I've decided this will be my summer of "Two Guns." For the first time, on a daily basis, I'm going to carry two of the same pistols on both the right and left side. I always preach and practice carrying two firearms. With two you have a "spare" if one goes "flat," you can arm a partner or perform a "New York reload," drawing a second pistol instead of reloading the empty pistol in hand. Two pistols allows you to determine (1) which is your primary weapon according to your body's position, and (2) which pistol you can get to quickest. There are a lot of reasons to carry two pistols. (The same is true for knives, flashlights and other essential gear.) This summer though will be the first time I've concentrated on carrying twins on each hip. I already have right and left side holsters for my carry revolvers so I'll start with the wheel guns. This is how I learned to shoot when I was younger. You began with revolvers and, after learning them, were allowed to shoot semi-autos. Eventually I'll acquire holsters for the semi-autos. The one thing I already know is with my body build they'll have to be smaller weapons. As my friend Harry says, "The one advantage of being chubby is that you can carry big pistols." During my practice I expect to answer a lot of questions. Some of the questions I don't even know yet, but as I progress new possibilities will develop. Shooting with the support hand isn't new. I practice wounded drills a lot, but shooting with both hands, using a reverse of my normal stance will be different. From experience I know I can fight/spar equally well with a right or left hand lead; I'm almost ambidextrous and my mind and body easily flow from one side to the other. But working with two pistols, where the manipulations of the weapon require different actions according to which hand is primary, will be something that will require lots of repetitions. Most of this will be dry, as should be the majority of all practice. Part of my research will include reviewing books such as "Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting" by McGivern – a Smith & Wesson shooter - and "Shooting," by Colt's revolver expert FitzGerald. Both books should be mandatory reading for any handgun shooter, and include sections on strong/weak hand shooting and two-gun shooting, or "fillin'" both hands at once. As I work on these skills I'll write some updates about what I discover. For example how well and efficient can I draw and fire from each side? If there is a difference between one side and the other how does this determine my response to a sudden, unexpected threat? Which raises another question. With advance warning will it be better to draw from the "slow" side, possibly switching hands after the draw, and leave the "quick" side pistol ready for draw if it's needed? What about drawing both pistols at once, the possibility of putting hits at close distance on two locations of the threat such as the chest and pelvis at the same time, the ol' double whammy? Timing and accuracy will be the determining factors. Part of any art is always experimenting, pushing and trying a new or different approach, constantly searching for improvement. So you discover something doesn't work? Learning what doesn't work is as valuable as knowing what does. Plus, during experimentation you may get an idea for modifying and improving an existing skill. And of course you can never ignore the "fun" factor of trying something different. Just keep in mind your ultimate goal is selecting the best equipment for you, as an individual, and preparing yourself to defeat the threat(s) as efficiently as possible. Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy, located in northern Alabama. He is the author of "The Book of Two Guns" - http://shootrite.org/book/book.html writes for several firearms/tactical publications, and is featured on GunTalk's DVD, "Fighting With The 1911 - http://shootrite.org/dvd/dvd.html Website: www.shootrite.org http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shootrite-Firearms-Academy/156608611038230?ref=ts