Skill Set: Church Shooting

Skill Set: Church Shooting

The murder and assaults that occurred Sunday last at the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Antioch, Tennessee have a lot of lessons for us to learn.

According to reports the "suspect" - Emanuel Samson – was carrying with two pistols, three magazines of ammunition and wearing a "tactical" vest. An AR-15 was in his car, plus a .22-caliber semiautomatic pistol. One woman was killed, and seven more injured.

Robert Engle, an usher, "physically engaged" Samson. Engle has a concealed permit, but his pistol was in his car. During the exchange Engle was "pistol whipped;" the shooter was shot in the chest. Engle rushed out to the car, retrieved his weapon, and then held Samson until law enforcement arrived.

1. It Can Happen Anywhere

Engle, in an interview afterwards, said, "I've been going to this church my whole life. I would have never, ever thought something like this would have happened." There are very few places that are truly "safe." Yes, all houses of worship should be sanctuaries, islands of security. Reality is that danger, the life and death kind can happen anywhere, anytime.

Samson had attended the church in the past, but members said they had not seen him in a while. (He wasn't recognized at first because he wore a mask.) He had worked as an unarmed security guard, and had a couple of contacts with law enforcement for domestic disputes. Church members said Samson was friendly to everyone, including one of the victims.

Anyone can be a threat. About eighty percent of victims are familiar with their attacker to a certain degree. Don't be caught off guard if the threat is someone you know, a friend or possibly even a family member. Once they cross that Rubicon they don't deserve any more consideration than you would give a violent, rabid dog that was trying to attack you, your family or friends.

2. Be Prepared

You have to be prepared. Knowing that trouble comes without announcement, regardless so where you are, means you must be ready at all times. Plus, according to FBI stats, the murder rate and "non-negligent manslaughter" has increased by about 8 percent. Other violent crimes like rape, assaults and robbery also increased. In other words, the world is becoming more violent.

Being prepared means a lot of things. You should always know where exits and cover are, and ready to apply our number one tactics – avoidance and escape. Sometimes avoiding/escaping are not options. This is especially true if you're responsible for family, friends, and others unable to defend themselves.

Engle's pistol was in his car. Remember, he never thought anything like this would happen there. He wasn't as prepared as he could have been; yet at the same time he remained in control, and confronted the danger. Being prepared means mentally ready. It won't matter what type weapon you have if your heart isn't into the fight.

Preparedness applies to you, as an individual and to groups as well. In our church there are trauma kits, with comm's, flashlights and related gear. The members of Safety Team know where these are and how to use their contents. All groups should be prepared to respond to danger as a group.

3. Win the Fight

Regardless of the nature of the trouble your only response is to win. Losing, or tying, are not acceptable options. Also, as Clint Smith says, "there's no such thing as a fair fight." Use every advantage available to ensure you win. (Being prepared goes a long way.)

Engle was beaten during his physical struggle with shooter. Even though he was injured, he never stopped. As soon as he had the opportunity he retrieved his pistol from the car and held Samson at gunpoint until the authorities arrived.

Another church member, Catherine Dickerson was shot in leg outside the church. She managed to get back inside the church, never did panic, and played "dead" until the shooting was over. Keep in mind that the vast majority of people shot with handgun rounds survive.

As both these people demonstrated, just because you're injured doesn't mean you're out of the fight or dead. The ultimate weapon is the mind. Stay calm, and make it happen.

Accept the fact that violence can happen anywhere there are people. Man is a viscous creature. Be ready to defend yourself and those you're responsible for. No matter what happens, do whatever it takes to win -- or not.

It's up to you.

Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy

Skill Set: Technology & Fundamentals

Good article, by Tiger Mckee

Skill Set: Technology & Fundamentals

The fundamentals are critical to doing anything successfully. Having the proper equipment makes the job easier, but this won't overcome a lack of ability. If you can't apply the fundamentals properly it won't matter what gear you have, it's not going to work out that well.

Everyone reading this probably has a friend or two that are always showing off their latest firearm or new gear. They'll use it for a while, and then end up selling or trading for a new/different/better model. They're looking for "magic" gear. I've gotten a few nice guns and some cool kit from friends like this, because there is no magic gear.

