Firearms Safety & Training

Training in the Use of Firearms

• Training with firearms involves potentially dangerous activity and requires established safety rules on the range.
• Safety rules from the National Rifle Association are the industry standard for the safe handling of firearms.
• These rules are not enough for people who carry a weapon as part of their job.
• Students/Officers should make it a habit to constantly follow safety rules, to avoid accidents.

Four Safety Rules

• Treat all firearms as if they are loaded.
• Students will treat their weapons with care at all times by doing so
• Visually check to ensure a firearm is unloaded
• Never point the muzzle at anything unless ready to shoot
• Keep trigger finger off the trigger and outside the trigger guard until ready to shoot to avoid accidental discharge
• Be certain of the target and the line of fire.
• Students are accountable for every round fired
• Always know where the bullet will strike

Additional Safety Considerations

• Never carry or store a firearm with the hammer or striker in the cocked position
• Only allow people who have read firearms safety rules to use a firearm.
• These people should also understand the safe operation and rules of safe gun-handling.
• Make sure accessories are compatible with the firearm, so they do not interfere with safe operation
• Use correct, departmental-issued ammunition for the specific firearm
• Never use non-standard, reloaded, or "hand loaded" ammunition that has not undergone internal ballistic pressure testing.
• Discharging firearms in poorly ventilated areas, cleaning firearms, or handling ammunition may expose individuals to lead and other substances which may cause birth defects, reproductive harm, and other serious physical injury.
• Always ventilate and wash hands afterwards
• Never use alcohol or drugs before or while shooting.
• Do not use a firearm if taking any medication which impairs mental or physical ability.
• Wear eye and hearing protection when discharging a firearm.
• Make sure others in the area do so too.
• Only a qualified gunsmith using genuine parts should perform any alteration or replacement of parts in a duty firearm
• Firearm safety training is available
• Academy and/or departmental Range Masters should be contacted with questions
• Use firearms for legal purposes only like target shooting and lawful resistance of deadly criminal force
• Facility Use Policies must be followed while training at range facilities
• Rules vary based on weather, time of year, locale, departmental preference, facility limitations, or indoor/outdoor facilities

General Range Safety Rules

• Only fire at range/departmentally approved targets with the correct/approved type of ammunition
• Firearms must be cased when entering/leaving range pods or shooting bays.
• Weapons should be unloaded with the slide locked or cylinder open and ammunition/magazines removed in their cases.
• Eye, ear, and head protection is required at all times during live fire range training
• Stop all shooting immediately upon the command "Cease Fire".
• Anyone can call "Cease Fire" if unsafe conditions are observed
• Act responsibly at all times.
• Everyone is a safety officer and should report any unsafe condition to the Range Safety Officer immediately.

Basic Firearm Components

• Students should understand the physical components and basic functions of assigned weapons
• Class goal is to educate end-users to safely operate a firearm and understand its function, not create gunsmiths or armorers
• Slight variances exist in components and their locations depending on the weapons platform
• Reference provided is for general purposes

Steps for Loading a Semi-Automatic Firearm

• Point the gun in a safe direction, engage the safety, push the magazine release, and drop the magazine out of the grip
• Put the gun down with the muzzle pointing in a safe direction, then load ammunition one-by-one into the magazine until it is full
• Pick up the gun and push the magazine into the grip, tapping to seat it correctly
• The gun is loaded but not ready to shoot because there is no round in the chamber
• Rack the slide once, or release the slide if locked back, letting it snap forward
• The gun is now loaded and will fire when the safety is off and the trigger is pulled

Steps for Unloading Most Semi-Automatic Firearms

• Point the gun in a safe direction.
• Pick up the gun in a proper grip with the shooting hand.
• Engage the safety, if applicable.
• Press the magazine release and let the magazine drop out.
• If holding the magazine, put it down before proceeding
• Hold the gun with the grip pointing down and the muzzle in a safe direction, then rack the slide to open the ejection port.
• A cartridge may eject, and there may be a slide lock to keep the slide open
• Keep the gun pointed in a safe direction and look into the chamber.
• If empty, move to the next step
• If loaded, rack the slide a few times. -If the cartridge does not eject, manually remove it from the chamber
• Keep the gun in a safe direction and look into the hole from which the magazine was removed.
• Look for air and no cartridges as confirmation
• If there is a cartridge, try racking the slide to get it out, then visually check that it is gone.
• Keep the gun in a safe direction with the grip pointing down and rack the slide a few times; then repeat steps five through eight if anything comes out
• Put down the gun, pick up the magazine, remove all ammunition from it, and confirm the gun is unloaded

Drawing and Holstering a Handgun

• Drawing and re-holstering a handgun is a key skill and should be efficient and safe
• A draw stroke or presentation of the handgun must be consistent, secure from takeaway attempts, quick on target, methodical, and realistic
• Techniques should be robust and functional under worst-case conditions
• Correct practice of the draw stroke is key to developing subconscious motor program level competency

