Not gone, just ranging

Blackshepherd is not gone, just occupied for a bit.

There are times, in my line of work, that require me to be absent for a while. One of those times happened. Then it bumped up against a relocation.

I was taught a long time ago that education is important; it is also expensive. I was also taught that if you can get someone else to pay for your education, then you cannot afford not to let them. This is just such a situation. Someone else offered to pay for me get a Master’s degree. As a result, I packed up Mrs. and Baby Blackshepherd and moved them to California. I know, I did not expect that either. This move necessitated a fair amount of work on my part, hence the absence.

I never expected to live in a place that is so blatantly anti-gun or anti-individual, but here I am.

I have some definite thoughts about the trip out here, and moving to this state of the Union. I am certain that there will be some tales to tell as I get my concealed carry permit and become a lawfully armed citizen of California. There will certainly be some disruption in my regular posting schedule, with school becoming a priority. But, the Blackshepherd is not gone…

Thoughts about the Navy Yard Shooting

The media gets it wrong: We know next to nothing about today’s shooting at the Washington Navy Yard. What details we do have were breathlessly reported by talking heads from all of the major news networks. They quickly exhausted what details existed and engaged in wild speculations from any and all angles. The details that were forthcoming were gleaned from news conferences with investigators and eyewitness interviews.

The problem is that eyewitness accounts are often wrong or fragmented. People really do understand the world through their own lens and that truth is often accentuated under deadly stress. People can remember things that did not happen, and forget things that did. They can also substitute other people’s memories for their own. This is exacerbated if they are exposed to other witnesses; or 24 hour news coverage. Solid investigation takes time. Too long for the media and the American attention span to maintain interest. This leads to the reporting of rumors as fact and their erroneous acceptance into the collective consciousness.

This phenomenon can be observed in every major “publicized,” attack since Columbine High School. The media winds itself into a knot, reports errors (many understandably), and the populace ends up with a mistaken understanding of complicated events.

The vultures are already circling: Anti-gun activists are already hammering their talking points. People’s families have been torn apart. Patriotic Americans who were in the military or working for our defense apparatus have been murdered. No one yet knows the details behind the motives, means, or methods of the perpetrators. Despite this lack of knowledge anti-gun folks are playing their one note recording. Total lack of class.

The military does not carry guns: This is difficult for many people to understand. Most people imagine a military base as being chock full of guns. Many of them are, but they are locked in rooms that look like bank vaults. American military bases are gun free zones. In 1993 President Clinton issued orders that made it illegal for military members to carry their personal weapons onto military installations, even if they were licensed and legal in the state where the installation was located. The only people who are legally armed during their daily duties are usually military police or civilian contract security. The status of their weapons is kept secret and varies from installation to installation. Federal installations are federal land and federal laws apply.

 This order remains in effect even after the Ft. Hood shooting. In that incident, at least three people on site (that we know of) immediately attacked the shooter.  They were armed with nothing more than bare hands, a chair, and a folding table. Two were killed and one was seriously wounded. Civilian police officers, contracted to the post, stopped the rampage by shooting the attacker repeatedly. It took them about ten minutes to get there.

Unless it is a part of their specified daily duty the military is not authorized to carry guns. Our nation’s Special Forces, Navy SEALs, Rangers, any and all Special Operations forces, are not authorized to carry guns at work. The same for Infantry, Armor, Combat Engineers, Marines, Sea Bees, and Combat Arms troops of any service or rank. I would love for someone to explain to me how that makes any sense. I am not saying that it would have made a difference in this case because I have no idea. At this point no one does. I do know that men with guns, civilians, had to come from outside of the installation in order to kill at least one of the shooters; stopping the murders. It took them seven minutes to get there…

May God be with the families of the injured and killed; may he continue to shepherd America.

Colorado is Pissed: Recall Edition

The vote is over in Colorado and State Senators John Morse and Angela Giron have become the first State legislators to ever be recalled. Former Colorado Springs councilman Bernie Herpin will replace Morse and George Rivera, a former Pueblo police officer, will replace Giron.

In the midst of all of the hyperbole there are two contradictory but vital points:

Firstly, these were not overwhelming victories and they only involved a small number of voters. John Morse was defeated 51%-49% in an election that only 15% of registered voters participated in. That means he lost by around 343 votes. Angela Giron was defeated 56%-44%, in a predominantly Democrat district, although only around 30% participated in the election. The recall votes really were a knife fight in a telephone booth. Two very vocal and diametrically opposed minorities banging on each other. I am shocked that voter participation was not much higher considering the issues at stake and the amount of recall advertising that has deluged Colorado. Which leads me to the second point.

