Strike Tactical Solutions

Newsletter 4/2007

I spent most of February 2007 overseas. Most interesting was the difference in cultures of the countries I visited to the USA. Most things taken for granted in one country (e.g. food) is a daily struggle in another. We hit the ground running upon our return. As you will see from the STRIKE training calender for 2007, our classes are almost all filled to to the brim. I am in discussion with several Range Masters in regards range time so we can accommodate the large overflow of students for our Level 1 Tactical Pistol Classes.

Also, Chief Jeff Chudwin and myself are speaking to NEMRT to see if we can get one or two additional dates for the overflow of the STRIKE Close Quarter Gunfight Survival Classes. We will keep you posted via this newsletter. 

I have just returned from the Texas Tactical Police Officer's Association Annual Conference where we presented several 8 hour life-fire programs. What an experience! Texas most definetely does everything bigger and better. There were 110 vendors present and I had the priviligde to meet and socialize with some of the most professional and dedicated trainers and SWAT officers in the world!

Jeff Chudwin was the keynote speaker at the conference dinner and I have to say that this was one of the highlights of the trip. Jeff spoke passionately about police murders, training, equipment and the future of Law Enforcement in the USA. He had several standing ovations during his time behind the podium. Well done Jeff!

I would like to personally thank Shannon Couch, TTPOA President, and his outstanding team for an utterly professionally run conference. Also a very special thanks to each and every officer that made our stay special. Our designated range personnel, Mark Alonso and Luis Figueroa, were absolutely outstanding. It was great working with professionals like yourselves. See you next year!

I would also like to thank friend, student and fellow NEMRT trainer, Patrick Sweeny for including Strike Tactical Solutions in his article - " Schools for Shootists - What to know, what to look for and what to ask before you enroll in a shooting school", published in the April 2007 edition of the Guns & Ammo magazine.

TALKING TACTICS - SHOT PLACEMENT
By Henk Iverson
 
LAW ENFORCEMENT TARGETS

A lot has been said about shot placement on the human body to stop violent attacks. I am of the opinion that the targets that are used by Law Enforcement training agencies should accurately reflect the torso of a human body.

Too often we see targets that has a hazy outline of what vaguely resembles a human being. Some “targets” have several scoring lines so trainers can record the shooter’s “score”. There are some really good target systems out there, some cheap and easy to set up and use, others REALLY expensive, heavy and impractical.  Most bad guys do not wear t-shirts with scoring lines on them. Also, some of these Law Enforcement targets have the main scoring circle way too low on the body. Center of mass definetely is not in the stomach area of a human being!

I use the old style IPSC cardboard targets in most of my training. I modify these by placing playing cards high up on the chest, just under the throat area. Then I “dress” the targets with old t-shirts to make them more realistic. I have several faces that a South African friend and artist made up for me, which I stick on the head of the targets. I also use 3-D targets. These are fantastic to work with as it gives my students the feel of engaging a real human being. I place a playing card high on the chest of these targets as well. Some of the very best 3D type torso targets are manufactured and destributed by Innovative Training Concepts. Their targets last for thousands of rounds and sections can be replaced as neccessary. I highly recommend these targets. Please see http://www.trainingtargets.com/ for more info.

The reason I place the “scoring area” (playing card) so high up in the chest, is that I firmly believe and teach that you only have ONE shot in a gunfight.  Mrs. Murphy is always there to see to it that something WILL go wrong at the most unfortunate moment. You present your pistol from its holster and the magazine falls out, you fire your first shot and you are wounded in your gun-hand, you fire your first shot and you have a stoppage, you fire your first shot only to be run over by the bad guy. Do you want me to continue?

GUNFIGHT SHOT PLACEMENT

With that said, if you only had ONE SHOT, where would you want to place that shot on your adversary? A lot of students tell me that they will shoot the head of the opponent. Again, we know from experience that the head is a very difficult target to hit under duress. The head moves all the time. Also, there are literally HUNDREDS of cases where bullets have bounced of people’s heads or simply failed to penetrate the skull!

