So this is why police officers tend to empty their magazines when shooting.

[dennilfloss]

People sometimes wonder why a suspect was shot , let's say, 78 times, by a dozen police officers. Sure sounds like overkill at first glance. Turns out they're trained to do exactly that. I supposed this reflects the change from revolvers to automatic pistols.

From a BBR Canadian Chat thread about handguns in Canada.

And no, every pistol shooter is not trained to aim for centre mass. This also applies for civilian courses. For who you work for, and what agency and many other things there's different rules. Centre mass used to be common now a days they're training people in courses the same way as police. Aim low, from the feet through centre mass up to the head until the clip is empty. Through centre mass, because it's not enough to stop someone, and up to the head. Yeah that's right, empty the clip. And if they don't stop coming use another clip. That's why you get 3.

Prisons on the other hand train to put 2 in the chest and 3 in the head in 6 seconds. That's the pass requirement. Though the .223 is just aim for the head, but at least you get the nice comfy protection of a wall, usually. Not always if you're in the dock.

 

[amdhunter]

Don't forget the part where they have to cuff the suspect first and spin them towards the back, although this is only for certain targets.

 

[dennilfloss]

NM. You're not worth my time.

 

[amdhunter]

NM. You're not worth my time.

I love you too man. :wub:

 

[chusteczka]

In the navy, for shipboard defense, I was taught to similarly swing the arms from down to up, along the vertical axis of the body. But they did not teach us to empty the clip on a single person.

Out of 2-3 shots at a person, at least one will hit and that single hit will stop a person in most situations. Nobody wants to be shot. And if the situation is so escalated as to motivate the perpetrator to continue even after being shot, the officer will know this beforehand.

To train to empty the clip for all situations is illogical. Especially when more than one perpetrator is involved.

 

[dennilfloss]

I was a bit harsh. Nothing personal. Comment was about the trolling attempt. Should have said "NM. That's not worth my time."

 

[coxmaster]

I for one have never seen a modern semi-auto pistol that uses clips...

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

In the navy, for shipboard defense, I was taught to similarly swing the arms from down to up, along the vertical axis of the body. But they did not teach us to empty the clip on a single person.

Out of 2-3 shots at a person, at least one will hit and that single hit will stop a person in most situations. Nobody wants to be shot. And if the situation is so escalated as to motivate the perpetrator to continue even after being shot, the officer will know this beforehand.

To train to empty the clip for all situations is illogical. Especially when more than one perpetrator is involved.

in practice it is much harder to hit a moving target given the motion, the shooter's nerves and adrenaline, and physics. You often read of suspects shot at dozens of times and hit very few.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

stop fucking calling them clips.

 

[DCal430]

Basically you are taught to murder people.

 

[Smoblikat]

stop fucking calling them clips.

What are they called?

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

What are they called?

fleshlights.

 

[dennilfloss]

So many people call magazines clips that I sometimes make that mistake too. Title corrected.

 

[Perknose]

in practice it is much harder to hit a moving target given the motion, the shooter's nerves and adrenaline, and physics. You often read of suspects shot at dozens of times and hit very few.

This X 1000. Anyone who thinks real life situations, even with all the simulation training in the world, are cut and dried pieces of cake has never, ever "been there," and is basically talking out of their ass.

 

[IEC]

 

[IEC]

In response to OP's post. That's not how I was taught here in America... I was taught "2 to the chest, 1 to the head"

 

[Krazy4Real]

this

 

[PrinceofWands]

In the navy, for shipboard defense, I was taught to similarly swing the arms from down to up, along the vertical axis of the body. But they did not teach us to empty the clip on a single person.

Out of 2-3 shots at a person, at least one will hit and that single hit will stop a person in most situations. Nobody wants to be shot. And if the situation is so escalated as to motivate the perpetrator to continue even after being shot, the officer will know this beforehand.

To train to empty the clip for all situations is illogical. Especially when more than one perpetrator is involved.

That's just not true. While some few narrow groups manage a 30-45% hit ratio the overall numbers stay between 10% and 25%, at least in law enforcement scenarios which are more closely representative of the situation than military scenarios.

I also have never held to the 'single hit stop'. FAR too many instances of people fighting on with multiple hits (even into the dozens). I prefer training for continuous slow fire until the threat drops. If I have to fire at all it's because my life is in danger, and my life is worth more than theirs at that point so I don't mind an extra half dozen holes in them to keep me safe.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Basically you are taught to murder people.

No, taught to defend themselves against criminals. Criminals aren't people, and defense isn't murder.

 

[Doppel]

In response to OP's post. That's not how I was taught here in America... I was taught "2 to the chest, 1 to the head"

Surely not for a standard police office. The fact is that even a person who has some firearms training is extremely likely to unload his entire firearm and still not hit a fvcking thing, even at quite close range. Adrenaline + "OMG i'm in a fire fight oh sh* oh sh*t oh sh*t" = piss-poor accuracy.

 

[IEC]

Surely not for a standard police office. The fact is that even a person who has some firearms training is extremely likely to unload his entire firearm and still not hit a fvcking thing, even at quite close range. Adrenaline + "OMG i'm in a fire fight oh sh* oh sh*t oh sh*t" = piss-poor accuracy.

"Standard police officer" = piss poor accuracy.

That is exactly why you train (after running a mile, doing pushups, or otherwise exerting yourself and getting stress + adrenaline).

Or run action pistol courses. Run simulated defense scenarios. Possibilities are endless, but the important factor is training, training, training.

Also, in a self-defense scenario you are quite likely to be firing from 7-12 yards. At that range, you don't even have time to really use your sights, so you should practice drawing and doing "point" firing.

 

[SSSnail]

I was taught "One shot, one kill".

 

[shortylickens]

In the navy, for shipboard defense, I was taught to similarly swing the arms from down to up, along the vertical axis of the body. But they did not teach us to empty the clip on a single person.

Out of 2-3 shots at a person, at least one will hit and that single hit will stop a person in most situations. Nobody wants to be shot. And if the situation is so escalated as to motivate the perpetrator to continue even after being shot, the officer will know this beforehand.

To train to empty the clip for all situations is illogical. Especially when more than one perpetrator is involved.

Gee thats funny cuz when I was in the Navy and stood watch on the pier and quarterdeck I didnt learn that at all.

 

[OverVolt]

Stand at the end of hallways, 1 shot, 1 kill.

 

[chusteczka]

Gee thats funny cuz when I was in the Navy and stood watch on the pier and quarterdeck I didnt learn that at all.

I think that was really an offhand comment one of the torpedomen made as he handed me the .45 during a submarine repel boarders drill.

For pierside defense against a crowd with only a shotgun, I was told to shoot the concrete pier immediately before the crowd, to spray concrete pieces at the crowd as a deterrent. But then they switched to the M-16 with two magazines in a web belt. The web material had shrunken over time and the magazines could not be pulled out of the pouch. We were supposed to count the rounds when we took the watch but could never remove the magazine to count them.