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| Copyright © 2006 - 2008 - Barry M. Baker - CareerPoliceOfficer.com |
| Disclaimer |
| CareerPoliceOfficer.com is not responsible for the contents of any linked site or any link contained in a linked site, or any changes or updates to such sites. Links are provided only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by this site. |
| Back-up Gun aka... The BUG |
This is a very important question for
any police officer to answer. A BUG,
of course, is a Back-Up Gun. As a
SWAT operator and firearms
instructor I teach all of my students
that a back-up gun is the second most
important piece of equipment that
they carry. (The most important being
the primary weapon.) I’ll even go so
far as to say that anyone who wears a
law enforcement uniform and does
not carry a second (or third, or
fourth) gun should be charged with
false advertising; after all, the patch
on your uniform says “Police” (or
Sheriff or Marshal etc) but no real cop
would be caught without at least one
backup gun.
Any law enforcement officer that does
not see fit to equip him or her self
with a backup gun has really not
taken the time to think through the
problem. All machines are man-made
and are therefore prone to failure. All
ammunition is man-made and also
prone to failure. Murphy’s Law says,
“Anything that can go wrong will –
and at the worst possible time”. What
could possibly be worse than someone
trying to kill you! Therein lies the
first hurdle that officers must leap.
We have to make the conscious
realization that there are actually
people out there that might try to kill
us. I know that on the surface this
concept is a no-brainer to most of us,
but have you really considered the
possibility that the next shootout
won’t be in some far-off city or state,
but right on your beat with you right
in the middle of it? If you have a
gunfight this afternoon, are you
ready? I can personally name more
than one officer who has been saved
by his or her backup gun. I can also
name more than one officer who has
died from the lack of one.
We know from studying decades of
gunfights, that the participants will
typically get tunnel vision on the
threat. The bad guys are no different
from the good guys in this respect.
They will tunnel-in on the threat (the
officer’s gun – assuming it is out of
the holster) just like we will.
Therefore, it is reasonable to assume
that if you are prepared enough to
have your gun in your hand when the
shooting starts, you run a substantial
risk of getting shot in your weapon
hand or even in your weapon. If your
weapon and/or your weapon hand
become incapacitated – what plan do
you have to survive? Hopefully you
have a backup gun that is easily
accessible with either hand. Without
one, you put your life in the hands of
the guy who is trying to kill you.
Criminals are cowards. For the most
part, if they think you’re ready for
the fight, they won’t start one.
Consequently, gunfights generally
occur as a surprise to the officer. The
bad guy knows that he is about to be
in a gunfight but often the officer
does not. We start out behind the 8-
ball of action vs. reaction. We do not
have the luxury of scheduling our
gunfights. The bad guys don’t call us
up after dinner and say, “Hey dude.
Tomorrow at 3:00 PM. Gunfight on a
traffic stop. Don’t miss it.” If that
were to happen, some officers would
call in sick the next day and others
would go to work early. Those that
went to work early would show up
with plenty of guns – at least one of
them would be long – and plenty of
friends with guns.
In reality, we must expect to be at a
disadvantage. One way that we can
start to even those odds is to prepare
ourselves by having the right
equipment and the training to use it.
So what is the right backup gun?
Whenever I give my backup gun
speech, there’s always someone in the
crowd who asks, “Which gun should I
choose?” Then the age-old debates
begin; semi-auto vs. revolver, air
weight vs. steel, stainless vs. blue, leg
or torso carry, small vs. large caliber
and so on. The short answer is, “Any
backup gun is better than no backup
gun.” The purpose of this article is
not to tell you what to buy but to help
you make an informed decision about
which gun may be right for you.
The first thing to consider is the
practical application or tactical
function of a backup gun. More often
than not, if you are using your backup
gun the gunfight has already begun
and the adrenaline dump and other
nasty effects of ‘Fight or Flight’ are
continuing to take their toll.
