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Daily Safety Brief

Have Officers read safety brief from manual

�WE RUN A HOT RANGE NO WEAPONS OUT OF HOLSTERS UNLESS ON FIRING LINE.

�MEDICAL PLAN

Review Injury action plan

Identify and name medics, communications and runners.

WHO? WHERE?

Identify responding agencies and multiple evacuation plans

WHAT RANGE?
WHO CALL?
WHAT NUMBER?
WHERE IS THE DAILY MEDICAL GEAR (AED, BAGS and CLOT)
POST IT!

�Discuss the importance of the plan, it’s formulation and implementation
�Discuss trauma supplies both IFAK and range issued
�Post IAP and discuss the importance of this briefing

�

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Range Rules

Instructors will read and review with students the range safety rules. After completion students will sign and hand in to instructors the first range day

Safety rules, Regulations and Procedures are expected to be followed by all shooters.

Keep your weapon pointed in a safe direction.
Do not handle any weapons while anyone is downrange.
Never draw the weapon with your finger on the trigger.
Never bend over on the firing line until the line has been declared “safe”.
Obey all commands from the Range Master
Never holster any weapon with the hammer in single-action mode, or with your finger on the trigger. (This applies to double-action weapon only.)
Dry fire is only performed under the guidance of the firearms instructors. DO NOT dry fire unless instructed to do so.
“The finger remains off of the trigger and outside the trigger guard until the weapon is on target and the officer has determined the use of deadly force is imminent” ( i.e., Trigger finger management).
Unsafe acts or unsafe behavior on the range will not be tolerated.
Do not take live ammunition into the cleaning area.

I have and reviewed and understand all the above range rules. I will comply with these rules and conduct myself as a professional and responsible police officer.

Signature: Date: ______________________

SAFETY IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY!

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Four Cardinal Safety Rules

These are general rules that apply to all firearms in all situations. These four rules are the building blocks of firearms safety.

Treat all weapons as loaded weapons. Everyday an innocent person is seriously hurt by a reportedly “unloaded weapon”.
Never point any weapon at anything you are not intending to shoot. Firearms are lethal tools that destroy people and things.
Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
Know your target and what is beyond it. Be aware of those areas and individuals beyond the target area. Target Identification is especially important in reduced-light situations.

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Safety Rules, Regulations and Procedures

There are safety rules, procedures and regulations that are expected to be followed by all shooters throughout their firearms training.

Keep your weapon pointed in a safe direction at all times.
Do not handle any weapons while anyone is downrange.
Never draw the weapon with your finger on the trigger.
Never bend over on the firing line until the line has been declared “safe”.
Obey all commands from the Range Master
Never holster any weapon cocked in single-action mode.
Dry fire is only performed under the guidance of the firearms instructors. DO NOT dry fire unless instructed to do so.
“The finger remains off of the trigger and outside the trigger guard until the weapon is on target and the officer has determined the use of deadly force is imminent” ( i.e., trigger finger management).
Unsafe acts or unsafe behavior on the range will not be tolerated.
Do not take live ammunition into the cleaning area.

SAFETY IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY!

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Range Training Safety Rules

Range commands and common terms

Ready pistol position – a relaxed, controlled position. The shooter will be facing the target area with the weapon held firmly with a two-handed grip. The barrel is pointed downrange slightly below the field of vision, (ready to engage).
Cease fire … Cease fire! – A command to immediately stop shooting. Relay the “cease fire” command, come to “ready pistol”, and await further instructions.
Prepare magazines – Place ammunition into your magazine according to instructions.
Load your Weapon! – Insert a prepared magazine into the weapon’s magazine well, tap on the magazine bottom and tug on the magazine floor plate.
Make street-ready – Work the action of your weapon, causing a cartridge to be fed into the chamber. Decock (if appropriate).
Administrative unload – Release the magazine into your non‑shooting hand. Place this magazine in your pocket. Perform a clearing procedure.
Press check / Pressure check – Carefully retract the slide of the weapon rearward, visually inspecting to ensure that a live round has been chambered.�NOTE: Press checks are only performed upon initial loading of the weapon, never in conjunction with any of the reloads.

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Safety

Safety remains the #1 objective when designing or conducting advanced firearms exercises.
The course design should minimize potential safety problems.
This can usually be achieved by having two or more instructors review the exercise from the shooters’ perspective.
When conducting a qualification or training course,
Safety is the most important characteristic to be satisfied.
It is recommended that the instructor have as few shooters as possible participate in a high-stress training course to ensure safety.
Extra benefits of fewer shooters:
Provides the instructor with the opportunity to observe the shooters on a more personal level and evaluate their performance.
Range rules must be the first topic addressed.
The rules must be verbalized.
A copy of the rules should be distributed to the shooters.
A copy of the rules should be clearly displayed on the range.

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Safety, contd.

Safety is the foundation of any firearms training program and should be a continual thread that runs throughout all aspects of the officer's career, both on and off duty.

As law enforcement trainers, we are responsible for creating and maintaining a safe training environment. Years ago, this was a relatively simple concept. Today, however, is quite different. Over the years, training has continued to evolve and progress.

As agencies continue to endorse and adopt these progressive training philosophies and technologies,

we, the trainers, must be prepared to conduct them in the safest possible manner;
we must also realize that as the levels of training increase, so does the risk for potential injury;
we must continue to enforce familiar safety rules; but more importantly,
we must learn to anticipate potential safety problems associated with the more demanding types of training requested by agencies and law enforcement officers.
practical, realistic training can be conducted safely, but it requires attention to detail and increased vigilance to ensure that safety remains our #1 priority.

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Safety, contd.

Four cardinal rules of firearms safety

Treat every weapon as if it were loaded, with no exceptions!
Never point a weapon at anything or anyone you do not intend to destroy – forever!
Keep your finger off of the trigger until you decide to shoot.
The trigger finger should stay off the trigger until you are on target and have determined that the use of deadly force is imminent.

Overview of range rules and procedures

Muzzle integrity/laser rule
Trigger finger management / indexing
De-cocking procedures while moving or returning to the holster
Designated weapon-handling areas

Following commands and safety rules should not stand alone. For example,

Keeping the muzzle in a safe direction.
If not actively engaging a threat, learning to keep the finger off the trigger and outside the trigger guard along the frame of the weapon.
De-cocking, etc.

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Safety, contd.

Metal Plate Targets – Three Golden Rules

Never shoot at distance of less than 10 yds.
Do not shoot targets with holes, dents or cracks.
Stagger targets, and never set targets next to each other – put one in front or behind (90 degrees - lead splatter).

Conduct a Safety Briefing

Prior to all live-fire exercises:
Safety rules and procedures
Safe weapons handling and familiarization of weapons that will be used (i.e., shotgun, patrol rifle, etc.)
Course description.

Mandatory walk-through for all new courses of fire

Especially advanced/stress courses
Conduct a student question-and-answer period
Optional live-fire demonstration.

During the early years of firearms training, neither eye nor ear protection was required, provided, or encouraged on the range. Currently, both types are required on the firing line. Lead poisoning threatens the physical wellbeing of shooters and instructors on firearms ranges. Through administrative controls and exercising of precautions, agencies can reduce exposure of employees and their families to health risks such as lead poisoning and eye or ear trauma.

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Safety, contd.

Range Safety and Personal Safety Equipment

Gunshot trauma / first aid kit in a location that can be found easily by all and identified prior to the start of all firearms training. EMTs or paramedics should be identified prior to the start of training.
Automatic Electronic Defibrillators (AEDs), if available, must be found easily)
Range Injury Action Plan is intended for use in emergencies e.g., accidental shooting, heart attack, personal injury). Communications to be used for injury action plan, whether by radio or phone.
Designated Weapons Clearing Area, whether a clearing station or an area or somewhere on the range. They are intended for the proper loading and unloading of weapons while on the range.

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Safety, contd.

Preventing Eye Injury

The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) requires eye protection in any hazardous environment, such as a firearms range, that must comply with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
Eye protection mandatory. Plastic eye protectors – personal corrective glass, side panels. Eye protection must be worn while cleaning all weapons.

Hearing Protection

“How Noise Levels Produced by Firearms Discharges Affect Hearing”.

Section 1910.95 of the Code of Federal Regulations states that repeated exposure to sound levels over 95 decibels or more during a 4-hour period can slightly, but permanently, damage hearing.

This impairment is cumulative; as the frequency of exposure continues, the level of nerve damage to the cochlea (the delicate sensory cells of the inner ear) increases and becomes permanent.

When a firearm discharges, it creates peak sound pressures of 144 decibels or more.

A .22 caliber-produces 144 decibels.
Calibers of 38 Special, 9 mm, 40 S&W, 45 ACP, and .357 Magnums produce sound levels between 150 and 168 decibels.
A 12-gauge shotgun produces 170 decibels.

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Safety – Hearing Protection, contd.

Minimum Hearing Protection Requirements

The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) defines adequate hearing protection in the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 1910.95. Section 1910.95 states the following:

Hearing protection must reduce all noise levels of 85 decibels or more to a safe level of less than 85 decibels.
Hearing protection must block continuous noises of an 8-hour duration and reduce these continuous noise levels from 90 decibels or greater to a level lower than 85 decibels.
The Code of Federal Regulations, Section 1910.95, also states that any employee exposed to continuous or impulsive noise levels from 80 decibels (continuous) to 130 decibels (impulsive) will submit to an annual audiometric test, provided by the employer, to determine hearing loss, and/or extent of hearing loss.

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Safety, contd.

Lead Safety

Introduction

Potentially dangerous exposures to lead can occur in both indoor and outdoor police firing ranges. Range instructors and range cleaners are at greatest risk. This alert provides guidance for those who work in, use, and maintain indoor firing ranges, to protect them from the hazards of lead.

How does lead affect the body?

Adults can be exposed to lead by breathing in lead dust or fumes, or by ingesting lead dust. There are many symptoms or signs that suggest a problem with lead, but they can also be symptoms of other illnesses. It is also possible to have lead poisoning without noticing any symptoms.

Therefore, if you work around lead, you should regularly see a doctor for blood testing, whether or not you are experiencing the following symptoms:

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Safety – Lead, contd.

Early Signs and Symptoms of Lead Poisoning

Fatigue
Headache
Uneasy stomach
Poor appetite
Sleeplessness
Metallic taste
Irritability
Nervousness
Reproductive problems.

Later Signs and Symptoms

Memory problems
Nausea
Weight loss
Weak wrists / ankles
Constipation
Kidney problems
Aches / pains in stomach muscle
Joint pains.

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Safety – Lead, contd.

What are the sources of lead exposure at a firing range?

In conventional ammunition, both the primer and the core of the bullet contain lead.
Exposure to lead dust occurs during

loading of ammunition,
target shooting,
gun cleaning
firing range maintenance.

Inadequate or poorly designed ventilation
Improper range cleaning procedures
Eating, drinking and smoking in an area where lead is used
Lack of proper hygiene.

All of the above can contribute to high lead exposures. Lead exposure can occur in both indoor and outdoor ranges. If an outdoor range is used, the exposures are reduced.

You can take it home with you!

High levels of lead dust in ranges that are not properly designed, ventilated, or maintained can settle on, bodies, clothes, or shoes of shooters and other range occupants.
The dust can then be carried to their cars and homes, where it can be a hazard to their families.
Young children are more sensitive to the effects of lead exposure.

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Safety – Lead, contd.

Do law enforcement personnel become lead-poisoned?

The following are examples of the many cases of over-exposure to lead at law enforcement firing ranges that have been documented in Massachusetts and elsewhere.

The ventilation in a new firing range was blowing contaminated air toward the shooters. The maximum air lead levels exceeded twice the limit set by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Air lead concentrations of police firearm instructors at an outdoor range were measured. When copper-jacketed ammunition was used, the lead levels were well below the OSHA limit; but when non‑jacketed bullets were used, the lead exposure was four times the OSHA limit.
Blood lead levels and air lead concentrations were measured at an outdoor police firing range. When non-jacketed bullets were used, air concentrations were 9 to 10 times the OSHA limit. Range instructors had blood lead levels up to more than twice the recommended limit. After jacketed ammunition was introduced, both air and blood lead levels dropped to safe levels.
The blood lead levels of police trainees using an indoor range were measured before and after a 4-week period. Blood leads increased from an average of 7 μg/dl (micrograms per deciliter) to over 40 μg/dl. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that blood lead levels remain below 25 μg/dl. Air lead exposures were up to 60 times the OSHA limit.
Three firearms instructors at a state corrections department had blood lead levels over 40 μg/dl. Investigation revealed that shooting over an approximately 2-hour period resulted in air lead concentrations of 2–4 times the OSHA limit. Significant amounts of lead-contaminated dust were found in several range locations.

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Safety – Lead, contd.

Some ammunition is made with copper or nylon jackets that eliminate the hazard from the lead core of the bullet by enclosing the lead.
However, to fully eliminate the lead hazard, the primer must also be lead-free.
There is now ammunition on the market that is completely “lead-free” and has a non-lead core and a non-lead primer.

When conventional ammunition is used, the following precautions must be taken:

Ventilation/engineering controls
Provide an effective exhaust ventilation system:

Airflow pattern that takes contaminated air from the breathing zone of the shooter and moves it down the firing range where it is effectively removed.

Poorly designed ventilation systems and ranges with too many obstructions can be ineffective and cause recirculation of contaminated air to the area behind the firing line.
Periodically measure the airflow to be sure that the ventilation system is operating as designed.
Range instructors usually have the highest exposures to lead.

The best way to prevent lead exposures at firing ranges is to use ammunition that is free of lead components.

