Law Enforcement Firearms Training: Techniques and Tactics for Police and Security 0938895036, 9780938895039

Citation preview

LAW

ENFORCEMENT

FIREARMS

Techniques for

Police

TRAINING

and

and

Tactics

Security

LIBRARY SOUTHERN MAINE VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE

by Daniel

L.

Barber

Published D.L.

Barber

by

Ventures

Published

by:

D.L. Barber Ventures P.O. Box 2248 Garden Grove, CA 92642-2248 DaoeAe

Copyright

First

1986

by

Printing

Manufactured America.

Daniel

July,

in

Library of 86-050683

ISBN

Barber

1986

the

Printed by Economy Cre, Usoshe

L.

United

Printing,

Congress

Catalog

States

Long

Card

of

Beach,

Number:

0-938895-03-6

All rights are reserved. It is a Federal offense to transmit or reproduce this book in any form or by any means, electrical or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information retrieval system without’ the written

permission

from

the inclusion review.

of

the

author,

brief

except

quotations

for

for a

HV

Barber,

8142 -B37

Law

1986

363.2028

Daniel

enforcement

L.

firearms

training

Ba23

1986

This training manual does not intend to take the place of firearms training given by certified firearms instructors. The text is the authors opinion on how law enforcement firearms training should be conducted and has been based upon his training experiences. The manual. should be used as a guideline by certified instructors for conducting training. The author, publisher and distributors accept no liability for any injuries’ to persons or property resulting from _ the application or use of the tactics or procedures presented or implied within tuis text. The text does not intend to represent the views or policies of the law enforcement agency that the author is employed by.

FOREWORD

Firearms Training has been the foundation of Law Enforcement since its existence. Modern day law enforcement agencies and armed security have a responsibility to stay updated in current firearms techniques and tactics. This firearms training manual has been compiled so individuals or training facilities can improve their training techniques.

This training manual covers’ techniques and tactics such as_ the basic fundamentals of marksmanship, clearing jams and malfunctions, cover and concealment on the street, firearms modifications, and much more.

Law enforcement officers and armed security must be familiar with their duty equipment and shooting techniques. Their street survival may depend upon it.

ABOUT

THE

AUTHOR

Daniel L. Barber has been a policeman for a major city in Southern California for over nine years. He has’ had seven years patrol experience which includes’ five years in one and two man cars on both day and night shifts and two years in the Helicopter Detail. He was assigned to his departments academy for two years as a firearms instructor. Additional assignments at the academy included officer survival. tactics. Dan is active in handgun competition and has been on the California Governors Twenty list several times. Other credentials that Dan has include a- California fulltime college teaching credential for Police Science courses, Police Armorer, AA in Police Science and a BA in Business Management. Dan has had numerous articles on officer survival and firearms training published in several law enforcement magazines.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My sincere appreciation and thanks is given to several of my close friends that heeded my call for help. John Wycoff, whose patience, quidance and use of his studio was a great benefit. He put up with me throughout the time consuming effort that was required for the many photographs that are illustrated in the text and on the cover. I also owe Caryn Cobb,

and

Lisa

thanks to Charlie Araujo, Gary Robertson, Fred Smith

Wycoff

(John's

many hours that they reading the text. Thank

you.

all

wife)

for

spent

in

the proof

TABLE

Chapter

"Be

CONTENTS

1

Page

Familiar

Chapter

With

Your

Duty

Page

for

3 Handgun

Basics,

Training,

11

Equipment"

2

"Bull's-eye Survival" Chapter "Police

OF

Combat

27

for

Street

Shooting

Page 41 Tech-

niques" Chapter 4 "Shotgun Training:

tion

and

Shooting

Chapter

Chapter 6 "Revolvers:

Techniques" Page

and Reloading: Pistols"

Revolvers Page

Jams

Chapter 7 "Semi-Automatic functions"

and

Pistols:

Jams

and

97

Malfunctions"

9

"Flashlight

75

Page 87 and Mal-

Page

Jams

63

and

malfunctions"

8

"Shotguns: Chapter

Page 53 Familiariza-

5

"Loading Semi-Auto

Chapter

Equipment

Page

Techniques"

109

Chapter

"Duty

10

Page

Handgun

Chapter

and

Shotgun

11

"Preventing

Accidental

Chapter 12 "Law Enforcement

121

Modifications" Page

133

Page Cleaning

145 and

Discharges"

Firearms

Maintenance" Chapter 13 "Cover and Survival" Chapter

"Shoot

Concealment

for

14

Competition,

Page 155 Street

Page

Sharpen

Your

167

Street

Skills"

Chapter

"Range Others

15

Officer Experiences, Mistakes"

Page

Learn

179

from

"Be Familiar With Your Duty Equipment"!

Over the years I have noticed numerous problems associated with police officers and their duty equipment. All of these problems could be remedied by a little common sense, training and even concern by the individual officer.

Most of the equipment problems are related to the lack of proper training and the attitude of the individual officer in regard to his equipment. I have found that many officers are unfamiliar with their equipment due to lack of knowledge about handguns, holsters, speed loaders and the handgun grips. This lack of knowledge can be attributed to poor training and lack of concern on behalf of the individual officer. I mention training because many academy firearms programs concern themselves with only the instruction aspects of shooting techniques and not the shortcomings of various types of equipment that are available to police officers. But even with proper

11

A

Colt

loader

Speed

will

loaders

not

fit

operate

12

a

S&W

revolver

differently

training,

there

concern and individual.

must

interest

be on

an

attitude

behalf

of

of the

When new gimmicks, leather equipment, or handguns are developed and marketed, many police officers will purchase these items and carry them on duty. What is really disturbing is that more times than not, these same officers have not practiced with or tried out their new equipment at the range prior to carrying it on duty. These officers should be concerned enough to find out if the new item functions properly.