Something has happened that has
rendered your primary weapon
useless. Your primary weapon could
have been taken away. It may have
been left somewhere by accident,
dropped, lost or for whatever reason,
is not available. It could have
sustained damage that renders it
inoperable. It may have been blown
off along with your primary weapon
hand and or arm! If you have to
resort to a backup gun, it is an
understatement to say that you are in
a bad situation. You are likely to be
very close to your assailant and you
need to shoot immediately or sooner
if you hope to survive.
With these points in mind we can now
look at the pros and cons of different
weapons. Many officers choose semi-
autos as backup guns because the
ammunition and magazines can match
the primary weapon. This allows
greater flexibility when it comes to
reloading and lessens the likelihood of
running out of ammo. Also, many
any police officer to answer. A BUG,
of course, is a Back-Up Gun. As a
SWAT operator and firearms
instructor I teach all of my students
that a back-up gun is the second most
important piece of equipment that
they carry. (The most important being
the primary weapon.) I’ll even go so
far as to say that anyone who wears a
law enforcement uniform and does
not carry a second (or third, or
fourth) gun should be charged with
false advertising; after all, the patch
on your uniform says “Police” (or
Sheriff or Marshal etc) but no real cop
would be caught without at least one
backup gun.
Any law enforcement officer that does
not see fit to equip him or her self
with a backup gun has really not
taken the time to think through the
problem. All machines are man-made
and are therefore prone to failure. All
ammunition is man-made and also
prone to failure. Murphy’s Law says,
“Anything that can go wrong will –
and at the worst possible time”. What
could possibly be worse than someone
trying to kill you! Therein lies the
first hurdle that officers must leap.
We have to make the conscious
realization that there are actually
people out there that might try to kill
us. I know that on the surface this
concept is a no-brainer to most of us,
but have you really considered the
possibility that the next shootout
won’t be in some far-off city or state,
but right on your beat with you right
in the middle of it? If you have a
gunfight this afternoon, are you
ready? I can personally name more
than one officer who has been saved
by his or her backup gun. I can also
name more than one officer who has
died from the lack of one.
We know from studying decades of
gunfights, that the participants will
typically get tunnel vision on the
threat. The bad guys are no different
from the good guys in this respect.
They will tunnel-in on the threat (the
officer’s gun – assuming it is out of
the holster) just like we will.
Therefore, it is reasonable to assume
that if you are prepared enough to
have your gun in your hand when the
shooting starts, you run a substantial
risk of getting shot in your weapon
hand or even in your weapon. If your
weapon and/or your weapon hand
become incapacitated – what plan do
you have to survive? Hopefully you
have a backup gun that is easily
accessible with either hand. Without
one, you put your life in the hands of
the guy who is trying to kill you.
Criminals are cowards. For the most
part, if they think you’re ready for
the fight, they won’t start one.
Consequently, gunfights generally
occur as a surprise to the officer. The
bad guy knows that he is about to be
in a gunfight but often the officer
does not. We start out behind the 8-
ball of action vs. reaction. We do not
have the luxury of scheduling our
gunfights. The bad guys don’t call us
up after dinner and say, “Hey dude.
Tomorrow at 3:00 PM. Gunfight on a
traffic stop. Don’t miss it.” If that
were to happen, some officers would
call in sick the next day and others
would go to work early. Those that
went to work early would show up
with plenty of guns – at least one of
them would be long – and plenty of
friends with guns.
In reality, we must expect to be at a
disadvantage. One way that we can
start to even those odds is to prepare
ourselves by having the right
equipment and the training to use it.
So what is the right backup gun?
Whenever I give my backup gun
speech, there’s always someone in the
crowd who asks, “Which gun should I
choose?” Then the age-old debates
begin; semi-auto vs. revolver, air
weight vs. steel, stainless vs. blue, leg
or torso carry, small vs. large caliber
and so on. The short answer is, “Any
backup gun is better than no backup
gun.” The purpose of this article is
not to tell you what to buy but to help
you make an informed decision about
which gun may be right for you.
The first thing to consider is the
practical application or tactical
function of a backup gun. More often
than not, if you are using your backup
gun the gunfight has already begun
and the adrenaline dump and other
nasty effects of ‘Fight or Flight’ are
continuing to take their toll.
