Larry Vickers, retired US Army 1st SFOD- Delta combat veteran, and firearms community advisor for CCW Safe, talks about his thoughts on the ready position, and gives examples of each.  

Larry defines the ready positions as follows:

• High Ready- classic scenario for home defense, when there is an expectation of a threat, or expectation of a possible deadly force scenario. 
• Low Ready- classic defensive situation where you are trying to de escalate, or disengadge from a threat.  
• Extreme High and Low Ready- these positions are more for specific instances, more dealing with military or law enforcement engagements where there is the possibility of flagging someone with your muzzle.

For home defense, where there is an expectation that there may be a threat, or the possibility to use deadly force, the high ready presents a way to quickly and easily get on target and addresss a threat.  However, it will be seen as much more offensive than the low ready position.  Because of this fact, the low ready position is a position that is recommended more for self defense against threats in public.  

If you have an imminent threat, and you have tried to de-escalate or get the individual to stop at that point, but they continue to close on you to the point where you feel that you are in danger, and you have to draw your weapon, that’s a classic example of the low ready.  You try to retreat and withdrawl from the situation, it’s much more of a defensive posture. 

If you do ever find yourself in a position where you feel that you have to draw your weapon because of a threat, be sure to call police immediately and notify them that you were threatened and had to draw your firearm.  If you don’t call the police, and they do, then you could easily be facing a brandishing charge, and possibly even be arrested and taken to jail.   Even if you don’t draw your weapon, but they see that you have a firearm, you could be the target of them making a false claim against you for brandishing. This is another advantage to carrying concealed.

 

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LARRY VICKERS

Larry Vickers of Vickers Tactical is a retired US Army 1st SFOD- Delta combat veteran with years of experience in the firearms industry as a combat marksmanship instructor and industry consultant.  Larry is the firearms and training community advisor for CCW Safe. 

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