These recalls were important. Correctly or incorrectly, the gun control issue in Colorado was perceived as a sea-change in America. A western state, with a long history of gun ownership and personal freedom, was finally onboard with the “enlightened” portions of the country that restrict gun ownership. The small problem was, Colorado did not want new restrictions on firearms. The recall was the first in the 100 years since Colorado adopted the constitutional recall provision. It takes a lot to get average people that fired up. A legislative attack on freedom and inordinate amounts of outside influence seem to have done it.

Once the media was wound up it did not take long for outside money to start contesting a very small, local election. It is estimated that Michael Bloomberg contributed more than $350,000 to the anti-gun efforts while the NRA spent close to $300,000 on mailers and phone calls. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg. Total outside of the state donations to Giron and Morse are estimated at around $3 million. Some people in other places really wanted to make a point. That just pissed off Colorado even more than being ignored by their State Legislators.

So a small victory in a big fight, but perhaps one with a state and national importance out of proportion to its size. It will have effects on upcoming state elections, most importantly the Governor’s election. It is also a wakeup call to voters in other states. Keep an eye on your legislators. The fight is not even close to over. The same ilk of people that contributed over $3 million to anti-freedom causes have much more where that came from…

Knives: Part One

Why I carry knives…

I have spent a lot of time on this blog, and in the real world, talking and writing about guns. I believe that guns are the most efficient, portable, and easily mastered form of self-defense available to the common person. That fact has not changed, I am just elaborating on the concept of self-defense.

I always carry knives (emphasis on the plural) and maybe you should too. This is a daunting concept for many to accept. After all, most of you are already carrying a gun. However, once you carry a blade for a while you will never be without one again.

A knife is probably the most useful tool that you can constantly carry on your person. Guns are good for exactly one thing, shooting people that need to be shot. Knives are used for opening packages, opening mail, opening people. Cutting food, string, tape, seat-belts, and attackers. The only thing that could be more utilitarian than a quality folding knife is a good multi-tool. Although, if you walk around wearing a multi-tool on your belt:  you will look like a first class nerd. Nine times out of ten that you need a multi-tool it will be for the knife inside of it, and it is next to worthless for self-defense. Buy a decent multi-tool and leave it in your car. Carry a knife (or knives).

The quotidian usefulness of a good knife should be obvious to almost anyone with a pulse. This blog being what it is, I am going to talk about the self-defense aspects of knives.

Why should anyone carry a knife when they can carry a gun? The answer is, some things work well in certain tactical situations, and others do not. Every contingency plan should be based upon this idea. The penalty for having the wrong plan or misunderstanding the situation, for not getting it right, is serious injury or death. Firearms cover most of the deadly force contingencies out there, but not all of them. If you can learn to use a blade, it takes care of a great number of the rest. Knives and pistols are a good complement for one another, with knives being the secondary weapon.  Knives are not for everyone but if you have the stomach for it you should definitely consider the idea.

The first use of tools by human is widely believed to have taken place around 2.5 million years ago. Possibly not quite so long ago, depending on your accepted chain of custody for human development. In any case, the first tool mankind used was the knife. It was first developed by one of our innovative ancestors to slice, chop, and process meat to make it more edible. I imagine shortly after that invention, the same enterprising progenitor used his creation to cut the shit out of someone that was trying to take his knife-prepared food. Human nature has not changed that much, some people must be shuffled off of this mortal coil and someone must be prepared to do so.

So a knife was great for cavemen, why for us? As a good friend of mine is fond of saying, “Either your gun is a tool and you are the weapon; or your gun is the weapon and you are a tool.” To once again steal from Heinlein, “There is no such thing as a dangerous weapon, only dangerous men.”

Owning or carrying a gun does not make you dangerous. Your willingness to do whatever is necessary, to defend yourself and those that you love, is what makes you dangerous to those that would do you harm. Once you are in this mental state you are dangerous, everything else is a tool. Some are more effective than others.

By virtue of being a law-abiding citizen, one is almost always surprised by violence. A threat always presents itself at a time, in a place, and by a method not of our choosing. This may give the bad guy time to get within bad breath range. Bad-breath range MAY not be the time to introduce your pistol to the fight. It is your life. Do what you want to with it. However, you fight with the training, intensity, and tools that you have available. I am an American at heart. I enjoy certain excesses;  I believe that more, of all three, is better.

A general rule is: if the bad guy can reach you, he can reach your pistol. It is very easy for someone who knows what they are doing, or is just scared, to take your gun away from you. Failing that, it is very easy for someone who is panicking, as people do when they realize that they may be shot, to make your pistol inoperable. Pushing or grabbing the muzzle and slide of almost any automatic pistol will take it slightly out of battery. An out of battery pistol will not fire. Safeties can be reengaged and magazines unengaged. A finger between an exposed hammer and the firing pin will prevent a pistol from firing. The same finger inserted behind the trigger of any gun will keep it from firing. This maneuver is extremely painful and will likely result in the practitioner having the tip of their finger broken. However, that is a small price to pay for not being shot at contact range. All of these simple manipulations can leave you holding a dead-man’s gun.