Something has happened that has
rendered your primary weapon
useless. Your primary weapon could
have been taken away. It may have
been left somewhere by accident,
dropped, lost or for whatever reason,
is not available. It could have
sustained damage that renders it
inoperable. It may have been blown
off along with your primary weapon
hand and or arm! If you have to
resort to a backup gun, it is an
understatement to say that you are in
a bad situation. You are likely to be
very close to your assailant and you
need to shoot immediately or sooner
if you hope to survive.
With these points in mind we can now
look at the pros and cons of different
weapons. Many officers choose semi-
autos as backup guns because the
ammunition and magazines can match
the primary weapon. This allows
greater flexibility when it comes to
reloading and lessens the likelihood of
running out of ammo. Also, many
I was a little surprised to learn that a
lot of police departments authorize
their officers to carry a back-up gun
(BUG). What isn't clear to me is the
extent of training, if any, most of
those authorizing agencies provide
their officers regarding a second
weapon. I'm very big on training,
and I've always been amazed how
training comes through under
stressful situations. However, I've
also noticed how police officers can
alter things that counteract their
training.
One of my drug unit officers got into
the habit of carrying his Glock
semi-auto with an empty chamber. In
order to conceal the weapon, he
carried it inside the front of his pants.
While the Glock is a perfectly safe
weapon, the officer feared that an
accidental discharge could cause him
irreparable damage. He reasoned
he'd just draw the weapon and quickly
rack a round into the chamber when
needed...just like the television cops
do it. Then...one fateful day, he was
fired on by a suspect. His training
kicked in, and he drew that Glock,
came to point shoulder, and pulled the
trigger. When nothing happened, his
training took him to the next phase of
tap, rack, check and go. But, when he
got to go, the suspect was, thankfully,
gone. The point here is that his
training took over under stress, and
he'd completely forgotten about
purposely leaving the chamber empty.
Even though the Baltimore Police
Department always maintained a
policy prohibiting the carrying of a
back-up gun, that didn't keep some
police officers from carrying a BUG.
Long before I gained any level of
experience, I can remember one
officer showing me, the rookie, how
he only loaded five chambers of his
revolver. He reasoned that if a
suspect gained control of his revolver,
the first pull of the trigger would
cause the hammer to fall on an empty
chamber giving him [the officer] time
to draw his back-up gun and shoot the
suspect. Even in that early and
inexperienced stage of my career, I
could recognize the folly of that
wisdom. I knew that the probability
of that officer encountering a suspect
already armed with his own gun was
much greater than the officer losing
control of his. It should be obvious
that in the event that officer had to
draw and fire his weapon, that empty
chamber could not be viewed as
anything other than a disadvantage.
In my early career, Baltimore
experienced a number of officers
being shot and killed with their own
weapons, but that problem was due --
almost entirely -- to the swivel holster
for the .38 caliber revolver. If that
hammer strap came undone, that gun
was totally unsecured. Here's a good
argument for the BUG... I arrived
first on the scene of a shooting where
a large crowd was gathered. I jumped
from my car, and I felt my revolver
falling from the holster... I grabbed
and missed. The gun hit the pavement
and scooted beneath my radio car. I
looked across the roof of the car just
knowing I was going to see someone
bend down to pick up my gun... what a
sick feeling. I was lucky. On my first
reach beneath the car, my hand came
to rest on the revolver. But... that was
then.
During that period, a Baltimore
officer was pursuing a suspect. Shots
were exchanged during the pursuit.
The officer fired his revolver empty.
Instead of the suspect taking the
opportunity to continue his escape, he
ran back to the officer and executed
the officer while he was attempting to
reload. That was then. Today, that
outcome would probably be much
different where the officer is armed
with a rapid reload semi-auto.
When it comes to technological
advances, I'm hard pressed to decide
which is at the top of my list... the
bullet proof vest or the secure holster
technology. I began my career when
both were non-existent, so my
appreciation for both cannot be
overstated. The high ammunition
capacity semi-auto takes a highly
valued third place on my list.
