Customer Reviews

The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Having read Massad Ayoobs books and articles for 25 plus years, I know he has accumulated a vast amount of pertinent knowledge on combat handgunnery and he has pretty well put it in this book. There are space limitations and he recommends reading the previous editions by other writers as well, (for night shooting & malfuntion clearing, etc., both covered in Chuck Taylor's 4th Ed.). The Table of Contents is almost useless, as there are many sub-chapters in each chapter not referred to, (Ayoob intended them to be chapters as stated "we'll cover that in the next chapter"). I will be writing these in on my copy, because some of them stand above the rest and I want to be able to flip there quickly. I underline and mark up personal copies of books, and this one has been marked up a lot!

If you want to cover your bases, buy the 4th and 5th Ed. Chuck Taylor and Massad Ayoob agree on more than they disagree, although they come from different views, (Taylor: Vietnam combat veteran, founder of S.W.A.T magazine and American Small Arms Academy, won 7 handgun fights, worlds first 4 weapon combat master, has a South West -AZ- U.S. view. Ayoob: veteran street cop, writes very much from cop's perspective, pioneer of post shooting information on what happens to you now, founder of Lethal Force Institute, has a North Eastern -NH- U.S. view). There are other writers, but you can do no better than these two.

Regarding specific strengths of Ayoobs edition, the section on buying a used gun is worth the purchase price. Ch. 8 on carry and draw is much more thorough, especially on CCW , than Taylor's. Ch. 11 is a stand out with CCW faux pas, CCW and the routine traffic stop and deadly force decision errors. Ch. 13 Beyond the Stereotypes gives excellent coverage to women, minorities and young people in relation to combat handguns. As always, Ayoob satisfies the knowledgeable reader with lots of trivia and great quotations.

I also saved by buying it from Amazon.com and got it as soon as it came off the press. Bottom line, if you care about the how and why of proven self defense with a handgun, then this is a must have book.

I agree with the previous poster...this is a great book! It informs, it shows you what's important, covers the basics and more, a book to read twice through.

A lot of gun writers just blow hot air, bragging about themselves or going on and on about their favorite style gun. Ayoob is one of the best known gun writers and gun enthousiasts out there and I like his style. I don't get the impression that he's pushing his ego, but rather that he is trying to show us what to look for, what to think about, what to consider with regards to handgun handling and shooting. I don't agree with everything, but I learned a lot from this book and I'm not a novice to handguns. Ayoob writes honestly and informs the reader as a genuine teacher and one who has much to offer and wants to offer it.

I recommend this book to anyone wanting a good overview of the basics and more on handgun handling, competitive and combat shooting, defensive ammo selection, concealed carry, handgun self-defense techniques etc.

Massad Ayoob provides an excellent overview of combat shooting. He covers the latest techniques, equipment and accessories. In addition, Ayoob does a good job of discussing most of the controversies: revolver vs. pistol, SA vs. DA, stock vs. modified, point shooting vs. aimed fire, etc...

After reading the book you will feel as though you sat through a week long class on handguns. Although Ayoob will state his preferences, in most cases, he presents both sides of the argument and leaves it to the reader to decide what is best for them.

Recommended for anyone who is considering becomming active in the shooting sports or getting a concealed carry license.

As a novice in using handgus for self-defense, this book set a great foundation. It was very thorough in coverage. It initially gave me more testing data than I needed to know, but found very interesting on the 3rd or 4th read. It also had an extensive manufacturer's directory at the back. The photos were excellent in illustrating the text. It was a pleasure to read this book over and over again.

Save your money. The 6th Edition is exactly the same book as the 5th Edition published in 2002, except for the cover. You can buy the 5th Edition (used) on this website for as low as $1.67. Gun Digest should have pointed this out when they published the 6th Edition. I am surprised that such a distinguished publisher would resort to this tactic to make a few more bucks.

