More Shooting from Your Vehicle

In both the Advanced and Elite pistol courses I teach, we practice shooting from a vehicle. This is obviously important because many of us spend hours in our car every day, especially if you live in a place like Washington, DC or LA.

The reasons you may have to shoot from your vehicle include a carjacking or a homeless person who, instead of asking for money, pulls a knife. In fact, you may have read about the horrific incident last week in California where a homeless man doused a driver in lighter fluid and set him on fire.

Apparently the homeless man was standing in front of 7-11 asking for money. The driver walked past the homeless man and didn’t give him any money. When the driver got in his car the homeless man set him on fire. As of now, the driver is in critical condition with third degree burns.

It’s stories like this that are good reminders to always be vigilant and aware. But also, this shows that since most of us spend so much time in our cars you need to know how to properly draw and shoot from your vehicle.

First, let’s start with your draw:

I carry my gun in my front pocket quite often these days. When drawing from a pocket you have to slightly lean back so that you’re able to get your hand in your pocket. Once you draw the gun it’s very important not to muzzle your legs. (If you have an accidental discharge you could shoot yourself in the femoral artery and bleed out in less than a minute.)

If the attacker is at your driver side window you’ll draw the gun and bring it up (toward the front of the car) and then quickly turn it to the left and point it at the window. This will keep you from sweeping your legs. Also, it’s extremely important to put your left hand (your support hand) on your chest, so it is out of the way and you don’t shoot it off.

If the attacker happens to be at the passenger side window (and you’re alone in the car) you simply draw the gun and punch out one handed and shoot. If you have a passenger with you, that’s a risky shot and only you can decide if it’s worth taking.

If the attacker is directly in front of you, simply shoot straight through the windshield.

The fact is, unless you’re rich and have a bulletproof windshield, your rounds will go right through and you should be able to stop an attacker.

The thing is, since an attack is often from the driver side door, I highly recommend you practice this draw with a safe and empty weapon. Sit in your garage, with the garage door closed (and the car off so you don’t kill yourself) and practice drawing and “firing” the gun as if there is a carjacker or someone else trying to kill you.

At first, practice the draw slowly to ensure you’re not muzzling your legs or being unsafe in any way. Then speed up your draw as you get more comfortable. I realize that a lot of folks won’t end up practicing this, but if you own a car, and spend time in a car, doesn’t it make sense to practice drawing in a car?

I think so, which is why I do it and why students do it in my pistol courses. So if you’ve never attempted it, I encourage you to practice this critical draw.