The most famous case in South Africa is when a hijacker took over an airplane in Mozambique and the plane landed on South African soil. The elite South African Police Special Task Force was dispatched to the scene. To make a long story short, the Task Force penetrated the plane, shot the hijacker in the head and rescued the hostages on board. The “dead” hijacker woke up a few minutes later pleading not to be shot again! The 9 mm Parabellum bullet from the Task Force operator’s pistol did not penetrate the head, but knocked the bad guy unconscious! He is serving time in jail.

To ensure penetration of the skull, we teach our students to shoot for the eye and nose cavities if the threat is presented directly from the front. Also we teach our students to drive at least 2 to 3 rounds into the skull to find and destroy the  brain stem. The brain stem is well protected and we know that most handgun bullets do not have enough power to destroy human bone and tissue EFFECTIVELY to reach the vital area to stop a fight instantly. Again, there are no guarantees! If we get a shot from the side of the bad guy's head, I teach my students to shoot for the ear. I know the brain stem sits slighly back towards the back of the head, BUT if the bad guy makes a sudden move forward, you may miss him completely. Shooting for the ear, you will get a good brain shot. Cover the ear with your front sight and depress the trigger smoothly..... IN A PERFECT WORLD! If the shooter crushes his/her trigger and the shot goes low, you still might hit the bad guy in the neck, putting him out of action.

STANDARD TRAINING AND TACTICS

Shot placement stops fights. The question still remains ... If you only have ONE round, where would you place it on your opponent? Some trainers prefer the so-called “Zipper” technique where the bad guy is shot low into the stomach or pelvis area and the shots are then “walked” up higher and higher on the body. In certain circumstances, this makes sense, BUT …. If you fire your first shot low into the stomach of a homicidal, drugged-up human being, hell-bent on killing you, and you have a stoppage after your FIRST round, you are in deep trouble! If that maniac weighs 300 plus pounds and carries a lot of weight around his stomach, the bullet will most certainly not reach any vitals to stop a fight!

Also, we see more and more bad guys wearing body armor these days. Where do they get it you may ask. Well, a quick browse through “Ebay” and you will be most shocked! Body  Armor is sold to the highest bidder!

For years and years training doctrine has been “ double tap” to the chest, access and follow up with a headshot if necessary. These so-called “tactics” are not only irresponsible, they have deadly consequences! If you fire two quick shots into the body of an attacker then take you muzzle of your pistol off the danger to access the effects of your shots, you are playing with your life! If he is wearing body armor your shots might have no effect, if you missed, well …. You get the picture!

THE CASE FOR THE HIGH CHEST SHOT

If you look at diagrams of the human body, you will see that the heart delivers oxygenated blood from the lungs to the BRAIN via a “highway” of veins and arteries. That highway of veins and arteries is the PERFECT place to shoot a bad guy. That highway sits above the heart, just below the throat area. The throat is where the arteries and veins split on their way to the brain. If we can blow out the highway of veins and arteries, the oxygenated blood will not reach the brain. Without oxygen, the brain cannot function.

After a few seconds the attacker will collapse from blood loss but more importantly, loss of oxygen. Please note, this is NOT an instant stop in a gunfight, BUT it does ensure that we have at least a chance of stopping the violent attack within a reasonable amount of time! The only time an INSTANT STOP can be guaranteed is when the spinal column or the brain stem is destroyed or severely damaged.

If you look at most soft body armor sold today, you will see that the front of these vests are low cut, mostly into a “V”. That “V” is exactly where we place our shots in a close range gunfight. Even if the bad guy is wearing armor, by placing your shots high onto the chest, you have a chance of  stopping him.

Also, we know from years and years of actual shootings and interactive force-on-force training, that you have a high percentage chance of being shot in your hands as the attacker might well focus on the threat (your gun) when he engages you.

By targeting the high chest area, you have a more than 50 percent chance of hitting the bad guy in HIS hands during the fight. Is this a bad thing? I say absolutely not. If you have only ONE shot and you can shoot bad guy in his gun hand, you have enough time to move, clear your stoppage, reload etc and finish the fight!

I had the privilege to train Schaumberg Police Department’s firearms and defensive tactics instructors. In our interactive force-on-force section, we had 11 gunfights where rounds were exchanged between the good and bad guys. In those fights, 37 rounds were fired of which 23 were hits in the arms or hands! Enough said! We also found that in several hundred force-on-force encounters, not ONCE did any person duck down to avoid being shot at close range. There is a valid argument that if you go high too quickly, the bad guy might duck underneath your muzzle and you will miss your shot. Although this statement might carry some water, it is highly unlikely to happen because of the dynamics of close range gunfighting. You are moving, the bad guy is moving, low light conditions etc. Too much information overload for most people to handle effectively. Also, if the bad guy ducks down, you might get lucky and shoot him in the face.

We shoot to STOP the threat. We keep on shooting until the presented threat is over. No more two shots and access! Shoot until the threat is no more. How many shots you may ask? As many as necessary to stop the threat! Stay in the fight, never give up!

Until next time!

DTI QUIPS
By John Farnam
 
Rifle Slings:

Recently, a friend called and wanted my advice on a sling for his new DSA / FAL. When I provide such advice, the question I usually ask first is: "What is the rifle for?" Put another way: "Whom are you trying to impress: your friends, or your enemies?"

Quite often, new purchasers have failed to think that one through. Assuming your rifle is for serious, rather than recreational, purposes, we need to know the context. In most of our Urban Rifle Classes, the context is "Domestic Policing/Domestic Personal Defense." We also instruct classes in "Military Rifle," but that context is not the same.

In Military Rifle classes, the emphasis is (1) functioning as a part of a team, (2) long-range, lethal engagement of enemy soldiers, (3) aggressively confronting, at gunpoint, persons of unknown intent, and (4) fire superiority.

In Urban Rifle classes the emphasis is on (1) functioning as an individual operator, (2) constructively interacting in a non-threatening manner, while armed, with persons of unknown intent, (3) relatively close-range, lethal engagement of VCAs who represent a direct threat to innocents, and (4) careful, individual shots, keeping in mind that the our ammunition supply is limited, resupply is unlikely, and errant shots, by definition, are going to hit something we didn't want to hit.

Within the later context, I have the best luck with a two-point sling. The one made by Blue-Force is excellent. Three-point slings may work fine in some military situations, but they do not lend themselves to a "grab-and-go" circumstance, as they take too long to climb into and get adjusted. One-point slings are fast, but the rifle tends to "dangle." The best one-point sling currently available is made by my friend and colleague, Henk Iverson, at Strike Tactical.

When using a two-point sling, attachment points need to be on the top side of the rifle, rather than on the under side. That way, the rifle will hang right-side-up when carried in front. The front attachment point needs to be near the front sight, but it may have to be on the left side, rather than directly on top, as attachment points on top obscure the sighting plane. Any good gunsmith can get this set-up installed.

At the end of the day, you should be able to comfortably sling your rifle in front, or to the rear, and still be able to quickly mount it from any starting posture Also, while the rifle is mounted, you should be able to quickly shift shoulders without the sling getting in your way or preventing you from moving the rifle from one shoulder to the other.

Without a suitable sling, your serious rifle is handicapped. And, after properly equipping yourself, you need to get into an Urban Rifle Course, with us or any other competent instructor, where you can run yourself and your equipment hard. Only then can you be relatively sure that you have respectable gear that is going to hold up and serve you adequately when it has to.

223 Performance, from a friend in Dallas, TX:

"One of our patrol officers was murdered here Friday. The suspect fired at him from within a stopped vehicle. Other nearby officers responded by firing at the suspect, who remained inside the vehicle (Chevy Caprice) the entire time. Suspect eventually surrendered after being wounded. He is currently hospitalized.

The point of this is that at least one responding officer was armed with an EOTech-equipped AR-15. Both rifle and optic ran just fine. The ammunition did not! The police rifle was loaded with WW 55gr ballistic silvertip. Range was less than fifty feet. With over fifteen rounds fired at the suspect, penetration of the vehicle door and glass was poor, with every bullet fired breaking up upon impact and failing to penetrate intact. Only fragments came through and did merely superficial damage to the suspect. In fact, it was police handgun rounds fired at the suspect, particularly 357SIG, that did penetrate and subsequently wounded him severely enough to persuade him to stop fighting.

