This has been a topic many times here at Pistol-Training. Todd coined the term SIMP, after one range session at the NRA range where I just couldn’t believe how many guns people would show up at the range with. A version of SIMP, which is not nearly as egregious, is going to a training class with multiple different guns.
Of course, if you have spent the time and money to take a class, maybe travelling a fair bit to do so, it only makes sense to bring a “pair and a spare.” It is best though if those guns are basically identical. That is not what we are discussing today. Instead, we are looking at the idea of shooting one gun on day one of a class, and a different gun on day two or three.
If you are a high level shooter, this may not be ideal, but it is not likely to hurt you. On the other hand, if you are learning new concepts at the class, or trying to improve your technique or practice, you are best served by sticking to one gun for the duration of the class. A well structured class should not simply be a bunch of drills. The skills you practice on day one should be expanded on during day two or three. In this way, everything you do is adding to what you did previously. Whether it is that the difficulty is increasing over the course, or the skills themselves require some ability that was learned earlier in the class, sticking with one gun only makes sense.
You have spent some time and effort learning the trigger, grip, reload, recoil and sights of the gun you started training with. Don’t switch when the material demands that you have some level of proficiency! By sticking with one gun, you build a deeper understanding of it and ability to use it.
In past years, this was not difficult for me. I shot what I carried, which for the past 5 years or so was either a G17 or a G19. For a number of years at a time it was other things, but I never switched guns day to day. Maybe year to year, but usually not that frequently. Now that I can carry anything I want, things are a bit tougher, even though I have pretty happily settled on the P30’s for now. Nonetheless, I am torn between DA/SA and LEM, P30, P30L or P30SK. All are really nice and have their advantages and disadvantages, though these are very small differences.
Many people will tell you that swapping between guns in the same family is not a big deal. In some ways that is true, but in others, not so much. In my case, the triggers are pretty different from LEM to DA/SA. The small grip of the SK certainly complicates reloads compared to the full size grips, though it is very reloadable for an abbreviated grip. These seemingly small differences add up when you are trying to perform at as high a level as you can.
If you are learning new things at a class and trying to ingrain them, it does not help if you have to “re-learn” them on a different gun. Sticking with one gun will make learning much easier. Now I just need to take this advice myself and stop jumping around the P30 family.
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