How Can I Minimize Lead Contamination at a Firing Range?

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Safety – Lead – Precautions, contd.

Backstops / indoor ranges
Install escalator backstops, granulated rubber traps and their variations, which minimize dust levels and are easy to clean.
Avoid the use of angled backstops with sand traps, which can generate a large amount of airborne lead dust and require frequent cleaning.
Housekeeping
Ranges should be cleaned daily or after each use to minimize the build-up of lead.
To clean the range, use an industrial-grade vacuum cleaner equipped with a high-efficiency (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters trap fine particles of lead. Lead dust is not trapped effectively by other types of vacuum filters.
Never dry-sweep ranges.
Wet methods, using any household detergent, can also be used to minimize lead dust.
Even counter tops, gun cleaning trays and target rails can be contaminated with lead.
Proper cleaning or disposal of contaminated mops and cloths must be considered.
Proper personal protective equipment such as respirators and protective clothing is needed for range cleaners.

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Safety – Lead – Precautions, contd.

Training
Shooters, instructors and maintenance staff must all be trained in the hazards of lead and the precautions needed to protect themselves.
Training should be given before employees are exposed to lead, and then annually. Information that may be useful in training is available in the appendixes of the OSHA Lead Standard.
Personal Protective Equipment
During range cleaning, a HEPA (N100)-filtered respirator, disposable protective clothing and shoe coverings are recommended.
The respirator must be properly fitted and a medical screening for respirator uses should be carried out.
Personal Hygiene
Showers, washing facilities and changing rooms should be provided and used.
Hands and faces must be washed after shooting.
Range instructors and range cleaners should shower and wash their hair at the end of their shift.
The changing room should have separate lockers for contaminated protective clothing and street clothes.
Contaminated clothing and shoes should be properly disposed of or cleaned.
Any lead-contaminated clothing should be washed separately from other laundry items.
Eating, drinking and smoking must be prohibited in any area that could be contaminated with lead.

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Safety – Lead, contd.

Blood Lead and Medical Monitoring

Police officers and others who are frequently exposed to lead must have periodic medical exams including blood lead and other medical testing.
At a minimum, range instructors and range cleaners should have their blood tested once every 6 months, or after qualification periods or periods of high exposures.
One National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) document recommends that blood testing be done on every person who works in or uses the range more than 3 hours per month.
NIOSH recommends that blood lead levels be kept below 25 micrograms per deciliter (μg/dl).

The Division of Occupational Safety is currently making blood lead testing available free of charge to range instructors and range cleaners.

Who regulates lead exposure in police department firing ranges in Massachusetts?

While private sector employees are covered by OSHA Standards, public-sector employees in Massachusetts are not. The Division of Occupational Safety, in accordance with MGL, Chapter 149, Section 6, is charged with inspecting workplaces in Massachusetts and determining what procedures and practices are required to protect workers. As a matter of policy, our office references OSHA regulations, as well as other consensus standards, when we determine whether proper procedures are being followed to protect workers. Our office recommends that the OSHA Lead Standard for general industry (29 CFR 1910.1025) be followed as a minimum. By following the OSHA standard, you will be considered to be in compliance with Chapter 149, Section 6.

How can I tell how much lead I am exposed to?

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Safety – Lead, contd.

Blood Lead Testing Available through Division of Occupational Safety

As part of its initiative to reduce lead exposure at Massachusetts Police Departments, the Division of Occupational Safety is offering blood lead tests Free of Charge to firing range instructors and firing range maintenance personnel.

Who and Where?

A licensed physician or other healthcare provider acting under the direct supervision of a licensed physician must order the blood lead test.
The order must include the employee’s name as well as the employer’s name and address on the physician’s letterhead.
Once the order is obtained, you may set up an appointment and bring this order to the DOS laboratory to have your blood drawn and tested for lead.
Alternatively, you may send drawn blood in a green-top tube along with the physician’s order directly to the DOS lab for free analysis.
Lead results are sent to both you and the physician.
To obtain more details and/or to set up an appointment for this service, contact the DOS laboratory at 617-969-7177.

Some individuals may wish to have their blood tested through their primary care physician or through an occupational health service. For a list of healthcare facilities that have physicians who are board-certified in occupational medicine, contact the DOS lead registry at the same phone number.

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Safety – Lead – Blood lead testing, contd.

Where can I get more information and assistance?

The OSHA Lead Standard (29 CFR 1910.1025) www.osha.gov
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) www.cdc.gov/niosh
The Division of Occupational Safety www.mass.gov/dos
The Division of Occupational Safety (DOS) offers free on-site consultations. The DOS consultant will provide you with written materials, review the procedures that you will need to implement, provide ventilation testing and air monitoring as needed, and issue a detailed written report. There are no fees for this service, nor are there fines or penalties associated with the initial discovery of non‑compliance. However, you will be required to comply with the more critical recommendations made by the consultant.
For information on environmental lead management for outdoor firing ranges, call or write to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, 11 Mile Hill Rd., Newtown, CT 06470;�Tel: (203) 426-1320 �or contact the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s Lead Shot Initiative at (617) 348-4056; or http://www.mass.gov/dep/files/pbshot/pb_shot.htm
Mass. Division of Occupational Safety Occupational Hygiene/Indoor Air Quality Program. 1001 Watertown St., West Newton, MA 02465. Tel: 617-969-7177; Fax: 617-727-4581

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Home Safety

Home Safety and Storage Procedures

In March of 1997, the White House Issued an Executive Order directing the heads of executive departments and agencies to develop and implement a policy requiring a safety lock device to be issued with every government-issued handgun. Like ballistic vests, they only work when used – so use them!
Firearms Safety at Home – The importance of establishing and maintaining safe weapon practices cannot be overstated. Weapons should be secured and the ammunition should be stored separately.
Establish your priorities and follow regular procedures. You should consider the following:

Children

Most kids at one time or another have toy guns, and play "soldiers, cowboys, or cops".
When they play, nobody gets seriously hurt.
In addition, kids watch TV, and usually have access to all kinds of video games with shooting and explosions, etc.
There should be no misconception about what a real firearm will do.

Storage options

Duty requirements
Home/self-defense
Weapons security vs. reaction time
Liability/negligence – The more accessible your firearms are, the more liable you are if your firearm is used wrongfully.

(Contd…)�

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Section 131L (a) “It shall be unlawful to store or keep any firearm, rifle or shotgun including, but not limited to, large capacity weapons, or machine gun in any place unless such weapon is secured in a locked container or equipped with a tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other safety device, properly engaged so as to render such weapon inoperable by any person other than the owner or other lawfully authorized user. For purposes of this section, such weapon shall not be deemed stored or kept if carried by or under the control of the owner or other lawfully authorized user.”

(b) “ A violation of this section shall be punished, in the case of a firearm, rifle or shotgun that is not a large capacity weapon, by a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $5,000 or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and in the case of a large capacity weapon or machine gun, by a fine of not less than $1,000 nor more than $10,000 or by imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than ten years, or by both such fine and imprisonment.”

MGL CH. 140, Sec. 131L

Chapter 140: Section 131L. Weapons stored or kept by owner; inoperable by any person other than owner or lawfully authorized user; punishment

(…Contd.)

Educating the family

Safe handling of firearms
Do not touch firearms without supervision.
Do not use the weapon as a conversation piece.

Securing (Storing) your weapon

The main objective for securing a weapon is to deny unwanted access, e.g., neighbors, children, their playmates, burglars, etc.
Lock-up and security options: Drawer
Cabinet
Trigger locks
Handcuffs (flex cuffs)
Safe/locking gun box

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Safety, contd.

Range Safety Equipment

Communications gear
Standard telephone
Cell phone
Police radio
Gunshot trauma / first aid kit, and instructors qualified in their use.
Eye wash station
Emergency procedures and rehearsals
Medical evacuation location
Landing zones
Safe environment during emergencies
Eye and ear protection (types, proper wear)
Holsters and equipment
Covered trigger guard
Security / retention devices
Suitable range, targets and backstop area for type of ammunition being used.

Ammunition

Duty vs. training ammunition
Regular inspection / annual replacement of duty ammo. Use correct type of ammunition (caliber and type).
Corroded or damaged ammunition is considered unsafe.
Be careful of penetrating oil on ammunition, i.e., WD 40. Primers may be affected.�

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Firearms Instructor Training Program�Instructor Development Segment

(Suggested time allotment for instruction 4–8 hours, depending on depth of lesson plan development segment)

Training

Training is the process of teaching specific skills, knowledge and abilities to individuals or groups. One of your primary tasks as a trainer is to communicate with your target audience in such a manner that they will understand and be able to apply the learning points in “real life” situations. Training is a communication-based activity. Good training is useful training. The better you communicate, the better the training, and it is the receiver who determines the effectiveness of the communication. Good communication results in good understanding, and this in turn will improve retention. The better the learning points are retained, the better the “real life” performance will be.

The purposes of training are

professional development,
to meet legal requirements, and
to introduce new techniques, strategies, or equipment.

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Instructor Development Segment, contd.

Target Audience

Your presentation must be for your audience. Instructors should always keep in mind their target audience while developing, preparing, and delivering a presentation. Target audiences differ, even with the same presentation topic, and for this reason you must tailor your delivery to fit the audience. Factors such as experience, skill level, and familiarity with the subject may affect how an instructor delivers a specific topic. Remember, “It’s about the audience … not the instructor!”

General Training Rules

Training is practical – Participants should be able to do something with the information you give them in a training program. This could be accomplishing a physical skill, or it might only be obtaining new information.

The 80/20 rule – You may think participants need to know 80% of what you know about a topic, but this isn’t usually true. A great amount of what you know is the theory behind what you teach. Participants usually need to know approximately 20% of your knowledge to learn or perform effectively. Recognizing this can prevent you from trying to “over-instruct” a participant. This does, however, show that you as an instructor need to fully understand the subject you are instructing on. (See Credibility.)

Training is results-orientated – Similar to training being practical, the success of training should also be measurable. This is easily seen in firearms training where a score is achieved to pass a course.

Depending on the topic and your governing body, there are several ways to measure training. Some such ways are practical exercises, demonstrations, written tests, or oral presentations.

Training must be focused – Training presentations should be specific to the identified topic. Nothing is worse than a training presentation that veers so far off course that there isn’t enough time to accomplish the objectives, or when the learning points are lightly touched upon rather than fully explored. Rehearsing your presentation is key to preventing this from occurring.

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Instructor Development Segment, contd.

Instructor Communication Basics

Clues to good speaking techniques

Know what you want to say. (Know the material.)
Be truthful. (If you don’t know, say so, and then find out.)
Look at all of the people you’re talking to.
Use simple language. (Never use words you’re not sure of.)
Smile!
Speak clearly and vary your volume.
Speak slowly and purposefully and use pauses.
Summarize if need be.
Don’t hide. (Move around the room if appropriate.)
Be yourself. (Learn to laugh at yourself.)
Use your reference material. (Look at your notes, please.)
Be aware of your stances and posture.
Watch out for distracting habits you may have.
Be mindful of your personal hygiene and grooming.
Dress appropriately.
Be polite.
Insure everyone can hear you.
Ask for questions. (If need be, sincerely insist on them.)

Clues to good listening techniques

Keep an open mind
Try to find the value in what is said. (Put yourself in the speaker’s position.)
Look for the meaning, not the details.
Acknowledge when appropriate.
Look at the person speaking.
Don’t interrupt unless necessary.
Develop polite but firm ways to keep the presentation focused. (“I’ll be glad to talk with you after class about that.”)

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Instructor Development Segment, contd.

Clarity

The key to training is communication. If you cannot communicate clearly, it will be practically impossible to teach. Three reasons why an instructor fails to clearly communicate are the use of the English language itself, “wrong” word selection, and fear.

The English language was created by the merger of two languages: Anglo‑Saxon and Norman French. From these two languages, and because it has borrowed liberally from other languages such as Latin and Greek, the English language has a huge vocabulary. With this huge vocabulary, it is possible to express with precision a very wide range of nuances if you use the “right” word. But with so many similar words, it is easy to use the “wrong” word and blur a meaning or phrase.

“Wrong” word selection is a common fault of some instructors. Sometimes, we feel that certain words may have a “higher status” than other words. In an attempt to sound more professional, one might choose to use an important-sounding word over a simpler word. Important-sounding words are almost always less vivid and less precise than simple, straightforward words.

Fear of what to say may be a reason why an instructor attempts to use a convoluted word. The only way to overcome this fear is to know your topic and ask yourself, “What do I want to say?”, and then simply say it. Try to use as few words as possible, and use the simplest word to make your point.

It has been said that “beauty strives for simplicity.” If the student thinks something is unclear … then it is. Try to be as clear as possible, and use the simplest and smallest word to accomplish the job.

The clearer the meaning, the clearer the training.

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Instructor Development Segment, contd.

Principles Of Adult Learning

The first thing to know about instructing an adult is adults must be treated as equals. Adults who make import decisions in life do not like to be “talked down to.” Professional respect and courtesy are keystones in instructing.

The following principles apply directly to adult learning:

Adults learn best by doing – According to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, adults tend to retain

10% of what they read,
20% of what they hear,
30% of what they see,
50% of what they see and hear,
70% of what they say, and
90% of what they see, hear and do.

The key to retaining information is participation.

Adults have prior experiences – Try to utilize this in the presentation while continuing to stay focused on the class objectives. Remember to sincerely thank the participant who shares a personal experience or new information. Don’t be offended that a participant might know more about a section of your topic than you.

