Don't BUG me , man!

Back Up Guns are an interesting idea.  In modern fictional literature and training lore you utilize the BUG because:

A.      Your primary weapon is empty, lost, damaged,

B.      Your primary weapon was taken from you,

C.      You needed to arm a second person.

Raven .25 ACP, the 'ackyist' of all possible back up guns

When my state got CCW many licensees elected to carry a .45 ACP or .357 revolver.  It quickly became apparent what was concealable for 4 hours at a shooting match is different than daily concealed carry.  Most realized that the weight, size and concealability were issues.  

This fulminated a change.  What was considered a Back Up Gun became the primary carry weapon to such a degree if you carried a backup weapon it was a second BUG gun.  (Yes, I know my sentence is redundant on several levels.)

The BUG because of its small size is easier to both conceal and carry and is therefore more likely to be carried.  The CCW community does not expect to experience a long and prolonged gun battle, although my position is if you carry, carry a reload.

The major BUG difficulty is insufficient training.  We may practice standing, drawing and engaging a target occasionally at the range.  Do you practice solutions to the limitations BUG creates?

Examples:

While IDPA BUG stages may have targets at 12 yards this may be unrealistic for a BUG with essentially no sights.  Can you quickly and accurately hit targets at this distance from a holstered gun?

Pocket holsters in the front pants pocket offer high concealability and good access to the BUG, just stick your hand in your pocket.  Can you draw efficiently while seated, running or laying on the ground?  Have you considered back pocket?

Carrying a reload in a pocket has problems, especially if we use that pocket to hold other items.  Do you have a plan for loose rounds or some type of reloader?  Can you reload on the move?

One way to determine how you answer might hold up in the actual world is to shoot a BUG match.

In a recent BUG match the shooters needed to draw from a seated position and take cover behind a table.  Another required shooting your primary gun dry and re-engaging with your BUG, while a third required movement and shooting.

Drawing the ankle back-up from seated is relatively easy, but you usually need to take your eyes off the danger.

While not required at the match, few shooters present had a way of efficiently reloading their BUG if required.

Having drawn the shooter can now efficiently engage the targets, assuming they haven't moved.  Yes, it was a rainy day and the targets are wearing raincoats.

Matches are excellent platforms to evaluate basis skill sets and tools.  They provide a little tension and performance anxiety.  Years of teaching Red Cross CPR has taught me one thing: you will not exceed your performance in training, but default to a lower setting.  If you are unable to perform basic skills at a match it is unlikely you will successfully perform those same skills if required in everyday life.

Multiple targets can present a problem with the limited number of rounds available to the defender.  The plastic rain coats acted as Tee-shirts obscuring the scoring rings forcing more center of mass shooting.