Risk To Children: Article explores the fact that a child is 100 times
more likely to die of drowning than of gunfire.
http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/metro/79388.php
---
Risky Places: John Farnam has observed that for private citizens who
don't hang out in bars and with criminals, parking lots and driveways
are the areas of highest risk. A nurse in Tucson was shot by her
husband, in the parking lot of the hospital where she worked.
http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/metro/79419.php
---
From John Farnam:
(The National Tactical Invitational [NTI] is an annual gathering, by
invitation, of firearms instructors and tacticians. Ostensibly a
competition, it has become more of a symposium in which participants
attempt to survive various scenarios.)
3 June 05
Guns of NTI 2005
I shot the 2005 NTI (National Tactical Invitational, Harrisburg, PA)
yesterday. Best one yet! Lots of ego-desecrating events, as always.
Several excellent lectures when we were not shooting. Moments of
brilliance, and moments of blundering! There were six, separate,
live-fire events on six, different ranges and four
Ammunitions/roll-playing episodes in a segregated area called ASTA
Village. As my main pistol, I used four different guns, so I could get
practical experience with all:
(the new) Detonics, 45ACP
S&W Sc 1911, Commander, 45ACP
G38, 45 GAP
SIG/229/DAK, 357SIG
Backup guns were my S&W Sc 340PD 38Spl snubby and my Kel-Tec 380Auto. Both
backups came into play on several exercises, as did my Vaquero Grande!
All ran without a hitch.
In addition, I carried Fox OC, my Surefire Aviator flashlight, three
Cold Steel blades (Ti-Lite, Vaquero Grande, and Culloden neck knife).
Concealing it all was my Concealed Carry Clothiers vest. Holsters were
by Gregg Garrett at Comp-Tec, Brian Hoffner at Hoffner's, and Rusty
Sherrick. Fabric belt is by Wilderness.
My G38 and SIG 229 were both carried in Comp-Tec's C-Tac IWB holster.
Thin, comfortable, and fast. The Detonics and the S&W Sc Commander were
both carried in Brian Hoffner's famous "Minimalist" IWB kydex holster.
Also fast and comfortable. The pistol nearly disappears! My S&W Sc
snubby was in Rusty Sherrick's upside-down shoulder holster. Easy
access with either hand, and I hardly know I have it on. Nice way to
carry a backup. My Kel-Tec was carried in Comp-Tec's neck holster.
Best was to carry this little gun!
I shot all events with Cor-Bon Powerball and DPX, with the exception of
the Kel-Tec, which I had loaded with Cor-Bon 90gr HPs. I ran both
Powerball and DPX through the Detonics. Gobbled them right up! I shot
the S&W Sc Commander with Powerball. Again, flawless functioning. The
G38 enthusiastically ate up all the DPX I could feed it, and the SIG ran
just fine on Powerball, which is my standard, carry round. DPX is not
yet available in 357SIG caliber, and 45GAP is currently only available
in 160gr DPX and 200gr HP. Both run fine in the G38, but DPX is my
standard carry round in that caliber.
/John
6 June 05
NTI 2005
We'll all now recovering from the 2005 NTI in Harrisburg, PA, nursing
the customary cuts, scrapes, and Simmunitions bruises. Bruised knees,
elbows, and egos go with the territory at the NTI, and this year
provided it all, in spades! Our sincere thanks, once more, to Skip,
Jim, Hersh, and the entire NTI staff for a wonderful and enlightening
event.
Live-fire events were entitled:
Don & Kenny's Hard Luck Cafe
Dueling Banjos Medical Clinic
Skills Demonstration
Harmony House
ASTA Old Folks' Home
Subway Madness
Simmunitions/role-playing events were:
Underground Parking Garage
Tattoo Parlor
Pawn Shop
Bank Robbery
Gang Rumble
House/team problem
Restaurant/team problem
As always, live-fire targets were three-dimensional mannequins, dressed,
reactive (when hit), and mixed in with "non-targets." There were
hostages, hostage takers, moving targets, moving non-targets, building
mockups, periodic explosions (complete with falling/flying debris),
people screaming, loud music, and smoke. Targets were armed, menacing,
and some were obviously wearing body armor. Not all were facing you.
Side and quartering shots were sometimes required. They were holding
pistols, rifles, knives, claw hammers, RPGs, and, in one exercise,
there was an M26 hand grenade rolling around on the floor which
apparently belonged to no one!
