TRAINING : PRELIMINARY COURSE FOR RECRUITS 35 position without dol~y. Repeat until the recruit hw firecl four out of his six shots. Tho last two shots should bo firccl M o “ burst,” i.e. in succession and as rapidly M tho recruit crm mmmgc. I-10 should romoin Qfterwarda in tho firixlg position until told by tho instructor to lower his arm to the “ rwily. ” Notfu This practice should not bo hurried, Tho first four shots, as e~ch is fired, should be pointed out on the target, the recruit standing at the “ ready “ whilo tho instructor explains tho cn,uses of any which aro badly placccl. Tho causes cm normally simple enough —hand insufflcicmtly bent to the right, “ clipping “ the hand downwards, or not gripping firmly enough to prowmt tho trigger from being “ yanlcod off.” If tho two rapid-firo shots aro widely apart it is conclusive oviclenco of n loose grip, The instructor should not bo content unlcs5 his oxplmmtions produce am immeclio,to improvomont in tho recruit’s shooting. Thoso recruits who are not firing should be “ fdkm in” eight to ten yards in rear of the firing point. I?rom them they can watch the. shooting and its results. They should be permitted to talk but not loudly enough to prevent tho man who is shooting from hearing what tho instructor is s&ying.
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36 sHOOTING TO LIVE 4. SEcoND l?s.mNG PRAf2Tu.213 (a) Samo target and distance. (b) Hum-l tile recruit a magazine containing orm “ dummy “ uncl fivo livo rounds. ‘1’he “ dummy “ is to bo included without tlm recruit’s kl~owlcdgo and its position in the maguzino should ho diircrent for each man WI1Otdccs his turn at tho firing point. Men waiting to firo should not bo allowed to watch tllo practico described below, (c) ‘1110 recruit is to firo a.s previously but this time ill three “ bursts “ of two shots cd, ]Drrors of aiming should bo corrected between “ bursts.’) (d) When tho “ dummy “ round is arrived at, trcfit it as a misfire. Have the recruit ej cct it i?nmediately and carry oll firing his nox t burst without any delug, (e) At tlm conclllsion of tl~is practice, explain to tl]o rccruili that it is useless, wmtoful of time m~d cxtrcmcly clangorous to look down tho muzzlo of l~is pistol when ho has a misfire. &mm of them will do it. Explain also that a bad jamb can be caused by covering the ejector cut with the left hand when retracting tho slide in order to eject ~ cartridge. ‘1.’hisis a fault which is frequently found and S11OUM be corrcctml as soon as possible in tho training course. See I’ig. 10, p. 32, for how it ought to bc dorm.
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TRAINING: PRELIMINARY COURSE FOR RECRUITS 37 5. ‘l!J.KIRD I’IRING I>RACT~CE Rcy)ctition of practico given under pa.ra. 4 but this time at 4 yonls, If tllo recruit’s shooting h:w lmcn smtisfmctory NO far, ho n-my bo allowed to firo this practice in two “ bursts “ of tl~rec rounds CXLCILO Notes ‘1’110instructor will h well udvised to givo his ])upils til]ort “ rest “ periods nt fairly froquont intcrvds nml to util iso such intorvnls to impress IIpOIl tllcm tllf3 conditions under which they muy bo called upon to uso their pistols ovontmdly. Rofcrcnco to Chal)tcr I (pp. 3-4) will inclicuto the gcnerrd line to take, tho points requiring spcciul emphasis being the short range at which -most encounters take plwc, Ll)o likelihood of unfavourublo light omd terrain} the advisability of firing in ‘‘ bursts “ and tllc prum.mount importance of speed. If prominonco is given to points of that nuturo, rccru its will b,o Nssistccl to comprchcmd moro rcrulily tho reasons underlying the instruction tllcy aro rccciving. It will lm plfiin to tl~cm, for instance, that they must not 1001c rtt their sigl~ts bccauso they will novcr-lmvo timo to do so, that they must grip tllcir pistols hard bccauso that is what they Ivill do illfullibly in tho stress of actual combat, and that, wllon obligccl to shoot, they will havo to do so with all tho aggrossivcness of which they aro capable.
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CHAPTEE XV TRAINING : ADVANCED METHODS ClrAr’rm HI ]lc,s tmkcn care of all the stngcs of the rccrtit’s prcliruinm-y training, but bcfom ho is turned 10090 on tlm world M qualifled to uso a pistol them is ono moro thing for him to learn. This i8 shooting from what, for want of a better term, we cdl the “ three-qumtcr hip “ position illustrated in rig. 120 ‘1’his position is designed to meet a condition refcrrcxl to in the first chapter when describing the circumstances under which shooting affrays are likely to t!mko place. WC indicato tllcre that in moments of stress and hasto mcn arc apt to firo with a bent arm. IIxn.minn,tion of the il!ustro,tion allows oxoctly this position, Closer cxa.mination shows also that tho firer is facing his cdvcrsary squarely, hm one foot forwfird (it dots not matter which), and that ho is crouching slightly. Trom this position, pistol hand in tho vertical ccntrc-lhm of tllo body and hand bent to the right M before, tho recruit fires a burst of two or three shots, but quickly, at Q distanco of 3 yards. If he wccccds in making nothing worm thrm a G-inch group, ho should repeat tho practice at 4 yards. Tho instructor should mako o Bpccial point of 38
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TRAINING : ADVANCED METHODS 39 oxplahing all tho elomcmts of this practice. ‘l’ho bent mml position if3used bocuuse that would be in8tinctivo nli C1OSO qumtors in L-L hurry. Tlm squaro stance, with oxm foot forward, is prcci9cly tho attitudo in which tho recruit is most likely to Lo if ho had to firo )?10. 12.—{’ Throo.qwrtor Hip “ I?ositiorl, auddonly whilo ho WM on tho move. Tlm ‘‘ crouch)” besides being instinctive when expecting to bo fired at, morit9 fb little further explanation. Its introduction into thi9 troining aystom originoAcs from m incident which took place in 1927. A raiding purty of fiftcmn men, oporating lmforo