My pistol-wise compatriots are already congratulating themselves on not having to worry about these types of things. I can hear you saying, “I shoot from retention!” Call it what you like: retention, hip positions (you have to love Fairbairn and Sykes), position two, the speed rock (you also have to love Chuck Taylor), whatever you want to term it, the idea is variations on a theme. For the uninitiated, retention shooting is firing from a position intended to protect the gun, gun hand, or gun arm from an opponent’s control. This is accomplished in slightly different ways, depending on the school you subscribe to, and your level of expertise. It is usually accomplished by holding some portion of the pistol against a part of your body, and then using your bodily orientation to aim the gun. It works. Retention shooting is something that anyone who carries a gun should be proficient with. However, it is not the answer to every situation. What about when you cannot, or do not want to, draw your pistol? This is usually when an attacker(s) has you in a position of physical control.

Example one: An unseen assailant has knocked you to the ground and assumed the mount position, also known as an MMA “ground and pound.” I am going to talk about martial arts and their implications in another article. However, the mount is fairly common (George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin) and any school-yard bully is familiar with it. It can also be deadly if you are on the receiving end. Your head is getting bounced off of the ground every time you take a punch, meaning that you are exactly one shot away from being knocked out. This effect is intensified if you are on concrete or some other hard surface.

If you carry behind the hip, your pistol is trapped between you and the ground. Reaching behind you to get it is a terrible idea. Any attacker with reasonable intelligence will trap your arm behind your back, leaving you only one arm with which to protect yourself. Your situation has gotten much worse.

If you carry on the hip, or appendix carry, your pistol is as accessible to your assailant as it is to you, and he has the leverage. If you reach for it he is going to draw it first, take it away from you, or simply use his thigh to trap your arm. None of these are an improvement on your situation.

If there is more than one assailant, his associate has carte blanche to kick you, punch you, or hit you with whatever is handy. You will not last long. Even worse, the second, third, or fourth guy has the ability to assault your companions, spouse, or children. You have to get this guy off of you NOW and get your pistol into action. Enter the knife.

Example two: An assailant that is perceived an instant too late traps you up against a wall, a parked car, or any other obstacle. You get your hand on your pistol but your attacker traps your hand, or you decide not to produce the gun. All of the above scenarios are valid, except for the facts that you have retained your feet and have a little more leverage. You need to get this guy off of you NOW and get your pistol into action.

There are several interesting studies out there concerning the mechanism of injury generated by knives and stabbing or slashing incidents. If medical language and autopsy photos do not bother you, I encourage you to take a look. Knife wounds are devastating. The cliff notes version i

: It takes very little force to penetrate the human body. Typically between one and six pounds of pressure, depending on how sharp the knife is. It requires a little more force when using an implement not necessarily designed to be sharp, like an ink pen, but not much more.

Studies have demonstrated that the average elite level boxer lands punches of around 700 pounds of force. Some have been recorded at around 1300 pounds of force per punch. Most of us are not elite level fighters. However, the average person can wield a knife with levels of force many orders of magnitude above what is required for effectiveness. What would be considered a puny punch changes its character when it is no longer a punch.

The average human can deliver 3-4 strikes, across an area approximately 2-3 feet in length, in the space of a second. Imagine for a moment that you have a knife in your hand instead of just making a fist, what does that look like?

Now imagine that you are old, slow, and arthritic. The guy on top of you is young, strong, and intent on smashing your head in. His first couple of punches have dazed you and made everything fuzzy. You manage to get your small pocket-knife deployed but your reaction times are garbage. While he is punching you the first stab goes in just above his waistline. He starts to react but a half-second later (literally twice the time it would take the average person) you hit him again in the middle of the rib cage. Depending on which side you stabbed your assailant likely has damage to a major organ and definitely has a punctured lung. The lung wound alone is incredibly painful and obviously detrimental to his breathing. Lack of oxygen makes it hard to think, move, or fight. All of these things are good for the home team. Your attacker may not even know that he had been stabbed, he does know that he is in intense pain and can’t breathe. Do you think that this guy wants to punch you anymore? Do you think he wants to stay on top of you?

You may have already ended the fight, but you have absolutely given yourself room to run, control the situation, or go to guns.

The question in this situation is: Do you have a knife (knives), and do you know how to use one?

In the next sections we will discuss the ubiquitous nature of knives and their global availability, what knife training to acquire and what knives to carry and how…

Continuing Attacks on “Stand Your Ground”

Anti-gun associations have missed no opportunity to degrade so called “Stand Your Ground,” laws. All these laws say, is that an individual has no obligation to flee a deadly threat before responding in kind. An idea that is so much a part of natural law, that it is absurd that our society requires it to be enumerated.