In the Subway Madness Event, you find yourself in the middle of a
terrorist attack at a downtown, urban intersection. Your goal is to
rescue an infant in a baby carriage (mother has been shot to death and
is lying next to the carriage) and get to a subway egress which has a
concrete entryway, providing cover and an escape route. Panicked
bystanders are everywhere, holding cameras, handbags, at al. Terrorist
suspects have guns, are holding them in a menacing manner, and clearly
represent active threats. With others, it is less clear. There are
several items of useable cover: cars, mail boxes, etc. Target
identification is difficult, as some people are as far away as one
hundred meters. An apparently loaded and functional Kalashnikov rifle
is lying on the street, next to its slain (previous) owner.
I quickly gunned down several obvious terrorists while moving to the
nearest object of cover. With distant figures, I could not confirm if
they represented a threat or not, so I did not engage them, nor did I
pick up the Kalashnikov (never saw it). Others did pick it up and use
it. Still others intentionally left it where it was, considering that
it may well mark them as terrorists. Still others (like me) left it
where it was, because they never saw it. My persistent problem is that
I often fail to see items for which I'm not
looking. So, when I'm looking only for threatening people, I don't see
things like unattended Kalashnikovs!
Moving from cover to cover, I finally rescued the baby, but I had
trouble getting him out of the carriage, as he was strapped in. In
retrospect, I could have taken the entire carriage, but I never thought
of it.
Lessons: You must zig-zag when running directly toward or away from
threats. Otherwise, from their perspective, you're standing still and
thus present a useful, and not particularly challenging, target.
Your defensive handgun skill set must include a well-established ability
to hit human targets at relatively long ranges, as far as fifty meters.
Close threats are most likely, but when you're routinely armed only with
a pistol, you must have the ability to effectively deal with a wide
spectrum of threats. Along that line, Express Sights on pistols present
a sight picture that is too coarse to be useful past ten meters.
Several participants discovered this to their frustrated dismay.
Express Sights are wonderful on shotguns, but, in view of the foregoing,
I don't recommend them on pistols.
In any life-threatening emergency, you have to keep looking for, and
considering, options. That way, you can tweak your basic plan in an
instant. Always have a general blueprint (plan) but retain
flexibility. However, once you make a decision, don't look back! Do
one thing. Don't try to do several things at once, as your focus will
become divided, and you'll start to dither. Whatever you decide to do,
understand that neither your plan nor your execution will be perfect.
Afterward, someone will always point out where you could have done it
better. None of that is important! Worry less about finding the
perfect solution and more about good, aggressive action. Don't become a
victim of "The Paralysis of Analysis." A banal plan, executed in the
nick of time, is better, by far, than is the perfect plan executed a
moment too late. In a fight, think less; act more!
The Old Folks' Home Event was staged in the 360 degree range, and each
participant was required to go in alone. With all other life-fire
events, you have a member of the range staff with you, but with this
one, you're on your own. Once in the problem, you're free to move and
shoot as fast as you wish, and in any direction!
You find yourself at an old folks' home, visiting relatives who are
residents there. As you enter the building trying to find them, there
is a loud explosion. Flying debris comes cascading down on you.
Simultaneously, gunshots are heard as well as threatening voices, and
you then see a hand grenade on the floor in front of you. When you try
to retreat back out the door through which you entered, you discover it
is now locked. Your task is to live long enough to rescue your (two)
relatives and escape, with them, out the back door.
Most threats are not immediately visible, but they lurk everywhere! I
had to move quickly, but not too quickly. It is a balance. Stay one
place too long, and you'll find yourself outmaneuvered. Move too
quickly, and you'll blunder into a trap.
As always, I moved aggressively from cover to cover, gunning down
threats as fast as I could perceive and identify them. Reloading had to
be accomplished quickly, and I dared not look at my pistol in the
process, lest a threat sneak up on me. I ran out of ammunition at one
point and was compelled to transition to by backup gun. My main gun had
to be jettisoned, as there was no time to reholster it
At one point, I was confronted by a terrorist who had explosives
strapped to his chest. Range was two meters, and I had sparse cover at
the moment. I elected to shoot him in the head, which I did without
hesitation. In retrospect, I could have moved to better cover instead
of shooting instantly, but I selected the former course of action.
Exhausted and out of breath, I finally rescued and evacuated my relatives!
