Today’s shooting drill comes from one of the most experienced modern gunfighters on the planet. Mr. Jim Cirillo drew from a breadth of experience when he designed the 1-2-3-6 Drill, and we are going to see how you can benefit from his experience.
Who is Jim Cirillo?
Jim Cirillo served as a police officer with the NYPD for over two decades. He was a cop during the city’s dark times and served five years on the NYPD’s Stakeout Unit. The Stakeout Squad was a controversial police unit that was formed to deal with the increase in armed retail robberies.
Members of the Stakeout Squad would strategically stage themselves in or around retail businesses they thought would be robbed. If they were correct, they would respond to the armed robbery, often with overwhelming force.
This often led to violent encounters, and Mr. Cirillo reportedly participated in more than 20 gunfights during his time with the Stakeout Squad. He had more gunfights under his belt than Bat Masterson, Wild Bill Hickok, and Wyatt Earp combined.
Outside of being an experienced gunfighter, he was a National Champion pistol shooter and a firearms instructor. He passed in 2007, but his 1-2-3-6 Drill is a stark reminder of his experience as a gunfighter, championship shooter, and instructor.
What You Need
To shoot the 1-2-3-6 Drill, you’ll need 12 rounds per run. The drill specifically allows you to use most guns. It works with small guns, revolvers, and similar firearms, and is concealed carry-friendly in most cases.
You’ll need a small target; I use a B8, and only count hits in the black. Anything outside of the black is a miss. Beyond that, you don’t need much else. You need eye and ear protection, but everything after that is optional.
I’d bring a shot timer so you can record your times for each string of fire. A holster can increase the drill’s difficulty, but it’s not required. I’m shooting the 1-2-3-6 Drill once as Jim intended and again with a draw implemented.
Shooting Jim Cirillo’s 1-2-3-6 Drill
We’ll fire the drill from three yards. It’s super close, but this drill is perfect for beginners and new shooters. You’ll shoot four strings of fire, and Jim intended the starting position to be the low ready. If you decide to add a draw, you’ll start each string of fire holstered.
Between strings, you can reload as necessary.
String One: Start with the handgun in the low ready (or in the holster) and at the signal, aim and fire one round.
String Two: Start with the handgun in the low ready (or in the holster) and at the signal, aim and fire two rounds.
String Three: Start with the handgun in the low ready (or in the holster) and at the signal, aim and fire three rounds.
String Four: Start with the handgun in the low ready (or in the holster) and at the signal, aim and fire six rounds.
As you shoot each string, you have several goals:
- Release the trigger and allow it to reset during the recoil impulse.
- Reacquire the trigger and sights as the recoil impulse ends.
- Begin to pull the trigger as soon as you have an adequate sight picture.
The goal of the 1-2-3-6 Drill is to teach you to shoot quickly, shoot accurately, and recover from the recoil impulse.
Benefits Of Jim Cirillo’s 1-2-3-6 Drill
Jim Cirillo’s 1-2-3-6 Drill provides an excellent foundation for advanced shooting exercises and is well-suited for shooters who are moving into defensive shooting territory.
The drill’s primary benefit comes from its slow approach to rapid-fire strings. Starting new shooters off with a Bill Drill doesn’t always work well. The 1-2-3-6 Drill allows them to work their way up relatively slowly. They get warmed up, so to speak.
Outside of the beginner perspective, this is a drill that still benefits any shooter.
Skills Reinforced by the Drill
First, we are working on recoil management. We want to shoot and get the sights back to the target as quickly as possible. Good recoil management allows you to shoot quickly with control, which leads to accuracy and speed.
Shooters also have to track their sights as they shoot. Sight tracking allows you to engage as quickly as you accurately can. If you can’t track your sights properly, then you will never master quick and accurate shooting.
Next, we are focusing on teaching shooters to get their finger off the trigger and allow it to reset during the recoil impulse. This way, they are ready to shoot as soon as the gun settles back on target.
The 1-2-3-6 Drill forces shooters to fight the right balance of speed and accuracy while building both their speed and accuracy skills. Speed and accuracy win gunfights, and Jim Cirillo won enough to know.
Going Faster
The skills required to win a gunfight aren’t difficult to understand. Shoot faster and straighter than the other guy. It’s easy to explain, but can be difficult to do. Drills like the 1-2-3-6 Drill aim to arm you with the skills necessary to win.
This drill is one of my favorites for new shooters. It helps ease them into rapid, accurate fire and introduces them to the skills necessary to win a fight and advance in pistol craft.
