By John Farnam
Ft Collins, CO –-(Ammoland.com)- From a friend with a big department:
“Not long ago, I supervised a standoff situation where our officers were placed in positions to engage a dangerous suspect. Several officers were armed with M4s. Bystanders were thickly mixed-in! Range to suspect was between 10 and 30m.
Happily, our situation was resolved without our officers having to shoot.
As a precaution, I asked all officers to report, with their red-dot-equipped M4s, to the range the following week. I set-up a situation with parer targets that exactly duplicated the situation with which were confronted a week earlier.
Given generous time, stable, braced firing positions, and stationary targets, not one of our officers was able to deliver required shots, even after several attempts!
When asked about sight settings and zeros, most officers were not prepared to answer definitively. Some didn’t even understand the question!
An examination of the M4s present revealed that, in most cases, the red dot and the back-up iron sights did not agree. Some were not even close!
Through rigorous training with much range time, we are aggressively addressing these issues.
Non-zeroed rifles in police service are a disaster, waiting to happen. I’ m thankful disaster didn’t happen to us,
… through no fault of our own!”
Comment:
The foregoing gaffes are all too common!
Police departments have rushed military rifles into service, often without necessary accouterments, nor necessary training. Some officers understand how to set-up and run these weapons, but many don’t.
Rifles can’t be “shared.” Sight settings are individual, and each officer must have absolute confidence in his, confirmed regularly on the range. Otherwise, the rifle is little more than a big and bulky pistol, with scant chance of ever positively contributing to any tactical situation.
/John
About John Farnam & Defense Training International, Inc
As a defensive weapons and tactics instructor John Farnam will urge you, based on your own beliefs, to make up your mind in advance as to what you would do when faced with an imminent and unlawful lethal threat. You should, of course, also decide what preparations you should make in advance, if any. Defense Training International wants to make sure that their students fully understand the physical, legal, psychological, and societal consequences of their actions or inactions.
It is our duty to make you aware of certain unpleasant physical realities intrinsic to the Planet Earth. Mr Farnam is happy to be your counselor and advisor. Visit: www.defense-training.com
Since police persons are issued handguns for their own protection and because they regularly go places most sane people try to avoid, you would think the police person would take an interest in learning how to proficiently work whatever they are carrying on and off the job. If you are in need and lucky, you will not be assisted by a uniformed buffoon who could get you killed.
Anyone in the military, law enforcement, or the few unnamed agencies tasked with engaging criminals with guns, enemy combatants, and terrorist killers, will never realize until threatened personally. That experience usually sets the individuals’ resolve into a different plane of self awareness in regard to “preparedness for the worst”.
The FNG is the liability.
I always laser sight my iron and red dot/scope on every gun. It not much good if you can’t hit the broad side of a barn. You would think the police would do the same to ensure spot on sighting. Maybe this will teach a much need lesson to all and sighting in your weapon will become a common practice.
E-mail address is still [email protected] and it would be nice if your IT staff fix your site to except it. Thanks!!!!!!!!!
>> Given generous time, stable, braced firing positions, and stationary targets, not one of our officers was able to deliver required shots, even after several attempts! When asked about sight settings and zeros, most officers were not prepared to answer definitively. Some didn’t even understand the question! This episode echoes many similar episodes I’ve experienced in the military as well. It isn’t unusual to find personnel in an instructor capacity (drill sergeants, etc.) just as confused. You know a demographic in the gun world that intimately understands this and doesn’t have this problem? High Power competitors. Smallbore competitors. Pretty much… Read more »
One thing that really upsets me is the individual Officer who doesn’t even consider their duty weapon (pistol or rifle) an ancillary extension of the needed equipment for the performance of their duties during the most dire of circumstances! It’s treated more like a talisman, they are rarely seen on their own at the range (necessarily honing their skill) or much less, taking the time to wipe down the weapon to assure it’s functionality. This is the absolute last person I want watching my six!
“When asked about sight settings and zeros, most officers were not prepared to answer definitively. Some didn’t even understand the question!”
Har’s ‘yr gun!
And these are the only folks that are responsible enough to carry those evil black rifles? Mike? Shannon?
Anyone else remember the LEO that had his Eotech on backwards?