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As featured at Janes:
06 January 1999
A technique which helps armed officers stay alive
The handgun for law enforcement purposes is given to an officer as the most effective means of delivering deadly physical force. In this capacity it is used for both offensive and defensive shooting. The use of deadly force demands that an officer has the utmost level of confidence developed and maintained in his ability to deliver hits on target over that of his criminal adversary.
Records show that the vast majority of life threatening encounters involving officers take place at 20 feet or less.
In his treatment of the safe use of firearms in South Africa, author Hilton Hamann points out that Uniform Crime Reports published in the United States prior to 1990 demonstrate that the average police officer killed in the US 'is hit at a distance between 30cms and 1.7m ...73 died at distances of 1.7m or less.' The FBI's 1992 Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report, detailing the deaths of officers killed by firearms over a 10-year period, shows that out of 650 killed during this period, 367 were shot at a range of five feet or less. Another 127 died within ranges of six to 10ft, 77 more at 11 to 20ft, with only 79 officers in 10 years killed at a range of 20ft or more.
With these painful facts in mind, the challenge for today's law enforcement firearms trainer is to research and create a practical foundation of shooting and tactical skills responsive to the real world.
After the Second World War handgun instruction for law enforcement can be best described as traditional in both concept and execution. As most serving police officers of that era were exempt from military service, war-won life-saving lessons and advances in training were either unheard of or ignored at the conclusion of hostilities.
Returning veterans with extensive close quarters pistol fighting experience taking up careers in law enforcement found little support from entrenched police firearms instructors, many favouring theory over reality. Even today, range firing and qualification is essentially determined by the minimal amount of ammunition a department can provide each officer during training because of budget restraints and civil litigation considerations.
A half century's ingrained post-war habits has likewise led many instructors to adopt handgun training programmes developed by professional shooting theorists. Such programmes have become especially popular since the 1970s, when the use of deadly force by police came under enormous social and legal scrutiny. Today, despite it being well documented that close quarters pistol instruction can reduce police death tolls, traditional training and techniques continue to find favour.
As one of today's top authorities on both shooting and tactics, Major John Farnam (retired), has noted: 'There is so much information out there on this subject... Sadly, material which is absolutely wrong, in many cases dangerously so, is being routinely taught and promulgated by the ignorant, every day. The results are dismally evident: too many gun accidents, even among those who are supposed to be "trained", too many missed shots, even when accurate shooting is critically necessary, (and) too much irresponsible and unskilled gun handling.'
Where 'the modern technique' of pistol instruction and its variants has been used since being introduced in the US by Colonel Jeff Cooper (retired), many of its adherents appear to either overlook or minimise Cooper's admonition that 'the firing of a shot in a fight is the last step in a long list of means to an end'.
Practical law enforcement handgun training is perhaps the epitome of this long list of means. So what is critical to sound police handgun training is not which 'shooting guru' or school of thought is most popular at the time, but rather which techniques, when combined with proper tactics, give the greatest degree of officer/public safety while bringing the situation to an acceptable end.
The resurrection of point shooting with its pre-Second World War origins is providing a sound foundation for 21st Century police handgun training.
Developed and refined by Captain WE Fairbairn and Colonel Rex Applegate (retired) in the 1939-45 conflict, point shooting was proven by Fairbairn to save police lives during shoot-outs with some of the world's most desperate gangsters in Shanghai, China.
Extensively researched, experimented with, and tested under real conditions by police officers, point shooting owes its documented viability to Fairbairn and BA Sykes, of the Shanghai Police.
0136 Point shooting's basic premise is that both sighted and unsighted fire is effective and should be taught. But documented case studies as first recorded by Fairbairn in Shanghai and then by Applegate and his staff at the Military Intelligence Training Centre at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, provide indisputable evidence that a well rounded offensive/defensive pistol programme must be grounded in the equally well documented realities of close quarters combat.