There is a new anti-“Stand Your Ground,” public service announcement released by the “Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.” PSA  One only needs to visit the site of the “Coalition to Stop Gun Violence” to understand their point of view: http://csgv.org/

This PSA is based upon the emotion surrounding the Trayvon Martin/ George Zimmerman case; and little more. The video shows a highly inaccurate and stylized portrayal of the events surrounding the case. Then uses the generated emotion to denigrate “Stand Your Ground,” laws. This is yet another case of those who are aghast at the idea of average citizens having weapons, using negative emotion in lieu of fact and reason.

I will again, recommend Mike McDaniel’s researched and professional view of events as authoritative. If you have the guts, begin at the beginning:  Trayvon Martin- 1 of 30-something

I could editorialize this thing all night but I have to get up at 3:00am and go to do some real work.

Let me know what you think…

Paper Targets: Part Five- Conclusion

In the last four articles on this subject we have established that the ideal pistol target is three-dimensional and wearing clothes. It has the correct vital areas outlined on it and it moves. This target also drops when rounds are fired into the correct vital areas.

 Unfortunately, the only commercially available targets that meet these requirements are very expensive.  Even if we could afford them, most range facilities will not let us use them to their full advantage due to safety and liability concerns. So what do we do?

Failing perfection, we work with what we have. We train where, when, and how we can. We train with clear goals and tasks in mind. This is why I have broken down the problems with paper targets into five separate issues. No matter the constraints of your training area, time, or finances, each one of the issues with paper targets and their underlying training limiters, can be addressed every time you go to the range. My purpose was not harangue shooters about the type of target they use but to encourage you to think critically about your objectives, training plan, and performance.

For example: Our local range is antiquated, indoor, and only accommodates 2D targets. It will not even let you draw from the holster, much less move with a loaded handgun.

Even with these restraints, we can create targets that indicate the correct areas for shot placement, and then put clothes on them. This meets two of our training goals. With the addition of a good training partner, we can verbally simulate a target dropping to the ground after the requisite number of shots to the vital zone, meeting a third training objective.

By outlining our training goals, we can identify obstacles to our desired outcomes and can look for ways to get around them. We can also identify deficiencies in our training that need to be rectified.  This is far better than assuming that we are trained for a deadly force encounter solely because we can punch small shot groups into static targets, on a well-lit range. We are forcing ourselves to recognize that we are responsible for our own level of readiness and we must find ways to train. If that means working on everything that we can at our local range, and then make occasional extended trips to a different range that will allow us to draw from the holster and move with a loaded weapon, then so be it. As long as we are conscious of our training objectives, aware of our own deficiencies, and working to rectify them.

For my own amusement I decided to see how cheaply I could make a target that answers all five of the issues that we talked about. I bought a remote control ATV from Wal-Mart, pulled some bamboo planting stakes out of the yard, and grabbed some zip ties and cardboard from the garage. One hour,  $21.66, and half of a roll of duct tape later I had this:

RC ATV with bamboo planter

Cardboard torso and head

Final product with old T-shirt and creepy facial features.

It still requires another person to operate but it works pretty well. If you plan to go this route yourself, I would advise spending a little more on a wider and more powerful remote control vehicle. Version 2 will definitely incorporate that change. This is basically a cardboard scare crow. Your only limiting factors are your imagination and your willingness to think critically about training.

Paper Targets: Part Four

Problem #5: It is too easy to identify bullet holes in paper targets.

This is an issue that many shooters never consider. When you shoot a hole into paper a paper target, the paper that was in the path of the bullet goes away. As a result, it is easy tell where the bullet impacted. This is not the case with people.

Despite what Hollywood has taught us, people that have been shot do not fly backwards through the air, they (usually) do not instantly drop everything in their hands, and they do not (usually) squirt blood into the air theatrically. It is very hard to tell if actual people have been shot.

 I have personally seen people that have been gravely injured, (shot, stabbed, cut, or impaled) and did not know about it themselves for minutes, or even hours. . On one memorable occasion, it took around five hours for an associate to realize that he had a very large chunk of metal, which did not belong there, in his upper arm. This realization was precipitated by me grabbing him by the arm, and him nearly jumping out of his skin. Before that, he literally did not know that he had been injured, (there was very little blood, it had leaked to the inside of his arm, and he was wearing heavy clothing) and was conducting himself normally. Once he knew that he has been injured he turned green and required immediate medical attention. The mind body connection cannot be discounted and humans are a unique mixture of strength and weaknesses.