I am convinced that even 55gr hardball would have performed better."

Comment: For over forty years, the unsatisfactory penetration ability of the 223 round, at all ranges, has been well known within both the military and the law-enforcement communities. In fact, it is "poor penetration" that we have actually used as a selling point while persuading politicians to allow us to equip beat cars with rifles, rather than shotguns.

Unfortunately, in American law enforcement, we get into a lots of our gunfights in and around cars. Most pistol rounds do a poor job of penetrating car doors. Buckshot from a shotgun does not penetrate car doors either. Slugs from a shotgun do penetrate, but most police shotguns are not routinely equipped with them. Rifles were supposed to address this issue, but, as we see, light, frail, crumbly bullets, at any speed, fail to penetrate car doors, even car glass.

Departments that equip their officers with 223 rifles need to look at Cor-Bon 62gr DPX and Federal 223 Tactical. Both these rounds will reliably

penetrate car doors without breaking up. In fact, DPX not only penetrates but it expands fully after penetrating the car door and subsequently striking soft tissue. I routinely carry DPX in my RA/XCR, which is one of my car-guns.

It is high time we stop playing games with friable bullets and start equipping our officers with up-to-date, fight-stopping technology!

John Farnam - DTI
http://www.defense-training.com/

Comments from Jeff Chudwin - Master Trainer:

I have written about this repeatedly. No other rounds other than Federal Tactical 55 and 62 grain and the newer Corbon DPX  53 and 62 grain has been effective in consistently penetrating both auto sheet metal / door parts and window glass.

The small 10 grain steel penetrator of the military M855 62 grain is not effective.

Too often officers observe the effect of full metal jacket or other type rounds penetrating through sheet metal / tempered glass and see a hole through and through.

What they do not see, is that the exit hole is created during  bullet disintegration and any blow through of parts material. There is very little to no remaining projectile to make deep penetration and create wounds to blood vessels and organs. We prove it by hands on testing, and then we see the actual results on the street.

If your agency is using a bullet design in your patrol rifles/carbines that cannot make effective penetration on intervening barriers, particularly autos (where the work on the street is happening) then consider making an assessment based on testing of your own.

If you cannot test then for sure get the C/D from FBI Quantico Ammo Test Facility and look at same info from DEA and ATF. All agree on this. Let us give our Officers their best chance to prevail in life and death incidents.

At this year's TTPOA Conference I had the pleasure to meet Limor Shemer, CEO of SAM Life Saving Innovations. (See  http://www.sammedical.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/SamSite.woa/wa/pages/Home) She introduced me to a new hemostatic blood clotting agent called CELOX. After seeing an impressive video presentation on how Celox works, I decided that this product needs to be in every Law Enforcement squad car. The product is cheap, easy to use and will without a doubt save lives!

CELOX is a granular powder that dependably controls difficult bleeding fast. It comes in a small, lightweight package and requires no special training to use. Just pour it in, pack it and apply pressure.

Unlike other hemostatic agents, this revolutionary product is not dependent on blood clotting factors. It works in extreme cold and won't cause exothermic burns to the victim or caregiver. In addition, it clots Heparinized blood. There are no inhalation or ingestion hazards to opening or using CELOX, so you can open it in tight quarters and use it for head, neck, chest wounds with complete confidence.

On the move or pinned down, far from help or close to base, any temperature, any weather, anywhere. If you're Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard or National Guard, you'll be well equipped if CELOX is with you wherever you go.

ABOUT CELOX

CELOX is a new granular hemostatic agent that controls life-threatening bleeding fast.  It's safe for both the victim and the caregiver, simple to use - no training required - and can be used for bleeding injuries in extreme low temperatures and will even clot Heparinized blood.

Best of all, CELOX can be used as an immediate response for all bleeding - even high pressure, high volume bleeding from major arteries - which saves time, eliminates decision-making and reduces blood loss.

HOW IT WORKS

CELOX is a granular hemostat powder intended for emergency use as an external temporary traumatic wound treatment. Pouring CELOX into the wound prevents blood loss and achieves hemolysis by coagulation. It reduces blood loss dramatically and significantly increases survivability of catastrophic bleeding wounds. It forms a gel-like mass over the clot that protects the wound and is easy to clean out.

