Issue link: https://let.epubxp.com/i/320907
42 Law Enforcement Technology June 2014 www.officer.com F I R E A R M S TA C T I C S Part of this training is to discourage shooters from firing over the top of the barricade when kneeling. That is, it's generally better to shoot around a barri- cade than over the top. Apparently, this is a Hollywood thing that has spilled over into real life. I try to discourage officers from training to shoot over the hood of their car when we roll a vehicle out on the range. On a "skipped" bullet, the angle of departure rarely matches the angle by which the projectile struck the object. I don't know the science, but I have been told that a projectile designed to deform when it strikes something will ricochet at a shallower angle. If an officer is looking over the hood of a car and a bullet fired in his general direction hits the hood of the car, a like- ly scenario is having the bullet continue at a shallower angle along the hood of the car. Anyone maintaining a low pro- file over the hood of the car is at risk. I know, it is absolutely impossible to choose one's battlegrounds sometimes. However, looking around the front of the car will often work better. This also is true for many other objects, including mailboxes and electrical boxes. While we're thinking about it, any cover that is weight bearing (architectural column, tree, lamppost) is generally wider and sturdier at the base. If one fires a rifle over the hood of a car, the results can be comi- cal. Many shooters don't account for the difference between line of aim and line of trajectory on a rifle. If they have fired their rifle over the hood of the family car, it's going to have permanent marks where the bullet exited the muzzle. An extreme version of this is a shooter who punctured their own hood. This is a good reason why agencies should use the non- running "range car" on the range (at least borrow the detective sedan, then shrug one's shoulders at the mysterious burn marks upon its return). This is not a timed drill. The goal is toward shooting accurately from each position while maintaining cover. T o e n r o l l o r g e t m o r e information please visit www.preventivestrategies.net or call 1-800-860-6657 Courses for public safety practitioners. Courses include: Law Enforcement Professionals Available Now! Fire Service Professionals Available Now! Emergency Management Professionals Coming Soon! No fees, no cost! DISCLAIMER: This project was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 2010-RD-T0-K013 administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/FEMA, Training and Exercises Integration Secretariat. Points of view or cial position or policies of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Rural Domestic Preparedness Consor tium HOMELAND SECURITY CERTIFICATE PROGRAM Circle 28 on Reader Service Card Converts a standard weapon into a safe and effective training tool Ideal for M i l i t a r y a n d L a w E n f o r c e m e n t firearms training Most realistic recoil and blast simulator on the market Compressed gas instead of ammo gives opportunity to fire a large number of simulated rounds at a fraction of the cost Utilizes stock trigger - No modification required Easy installation - No tools required Integrated laser emits pulse with each trigger pull TETHERLESS RECOIL SYSTEM Drop-in Conversion for Semi-automatic Firearms P.O. Box 701716 Tulsa, OK 74170 USA Tel: 918-447-0022 Fax: 918-447-0032 www.dvorakinstruments.com mail@dvorakinstruments.com The Barricade Drill requires two targets, placed side-by- side. A barricade is placed 3 to 5 yards in front of the target. A target stand can be used, but I generally use a plastic 50-gallon barrel because they are easy to move around. Circle 27 on Reader Service Card LET_40-45_FirearmsTactics0614.indd 42 5/20/14 1:47 PM