A “Ready Position” is a stance or physical posture with a gun in a situational circumstance or event in which you are prepared and ready to shoot as necessary for the given conditions. Since we never know what awaits us in a deadly-force encounter or any situation in which we have a gun or a threat exists, we must be ready to appropriately take action and safely shoot with our gun as warranted. Recognize, without any doubt, that any Ready Position must be situationally dependent and that safety is the top concern. In this author’s opinion, there is not a single Ready Position that is optimal and safe to use in all situations, because of the large number, variety of factors, and uncertainties.

Real World Deadly Situations

One of the most dangerous handgun safety mistakes is not keeping the gun pointed in a safe direction. Shooters should not point the muzzle of a gun at anything they do not want to destroy. Of course, if the situation calls for it and if it is reasonable to point your gun at a threat, then certainly do it, but be very aware of your target. I was using the High Ready Position in a Shoot House scenario at a law enforcement training class I attended. For the exercise, I was searching and scanning for a threat in a schoolyard, and my view below my gun was blocked. The front sight of my gun was elevated high, close to my eyes, and my arms were straight in front of me. So, my lower field of view was blocked as I was searching. This High Ready Position allows fast on-target acquisition and allows the shooter to quickly reference the front sight but blocks the lower field of view. If there is a threat or suspect lying on the ground or using concealment, they may be overlooked when scanning or searching. However, this High Ready Position may be used in certain situations. For example, I recall my Vietnam veteran friends saying they used the High Ready Position there to search for threats from rooftops and high hills but not from ground or tunnel threats. Why point your gun at a high angle when the threat comes from below?

It is very important to know and practice how to handle the gun safely at all times in various situations. We need to know and exhibit muzzle discipline. Part of that is knowing and practicing different Ready Positions for everyone’s safety. Also, recognize that there is a difference between range-only shooting Ready Positions for fixed targets and real-world, life-or-death Ready Positions for street attackers. While there are many Ready positions, each with their own pros and cons, I want to present just seven of the general Ready Shooting Positions.

Ready Shooting Positions

1. SUL Position
2. Low Ready  
3. Compressed (Modified) Low Ready  
4. High Ready
5. Compressed (Modified) High Ready- Chest
6. Compressed (Modified) High Ready- Chin
7. Temple Index

SUL Position

The SUL Position was developed by Max Joseph and Alan Brosnan in Brazil in 1997 while working with the South American Police. Its purpose is to serve as a safe pistol carry position for Close Quarters Battle and to protect others in the presence of friendly fellow shooters. “SUL” is Portuguese for “South” and emphasizes that the gun is pointed down for this position. The main advantage of using SUL is to keep your muzzle off back-up personnel and other friendly operators. It is used to check 360 degrees around yourself or move around things or people you do not want to cover with the gun’s muzzle. The SUL Position is designed for quick and efficient presentation of your pistol from a neutral body position. For me, this position would not be best if you are on the move or running.

To achieve the SUL Position, place your support hand flat and horizontally against your stomach on top of your belly button. Your strong hand with the gun is placed on top of your support hand, with your finger off the trigger and the gun’s muzzle pointed down toward the ground, slightly in front of and between your feet. The gun is slightly angled outward, about 15-20 degrees away from your body, so as not to sweep or muzzle your feet. With SUL, both thumbs should be touching and form a square shape. The support thumb is pointing up towards the shooter’s chin. I believe it is important to recognize and practice this. (But, another variation says the middle finger knuckle of the strong hand and the crook of the support hand’s index finger should be the only points of contact.) The slide of the gun is held against the back of the knuckles of the support hand. The strong hand thumb is extended towards the support hand thumb. Other shooters with pistols having mechanical safeties say they must keep their thumb on the frame to engage the safety, but I believe this is primarily a training issue. I know, as a 1911 shooter, my thumb sweeps the safety off as the pistol comes up.

A typical mistake by some SUL users is that the pistol’s muzzle is canted outward about 45 degrees toward a nearly horizontal position with the strong hand. Of course, this is a safety hazard and negates the safe carry intent of the position. Also, if there is a need for a quick shot, the support hand could fail to get a good two-handed grip. An advantage of SUL is that it is comfortable and can be maintained for an extended time period, in addition to the muzzle-direction safety advantage when among several innocents. 