WHAT IT IS

CELOX is a proprietary blend of materials that contains Chitosan. It is both safe for the caregiver and the victim. It can control the most severe arterial bleeding, even when applied within moments of the onset of high pressure, high volume bleeds. CELOX works in hypothermic conditions, and will work when Heparin is added to prevent the risk of a stroke.

EVERY REASON TO CHOOSE CELOX

CELOX is lightweight, small, and fits into a pocket. It is intelligently packaged to be safely opened with one hand and easily applied. CELOX is affordably priced and available in two small, lightweight package sizes - 15g or 35g with a shelf life of 2 years.

FEATURES and BENEFITS

• For all bleeding emergencies   - Count on it as an immediate first response. Safe and reliable.
• No training needed, easy to open    - Self-applied and one handed use possible. 
• Can rapidly add granules to wound    - No careful measuring or application needed 
• Safe for chest, head and neck wounds - No hazard from inhalation or ingestion 
• Controls severe arterial bleeding  - Minimizes blood loss, tissue damage, risk of shock 
• No heat from exothermic reactions - Won't cause burns to victim or caregiver 
• Use in all temperatures - Works even in hypothermic conditions 
• Forms gel-like mass over the clot - Protects the wound yet is easy to clean out 
• Clots Heparinized blood - Works on patients taking an anticoagulant such as Heparin 
• Lightweight, pocket-sized, economical    - Available in 15g or 35g sizes, affordably price

My personal medical kits have been stocked with CELOX. This is a fantastic addition to ANY medical kit. STRIKE Tactical Solutions LLC will be selling CELOX very shortly. Keep your eyes on our stores! 

Please see  http://www.celoxmedical.com/info.htm for more info.

MIND, BODY & SPIRIT
By Louis P. Hayes
PART III: Firearms Training

This is part of the Mind-Body-Spirit series that began in the January 2007 edition. Click on those links to access previous columns.

So who’d have thought that the ideals of Mind-Body-Spirit would have leaked into the realm of firearms training?  Yes, there are mental and emotional aspects of shooting a firearm.  And I’m only talking about the mechanics of doing it, not preparing to shoot a person during a gun battle.  Most of what we’ll discuss below revolves around marksmanship, the staple foundation of all other tactical firearms training. Much of this is basic knowledge for those in law enforcement and military, but I am going to continue to apply the M-B-S template.

At its most infinitesimal level, shooting a gun is simple.  As one continues to do so, s/he will likely become better at it.  Let’s look at pure target shooting: A brand new untrained shooter might see a handgun grouping of 16 inches at 15 feet.  With relatively little informal practice or instruction, that grouping can tighten to 10-12 inches.  With a little more training, the grouping will shrink to 8 inches (maybe half of the original diameter).  But it will take a considerable amount of practice to shrink a 5-inch group to 2 or 3-inches.  As the grouping gets smaller, the amount of effort required making it smaller increases. For you economics people, this is the law of diminishing returns: less return (positive results) for each additional effort (practice).  Simply speaking: the better one gets the harder to get better.

But the most common error in firearms training is the focus on the physical.  Two main tangible items can be seen in the physical sphere:  the human body and the equipment (gun).  The human body must be practiced and conditioned to pull the trigger in the most consistent of ways.  The movement must be exact every time. Yet, even with the pinnacle of physical skill, the shooter cannot be held to a higher standard than his/her equipment will allow. Consider females with small hands gripping a double-stack .45.  The poor mesh between hand and gun already puts the shooter at a disadvantage. At the highest end of shooters, the equipment becomes terribly specialized.  Look at custom made barrels, triggers, holsters, and sights. Unless you’re the upper 1% of shooters, a gun out of the box will still suit (and shoot) just fine!  The slightest of changes will help or hurt the shooter’s results.  Muscle memory is arguably the single greatest factor having bearing on accuracy or precision…but don’t stop there.