The research and training conducted by Fairbairn, Applegate, and their staff demonstrated, via direct feedback and written documentation, that 'instinct', or point shooting does exist as a combat pistol technique and that an acceptable level of ability, that is, fight-stopping hits placed on target at ranges from contact to 20ft under circumstances of surprise and extreme stress, can be achieved.
In brief, point shooting:
* Allows for the engagement of hostile targets at unknown ranges from a multitude of shooting positions and under a variety of shooting environments. This includes subdued light, an environment and period of time during which the majority of officers killed in gunfights are engaged
* Takes into account observed stress and documented physical reactions in responses the officer undergoes when under fire
According to the late Col Applegate: 'There is a tremendous difference between shooting methods that work well when you're simply trying to put holes in the target and those that work well when the target is trying to put holes in you. Failing to understand this difference is a mistake that will get you (the police officer) killed if you ever have to use your handgun in a real armed confrontation.'
0137 Point shooting became standardised training for both the US elite DELTA and SEAL Team 6 (ST-6) counter-terrorist forces in the mid 1990s. Operators from both units say that extensive shooting drills and scenarios demonstrated an exclusive reliance on front sight shooting alone which was too little, too late at close range under periods of extreme stress. Both DELTA and ST-6 were extensively schooled in the modern technique of pistol shooting prior to incorporating point shooting into their demanding close combat skills training.
Steve Barron, of Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio, is part of an innovative and far-reaching programme that trains law enforcement officers nationwide. Upon examining the shortcomings of front sight only fire and the stance promoted by modern pistol technique advocates, Barron said: 'We have made several observations concerning point shooting during the past two years. First is the speed with which novice shooters develop acceptable skill levels. Typically, the basic recruit can be trained adequately in about half the time as was previously used. The next issue is accuracy. This system of shooting provides excellent accuracy in close quarters (inside 30ft). Third, the speed at which the students are capable of engaging targets is astonishing. It is not unusual to see the first round on target in less than .4 seconds.'
Point shooting is a documented lesson of the past being reintroduced for the benefit of the future in law enforcement shooting instruction.
Unlike other so-called modern instruction, point shooting does not discredit additional techniques and their associated tactics. Quite to the contrary, point shooting instruction seeks to provide the law enforcement officer with a valid shooting continuum spanning contact range to two-handed, sighted fire. Where the officer fires along the continuum is based on his distance to the target, the perceived threat facing him, and his ability to control instinctive physical, mental, and emotional responses to stress.
Wild Bill Hickcock, noted US frontier lawman and gunfighter, killed a number of adversaries in face-to-face gunfights. In a written response to an inquiry about how he was so successful Hickock wrote: 'I raised my hand to eye level, like pointing a finger, and fired.'
Today's lawmen are again being educated in the same time proven techniques of close quarters pistol shooting as that of men such as Hickock, Fairbairn, and Applegate.
Progressive shooting instructors can avail themselves of point shooting programmes knowing this technique will continue to save police lives.
The report can be found at; A technique which helps armed officers stay alive - Jane's Law Enforcement News
- Janq
Note:
I've trained in Fairbairn & Sykes type 'Instinctive Point Shooting' as under Michael T. Rayburn of Rayburn Law Enforcement Training (RLET).
There are other methods out there like 'Fist Fire' and firing using the hands/back of the hand as an index etc. I will not speak to those.
As to I.P.S. though as based on the Fairbairn & Sykes method in specific, I am not only a believer but I integrated it into my training and practice it.
It works. Period.
With gun drawn from holster but rather than in front of the face or chest kept and held at various points from the waist on up the mid line to just at the sternum. It works. For extreme close engagement purposes out to as afar as 21'. I've seen it done and have done it myself on full man sized targets with combat accuracy.
Also I've applied it in training and in FoF with Simunitions, and it works. Works for me rather...And not so much for the OPFOR who tried to use Weaver and all other manner of method to counteract same engagement. All experienced law enforcement shooters, no newbies.