When should the SUL Shooting Position be used? Generally, it is used in four fundamental situations:

1. When you are moving among friendlies with your team of shooters and you are NOT the lead, front cover team member, with safety as your top priority. Usually, the first operator in a formation may present his/her weapon, but it is imperative the others orient their pistol safely. SUL allows this.
2. When friendly persons need to cross into your sector or line of fire when they are moving around teammates.
3. When you need a quick, safe position to move the gun to when a friend or another inadvertently crosses into your line of fire.
4. When holding or controlling the bad guy/gal until authorities arrive, without necessarily pointing your gun at them but being ready.

Low Ready (LR)

The LR position is one of the most frequently used ready positions for tactical shooting by law enforcement officers (LEO) and the military when searching for a target or rapidly approaching a target area or threat. For law enforcement or the home defender, the LR is an excellent challenge position, and you can see the bad guy/gal’s hands easily because the gun is pointed down away from your eyes. It is also a position often used in handgun training classes and competitive shooting events. Students use it at the range after a shot and just before they are ready to shoot again. So, we use it in our training classes when students are transitioning between targets and getting “Ready” to shoot again. Also, we use it to give students a calming break and for deep breaths to relax safely before the next shot. CAUTION should be used with new shooters and all shooters not familiar with this Ready position since they have a loaded gun in their hands and are “Ready” to shoot again. Awareness of people around you, your surroundings, and your particular situation are very important with this Ready Position, as with all of them. It is the fastest position to move TO after initially shooting and the quickest to move FROM by simply raising the gun quickly back to the target. In this position, the shooter has the chance to verbally challenge a possible threat or to de-escalate an attack at a distance. The shooter can keep their eyes on the target or threat and engage them quickly from this position.

To assume the LR position from the usual extension shooting position, drop the gun’s muzzle down to a 45-degree angle and point it outwards at the ground and in front of the target, NOT directly at the target and NOT directly down at the ground immediately in front of the shooter. The gun is held in the lower waist and abdomen area, extended outwards, and with straight arms.

A problem with the LR is that it can be difficult to maintain and hold for long periods of time. Also, at close combat and tactical distances, it may put your gun too close to your attacker, who can grab it or immobilize you with a bear hug. During search and seek tasks, it may not allow you to move about easily and quickly when up close.

So, again, each position is situationally-dependent. 

Compressed (Modified) Low Ready (MLR)

The MLR position is very similar to the LR, but the gun is positioned at waist level, and the elbows are not extended but positioned close into the waist. The MLR advantage is that because the gun is lowered to waist level or below your line of sight, you are more ready to quickly bring the gun back into your vision for front sight focus and acquiring your sight picture, while having a wide view around you. Another advantage of the MLR is that it is a very ready position to help control a close-up attacker for compliance, so that firing a shot may not be necessary. Remember, avoid confrontations if at all possible. 

With the MLR, as with the LR position, it is very critical that the shooter’s trigger finger be off the trigger, not in the trigger guard area, and with the gun pointed in a safe direction. The shooter should be ready to fire ONLY if eyes and sights are on the target or threat AND you are ready to shoot. 

With the MLR position, it is very easy to move the gun to an unsafe position when a quick, deadly-force incident occurs or if others cross in front of your muzzle. So be very aware and be safe with this and all Ready shooting positions, since you are so very ready to shoot.

This Compressed Low Ready or Modified Low Ready position requires that the gun be brought to the line of sight for firing from a non-extended arms position. Because the arms are not fully extended, it may be more difficult for the bad guy/gal to take the gun away from you with your arms in close to the body and not fully extended. Thus, there is better gun retention in several critical situations. 

High Ready (HR)

In the High Ready Position the gun is held high in the center of the shooter’s chest and arms are extended straight outward. It is a close-range position with the gun held inward very tight. Because the front sight can already be in line with your target or threat or near it with the HR, minimal movement is necessary to bring the gun up for a short distance to fire. It is usually faster than the LR for getting off a shot.