Now the mental side.  Knowledge of perfection is essential.  Practice does not make perfect; Perfect practice makes perfect.  The shooter needs to know not only the technical function the weapon, but the human body’s physiology and mechanics.  Knowledge of certain phases of shooting is critical.  Let’s move away from the hands, and venture up into the face for a minute. Having trained eye muscles responsible for focusing on multiple images in quick succession is very helpful.  These multiple images are the target (varying distances from eye) and the weapon sights (consistent distance from eye).  Much like repeated practice with focusing a 35mm camera lens form varying distances, the human eye muscles build a memory to more quickly acquire those weapon sights.  But first, the shooter needs to tap into his mind and begin by comprehending how to acclimatize these eye muscles, and what drills will help.  Then the shooter must revert back to the physical arena to exercise the eyes. In this example, knowledge is a key to improvement.

Additional topics within the mental sphere may be: target analysis (self-diagnosing a problem by using the holes in a paper target), geometry/trigonometry/physics of trajectory, and understanding the differences in line-of-sight versus line-of-bore.  Snipers capitalize on their solid mental foundation to reach excellence.  You’re not a sniper? You still don’t get off that easily. Anyone carrying a firearm for a living needs to have even a partial grasp of these topics.

Lastly, the emotional and spiritual side:  I instruct at a remedial pistol marksmanship class to veteran police officers.  One of the overriding issues that held these officers’ performance down was a lack of confidence.  For one officer in particular, he told me each time he pulled the trigger, he thought to himself, “I hope I don’t miss.”  The last word that went through his head before the bullet went through the barrel was MISS.  What a dreadful image to foster before each string of fire.  Failure was on his mind.  He was surprised if he saw a hole in the target, where conversely, most of us feel disappointed to see one outside the center.  Why? Because we pull the trigger presuming greatness, and he expects failure. After more practice, his confidence began to rise.  He left that day self-assured he would succeed.  He knows he can hit the target now, and he continues to see sustained improvement in his marksmanship.  This newfound enthusiasm continues to heighten his performance.

Think for a moment of “buck fever.”  A novice hunter who is a credible marksman cannot pull the trigger when a live animal is in the backdrop of his weapon’s sights.  He knows how to shoot. He has the proven physical ability to do so. Yet he doesn’t pull the trigger, or if he does, doesn’t hit the animal.  The unexpected realization of that terminal consequence of his action affects him. It’s this type of breakdown of the spiritual side that generally affects police officers in life and death situations.  (More on this will be included in later columns dissecting force training).  Police and military shooters must train with the idea that they are practicing to shoot people. 

As law enforcement and military, we begin to plateau with our accuracy and marksmanship.  There’s only so much we can do with physical practice alone.  Enriching and harnessing the power of the mind and spirit (even only when looking for tighter shot groups on a static range) will allow one to rise above that plateau.  With the passion to become better comes a powerful boost. 

Be perfect, every time. But first, be sure you know what perfect is. Next month: Physical Fitness and Wellness.

FEATURED STORE ITEM: Emerson CQC 14 "SNUBBY" TACTICAL FOLDING KNIFE
By Henk Iverson

As most of you guys know, I only carry Emerson blades for defensive purposes. In all our defensive blade classes, we prove over and over that the "remote opening device" or wave feature is only second in speed to having the knife open and in your hand! Although this takes training and dedication to master, the Emerson wave feature is FAR superior to any opening device on the market, automatic knives included.

STRIKE Tactical has just landed a shipment of Ernest Emerson's new idea, the CQC 14 "Snubby".

The snubby is a thinking man's defensive folder. In most states this knife will be legal to carry. You will have to move fast on these as they will sell out within a few days!

The CQC-14 also features the Patented Wave opening device or "Remote Pocket Opener". In an emergency or injury situation the knife can be opened with one hand as it is drawn from the pocket.

This is the legal, carry knife, you've been waiting for. Thanks to the request from several Emerson customers, Ernest now manufacures a knife you can legally carry, in most areas, yet still pack a heavyweight punch. The blade is under 3 inches long.

THE LIBRARY
Suggested Reading For Professionals

QUOTE OF THE MONTH
By Henk Iverson
 
The Thin Blue Line