We all know “that guy” (Not the one in the picture, if you do know him, you know he’ll kill me for accusing him of not training).  I’m talking about the  guy that goes to firearms instructor school, has all the answers upon graduation, and never trains again.  He is the “INSTRUCTOR” (It says so on the back of his red polo shirt, and the red hat he bought from Gall’s).  The scope of this article is not about him, or the folks you know like him (or her).  This installment is about the reality that I and many other instructors have found that the police instructor doesn’t get to train as much as we’d like to after getting in the position.  If at all. Continue reading →

In Part One, I defined deadly force, explained my lecture framework, and provided an overview of when such force might lawfully be employed. To summarize, if you: can (mentally and physically able, and have the appropriate equipment); may (act within the law, and agency policy, if applicable), and; should (exercised sound judgment, reasonably deciding deadly force is necessary), or simply must (to avoid your own likely death), deadly force is properly used to defend against imminent and otherwise unavoidable death or great bodily harm.  It is also lawfully used in situations specifically enumerated by state statute, for example, to intervene in the commission of a felony involving force (threatened or actual injury).   State law may treat situations of self-defense, defense of persons to whom some duty is owed, or defense of strangers differently.  LEO’s have further dimensions of analysis specifically for arrestees and escapees, and generally, because of the constitutional prohibition on the use of “excessive” force.

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10-8’s good buddy William showing a student the finer points of a 1911 at a 10-8 1911 Diagnostics and Operations Course in Austin, TX.

Often times I hear phrases similar to, “When I get done with this class I am going to build the most bitchin’ (fill your favorite iteration of a black rifle/carbine). But teaching you how to “build” this weapon is not what most basic armorer courses are about. Rather than teach how to build a weapon from the ground up most manufacturer armorer courses send you away with the basic knowledge of how to keep your department or agency weapons up and running and in good serviceable condition.

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Benicio Del Toro performs a one-handed press-check in a scene from Way of the Gun. Veteran LAPD SWAT Officer and firearms trainer Scott Reitz provided the technical direction for the firearms in this film.

Recently, I’ve read some discussion on the Press Check, with some firearms instructors stating that it is unnecessary, that instead of a Press Check, one should simply conduct a tactical reload. Let’s start by defining what it is. A Press Check is, quite simply, the act of verifying that the weapon has a chambered cartridge and is ready to fire. On a semi-automatic pistol, this usually involves moving the slide rearward by about 3/4 of an inch and either visually or physically confirming that there is indeed a round in the chamber. In this article, I will discuss whether or not I feel this action is ever necessary to perform.

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Let me start by saying I am all about training in all forms.  As long as the skills you are working are beneficial to your overall goals then we are good to go.  What started me thinking was when a civilian student asked me, while in a basic level handgun class, why we didn’t offer aerial marksmanship training,  I was actually at a loss for words for a few seconds while trying to figure out if he was serious.  Turns out he was.

Is training to do this really within the context of how you live your life?

Apparently he had read all about aerial marksmanship training and wanted to find out where he could get this type of training.  You know, “just in case.”   I had to ask what he did for a living.  Turns out he sells electronics, but, “…thought it would be a good skill to have.”  I tried to explain to him that it was highly unlikely that he, or any average citizen would ever need to “bungee up and hang in the door.”  Not that it wouldn’t be a really fun thing to do, but was it the best use of his training dollars?  Was it in context with his daily life?

I can’t imagine a better way to prepare for training than to place it within the context of your daily life.  The time and money we have for professional training is so scarce these days that getting the most out of every round, every minute of range or dry-fire practice time only makes complete sense.   Before training, take the time to put it in context.  Use visualization techniques to set the tone.  Is that target placed in such a manner as to duplicate what you might see at home, the office or your favorite restaurant?  Do all of your draw and fire drills start from standing while facing the target?  Is this a realistic expectation based on your everyday interactions with potential threats?

Only you can decide what is appropriate for your skills and abilities.  Keeping your training within the context of your daily life, within the boundaries of reason, will pay off for you in the long run.  Stay focused on what fundamental skills you need to master and set yourself up for success.  Sure it is not as sexy as flipping the selector over to full auto, or spider rapelling while engaging multiple targets, but are those things in context with who you are and the life you lead?  Stay Safe & Keep Training!

It’s always a fun day on the range until…It’s not.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing right in front of me.  I was literally within inches of him as he rotated the muzzle of the cocked 9mm pistol up under his chin with his finger on the trigger.  I found myself reaching in with my left hand pushing the gun away from under his chin and grabbing it with my thumb in-between the hammer and the slide.  I’m not sure if he was resisting or not but I ended up hitting him on the top of his right wrist to break his grip on the pistol.  I now had complete control of the weapon and with it back in a safe direction I quickly made it safe.  All the while this was going on, my shooter had no reaction or expression on his face and my thoughts were turning towards my loaded sidearm in my holster.  Thankfully he either didn’t think about it or he thought better of wrestling with me for my own gun.  Either way, I was truly lucky! Continue reading →

Just a fun day at the range with non-shooters having fun and bonding.

As a firearms instructor for a large academy, I tend to see a lot of people from all walks of life and with a broad range of experience and skill.  Some come to us having never touched a firearm in their lives.  Others have had quite a bit of professional of training and they just want to learn the latest and greatest techniques.  Those people are there by choice and typically are pretty well balanced and focused on safely learning.  Sometimes we host events for corporate demonstrations or team building.  It is at this point where the people we see start to vary widely.  Many are not gun people, some have little experience and a few are well trained and safe.  Every once in a while we run across the unpredictable variable.  This recount is about one of those variables. Continue reading →