06 January 1999
A technique which helps armed officers stay alive
The handgun for law enforcement purposes is given to an officer as the most effective means of delivering deadly physical force. In this capacity it is used for both offensive and defensive shooting. The use of deadly force demands that an officer has the utmost level of confidence developed and maintained in his ability to deliver hits on target over that of his criminal adversary.
Records show that the vast majority of life threatening encounters involving officers take place at 20 feet or less.
In his treatment of the safe use of firearms in South Africa, author Hilton Hamann points out that Uniform Crime Reports published in the United States prior to 1990 demonstrate that the average police officer killed in the US 'is hit at a distance between 30cms and 1.7m ...73 died at distances of 1.7m or less.' The FBI's 1992 Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report, detailing the deaths of officers killed by firearms over a 10-year period, shows that out of 650 killed during this period, 367 were shot at a range of five feet or less. Another 127 died within ranges of six to 10ft, 77 more at 11 to 20ft, with only 79 officers in 10 years killed at a range of 20ft or more.
With these painful facts in mind, the challenge for today's law enforcement firearms trainer is to research and create a practical foundation of shooting and tactical skills responsive to the real world.
After the Second World War handgun instruction for law enforcement can be best described as traditional in both concept and execution. As most serving police officers of that era were exempt from military service, war-won life-saving lessons and advances in training were either unheard of or ignored at the conclusion of hostilities.
Returning veterans with extensive close quarters pistol fighting experience taking up careers in law enforcement found little support from entrenched police firearms instructors, many favouring theory over reality. Even today, range firing and qualification is essentially determined by the minimal amount of ammunition a department can provide each officer during training because of budget restraints and civil litigation considerations.
A half century's ingrained post-war habits has likewise led many instructors to adopt handgun training programmes developed by professional shooting theorists. Such programmes have become especially popular since the 1970s, when the use of deadly force by police came under enormous social and legal scrutiny. Today, despite it being well documented that close quarters pistol instruction can reduce police death tolls, traditional training and techniques continue to find favour.
As one of today's top authorities on both shooting and tactics, Major John Farnam (retired), has noted: 'There is so much information out there on this subject... Sadly, material which is absolutely wrong, in many cases dangerously so, is being routinely taught and promulgated by the ignorant, every day. The results are dismally evident: too many gun accidents, even among those who are supposed to be "trained", too many missed shots, even when accurate shooting is critically necessary, (and) too much irresponsible and unskilled gun handling.'
Where 'the modern technique' of pistol instruction and its variants has been used since being introduced in the US by Colonel Jeff Cooper (retired), many of its adherents appear to either overlook or minimise Cooper's admonition that 'the firing of a shot in a fight is the last step in a long list of means to an end'.
Practical law enforcement handgun training is perhaps the epitome of this long list of means. So what is critical to sound police handgun training is not which 'shooting guru' or school of thought is most popular at the time, but rather which techniques, when combined with proper tactics, give the greatest degree of officer/public safety while bringing the situation to an acceptable end.
The resurrection of point shooting with its pre-Second World War origins is providing a sound foundation for 21st Century police handgun training.
Developed and refined by Captain WE Fairbairn and Colonel Rex Applegate (retired) in the 1939-45 conflict, point shooting was proven by Fairbairn to save police lives during shoot-outs with some of the world's most desperate gangsters in Shanghai, China.
Extensively researched, experimented with, and tested under real conditions by police officers, point shooting owes its documented viability to Fairbairn and BA Sykes, of the Shanghai Police.
0136 Point shooting's basic premise is that both sighted and unsighted fire is effective and should be taught. But documented case studies as first recorded by Fairbairn in Shanghai and then by Applegate and his staff at the Military Intelligence Training Centre at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, provide indisputable evidence that a well rounded offensive/defensive pistol programme must be grounded in the equally well documented realities of close quarters combat.
