24Oct05

On serious gun handling, from a friend and one of our instructors recently returned from New Orleans:

"In New Orleans, it was hot rifles the entire time, both in the fiel d and in garrison. Rifles and pistols were constantly carried and were never unloaded. We had to be in a high state of readiness all the time. Most of those in my crew had never worked for an extended time as such (at least with rifles), nor had we worked around so many loaded long guns in the hands of people we did not know.

I, of course, enforced correct gun handling among my guys. The worst examples of poor gun handling were associated with those carrying rifles wit hout pistol grips, like the M14. We work muzzle depressed (low/ready), always.

Non-pistol grip rifles encourage a high/ready carry, or a horizontal carry. Both are unsatisfactory, as the rifle ends up pointed in unsafe directions constantly, and both postures are an invitation to a forcible disarm. Muzz le-up sling carry is also unsatisfactory, as there is no way to get the rifle off one 's shoulder without pointing it in multiple, unsafe directions. Mu zzle-down sling carry is much better. Tactical slings are superior to both.

We rode many places in military, five-ton trucks. Our protocol for entrucking was to unsling, hold the rifle (muzzle down), and call to the man above that 'Passing a hot rifle." The man above confirms he is taking a hot rifle, and the transfer is made. After climbing up, the rifle once more is handed

off, with, "Transferring a hot rifle." Wherever used, this system worked.

Clear communications reminded us that we were continually 'in the w ar.' Entrucking or detrucking with rifles slung doesn't work. Too many muzzles get pointed in unsafe directions."

Comment: The lesson is clear. The forgoing is precisely what we need to be

doing in training. "Let's Pretend" training, where students have few opportunities to handle loaded rifles (and, what opportunities there are, ar e sterile and mute), fails to prepare them for those situations we're purporting to train them for. Many claiming to be "trainers" are only con cerned with preventing mishaps during training. Those same students getting needlessly

killed in the field, because they've been ill prepared, doesn't seem to conc ern anyone!

Recently, I saw a sign posted on an indoor climbing wall. It said simply, " Climb safely." What a ridiculous, inherent contradiction, and so t ypical of today's self-deceptive society. Climbing is inherently unsafe. Th e only way to 'climb safely" is not to climb at all! Likewise, true a nd relevant firearms training is also inherently dangerous. We are dangerous people, a nd, when we train correctly, we engage in an inherently dangerous activity. Th e more realistic our training, the fewer of our number will die needlessly in the field. But, it requires both fearless trainers and fearless students, who are dedicated to advancing the Art, not merely going through the motions an d getting their ticket punched.

/John