Tactical Tuesday: Shooting from Cover

We always look for cover in a dynamic critical incident, but do you train for shooting from cover? If we cannot escape before the incident starts and can find cover, we have a better chance fo getting out of the incident safely and in one piece.

What surprised you about how Steve, Graham, and Mike did this training? How do you train for shooting from cover?

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One thing i found i need to consider is placement of furniture. If it’s close to a wall I’d consider using for cover, would it place me too close to wall, or the furniture create a fall hazard for me. Even consider practice with the position my body was in to not fall or lose balance.

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This is also called “Slicing the pie” in brief it takes your position and you “present” to the attacker “a slice at a time’ It is also very important in CQB “Close Quarters Battle” where things are moving quickly. As a General rule of thumb 36 - 48” off any hard structure is where you want to be both for defensability AND ricochet protection.

Although not an “en vogue” term now it is better to not stand off in a doorway as it creates a “fatal funnel” and to penetrate the doorway quickly to a “long wall” maneuver in that you “pop” through the door and keep moving to the far end of the room cutting the “pie” as you go by swinging your arms as quickly as you can to cover down the areas that are now exposed once you penetrate the doorway.

Pretty advanced stuff for the general practitioner but in general get as far away from a single point of focus (door, hallway etc) as you can as quickly as you can and keep moving if possible. Moving targets are harder to hit.

Cheers,

Craig6

If I’m in my bedroom, I’m cut off from exits unless I break a window. Both hallways have bedrooms at end, cut off from both exits. The person in the other room. To possibly defend that person, I’d be running from cover to cover.

Almost reminds me of fire and maneuver from my time in the army. I’d like to get some training that used the floor plan of my mobile home. Especially, with another family member being in other bedroom. Both entrances are between both bedrooms. Due to the two different hallways, makes it very difficult to plan, let alone practice. Then let alone consider both other family members are on oxygen. I’m definitely open to suggestions.

I’ve heard that a few times in my training recently - it’s a good visual.

The other family members who are on oxygen - how is their mobility? Can they get flat on the floor quickly? Also, how close are you to other mobile homes? Their walls aren’t always the thickest and a stray round could hurt an innocent person.

Breaking a window to get out is always an option. Could you get out and go around outside to get the other family members out?

For the homeowner in a trailer , I would really consider going to frangible rounds. I also hate to point this out, but with both of them on oxygen, I would worry about the mixture of extra oxygen in the air and muzzle flash, as I would think that would be contraindicated.

For one, they habe the concentrators. Don’t use bottles unless outside or power outage. 2nd problem, both entrances are blocked if there’s an intruder. One entrance is into living room, and the other yo back hallway.

Part two: oxygen is stored out of any line of fire. Both homes on either side of me are due to be moved out and are unoccupied. I can get out a window, just dont think they could. My plan is dial 911, have wife go to back bath, which would put me between her and intruder. As far as the other, if there’s possibly more than one intruder, I have difficult decision to make.

I often feel that there is a misconception that oxygen is flammable. O2 is an oxidizer that needs a fuel and an ignition source. The danger of flammable objects being around oxygen is not the oxygen burning but the flammable material being saturated with higher concentrations of O2 getting near an ignition source. By keeping the ignition source away from flammable objects will prevent a fire. But, if ignition does occur, the fuel will burn quickly.

@John150 I think I am familiar with the lay out of your trailer as my “Hunting Shack” is similar, They can only configure a double wide so many ways :yum:

Essentially in a standard non enhanced double wide you have no COVER. In that the walls are 2 X 2 or in some cases 2 x 4 flipped sideways. It would serve you well to develop a detailed plan for the actions of the other occupants. If somebody kicks open the door I am going to do, X, Y, Z depending on where I am I would make the second part simple for the other occupants as they are movement limited. GO TO GROUND. Get flat / Cover up / Don’t move.

What you do with those THIN walls at the moment of truth is up to you. Please be advised those walls are thin leading to the outside and surroundings as well. Food for thought and worth what you paid for it.

Cheers,

Craig6

Part of why I practice in the prone position.