The research and training conducted by Fairbairn, Applegate, and their staff demonstrated, via direct feedback and written documentation, that 'instinct', or point shooting does exist as a combat pistol technique and that an acceptable level of ability, that is, fight-stopping hits placed on target at ranges from contact to 20ft under circumstances of surprise and extreme stress, can be achieved.
In brief, point shooting:
* Allows for the engagement of hostile targets at unknown ranges from a multitude of shooting positions and under a variety of shooting environments. This includes subdued light, an environment and period of time during which the majority of officers killed in gunfights are engaged
* Takes into account observed stress and documented physical reactions in responses the officer undergoes when under fire
According to the late Col Applegate: 'There is a tremendous difference between shooting methods that work well when you're simply trying to put holes in the target and those that work well when the target is trying to put holes in you. Failing to understand this difference is a mistake that will get you (the police officer) killed if you ever have to use your handgun in a real armed confrontation.'
0137 Point shooting became standardised training for both the US elite DELTA and SEAL Team 6 (ST-6) counter-terrorist forces in the mid 1990s. Operators from both units say that extensive shooting drills and scenarios demonstrated an exclusive reliance on front sight shooting alone which was too little, too late at close range under periods of extreme stress. Both DELTA and ST-6 were extensively schooled in the modern technique of pistol shooting prior to incorporating point shooting into their demanding close combat skills training.
Steve Barron, of Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio, is part of an innovative and far-reaching programme that trains law enforcement officers nationwide. Upon examining the shortcomings of front sight only fire and the stance promoted by modern pistol technique advocates, Barron said: 'We have made several observations concerning point shooting during the past two years. First is the speed with which novice shooters develop acceptable skill levels. Typically, the basic recruit can be trained adequately in about half the time as was previously used. The next issue is accuracy. This system of shooting provides excellent accuracy in close quarters (inside 30ft). Third, the speed at which the students are capable of engaging targets is astonishing. It is not unusual to see the first round on target in less than .4 seconds.'
Point shooting is a documented lesson of the past being reintroduced for the benefit of the future in law enforcement shooting instruction.
Unlike other so-called modern instruction, point shooting does not discredit additional techniques and their associated tactics. Quite to the contrary, point shooting instruction seeks to provide the law enforcement officer with a valid shooting continuum spanning contact range to two-handed, sighted fire. Where the officer fires along the continuum is based on his distance to the target, the perceived threat facing him, and his ability to control instinctive physical, mental, and emotional responses to stress.
Wild Bill Hickcock, noted US frontier lawman and gunfighter, killed a number of adversaries in face-to-face gunfights. In a written response to an inquiry about how he was so successful Hickock wrote: 'I raised my hand to eye level, like pointing a finger, and fired.'
Today's lawmen are again being educated in the same time proven techniques of close quarters pistol shooting as that of men such as Hickock, Fairbairn, and Applegate.
Progressive shooting instructors can avail themselves of point shooting programmes knowing this technique will continue to save police lives.
The report can be found at; A technique which helps armed officers stay alive - Jane's Law Enforcement News
- Janq
Note:
I've trained in Fairbairn & Sykes type 'Instinctive Point Shooting' as under Michael T. Rayburn of Rayburn Law Enforcement Training (RLET).
There are other methods out there like 'Fist Fire' and firing using the hands/back of the hand as an index etc. I will not speak to those.
As to I.P.S. though as based on the Fairbairn & Sykes method in specific, I am not only a believer but I integrated it into my training and practice it.
It works. Period.
With gun drawn from holster but rather than in front of the face or chest kept and held at various points from the waist on up the mid line to just at the sternum. It works. For extreme close engagement purposes out to as afar as 21'. I've seen it done and have done it myself on full man sized targets with combat accuracy.
Also I've applied it in training and in FoF with Simunitions, and it works. Works for me rather...And not so much for the OPFOR who tried to use Weaver and all other manner of method to counteract same engagement. All experienced law enforcement shooters, no newbies.
instructors tell me I'm wrong. LOL.