Having the right tools is important, but once you have them it's about settling down, focusing on learning the fundamentals. There is no substitute for discipline and practice, especially in the beginning. You've got to put in the time. Once you've got the fundamentals squared away and actually know what you're doing, then you might start researching for improvements.

When you decide it's time to look into "advanced" gear, research thoroughly to find out what you actually need. For example most people think tritium "night-sights" are mandatory on the firearm. But, if you don't know the principles for working in the dark they're not going to be a big asset. In fact, they could get you into trouble. Yes, night sights help you shoot in low-light conditions. They don't help you identify the target. Just because you see something and have night sights doesn't mean you need to shoot.

There's also a limit on how much technology you can actually take advantage of. For example adjustable "target" sights are good for bullseye, surgical marksmanship. They won't help with defensive work, when you're looking for combat effective hits in a minimal amount of time. Again, they could be a detriment. Target sights are usually small, finer and harder to see, especially in low-light conditions and against certain backgrounds. If you can't see the front sight it's going to be hard to shoot accurately. Your equipment must match the application.

Fighting is problem solving at high speed. It's about making hard decisions, normally in a short amount of time. Technology doesn't help you avoid trouble. It won't make a difference in deciding to present your weapon, issue verbal commands, or move in behind cover. It can't help you can make the decision of when it's necessary to shoot. All of these answers are on you.

Technology can also become a crutch. I've seen some people who shoot their pistol/rifle fairly accurately. But when asked to shoot a different firearm, with a heavier, grittier trigger or different sights their results suffer. A good marksman can hit with anything. Application of the fundamentals always creates good results.

Don't get me wrong. I like good triggers, red-dot sights and a rifle that perfectly fits my body build. At the same time I can pick up almost any thing and shoot it well. I haven't mastered the fundamentals, but I'm getting pretty good. And it's all due to practice.

Start spending some time with lots of dry practice and some live-fire range work. Focus on one weapon, and get really good at the fundamentals. These skills will serve you well the rest of your life.

Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy, 

Skill Set: Skills You Need

Skill Set: Skills You Need

To fight efficiently with a firearm certain fundamental skills are mandatory. You have to know how to present or draw your pistol. You need to be able to shoot accurately, on demand without any "warm up" shots. Manipulations – reloading and clearing stoppages – are fundamental. The key is being able to execute these actions under any and all circumstances. Conditions in a fight will be less than ideal.

Drawing or presenting the pistol efficiently is a fundamental skill. The problem arises in the difference between how most people train and practice vs. how they actually carry. Most of us carry concealed; the majority of people train and practice from open carry, with the handgun exposed. Then, when faced with danger, presenting the pistol is delayed.

Your practice should always reflect the real world. During an actual confrontation there's a good probability you'll need to draw the pistol while in a "compromised" position. You may be sitting, or on the ground after falling or being knocked down. Learn how to safely and efficiently draw from any position.

Accuracy means hitting the target. Regardless of the distance to or size of the target when you press the trigger it should result in an accurate hit. You need to be able to hit moving targets, and from various positions such as kneeling or while using cover.

Hand/arm injuries are common in fights. Someone's trying to hit you with a baseball bat. You get something broken while blocking the blows. The threat has a knife. You get cut. When two people are shooting at each other the hands and arms take hits. Just because you're injured in one hand or arm doesn't mean you're out of the fight.

The same line of thought applies to manipulations. Knowing how to operate the pistol with only one hand is critical. You carry a low capacity pistol; it may be necessary to reload. You have a hi-cap weapon - reloading probably won't be a factor - but malfunctions occur with any firearm. Especially during a fight, when things like your grip and firing position may be less that perfect or, again, you're fighting injured.

Again, think about fighting positions. Learn to reload and clear malfunctions from different positions, while prone or on your back from the ground. Use one hand and experiment to discover how to work with objects in your environment to cycle the slide or strip the mag out when clearing a Type III stoppage or double feed. At the same time you're developing these skills you'll also be learning about your equipment.