Step-by-Step Explanation of the Draw

• Presentation begins with acquiring a three-finger grip on the handgun while in the holster.
• Middle, ring, and pinkie fingers have a solid grip high on the grip of the pistol in the holster
• The thumb disengages thumb-break, and the trigger finger is straight or bent outside the holster
• The support hand is chambered at the chest, and the off-hand is used to block, parry, strike or fend off an assailant.
• As soon as the muzzle clears the edge of the holster, the pistol is rocked toward the threat, and the wrist is locked
• The pistol is held at the side with the thumb indexed on the outside of the pectoral muscle.
• Some cant, others prefer to level the pistol to the threat
• The gun hand moves toward the front of the shooter’s torso and meets the support hand at sternum level with both forearms on the sides of the chest with the pistol centered on the shooter's upper body with the top of the slide no further than one outstretched hand from the chin
• Press the pistol outward in a straight line to the appropriate level:
• The shooter can begin tracking on the front sight or bringing the pistol to eye level, and if a shot is necessary, the trigger finger moves inside the trigger guard to engage the trigger
• Index the front sight if the shooter has time or "shoot through the pistol" if the threat is close or the attack is spontaneous
• If the threat has been neutralized or there is no need to shoot, return the pistol to position three at chest level in "low ready," then take a breath and pause
• There is no need to "speed re-holster."

Re-holstering the Pistol

• Holstering involves keeping the support hand at the chest as the gun hand lowers the muzzle toward the deck and inserting the muzzle into the holster
• Place the thumb of the gun hand on the rear of the slide or back of the hammer.
• Keep the trigger finger outside the trigger guard and then outside of the holster, then re-engage the thumb break or hood

Fundamentals of Shooting

• Student shooters will be taught in a crawl, walk, run method, allowing for slow, deliberate practice before gradually building speed.
• Skills should be learned and mastered in a dry fire environment before students are introduced to live fire
• No live ammunition is allowed during dry fire training, and all weapons must be inspected to guarantee they are unloaded, even for instructors
• Correct fundamentals will provide for safe, accurate shooting, and increased speed and target engagement.

Fundamentals of Shooting - Stance

• Consistent shot placement depends on a stable shooting platform and consistency in all aspects of shooting
• Three choices for shooting stances exist: Isosceles, Weaver, and fighting (modified Isosceles and Weaver).

Isosceles Stance

• The shooter faces the target squarely with feet set shoulder-width apart and toes aligned with the target
• The knees are flexed, and the shooter leans forward from the waist towards the target with arms extended to form an isosceles triangle
• Comfortable and natural position seems to improve accuracy
• Lacks front-to-rear balance due to foot positioning

Weaver Stance

• The shooter blades their body, placing the foot on the firing side back and turning the support side towards the target
• The shooter’s strong arm is extended, and the support arm’s elbow is bent, allowing the shooter to employ a push-pull grip
• The push-pull grip is effective in controlling recoil and weapon control
• Exposes an area of the officer’s torso not completely covered with body armor
• Awkward and problematic movement while maintaining the bladed position
• Shooters revert to a form of the Isosceles Stance during actual shootings

Fighting Stance

• The shooter is square to the target in the fighting stance
• The feet are shoulder-width apart, and the firing side foot is slightly behind the support side foot.
• The toe of the shooting foot should be at the instep of the support foot to eliminate the balance issue of the Isosceles Stance
• The knees are flexed to absorb recoil and act as shock absorbers when moving, while the shooter leans slightly forward and extends the arms straight out
• The head is kept level to maintain balance, especially when moving.
• Virtually any weapon can be fired effectively from this stance.

Fundamentals of Shooting – Grip

• A proper firearm grip controls recoil, and provides security from gun grabs or unintentional drops
• Selection of a Handgun should accommodate hand size and overall body type
• Accuracy will be elusive if the student cannot align the weapon with their bone structure
• Full grip should allow the firing hand to remain in alignment with the large bones of the forearm and if not, the handgun is too large
• The wrist of the firing hand must remain locked with no looseness or unintended flexing
• This reduces accuracy and may cause the weapon to malfunction ("limp wristing")
• Grip the handgun as high as possible on the tang of the weapon, ensuring the wrist is near the bore axis to reduce felt/observed recoil

Two-Hand Firing Grip

• The securest, most stable, and most controlled grip on a pistol
• The easiest and most accurate grip
• Firing hand functions the same as the "Firing Grip" section
• Encapsulate the weapon's grip completely with the hands and no observable gaps in the grip
• The firing hand should apply forward and backward pressure, and the non-firing hand applies side-to-side pressure to create 360 degrees of control around the weapon
• Lock and roll the wrist of the non-firing hand completely forward to eliminate movement and improve recoil and shot-to-shot recovery and allow shooter to engage targets with multiple shots