Adults are usually goal-orientated – Adults want direct, positive results from the training. Emphasis should be placed on applying the learning point to “real life” performance.

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Instructor Development Segment, Principles of adult learning, contd.

Adults tend to speak their minds. This relatively frank and open environment can greatly enhance the overall training.

People learn at different rates. Aim your presentation at the “average” learner. Build in repetition and review. Ask for questions and set aside time to assist participants who need special assistance with understanding learning points.

People learn in different ways. Vary your training methods. Use the “Rule of Three.”

Adults have pre-occupations. Life is busy, so be sensitive to issues outside the classroom. Be considerate when assigning out-of-class assignments.

Adults may fear change or look forward to the challenge. Some adults worry they may not understand or be able to accomplish new ideas or techniques. This may make an adult seem stubborn. This should be addressed early in the presentation to the class in general. Benefits of the new information should be stressed. Instructor credibility, compassion, and logical, clear instruction should help minimize this problem. Other instructors look forward to the challenges of new ideas. Always attempt to demonstrate an interest in all of your students.

Adults appreciate a little entertainment. Training should be enjoyable. Try to imagine the presentation from the participants’ view. This should enlighten you as to where to “spice up” a segment of the material, or add an exercise of some kind.

Provide time for practice. Everyone learns better with sufficient time to practice. Give the participants time to “untie the knot.” Be in the practice area and monitor. People learn the best by “doing” things themselves.

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Instructor Development Segment, Principles of adult learning, contd.

“The Rule Of Three”

Attempt to present programs with a multidimensional approach. A lecture by itself is less effective than a lecture and a demonstration, especially adults. This can be further improved by adding a practical exercise or a written handout. By using a multidimensional approach, you are more likely to suit the learning styles of your audience. This approach also improves content retention.

These are some combinations of “The Rule of Three”:

Lecture, handout, and video
Lecture, handout, and demonstration
Lecture, handout, and practical exercise
Lecture, PowerPoint, and practical exercise
Lecture, flipchart, and practical exercise
Lecture, demonstration, and video
Lecture, demonstration, and practical exercise
Lecture, video, and handout
Lecture, video, and practical exercise
Lecture, practical exercise, and examination
Video, demonstration, and practical exercise
Lecture, workbook, and video

The above is just a sample of instructional techniques and media combinations that can be assembled. By using “The Rule of Three”, the instructor also greatly enhances his or her professional appearance.

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Instructor Development Segment, Principles of adult learning, contd.

Handouts / CDs – Videos

Remember to read all handouts and review all video material prior to each class to be sure they are on point and current, and do not conflict with your training or policies. Consider how they are to be distributed. Some agencies require them (and any other “additional material”) to be approved.

The “Do” Element

You should ask yourself what the participants can “do” that would help absorb the learning points during each presentation. This is easy to see during a physical skills topic, but not that evident during an academic topic. During academic topics, the “do” can be “thinking or writing exercises” such as asking a participant what he or she feels about a particular point. It can be dividing the class into teams and asking them to list ideas on a flip chart or a hanging board. Activities that go around the room and give attention to each participant are an effective “do” element. (Be prepared to keep the exercise on target during this type of participation exercise.) What is the “do” element in the topic you teach?

Safety

Never assume that participants are aware of the safety precautions during any portion of the Cognitive, Associative, or Automatic learning phases (Static, Fluid, or Dynamic Training.) When conducting dynamic training, instructors must insure that realism does not override safety concerns.

Questions and Feedback

Frequently stop and ask for questions. Ask for questions sincerely and remind the participants that no question is a useless one. State that their question might help a fellow classmate or two. Occasionally, ask the class questions pertaining to the presentation. This is a good way to get feedback from the class to check that you are meeting course objectives. The best questions to ask are either direct single-scope questions that have only one answer (e.g., What is the first thing you should do? What is the last thing that needs to be completed when …?); or list-type questions (e.g., What precautions should be used when …? What techniques can you do to enhance …?) Another way to get feedback from the class is to study the faces of the participants. If the participants look confused … ask them why. Asking questions is also another technique to use in self-critiquing.

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Instructor Development Segment, Principles of adult learning, contd.

Professionalism

Remember the first rule of communication: All human behavior communicates. A professional instructor is always aware of the impression he or she is making on the participants. You must continuously self-monitor how you appear to the participants. Proper language, use of examples, humor, personal attire, and courtesy are all elements of the professional instructor. I have always gone by this rule: “If you think it might not be appropriate, or could be interpreted the wrong way, don’t use or say it.” Reputation and credibility make or break an instructor.

Credibility

Even great information may be dismissed if you are not seen as a credible source of information. Instructor credibility has to be earned from your participants. Three factors that are important to credibility are the following:

Expertise – You must know your subject matter thoroughly. This does not mean that you will, or should, know all there is to know about the subject – but learn as much as you can. Be as “up to date” as possible. It is your obligation to keep up with the subject or subjects you present. Your expertise is shown through your delivery of a logical and sequential presentation of the subject material. Be prepared. Good organization of the learning points makes it easier for participants to follow, and will make you feel more comfortable and confident in your role as an instructor. Be truthful and accurate about your credentials.

Dynamism – Your presentation should demonstrate some enthusiasm for your subject. If you appear bored with your topic, how do you expect the participants to be interested in it? Participants are more likely to pay attention, and thus learn and retain more when information is conveyed in a stimulating fashion. Although the substance of the training information is paramount, the way the information is delivered is extremely important.

Voice and word choice, mannerisms, and movement are all components of dynamism. Dynamism must be stylized to fit you personally. Practice, rehearsal with fellow instructors, and self-critiquing are vital for developing personal dynamism.

Sincerity – Participants need to feel that you believe in your subject matter. Your presentation should show that you care about the information you are presenting, and that you care about the participants learning the material.

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Instructor Development Segment, Principles of adult learning, contd.

Demonstrations

As an instructor, everything you do during a class is a form of instruction. Especially when involving a physical skill, students will be more apt to follow what they see you do (30%) compared to what you tell them to do (20%), or what they read for instructions (10%). It is essential that you know how to perform the task you are instructing on. Your level of performance of the task must be, at a minimum, the acceptable “passing” level. It is desirable to be able to perform the task at a level much higher than the “bare passing” level. As an example, when performing a physical skill, an instructor should strive to perform the task both right-handed and left-handed, from various positions, in extremely slow motion and very quickly, and forward and backwards.

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Lesson Plan Development

All instruction is based on a set of goals and objectives.

Goals – Long-term, they set the general scope of the program. They may be a bit vague and difficult to exactly measure, yet they serve as the basis for the objectives.

Objectives – Specific and main steps that need to be taken in order to achieve the goals. The objectives should include what the participant will be doing, under what conditions, and the acceptable standards of performance. Objectives are always written in the active voice, using verbs such as define, identify, distinguish, state, and perform.

Objectives should do the following:

Be specific.
Be measurable. (In some fashion, you should be able to tell whether you achieved the objective.)
Describe an intended outcome if possible.
Describe what the participant will be doing to demonstrate the achievement of the objective, if possible.
Include active verbs.
Describe the what, the condition under which they will be doing it, and the acceptable standard(s) of performance.

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Instructor Development Segment, Principles of adult learning, lesson plan development, contd.

Organization – Forethought and planning are essential to organizing your presentation. I strongly suggest you date your lesson plan. This will enable you to update it and easily distinguish between current and past lesson plans. The following is a list of information vital for lesson plan development:

Know how much time you have to present the training material. Use this to divide up the program effectively.
Within the introduction, develop a “learning motive”, a “grabber”. Have participants “buy into” the presentation. (Know your audience.)
Announce any dangers or special precautions needed at the beginning of the presentation.
Consider a pre-test or “ice breaker” to get the participants thinking about the presentation in a broad sense.
Consider a demonstration of the entire technique before breaking the steps down.
Sequence the steps needed to meet objectives.
Depending on the degree of difficulty for each step, consider each step as a “mini-lesson” in itself.
Tie multi-task steps together with transitions and reminders of what is important to remember.
Remember to review at the end of each step and group of steps. (Stay in sequence.)
Develop a strong closing.

Flexibility – Flexibility is the key to a good presentation. Your lesson plan may have to be modified in order to adapt to the participants or special situations. Learning to be flexible is a must for the professional instructor. As long as you achieve your objectives and you keep the learning steps in a logical order, you will be all right!

�

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Lesson plan development, contd.

Topic name
Training goal
Training objectives
Warnings or cautions
Topic introduction
Demonstration (if applicable)

Step #1

Sub-steps (if applicable)

Step#2

Sub-steps (if applicable)

Practice / practical exercise / step combinations
Review of objectives and main learning points
Evaluation or test
Recap and closing
Author and lesson plan date

�

Sample Lesson Plan

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Instructor Development Segment, Principles of adult learning, ctd.

Testing / Evaluation of Training

This can be either written or performance-based. Develop the questions from the learning points of your topic. Examples of written tests are multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, true / false, matching, or essay answers.

When using multiple-choice questions, be sure to use a discriminator for each question. This is a possible answer to the question that seems to be correct, but is inaccurate. Use a minimum of three and maximum of six choices per question. When testing by the performance method, be sure that you have clear and concise standards for the evaluation. You must clearly announce and have had those standards demonstrated for the participants.

Review each question in a written examination. This is so all participants leave the training area knowing the correct answers to each question.

Student critiquing

When critiquing participant performance, try to follow this simple formula: Praise what was done well, correct what was not done well, praise again, and reinforce what was done well. (Praise, Correct, Praise.)

Difficult participants

Although extremely rare, there are times when you as the instructor must deal with a difficult student. It is your responsibility to the class as a whole to accomplish the training objectives. Remember to always stay respectful and professional throughout the incident. The best way to eliminate distractions in the class is to prevent them at the outset. This is best accomplished by reviewing class rules at the beginning of the presentation. For minor distractions, you can use proximics effectively by lecturing close to the offender. If that is unsuccessful, you can ask for the attention of the class. For major distractions, call for an impromptu break and ask to speak with the offender. Never reprimand in public. Remember that you as the instructor are expected to stay respectful and professional.

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Instructor Development Segment, Principles of adult learning, contd.

Documentation and Record Keeping

As a professional instructor, it is your responsibility to maintain training records of the presentations you deliver. By developing a system for maintaining records, you will be prepared for litigation, find it easier to update and stay current with your material, and reduce preparation time. The following are some suggestions for record keeping:

After each class, create a package that has a copy of

the attendance sheet with names, date, location, and instructor names,
all material passed out during the class,
test scores and testing material,
any media presented or a full description thereof,
class notes,
description of exercises,
course critiques,
student results,
photographs,
visitors, and
check lists.

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Instructor Development Segment, Principles of adult learning, contd.

Ending the Class

“Last impressions are lasting impressions.” Instructors must give serious consideration to how they want to end their class. Your class ending is important for many reasons. The class ending can assist in clearing up questions or confusion from your presentation. It aids in content retention. It should motivate your audience and make them feel that their time was well spent. The class ending can give you additional feedback to confirm that the audience has absorbed the learning points. It also leaves an impression about you. I strongly suggest that you personally thank the class for their attention and leave a method for them to contact you in the future.

I suggest that instructors recap the highlights of their presentation. A recap is not a re-teaching of the entire lesson. The recap emphasizes the goals, objectives, and most important components of your topic. A good way to develop a recap is to imagine you had only three minutes to teach your entire class. What you would say is probably just right for your recap.

Ask your audience whether they have any questions. If they can be answered directly, do so. If it is a question that needs a complicated answer, and it appears that it is a question from a single participant, speak with this person after the class is dismissed. If possible, stay a few minutes after class has ended. It’s during this time I have received my best feedback from participants.

Remember that “Last impressions are lasting impressions.”

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Key Elements of a Law Enforcement Firearms Program

Knowledge
Skill
Tactics
Morale
Risk awareness
Ability to control the situation

The above describes what should be present in any firearms training program. In order to accomplish this, the program must be well defined, carefully designed to achieve the identified needs of the individual department, properly staffed and equipped, effectively presented to students, and intelligently and thoroughly supervised. No agency today, regardless of size or budget, can afford to ignore these needs. The threat of legal action resulting in damaging judgments against agencies and their personnel is a reality today.

Knowledge

The instructor must have a good basis of knowledge of the fundamentals of marksmanship and the subject being taught. He or she should be self‑motivated to seek out other environments of training. A good firearms instructor will always seek out the knowledge when unsure of the question asked of them. They must not feel uneasy if a question arises that they do not know the answer to. By attending other training environments, the instructor will now have a network to communication with and turn to.

Skill

The instructors should possess skill with the weapon and the subject they intend to teach. Skills come in all areas – not just shooting, but also the teaching of it. To become proficient, the instructors must become familiar with the material they intend to teach.

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Key Elements of a Law Enforcement Firearms Program, contd.

Tactics

Instructors must always look at new tactics and evaluate them. They must research and then evaluate them by performing them prior to teaching. They must be able to perform the tactic in a step-by-step method of instruction, breaking or chunking it down to teach to the slowest student.

Morale

The instructor should not compromise the program for any student, regardless of any rank.

Risk awareness

Instructors must realize that with any new tactic or program there is risk to the instructors and their students. A well-staffed team with good supervision reduces the risk of injury on the range. Safety is paramount when conducting range drills, classrooms, or qualification. A good instructor / student ratio is recommended: three to five students to one instructor depending on the ability of the instructors, but more importantly on the ability of the students.

Ability to control the situation

Instructors must control the range when students show up for training. The instructor / student ratio will keep control, by a three-, four-, or five-to-one ratio.

