The Private Group Pty Ltd - Security Division - Security - Bodyguards - Reasonable force - Reasonable Force with Firearms - Handgun Techniques

Firstly, what are we trying to achieve??

For the security officer or bodyguard, they are trying to negate a threat under conditions where they fear for their lives or the lives of others.

There are many techniques available.  Some of which are for the unarmed security/bodyguard who will disarm and use the firearm of an offender against them.  The Israili's have become adept at this training, which has spread around the world.

But, if you are armed.

Let us assume that you do not have your firearm drawn and you are in a confined space, such as a room.  Engagement will be at very short ranges.  As such, point and shoot will have the advantage over aimed shots. 

Rock and shoot, where you rotate your weapons barrel towards the subject as it clears the holster and commence firing as the barrel parallels the ground will give you a better than 90% first hit, this will increase significantly with practice.  This technique will work even if toe to toe.  If they are close enough use your free hand to palm them in the face, HARD! 

But are you achieving your primary objective of negating the threat? or gaining time??

Hitting centre of seen mass, as drilled by the military, and police, for general shooting, does not address three things.  The first is that there are many body armours, covering centre of mass, that will defeat most convention handgun/ammunition combinations.  The second is that shooting a person in centre of mass will not instantaneously stop them.  The third is that they will be firing at you or remaining a threat because a shot to centre mass does not necessarily cause instantaneous collapse, or death - a point to remember if you are shot as well, keep fighting for your life.

What to do?

Rock and shoot is a good start, you are providing distraction, you are firing at them.  They will be reacting to the shots, if hit or not.  This transitions into interference shooting as your weapon comes up into a two handed grip aiming towards the subject, rounds are walking through centre of mass.  Interference shooting means that your weapon is now interfering with your line of sight but you are not using the sights, you are pointing.  At short range this is faster and almost as accurate - especially if you have practiced with your weapon.

This then transitions into aimed shots at the central nervous system, focus on the fore sight.  The only way to instantaneously stop a person (AKA head shot) - this is not usually between the eyes as you see in the movies, but through the mouth.  The brain stem provides the information to drive the motor skills of the body.  Remove the driver, remove the threat.

Whilst this sounds distasteful, you are shooting to save your life and the lives of those around you.

This is called a failure drill because for a standing target, as you fire and move through the shots to centre of mass you transition to the aimed shot to the head.   You are shooting to the head because you have fired a number of shots and the target has failed to go down.  If the body shots have been succesful there will be no target when you move to the head shot, the attacker will have fallen.

This is often worded in statements as "I had fired a number of shots and the attacker failed to go down, I then fired an aimed shot to the head".

This is followed by wording similar to "At the time of shooting I feared for my life, and the lives of those around me".

If you're putting this in your statement, it should be true.  This is not an out for the offender who shoots law enforcement personnel, because, if the offender had dropped their weapons, and were no longer a threat, they would NOT be shot.

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A quick look at the hostage situation.

This amounts to a rescue and is not usually undertaken within the security scenario, unless you are in a country where the local law enforcement is ineffective, or you are part of the 'law enforcement' system.

We will look at the single hostage, multiple offender 'quick attack' scenario.  How do you decide which hostiles to engage first?

Usualy those away from the hostage.  The reason being that these hostiles will be concentrating on killing you.  The hostage taker, especially in the snatched person, using them as a shield scenario, quite often point their gun at the hostage initially.  Also they have to hold the hostage and shoot, making succesful hits on you harder.  This permits you the second/s to engage and remove the other threats in rapid succession.  If you are working with others you may sweep right to left, whilst they sweep left to right (or vice versa), engaging targets. 

The last aimed shots are reserved for those holding the hostages.  The firing and other shock devices used will all work to disorientate and hopefully reduce the effectiveness of the last hostage takers.  Hopefully they have a struggling hostage.  They may surrender if they see their associates die in front of them.

Shock, speed and accuracy are the most important factors in the room entry.

For a quick look at Longarms and Sub-Machineguns.
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There are many drills, and procedures, designed to increase speed and accuracy when engaging targets.  This page has barely touched on a couple.   Practice, and selection of good equipment, are part of this procedure.  I am aware that some companies still issue old model 36 S & w .38 special revolvers, in flap over holsters.  They have assessed the likelyhood of using your firearm as low.  This is actually correct, statistically.  However, you also have to remember there are lies, damn lies and statistics! when something happens involving you.

                            The Director

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