People DO NOT fly backwards when shot. Newton’s third law (for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction) exists in all applications. If a bullet generated enough force (mass x acceleration) to knock down a target, the same bullet would knock down the shooter that fired it. There is a great amount of energy in gunpowder. However, because that energy is dedicated to velocity, spread across a relatively small surface area, the tip of the bullet; bullets penetrate instead of imparting force. Bullets go into people instead of knocking them down. Think about the difference between a punch and a stab. A relatively gently punch to the chest, will do nothing more than push the recipient backwards. However, if our puncher is holding a sharp knife, instead of making a fist, then the knife will easily penetrate the recipient’s chest. This is because the same amount of force is imparted to a much smaller surface area. Instead of a gentle push we have a much less gentle puncture wound. Penetration instead of impact.

The same goes with bullets, they poke instead of punch. But, they poke very small holes. Look at the business end of your cartridge of choice; that is pretty much what you get. There have been great advances in cartridge technology within the last fifty or so years. There are many great hollow point, self-defense cartridges out there right now. Good ammunition must offer consistent feeding, ignition, expansion and penetration. However, no matter how much your chosen round expands, it is still pretty small. Small bullets make small holes. Small holes are hard to see.

The first obstacle to knowing if, or where, your shot has struck the intended target, is the front sight. You should be sharply focused on the front sight while engaging a threat. When you need to see your target you get the gun out of your face by going to the low ready position. The cue for doing this is your attacker going to the ground. Assess and act as necessary.

The second obstacle to seeing the impact of your round, is clothing. Surely there is the possibility of a shirtless, or god forbid, naked attacker, but most of the time even criminals will be wearing clothes. Clothing has a tendency to mask bullet holes. Dark colored, or heavy clothing exacerbates this effect.

The final obstacle to understanding where your bullet has impacted, is shooter expectation. Many people believe that an effectively placed shot will be instantly visible due to blood stains. This is often not the case. A bullet fired into the vital regions of the upper chest or head may do catastrophic damage, but cause very little external bleeding. There is a lot of space in the human body. Enough space for blood to flee the circulatory system; without escaping the body. People can bleed to death inside of their own bodies. In addition and as previously mentioned, bullets do funny things. One never knows exactly where their round may have ended up.

We have established that we should not see our bullets hit the target (front sight post) and probably cannot do so anyway (clothing, small bullet holes, lack of blood). How do we know that our gunfire is working? We are looking for effects on target. We want to stop whatever action, on the part of the initial aggressor, has triggered our use of deadly force. We shoot the best target available, as many times as are necessary to stop the threat. Once that threat is gone, we stop shooting and assess the target. If there are multiple targets, we serve bullets like turkey dinner. Everyone gets a helping, if anyone needs seconds or thirds, then we come back around and serve it up hot.

How to we train for this? The easy answer is to dress our targets and check our shot groups AFTER the shooting is over. If you are shooting a 2D paper target, draw the vital areas on it and then staple an old T-shirt to it. Check your shot placement in between strings. If you have a training partner, have them initiate a target drop after several good hits.

 If you have constructed a 3D target then actually dress it. Start with old clothes from the house and then go to the thrift store. The heavier, darker, or crazier patterned the clothes are, the better. The desired training result is to shoot the correct vital areas and stay on the front sight post while doing so. If you have purchased or constructed a target that moves and/or drops then it will make your training that much better. Learn to shoot for effects on target without looking for holes.

In the last and final section I will wrap this whole topic up by discussing holistic training programs and their implications for the concealed carry practitioner…

Paper Targets: Part 3

Problem #3: Paper targets train shooters to target the wrong places.

Problem #4: Paper targets are two-dimensional instead of three dimensional.

I am going to discuss both of these issues together because they are interrelated. There are only two reliable ways to incapacitate a human with a gunshot. Shut down the central nervous system directly, or shut off the supply of oxygen to the central nervous system, by causing a massive drop in blood pressure. To do either of these things we must put holes in the brain, spinal cord, or the major vascular structures (heart and major blood vessels) that supply oxygen to the brain. The three targets most likely to achieve this goal are located in the head, the upper chest, and the lateral pelvis.

I am going to discount the lateral pelvis right off the bat. Proponents of this target claim that properly placed shots to the pelvic region break down skeletal structure, making an attacker immobile, and have a high probability of striking large blood vessels and nerves. This MAY be the case for a rifleman facing an opponent wearing body armor. However, we are talking about using a handgun in self-defense scenario. As previously discussed, bullets do funny things and pistol bullets in particular may break bone. Even if they do, an immobile attacker can still be a threat, as discussed in Part 3.

Acquiring the necessary point of aim is also problematic. Attackers are (probably) wearing clothes and (most likely) moving. It is not that difficult to identify an attacker’s chest or head. It is difficult to identify the pelvis depending on what a target is wearing and how they are moving. There are simply too few external landmarks to quickly and accurately place a shot. Finally, limiting our prospective targets increases response time (Hick’s law) and makes the most of potentially limited training time. Stick to the head and upper chest.