With a problem shooter, one on one is recommended. With good supervision over the range, the firearms instructor can run a safe, effective range. Safety must be at the top of every instructor’s list.

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Foundations of an Effective Firearms Program

Integrity
Staffing
Availability
Indoor and outdoor ranges
Realistic assessment of training needs
Integrated training at all levels of the force continuum
Facilities and budget

Integrity

Any firearms program must maintain its integrity.

All agency personnel who carry firearms must be included in the program. No member of the agency who carries a firearm should be exempt, including all agency heads and the firearms instructors themselves. All personnel should satisfy established departmental and / or state qualification standards. Instructors should approach the task of firearms qualifications with the view that relaxing qualification standards for any individual officer is dishonest. Relaxing qualifications or training endangers the officer, officers with whom he or she works, and most importantly, the public.

Staffing

The most well-intentioned program is doomed to failure unless

it is staffed with competent, positively motivated instructors;
it has staffing goals in line with the key elements listed above;
it enlists those with the prerequisites necessary to make it work.

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Foundations of an Effective Firearms Program, contd.

Availability

The range is a training facility first, not the exclusive domain of the firearms enthusiasts at the expense of those who need it most. Every effort should be made to make the facilities, supplies and firearms training staff available.

Availability to remedial training or additional practice by officers is required for those who want it.
Extensive training programs for tactical teams and other specialized units should not be allowed to detract from the training required by all officers.

Indoor and outdoor ranges

Indoor and outdoor ranges each have their own utility for law enforcement firearms training.

Indoor ranges allow the creation of bright or dim lighting conditions at any time of the day.

Indoors permits firearms training when extreme weather conditions would make outdoor training impractical.

Outdoor ranges allow training in a wide range of natural lighting and weather conditions. Outdoor ranges offer

flexibility in terms of increased distances,
the use of vehicles in training exercises, and
the use of chemical agents, distraction devices, and other munitions that might be impossible on the typical indoor range.

Because the officers must be prepared to use their firearms in both indoor and outdoor environments, agencies will achieve the greatest flexibility in their training programs with both indoor and outdoor ranges if available to them.

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Realistic Assessment of Training Needs

The firearms program must stress practicality.

Range exercises conducted should be job-related and relevant.
They should simulate conditions as they exist on the street or at other geographical locations, not on the range.
Designing an effective training program must take into consideration the field conditions, the agency’s jurisdiction, local crime patterns, and the equipment and other resources available to the agency.
Type of training previously conducted is important.
The best basis for design of training exercises is an intelligent analysis of actual shooting incidents and officer-involved confrontations.
Data is available in the FBI Uniform Crime Report, “Summary of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted.”
Reports are often available to law enforcement agencies for the asking. They are an excellent way of gaining insight into the actual conditions of the common officer-involved deadly force confrontations, if an agency does not already have one.
Consideration should be given to developing a standard agency-wide report form for use in all incidents involving the use of firearms by agency members. A general review of departmental discharge is preferable to using “Officers Killed” reports exclusively for establishing training needs, because a general review will include situations where officers survived rather than died. (Contd...)

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Foundation of an Effective Firearms Program,�Realistic Assessment of Training needs, contd.

(...contd.)

This provides a more realistic assessment of the range of situations and conditions in which deadly force may be encountered, and includes data from confrontations with successful outcomes.
When reports are completed, they should be forwarded to the firearms training unit for analysis.
The purpose is to continually improve the relevance and effectiveness of the firearms training program.
Data collected from these reports will show areas that require changes in the training program and policy and procedures, whether from an agency’s own shooting incident reports or from those of other agencies. The firearms instructor should build a factual foundation to support the types of courses fired and the expenditure of ammunition and time for training.
Without this foundation of statistical data, the program can become the subjective preference of the officer in charge, as well as being completely at the mercy of the competing budgetary and scheduling needs of the agency.
Reports on firearms mishaps, negligent or unintentional discharge, and misuse of force should also be compiled and analyzed in order to improve the training program and departmental policies and procedures.

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Foundation of an Effective Firearms Program, contd.

Integrated Training at All Levels of the Force Continuum

To be most effective,

training in the use of force must encompass all levels of suspect resistance and appropriate officer response in an integrated way;
officers should be trained in both escalation and de-escalation techniques;
there should be continuity of training, rather than conflict and contradiction, between each of these subject areas and the next. Ideally, the firearms instructor should be a more broadly educated “Use of Force” instructor, cross-trained and competent in each of these related skill areas.

Facilities and Budget

An effective firearms program will have the following requirements:

At a minimum, the availability of both a classroom and a safe range facility.
These need not be lavish or elaborate – the quality of the training conducted is paramount.
At a minimum, the firearm, holsters and related accessories that officers carry must be safe and serviceable.
The budget must provide for agency issuance of all ammunition carried on duty in agency-issued and authorized firearms, and for periodic replacement of all duty ammunition at reasonable intervals.
The budget should also provide for sufficient range-safety equipment, training ammunition, targets, and other range supplies.
Scheduled time is important in the classroom and the range to conduct in‑service firearms training and qualifications at intervals.

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Foundation of an Effective Firearms Program, contd.

Qualification Vs. Training

Qualification is used by the trainer and firearms staff as a tool

to determine the students’ basic proficiency;
to allow the administrator to document such proficiency;
to ensure communication between police officers and their administrators that they (the officers) have sound basic marksmanship skills;

A qualification course, by its very nature, is intended only to establish minimum standards below which an officer is not considered qualified to carry a firearm.

It is a good source of information, documentation, and diagnosis of the individual officer’s remedial needs.
It will establish feedback on the effectiveness of the training program and the trainer.
Qualification will test more basic skills (e.g., drawing and firing, reloading, and firing from several standard positions and distances.) in a realistic format.

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Training requires the student to integrate the basic gun handling and marksmanship skills.

Marksmanship into more complex tasks of situational control.
Tactical training courses will include more than one fundamental, all of which are necessary in surviving an armed confrontation.
The following areas should be practiced on a consistent basis:

Specific techniques and tactics
Tactical training, which should include exercises that develop the student’s ability to deal with
multiple targets
moving targets
stress-induced shooting
defensive tactic transitions
body–hand coordination
target identification
cover / concealment
center of mass
adverse shooting conditions
communicating and coordinating with fellow officers
firing while moving
vehicle stop tactics and techniques
withdrawing from tactically untenable positions, and from positions that are beyond the officer’s capability to handle successfully.
searching buildings, outdoor terrain, practice using cover and concealment.

The courts have begun to rule on this issue of job-related and realistic training. Training is a device about which the student will learn and demonstrate tactics through realistic training.

237 (D.N.S. 1979) Popow vs City of Margate 476 F Supp.

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Foundation of an Effective Firearms Program, contd.

When using or developing a training course,

it is very important to identify and define the fundamental that is to be mastered.
goals should be set based on statistics from actual armed confrontations. These statistics can be found on the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Report Website.�(Summaries of officers killed: www.fbi.gov/usr/killed/2005/killedsummaries.htm )

The graph represents the violent encounters on officers, from the Federal Bureau of Investigations; A Study of Felonious assaults on Our Nations Law Enforcement Officers, Criminal Justice Service Information Division.

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Foundation of an Effective Firearms Program, contd.

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Nomenclature

Identify nomenclature of the service weapon

Revolver
Pistol

Revolver

A firearm, usually a handgun, with cylinders having several chambers so arranged as to revolve around the cylinder’s axis and discharged successively by the same firing mechanism.

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Rear sight Front sight

Trigger Guard Trigger

Front Strap

Rear Strap

Slide stop

Magazine release

Barrel

Semi-automatic / Autoloader/ Self loader

A firearm in which the gas pressure and / or the blowback recoil force from a fired round in used to unlock the mechanism, to extract and eject the empty shell casing, and to reload by stripping (or releasing) and feeding another cartridge from the magazine into to the chamber. The trigger must be released and pressed again for each successive shot.

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Semi-automatic / Autoloader/ Self-loader – Nomenclature

Gas pressure or the blowback recoil force from a fired round is used to unlock the mechanism, to extract and eject the empty shell casing, and to reload by stripping (or releasing) and feeding another cartridge from the magazine into the chamber. The trigger must be released and pressed again for each successive shot.

Barrel

Trigger guard

Trigger� Front strap

Rear strap

Take-down lever

Slide stop /release

Lower frame

Magazine release

Grip area

Rear sight Extractor Front sight Slide

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Foundation of an Effective Firearms Program� Semi-automatic / Autoloader/ Self loader, contd.

Recoil Spring and Guide

The guide rod will guide the slide assembly as the weapon recoils. The spring returns the weapon back into battery after the slide has move to its furthest point when the round has been fired.

Magazine

The magazine holds the ammunition supply.

Disassembly of Weapon for Care and Cleaning

Properly maintaining a handgun is an obvious task for any law enforcement officer. Care and cleaning is necessary to ensure that their weapon will work safely and effectively when called upon. During the care and cleaning process, officers should be inspecting for any excessive wear or damage. An improperly maintained or neglected weapon will become unreliable to the officer. The firearm is a tool an officer as well as their fellow officers rely upon to work properly when necessary. In most all departments, it is the responsibility of the officer to care and clean for their duty weapon under field strip conditions, (major components broken down). Disassembly beyond the field strip components should only be performed by a certified armorers. Your life and your partners life depend upon you making sure your weapon is functioning and working properly.

Disassembly may vary depending on the type and manufacture. Refer to your department policy and procedure when disassembling your weapon. There are, however, some common issues, which we will discuss here.

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Safety Clearing Procedures

When disassembling any weapon, SAFETY is the first priority.

Administratively remove the magazine from the weapon.
While the weapon is still in the holster, depress the magazine release and remove the magazine.
IMPORTANT: There will still be a round in the chamber at this point.
Point the muzzle in a safe direction.
A safe direction shall mean an area that is ballistically secure. In most academies there will be a bullet trap to point the weapon into. If there is no bullet trap, then you can use your bullet-proof vest or a bucket of sand to point the muzzle into. Remember that most modern homes are not made out of ballistic materials.

Clearing the chamber of your weapon

Pointing the muzzle in a safe direction and with your finger off the trigger and indexed on the frame, pull the slide to the rear three times.
Important note: If the rounds keep ejecting from the weapon as you pull the slide to the rear, take the magazine out and start over!
After cycling the slide three times, there should be only one round extracted. Do not try and catch the extracted round. After pulling the slide rearward several times, lock the slide back and visually and physically check that the chamber is unloaded. (Look into the chamber and stick your finger in the chamber.) This is how we confirm the weapon is safe and unloaded.
We are now ready to field-strip the weapon.

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Field-Stripping the Weapon

The actual process of field stripping may vary greatly depending on the model of the firearm you have. Follow the manufacturer's procedure for specific weapons. The Glock and some similar designs make you press the trigger before disassembly. This weapon needs to be checked for safety a minimum of three times.

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Cleaning the Weapon

Equipment you will need

Lint-free cleaning cloths
Gun-cleaning patches in the caliber of your firearm
Cleaning rod for the specific caliber
Solvent specifically designed for use with firearms
Oil specifically designed for use with firearms
Barrel brush for the caliber you are cleaning
Brush with nylon bristles such as an old toothbrush
Cotton swabs and pipe cleaners.

Procedure

Wipe down all components.
Remove as much as you can of the old oil and all powder build-up and thick and caked-on carbon build-up.
Wipe the inside of the magazine well, ejector, guide rails, and area around the chamber. Wipe these areas until the patches are clean.
Apply solvent on all dirty components.
Most handgun manufactures design components (even the polymer) to be safely used with any solvent. Be sure to check with the manufacturer’s specification on solvents to be avoided.
Let the solvent soak in for a couple of minutes.
Scrub the whole gun with a nylon brush. This works in the solvent on the weapon and loosens up the build-up areas on the weapon. Pay attention to small areas, rails, corners, etc. The commonest area for carbon deposits is in the chamber area.

“No Live Ammunition in the Cleaning Area”

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Safety Cleaning Procedures, Cleaning procedure, contd.

Wipe down the whole weapon (inside and out) with a solvent-soaked lint-free cloth. Look for any areas turning the cloth dark and clean those areas again.
Use a bore brush to break any build-up free from the barrel. Be sure not to reverse direction with the brush in the barrel. Push the brush all the way through the barrel (letting the bristles change direction outside the barrel) then reverse and pull it back all the way through.
Swab the barrel with a cloth soaked in solvent. Repeat until the cloth comes out clean, then swab it with a clean, dry patch. Finally, swab the barrel with an oiled patch. This coat of oil will protect your barrel from rust.
Oil all the components requiring lubrication. Often, the manual for the weapon will list specific areas needing oil. If you look at the weapon you will see where the parts are wearing. This is a good indication of where lubricant should be applied.
Be sure to lubricate areas around rotating parts, such as the base of the hammer or trigger assembly.
Don’t forget to oil the guide rails and grooves in which they ride.
Re-assemble the weapon and perform a function test. (Are all the parts back where they belong and functioning properly?)
Wipe down the whole gun and remove any excess oil. A very light coat of oil on the exterior of metal parts will prevent rusting by preventing moisture saturation.

Warning

Keep oil away from the openings into the firing pin housing. (Oil is a collector of dirt and powder build-up, and build-up around your firing pin can prevent it from firing.)
Wash your hands after handling the weapon and cleaning supplies.
Always clean your weapon in a well-ventilated area. Fumes from solvent or oils can be unhealthy if inhaled.
Keep oil, especially WD 40, away from your ammunition. The oil can penetrate the primer and cause the ammunition not to fire.