Fundamentals of Shooting - Sight Alignment

• Sight alignment is the relationship of the front and rear sights and to achieve it, the shooter's dominant eye should be lined up with the weapon’s front and rear sights
• Proper vertical alignment means that the top of the front sight is even with the top of the rear sight
• Proper horizontal sight alignment means there is equal space on either side of the front sight post in relation to the rear sight
• Only through achieving proper sight alignment can accuracy become repeatable

Eye Dominance

• Ocular dominance/eye-edness is the tendency to prefer visual input from one eye to the other and somewhat analogous to the laterality of handedness and
• Eye dominance generally coincides with the dominant hand in the majority of shooters
• Cross-dominance exists, the interpupillary distance is small which means the shooter must shift their weapon underneath their dominant eye upon presentation -Can prove awkward or impractical for long guns

Fundamentals of Shooting - Sight Picture

• Defined as the placement of properly aligned sights on the target
• Depending on sights, weapons will have a “Six o’clock” or “combat/center hold” in so the target is placed on top of, or the sights are superimposed directly over the intended target
• Sight Focus is the ability of the human eye to focus on one item at a time with saccadic movement
• With schools of thought regarding where eyes should be focused while shooting under duress, but the most universally acceptable to learn the fundamentals of combat marksmanship is Front Sight Focus
• Concentrate on Hard focus on the front sight.
• This will create a visual feedback of a clear front sight, blurry rear sight, and blurry target

Fundamentals of Shooting - Trigger Control

• Once achieving sight alignment and picture, sights cannot be disturbed while firing or accuracy is lessened
• The action of pulling the trigger cannot disturb the sight alignment, or the accuracy of the shot is compromised
• Trigger control: pulling the trigger without causing sight alignment deviation
• Many methods exist to achieve it

Trigger Control Method

• Achieve a proper firing grip, place trigger finger into the guard and onto trigger
• If the weapon fits the shooter's hand, somewhere between the first knuckle of trigger to middle of finger pad should contact the trigger face
• Point the middle knuckle of the trigger finger forward at the same time pull the trigger the rear to guarantee a straight line pulling of the trigger re-set
• Occurs when the handgun is fired, the trigger is depressed throughout the slide cycling, projectile departure and shell ejection
• Release/ fire additional shots by releasing the trigger forward
• How far is subject to debate; during body alarm response, it can prove impossible to just ride the trigger just further enough to hear/feel it reset

Fundamentals of Shooting - Breathing

• Shoot accurately by becoming motionless and controlling your breathing that causes motion.
• Observe the gun rises/ lowers when breathing in isosceles.
• Squeeze the trigger while holding your breath
• Holding breath robs the body from oxygen causing muscle fatigue and reduced vision
• Ensure there is enough oxygen for 10-20sec breath control by two normal breaths, inhaling slowly via nose and mouth before a shot to lower the carbon dioxide
• Take a normal third breathe and exhale air as you bring the gun on a target with comfortable lungs, then squeeze trigger and hold breath
• Keep the chest still while resting as pauses between breaths until you run out of oxygen
• Oxygenate first and then leave the lungs and diaphragm while shooting

Fundamentals of Shooting - Follow Through

• Follow-through, Cover, and Scan (FCS) is critical to proper mindset but not always practiced
• FCS is sequence after identifying and responding to a threat
• Follow through means to stay on the target after/shots had intended effect and threat is down
• Stay by target for sec and repeat
• Cover happens at the same time
• Cover the target the front sight
• Move to cover
• In an urban environment, good soliders should shoot and move because there has been record of survirals initially but dead after because they didnt move to cover immediately after engaging
• Scan is looking around surroundings after moving an engaging
• Shooting tends to overly on the enermy and make tunnel Vison
• Break tunnel and look for other coming beside you of behind you!

Firearm Malfunctions and Correct Clearing Method-4 Types of Handgun Malfuctions

Failure to Fire

• You bring gun on tareget but get a click after pressing the button
• (IA) Immediately Action to Tap/ Rack- Tap magazine baseplate forcefully to assure proper seat.
• Then rack slide slide clear chamber to cycle in new round

Out of Batter Failure to Feed

• Semi-automatic pistol common issue. -The round fails to load to chamber.
• IA is to strip the mag out of gin, rack slide clear magazine and rack slide to chamber a new round
• I the ound jammed up remove mag for good for a fresh round

Stove-Pipe

• MalFunction from fired case not fully clearing out from ejection post when slide returns
• LOOKS like a Lttle smoke stack Sticking up
• IA is for grip on fun and finger on registrar while pointing to original trigger position
• Support had SLAPS slide ad top to corral the case while sweeping to clear and cycle round in

Doube Feed

• Malfunction from Magazine
• Round is properly fed into chamber
• 2nd Round trys to joins
• The Round is chambered up but the base in jammed and stops the gide battery
• The IA is STRIP MAG rack slide clear chamber repeat clear and again dont push mag release because it wont fall out just strip it and start over

Safe Procedures for Cleaning and Maintaining your Weapon

• Students show how to clean per standards and what Manuel said to do

Qualification

• Must draw from Holster strong hand and Support and shoot in alternate spots