In the HR, the forearms are extended with the muzzle of the gun held parallel to the ground at your center chest area and pointed slightly downward toward the area of the threat. This position allows flexibility since the gun can be immediately fired without sighting in close quarters (from the armpit) when held this way or it can be quickly brought up a short distance for a sighted firing. This is a very practical, real-world shooting position for close encounters (say 1 to 3 feet away), but it may violate some local range safety rules and regulations. So, check with your range and be very careful where your gun’s muzzle is pointed and when several people are moving around you. You must also consider specific safety precautions with this position. Be aware that the gun may be fired quickly and in close proximity to others, so be very careful and be safe. You do not want to slip your grip, get bumped in your stance, or get startled in the HR. However, it has the disadvantage that it can block the shooter’s view below the gun for low-level threats, people, or objects, as mentioned at the start of this article.

Some say the HR is nothing more than the LR held higher at the center chest area rather than the lower waist area. 

Compressed (Modified) High Ready (MHR-Chest)

Depending on the situation, there are two Compressed High Ready or Modified positions. One is compressed at the chest area (as shown above), and the other is compressed at the chin area (below.) The MHR can include the basic HR position from the chest area, with a change to only one hand being used if desired. Some call the MHR Chest Position the “Shooting from the Armpit” position or the “Close Retention High Ready” position. Here, the gun is brought to the shooter’s armpit while maintaining the two-handed grip, and the muzzle may be pointed slightly upwards from the ground or towards the ground. Be careful with this position with the muzzle pointed upwards. Safety first!

IMAGE #6 Compressed High Ready at Chin Level: Muzzle Pointed Directly in Threat Direction; Trigger Finger On Frame; Elbows not extended and Arms Close In to body

With the gun held near chin level in the Compressed High Ready Position, the gun can be quickly brought into fire with minimal movement. The gun is already pointed in the direction of the threat at a high level, so with a slight upward movement, the sight picture can be quickly acquired, and a shot can be taken. This Compressed High Ready Position at the chin area is my favorite, since for almost all situations the shooter is very ready to acquire the sight picture and take a self-defense shot. Of course, there must be a high focus on safety when using this position, since you are so very ready to take a quick shot. And this position may not be optimal for some situations, like where there are friendlies in the area and several non-threats exist. Remember, with this position, you are pointing the gun in the direction of the threat or directly at someone who may or may not be determined to be a threat.

Compressed (Modified) High Ready (MHR-Chin)

Temple Index

A Temple Index Position is not ideal for every situation, so carefully consider the variables of your situation, environment, and mission. It is used in tight team movements since it is much safer to use when moving right behind someone. Also, if you are operating in a crowd or an enclosed tight space, such as in a car with other people inside, you might want to use this position. This position would work in most situations when exiting a vehicle. If you are working your way through a grade school or a mall with lots of small children, for example, you might consider it since it would be better than using the Low Ready or High Ready, and the Sul may not be practical. You then would have a high chance of sweeping your feet or the small children at a low level. In some situations, given their uncontrollable factors and events, a shooter cannot safely or appropriately use the Sul, Low Ready, High Ready, or any of the other Ready positions. When using the Temple Index Ready Position, some have reservations with pointing a muzzle anywhere toward or near their head. And pressing a just-fired and smoking-hot gun up against the side or near your temple and head area may not be safe. On the temple side, where the gun is positioned, you are usually partially blocking your vision, so use it wisely.

Conclusions

All Ready positions have pros and cons and are situational specific. I like the Low Ready Position with its down and out position for the muzzle and opportunity for full field of vision, for training and teaching my gun safety classes. But, with the LR your arms may tire easily. Also, the SUL position works well for me in a crowded group of friendlies when you are moving around and very concerned with muzzle control. It is a very safe position in these situations. In special circumstances only, you may want to use the HR position, so be aware of the gunshot near your face, eyes, and ears and the possibility of obstruction of low threats. I hope my summary of Ready Positions has helped you as a starting point for your own research and decisions. 

Continued Success & Be Safe!

Photos by author.

Note: This personal opinion article is meant for general information & educational purposes only, and the author strongly recommends that you seek counsel from an attorney for legal advice and a certified weapons trainer for proper guidance about shooting & using your firearms, self-defense, and concealed carry. It should not be relied upon as accurate for all shooters & the author assumes no responsibility for anyone’s use of the information and shall not be liable for any improper or incorrect use of the information or any damages or injuries incurred whatsoever.  

© 2024 Col Benjamin Findley. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be reprinted or reproduced in whole or in part by mechanical means, photocopying, electronic reproduction, scanning, or any other means without prior written permission. For copyright information, contact Col Ben Findley at [email protected].