NO AMMUNITION IN THE CLEANING AREA

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Anatomy of a Pistol Cartridge

Bullet

A single projectile fired from a firearm. Some mistakenly consider the entire round of ammunition to be the bullet, but in actuality it is only the tip of the round.

Casing

Usually made of brass and contains the powder charge, the primer and the bullet. Before development of the metallic cartridge, the term was used to mean a roll or case of paper containing powder and shot. Centerfire metallics include all pistol and rifle cartridges that have primers in the center of the base.

Gunpowder

The general term for any chemical compound or mixture used in firearms that burns upon ignition. The gases produced by this rapid combustion propel the bullet down the bore. One major type is black powder, which is a mixture of charcoal, sulfur and saltpeter. It’s used in older cartridges. Another major type is smokeless powder, which is principally used in modern ammunition. It’s a granular nitrated chemical compound.

Primer

The collective term for the chemical primer compound, cup, and anvil. When the primer is struck, it ignites the powder charge.

Copied from

http://www.ballistics-experts.com/Law%20Enforcement/Ammunition/Caliber%20Selection.htm

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Anatomy of a Pistol Cartridge, contd.

We will now break it down further:

Firing: The firing pin of the weapon hits the primer and ignites the powder. The powder burns and fires the bullet out the barrel.
Unlocking: Unsealing the breech end of the barrel and unlocking the barrel from the slide
Extracting: Pulling the spent cartridge case from the chamber
Ejecting: Pushing the spent cartridge out of the ejection port
Cocking: Returning the firing mechanism to the cocked position ready to fire another round
Feeding: Placing another round in the path of the slide
Chambering: Moving the round from the magazine to the chamber
Locking: Sealing the round in the chamber and locking the breach end of the barrel into the slide.

The cycle of operation of the semi-automatic pistol is described as

Feed, Fire, Extract, and Eject

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Range Training

Personal Range Safety Equipment Brief

All personnel are required to have the proper range safety equipment:

Wrap-around full hearing protection
Wrap-around eye protection
Ball cap
Soft body armor (required to be worn by all).

Live Fire Basic Marksmanship Skills

Loading Procedures

The students will load their magazines with required rounds as instructed by the range master.

Draw weapon from holster.
Insert loaded magazine.
Holster weapon, snap and secure.
Administratively remove magazine.
Add the round back to the magazine (Top Off), and replace the round that was chambered.
Administratively load the topped-off magazine.

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Range Training, contd.

Low ready pistol position.
Cease fire … cease fire.
Prepare magazines.
Load your weapon.
Make street ready.
Administrative unload.
Press check / pressure check.�NOTE: Press checks are only performed upon initial loading of the weapon, never in conjunction with any of the reloads.
Make weapon safe.

Range commands and common terms

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Range Training, range commands, contd.

Administrative load

The weapon stays secured in the holster and a fully loaded magazine is inserted into the firearm while it is in the holster.

Cease fire

This command means to stop shooting immediately. Even a shooter who is in the process of pulling the trigger for a shot must immediately stop and remove his or her finger from the trigger while keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

The “cease firing” command can be used during normal range procedures or in an emergency situation. In an emergency situation, the “cease firing” command is not restricted to use by the range officer but should be used by anyone who detects an unsafe situation. If an unsafe situation occurs, don’t wait for the range officer’s intervention – call out “cease firing” immediately!

Chamber check/status check

This command will be given by the range officer to have shooters verify that there is a round loaded into the chamber.

Down range

After holstering, when an instructor says he/she is “downrange”, everyone repeats the command, so all shooters are aware there is someone forward of the shooting relay.

Draw

In a smooth and controlled fashion, shooters are to remove their firearms from their holsters.

Range Commands

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Range Training, range commands, contd.

Gun ready (stance/position)

This is a shooting stance, with the shooter presenting a solid base, and their toes, hips, chest, and arms facing the target. The firearm should be well gripped, and presented towards the potential threat area, with the shooter’s arms forward, and with the officer looking just over the sights towards the potential threat.

Line ready

If the shooter is not ready at the “Are you ready?” command, he or she must indicate, “Not ready.” To avoid any misunderstanding, it is suggested that when the shooter takes up the ready position, the last thing he or she does after composing themselves and satisfying themselves that they are ready, is to place his or her hands in the position required. This will be an indication that they are indeed ready.

Line safe?

Shooters should present an open, clear, and safe weapon.

Move

On the command “move”, shooters will move in whatever direction is assigned by range officers: “Standby ... ready ... move.”

Range Commands

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Range Training, range commands, contd.

Range is cold

This means that the range is closed with respect to handling any firearms either on the line or in the ready area. All firearms are to be cleared: magazines removed, actions open with a chamber flag inserted into it or the firearm made safe. Handguns may lay on the bench with the action exposed and the chamber flag inserted for verification by a Range Safety Officer. This is an administrative command when you want the range clear, safe and empty.

Range is hot

This means that shooters may handle their firearms on the firing line. They may also handle their firearms in the ready area provided the actions are open or otherwise made safe. Load only on the firing line. At all times, the four basic safety rules must be observed.

Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
Know your target and what is beyond it.
Treat all firearms as if they are loaded.

Ready

Ready is a pre-emptive command that will precede the final command as a preparatory command, such as “standby… ready… up!” On the command “Ready”, shooters will be prepared to move from whatever current position of readiness they are in, to a proper position as directed by the range officers.

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Range Training, range commands, contd.

Scan and holster

When the command is given or the shooter has completed a specific drill, they will cover and scan their targets. He/she will look left, right, rear (their entire surroundings) for secondary threats, and if there are no additional threats and its safe to do so, then they should place the weapon safely and slowly into their holster.

Long guns will be placed on safe on and slung. Shooters should still scan their surroundings when prone. “Scan” and “Holster” can be two separate commands to give the shooter more time to scan. For new shooters, the command to “breathe” can be added between Scan and Holster to calm them down. If certain firearms require “Decock”, that can be added to this command between Scan and Holster as well.

After holstering, the line should give a thumbs up so the instructors can see who is holstered or unholstered.

Show a clear and safe weapon

The weapon should be locked to the rear, with the magazine out, and the finger off the trigger.

Standby

This is a preparatory command to alert shooters that the next firing sequence is about to begin. This command will have been preceded with a set of directions, such as “four rounds in five seconds … standby.” This command will almost always be followed by “Ready.” “Walk from the five to the three … Standby... Ready... MOVE.”

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Range Training, range commands, contd.

Up!

This will be the command to commence firing. It will be the final command given in each firing sequence and it will direct the line to address their threats in accordance with the instructions given prior to any pre-emptive commands. For instance, “Standby ... Ready ... UP!

Verbal challenge

“Police, don’t move!” When shooters draw their weapons, they should always issue the verbal challenge of “Police, don’t move” when safe/possible. This is a generic challenge, and situations may dictate otherwise if needed.

Workspace

The workspace is defined as an area comfortable to the shooter within their personal space such that their arms are not extended forward in a shooting platform, nor are they against the chest.

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Range Training, range commands, contd.

Street ready

The shooter will face the targets with ear and eye protection in place and load his or her firearm and make it ready. Unless otherwise stated in the course description, this means ready to fire with all safety features engaged and holstered or port of arms (butt touching belt) for long guns. The weapon is properly loaded and in a carry condition as it would be on patrol.

The shooter will assume the ready position as is in the course description. If the starting position is facing up-range (away from the targets), loading must be completed and the firearm holstered, or as stated in the course description, in the correct condition with hands clear before the shooter turns away from the targets.

Strong hand

The shooter's dominant hand and the side of the body the firearm is holstered on.

Support hand

The shooter’s non-dominant hand, on the opposite side of their holster.

Turn

If a course of fire requires a shooter to turn, regardless of which direction they are currently facing, then the shooter should look in the direction of their target, pivot, and turn to face their target and then draw their firearm to engage in the course of fire. No shooter should draw their firearm before they turn. Instructors should ensure that all shooters turn in the same direction when issuing the “turn” command.

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Difference Between Core Competency (internal focus) and Performance-Based Shooting (internal focus)

Internal Focus

External Focus

The importance of both is critical in the overall success of both training and survival in a gunfight.

Core fundamentals

Internal Focus Session

Stance
Grip
Draw
Presentation
Sight
Trigger control
Follow through / reset
Assessment

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Difference Between Core Competency (internal focus) and Performance‑Based Shooting (internal focus): Core fundamentals

Stance

There are many shooting positions commonly referred to as stance, shooting platform, or shooting hold. Rather than argue the semantics, we need to attend to the practical factors. The fundamental concern is how the human body is configured as a firing platform. The advantage of one stance, position or hold over another is up to the individual shooter; they all have advantages and disadvantages.

“Stance” = Balance + Stability + Mobility

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Difference Between Core Competency (internal focus) and Performance‑Based shooting (internal focus): core fundamentals – Stance

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Difference Between Core Competency (internal focus) and Performance‑Based Shooting (internal focus): Core fundamentals, Stance, contd.

The Modified Isosceles / Running Man

Here we have the best of both worlds when it comes to shooting platforms. It’s similar to the isosceles, but the support side is a half-step back. This allows the shooter to shoot on the move and still have a good defensive stance / interview stance. This will still allow the maximum amount of soft body armor exposed to the threat. Here we have good balance, mobility and stability.

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Difference Between Core Competency (internal focus) and Performance‑Based Shooting (internal focus): Core fundamentals

Grip

The portion of a firearm designed to be grasped by the shooting hand in the normal operation

The shooting hand should be high on the back strap of the firearm.
The trigger finger should be placed to make the easiest press of the trigger, usually about the first joint.
Pressure with both hands on the grip must be equal.
The thumb of the support hand should be alongside the thumb-piece, over the tip of the strong thumb.
This is important, especially if the students will later transition to semi-automatics.
Notice that there is a canter of approximately 30 degrees to the support hand. This allows more of the support hand palm to come in contact with the firearm, and will allow a better wrap of the fingers around the strong hand.

The grip that an officer uses on his/her firearm should make the firearm an extension of his/her arms rather than a handle or a piece of equipment.

The proper grip begins with drawing the firearm. The grip the officer uses to draw the firearm will be the same that they use when shooting. Therefore, the grip must be firm, with the trigger finger along the frame, and the firearm’s barrel aimed in a direct line from the shooter’s arm without any hand, wrist, arm, or elbow adjustments.

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Difference Between Core Competency (internal focus) and Performance‑Based Shooting (internal focus): Core fundamentals, Grip, contd.

Once the officer has accomplished the proper grip, it should be committed to muscle memory through constant drawing and engaging a target.

If an officer must constantly make an adjustment with the firearm or his/her grip after drawing the firearm, the grip on the firearm may either be too large or too small for the officer. There are products available that can better fit a firearms grip to a shooter’s hand than the factory grip. Changing to another size factory grip may also work for revolvers. Altering the firearm’s current grip is not recommended unless done by an industry-approved armorer.

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Difference Between Core Competency (internal focus) and Performance‑Based Shooting (internal focus): Core fundamentals, contd.

Sight

Sight alignment is one component of a proper sight picture or proper use of the firearm’s sight. The front sights are properly aligned with one another as viewed by the shooter.

Sight Picture is the appearance of a firearm’s sights to the shooter’s eye as aligned against the target.

With standard open-sight configuration consisting of a post front and a notch rear sight.

The sights themselves will be aligned so that the top of the front sight is level with the top of the rear sight notch.
The sides of the front sight are equidistant from the sides of the rear sight notch.
The top of the front sight will rest just under the point on the target which the shooter intends to hit.
The shooting eye will be focused on the front sight.

The 6 o’clock hold is impractical for law enforcement purposes or self defense shooting, where the subject has no bullseye inscribed on them by which the shooter can tell how low to aim in order to hit the intended point.

Less than 7 yards – shooter should reference sights.
More than 7 yards – shooter must place more emphasis on sights.

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Difference Between Core Competency (internal focus) and Performance‑Based Shooting (internal focus): Core fundamentals, Sight, contd.

While right-handed people are likely to be right-eye dominant, that is not always the case, and it is impossible to predict eye dominance based off hand dominance alone. Opposite-eye dominance happens in on third of the population, and trying to shoot right-handed while being left-eye dominant, or vice versa, can create many issues. This will often appear with shoot groupings 3 to 5 inches off the intended target zone.

Eye Dominance

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Difference Between Core Competency (internal focus) and Performance‑Based Shooting (internal focus): Core fundamentals, Sight, contd.

The key to effective sighted fire is the ability to consistently reproduce the same sight picture again and again. Most officers have bad habits of looking to see where they hit the target or where the round goes. We call this “eye sprinting.” It will change your focus and lead to changing your sight picture.

Trigger Control

The strong hand, usually the index finger, should be placed on the trigger no further than the first knuckle about a quarter of an inch. Too much finger will cant the firearm to the left for a right-handed shooter and to the right for a left‑handed shooter.

Sight Picture

Focus on the front sight only, which should be clean and sharp.
The rear sight should be slightly out of focus.
The target should be blurry.

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Difference Between Core Competency (internal focus) and Performance‑Based Shooting (internal focus): Core fundamentals, Sight, contd.

