Gunfighter

wichaka · Joined: 27 Jul 2007 Posts: 111 Location: Washington State

I teach not only in the private sector now, but at the police academy as well, with the new recruits and training the state instructors.

All along we have been teaching everyone, after your last shot (on the selected course of fire), come back up and get ready for what I phrase as "Shot number next", or as Hoff puts it "Sights on, slack up"

Many of us have been teaching that for many years, with the question attached "How many rounds are fired in a gunfight?" Obviously this is a question for the recruits and some of the lesser informed instructors, and we know there is no set number. Since we don't know, we want to be ready for "shot number next" if need be.

So with that laid out, are we violating gun safety rule #3, with doing the "sights on slack up" or "shot number next"?

Over the years I'm sure we've all seen rule #3 written a few different ways;

Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot; or

Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target AND you've made the decision to shoot. etc.

The other part of this is about not pointing a gun at anything you're not willing to destroy.

The reason I've brought this up, is because some of the old timers on the staff are having fits with teaching recruits and instructors alike, this technique. They believe we are violating rule #3 by doing this, as we should not be pointing a gun at anyone we have not decided to shoot.

They believe getting ready for "shot number next" etc., that we should be making an assessment of the situation at a low ready, not on target.

So for example, after a certain course of fire, one comes to low ready to make sure the threat is gone, before going onto the 360 deg scans etc.

And during a certain course of fire, where one must or decides to reload, you come back to low ready for an assessment of the situation, not up on target for "shot number next" or "sights on, slack up".

So in the next week or so, we will all be getting together for a total staff meeting and going over several things, which this subject will be one of them.

I really want some good pointed detailed input here on your thoughts.

DEMON · Joined: 13 Jul 2007 Posts: 266 Location: Houston,Texas

I belive rule # 3 no longer applies once you are in the FIGHT and you have made the cognitive decision to fire that first round. Once that line has been crossed there are a whole new set of rules. Rule # 1 SURVIVAL! To me that is being ready to CONTINUE STOPPING THE THREAT OR THREATS. SIGHTS ON SLACK UP!!! SHOT # NEXT!!! WHAT ever it is going to take to get out of the situation ALIVE. Sometime these old timers can be a little stuborn in there acceptance to new techniques. Thats o.k., they still have alot they can teach us. They just need to relize training evolves and we may be able to teach them a thing or two as well. Twisted Evil

Ezekiel 25:17 · Joined: 06 Sep 2007 Posts: 38 Location: Houston TX.

Well put Demon. Some old timers just like to make waves. Good intentions but sometimes annoying.

Darcy · Joined: 24 Jul 2007 Posts: 25

Or, there is always the old adage where the young bull says to the old bull " Let's run down the hill and have our way with one of those cows" and the old bull responds, "Why don't we walk down and have our way with all of them"! Laughing