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40 SHOOTING TO LIVE d~ybrcdc, lmd to forco m cntrmco ton houso occupied by a gmng of crin]ina.ls. Tim only a.pproacll to the houso lv~s throug]l a prwticularly narrow nlley, and it wfis cxpcctccl momentarily that tile criminals would open fire. On returning down tho olley in dayligl~t after the raid was over, tllc mcn cncountcrwl, much to tlloir surprise} & series. of stout wires strctchwl at il~tcrvds across tho alley ut about fbco height. !L’11o cntiro party had to cluck to get under tho wires, but no ono l]ad any recollection of cithor stooping under or runni[~g ilkto thorn wlmn approaching tho hou~o in tl~o darkness. IIkquirics woro mado at once, only to roved that tlm wires had been there over a week and that they were used for tho wholly innocent pm-pose of hanging up newly dyed skeins of wool to dry. Tho enquiries did not, thcref’oroj confirm the suspicions tlmt lmcl hew-i aroused, but they did servo to dwnol)flhnto collclusivoly rmd usefully that ovcry singlo man of tho raiding party, when momentarily expecting to bo fired at, must have crouched consider- ably in the first swift traverso of the alley. Since that time, men trained in tho methods of this book llavo not only been permitted to crouch but havo bcon encouraged to do so. The qualification we requiro before the recruit’s course can bo successfully passed is GO pcr cont. of hits anywhere on tile man-sized targets employed. ‘lime has shown this to be ndcqudc for the pnrpcxw ill view. Wo indica.to clscwhero our [tversion to trophies,
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TRAINING : ADVANCED METHODS 41 badges, etc. I!To “ expert’s “ or “ mmksmam’s “ Lmdgcs arc issued to mon who prws our recruit or other courses, no nmttcr how much in oxccss of 60 pcr cent. their scores muy lmvo been. If a nw m rdccs “ possiblcs “ tl~roughout, his only reward is tl~o rc3ultmlt con fidonco in himself find Lllo satisfaction of knowing tlmt if ho Ims to ‘~shoot it out” with N pistol ho will bc a bottcr mm than his opponent. Similnrly, wo lmvo a disliko of “ tcaml shoots,” WO fcol tlmt tllo run munition wonld bo much mom uwiully omploycd in giving ailditiolml practiuo unclcr i,lstr[lction, I?rom now on, in proceeding to moro wlva.need training, the uso of stationary targets should I..)c abandoned in favour of surprise targets of rdl kinds and in frcqllcntly vmicd positicms. tSuch targets ~vould includo charging, rotmmting} bobbing, und traversing figures of’ nlan-aizo. l’r~vorsing torgots can bc oithcr ut right or obliquo finglcs. Musketry ofllccrs will hmvo no dilTlculty in clovising for thcm- sclvcs endless vcwi~tions on this thcmo, and current illcidcnts, lnorc cspccin.lly in the nuturo” of acturd l~wppcnings to mcn of their pmticulm sorvico, often provido vuluablo suggestions. ~Vc will givo OI1OCXM1?l)]Oof a pr[uctico lvhic]l lm.s lwcll frequently crmriccl out with good results. It is designed not only as a test of skill with tho pistol IIndCLI diflicult conditions, but filso rL test of bodily fitness ancl agility, qualities which to tho policoman
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42 SHOOTING TO LIVE at any rate rwo every bit as ncccssary in tho circum- stnmces which are so often encountered in shooting affrays. In this pr~ctico, which we lmvo cded tlm “ l?ur- suit,” tho shooter is started off at tlm run, outside the rmgo, on rm obstmclo courso consisting of jump- ing ~ ditch, running across Q plank over water, crawling through ~ suspcnclecl k-ml, climbing a rope, a kklcr, and over u wall, finishing up with a 100 yards (lash ending at 4 yards from tho targets. Without warning or waiting, two surpriso targets am pulled, one after tho other, and at each he fires a “ burst “ of threo shots. The targets am ‘exposed for no longer than it takes to fire three shots at the highest possilde speed. Yet another practice, rL “ mystery shoot,” is desoribod in the chapter entitled “ A lhoticcl Pistol Rmqp” In dl practices at surprise targets, opportunity must bo found for the porformanco of two very essential operations. In order of importance, these are :— 1. Malting safo n.llor firing only a portion of tlm conkmta of tho m~gozinc. 2. Inserting ~ second mag~zino Qfter tddly In from expending the contents of the first and continuing to fire without delay. the first instance, after firing one or two shots ~ fully clm.rgccl magazine, the instructor Should
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TRAINING : ADVANCED METi-10DS 43 givo the orck to ccam fire. The shootor Bhould then como to the ‘‘ ready, ” romovc tlm magazine, eject tho Livo round from tho breech, work tho sliclo back and forth aovcral times and findy pull tho trigger, nll M dcscribcd on pp. 25 rmd 31 (Uigs, !J and 10). In tho second ixlstancc, immediately tho lad shot has bcon firccl, tho ahootor comes to tho “ rcmdy, )’ romovcs tho empty mngazino, i.mmrts a fresh one and YO1OM1S, oithcr by pressing down tho slide roloaso stop with tho thumb of tho loft hand or by slightly retract- ing nnd then ro]casing tho sliclo. Tho slido flies for- vmrd, taking mcartridge into tlm brcoch, and the shooter resumes tho “ rcmdy” position by bonding his hand to the right and awaits tho appoarunco of the next target, Ibctico at surpriso tmgots cam Lo carried out.i first with tho arm fully oxtcndcd and later from tho “ thrco-qucmtor “ l~ip position. Thoro aro still two other mothocls of closo-quarter d~ooting to bo dcscribcxl, but bcforo doing so this will bo pcrl.mps an opportuno moment to call tho attention of instructors to t30vora1 points which will bo of assistumco in getting results. When firing at aurpriso tmrgots, novor lot rncn mtioipoto m~ttors by stzmding in th firing position. They must ho standing at tho “ ready “ bofom tllo first target appears. If the succeocling targets mo pulled with no perceptible interval, tho men moy continuo to stmd in the firing position. Othwwiso tlmy should come down to tho ‘‘ ready ‘‘ ~goin ufter