Eye Dominance

Simple Techniques

Most people automatically use their dominant eye when looking through a camera eyehole or a telescope; but you may still have a hard time deciding which eye is dominant. If you're curious, you can test yourself for eye dominance. There are several techniques for determining your dominant eye. There are tests that involve the use of a hole in a card, and others that involve the use of pinholes and rings. The Miles Test, described below, is considered to be a good indicator too.³

Extend your arms in front of you with your palms facing away.
Bring your hands together, forming a small hole by crossing the thumbs and forefingers.
Choose a small object about 15–20 feet away from you. With both eyes open, focus on the object as you look through the small hole.
Close one eye and then the other. When you close one eye, the object will be stationary. When you close the other eye, the object should disappear from the hole or jump to one side.
If the object does not move when you cover one eye, then that eye is dominant. The eye that sees the object and does not move is the dominant eye.

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Difference Between Core Competency (internal focus) and Performance‑Based Shooting (internal focus): Core fundamentals, Sight, simple techniques

Dominant Eye Test

Place your hands as shown in the picture to the left. With both eyes open, focus on an object through the hole in your hands. Continue to focus with both eyes open and pull you hand to directly to your face. Your dominant eye will take over when your hand is close to your face.

This will be your dominant eye to shoot from when target shooting.

When point shooting, both eyes will be open focusing on your target. Both eyes will obtain a flash front sight picture when the weapon comes up to your eyes. This will become natural point shoulder shooting over time. This is more realistic when conditions of high stress occur at distances of less than 5 yards. We will discuss more of natural point shooting later in this manual.

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Difference Between Core Competency (internal focus) and Performance-Based Shooting (internal focus): Core fundamentals, contd.

Draw and Presentation

The five-step presentation

Position 1: Grip the firearm in the holster; this is your master grip and should not change throughout the shooting process.�Clear – pull the firearm straight up out of the holster (high enough that the muzzle is free of the holster).
Position 2: Rock and lock. Orient the pistol toward the target (shots on target can be made from this position). The firearm should be slightly canted away from the body so the slide is free to move.�Body indexing – Use the body to guide and orient the weapon on target.�Close quarter within arm’s reach.
Position 3: Meet and drive. Your support hand comes across and meets up with your firing hand, smacking tight up under the trigger guard. Make sure your thumbs are up in the flagged position.�Prepare to drive to the threat.

�Rest and assessment position

Position 4: Present and Challenge your arms toward the target, come to a full high ready with sights slightly below the field of vision.�Verbalize when possible.
Position 5: Acquire the sights and fire. Assess and readdress.

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Difference Between Core Competency (internal focus) and Performance-Based Shooting (internal focus): Core fundamentals, contd.

Position 1. Grip and Clear

Position 2. Body Index�Rock and lock (Wrist to Ribs)

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Difference Between Core Competency (internal focus) and Performance-Based Shooting (internal focus): Core fundamentals, contd.

Position 3. Meet and Greet

Meet in the middle, clap your hands

Position 4. Present and Challenge�Verbal challenge when possible

Gun ready ‍– eyes over the sights

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Position 5. Engage the Threat

Sighted or performance-indexed shots

Prep
Confirm
Press

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Difference Between Core Competency (internal focus) and Performance‑Based Shooting (internal focus): Core fundamentals, Trigger control

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Difference Between Core Competency (internal focus) and Performance-Based Shooting (internal focus), contd.

Verbalization

Verbalization is the key component of officer survival and situational control. It is also an important part the five-step draw process. An officer may say nothing during high-stress engagements. If more than one officer is present, multiple officers may give commands/directions at the same time, creating confusion. The key to verbalization is simplicity. If feasible, give simple commands in a clear, loud voice. Repeat these commands slowly until compliance is achieved or other means of control are required. If there is more than one officer present, the contact officer (initiating officer) should be the only one to issue commands. As in defensive tactic contact, cover may change depending on the situation.

Scan and Holster

Prior to recovering to the holster, a scan for additional threats should be done. FBI statistics show that in nearly half of all deadly-force engagements, there is more than one opponent. Remember: Quick on the draw, but slow to holster. Before you holster, you need to look left and behind and right and behind. You want to look through 360 degrees, scanning for additional threats. After you feel the area is clear, then you can re-holster in the reverse order of the draw.

When re-holstering, the support hand should be in the high guard position to fend off the attacker. Re-holstering should be done with one hand, with all security devices engaged.

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Difference Between Core Competency (internal focus) and Performance-Based Shooting (internal focus), contd.

Extreme Close-Quarter Battle

Up to now, we have been talking about two-handed shooting. It would be impractical to use two hands in some tactical situations. An ECQB deadly-force encounter will dictate some type of defensive tactic. If a firearm is being used at the close distance, it will be with one-hand techniques. Notice in the picture below that the officer is performing a block of some type and drawing to engage the deadly-force threat. The weapon is cantered and held close to the body. The canter of the weapon is to eliminate the slide from being caught up on a piece of clothing, which is especially important with winter clothing. Punching out with two hands is not realistic with extreme close distances. The firearm is kept close to the body to minimize the chance of an assailant grabbing and struggling for your firearm if it is presented away from the body.

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Dry Fire Skills

One of the best ways a student can improve their proficiency with their firearms is to practice. Dry firing is an economical way to become familiar with your firearms and equipment. Dry fire practice is done with an unloaded and safe firearm. It allows you to concentrate on sight alignment and your trigger press without being at the range. This is an economical way to practice good shooting fundamentals without going to the range. World-class shooters will dry-fire their weapon 10 times to the one live round. The saying goes, “Perfect practice make practice perfect,” and dry firing can assist with that perfect target.

The objectives of dry firing are to improve shooting skills. These skills include the following:

Stance
Grip and draw
Sight alignment
Sight picture
Trigger press
Trigger follow-through
Trigger reset
Scan and re-holster.

The first and foremost concern with dry firing exercises is safety. The following drill should not be performed until the student has made his/her weapon safe. Students should double- and triple-check their weapons to make absolutely certain they are safe and clear.

There must not be any live ammunition in the area where students intend to perform dry fire exercises.
The area used to perform dry fire exercises will require some type of backstop.

The backstop in the classroom should be a wall that bullets will not penetrate.
A ballistic vest should be used to point the weapon at. The student can hang their vest on a wall.

If a range is being used , weapons should be pointed at the backstop.

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Dry Fire Skills, contd.

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Dry Fire Skills, contd.

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Workspace

The workspace is defined as an area comfortable to the shooter within their personal space such that their arms are not extended forward in a shooting platform, nor are they against the chest.

The weapon is safely angled so gravity assists with the magazine falling out.

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Reloads

Administrative reload

Step 2.

Insert loaded magazine into well and push firmly up until it is properly seated.

Step 1.

Push magazine release to remove from holstered handgun.

Administrative reload
Emergency reload
Tactical reload

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Reloads, contd.

Emergency Reload

Step 1. When the slide locks back, visually look at the weapon to confirm its status and bring it into the workspace.
Step 2. Depress the magazine release to drop the empty magazine onto the ground. Do this while bringing the weapon to the workspace.
Step 3. Use the support hand to remove a fully loaded magazine from the duty belt pouch and insert it into the well.
Step 4. Use the support hand to manually pull back and release the slide to chamber round; or use the shooting hand to push the slide release level to the chamber round.
Step 5. Re-establish support grip and sighting.

MPTC RECERT 2020. III

www.mptcfirearms.com

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Reloads, contd.

Tactical Reload

Step 1. Bring the weapon into your workspace.
Step 2. Use your support hand to remove the magazine from the weapon and retain it on your body – preferably not in your primary ammo pouch.
Step 3. Access a fresh magazine from your primary ammo pouch and insert it into the weapon. Remember, you do not need to cycle the weapon.
Step 4. Reassess and readdress down-range.
Step 5. Bump the gear around into street-ready condition.�Move the fullest mag to the primary pouch; put the retained mag in the secondary pouch.

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Malfunctions

100

A malfunction is when the handgun suddenly stops working. Common causes include the following:

Incorrect grip
Faulty ammunition
Worn or damaged parts
Dirt from lack of cleaning
Improper or no maintenance
Post-production modifications

Failure to feed

Failure to extract

Failure to eject

Failure to fire

Overcome and Fight On

A malfunction or stoppage in a defensive weapon during a gunfight can be catastrophic for a police officer. In order to quickly and efficiently put the weapon back into action, the officer must understand what the problem is and how to clear it as rapidly as possible.

A malfunction can arise from a mechanical or operational problem with the weapon that prevents it from operating correctly. The process of putting the weapon back into action is known as “clearing” and is performed by doing an Immediate Action Drill. The goal is to correct the problem and put the weapon back into action as quickly as possible. In the event that the officer is unable to resolve the problem, s/he must instinctively select an alternative weapon to carry on the fight. Some malfunctions can only be repaired by a trained armorer or gunsmith. The typical officer will not be able to clear this type of failure and must instinctively transition or switch to an alternative weapon, which can be used to continue the fight.

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Malfunctions, contd.

101

We can categorize malfunctions as one of four types of failures:

Failure to feed

Failure to extract

Failure to eject

Failure to fire

Failure to Feed – In this situation, a fresh cartridge has not fed from the magazine to the chamber. There are several reasons why this may

have occurred. The magazine may not have been properly seated so the slide was unable to pick up the top round. The magazine may also be empty and the slide failed to lock back. The chamber may also be blocked by a cartridge as in a double feed. The shooter’s grip may also be inhibiting the motion of the slide.

Double feed in a HK MP5. Note how difficult it is to see into the chamber on this type of weapon.

Double feed in a Remington 870 pump shotgun. Note the shell between the carrier and bolt.

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Malfunctions, contd.

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Failure to Extract

Here, the cartridge case is not removed from the chamber. A broken extractor can be at fault as well as impeded slide operation. The case head may have separated from the rest of the case so part of it remains lodged in the chamber. A very dirty or scored chamber may have caused the case to stick in the chamber and the extractor hook ripped through the rim. Unfortunately, most of these will require the services of a trained armorer.

Failure to Eject

In this situation, the empty case fails to clear the ejection port and breech area. A broken ejector could be at fault or it could be the shooter’s grip causing the hand to rub on the slide, which impedes the rearward travel. Another reason can be the shooter limp-wristing the weapon. Both of these can result in a “stovepipe” jam.

Failure to Fire

When the shooter presses the trigger and nothing happens, they have a failure to fire. Provided none of the other three failures come into play, we generally look at either the ammo or a mechanical problem. The ammo may have a problem due to age or contamination. Mechanical problems can be traced to broken firing pins or a light firing pin strike that failed to ignite the primer. Ammo-related problems are best addressed by ejecting the round and chambering a new one.

We can further classify malfunctions based on the ease of clearing them. If the officer is familiar with the operation of his/her weapon and the types of malfunctions, he/she can identify the problem and resolve it quickly.

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Phase I Stoppage

Step 1: Tap. Using the palm of the support hand, hit the magazine bottom plate to ensure it is properly seated. If a magazine is not properly seated, the slide cannot feed the top round into the chamber.
Step 2: Rack slide action to the rear several times to allow any rounds, material, or empty casings to fall out, then allow the slide to return forward under the tension of the recoil spring.
Step 3: Evaluate. Assess and re-address the situation.

Phase II Stoppage

A “double feed” generally occurs after ammunition discharge. The empty casing fails to extract and blocks the new cartridge feed time.

A “stove pipe” occurs when an empty casing fails to eject completely out of the port, jams the slide action, and blocks the new cartridge feed.

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(Remember Type 1 First)

Step 1. Lock the slide to the rear with the support hand.
Step 2. Rip and retain the magazine out with the support hand.
Step 3. Look and shake the handgun to clear out empty casings or unspent rounds.
Step 4. Run the slide back and forth with the support hand to clear any rounds still seated in the chamber.
Step 5: Load the new magazine, index it with your support hand, and ensure it is properly seated.
Step 6. Rack the slide back with the support hand and release.
Step 7. Evaluate. Assess and re-address the situation.

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Type III Malfunctions (weapon out of commission)

This type of failure must be identified at once by both the shooter (officer) and the instructor. The officer needs to recognize it as a problem they cannot solve so they do not waste time trying to get a weapon to work that is broken beyond their ability to fix it. The officer needs to go immediately to a working weapon and finish the fight. A “squib” round is a cartridge that has been loaded with an insufficient amount of propellant powder, or none at all. These are rare but not unheard of. When fired, the result is a softer report and less felt recoil, since the round has only a fraction of the power. Depending on the amount (if any) of powder, the bullet may travel on a few feet down range

The danger comes when the bullet fails to leave the barrel.

First round fired in this Ruger PC4 carbine became lodged in the barrel due to a squib round. The shooter failed to note the reduced recoil and lack of muzzle report. After performing an immediate action drill, several more rounds were fired resulting in this catastrophic failure of the weapon.

Inexperienced shooters often fail to notice the lack of recoil and gunshot. Since the action did not cycle, they will perform an immediate action drill and probably fire the new round. The best-case scenario will be that the round travels partially down the barrel before stopping at the first bullet stuck in the barrel. (contd...)

Squib load in a SIG-SAUER pistol where the bullet failed to exit the barrel due to no powder in the round. The bullet got this far by only the power created by the primer detonating.

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(...contd.) This will result in a bulged barrel and make disassembly difficult. The worst case will be that the overpressure in the barrel will result in a catastrophic failure of the barrel / slide assembly, which can lead to injury of the officer. For this reason, instructors must be alert for the signs of a squib round – reduced recoil, reduced or no report, unburned powder spilling out when the case is ejected, and a shooter stating “This one felt different.”

The most important thing to remember is that if the malfunction cannot be cleared immediately, you must transition to an alternative weapon. This may be your service pistol or a back-up gun, depending on the circumstances. Do not waste time attempting to clear a broken weapon in the middle of a gunfight. For departments that prohibit the use of a “back-up gun,” this severely constrains an officer’s ability to defend themselves in a deadly force situation when their primary gun goes south.