The highest percentage target is the central portion of the upper chest. This area contains the heart and the major blood vessels above the heart (aorta, vena cava, pulmonary vessels, etc). If you place a bullet in this area, it is very likely to damage one of these vital parts of the anatomy, causing a drop in blood pressure to the brain. This target area is a rectangle roughly bounded by the collar bones at the top, the breastbone at the bottom, and the nipples on either side. On the average male this makes a rectangle of roughly 9-10 inches wide and 7-8 inches high. For training purposes a 5’x8′ card pasted just below the neck of a cardboard silhouette is a good expedient. An index card is easy to see and is quickly replaced when it is too shot up to be of any further use. Another approach to visualizing the target area is the “cardiac triangle.” This is an imaginary triangle formed by drawing a horizontal line across the nipples and from each nipple to the neck just below the Adam’s apple. Use whatever method is the easiest for you to visualize but ensure that you are shooting at the target’s vital area.

With a head shot the intent is to disrupt the central nervous system by putting a hole in the brain. This does not mean simply shooting someone in the head. People think of a head shot as being instantly fatal but this is not borne out by history. There are innumerable incidents of people being shot in the head and not being seriously injured. The skull and face are made up of multiple hard bones with complex curves. Sinus and nasal cavities, upper and lower jaw bones, and even teeth have been known to deflect bullets, especially pistol bullets. This does not mean that someone shot in the face may not be horribly disfigured, but our intent is to immediately stop a deadly threat. To do this with a pistol we have to place a shot inside of a rectangle that goes from the lower outside edge of each eye and extends to the outside of the forehead. This rectangle is approximately 3’x5′ which makes a 3’x5′ card stapled to a target backer a convenient training tool. This is not an easy shot to make on a static target. It becomes much harder on a moving target. In addition the head is not static on top of the body. Watch a boxing match or MMA fight to see how quickly someone can move, turn, and bob their head when under stress. Know your skill level before planning to take a head shot in a deadly force scenario. It is your life, if the time ever comes, you had better be as good as you think you are.

The problem becomes that many paper targets teach us to aim “center of mass,” and are scored accordingly. Take a look at the some of the most common law enforcement and military targets:

 The highest scores result from shooting the targets in places that are not necessarily vital, or are not the most preferred areas for shot placement. The vital areas in the head are also not clearly delineated and often do not indicate proper shot placement.

Many shooters do not take this into account and simply shoot at the highest numbers that are printed on the target. This is training us to repeat poor shot placement. Frankly, these targets are dangerous and could get you killed.

We must learn to shoot quickly and accurately, but if we are aiming at the wrong portion of the body then even accurate shooting will not be as effective. We have to know what our actual target is before we can shoot it.

Targets such as these are a better answer:

However, one does not have to break the bank to get decent targets. I construct targets similar to the ones above with scrap cardboard and a template that I made from scrap plywood. The template, a utility knife, and a marker and we are good to go. We need effective targets but we also need money for training ammo.

Problem #4: paper targets are two dimensional, people are three dimensional. This seems fairly self-explanatory but many shooters have never thought it all the way through. We are not training to shoot at a point on the outside of the human body. We are shooting through that point, to place holes in the actual targets which are the vitals inside of the body. If the shooter is offset from their attacker, or the attacker is turning away from the shooter, then the point of aim must be adjusted to achieve the correct shot placement. This is extremely hard to visualize on two dimensional targets. However, if we use even a rudimentary 3D target, the correct shot placement becomes much easier to visualize. As below:

Imagine that our shirtless friend is a threat. Notice how his orientation to your line of fire will effect your point of aim to get the desired shot placement. Another very effective way to visualize this is to use a training partner. Have them stand at arms length from you and slowly turn in a circle. Stop them intermittently and then reach out and touch the exact point on their body where you would aim to get an effective pistol shot. This is kind of eerie when someone does it to you but it is a highly effective drill for visualizing shot placement.

Finally, shoot 3D targets. One can purchase relatively inexpensive mannequin type targets. Or we can make 3D targets out of anything that we can coax into a relatively humanoid shape of the right dimension. Cardboard, plastic, and duct tape are your friend.

Whether you are using 2D or 3D targets, ensure that you are delineating the actual vital areas of the body and not simply “center of mass.” Many shooters may initially find themselves drawing to a natural point of aim, that is indexed on the middle of the target, because of long habit. This is a training fallacy that must be addressed and remedied. Initially, delineate the vital areas on your target. Practice getting shots into the vital areas as fast as possible, with no regard for shot groupings. If all the rounds are in the box, shoot faster. Once rounds start to impact outside of the lines, slow it down and make your shots. Shooting outside of your comfort zone is what makes you better, push yourself.  Once you can reliably make fast and accurate shots to the vital areas, it is time to remove the reference lines and shoot at a target that looks more like an actual person. Draw in only the landmarks that exist on a clothed person. Eyes, nose, Adam’s apple, neck notch (it is actually called the suprasternal notch but it is simply that dip in your neck right above your collar), ears, whatever landmarks you can spot on everyday people. These become reference points for finding our target areas. Unfortunately criminals do not wander around with a dartboard painted on their chests. Learn where to shoot.