A complete and exhaustive look at today's fighting handguns, the popular cartridges, and all the tactics and techniques one can use for defensive shooting. Includes the results of several endurance tests performed on some popular handguns such as the Browning, Beretta, Colt, SIG, and S&W. Also looks at the performance of cartridges themselves from 9mm up to .45 ACP. Various chapters also address bullet expansion, cover and concealment, stances, reloading your weapon, and carrying a handgun and spare ammo. Includes a glossary of terms and a manufacturer's directory. An essential resource for novice shooters, and quite informative for experts, too. Authored by Chuck Taylor, an Army Ranger commander during Vietnam and vastly qualified through various institutions here in the U.S. If you appreciate an in-depth and well-rounded resource by a certifiable master of his field, I highly recommend Combat Handgunnery.

The title of this book, the fact that it is a trade paperback and that it is offered under the Gun Digest umbrella may mislead some prospective readers. Yes, this title comes out every few years, and yes, it has a different author each time. That is the Gun Digest way. But don't be mislead!

This is not a book for the handgun hobbyist, this is a book for those who are serious about self defense with a handgun. Massad Ayoob is very qualified to write on this topic and his information is top notch. His style is very readable. He really covers every aspect of the topic--self defense with a handgun--as well as one can in a single book.

If you are new to the subject of self-defense, buy this book and Ayoob's "In the Gravest Extreme" as your introduction to the topic. Unfortunately there is a lot of hot air blowing on this topic today--but rest assured you will not find that here. I give this book my best rating.

I was very disappointed when I received my 6th edition of Combat Handgunnery. I own the 5th edition, also by Ayoob, and loved it. I incorrectly assumed that the 6th edition would be updated, but as far as I can tell, it is simply a reprinting of the 5th edition. The chapters and text appear to be identical. I could not tell this from the descriptions or reviews that I read on Amazon. It is a great book, but don't buy it if you expect it to be different from the 5th edition.

There are two editions that Ayoob wrote; the older version that I have (5th Edition), and the newer 6th edition, which is mostly the same, but with some updates. If you want to get serious about handgunning and/or keeping/carrying a pistol for defense, then you should really consider getting a copy, preferably the newer 6th edition. This is kind of the Bible of handgunning. If you've been around a while though, it may be a little bit of a waste of time and money.

Although not all gun nuts are convinced that Ayoob is the most qualified person to write a book like this, I think the information is logical and backed up by real-world evidence. Ayoob has been writing professionally for decades, most of which revolves around self-defense and handguns, and the writing in the book reflects that experience.

The book covers handgun selection (including revolvers, single-action autos, double-action autos, lightweight revolvers, micro handguns, and striker-fired autos (including Glocks), buying used handguns, selecting a defense load, selecting holsters, carry etiquette, shooting technique (including reloads, drawing from concealment, using cover, safety manipulation, "point shooting," and other tactics), "responsible customizing," tips on keeping you out of jail if you have to use a firearm for defense, securing handguns with safes and locks, women and young people and handguns, and it touches on competition.

Different ready positions, point shooting techniques, handgun grasping techniques, and stances are evaluated. Some common mistakes are explained.

The Maxing Qualification chapter may be very useful to those in law enforcement, and those that need to take a qualification course to get a concealed carry permit.

Personally, I found "Lost Secret #5," the smooth trigger roll, to be extremely useful in slow accurate shooting. Otherwise though, the book is going to be pretty useless to those only interested in shooting paper bulleyes.

There are competition books ("Practial Shooting: Beyond Fundamentals," by Brian Enos, and Matt Burkett's "Practical Shooting Manual") and DVDs (the Matt Burkett Practial Shooting series) that go into way more detail on the nuts and bolts of shooting a pistol, but this is a real good place to start, and is a bargain at the price.

This is very informative book. Must know information is covered from cover to cover. I've read it twice, and still find myself looking through the pages from time to time.

This book is a must for any handgun enthusiast.