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44 SHOOTING TO LIVE WLdi ShOt 01’“ burst “ while awniting the appearance or tlic I)CXLt:wgct, AtLcl]lioll l}M bcxn dr[L~vn u]rcudy to t,i~o ncccssity for tlic Squu’c Stitllcc. ;Vhcn tllrnillg from ono tfir~ct tO ii.liOtll(.!r tll~ SqlltL~C StallCO lllUSt bC 1)r(Y3CrVC(.1 by turnil)g tl)c body, ‘1’llis cm bc dfcctcd by scraping the feet roul)d or even jurnp;l]g round if tllo extent d tl~c turn \VitrlTLlltS it. It (.1OCS not matter how it is done so long as the firer faces coch fresh tmget squarely und is thus enabled to retain the pistol in its origimd l)ositionj i.e. in ulignmcllt with the vertical ccntrc-line of the body. In firing at a crossing target (“ running man “), it will soon be observed that !30 pcr cent. of all the misses aro traccal.do to firing a.head of it or, as a lniill ficcustomcd to the shot-gun would say, to “ lCiMlill~ iL.” Tl~is holds good even when the range is wily 4 yurd~ Nlld tllo turgct only lm.vcls at obout 3 lniles ml l~our, ‘1’l~is is not tl~o ~)la.cc for a con- troversy over tl~o rivul merits of “ lcadillg “ a moving tikrgCtor “ tiwingillg “ ~ill it. Our purpose is merely to assist instructors in correcting their pupils’ mistd<cs, and w“o content ourselves with pointing out that, distunco and speed of target being as stfitcd, & bullet travclling at eight hundrccl feet a second would strilcc only about tl]rcc-cputcrs of an inch bchincl tllc point of uim. lVc now turn to the t~vo other methods of closc- qumtcrs shooting previously referred to. ‘1’hcse are, rcspcctivcly :—
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TRAINING : ADVANCED METHODS 45 The “ half-hip “ (Nig. 13). ‘lho “ quiwtcr “ or “ close-llil} “ (l~igo 1’4). Al)wrt froln sl~ortcning tllc mrln by bringing tl~e cl bolv to t!~o si~lo, tllo “ lmll’-l~il) “ h ]]0 diffcrollt fronl tlko ‘{ tllrco-qlllwkr,)’ M)(1 Hllould IJO proctiswl o,t not 1)10~0 tll:kll 3 yikIdS. .lbovo tl~fit tlitinc~ ib would bo moro nmturrd to tilioot froln Lllo “ thl’cc-flll[u’tlc!l’ “ position, ‘1’hc “ qtlurtor “ or “ close-hip “ ]josition is fop purely defonsivo purl)oscs and wo[lld lm Iwcd only ~t’llon tho roquiromcnts uro N very quick drew, fo]lowcd by [u] cqucdly quick allot fit cxtrmncly clos.o qufirkns, sucl~”-as woulcl lm tllo caso if n chulgcrous adversary wero threatening to stri ko or gmpplo with you, I%ctiso this at 1 yard. ‘1’his is tho only position ill w]lich thf3 hmd is not in tho ccntro of the body. 13cforo wc clos6 tllo subj cct of shooting at short rnngos, ;VO~vould Ml{ tlio roudor Lo kcop in nlin(l tl~ut if l~o goLs his sliot ON firsL, l~o lllnLLcr ~!’lioLlicr it is N hit or fL miss by Q mmrolv margin, lio will hhvo nl~ itd ValltW~O of somotimcs ns much as two seconds over his opponont. The opponent will IVant timo to rccovcr his wits, awl his shooting will not bo as accurato m it migl~t bo. It will lm approprido now to turn our at!xmtion to truilling ourselves for shooting at longer rnngcs, for in spito of having said that tlm groat majority of shooting affrays tako place within a distance of 4 yards, tho need doos arise occasionally for u long shot.
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46 SHOOTING TO LIVE I’m. 13.—” Hdf-IIip “ Position.
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TRAINING : ADVANCED METHODS 47 1, 14.—” (ju~rtor “ or “ Closo.Hip “ PoPition.
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48 SHOOTING TO LIVE For a long snot in the stancling position, we think tllc t~vo-llanded methods shown in I.?igs. 15 and l15A I;I(J. 16.—’Y\vo.llr~l)iloll, Slnn(lirlg. n.ro best cdculatc(l Lo produco results, ‘1’l)o right arm is rigid and is supportcil by the left. l?ractise at any rcasonablo d istanco from 10 yards upwards, !-..,. [‘n 4;,. ““~7 = ;4$)4/ -J Fig. lG shows tho proper method to employ if you lmvo to shoot from the prono position (1’i~. 16). Incicbntxdly, (10 not be ~fraid to mlopt this position immcdiotcl,y if circ~lmstnmccs (Iomand it, as might ___
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TRAINING : ADVANCED METHODS 49 lm the caso if you had to chml with sovernl aclvcrsmies simultaneously. I+actise yourself in getting quickly into the prone position, rcmcmbcring tlmt it gives you the dud mlvomtngo of being ablo to do your sl~ooting from t~ stccu.ly position at N nlurlc wl~idl is ug~inst the sky-lino , as it were, wllilo you yourself offer m less conspicuous target for your opponents thrm if you wcro standing I?p, ?Cind providonco lms endowed us n.11will]] ~ lively scnso of aclf-prescmmtion nml somo of us with a scnso of strategy as well. If our readers rwo in tho lottcr class wo ncccl not rclnincl thcm of tlllo adwmtagcs of taking cover whcnover possiblo. Iti is possible, l~ow- f3VCr,tht SOmO of YOUh~Ve not thO@t Of a tOICphOl10 polo or electric light standard in that connection. I?ig. 17 will show you a side view of how to do it most conveniently, and I?ig. 18 SI1OWS how an nclvcrsary will view the mdhr. Noto in the formor illustration the position of tho fcot, knees and loft forearm. Tho left knoo mm-l foro~rm rwo prmsccl og~inst tlm pole, loft hnm-1 is grasping the right wrist, thumb of D —
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50 SHOOTING TO LIVE FIG. 170—Sido View. .. -
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TRAINING : ADVANCED tllc right hand resting mgainst tllo polo. I’ig. 18 also demon- strates the almost perfect cover pmvidcxl. If tllo long f3110Lgives you cnougll timo to bo dolibcratc, so rnucll tho better, Lmcauso tho Lwo-htixl[lcd posi Lion and tlia.t of Vig. 17 permit of almost, rifle- liko accuracy. 1311tdo not tmlco it for granted tlmt you will havo timo to bo clelibcrato. 14 is wiser to assume that you v not, and it will bo to yL mlvomtugc, thcrcforo, to practiso all threo of tho two-handed nlcLhods at tho sruno surpriso tmgots as m-o used for Hhort- rango work, IVo havo condcmnccl the uso of fi;ghts for u1l forms of sl~ort- rrmgo shooting, but for long Bho L9, such as Wo I1OVO been describing, Bights offor o distinct m-lvmtagc. Wo lmvo littIo faith, however, in thoso usually fur- nished. Good as somo of thcm uro for usI3 against a white target and u black bull’s eye, tllmo nro very fow that can METt-tODS Fm. 18.—Front View. -.