Malfunctions of long guns are dealt with in the same basic fashion as handguns. The military uses the acronym SPORTS for their immediate action drills:

Slap upward on the magazine to firmly seat it.
Pull the charging handle all the way to the rear.
Observe ejection of the cartridge. Look and check for obstructions.
Release the charging handle – don’t ride it down.
Tap the forward assist.
Shoot if necessary.

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(...contd.) Certain types of rifles and shotguns may require some adaptations from the technique used with the handgun. For instance, the ejection port is small, and the chamber area on the AR and SIG family of patrol rifles is difficult to get to. The important thing is for the instructor to be familiar with the weapon system he/she is teaching to the students.

Very few stoppages are due to a mechanical failure of the weapon. Most can be traced back to the shooter or the ammo. Shooter‑related causes may be improper grip or operation, or failure to keep the weapon clean. Many modern handguns can be neglected and still fire reliably. The same cannot be said for gas-operated semi‑auto rifles and shotguns, which need to be cleaned after every range session. A routine inspection of your duty ammo while loading magazines can catch some of the obvious ammo-related problems. While the quality control is pretty good, experienced instructors can tell stories about improperly seated primers/bullets and crushed cases. All these are readily identified by taking a few extra seconds as you are loading the magazines.

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Movement

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Students must understand that not all situations will be static, and some will require them to move with the weapon out, and in some cases, shooting. There are three basic movements:

Forward movement
Rearward movement
Lateral movement

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Forward

There are two basic forward movements: the commonly known as forward shuffle step in defensive tactics, and the Groucho / duck walk, with the knees bent and used as shock absorbers to prevent the front sight from bouncing as you walk.

The forward shuffle step is also used in defensive tactics to keep your platform / core well balanced when performing under stressful situations. By keeping your strong foot connected to the ground when moving forward, it will guide you over uneven terrain while keeping focus on your subject. The downside is that it is slower and not as smooth when engaging threats. We will want to move quickly and smoothly from one position to another, or move through the fatal funnel areas.

The Groucho, or tactical glide, will allow smooth and quick movement while keeping the front sight from bouncing.

The shooter can then move very quickly from a position in the open to a position of cover or concealment of tactical advantage. When dealing with doorways or long hallways, or areas that merge into a bottleneck, you must move quickly through and out of the fatal funnel and to a position of advantage, either forward or rearward. The fatal funnel is an area of focus, a bottleneck, a single point of disadvantage where the officer must get through and get through quickly. The downside is that with uneven terrain, the shooter may stumble or fall.

Rearward

Rearward is the opposite of the forward movement but uses the same techniques. The rear shuffle step has the advantage of keeping your perceived threat in view while your feet feel your way back to a position of advantage. The bent knee is quicker, but you will need to look behind you more often to see where you are going. Both forward and rear shuffle movements have commonality with defensive tactics.

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Lateral

Lateral movements, meaning left and right, called strong sidestep or support sidestep, can be difficult if you cross your feet as in the picture below. This technique of crossing feet can be dangerous and should be avoided because you may trip over your own feet. In the picture below, although it shows patrol rifles with movement, the officer’s feet are not crossing but are moving laterally one step at a time without crossing each other.

RIGHT

WRONG

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Force Transitioning

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Transitioning from one force option to another needs to be fluid and smooth when the officer perceives a threat in front of him/her. That transition we will be talking about will be from one force option to deadly force. You may have handcuffs, baton, OC spray, etc., in your hand when the subject action escalates to deadly force, and you now need to draw your firearm. You will learn to transition smoothly with that force option in your hand and draw your firearm. The force option in your hand can be dropped, or cupped in your hands, and you will still be able to draw and fire your firearm.

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Close-Quarter Combat / CQB

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CQB is used when dealing with threats from 15 feet or less where the officer is reacting to a perceived deadly force threat. Extreme CQB is within that interview area where a defensive tactic may be deployed and followed up with the firearm when it’s a deadly force encounter. The firearm does not want to be pushed out away from the body where it could be disabled if pushed against the subject’s body, and at extreme close quarters you could be fighting with the subject to keep control of the weapon. When deploying in extreme CQB, the weapon needs to be shot from the hip and will need to be cantered to eliminate the slide catching on clothing when it’s fired.

While statistically, gunfights happen close-in, we cannot ignore the benefit of good cover. In the early 1970s, the New York City Police Department began documenting gunfight statistics and came to the conclusion that “The single most important factor in the officer’s survival during an armed confrontation was cover.” “In a stress situation, an officer is likely to react as he was trained to react. There is almost always some type of cover available, but it may not be recognized as such without training.”¹

¹Firearms Discharge Assault Report (NYPD SOP-9), NYPD Firearms & Tactics Section. 1970.

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Cover vs. Concealment

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The difference between cover and concealment is very simple – cover will stop an incoming bullet, whereas concealment will not.

The type of firearm you are up against will have a large impact on what will be adequate cover. For instance, a high-power hunting rifle round can penetrate a medium-sized tree trunk, concrete blocks, automobiles and your average house front to back; however, these same items may be adequate cover against a typical handgun. Since we may not know the exact type of weapon facing us, we need to presume the worst-case scenario and use the best cover available.

Keep in mind that newer vehicles are generally more useful for concealment than cover. Better paint and corrosion resistance means manufacturers now use thinner sheet metal. Engines are smaller, and plastic is used everywhere. There is always that big gap between the bottom of the vehicle and the ground,�leaving your lower legs and feet exposed. Inside a typical house, sheetrock walls are merely concealment. Disregard what you see in the movies – interior walls do not stop bullets in most cases!

Be aware of potential hazards that may be present with your “cover”. Positioning yourself at the rear of a vehicle next to the fuel tank or behind a propane tank is not recommended!

It is critical that you make good use of cover part of your tactical mindset. Use cover proactively. Always be aware of where your nearest and best cover is. Habitually position yourself behind or adjacent to cover so that if the situation goes bad, the distance you need to move to cover is reduced.

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Many officers fail to use cover correctly or efficiently. It is common sense that you keep as much of your body behind the protection of cover as possible. If your cover is low – stay low. Avoid crowding the cover; in other words, keep back from it.

Understand that you can be 15 feet behind cover and still use it effectively. Incoming rounds striking the stone wall or concrete building you are behind will create harmful “spall.” This is the shrapnel-like stone chips and bits of concrete that fly back at you and can cause injury.

The further back you are, the lower the velocity of the spall.

If possible, avoid using the same side of your cover each time. If the threat can predict what you will do next, you lose your advantage. Be unpredictable, change up which side you will shoot from, and above all – avoid a set pattern.

Avoid using the corner of a wall or building to support your weapon. This will position the muzzle beyond the corner, which may be in reach of a threat hiding around that corner. Using the corner as a fulcrum, it is relatively easy for the threat to disarm the officer. Position yourself so the muzzle does not extend past the cover. There is one exception to this rule, though: There may be a situation where you are sure no threat exists on the other side of cover, and you need to support the weapon for a longer-range shot.

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M & M Rule

When using cover, remember to expose the minimum amount of your body for the minimum amount of time. Expose only what is necessary to acquire and engage the threat, then get back behind the protection of your cover. Be in your shooting position (weapon up and ready) when you scan out from behind cover. Even if you don’t see a threat, the threat may see you, so minimize your exposure time. If you spot your threat and are justified to shoot, fire two or three rounds maximum then return to cover. There may be a second or multiple threats who can target you while you are engaged with the initial threat.

Slicing the Pie

Slicing the pie is a technique that is particularly effective when searching for threats around corners. Keeping back as far from the corner as possible with your weapon up, you will gradually scan around the corner with quick peeks, clearing a couple of degrees of arc at a time. Each time, shift your position slightly and repeat.

Using this tactic, an officer can safely and effectively clear about 95% of a room without having to actually enter it. The key here is not to try to clear too much of the area at one time. Be patient, and only clear 5° to 10° at a time.

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Rollover Prone

Like the standard prone position, rollover prone gets us down low and minimizes the target area presented to the threat. This position allows us to shoot under an object or through low openings.

Kneeling

If you are presented with low cover, don’t stand over it. You are only protecting your ankles. This mistake provides the threat with a clear shot at your head and upper torso – the parts of your body that contain the most vital organs. Get down and take advantage of whatever height the cover offers. You can take the traditional kneeling stance, which offers more support, or go onto both knees. Shoot around the side of the cover if possible, as you will expose much less of your body.

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Engaging Multiple Targets from Cover

If you are up against multiple threats, the most effective way to deal with them is one at a time. Your greatest advantage is good solid cover. Hopefully, you have selected cover that will effectively stop incoming rounds and protect you. From the protection of cover, slice the pie to clear one small section of the space at a time. If you sight a threat and lethal force is warranted, engage it. When that threat is neutralized, continue scanning as before. The key is to remain calm, use your cover and training to maximize your advantage, then deal with any threats one by one.

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Support-Side Shooting

Unfortunately, our cover may not always be what is most comfortable for us. Right-handed shooters will always prefer to shoot around the right-hand side of a barricade or cover, and vice versa. Typically, we find ourselves having to shoot around the “other” side. There are two techniques to deal with this: body cant and support hand:

Body cant – This technique allows us to keep the pistol in our dominant shooting hand, and we angle the upper half of our body to the side to allow us to engage around the side of cover. You need to use care not to expose any more of your body than necessary. The major advantage to this technique is that you retain the comfort of shooting with the dominant hand. Disadvantages are that you will be slightly off balance and must expose more of your body and head.

Do not make the mistake of stepping out from behind cover to engage. This will expose all of your body, and you give up any advantage the cover provided.

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Support hand – An alternative to the body cant technique is to shift the weapon to your non-dominant or support hand and shoot as if you were left / right-handed. The advantage to this method is you are going to expose less of yourself to the threat and keep better balance. The obvious disadvantage is most people are not comfortable shooting with their support hand, even if they use a two‑handed shooting stance. We can overcome this disadvantage with practice. The theory is the same, and the technique merely requires you to mirror-image what you do with your dominant hand.

You will also need to practice how to safely pass the pistol from one hand to the other. This can be easily done by ensuring your finger is off the trigger and remains off the trigger until the exchange has been made and you have made the decision to shoot. Maintaining control of the weapon with your dominant thumb and index finger, open the middle, ring and pinkie fingers to expose the grip area. Now, wrap the middle, ring and pinkie finger of the non-dominant hand around the lower grip. As you take control with those three fingers, relax the dominant thumb and index finger. You can now bring the non-dominant index finger and thumb in. Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction and engage the manual safety, if so equipped, on your pistol.

While this may feel awkward at first, you will gain proficiency and dexterity with practice.

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Initial Training

Initial training should be conducted utilizing a “training gun” and in all future non-firing training such as field or roll-call training. Once all live firearms and ammunition have been removed from the training area, the red guns should be distributed and placed into the holster and secured.

Before actual demonstration by the instructor begins, an equipment inspection should be made with following attention paid to the following areas:

Condition of the holster
Correct location of the holster
Proper securement of the duty belt (keepers to hold the belt in place).

The instructor should explain that this is a technique that an officer may have to employ to save his / her life or that of another, and that in the event of their primary shooting hand becoming disabled, the fight is not over.

This is a perishable skillset that needs to be practiced. When practicing on their own, only a red gun or a completely unloaded firearm should be used with no ammunition present.

Only in the presence of an instructor or in department training should this be coupled with live fire training. Safety is still the number one (#1) rule.

Due to the nature of this training, and the utilization on the range with live firearms and ammunition, it is suggested that this be a one instructor to one officer drill. It is also suggested that the officer go through a “dry run” a number of times before live fire is attempted.

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Draw Variations

Rollover body
Pinch standing
Pinch kneeling

Reload Variations

Holster
Standing pinch
Kneeling pinch
Leg lock

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Low Light / Flashlight Techniques

FBI
Harris
Neck index

“This is the law: The purpose of fighting is to win! There is no possible victory in defense. The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental.” John Steinbeck

Everyone who works in law enforcement needs a light. Even if working the day shift, we cannot assume we will always be in a well-lit area. In the dark, humans are legally blind. While we rarely (if ever) have to use our duty weapon, police officers use their flashlights on a daily basis. It can be argued that next to your portable radio, your flashlight may be the most important piece of equipment you carry. The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report documents that most deadly-force encounters will happen in low light or dark conditions. We must be able to identify our target (i.e., the threat). Legal precedent and common sense requires this. We must also be able to see what is beyond the threat since we are responsible for every round we fire. It is a statistical fact that in a gun fight, less than half of our rounds actually hit home. 2006 figures for NYPD showed only 34% of the rounds fired were actual hits.²

Many officers carry a large rechargeable light that mounts in their cruiser. When they foresee the possibility of entering a dark area, they bring the light along. As any cop who has been on the job for any length of time can tell you, that does not always happen. Veteran officers will tell you that they have bailed out of their cruiser to chase a suspect only to realize they forgot to grab their light when they found themselves in that unlit basement or other area with no light.

Flashlight Rule #1 – Have a light when you need a light.

Flashlight Rule #2 – Carry the brightest and most reliable light you can afford.

²2006 Firearms Discharge Report, Firearms & Tactics Section, NY City Police Academy, pg. 10. In the same year, LAPD showed 40% hit rate. These are representative of the nationwide statistics.

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Mastering the Dark

We carry a light to perform five basic functions: Navigate, Identify, Locate, Evaluate and Sight. We have abbreviated this as N-I-L-E-S to remember it easily.