Lessons: When moving in a dangerous environment, within a building or
anywhere threats can be close but unseen, you must practice retention
gun-handling techniques: retention draw, retention reload, and retention
movement. Your pistol needs to stay close to your body, particularly
when you're holding it with only one hand. For example, when you move
while leading with your gun, you may find yourself suddenly blind-sided
and forcibly disarmed. Worse, you'll telegraph your presence to all
looking your way. They may not see your entire body, but they'll see
your hands and gun sticking out from behind a corner. Convenient way
for you to alert them to your presence and prepare them to confront you
effectively!
You must learn to continually identify, seek, and use cover to your best
advantage. Otherwise, you'll find yourself in the open too much of the
time. Always present threats and potential threats with a difficult target.
Movement must be swift, smooth, and planned. The best tactic is to move
from cover to cover, pieing corners as necessary, and remaining in the
open only for brief periods.
Much of your shooting will be one-handed, unsupported. Carrying injured
relatives and holding doors open will tie up at least one of your hands
more or less continuously. You must be practiced and proficient at
one-handed shooting, with either hand!
Doors and other subtle clues are easy to miss when you're not looking
for them. Threats must be dealt with, of course, but don't forget your
goal. Your goal is not to chase after and kill every bad guy in the
area. Your goal is to disengage and escape with minimum damage to
yourself and your relatives.
The "Harmony House" is your residence. As you arrive home, it becomes
obvious from the disarranged furniture that something is wrong. You
know that your adult son is in the house. Your goal is to find your son
and, with him, escape with minimum damage.
I drew my pistol and started moving quickly. There were a number of
rooms, and I had to call to my son and try to find him. Several armed
criminals were confronted and shot to death as fast as they could be
identified. Blood (red Koolade) spattered as my bullets found their
mark. Some of it ended on me! One armed criminal was wearing body
armor and had to be shot in the head. Range was three meters.
When I did locate my son, I saw that he had suffered a neck wound, as
blood was pulsing in projectile spurts from his carotid artery. I told
him to apply pressure to the wound with his hand and to follow me.
There was no time to apply a pressure dressing.
When we reached the back door, more armed criminals greeted us. All had
to be gunned down before we could make good our escape.
Lessons: Don't relax too soon! Just as I reached the back door, out of
breath and exhausted, I thought the end was in sight. No such luck! I
started to relax just when I should have been most vigilant. Look
before you exit!
In the Skills Demonstration, you are required to quickly and effectively
engage targets, from the concealed draw, while moving off the line of
force, at extremely close range to short range. You also need to
demonstrate that you can correctly reload, reduce stoppages, use cover,
and scan. Targets are exposed only for a matter of seconds, so you need
to be able to move fast.
Lesson: Nearly all participants know how to perform these basic
defensive pistol skills, but some still hesitated and fumbled, because
they have not practiced enough to be able to perform under the stress of
a timed event. Amateurs practice until the get it right. Professional
practice until they can't get it wrong!
At the Dueling Banjos Medical Clinic, you find yourself undressed and
unarmed (except for a hospital gown), as you are about to undergo a
medical examination. In addition, your right leg is in a brace, so you
can't move very fast. You do have a flashlight. The entire building is
dark. When you enter the examination room, you find the doctor has been
shot and killed. Gunshots and threatening voices are heard, along with
loud country music. Beside the dead doctor is a single-shot, break-open
rifle in 357 Maximum caliber. A dozen cartridges are scattered on a
table. Your goal is to rescue your wife and adult son, who are also at
the clinic, using only the rifle and ammunition that you found.
Grabbing the rifle and scooping up as many cartridges as I could, I got
the rifle loaded and cocked as I held my flashlight and cartridges in my
left hand, dropping a few as I went along. There were no pockets on the
gown. Hobbling down the darkened hall, I checked the first room.
There, in a dark corner, was my son, with an armed criminal behind him
holding a gun to his head. Trying to use the rifle and flashlight at
the same time, while not dropping my handful of cartridges, I shot the
criminal in the head, once again splattering blood on myself. I don't
think anyone looked graceful performing this
stage! After engaging several other armed criminals, my family and I
were able to escape.
Lesson: In a tactical emergency, spend you time finding a way to win,
not looking for an excuse to lose. At every NTI there is a "Mystery
Gun" stage, where you are compelled to effectively employ an unfamiliar
firearm. This iteration was particularly frustrating. The trick is to
stay focused. It is easy to become overwhelmed while trying to juggle
too many thoughts and circumstances. You have to keep your objective in
mind and keep spinning your OODA loop as you identify viable options.
Whatever the circumstance, whatever the obstacles, resolve to fight
through and fight on.