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52 SHOOTING TO LIVE k pickwl u1) inshmUy agiins u dark background, mld this di~lculty is incrcasml. to tllo l}oint of ljcillg i[lsulx+mblc if tllo light is bwl. ‘J.’o ovcr- comc ttllis, tllc autl)ors’ l)crst)llid pistols mu fitted witl~ foresights of silver, ol’ exactly Lho dmpo 0[ tllo ordinrwy dlot-gllll bwul and a.hou~ tllc sLLmo Rim. 1f kept bliglkt, Llwso siglits collect ally light tllcro is f’rotll nlly finglc and can lm scctl instantly in all circulnstal~ccs cxccpt pitch-darkness. ‘1’hcy stand ~lp very wcl 1 tc) rollgll lvork xnd can bo cwii [y rcplaccd if dmnagwl, IVc sco no mason ugoi[wt tile iuloption of this tylw l’t~r scrvico iwue il’ solno ~uitlablo wl~ito- ]nclal alloy were used instead of ~ilvcr, ‘J.’l~ough not claimccl as suitwble for target lvorkj these sights answer Llioir pur~)oso ,whnirfibly wllcro speed is tho primo colwi[loration. ‘llc best rear-siglit for ~]sc ill Culljllnution with tho silver l)c:~tI is L-L wide ulld sl~allow “ V.” The rcar- sigl~t should k :dlixml Ivith n distinct dope to tllc rear, and O1lCC(ho gun is sighted-in, 911ouM bo kept in place with a smsll sct+crew. It will not shoot 100s0 tJicJI and will bo 1CS5lin.blo to displacorncnt or 10ss by accichmt or ill-usage. ..-.
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PISTOL AND CARTRIDGE Mechanical defects, Cartridge defects. care of ammunition, Supplies, current require- ments and reserve stocks of ammunition. ‘.l’II[s dmptm lcl[utcsl Cmly Lo t<llc products of ]]:ll[]f~ctlril~g c(jl~ccrlIs Or gOOd stildil)g UJld vitl lvcll-dcscrvcd rcl)utmtio]]s Ivl]icll tl]oy rLrc IIOL likely to IIwzmd. ‘J’llcro Nm plcl]ty of tl)o otllor kind of Inanufficttlrcr bl lvitJl tllc]u \vc llvc nothiug to do beyond rclniwlcing that it is clue to tl~cir existence t]l[LtNIuJIY crinlill~ls lliLV() bCL’11 brougllb tO justico itnd Llio lives of J]wf]y policclncn llavo bcon savccl. ‘-L’I1o]nodcrll onc-lmnd gllll and its omlnunition IIml”o bccll ljrougllt to Sllcll i~ sb~tc of perfection tl~at, assu~llillg rcaso]mblc c:tro in tlioir use, nl:Llfunctions of tho former and defects ill tjllo littr arc of. rum Occllrl’cnco. ‘1’l~ogrcut mujori~y d nlul~llllctions of tho ]nodorl~ pistol oxo duo, not to faults in dcsigll or mmlufucturo, but to ignorance, neglect or rough handling, nccidontwl or othcrwiso, on tho part of tllo usor. Gcnera!ly speaking, tho private individual owning a good pis~ol is too much of a “ gun-crank “ to l.m guilty of wilful neglect or rough lmndling and to l~inl it is supcr[luous to recommend thot, in caso of fit .-. .
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54 SHOOTING TO LIVE uccidcl)t, l~is ]listol shoulfl lm promptly overha.ulcd by n cot~lpckilt arl~lourcr. lr~ Ll)c Scrviccs, llo~vcvcr, ]nutlcr~ am rather clifrcrcnt. of l~cccssity, very often, weapons aro s[lbjcctcd to rough Lrcmtmcllt, and it m~y happen tlli~t tlic most careful man may drop l~is pistol by accident. If it is made clear to tllc mcn that such mccidcnts iuw not rcga.rdcd as pullisl~nblc o~cnccs, tllcy lvill I.)c far mom apt to rcporL tllcm qllickly and so cnsuro tlmt their wca.pens, on which tl~eir lives may depend, arc put as soon as possiblo into scrvicczblo condition once rnorc, Wo are not legis- lating for tllc man WI]O commits wilful damage or tllo genius in w}lose hands cvcryt]ling comes to picccs qnitc naturally. Mcn of that kind do not, or should not, go very far wit}lout being rccognisccl for w]ltit tllcy arc, and t}lcro am mlitablo and wcll- cstahlisllccl mct}~ods of dealing with tl}cm. As far as o{lr ox~)crionco goes, a compnriscm bcllvccn tl~c autom:~tic find tl~o doul.)]c-action rovolver, in respect of their liability to dam~go, results in favour of tllc former. Accident and ill-usago can lmvo dcplorablo effects on revolvers ill tho wn.y of brolccn firing pins, damaged pawls or cylilldcr ratchets and bent cranes, the last lncntionccl giving riso to much moro trouble tl]an is conlmollly sllpposcd. I.)ropping the gun on to u hfird surfs.co & often sufficient to put tho crane out of alignment, even though thcm is no visible damage dono, and no overhaul of a revolver is complete -.
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PISTOL AND CARTRIDGE 55 unless tho alignment of tlm crano is verified by tho np~p]icztion of tho rcql~isito a,rmourer’e ga.ugoo Then, Loo, tllcro is tl]o f[wt Lllat bwrrol ca.tell-springsj if’ of tllo fl[~t or lcaf variety, break fur moro frcqllcntly tl}an tlicy should, and it is surprisil~g tlmt nl:mu- fi~cturcrs colltinuc to fit tlllcm when it is a perfectly simlllo mmLt,cr to s(lhstitjulc coil springs, which would bc n~uch mom rcliablo. An automatic of good n~td{o is muc]l 1(!ss Iidlo t!iml m revolver to Amngo from lwillg (lroppcd on a hard surface, ‘1.’l~o fcw instances of crackd slides nro due, not to tho wc~pon lining dropped, but to long uso in rapid fire, sucl~ as might ho t}~o caso with & pislol used b,y an instructor. N’cvcrthclcss, a fal~ may hmago tllo lmm]ncr and sights or may loosen pins and screws. Tho extractors and ejectors occasionally givo troublo, but tl)is is usurdly duo to wear ufLcr very Iollg 11s0. Otllcr:vise, tlicro is littlo lLlmlt Lllo pislol itself tllut is li~~blo to dmnngo. }Vo must look, rhthcr, to its magnzino for tllc comso of !)0 pcr cent. of tho trouhlcs whidl wo used to encounter, and in this connection wo slmll rduto our own oxpcricnces in tllo caro and xmintoncmco of largo nulnbcrs of rmtomutic pistols having rnagazincs of tho dctaclmblo typo. We lmvo to admit that in tho beginning wo paid little attention to the mfigazincs or their condition. WO soon noticed, however, that somo of tho mrqpzines
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56 SHOOTING TO LIVE in our charge Jvcro getting rusty and that others, if not rusty, lvcrc clogged up with tobmcc,o r-lust, fhlfrml bits of mxtcl}cs, tllo sort of stufl that is foull{l in lnost men’s l)ockcts. Wc took t)lo ]]jlit. :lnd, as opportunely scrvd, l]od every onc of some 0000 m:~gnzines stxi])pwl nn(l clc:md. ‘1’l~o rust was removed, togctl~cr with mtonislling q~lmltitics of tl]c 8LuIY rcfcrrcxl to alJOVC) ~Lnd, more inlportant still, IJ]o ovcrl]ulll scrvd to rcvcd [L ccrt:~in amollllt of. d:kmngo duc t.o ILfird knocks m(l wc[w and tear. ‘J.’llc only sensible Lt]i]lg to do WU8 to rcco:niso nt once tl~o wm. r :Ln(l tear tl]ut cxistc(l, MI(1 would continllc to mist, in m ardllolls scrvicc, tllc conditions of vl]id COIIIC1 not bc morlificcl, and then to LL.pply tl~c rcmc(ly of Iwriodic ovel’lli~~~ls. It l~as long been our custom, therefore, to hfivo every pistol, with its two mrr,gwzincs, sent to the armoury for inspection :~t intcrvnls of six months, regardless of wlkctllcr or not n.ny defects mm fipporcnt. On tl~csc occasions, not only do UIC pistols rcccivo JVlliLtCVCl” attention is. ]lcccssrwy, lJu L, w pfirb of Lllc routine, tho rnagazincs nro striJ)]wfl :Llld clw~rlctl (rchluwl if they ncc(l it), tllc ~~jrillgs firo grcnswl fld, if I’oullcl ]Icccssnry, dcilts am rclllovd fr(.rIn tllc Ellldls, lmso plates uro strfiigl~tcnc(l out Wnd Splayed si{lcs re])lacccl in posiLion, tllc co]nl)lctc(l iob ]l:lving to JtICLWIIrC~lp to gauges spccid]y Conshuctd for each csscnticd dimension. TIIC results of t}lcsc periodic ovcrhauk havo been entirely mtisfactory znd jambs me now of rare occurroncc. . ..-
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PISTOL AND CARTRIDGE 57 llnough has been said to show that tho condition of the nmgwiirm is of the utmost importance to tlm rcliablo fu:lctioning of the pistol and at least ordinary care, tllcrcforc, sliould bo cxcrciscc.1 in ih regard, ‘1’l~oso individuals who uso their nlug[~74incs M scrcw- drivcrs, or to open hccr bottles, hmvo no ono to blumo but tl~cmsclvcs wllcm their pistols rc3fuso to function. If Uny doubt exists as to its condition, a mogazinc S11OUM I-10 rcg{udcd MI ddbctivo untiI compctcnt inspcc~ion is vailtblo. Jf tllo doubt is confirmed, compctcn t inspection will includo u r~pid-firo test witJ~ tl~o mng:~zino clmrgcd to full capacity. A wortl~- \vllilc llrccuution, to keep the spring cfficicnt, is to rcmovo ono or two cartridges whcnovcr circumstances crnlito !l’his applies, of course, to conditions which ncccssitt~to tile ma:azino hcing kept chrmgccl moro or less permmmntly. I}ropcrly trchtccl, them is no reason why n }vcll-mrdo nmgazino should not last twcntly ycal%. No ammunitiull can bc cxcctcd to withstand indefinitely tho wear omd tom 01 doily use, whioh ilnl)lics X1OL orlly currying it ill 0.11wetlcrs but tllc frcqucl~t luudillg wnd u]llouding of wmpons. IL bccomcs necessary, thcrcfom, first to ascertain tho pcriocl for wllicll nnlmunition may softly rcrnain in daily uso and tllcn to withdraw it from circulation immcdiutcly tho limit of that period has bccm reuchccl. Our conclusions in tho matter mo brood upon tho
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5!3 SHOOTING TO LIVE oxigcncics of tho police sorvicf3 of u great city, a mrvico t]mt functions ccasclcssly for twenty-four hours a day and is maintained by large numbers of mcn whom circumstances compel to go armed with ~listols. I!’or a. portion of tho forco, economy (lenmncls a ratio of approximately two wcmpons to three men. It is plain that the samo men cannot be on duty all tho ti mo and it followf3 that in tho course of twenty-four hours weapons and ammunition mist ho returned ut intcrvrds to polico ~tations for sub- sequent issuo to other mcn going out on duty. Such “ chmlgc-ovcrs, ” m tbcy uro known technically, occur not lCSS than three times in twenty-four hours. At each “ change-over “ safety clomands that the wcopons bo unlocdcd, only to bo rcloacled on issue to tllo next men. A1mrt from tho “ cllange.ovcrs,” which m-o duo to motives of economy, it will be rccogniscclj too, that ovon in thoso cases whoro weapons am provided for each individual, a certain amount of loading und unlod.i.ng is likely to twke place in tho interests of safety. Add now the fact, rncntionccl akcady, thmt the ammunition is carried in all weathers and Wa havo a sot of circumstances dcfinitoly inclicativo of lmrd uaago. Ch.rcful records of over fifteen years show that under thcso circumstmccs tho extreme length of timo for which automatio pistol ammunition can be cmpectccl to bo rcliablo is four months. Subsequently, defects begin to be apparent and work out very stcmlily at about two rounds per ten thousand. Ilut . . . .
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PISTOL AND CARTRIDGE 59 for every woolr thereafter tho number of defoctivo rounds incrcascs with surprising rmpi[lity, ‘1’ho rccorc15 rcforrccl to show that rovolvcr atnmnni- tion dots not mcrmuro up to this standard. In point of fact, tho ratio of dofocts is npproximl~toly &mbIo that of automatic pistol ammunition. ‘1’ho rm,sons aro not far to seek. ‘lho loading and unlomling of rovolvcrs imply much moro hnndiing of tho ammunition timn is tho cMlo with nutom~tio pistols, which carry ~])cir mlnmunition i.n box m~gmzincs. Hero tl~o maga74incs rcccivo most of tho rough treatment. Witih all tho caro in tho world we must oxpcct, too, that occasion- ally nmrnunition will bo dropped on tho ground} possibly on tho unsympatlletio ccmcnt floor of a polico stmtion. Such trc~tmcnt hns lCSS cflcct on antomutio pistol ammunition, with its tigl~tly crirnpod j[mkctcd bullets, than on rovolvcr carlridgcs, pmti- cul[~rly thoso of Irwgo calibro carrying soft 10MI bullets. Whilo thcm may bo no noticcablo deforma- tion of tho Iattor, they are moro licLMo to ho jarred 100so from tho crimping and that is tho prcludo to othor troubles, Apart from whrLt may ho rcgrwdcd as inhcmcmt clisadvantagos in rovolvor ammunition, careful com- parisons of respcctivo mcmurcmonts inclino us to L11o belief tlmt very often somowhrtt 10ss cam is oxcrcimd in its manufacture than is tho caso with fiutomatio pisto 1 ammunition. Of sheer necessity, tho httcr must conform xnoro rigidly to n.ccoptcd . . .
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60 SHOOTING TO LIVE hmhmls, Too grca.t u dopmtllro from stamlnml would be revealed very quickly by tlio a(~tonmti{: uction of the weapon in which it is used, a compelling factor in the production of rcliablo ammunition. It is only fair to add that defects in the automatic ammun.it,ion put out by makers of repute om few umd far bctwccn. ‘11)0 “ lifo “ of ammunition is a. maLtcr which merits tllo most careful attention, p.rticulmly when wo }mvo to consiclcr ILo needs of a scrvico which is obliged to havo a largo amount in confital~t um. in somo cases, too, complications arise from climatic conditions rmcl distance from sourco of supplies. It is possiblo to keep ammunition in cxcollent condition for a number of ycrms provided that it is not removed from iLa curto]ls nmcl pcking-crwcs nncl IJmt common-mm is used in tho motLor of storugo. IIaving in millcl tho needs toucllccl upon in tho prcccding paragraph, wo prcfor, however, not to trust to rcscrvo sup~]lies kept in stock for ~ number of ycurs but to adol)t instead what may bo dcscribccl m+ U ‘~rcvolvil]g credit. ” 1.’1M3 tmblcs given in tho Appendix will convoy our men.ni.gg moro clearly, but W13muy st~to hero that two basic conditions influenco their construction, viz. :— ‘he undcairability of carrying ammunition in daily uso for more than four months. Tho undcsiralility of keeping ammunition in stock longer than two years.
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PISTOL AND CARTRIDGE 61 l~IwIu tlih WI IL titwbig lmh~L, qlmtitkw kuclukd on w]] counts cm] k ostim~tecl. .Uy mums of this “ revolving credit “ ~ystem we :lre spared certnin umiotics which would occur woro rcscrvo su~)plics to bo keyt .in stodc over u nurnbcr of yclll’s. WiLl~ our full supply oxpcndcd in under two ycms, and roplonishcd aa neccsmwy, wo do noti JirLvoto worry obout such thblgs as scmomd crmclring or otJIor forlnfl Of do~oriort,ioil itl tllo brass, dctoriomtion of tho mnokolcss powclor cha.rgo, incrcmscd pressures duo to timt clctcrioration or, moro importfint still, tho rolinbiliLy of tho primers. Wc do not wusto fust-class ammunition on practico wld training shoots, but uso only tlmt which wo consider might bo no longer rcliablo. ‘Illlc rcfcrcllcc to tllo roli~~bility of tllo primers slloukl Lo oxpluincd, Wo havo ill nlilld tllo modorn Ilon-folding primer. It will bo llmloccssmry for us to rcrer to its vuluo in all circunmtmlccs, nmcl pmLicularly tlloso in which tl~o clcanillg of weapons nilcr firing lms to bo dcl’erred longor tlmn it should 1)0, Up to dnto, howovor, it dots not [Ilppcar to lrLst m long in wlvcrso climutic conditions M tllo old rust-producing typo. Wo admit that wo aro not quito sure of this, but whilo thoro is any doubt in tho xnattor wo prefer to lmlco no moro risks t+an wo ncccl, and this aspect is fully taken care of by tho “ revolving crcclit.” \Vc think it will bo holprul if our system of cloaling
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62 SHOOTING TO LIVE witl~ trl~o ammunition supply is clmcly linked with tl~c mmoury rocmds which should h lccljt in respect of hot]: ~mmunition and weapons. l?ractice and training courses aro invrduahlo in bringing to light fLny dcfectivo a.mmunibion or pistols, which SI1OU1CI bo immediately withdrawn and sent to Lllo armoury for oxmmiuation. If tllo cxmnination rovccL1s ammunition defects which m-c not duc to ill-usago but to obvious faults in mfinll f:wturo, tho matter should bo taken up with tl~o nmkors, full records being kopb. As rcgarcls tllc pistols, thcro dlould bo a history sheet for cNLch weapon and on it SI1OU1C1 be noted tl~c attributwl Dnd actual cuuscs of the clcfects (sometimes theso cliffcr widcIy), the rep~irs cficcted, the date returned to scrvico am-l otllcr fippropriato data. It is truo tl]at rdl Ibis involves a cortmin amount of clerical Ivorlc, but it is mom tl~nm justiflccl by tho gcncml c~lcicllcy which results and it sin]cs into insigllificanco 1~’llcn it is rcmcmborcd whut that cfIlcicncy may mean to mcn wIIoso Iivcs M-oukl oilllerwjso Lc nccdlmsly cnclmgcrcd.
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PRACTICAL PISTOL RANGES Ilouwrlmss most of us would prefer to do o[~r pistol 81~ooLing out of’ doors. ‘1.’horo is tJIo plcwmro of hng in tho fresh air, tl~cro aro no powdor furncs to contend with, and tho noiso is less trying than in an indoor rfingo, whom so many mcn find it ncccssary to plug their cars. Aptmt, howovcr, from tlleso considerations, tho value of an outdoor rango is Iimitcd. It can only he used in daylight and in good weather. I?urther, though it may ho a minor point, tho equipment of an outdoor rango is Iiablo to dctcriorato mom r[Lpidly tham it would indoors. In[lucncecl by tho ncccssity to conduct pistol training rcgm-llcss of wcutllor and frcquontly after chwk, our prcforcnco is for tho indoor rnmgo. It gives us in addition grcmtor fuciliLics than would bo rcmonably possiblo out of doors for varying tl~o lighting at will. Wo llavo in mind training courses which ondcavour to roproduco m closely as possiblo the conditions which polico tlm world ovm so often oncountcr in tho courso of duty. Criminals f~vour d~rkncss or semi-d~rkncss for Lho oxcrciso of their talents, md @l~rgo proportion of tho shooting affr~ya in which pO~CG ~re conccrnwl tako place unclm prcciscly tlloso conditions. ?Vo vcnturo u:]
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64 SHOOTING TO LIVE to suggest that every man who has to uso a pistol in the courso of duty should learn how to do so in tllc dark. It ecm bc clone, it is often ncccswwy, atd L]}(3 acquisition of confidence in this respect is invull]~blc. If circumstances dictu.to an outdoor range, sulcct, i[ you can, x picco of grcmnd on which u high bank or IL l~illsido provides ~ natural stop butt. A dislmxl qllmry or grnvcl.pit usually a]]swcrs tllc purposu afllnirnbly. l.f tllti only ground uv~ilablo is flat, tho stop lJu Lt is IJCSL con8tructcd of & steeply sloping l)iLlllC of C?rLrLllbaclccxl by & wall of brick, stone, concrctc or heavy timber. .Refcrencc to the plm (Yig. 1!3) of cm indoor rnngo will S11OJV tile lay-out wo suggest. ‘1’ho contents of the Imxt pfiragra.ph np[jly cquu.] Iy to out(loor n.nd in(loor r:m~cs. l~vory ljrccul[tion ]I)ust bo tiLlceII ngairlst ricocllots, ‘1’llo carlh of wl)icl] tl)o stop blltt is built up must bo tllorongllly sifted to ensure tjllc removal of all. stones, largo umd sm[dl. It is ~ good plan to f[~cc tho sloping front or Lhc stjo~) blltt with turf. llvcry scrap of ]nctol Ilsc(l in tllo constriction itll(l whicl~ is lilLblo to l i’(]. lg. lir@nulioll - J, 1, 1, l’rrmm for throo bohl)ing tw.ryts, fl~ll figytru. 2. Tra.clc mnd frmmo for r’unnirlg tnrgob, IImlffigure. :1, ‘J:ruclcm]cl frumo for runnil~g tqyt, full fignro. 4. ‘lkclc nnd frmno for running target, full figure. 5, 5, 5, 5, G. lrIZIIJIOS ior fi!’o bobbing t.m-gofis,hnlf’-flguro. (), (3, G, (i, l’rnnm for fo[lr dimppouring targwk, htmd anrl, Sllolll(lor,
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PRACTICAL PISTOL RANGES — — —-------- -———=-——-—J-=——---—— .-— - _ ___ - . —— — . — . — — - ——___ ------------- —:-- —-.—— —— —---=—:—=’-:—-: o- , -.------- : ”--.-:-----‘ --e-----b / . 6 A k ~J2 —-—. ————— ——. . —.———,_ ——— —. ————=— — ==—————— —— ———— — - . , 1 1 1 A 3 mm mm mm ---—- .-- y-. ---- ---- --- I’A/vv 6S Zfvlf -A /3uft I yo”lij . .
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66 SHOOTING TO LIVE l-m struck by bu]lcts from tllf3 firing poi]lt must ho tl~oroug]lly protcctcd by cmth or soft wood. At illt,crv:tls, dcpcn(ling on tl~c urnonnt of shooting, the stop ht]tt sl]ullld Ijc raked and (lug over in ordor to rcmovo all cxpcndccl bullets. !lllcso do not pcnctra.to very fwr ill any CMO, find continued firing con- ccntrclccl on p:lrticnlnr spots tends to bring them to tllo surfoco. ‘Jlcir rcmovrLl hould not bo doforrccl too long, for buing C1OSO to tllo surfaco of tllo brink rmd most Iiiccly in agglo]}lcrwtlions of many Lullcts Logctllcr, tllcy constit~[to Q dcfini~o cause of ricochets. And no ono crLn over f’orctoll tlm courso (or forco) of ~ ricochcfi. Tl]o salo (Jt’ tl]o lnctal rccovcrc(l in this manner often helps materially to reduce tho running Prudence snggcsts t}lat both the site costs of w rallgo. . and tl~o plans of construction 8hould ho approved by tl~o compctcnt local authority before rmy work is undcrLaJcon, md doubtless that ~uthority will insist on am cxrunjnation of tllo complotccl ramgc lwforo firing is lwrmittcd. ltcvcrti ng to tlic plan , wc clrtaw rdlxmtioll to ono feature tlifit may bo unusual a.lld to another that corLainly is. l’lm former is tho Control Room, rmd tllo Iattcr is tllo abscncc of ally fixc(l firing ~mint. ‘1’lm control room llouscs tllo mcn who opcrl~to tho tmrgots. It provi(les tllcm with perfect safety whilo firing is ill ])rogrcss, rtnd from it tllcy clncrg{] nt intcrvah to patch tho trw.gcf.s, 13ut tllcy do not cmcrgo urltil tllo Rnngo Officer slvitchc.s on m grcml light which ~hows high over tllo tnrgcts ~u]d ig vi~iido . .
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PRACTICAL PISTOL RANGES 67 to tl~c]n. A rcd light is shown in tho samo place Ivhilc firing is iwtually in progress or shout to taker pllwc. fls stNtcd, tllcrc is l~o ~Ixcd firing point nor is tllcrc tiny bctrricr across tllo range. ‘1’hc rungo is not divided into longituclinnl sections, with booths for i]ldividuu.1 shooters rLt tllo firing end, Stlch doviccs woLIld bo imllracticab]o for tho twining system ]vl]icll Ivo ndvocu.to, and this will bo clcnr if lvo ucld il)nt \ro l)fLvo to muku provisiol~ for such witlc]y diff’critlg dwnumls ns ttvo-l~wndcd sllooLing UL26 yards, hip sl]ootillg at prwcticdly poillt-blwnlc rmngc; and I)la,cticcs wliicll cl)tnil running at full speed a. ccrtuin distrmcc dol}’n tllo range in order to firo at several suddenly uppc~wing moving twrgcts. Obviously thcrcr is only l’oom for one ]m.n ut & tinlo to Siloot ill sufcty llndcr such conditions. ‘J?ho only timo when this rule is permitted to bc broken is in tho initial recruit l)rncticcs ut stationary Lmr’gets, \vllcn thrco mcn mmy sometimes shoot sido by side, under tlm watchful cyc of tllo instructor. It might l-m inferred from thcr fJWt tll~t, 1’it] tho o11o cx~
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68 SHOOTING TO LIVE be cons~itutcd by fixed firing points rdso permits the staging on occasion of what wc me pleased to cdl “ mystery shoots, ” On tlmsc occasions the range, cxccpt for tllo targets, is transforlncci beyond all rccognilion, cmd it is astonishing wlmt can Le clone ill this respect in a building of very modest climcnsions. ‘lo give an iclc~ of what we mean, tho rango illustrated on p. 65 lms moro tllm once been nmdo to represent tile interior of n Chincso lodgil]g-house lmrbouring, among olher inmaLcs, llulf a dOZCJl l.xd cl]mactcrs wl]o will resist arrest, A scrccn hides fill this from the mcn WI1Oarc going to shoot. All they see from the outsido is ~ wall with ~ door, tlirougl~ ~vhich, ono by one, they will l~fivo to enter tllc lodgil~g-llollsc. No OIIC kIIows what 1)0 will cncoulltcr illsidc, a.td tlio onIy instructions given w-o that innocent ci;’i]ians a.ro not to k “ killctl,’] such nction being lil{cly to ilnpcxlc protnotion, ‘1’he first man to shoot pnshcs in tho door, closely followccl by tllc rwngc oflicer, a.ml procccds ~vith caution or lvitll rccklcss (Lbanclon, according to his nature, along a. dark, narruw, twisting passoge, kiclcs ol~cn u duou ut ono lmiltt, clcsccnds u fuw steps, trcds 011 Iloor-bo:wds Ivllicll givo way under him, climbs some more stc]js and finds llimsclf in o dimly lit roon~ occupiccl hy ppmcntly harmkw people (dummies) who vary froln nwre Iodgcrs to dope fiends or stool-pigeons. Ho has to take in the situation in a flm]l, for his appcuranco is the Agnal for tho fun to comrnc’nce. A snot is fired at hil
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PRACTICAL PISTOL RANGES 69 (bhmk cartridge in the control room), omd tho criminals comtncnco Lhcir “ get-fiway “ (“ criminals “ uro lifo-sizo twrgots thnt bob up from no\vl~cro omd dismppc~r m quickly, llcmds an~l shoulders that peer nL him l.)ricily round a corner, mcn running swiftly across tho roonl, possibly ut ml oblique cmglo, ctc,, all nmslccd L_Lt some point in tllcir cmccrs by tllo “ innocont Lystanclors, ” who must not bo shot), ‘.I1l~crois no timo to thinlc, nml cmytlling rcsombling doliboruto uinl is w sl~ccr impossibility. lrurnituro nnd dummies impcdo his movomcnts, omd it is noticchblo tlmt l~c instinctively adopts tho “ crouch “ amcl shoots M a rule with tho arm in my position Cxccpt fully oxtcnclc’d. His only courso is to shoot q[liokly o~]d keep 011 sl~ooting till l~is mngw~inc is cnlpLy, llo~)il]g tl~mt l~e is hitting tho “ crimind9 “ MI(1 not tllo dtlmmics, Ally ill-luck as rcgmxls tho l~ttor is rclvordo(l, wllon tllo rcsnl Ls am mmounccxl, by prociscly tho sort of comment th[~t lnigllt bo Oxpcctcd fl’oln the C1’olvd. ‘1’l~is sort of thing is not mcm lliy-~cting. It is dono with tho solo purpow of nmking practico ns rwlistic m possiblo old of stimuluLing illtcrcsto If tho mcn mo lcopt indclinitcly at tho snmo dull routino tllcy will lose intmest, nnd rcsLIlts suffer accortlingly. IVO sl~ould m-lcl ]mw tl~~it t}~o cxponscs of tl~cso productions aro ncgligiblo if IJlcre am vilablo ~ littlo imoginntion, fi lot of willillg help, somo wood battens, straw, old clothes nml hossian or old snclcing. ‘1’l~ostops rcfcrrcd to mo o~ily arrrmgod by lmving a
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RE: Shooting_to_Live_Fairbairn_and_Sykes_FMFRP_12-81 [Part 1/4]