The classic low ready/muzzle down position is easily attained with both the carbine and pistol. Muzzle down is usually the "safest" of positions.

Webster defines the word continuity as "a continuous state or quality, an unbroken coherent whole, a consistent state of action." Continuity is one reason I have taken such a strong liking to the AR-15 family of weapons. I served in various law enforcement positions for 37 years, but never in the military so the AR-15 was never a firearm I used on duty. When my former agency created its SWAT Team in 1980 our original long gun was a folding stock Ruger Mini-14, a weapon I still like as the gun worked very well. However, as the team progressed in both skill and knowledge, the Heckler & Koch MP-5 was used as an entry gun and the Steyr AUG-P for perimeter duties. In the late 90s, as the short AR carbines grew in popularity, I decided I needed to learn more about the platform, so trips to Thunder Ranch, Gunsite, Blackwater and the Tactical Defense Institute were undertaken and I'm now quite familiar with the weapon system. I chose not to teach carbine courses when I formed my training company as I feel it's a bit disingenuous to instruct a system I never actually used on the street, but I have become a big fan of the gun. While it might not be the best choice for long range desert or mountain warfare, it is a great choice for law enforcement or personal security due to its simplicity and almost non-existent recoil. As I have progressed through my AR journey (I believe all training, regardless of the skills involved, is a journey of discovery), one thing I have noted is the continuity of action between "running" an AR and a semi-automatic pistol. In truth, I work at keeping the two systems as similar as possible as the more I do, the less physical contradiction I encounter. My research into armed conflict over the last 30 years has led me to believe simplicity is a major factor in prevailing in the stress and duress of a gunfight. Consistency and continuity of action are certainly components of simplicity, as least as far as shooting is concerned. Let's look at a few ways the two platforms are similar: Ready positions: Mr. Webster defines "Ready" as "prepared to act." The high and low ready positions I prefer for combative pistolcraft are easily applied to the carbine. In a nutshell, "never point the muzzle at anything you are not willing to shoot, kill or destroy." Based on the situation, this could be muzzle up or down, seldom muzzle forward. Grip: The most efficient way to control a pistol's recoil is to grip high on the back strap reducing recoil's path to move. By flagging the shooting hand thumb, a space is left to "sink" the support hand in place for a solid two hand hold. While the support hand is not used on the pistol grip of an AR, keeping the thumb high to manipulate the safety lever is sound practice. I like to shoot a pistol with a thumbs forward support hand which also applies to the AR-15. Whether the support hand uses the magazine well, fore end or a vertical fore grip, keeping the thumb forward or over top the fore end helps control recoil or "drive" the gun from target to target. The hands take the same position on an AR as they do a pistol, they are just separated to offer more control and make use of the longer platform.

The author prefers a high, thumb forward grip on the pistol which translates nicely to hand placement on the carbine.

Reloading: One of the primary advantages of the semi-automatic pistol over a revolver is the ability to reload quickly. This also applies to the AR over other rifles that require rounds to be pushed into an attached magazine or a magazine that must be "rocked and locked" such as the Mini-14, M-14 or the AK system. To eject an AR magazine, the index finger merely pushes a button and the mag is gone while another can be put in place. On most pistols the thumb usually performs this action but not always. On guns like the HK USP, some Walther's and the Springfield XD, the release lever/button can be manipulated with the index finger much like the AR. Thirty round AR magazines must be grasped with the whole hand, much like holding a soda can while pistol magazines are seated in the palm of the hand with the index finger on the forward edge. I have found that twenty round AR magazines can be grasped just like a pistol magazine, which is why I tend to carry twenty rounders on my belt in a way that is consistent with my pistol magazines. Again, continuity of action simplifies the training process. Malfunctions: While clearing a pistol malfunction can be dogmatic based on methodology and some instructors get downright hostile when discussing it. I have looked at the physiology of doing it efficiently (according to Mr. Webster, "the least amount of time, effort and energy spent to achieve a goal") and have decided the best way to get the "crap" out of the chamber is to invert the pistol in board and let gravity help get it out while pulling the slide back several times smoothly instead of rapidly jerking on it, which often results with rounds/empty cases crammed into the chamber. I have had great success doing the same with the AR-15. The ejection port of the AR is relatively small as compared to most modern pistols, leaving little room for error when trying to get junk out of the chamber. By rolling the gun outward and pulling back on the charging lever firmly but smoothly, most stoppages are cleared via gravity. Not all, mind you…but a sizeable number of problems are not made more problematic by doing it this way. It is possible to work the slide or bolt too fast and making the problem worse!

The support hand thumb should be forward or up regardless of whether it is grabbing the magazine well, the hand guard or a vertical fore grip.

Simplicity and continuity between the semi-auto and the AR make the two guns a potent pair when it comes to one's personal security. Keep both guns as "slick" as possible, trying not to succumb to placing all of the accessories currently available on them as more stuff flies in the face if simplicity. If an accessory does not fix a known problem, then you probably don't need it. K.I.S.S…Keep it simple and slick! You won't be sorry. Give this a try before you just dismiss it wholesale…sometimes tradition is not the best path and critical thought will never be wasted regardless of which path you take. Both the custom Glock 19 and AR-15 seen in the photos were built by Templar Custom Arms. Dave Spaulding is a retired law enforcement officer with 36 years of law enforcement and private security experience. A graduate of many of the nation's premier firearms training courses, he is also the author of over 1,000 articles that have appeared in newsstand gun magazines and law enforcement trade journals. He is the owner and chief instructor for Handgun Combatives LLC , a training concern that focuses on "the combative application of the handgun" Handgun Combatives.