At Don & Kenny's Hard Luck Cafe, once again, you enter looking for a
family member. As soon as you walk in, you see armed criminals and
several victims laying on the floor, actively bleeding from gunshot
wounds. The entrance is blocked, and your only choice is to find the
back door. In this exercise, bad guys are pneumatic instead of impact
activated, so they take a lot of shooting before they go away. I
immediately went to work on them with my G38 as they appeared and
disappeared. I went through both magazines and had to transition to my
backup. Five shot later, and I had to transition to my second backup.
Seven shoots at the last bad guy, and I had no more functional guns on
me! Without delay, out came my Cold Steel Vaquero Grande! As the blade
snapped into place, the range officer informed me that the exercise was
over, as he knew I was ready to go at the last mannequin!
Lesson: If you carry a gun for personal protection, carry at least two.
When you carry backup guns, you much regularly practice with them and
transitioning to them. Going from gun to blade is also an important
transition that must be practiced.
At the Underground Parking Garage, you are trying to find your car.
It's dark. A woman nearby is also trying to find hers. A man appears
and asks you if you and the woman are together. He then produces a
pistol and starts shooting at the terrified woman.
When he asked me the question, I said no. When he subsequently
threatened the woman, I grabbed her and placed her in front of me as I
used my car for cover. A gun battle ensued between the armed criminal
and me. He was unable to hit me, because I kept appearing in a
different place. Unfortunately, he did the same thing, and I could not
get a clear shot at him either. I finally pushed the woman out ahead of
me as we left cover and escaped through the entryway. I was not hit,
but the woman was, in the leg.
Lesson: When confronted by strangers, don't answer questions. Instead
of answering the criminal's question, I should have said, "Sorry, I
can't help you."
Rescuing innocent people is a question that must be settled between you
and your own conscience. I was unwilling to stand by and watch this
woman murdered, but I really didn't know anything about the situation,
and it may not have been a smart move. For the record, it was my decision.
I should have used my light in the Harries' Technique while engaging the
criminal from behind cover. He later told me that I blinded him at
first, but then I put the light away. I should have continued to blind
him.
Use verbal challenges. I kept saying "We're police officers. Drop
your weapon!" Although he didn't give up, I could tell my commands were
confusing him and dividing his focus.
At the Tattoo Parlor, nothing happened! Jumpy participants looked in
vain for threats, but none appeared. Some even brandished guns, only to
be compelled to sheepishly put them away. Others got into pointless,
verbal altercations, when all they had to do was walk away.
Lesson: Don't pick fights. Be alert, but don't start imagining threats
where there aren't any. When casual conversations deteriorate,
disengage immediately. Non-compliance is the best indicator of
trouble. When a perfectly reasonable request is refused or ignored,
it's time to leave.
At The Pawn Shop, you're looking over an assortment of guns as you
contemplate a purchase. An armed robber bursts in and confronts the
owner at gunpoint, mumbling about how he owes him something. He
displays little interest in you.
I assumed the pseudo-submissive position and indicated I wanted to
leave, but the robber blocked the exit. I saw no opportunity to draw
and shoot, so I waited. The robber eventually got what he came for and
left. I exited immediately thereafter, only to be confronted, at
gunpoint, by a second armed criminal! Again, there was no opportunity
to draw and fire or for a disarm. Eventually, the Sheriff came along
and defused the situation.
Lesson: When in the presence of armed criminals, keep as many options
open for as long as you can. Look for opportunities. Sometimes,
waiting is the best option, at least in the short term. When your
options start drying up, such as when criminals want to search you, or
demand that you get on your knees, or try to heard you into a freezer,
make your move while you still can!
At The Bank, you are again minding your own business, trying to make a
cash transaction. In bursts an armed robber brandishing a pistol. This
time, he took a direct interest in me, demanding my wallet. I tossed it
to him. He then demanded my watch. When he reached out to take it, I
performed a disarm.
Lesson: Sometimes, a forcible disarm is the only viable option, but you
have to get close enough to make it work. Disarms are something we
teach and drill in our Advanced Classes, as they are a vital part of
your repertoire
.
When you decide to surrender your wallet, toss it on the ground. He may
bend over to retrieve it giving you an opportunity to shoot him. I
thought about that afterward.
At the Gang Rumble, you find yourself and three friends in the middle of
a shooting war between rival gangs, right in the middle of town! A
convenient escape is down a dark alley as two, armed gang members rush
toward you.
It became clear to me that these two gang members were intent on going
down the alley. It also became clear that they had no interest in me.
I therefore decided to step aside and let them proceed, which they did.