Every one of you probably knows of an officer who bought a new handgun and carried it on duty without sighting it in with duty ammunition or practicing with ifs This: -officer*is,. ‘going..to. bet. his life that the handgun works and is sighted in. Or how about the officer who bought new speed loaders and then found out later that he bought the wrong kind and they wouldn't work properly in his handgun. When new equipment is purchased, you owe it to yourself to test it first and make sure that it works before you go out onthe _ street. Even more important, you need to make sure that you know how to work the new equipment. For example, not all speed loaders operate on the same principles. They release by push buttons, twist knobs, slide rings and release springs, to name a few. Be

13

ones operation of the familiar with the that officer the Similarly, you carry. a to makes the transition from a revolver that a handgun semi-automatic will find operate. is somewhat more complicated to But with practice and the proper training, the semi-automatic pistol can be easily mastered and a definitely has place in law enforcement.

Most police agencies have department policies that regulate the type of equipment the officer can carry on or off duty. This somewhat eliminates the new gimmicks or problems of equipment that have not been tested or approved for use. Other departments have policies that most any equipment can be used after it has been tested and approved by the department armorer. This policy also helps to eliminate poor choices of equipment. However, few policies cover the type of leather equipment, loaders and grips that can be used. In these cases, the individual officer must check out the equipment during practice, department qualifying, or training. 1£ an officer is experiencing difficulties with his equipment while at the range, he should determine the problem and solve it before attempting to rely on the _ same equipment on the street. During qualification and training, it is the responsibility of the range personnel to determine if the officer is sufficiently qualified and familiar with his equipment tO carry it aoncthe streets. The: |‘profi+

14

Crencwe ore an” (officer stwith “his«mdraw, reloading and shooting techniques comes being from proper training, practice and familiar with his equipment.

in

All police officers are firearms, right? Wrong!

experiences

aS

a

range

interested During my

officer,

I

have

noted the number of officers who take their handgun for granted. The primary piece of equipment that is meant to save their lives or protect someone else's receives such little attention. When I first became a police officer, I wanted to obtain a high degree of skill with my

sidearm

and

couldn't

understand

why

everyone else didn't feel the same way. I still hear the same excuses’ about not practicing or qualifying. Some officers feel that they already have enough

shooting skill, while others won't because they don't like cleaning

shoot their

handguns. Many officers have to be threatened with time off just to get them to qualify during the shooting period. Attitudes like these cause the percentages of shots fired by officers at suspects to be in the 25% hit ratio. In other words, statistically around the nation, three out of four shots fired by law enforcement officers actually miss the suspect.

Each officer should be properly trained with his duty handgun, backup The shotgun. riot the and handgun training emphasized should be related to

15

of

that

handgun

the

type

the

individual

officer.

is

carried

This

isn't

by

a

carries department problem for the the But handgun. of type one only department that allows both revolvers and semi-automatics has a problem. In most cases, this department will train in the academy exclusively with revolvers. Then the new officer or seasoned officer who wants to carry a_ semi-auto receives little or no training with the new handgun. Because of this, I have seen numerous accidental discharges by the officer who was not properly trained. that

The backup handgun also presents problems to the officer who does not practice with it. These handguns usually do not get fired very often in practice or qualification. Being small they do not handle quite like the regular duty handgun. Some consideration should also be given as to where this handgun should be carried. I have seen numerous officers try, with great difficulty, to draw their backup in qualification and not succeed. Be sure that wherever you place your backup, you can draw it to your satisfaction when needed.

Every officer should have a working knowledge and a certain percentage proficiency skill with their handgun, no matter the type of handgun that is authorized by the department. The officer should be skilled in maintenance, preventing jams, clearing jams, drawing

16

from the holster, techniques.

reloading

and

shooting

The handgun authorized by the department is usually described in detail Be department the within policies. making any careful of on modifications the individual that officer's handgun would make or unauthorized the handgun It unreliable. and unsafe worse yet, to check with would be a the good idea modifidepartment armorer regarding any cations before you take your sidearm and leery of gunsmiths Be get it worked on.

who

don't

have

a

reputation.

Be

sure

that whoever does authorized work on your a duty firearm. handgun knows that it is firearms are not Specifications on duty as liberal as on competition or plinking handguns.

Ammunition is another subject usually regulated by department policy. There are so many types of different factory loaded projectiles that an off-icer must be aware of what he is’ buying. Most departments issue at least one brand or type of authorized ammunition. The types and caliber of ammunition authorized are usually specified within the written policy. The type of ammo chosen by the department usually is partially determined by the area in which the department is located. Officers assigned to rural areas may be authorized to use magnum ammunition, which is normally not allowed in city environments.

17

ener eam in time} in pointe Ate this™ that ammunition of type aware of any one am I work. for police ideal is most partial to a fast moving bullet that has The hollow point is a soft hollow point. supposed to mushroom release some and energy as it goes through the suspect and energy leaves a big The wound channel. susreleased helps to incapacitate the pect while wound the channel destroys we are Seriously speaking, not tissue. shooting to are We wound the suspect. deadly counter using force to deadly force with the intention stop to the situation. We are shooting accurately to kill the It does suspect. not matter whether or not the suspect dies. If he lives, he can thank modern medicine. What matter is that does the highly dangerous situation comes to a halt fast. is done by Hopefully this the officer good shot with suspect the stopping placement. The by energy released the

bullet

is

needed

to

shock

the

body

so

of continuing is incapable the that it Aw@ec22ecal Gel assault=