Colorado is Pissed: Part Five

Three different but inter-related stories are going on. Colorado is still pissed off:

Today is the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado. As has become usual in the case of tragedy, the vultures are circling. The Michael Bloomberg sponsored “No More Names,” tour is in Aurora reading names of those killed in “gun violence,” during the last year. Unfortunately for them, their list includes the names of one of the Boston bombing suspects and other criminals legitimately killed by both police and citizens in self-defense situations. The anti-gun rally is expected to garner “dozens,” of supporters. So, at least 24 people. Gun Rights Across America and Rocky Mountain Gun Owners are holding a counter protest.

The fifty-five Colorado sheriffs who filed a lawsuit against Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, concerning recently passed gun laws, are continuing their lawsuit. However, on the 10^th of July a federal judge declined to grant a preliminary injunction against the portions of the law concerning magazines that are “readily converted,” to hold more than 15 rounds. The law as originally written would have made any magazine with a removable base plate, virtually all magazines, illegal.

Using a savvy political move, the Governor avoided the injunction by directing the State’s Attorney General, John Suthers, to issue clarifying “technical guidance” concerning the laws. The guidance included a much more restrictive interpretation of what “readily converted,” means. Regulations were also clarified for grandfathered magazines that hold more than 15 rounds. Originally, loaning the magazines was only permissible as long as the borrower stayed within “continuous physical presence” of the owner. Under the new guidance that is no longer necessary.

Both sides of the debate are claiming victory. The Sheriffs by celebrating the favorable clarification of restrictions. The anti-gun legislators by touting the lack of injunction against their laws as tacit approval. Personally I believe that both the Sheriffs and the people of Colorado would have been better served by an injunction against these immoral laws. However, the Sheriffs are continuing their lawsuit in federal court by challenging the constitutionality of these laws.

Links: Colorado Sheriff’s position paper

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23644017/colorado-gun-lawsuit-both-sides-claim-first-round

http://kajx.org/post/updated-sheriffs-lawsuit-overturn-colorados-new-gun-laws-heads-court

In better news, the Governor set Sept. 10 as the date for the state’s first-ever legislative recall election after a judge rejected a lawsuit aimed at stopping the recalls of two anti-gun state legislators, Senate President John Morse and State Senator Angela Giron. Denver District Court Chief Justice Robert Hyatt ruled that the recall may proceed.  He stated that the right of citizens to recall officeholders outweighed the technical objections to the petitions brought by the constituents and lawyers of Morse and Giron. The recall election is going to attract an inordinate amount of out of state attention and money. Things are going to stay interesting in Colorado.

Paper Targets: Part Two

Problem #2: Paper targets do not drop when they are shot.

At first glance this seems to be a simple problem, but it is not. When you draw a pistol and fire it at a person, you can bet that they are going to react. One human reaction to danger is to move (both fight and flight require movement), whether you shoot them or not; as discussed in Problem #1. Another possible reaction, again whether you shoot them or not, is to fall down. Hollywood has taught us that gunshot wounds cause people to fly backwards in a theatric fashion. Not true, but the psychological conditioning will cause some people to fall down, even if they are not actually hit by a gunshot. That seems to make sense, but let’s think it through. We have to talk about some basic scenarios before we can make informed decisions about our training:

Scenario 1:  An armed threat approaches a seemingly unarmed victim and initiates an attack. Suddenly the “unarmed” victim produces a handgun and points it at the attacker. A natural reaction for many people, including prospective criminals, at having the muzzle of a gun unexpectedly pointed in their direction, is to back up. When people start to back up quickly, they have a tendency to fall over. Now we have an uninjured and still armed attacker who happens to be on the ground.

Scenario 2: The same as Scenario 1, except this time the “victim” shoots the attacker in a non-vital area and he goes to the ground. We have a slightly injured and still armed attacker on the ground

Scenario 3: The same as Scenarios 1 and 2, except this time the attacker is shot in a vital area and goes to the ground. We have a seriously injured but still armed attacker on the ground.

Scenario 4: The same scenario, but this time the attacker takes lead and is obviously DRT (dead right there). We have a seemingly dead but still armed attacker on the ground.

We have four separate scenarios. How do we properly address each one? We have no idea which scenario we are in so initially we act in exactly the same manner. We do not know which scenario we are in for two reasons. Firstly, it is very hard to detect bullet wounds in moving people that are wearing clothes, especially dark clothes or several layers. (I will talk more about this in later posts.) So, we are not entirely sure if, or where, we have shot someone. The fact that an attacker falls down when we fire a gun does not guarantee that they have been hit. It certainly does not guarantee that the fight is over.