They could have shot me on the way, but it appeared they were so intent
in getting into the fight on the other side of the alley that I was just
a minor distraction. I was content to remain so.
On Saturday, we all participated in two, team, roll-playing exercises:
The House/Team Problem and the Restaurant/Team Problem.
In both drills, you and a partner find yourselves together in a
situation. Only one of you is armed. There is another two-man team in
the exercise, and all four try to make contact, develop synergy, and
proceed.
In the House Exercise, you and a friend are sharing a condo with another
two people whom you've just met. Suddenly, armed home invaders break in
and start shooting.
In this exercise, my partner and I never linked up with the other two.
My partner was armed but overwhelmed. He tried to throw his pistol to
me, but it landed short. Other groups did link up and were able to work
together.
In the Restaurant Exercise, you are one in a party of four, but all four
can't be seated together, so you find yourself and one partner in an
isolated room by yourselves. Suddenly, there is shooting and yelling.
Only one of the two of you is armed. You try to link up with your
friends and escape.
I was the one armed this time. The entry was blocked, so we started
going room to room, with me in the lead. We encountered an armed
citizen. He had his gun out, but we were able to determine that he did
not represent a threat. Unfortunately, he was scared, unsophisticated,
and of little use, so we took his pistol from him and put him between us
as we continued. We then found ourselves in a stand-off with several
armed criminals. We could no longer proceed toward the exit. Then, the
building caught on fire, so we had to escape! Calls to our partners
went unanswered. One of the criminals stuck his pistol and hands out
from a orner. I saw the opportunity and shot him in the hands. My
partner shot another who made the fatal mistake of sticking his head out
in the same place once too often! I then told my partners to make for
the door and I charged the other criminal. He panicked and fled around
the corner, but I chased him down and shot him to death. I then saw a
third criminal guarding the exit. I want after him too. He fled also,
and the three of us then made good our escape. As it turns out, our two
partners had already escaped ahead of us.
Lessons: When using cover (1) don't continually expose your head in the
same place and (2) don't lead with your gun. More than one person got
his hands and head shot as he stuck them around a corner!
In a group, someone has to take charge and give directions. An
emergency is no time for a "consensus."
Sometimes, rough-hewn aggressiveness is the only viable option. When
belligerently charged, most people panic and default into a disorganized
retreat. When they do, they are vulnerable. Victory is never risk-free!
For professional gunmen, the NTI is an event not to be missed. We're
all looking forward to next year!
/John
7 June 05
Some sage NTI comments from one of my instructors who attended for the
first time this year:
"1. Don't dither, but, if you must, do it behind cover. The plethora
of corridors, doors, and rooms confused me. More than once, I found
myself standing in the open, befuddled, trying to decide what to do
next. I made a useful target! When you are compelled to pause in order
to tweak your plan, seek cover.
2. Tunneling. Not only is the visual version pernicious, I found that my
mental processes also suffered from the equivalent. Outside of the
parameters of the simple mission upon which my mind was focused, I
missed: an empty cup next to loose ammunition, ready to be used as a
carryable container, a wheel chair that was clearly visible and
perfectly useable to move disabled relatives to safety, and a perfectly
fine stroller into which the baby was already strapped. But, no, I had
to unstrap him, lift him out, and then carry him in my arms. Duh!
3. Don't allow yourself be crowded/pressured. During the Tattoo Parlor
Scenario, I found myself seated in a chair, getting a tattoo, with the
owner waving a knife behind me. Simply saying, 'Slow down, friend. I
want to look around before I make a decision,' while smiling, would have
enabled me to keep to my own rhythm. We can't allow others to set the
agenda, no matter how innocent it appears.
4. Victory can lie in getting close to danger. More than once, in ATSA
village, I found myself with guns pointed at me while I had nowhere to
move and nowhere to take cover. In these cases, getting closer to the
assailant was the only way to create options.
5. Take a deep breath and organize your thoughts before talking to the
police. I was compelled to take back my story of a gunfight once the
sheriff confronted me with its inaccuracy. When you are a party to a
police investigation, and police are questioning you, ask for your
lawyer to be present before any additional questions are asked. At that
point, police are obligated to stop asking you questions. You can
indicate that you don't want to talk with them, but they'll continue to
ask you questions. You can even indicate that you want them to call an
ambulance for you. They will, but they'll continue to ask you
questions. Don't lie. That is a crime. The best tactic is just
to ask for your lawyer and not answer questions.
I'll be back next year. My ego needs the bruises!"
/John
--
Stephen P. Wenger
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
http://www.spw-duf.info
