The Mexican and Yaqui Defense Courses (1964)

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Another find from my Historical Handgun research team: a 1964 Guns magazine article written about two self defense shooting drills. Back in that era they were likely shot using the classic Colt target (NRA B-21). Jeff Cooper wrote about both of these drills, and Bill Wilson created an IDPA-ized version of the Mexican Defense course that we shot at the Practical Pistol Reunion he hosted in 2019.

The original article is here:

Shooting the Mexican Defense Course

I put on my 1911 .45 ACP with Gordon Davis 1970’s era competition holster and set up the Mexican Defense Course, using the ShootSteel cardboard target. The ShootSteel target is my current favorite, since it has a smaller “best torso hit” zone than the IDPA or USPSA, a larger “acceptable hit zone”, and a head with an actual neck and ears. The “acceptable hit” C zone is smaller than the K5 zone in the old B21’s used back in 1964. Somehow when I made these videos I was thinking that the article was from 1961, not 1964.

The Bill Wilson IDPA variant of the Mexican Defense Course is as follows:

Mexican Defense Course (PPR)

Type: PAR time standard exercise

Targets: 6 standard IDPA silhouettes spaced 1 yard apart edge to edge, 10 yards downrange

Scoring: 5 points, 4 points and 3 points. Complete misses and/or overtime shots are -5 points each

Time limit: 6 seconds for each string of fire

Possible score: 180 points (36 rounds)

Procedure:

Each stage starts with the shooter standing with their back to T1 (left target) approximately 8 yards from the target. On the command “walk” the shooter begins walking to the 10 yard firing line, once the shooter steps across the line the timing buzzer will sound and the shooter will turn, draw and engage the targets.

String 1: Fire 6 rounds at T1 (left target) from behind the 10 yard line

String 2: Fire 1 round at each target T1 – T6 left to right from behind the 10 yard line

String 3: Fire 1 round standing behind the 10 yard line, then advance a fire 5 more shots at T1 while moving forward (shots 2-6 MUST be fired while moving)

String 4: Fire 1 round standing behind the 10 yard line, then advance and fire 1 shot each at T2 – T6 while moving forward toward T1 (shots 2-6 MUST be fired while moving)

String 5: Fire 1 round standing behind the 10 yard line, then move laterally to the right and fire 5 more shots at T1 (shots 2-6 MUST be fired while moving)

String 6: Fire 1 round standing behind the 10 yard line, then move laterally to the right and fire 1 shot each at T2 – T6 while moving to the right (shots 2-6 MUST be fired while moving)

Shooting the Yaqui Defense Course

In the 1964 article the Yaqui Defense Course was also discussed. I set that up and shot it.

Thoughts

The Mexican Defense Course, particularly in the Wilson-ized version, shot on an IDPA target, includes skills commonly omitted from “modern” drills that are mostly designed for convenience when running a large static firing line. Turning draws and moving cross range, engaging targets at directions other than “perfectly squared up to me in my lane” are good skills to practice, either in dry fire (if you don’t have access to a range that will allow drawing, turning draws, or cross range movement) or in live fire. IDPA competitors might find this vintage standards course, from one of the IDPA founders, useful as a stage that could be run at a local match.