This classic text is considered by many to be the definitive work on "Basic Gunfighting 101." Mister Jordan, a former Assistant Chief Patrol Inspector with the U. S. Border Patrol, as well as a highly respected firearms instructor, simply "tells it like it is" in just over a hundred pages — unlike many contemporary authors on the subject who fill their oversized texts with padding and pictures, but fail to convey any useful information which could actually be applied to good effect in a real gunfight (as opposed to contrived training "scenarios").

Basically, this entire book could be summed up as: "Get comfortable with your gun, use a top quality holster on a tight belt, draw your gun quickly, don’t bother aiming at close range, shooting from the hip reduces felt recoil, fire into the belly, and remain calm" — but he says it so well! This book belongs right next to Ayoob’s In The Gravest Extreme on every gunowner’s bookshelf. Other authors can go on and on about "tactical lighting," "house clearing," "disarming suspects," "dynamic entry," "CQB counter-terrorist tactics," and a whole plethora of other mildly interesting bits of trivia which you’ll probably never actually have any legitimate opportunity to employ as a civilian — but Mister Jordan’s thin book provides you with plainly spoken wisdom which is easily remembered and which would definitely prove useful if ever you need to defend yourself with a handgun. This is a great book.

A few selected quotes from this Master Work follow:

"In order to get out of a holster what was designed into it, a properly fitting belt, properly worn, is a must. The best holster design is worthless if worn on a belt that is too narrow for the holster loop or too soft to hold the holster in the position it was designed to assume. The belt should fit the holster loop tightly, be of good quality leather, firm, and worn snugly buckled straight across the body with no looseness or "cowboy slant." Such a slant gives a dashing, swashbuckling appearance which is only impressive to the inexperienced. It is the hallmark of the rookie cop. How many times have you noticed how much a part of the man is a gun on an experienced officer — or how often the rookie looks like a gun with a man attached! Of course the reason, other than appearance, that the belt should not be loosely slanted is that if the gun hangs even slightly, gun, holster, belt and all ride up and you’ve got a "handful of everything." None of which you can use for defense until the gun is separated from the rest of the confusion. If this should happen in a gunfight, your embarrassment would be short lived!" (pp. 29-30)

"There are no excuses for lack of dexterity. With only one tool to master, failure to develop efficiency with that tool to the fullest can be attributed only to lack of sincerity, laziness or stupidity. Those are hard words, but by any logic, justified." (p. 45)

"In fact, in fast draw work, the times involved are so infinitesimal that it is often impossible to differentiate visually between a record draw and one that took nearly twice as long. And the difference is so slight that the average man can develop his ability to the point where the only factor in determining the winner of a gunfight between himself and the fastest gunman who ever lived (psychology not being taken into consideration) would probably be simply who started for his gun first." (p. 51)

"A good stunt is to carry a few cartridges in the right coat pocket. When the hips are swayed the weight of these cartridges will make the movement of the coat more sluggish and hold it out away from the body a little longer, facilitating completion of the draw." (p. 61)

"Do not allow yourself to become impatient with the dry-fire routine. An attempt to try your wings too soon with a loaded gun can well lead to disaster. It is not difficult to shoot oneself in the leg or some other more intimate part of the anatomy. It has been done. You start your draw, your finger engages the trigger and starts pulling, the gun catches up and stops momentarily and the trigger finger keeps going. This is known as being slow on the draw and fast on the trigger . . ." (pp. 61-62)

"A prudent man will not rely upon hip shooting at distances greater than seven yards, the practical limit of fast gunmanship. Beyond this distance the pistol should be brought up toward eye level as the range increases until at the longer ranges it is fired by looking down the barrel or actually using the sights." (p. 62)

"You are struck with the realization that your opposition is a man who is trying to kill you and that in the next instant . . . his bullet may end life for you! Nothing in your prior experience, except gunfighting, can prepare you for this shocking thought. At this point the steadiness of the target range is liable to desert you and you may tend to discard all the fundamentals in a desperate attempt to get your shot in first. Here is where training takes over or you break up." (p. 105)