes seamless.

Find the Right Handgun Placement

Now that you have practiced getting the rifle out of the way, you need to actually draw the handgun. Where you place your striker fired 1911 can impact your draw. If it’s on your chest rig, it’s going to be a different draw than if it’s on your hip. Some shooters find that a hip draw isn’t smooth in pulling the handgun up and out of the holster. Instead, you might want to try a drop-leg holster, which may give you a smoother draw. Drawing is only the first half, though, as you need to drive the handgun out while moving your non-dominant hand back up. There are quite a few movements involved, so it’s best to practice slowly at first and make sure you have it dialed in perfectly.

Try a Transition Drill

Finally, once you have practiced the individual parts of the transition, it’s time to put it all together in a drill. Start about 15 yards from the target. Load your rifle mag with two rounds and two in your handgun. Holster your handgun and keep your rifle at low ready. On the buzzer, flip the safety, fire two rounds to lock the bolt back, switch the safety on, and lower your rifle on the sling. Draw and present your handgun and fire two rounds. To make it more challenging, have a range partner load your rifle with a random number of rounds so you won’t know how many to fire before the transition. Practice until you can transition smoothly while also shooting accurately, and you’ll be competition-ready.

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