The Combat Triad: Speed, Power and Accuracy
I’ve been around combat shooting for a really long time. Back in the early 1980’s the revolver was king, speed loaders were becoming the new normal and bowling pin shooting was considered innovative training. My first qualification was done with a Smith & Wesson Model 65. And that’s when I learned about the Combat Triad.
Many, many moons have passed since those days and combat shooting has come a long way. The field has continually changed and evolved over that time. But not everything changes. One thing that hasn’t changed is something I learned way back then. It was called the Combat Triad. Other principals have adopted that name, but let’s talk about the one I learned: Accuracy, Power and Speed. All 3 are equally important and all 3 must be present.
Accuracy
The first part of the Combat Triad is accuracy. It doesn’t matter if we have a customized Gucci Glock and a magazine full of exploding zombie-killing rounds if we don’t hit the target. Likewise, it doesn’t matter how fast we can draw and empty the magazine if we don’t hit the target. We can never miss fast enough or with a powerful enough gun to make up for it.
Nothing beats trigger time in developing this side of the Combat Triad. That means getting on the range. It means dry fire practice on a regular basis. It means pushing your abilities and learning new skills regularly.
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Power
The next part of the Combat Triad is power. While a hit from a .22 is preferable to a miss from a .45, a hit from a substantial caliber is even better. I’m not going to get into a ballistics debate. As a general rule, I look at the .38 special and .380 as the floor for cartridge power. I know people who won’t go that low. Personally, I’m comfortable with that, but you may not be. Make your own choices based on experience and good resources. (Just because someone has a lot of guns or works at a gun shop doesn’t mean that are a good resource) But keep in mind that if we aren’t hitting the target with enough power, our triad may fall apart.
Speed
The last part of the Combat Triad is speed. Once again, the most powerful gun and tack-driving accuracy can’t take care of the problem if the gunfight is over before we even have the gun out. We have to be able to get shots on target fast enough to make a difference.
I’m not talking about a lot of “quick draw” exercises. That’s nonsense. If you want to be fast, you have to be smooth. The mantra in the shooting world is “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.”
If we just try to rush it, it’ll be jerky and we’ll probably slow down because we’re thinking “I’ve gotta be fast”. If our draw motion is well practiced, it will become smooth and automatic. Those repetitions will lead to unconscious competence and that’s the real goal. And draw speed isn’t the only speed we’re talking about. Getting sights on the target and a smooth trigger press are equally important.
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A Little Cheating
This is the one area we can “cheat” a little bit. Good situational awareness and a fast OODA Loop can give us an advantage in this area. The earlier we see and recognize a threat, the more options we have in responding to it.
Good tactics and the use of cover and concealment can also help us slow down the opponent’s loop and give us an advantage. A fair fight is for suckers. Take every advantage you can get.
Wyatt Earp Agrees
Allegedly, Wyatt Earp said:
Fast is fine, but accuracy is final. In a gunfight. You need to take your time in a hurry.
Wyatt Earp
If you look at the quote, it hits on a lot of what we just talked about. Speed has its place, but accuracy is important. He said, “Take your time in a hurry”, we said, “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast”. Same idea.
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A Corollary
I add this because of our purposes as protectors. A corollary to speed is the ability to stay in the fight. This is especially relevant to those in church safety roles, but it applies to others.
If I am just out and about, responsible mainly for just myself, I may carry fewer rounds. It may be a smaller gun or just one magazine. (But I always carry a spare magazine) But if I’m responsible for others, I tend to carry more.
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When it’s just me, my main goal will probably be to protect myself and be able to disengage. When I’m responsible for others, my opportunity to disengage may become non-existent. My ability to quickly reload and stay in the fight is a more important consideration at that point. I’d ask you to consider that as well.
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There’s More
Is the Combat Triad all-inclusive? Of course not. There are many other things that can factor in and we can debate them until the end of time. (I know someone wants to tell me that superior shot placement with their .32 will make up for the lack of power) My intention here isn’t to address every possible angle, but to stimulate some thought and try to remind everyone of the importance of Combat Triad: Accuracy, Power and Speed.
By the way, this can apply to unarmed defense just as easily.