Understanding the fundamentals is mandatory. You also have to learn how to apply them under any circumstances. As always, the best way to practice the majority of your fighting skills are with dummy weapons and ammo. These tools allow you to practice safely, developing the ability to perform these actions efficiently and safely. The same principles apply to rifle and shotgun. Remember, it's difficult to acquire new skills in the middle of the fight. Start practicing now, so you're prepared for the future.

Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy, 

Skill Set, Seeing....Tiger Mckee

Skill Set: Seeing

When manipulating your firearm it's a good idea to be able to perform these actions without having or needing to see the firearm. This is especially true for defensive or combative purposes.

The ability to manipulate your weapon without seeing it is a critical skill for self-defense, patrol or combative applications. In a fight you need to keep eyes on target. Things will be fluid and dynamic. The threat(s) will be moving. Having to look at your weapon to reload it or clear a malfunction takes your eyes off target. This creates an opportunity they can exploit, moving to give them an advantage. Keeping eyes on target allows you to constantly monitor, assess and make decisions, moving as necessary.

Often, when shooters have to look at the weapon it requires them to move the firearm, lowering it down or twisting it around. This action immediately tells the threat your weapon is out of the fight. Looking at your firearm reinforces this. Keeping eyes and muzzle on target doesn't clue them in. Once the weapon is running again, if it's necessary you're still on target, ready to apply more hits without wasted time.

Chances are the confrontation will occur in a low-light environment. It's going to be dark. Maybe it's too dark to see your weapon. When a stoppage occurs you'll need to get the weapon running again without being able to see what the problem is. Is your weapon empty, requiring a reload, or do you have a malfunction that must be cleared? The ability to manipulate your firearm in the dark will save you valuable time.

Looking at the firearm takes your eyes off the threat. It may be too dark to see the firearm. So how do you develop the ability to operate the weapon without having or needing to see it? Proper practice, and plenty of it.

Obviously, you must first cultivate the necessary skills, starting with the basics. Dry practice with dummy rounds is best. (Very few people I know have the time and ammo to get the necessary practice live-fire on the range.) Once you've learned how to manipulate the firearm properly start performing the same actions with your eyes closed.

Consistency is the key, performing the same actions over and over. These repetitions also improve your overall skill. With each proper rep you become more efficient. Eventually you get to the point where you can perform all manipulations just as quickly without looking at your weapon.

Consistency is also important to developing good habits. Working the weapon without looking at it must become routine. Keep your eyes up when performing administrative actions – loading or unloading – and functional manipulations – reloading and clearing malfunctions.

The only time you should look at your firearm is to visually check the chamber, confirming it's unloaded. You may go through the actions to unload the firearm, but a problem such as a broken extractor could have left a round in the chamber. When unloading always visually check the chamber. Physically checking the chamber is a good plan as well, feeling for a cartridge left in the chamber.

Knowing how to manipulate your firearms without looking at them makes you more efficient. These skills prepare you for personal combat. It also creates confidence in your skills, which is mandatory. It may take a while to develop this ability, but it will serve you well.

Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy, l

Glock 17 Gen 5

On Thursday I had the opportunity to fire the new Gen 5, Glock 17.  When I took it out of the box and was inspecting it to make sure that it was clear and safe, I noticed that the rear sight was drifted off center to the right,  I wondered why this gun that had just came in and had not ever been shot, except for it being test fired at the factory had the rear sight in that position.  I kind of more or less had a feeling as to why it was in this location.  In my previous post I mentioned that the new Gen 5, 19 that I had shot was shooting a little low left.  So, I proceeded to the range to run some rounds through it.  Not being too surprised the gun pretty much shot true to aim from 4' out 15'.  Picture Attached.  I suspect that the rear sight had been positioned this way because if it was position dead center the shots would have strung left of center.

Everyone that knows me knows that I am a Glock shooter and supporter so I am not bashing the new Gen 5, but when they say that this is the ultimate Glock and that the new barrel is a Matched Grade Barrel, I would have expected a little better performance from it.  All in all both guns shot really well as I would have expected from them.  Not one failure to feed and fire.  They both went bang when you pressed the trigger this being the most important factor.  The guns more or less did not seem to enhance my grip and the 5.5 trigger didn't seem any different then the 5.5 that I have on all my Gen 3's.  I may think of getting one down the road, but right now I am pretty much happy with my Gen 3's