Secondly, bullets do funny things, as do people with bullets in them. Some people can receive a non-life threatening gun-shot wound and immediately drop to the ground. Conversely, there are literally thousands of anecdotes concerning people being shot more than a dozen times, shot in the head multiple times, or hit with something truly nasty like a .50BMG round and still continuing to fight. Some of these people have survived truly horrific wounds and not stopped their attacks. As I have said before, a gun is not a magic wand that makes a bad guy disappear, and shooting someone does not necessarily end a threat. There are many credible resources that discuss the effects of firearms on people. I recommend starting with the seminal FBI report, Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness.

Our initial actions for all four of the above scenarios are the same: We identify a deadly threat and make dynamic movement, preferably towards cover, while drawing our gun. As we present the pistol we stop, set our feet, exhale hard as we extend our arms, and find the front sight post. Once we have the correct sight picture, we break the trigger and continue to fire: front sight-fire-front sight, until the target goes to the ground. The front sight follows the threat to the ground and then we assess the threat. Shoot him to the ground. Then look at the hands, they are where danger emanates.

In the above Scenarios 1-3 above, the threat could still be aiming a gun at you or trying to aim a gun at you, keep shooting and then re-assess. Repeat as necessary until there is no threat.

With the same Scenarios 1-3, and Scenario 4, the assailant may have decided that he does not want to fight anymore, or is physically unable to continue the fight. Again look at the hands. If he is actively getting rid of a weapon, raising his hands to surrender, or not moving at all, stop shooting.

For all of the above scenarios, if the attacker was armed with an impact or edged weapon it is up to you to determine the level of threat based on range and capability. With these weapons, as long as the attacker stays on the ground, he is not likely to remain a threat. Stop shooting! If he starts to get back up and renew his attack it is time to start shooting again.

Once the initial threat is reduced, breathe and examine your surroundings. Exhale and inhale purposefully, practice this on the range. If you stop breathing your body starts to die and the fight is not necessarily over. As you breathe, bring your weapon back to retention, high in your chest with both hands on the pistol. Start to scan your surroundings. Deliberately look over your left shoulder, come back to your initial threat, and then deliberately look over your right shoulder and come back to the threat. Also practice this on the range. There is no guarantee that there is only one attacker. You also need to be aware of the potential for intervention of police or another armed citizen. You do not want to survive a deadly threat, only to be killed or injured by the good guys.

Some dynamic movement is probably also in order at this point. There is no reason not to move to cover, or to a position of advantage, while breathing and scanning. A moving target is harder to attack.

At this point in time the deadly force portion of the attack is over, it is your call how to proceed. I do not give legal advice; I am a shooter not a lawyer. Just remember you are responsible for every round you have fired. I highly recommend calling the police. I also recommend getting your pistol back in the holster before they arrive.

How do the above scenarios inform our training? It tells us that paper targets behave like paper targets, and not like people. So, we may be training to fight paper targets. How do we correct that?

We shoot targets that can move and drop whenever possible. Even if they are unavailable, we train to follow a sequence. If we are on a range that does not allow movement, we can train certain factors of the correct sequence.

Identify a threat; make dynamic movement (if possible) while drawing your weapon. Once the gun is out plant your feet, exhale hard while presenting the pistol and make your shots. Imagine your attacker going to the ground and follow him down. Assess, breathe, scan, assess (while moving if you can).

Even on a static target do not get into the habit of only firing two rounds and assuming that the attacker is down; fire iterations of rapids, two, three, four or five at a time. This gets us out of the “two rounds and stop,” mindset and will help to identify problems with our draw stroke, grip, and sight picture. If you are making good shots for the first two or three rounds, but sliding out of the vital areas for subsequent shots, then your grip may not be strong enough. You may also be coming off of the front sight post, or shooting faster than you can reacquire it. Remember: front sight-fire-front sight-fire-front sight, as necessary. Do not get trapped into the bad habit of firing on a certain cadence, fire as soon as you reacquire the front sight but not before. This may not look or sound as cool, but you will shoot much better.

A good training tool is a partner shouting instructions as you shoot. You draw and fire until your partner shouts (down!) then you proceed with your scan. Your partner may then indicate the necessity to reengage the target during your scan. This trains us to act based on external stimuli which more closely simulates actual conditions. There are multiple variations of this idea. Your only limitations are your imagination and the resources at hand.

There are some great targets out there which will drop when shot in vital areas. Some steel targets can also be rigged to drop after a certain number of hits. Several of these targets are very expensive, but others are relatively cheap or easy DIY projects. Here are some ideas but there are many more out there:

http://www.droptargets.net/

http://www.metaltargets.com/SpecialtyTargets.htm

Use your imagination and tailor your targets to fit your training objectives. Do not make your training fit your targets. To be continued…