For those who read Shooting Wire, you saw that I checked out yesterday by looking at the newest gun offering from Ruger and by going through old photos, rendering some to digital format and discarding the hard copies. It’s time to reduce the load and streamline.
While going through the images, I noted my history on the job. While I’m glad it’s over – I’m glad I did it and that I don’t have to do it again. And I’m thankful for those who step into the breach even in these troublesome times.
Looking in the ‘wayback machine,’ I see a range officer in uniform with no ear pro getting ready to start a line of shooters. Yes, hearing protection was standard in 1980 but that apparently wasn’t his thing. Note the stopwatch, a standard item on shooting ranges until the common, low-cost availability of electronic timers. (We also had to get stingy administrators to come across with the money to buy such modern conveniences.)
One of his shooters is shown shooting from a ‘barricade’ position, using a standing post as a simulator of a wall (“cover”) for support – a bad idea operationally. While the instructor wears an original 6 ½” M29 with Remington 240 grain SJHP ammo in the holster’s loops, the shooter uses a more-common 4” S&W M19, likely carried with 38 Special ammo.
You’ll notice the duty belts are comparatively “slick,” no new-age crap overloading the already heavy load.
Moving to the photo from the mid-1990s, you see a line with 2nd and 3rd Generation S&W autoloaders, a mix of M645s and M4506s. More gear on the belts, still doing the obligatory 8-round mag dumps for quals (all the early quals I had participated in used 6-round cylinder dumps followed by reloads and firing another cylinder or two under time.)
A target from 1995 shows how interested I was in making it home at the end of the day. Using the then-standard agency qual, I shot the issued 645 one-handed for all strings. According to notes on the target, it was “15°, flurries.”
I guess I was more gung-ho then.
The next photo shows a new hire getting a day on the range before getting a slot in the academy. That was around the same time as the previous photo. What could he learn in such conditions?
He did fine. I guess he was pretty gung-ho too.
Already feeling nostalgia then, I snapped up the pictured M10 4” heavy barrel revolver. It already had the front sight painted up and I installed Pachmayr Professionals “Grippers” after applying black tape to the backstrap to prevent (more) rust.
It’s quite the shooter – and I won’t have it updated by a custom shop. If it shoots well for me, I leave it alone.
As the late 1990s arrived, I packed for training at the HK International Training Division in Loudon Co. Virginia. The first week was Tactical Pistol and the second was Pistol Instructor. It was great schooling – and a good place to learn the use of the electronic timer and various ways to approach shooter evaluations.
They had a qual course, it was fairly standard for the era. To get to it, you had to pass the standards. Not a “line drill,” each student performed each skill individually for the approval of an instructor who made a record of the performance. As opposed to testifying, “yes, I worked that shift on the range and the record shows Deputy Snuffy was there and passed – but I don’t recall any specifics about whether he could actually hit the target at 25 yards …,” you could give specific testimony.
That was a game-changer for me and our state academy (quite independent from my experience) started doing the same thing within just a few years.
That’s fast for law enforcement.
There have been lots of positive changes, across the board. Look at concealed carry laws nationwide, the availability of training and information, more gun owners and shooters – all that’s positive.
The downside is we’ve forgotten lessons from those who’ve gone before us. Gear is great, product innovation is positive – but if you can’t think, you lose. Where we collapse is in preparedness and decision making.
Remember, for those of us no longer on the job, the first mission is avoid contact. The old driver’s ed. teacher always said to look a long ways ahead and use that peripheral vision as you went – don’t forget checking the mirrors.
As you wander through life, focus far ahead. You’ll be surprised at what you can see – in time to avoid it.
If you have to use force, you didn’t pass that first test. Your mission has now become force a break in contact.
If you can escape, evade, and avoid further contact with no force, good. Even if force is required, the other side can elect to move on – that’s a win for you.
That’s it for me this year. Have a safe, healthy holiday season. Focus on family and friends. We’ll be back next year –
-- Rich Grassi