Navigate – We must be able to safely find our way around obstacles and obstructions.
Identify – To ascertain what we have located is what we were looking for.
Locate – We use the light to locate people and objects in the dark.
Engage – If we identify a threat, we need to see the threat to engage it.
Sight – Even with “night sights”, we can use our light to better see our sights. We can take this one step further by adding Distract and Disorient, but more on this later.

Most importantly, we carry a light because without it, we are legally blind in the dark. If a situation required the use of force, imagine the field day a defense attorney would have with an officer when it can be proven the officer was legally blind when they engaged the subject. The chart on the next slide illustrates how close we come to the definition of being legally blind in conditions we might not consider particularly disabling.

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Vision Comparison Chart

*20/200 in sunlight is legally blind in some states for the purposes of issuance of a driver’s license

Roughly 80 percent of a human’s sensory input processed by the brain is from vision. We are creatures of the light. Most humans do not operate well in the dark thanks to our mastery of fire and the subsequent invention of mechanical light-producing devices. This may be expressed as simple apprehension of bumping into something to an uncontrolled fear of what lurks in the shadows. To put it another way, we rely very heavily on our sight for life-saving decisions.

Night Vision Facts

As anyone who has gone into a dark movie theater on a sunny day knows, it takes up to 30 minutes for our eyes to adapt to darkness. In darkness, we only perceive shades of grey. We lose all color perception as well as depth of field. When we do not have 100% of our visual acuity, our minds augment what it cannot see with assumptions. This can be dangerous when we are in a deadly‑force situation and need to make a decision as to whether or not to fire our weapon. Because of the physiology of the eye, we have a blind spot directly in front of our eye. When both eyes are working properly, one eye will compensate for and see what the other eye misses. If you don’t believe this, see the attached test, which will prove it. It is clear that in dark conditions we must have a light to function at an acceptable level.

Moonlight Vision�20/180

Normal�Vision�20/20

Sunlight into�Dark Room�20/800

Legally�Blind�20/200

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Light Facts

If you have not done so already, you will be purchasing a light as part of your duty gear. The following is provided as a general guide to help you select the right light for you. There are many models available, but we can condense them down into a handful of categories.

Hand-held lights

The major advantage of the hand-held light is that it can work with or without a weapon. If working with a weapon, it can work independently of the weapon’s muzzle. This allows you to keep your weapon pointed in a safe direction such as in the muzzle-depressed mode while actively searching with the light. This is compatible with situations that have not escalated to a deadly force or other conditions in which having your weapon out is justified.

The primary disadvantage of the hand-held light is that when used in conjunction with a firearm, it compromises your two-handed grip. While there are several techniques to minimize this effect, most people shoot better without having to hold the light. As will be explained shortly, most light techniques require your support hand to hold the light and provide some degree of control of the weapon. The end result is at best a compromise.

(Contd...)

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(...Contd.)

Lights range in size from tiny models that easily fit into your pocket to models that would make a baseball bat envious. Referring back to Flashlight Rule #1, look for a light that you will carry with you all the time. That big light in your duty bag or in the charger does you no good when you find yourself in that dark basement with no electricity. Modern tactical lights are small, light, and very bright.

Light source

Older designs are generally based on an incandescent lamp (bulb). This may be either halogen or xenon. In either case, the weakness of this design is that the lamp is fragile and tends to break when dropped. Keep in mind that a police officer’s light frequently gets banged around. Newer designs have gravitated towards the light emitting diode (LED) as a light source. This is a solid-state chip that has a life span about 1,000 times longer than an incandescent lamp and is much more rugged. High-quality LED lights can be thrown against a concrete wall and still work. Today’s palm-sized LED lights can deliver more light than a traditional five-cell duty light.

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Hand-Held Flashlight Techniques

FBI – The FBI technique is probably the oldest flashlight technique we use. The weapon stays in your dominant hand while the light is held in the non‑dominant hand in the sword grip fashion at arm’s length. The theory behind this technique is that the bad guy will shoot at the light, which is held away from our body. The FBI technique does not work well with rear or tailcap switches

Modified FBI – A modification of the FBI technique is to hold the light with an “ice pick” grip and bring it in closer to the body. The shooter can vary the location of the light, which reduces the fatigue found with the traditional FBI technique. This technique is more adaptable to tailcap button lights than the traditional FBI technique.

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Harries – Developed by Michael Harries in the late 1950s, the light is held in an ice pick grip, and the light hand is brought up under the weapon. The back of the light hand makes contact with the back of the gun hand. Cranking down on the light elbow will permit your dominant (weapon hand) arm to extend out.

Modified Harries – Similar to the traditional Harries, in this case the light hand comes over the top of the dominant side with wrist-to-wrist contact. Pistol shooters must remember to keep the light hand back from the weapon to prevent the slide from striking the light hand when it recoils to the rear.

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Weapon-Mounted Lights

Contrary to popular belief, weapon-mounted lights are not just for SWAT officers. The weapon-mounted light offers you several advantages. The light beam lines up with the bore and line of sight, creating a visual indexing technique. It allows you to shoot more accurately while using a light,

Photo courtesy of Insight Tech Gear

because it keeps both your hands on the weapon in the manner you have been taught at the range. You can reholster without fumbling with a light and can reload or clear malfunctions without having to juggle your light. It is ideal for K-9 officers or any officer needing one hand to handle equipment such as a body bunker or move an injured officer.

The primary disadvantage of a weapon-mounted light is that the muzzle always points where the light points. This can be unacceptable when you are searching in a non-deadly force situation. Obviously, directing traffic with your weapon‑mounted light would not be condoned. Your department may not authorize weapon-mounted lights, or their duty holster requirements may not accommodate a pistol and light combination.

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Hand-held vs. weapon-mounted lights

So, which is better? If possible, have both! The ideal situation is to have both. Your modern tactical light will be used for all situations except those involving a deadly force scenario. If and when we find ourselves in a lethal force situation, our weapon-mounted light will come out with the weapon. If you are not permitted to use a weapon-mounted light, carry the smallest and brightest light you can afford.

Remember Flashlight Rules 1 and 2

Have a light when you need a light.
Carry the brightest and most reliable light you can afford

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The Problem Shooter and Remedial Training

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No two people learn at the same rate. Some flexibility and certain specific remedial provisions should be built into the program. The marginal or initially weak shooter can receive extra attention without being labeled as a “problem shooter.”

The instructor’s attitude plays an important part in training. The instructor must remain professional, impartial, objective and fair in dealing with all students. Personal likes and dislikes must be separated from the professional duties and responsibilities. Students should not be discriminated against on the basis of age, sex, race, religion, nationality, agency, equipment used or other factors unrelated to their ability to serve as law enforcement officers. Ideally, the instructor should be patient, helpful, encouraging, and understanding, but should balance these qualities with the firmness necessary to maintain control and obtain optimum performance from the trainees.

In the event that friction or personality conflicts between an instructor and a student may threaten to interfere with the training process, or if the process or progress is slow, consider making effects to discuss and resolve the problem with the student, or to have a different instructor work with the student if possible.

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Documentation of Performance Problems and Remedial Efforts

When it becomes apparent that a particular student has a serious problem in training, the instructor must document the difficulties encountered and the efforts directed at correcting them. This documentation may become necessary if the validity of training program or the disqualification of the student is later challenged. If possible, try to have more than one instructor work with a problem student. A second instructor may find a way to solve the student’s problem, may eliminate a problem caused by a personality conflict between the student and the original instructor, and will in any event help to document the difficulties and remedial efforts made.

Special Remedial Exercises and Procedures

The first step in remedying a student’s poor performance is proper diagnosis and analysis of the nature of the problem. This will require careful observation of the student by the instructor, usually one on one. The instructor must understand that every student is an individual, and may require an individual approach to satisfy a learning need. With this in mind, some of the remedial procedures and exercises that have been useful in dealing with the more common firearms training problems including the following:

In order to correct marksmanship errors, one must first identify these errors.
Without a doubt, the best way to identify shooter error is to actually watch the shooter.
When this is not feasible, or when the firearms instructor wishes to confirm his / her opinion as to a particular error, the firearms instructor can employ the technique of target analysis.

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Target Analysis

This is the process of interpreting shot placement on the target in terms of the error committed that caused the shots to be fired off-center (or off the aiming point). Target analysis is a tool used to aid in the identification and correction of a shooter’s marksmanship errors.

The firearms instructors will find target analysis very helpful when assisting a shooter they were not able to personally observe.
When personal observation of the shooter is possible, target analysis can be used to reinforce or confirm the instructor's opinion as to a particular shooter error.
The shooters (students) can use target analysis to analyze their own targets to identify errors, their causes and recommended corrections.

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Problem Shooter & Remedial Training, contd.

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ERROR: The group on the target appears to be scattered in the area of 5:00 and 7:00.

CAUSE: A common form of anticipation: The shooters are breaking their wrists the instant the weapon goes off, as the recoil will pull the weapon up. They are trying to compensate for the recoil by pushing into it. This is one of the commonest errors made by new shooters.

CORRECTION: It must be re-emphasized to the shooters that they must slow down on the trigger, but keep pressure increasing in such a way that they don't know when the shot goes off. The absence of anticipation will result in a true surprise shot.

ERROR: The group on the target appears clustered in the 8:00 to 10:00 area.

CAUSE: The shooters are applying sideways pressure on the trigger because they do not have enough finger on the trigger. If the tip of the finger is used to manipulate the trigger, the shooter has a tendency to push the trigger to the left instead of straight to the rear.

CORRECTION: Show the shooter the correct position of the finger on the trigger, and emphasize that pressure should come straight back.

Common marksmanship errors and recommended corrections

ERROR: The group on the target appears scattered in the 8:00 to 10:00 area.

CAUSE: The shooter's grip pressure of the support hand is not equal to the pressure of the shooting hand.

CORRECTION: Tightening support-hand grip and more concentration on trigger and sights.

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ERROR: The group on the target appears clustered in the 3:00 to 4:00 area.

CAUSE: The shooters are pulling the trigger sideways and not straight back, possibly because they have too much finger on the trigger.

CORRECTION: Emphasize proper finger placement on the trigger.

ERROR: The group on the target appears scattered in the 6:30 to 8:00 area.

CAUSE: The shooter suddenly snaps the trigger in an attempt to capture perfect sight alignment, which results in jerking the sights out of alignment, throwing the shot low left. Trying to capture the shot at the moment the sights appear to drift into the center of the target is another cause for this error.

CORRECTION: Emphasize to the shooters that the trigger must be crushed with steady even pressure so that the sight alignment is not disturbed as the trigger moves rearward. Reassure the students that perfect sight alignment is not necessary for a good shot, and movement should be ignored. Concentrate instead on good trigger control.

ERROR: The group on the target appears scattered in the 11:00 to 1:00 area.

CAUSE 1: The shooters tend to heel the weapon, bringing their shots up to about 12:00.

CAUSE 2: The shooters tend to change their focus at the last second from their sights to the target. This causes their sights to rise.

CAUSE 3: The shooters tense up on the grip just as the hammer is falling forward causing the front sight to rise (“milking” the grip).

CORRECTION: The shooters must put maximum effort into applying the shooting fundamentals and must apply smooth trigger control and attempt to keep the sights in alignment to the best of their ability and achieve a “surprise shot”.

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ERROR: There is no group at all – the shots are scattered throughout the target.

CAUSE 1: Focusing on the target instead of the sights. If the shooters focus on the target, they are unaware of their sight alignment at the moment the hammer falls.

CAUSE 2: Shooters wearing bifocals looking at sights through the reading portion of their glasses may lose the target completely.

CAUSE 3: Inconsistent grip, causing the weapon to recoil differently each time.

CORRECTION: Find the best grip for the individual and stress the importance of using the same grip every time. Emphasize the importance of focusing on nothing but the sights. The front sight should be in crisp, clear focus and it should be seen level in the rear sight notch, which appears hazy. In doing so, the target appears very blurred but is still discernable.

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Range Rules

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Instructors will read and review with students the range safety rules. After completion, students will sign and hand in to instructors on the first range day.

Safety rules, Procedures and Regulations are expected to be followed by all shooters.

SAFETY IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY!

Keep weapon pointed in a safe direction at all times.
Do not handle any weapons while anyone is downrange.
Never draw the weapon with your finger on the trigger.
Never bend over on the firing line until the line has been declared “safe”.
Obey all commands from Range Master.
Never holster any weapon with the hammer in the single-action mode or with your finger on the trigger. (This applies to double-action weapons only.)
Dry fire is only performed under the guidance of the firearms instructors. Do not dry fire unless instructed to do so.
“The finger remains off of the trigger and outside the trigger guard until the weapon is on target and the officer has determined that the use of deadly force is imminent” ( i.e., Trigger Finger Management ).
Unsafe acts or unsafe behavior on the range will not be tolerated.
Do not take live ammunition into the cleaning area.

I have and reviewed and understand all the above range rules. I will comply with these rules and conduct myself as a professional and responsible police officer.

Signature: Date: ______________________

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Four Cardinal Safety Rules

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These are general rules that apply to all firearms in all situations. These four rules are the building blocks of firearms safety.

Treat all weapons as loaded weapons. Everyday an innocent person is seriously hurt by a reportedly “unloaded weapon”.
Never point any weapon at anything you are not intending to shoot. Firearms are lethal tools that destroy people and things.
Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.

Right

Wrong

Know your target and what is beyond it. Be aware of those areas and individuals beyond the target area. Target Identification is especially important in reduced light situations.

Municipal Police Training Committee: Basic Firearms Instructors’ Course