Concealed Carry Skill: Gunfights Part 2.

I was looking at the email conversation that I had with my friend X concerning his research and information concerning gunfights. He is on a committee that will recommend some changes in the FBI curriculum at Quantico. That is the basis for the article “Concealed Carry Skill: Gunfights” 8/24/2015. I think I need to add to that first entry. This will be Concealed Carry Skill: Gunfights Part 2. I apologize for not including it in the first article.
“According to a study conducted by various police departments, the average human reaction time for 17 police officers to mentally justify firing their pistols during a simple decision-making scenario was 0.211 seconds. The same officers in a complex scenario took 0.895 seconds. In one study 46 police officers who knew they were going to fire their pistols, and it was simply a matter of doing so when they received the signal. This test resulted in an average action time of 0.365 seconds with the officers’ finger already on the trigger. More recent work by Dr. Bill Lewinski a law enforcement professor at Minnesota State University tested 101 officers. The average Reaction/Action time of 1.5 seconds is sufficient time for an attacker to close a reactionary gap of 22.96 feet.
• Time to Draw (a pistol) from a Holster 1.19 seconds
• Time to Raise (a pistol) and Fire 0.59 seconds
• Time to Run 15 feet 1.28 seconds”
So according to this information it would take about 3 seconds to draw, aim, and move 15 feet. Even without the 15 feet movement it is 1.78 seconds to draw, raise and make a decision to shoot.
We talked a little about shot placement and center of mass in the first article. There have been numerous videos on the internet of people getting shot in the chest clearly and continuing on. There was a man named Kenny Vaughan in North Carolina who was shot 20 times with a rifle 5 feet away and lived. As we said in the part 1 “Shoot until the target changes shape, or catches fire!” According to a doctor who specializes in gunshot wounds you have a 85% chance of surviving a chest wound. Center of mass is still the best bet, but several in the center of mass.
Adrenaline is something we cannot avoid in a high threat situation, especially in a gun fight for your life. When your body experiences an adrenaline overload, you may experience a few of these symptoms, tunnel vision, audio exclusion, shortness of breath, etc. There is a simple solution to overcoming the symptoms of adrenaline overload and get you back on top of your game…deep breaths. Your body needs the extra oxygen to deal with the extra stress. Yes… Just breath!
In teaching combat shooting I would incorporate a moving target into our training. It would only move as fast as a brisk walk, but that was enough to throw most shooters off. Beyond about 25 yards you need to lead the target. Closer than 25 yards aim and shoot. Most people miss in front of the target because they think they have to lead the target. As close as 25 yards that bullet is moving at 800 to 2,000 feet per second you do not need to lead anything.
Being in a gunfight is not like the movies. A bullet makes an eerie crack when it passes by your head (that’s the sonic boom from breaking the sound barrier). You are rarely in a great position because you dive for cover. Shooting around things or over things is dangerous and sometimes difficult. Long firefights are more stressful because of the ammo issue. Running out can ruin your day. Most firefights are short unless you are in combat. Gunfights are not glorious. They are not exciting and walking away from one unscathed is more difficult than one would think.
Prevention is the best course of action. Never put yourself in a position where you would have a gunfight. But if you are ever in one, do everything you can to have the edge. Think about that when you practice and train.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn