Mini Red Dot Sights for Law Enforcement BY GEORGE HARRIS gun is set up with the MRDS. It is ab- solutely essential that the pistol have Mini red dot sights (MRDS) have backup iron sights that co-witness with been around for a while but have only the red dot in the MRDS. This provides been seriously considered for law en- a net for the operator just in case forcement application on service pistols the MRDS is affected by Murphy’s law in recent times, especially for the sea- and fails just when it is called to duty. soned officer. This is unlikely to happen if the battery Durability and battery life have been is changed as per the manufacturer’s rec- seen as two of the major holdbacks to ommendation, but stuff does happen. their use. Currently, both have been ad- A real benefit to having co-wit- dressed sufficiently to allow acceptance nessed backup iron sights is assisting first shot on target capability slower than in the law enforcement community. the operator in the initial stages of fa- with their more familiar iron sights. One thing that has been hard to miliarizing themselves with the use of The biggest complaint for many overcome with some members of law en- the MRDS and quickly obtaining target new to the MRDS is the red dot is always forcement is reluctance to change. This acquisition out of the holster. in the top of the screen or even higher often comes from the natural attitude of Many first-time users of the MRDS when they draw to the target. “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” There are, find themselves having to spend time There are two simple ways to over- however, benefits to teaching an old dog locating the red dot on the screen and come this deficiency, which can be com- a new trick or two. then getting it on target from the draw. bined or used independently. One of the major issues is how the More often than not, this makes their Continued on page 3 Continues Its Support of the NRA!

Glock has well surpassed the $1 million mark in cash donations to the NRA and tens of thousands of dollars in product donations to the NRA’s Law Enforcement Division!

Glock Vice President Josh Dorsey presents NRA Representative John Perren with a donation.

Summer 2019 • http://LE.NRA.org • (703) 267-1640 • [email protected] THE NATIONAL POLICE SHOOTING CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE RETURNING TO MISSISSIPPI! September 23-25, 2019

It’s official: the National Police Shooting Championships (NPSC) has a new home, and we are returning to Mississippi. The Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Training Academy in Pearl will be the new host location for the NPSC.

“We are very excited to be returning to Mississippi,” said Glen Hoyer, director of the NRA’s Law Enforcement Division. “I know that many of our law enforcement officers are looking forward to our return to Mississippi and I hope they will join us at Pearl.”

For more information about the 2019 NRA National Police Shooting Championships, visit npsc.nra.org.

To book accommodations at the 2019 host hotel – The Hilton Jackson on East County Line Road – where the NPSC tuition-free training, banquet and other special events will take place, visit bit.ly/2019-NPSC-Hotel. NPSC competitors are eligible for a special rate and free breakfast at The Hilton Jackson.

2 Continued from page 1 ABOUT THE AUTHOR The first is primarily visual in na- validate the process. In many cases, this ture. By using the backup iron sights improves the shooter’s skill level just by George Harris has spent over 40 as a reference in getting the muzzle on fine-tuning their draw and presentation years as a successful innovator, educa- the target as previously practiced, the with smoothness and efficiency. tor and trainer in the field of . co-witnessed red dot comes into view The MRDS allows the operator to His simplistic approach to firearms during the draw and presentation to the look at the target as they superimpose training has a non-arguable track re- target. This makes it easier to see the dot the dot over the area of intended im- cord in extracting performance from and get it on the target as the trigger is pact to deliver accurate hits, assuming his students of marksmanship, tactics pulled. In short order, the primary focus adequate trigger control is exercised. As and maintenance. will transition from the iron sights to long as the officer sees the dot on the tar- George co-founded the world- renowned SIG Sauer Academy and the red dot leaving the iron sights as a get, whether focusing on the dot or the led it to become a profit center before coarse, secondary point of reference in target, hits will occur. retiring after 21 years of service. the visual field. To be fair, there are two schools of George currently is the president The second method is more of a tac- thought as to where the eye should be and CEO of International Firearms tile execution of spatial awareness. This focused, and both have merit. My sug- Consultants, LLC, where he serves the is done by practicing the draw to the gestion is to try both and favor the one firearms industry as a subject matter target slow enough to get the feel (po- that results in the desired performance. expert involving firearms and related sition) of the arms and hands necessary From a tactical perspective, focusing on matters for many companies and in to get the dot on the target in the most the desired point of impact while super- legal proceedings. direct manner. Doing this dry at first is imposing the red dot on that area as the Among his personal accomplish- beneficial, because it isolates the action trigger is pulled makes a lot of sense. ments, George earned the coveted to only what is necessary to accomplish MRDS are here to stay and have a place U.S. Army Distinguished badges for the task – conditioning the body to re- in the law enforcement community. both Service Pistol and Service . spond naturally and automatically to They are another valuable tool in the box He also coached and was a firing team getting the gun on target expediently. to do the job while on the job. member of the world champion U.S. Once the dry work is satisfactory in get- Army Reserve International Combat ting the dot on the target without hav- Team before retiring with 40 years of ing to search for it, live fire can follow to continuous military service.

3 How to Create a Law Enforcement Training Program

BY MARK A. FRICKE ing, trigger control, and follow-through. the face when they fire. Law enforcement are fired like a Introduction and History rifle. Show the officers how to stand with Teach Effective Handling Techniques their weight forward, knees slightly bent, For over 100 years, the shotgun has been shoulders square to the target, toe of the Handling techniques for the shotgun law enforcement’s big gun; feared by those recoil pad in the shoulder pocket, arms should be taught with a fighting mind- who crossed its path, respected by those tucked in, the gun pulled back into the set. Demonstrate manipulation of the who carried and used it. It is a gun we take shoulder firmly, the cheek bone resting on shotgun’s controls: how the safety, action to a fight, giving its operators confidence the ’s comb. The firing hand thumb release lever, operating the bolt (whether in their ability to win and go home to their should not be near their nose, or they risk from the fore end or a charging handle), families. While the shotgun is one of the getting hit. The support hand firmly grips and the internal shell stops work. Failing oldest weapon systems in law enforce- the fore end to help control the gun and to know where these controls are and how ment’s arsenal, it remains a viable tool to- manipulate the action when required. they work under stress has gotten officers day. It is a gun we carry a lot and practice Most standard stocks on fighting shot- killed. Once they know how and what with very little. guns are too long and don’t fit the major- the gun’s controls do, incorporate han- Today, many academies don’t train on ity of the folks we have in law enforcement dling techniques needed to win gunfights. the shotgun or only touch on its use in today. Their use is the one of the two main Loading, unloading, conditions of carry, familiarization fire. When officers leave reasons our officers don’t like to shoot reloading, select slug loading, malfunction the academy and return to their agencies, shotguns. A stock that is too long does not clearance procedures, transitioning to the many are given a shotgun or have one in allow the officer to obtain a proper fighting if needed and how to sling and the car with little or no knowledge on how stance and hurts them when they fire. Tak- unsling the gun (whether a simple carry to use it in a gunfight. Many administra- ing most of shotgun stocks and reducing strap or a tactical sling) should be taught tors, supervisors, and even firearms train- them by one inch in pull (length) will dra- next. ers suffer from misconceptions, myths, matically increase their effectiveness. This When loading the shotgun, it is not in- and biases on what the shotgun can and will allow shorter officers to keep the toe verted and loaded like you are going duck can’t do. Officers don’t like to shoot the in the pocket. They will then be able hold . The butt of the gun remains in shotgun because they were not shown how onto the gun and keep it on target lon- the shoulder pocket (or at least under the to do it properly so it would not hurt them. ger without having their body excessively arm) with the strong hand maintaining a This stems from the little or no training bladed. Even your larger officers will find it firing grip, safety on, finger off the trigger they received with the shotgun as young easier. and straight along the . Shells are officers. A vertical pistol-gripped shoulder stock loaded with the support hand by feel, not We as trainers would not think of just may also assist officers in holding the shot- looking at the gun. giving a handgun to a recruit officer and gun up longer – but make sure it is com- Unloading is done with safety in mind; telling them to go out and qualify. If we patible with whatever safety system your shells should not merely be racked want the shotgun be effective in the hands shotgun uses. A shotgun with a receiver through the action and allowed to impact of our officers, we must teach them how tang mounted safety and a vertical pistol- the ground. Doing so unnecessarily dam- to do it from the ground up, just as we did gripped shoulder stock is an invitation to a ages the shells and invites a detonation with their . We must create a disaster. With this combination, the opera- from a shell’s primer striking a piece of training program and corresponding qual- tor gripping the pistol grip cannot apply or gravel. I have seen this very thing happen. ifications that will be relative to the mis- remove the safety without releasing their Depending on the make and action of your sion the officers are being asked to handle grip on the gun. This invites the officer not shotgun, you may want to open the action on the street that will be fun and instill to use the safety, as they cannot reach it if or leave it closed and depress the shell confidence. We must bring the street to they need to fire. Receiver tang-mounted stops in the magazine to remove the am- the range. safeties are best used with a conventional munitions. When done, open the action, stock, allowing ambidextrous use by both visually and physically inspect the gun is Start With the Basics right- and left-handed shooters, who can empty. maintain proper grip of gun operating the Cover your agency’s policies on the con- In the classroom, start with the Four safety with the thumb. If this type of stock ditions of readiness. How is the shotgun Rules of Firearms Safety: is to be used, the safety must be able to be to be carried in the car? Most instructors 1. All guns are always loaded. disengaged without releasing the firing recommend either one of two ways: Cruis- 2. Don’t point the gun at anything you are grip. Safeties mounted near the trigger er Safe or Cruiser Ready. On Cruiser Safe, not willing to destroy (muzzle in the safest guard can be operated by the trigger finger. the chamber is empty, the magazine tube direction). Demonstrate the sighting system found is full, the action is locked and the safety 3. Identify your target and background. on the shotgun, whether it is a simple is on. To deploy it, the officer removes the 4. Keep your finger off the trigger until you bead, open rifle type or an aperture ghost shotgun from the car, manipulates the have made the decision to fire and your ring. If other systems – such as red action release, working the action, and sights are on the target. dot or a holograph – are used, make sure chambers a round. The safety is removed After teaching safety, go on to cover the stock’s drop and sight height allow the just before firing. the basics of marksmanship: grip, stance, shooter to obtain a proper cheek weld and In second technique, Cruiser Ready, the sight alignment, sight picture, breath- sight picture, or they will get smacked in chamber is empty, the magazine tube is

4 full, the action is unlocked, and the safety ing the rounds they expend, thus keeping and putting shells in backwards. These are is on. Setting up this technique requires the gun loaded and always ready to fight. all easily preventable with proper handling the officer to point the gun in a safe di- If both buckshot and slugs are to be training. rection after loading the magazine, mak- carried, select slug loading also has to be Weapon malfunctions that can occur ing sure the chamber is in fact empty and taught. Most standard buckshot loads with the shotgun include failure to fire, pulling the trigger, dropping the hammer have an effective range of about 15 yards. failure to eject, and failure to feed (double before engaging the safety and securing Effective range means all of the pellets feed). If the shooter is closer than 15 yards the gun in the car with the action now un- strike center mass of a human-sized chest. and out in the open, transitioning to the locked. With this technique, the officer Pellets that do not strike the adversary are handgun maybe the best and fastest op- obtains the gun and simply racks the ac- a danger to other officers and civilians. tion. A failure to fire malfunction is cleared tion, chambering a round. New technological advances in buckshot by working the action with authority. Fail- With both techniques, the officer cham- loadings can increase the range an addi- ures to eject are cleared by reaching up and bers a shell as soon the shotgun is de- tional 10 yards. However, if officers need to ripping the empty case from the ejection ployed. Waiting to chamber a round until shoot someone outside buckshot’s effec- port, then closing the action. Double feed you need it is the same as walking around tive range, they must change what is in the may require reaching into the open action, with the chamber on your service pistol gun. We need to get a slug into the cham- pulling the shells out of the feed area, and empty. If you need the shotgun you will ber as quickly as possible. If a buckshot cycling the action one more time. need it now. Having to chamber a round round is in the chamber and the magazine Include transitioning to the handgun as and remove a safety, may take more time is full, the officer turns the gun 90 degrees part of your dry drills, addressing muzzle then you have before being shot. If you with the ejection port down, and racks the up, muzzle down, and cross-dominant take the gun out of the car and have it in action, ejecting the chamber round. The techniques for shotguns with a carry strap your hands, have it in a condition to save action is then closed, chambering the first or no sling. Address the various techniques your life and the life of your fellow officers. round from the magazine. A slug is now when a tactical sling is used. loaded into the magazine, and the gun Officers have died in gunfights because is again turned 90 degrees, ejection port they did not know how to effectively han- down, the action is racked, and the slug dle the shotgun. We as instructors have a is now chambered. If an additional slug is legal and moral obligation to train our of- needed, it is then loaded into the maga- ficers for the job we expect them to do. zine. This is called select slug loading, as there is not normally a reason to load a Time for the Range buckshot round in place of a slug. There are other ways to get slugs into the gun, Dry fire should be done first, reinforc- but this is a proven way to make sure buck- ing the classroom lessons and getting the shot is not fired inadvertently. stance, manipulation, and handling done If there is a need for specialty munitions correctly before firing the first round. This – bean bags, chemical agents, breach- is the time to make corrections, before the There are two methods of reloading: ing, or distraction devices – the gun is student hurts themselves and you lose the empty gun reload (sometimes called completely unloaded of lethal ammuni- them. When they show proficiency, go to ejection port, emergency, or combat load- tion and checked by two officers, then live fire. Start out with low-recoil birdshot ing) and the tactical reload. The empty loaded only with the specialty load, with with a slide-action shotgun, using the gun loading is done when the gun is shot each round being visually and verbally in- lightest loading you can find. One manu- empty and a shell needs to be chambered spected by both officers to ensure only the facturer makes a target load advertised as now. Simply placing a shell into the open correct ammunition is loaded. Failures to “Low Recoil, Low Noise” and has less re- ejection port and closing the action will follow such procedures have resulted in coil than smaller 20-gauge loads. This is chamber a round and allow the gun to fire unwanted death and injury. It is better in a good benefit to your students. They will if needed. most cases to use a dedicated shotgun for understand this stuff won’t hurt them. these tasks to reduce the chance for error. These light loads will not function in a Since many law enforcement shoot- semi-automatic shotgun. You will need to ings occur in reduced lighting conditions, experiment to find the lowest-recoil bird- training in this area is also needed. If you shot loads that will reliability function in have dedicated weapon lights, great – but your guns. don’t neglect handheld light techniques in case the weapon lights fail. Make sure poli- cies are in place and officers are trained that the weapon light is not a general-pur- pose flashlight or you risk losing the shot- guns remembering anything illuminated will also be muzzled, rule #2. Malfunction clearances are a necessary The tactical reload is done through the part of your training program. Four opera- loading port filling the magazine. Officers tor malfunctions common for a shotgun should be taught to load the magazine af- are failure to remove the safety, failure to ter they fire, when they have a lull, replac- work the action, short stroking the action,

Continued on page 6 5 Continued from page 5 Do drills that emphasize good handling shooter runs dry with the shotgun during which load is best to use to solve the problem skills, such as having the student start with the drill, they will be expected to transition addressing them. an empty gun then having them do an empty to their handgun. Give enough pauses in If special shotgun munitions are going to gun reload and a one round tactical reload, the action to allow them to get the shotgun be an option for your agency, practice drills fire both rounds, then repeat several times. reloaded and back into the fight. Students with the two-man safety check rule before Steel targets are great for this type of training, enjoy this fast drill, and they learn how to use to emphasize its importance. Always as they give instant feed-back when hit, and load, reload, clear malfunctions, transition, have lethal force deploying beside the less- you can continue to fire without the hassle of and shoot under stress while making deci- lethal shooter. Use drills that follow depart- changing paper targets and backers. When sions on which targets they need to shoot ment policy on the use of force and deadly using steel targets, maintain a safe distance and in which order. As the students progress, force. Set up drills that require no shooting to of 10 yards or so, make sure the targets are include shoot & move, move & shoot, pivots see how the officers address going hands on rated for birdshot, and have a smooth surface and turns, shooting on the move, moving with the “bad guy” target with the to prevent pellets from being directed back targets, and targets at different ranges and in their hands. to the shooter. For safety, make sure no one angles. A qualification is a test of your training, has even one slug on their person, as a slug Next, shoot buckshot to show the effective not training itself. Keep it short and realistic against a steel plate at 10 yards can send a range of your agency’s load in the duty shot- as to what you have trained your officers to ¾-ounce chunk of lead back at the shooter, gun. If you elect to use low-recoil buckshot, do when shooting the shotgun on the street. causing serious injury or death. which has only slightly more recoil than the It then can be a gauge on the effectiveness of Here is an example of a good shooting/ birdshot they just finished firing, they will your program. handling drill that is fun, incorporating and hardly notice the difference. Start at 3 yards, reinforcing the handling skills taught dur- working your way back to 25 yards, to show Bio ing dry practice. The shooter starts with 25 pattern sizes, underscoring the need to hit rounds of birdshot on their person. They are the target with every and the possible Mark Fricke is a retired patrol sergeant, allowed to load the shotgun fully. In front of ramifications if they miss. rangemaster and tactical team member with them are three stationary steel plates, num- It is now time to zero the shotguns with 28 years of law enforcement experience. He bered 1, 2, and 3. Every time the instructor slugs at 25 and 50 yards. Low-recoil slugs currently runs his own small arms training calls those numbers, the shooter must hit have nearly the same felt recoil as the bird- company, American Firearms Training and that number with a single hit. Start slow with shot and buckshot loads. After pattern- Tactics, teaching officers and agencies na- one or two numbers, then begin increasing ing and zeroing is complete, start tactical tionwide. He is an adjunct staff instructor for the number of targets called, emphasizing drills using both buckshot and slugs. Set up the NRA’s Law Enforcement Division teach- proper stance and handling, until they shoot problems they may face on the street, keep- ing instructor development schools for the all the ammunition on their person. If the ing them realistic. Make the student decide NRA on all law enforcement weapon systems.

6 2019 NRA Law Enforcement Instructor Development Schools le.nra.org/law-enforcement-training/law-enforcement-schools • [email protected] • (703) 267-1640 New schools are added often. Check website frequently for current Training Schedule. Range fee, if any, is payable to some hosting agencies; amount varies. NRA Tuition = $645 per person HANDGUN & SHOTGUN PRECISION RIFLE Aug 12-16 Florence, AL Sep 9-13 Florence, AL Aug 19-23 Ashburn, GA Nov 4-8 Tuscaloosa, AL Sep 9-13 Florence, AL Mar 9-13 ‘20 Columbiana, AL Sep 9-13 Valhalla, NY Apr 6-10 ‘20 Newark, MD Sep 9-13 Evansville, IN Apr 20-24 ‘20 Bonfield, IL Sep 16-20 Summerville, SC Jul 13-17 ‘20 Hutto, TX Sep 16-20 Bethlehem, PA 2019 NRA-Hosted Sep 16-20 Gulfport, MS SELECT-FIRE Oct 21-25 Florence, AL Sep. 9-13 New Smyrna Beach, FL Tuition-Free Armorer/ Oct 28-Nov 1 Sugar Creek, MO Oct. 7-11 Littleton, CO Nov 4-8 Allison Park, PA Shooting Schools Nov 11-15 Pearl, MS Nov 11-15 Piedmont, AL TACTICAL SHOOTING Fairfax, Virginia Nov 18-22 Leesport, PA Aug 19-23 Leesport, PA Dec 2-6 Stapleton, AL Aug 26-30 Chehalis, WA Visit https://le.nra.org/law- Dec 16-20 San Antonio, TX Sep 9-13 Tuscaloosa, AL enforcement-training/tuition-free- Sep 23-27 Bethlehem, PA Mar 2-6 ‘20 Fultondale, AL training to apply for your spot in Mar 16-20 ‘20 Talking Rock, GA Oct 7-11 Reading, PA Jun 8-12 ‘20 Hutto, TX Oct 21-25 Pearl, MS these Tuition-Free Schools: Nov 11-15 Florence, AL HANDGUN Jan 6-10 ‘20 McKinney, TX (public LE and ,ilitary only) Aug 15 Glock Pistol Armorer Sep 9-13 Phoenix, AZ (current public LE only) Sep 16-20 Union, NJ TACTICAL SHOTGUN Aug 20 Countering Violent Sep 23-27 Henderson/Boulder, NV Aug 19-23 Garden Plain, KS Extremism: America’s LE Oct 14-18 San Antonio, TX Sep 23-27 Richmond, CA Challenge Oct 7-11 Homestead, FL Oct 21-25 New Smyrna Beach, FL Oct 21-25 Highspire, PA Sep 9 Tactical Street Medicine Nov 18-22 San Antonio, TX Nov 18-22 Homestead, FL Sep 17 Ruger LCR Pistol Armorer Mar 16-20 ‘20 Coatesville, PA Apr 20-24 ‘20 Macomb, IL Aug 10-14 ‘20 Columbiana, AL Sep 18-19 Ruger GP100 Armorer PATROL RIFLE Aug 5-9 Manchester, NJ Oct 24 Glock Pistol Armorer Aug 19-23 Chehalis, WA Aug 26-30 Montrose, CO Nov 5 Tactical Street Medicine Sep 9-13 Bethlehem, PA Sep 9-13 McKinney, TX Sep 16-20 Horton, KS Dec 10 Sig P320 Pistol Armorer Sep 23-27 Defiance, MO (public LE only) Sep 30-Oct 4 Summerville, SC Sep 30-Oct 4 Monroeville, PA (public LE only) Oct 7-11 Tupelo, MS Oct 14-18 Florence, AL Oct 21-25 Sugar Creek, MO Oct 28-Nov 1 Florence, AL Nov 4-8 New Smyrna Beach, FL Nov 18-22 Horton, KS Dec 2-6 Naples, FL Mar 23-27 Merriam, KS Mar 23-27 Talking Rock, GA Apr 13-17 Coatesville, PA May 11-15 Columbiana, AL Aug 24-28 Hutto, TX

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7 Law Enforcement Division NONPROFIT ORG National Rifle Association U.S. POSTAGE NRA Officers/Staff 11250 Waples Mill Road PAID Fairfax, VA 22030 DULLES, VA Carolyn D. Meadows PERMIT 156 President

Charles Cotton 1st Vice President

Willes Lee 2nd Vice President

Wayne R. LaPierre Executive Vice President

John Frazer Secretary

Craig Spray Treasurer

Joseph DeBergalis Executive Director General Operations

Glen A. Hoyer Director Law Enforcement Division

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