My concerns regarding the practice of
carrying a back-up gun relate to
control; accessibility (for the bad guy
as well as the officer); and the
training -- or non-training -- issues
involved. I'm in total agreement with
any reference to "Murphy's Law"
regarding anything; however,
anything applies to everything, and I
look at the BUG as potentially putting
another gun into play. You may hear
or read arguments from politicians or
those with activist agendas who allege
that allowing officers to carry back-up
guns would result in officers planting
guns on suspects. You read it
here...now forget it. That allegation is
just nonsense, and it has no place in
this discussion.
As a police officer, you'll be in close
contact with suspects on a continual
basis. Some of those contacts are
going to be violent, and some of those
suspects may well try to disarm you.
Those who attempted to disarm me
never succeeded, because all of my
attention and strength was focused on
preventing the suspect from
succeeding. I never carried a BUG;
however, had I been armed with a
second gun, I'm fairly certain that
some of that attention and strength
may well have been diverted to ensure
the security of the second gun.
When you begin your police career,
you'll consider this issue...everybody
does. While I'm not a big fan of the
BUG, I'd never vehemently argue
against the BUG, because it's going to
be a very personal decision for you.
My most strenuous advice would be,
should you choose to carry a BUG,
ensuring your control of the weapon
and consider the BUG as a weapon of
absolute last resort, and... don't let
the BUG provide you with a false
sense of security.
lot of police departments authorize
their officers to carry a back-up gun
(BUG). What isn't clear to me is the
extent of training, if any, most of
those authorizing agencies provide
their officers regarding a second
weapon. I'm very big on training,
and I've always been amazed how
training comes through under
stressful situations. However, I've
also noticed how police officers can
alter things that counteract their
training.
One of my drug unit officers got into
the habit of carrying his Glock
semi-auto with an empty chamber. In
order to conceal the weapon, he
carried it inside the front of his pants.
While the Glock is a perfectly safe
weapon, the officer feared that an
accidental discharge could cause him
irreparable damage. He reasoned
he'd just draw the weapon and quickly
rack a round into the chamber when
needed...just like the television cops
do it. Then...one fateful day, he was
fired on by a suspect. His training
kicked in, and he drew that Glock,
came to point shoulder, and pulled the
trigger. When nothing happened, his
training took him to the next phase of
tap, rack, check and go. But, when he
got to go, the suspect was, thankfully,
gone. The point here is that his
training took over under stress, and
he'd completely forgotten about
purposely leaving the chamber empty.
Even though the Baltimore Police
Department always maintained a
policy prohibiting the carrying of a
back-up gun, that didn't keep some
police officers from carrying a BUG.
Long before I gained any level of
experience, I can remember one
officer showing me, the rookie, how
he only loaded five chambers of his
revolver. He reasoned that if a
suspect gained control of his revolver,
the first pull of the trigger would
cause the hammer to fall on an empty
chamber giving him [the officer] time
to draw his back-up gun and shoot the
suspect. Even in that early and
inexperienced stage of my career, I
could recognize the folly of that
wisdom. I knew that the probability
of that officer encountering a suspect
already armed with his own gun was
much greater than the officer losing
control of his. It should be obvious
that in the event that officer had to
draw and fire his weapon, that empty
chamber could not be viewed as
anything other than a disadvantage.
In my early career, Baltimore
experienced a number of officers
being shot and killed with their own
weapons, but that problem was due --
almost entirely -- to the swivel holster
for the .38 caliber revolver. If that
hammer strap came undone, that gun
was totally unsecured. Here's a good
argument for the BUG... I arrived
first on the scene of a shooting where
a large crowd was gathered. I jumped
from my car, and I felt my revolver
falling from the holster... I grabbed
and missed. The gun hit the pavement
and scooted beneath my radio car. I
looked across the roof of the car just
knowing I was going to see someone
bend down to pick up my gun... what a
sick feeling. I was lucky. On my first
reach beneath the car, my hand came
to rest on the revolver. But... that was
then.
During that period, a Baltimore
officer was pursuing a suspect. Shots
were exchanged during the pursuit.
The officer fired his revolver empty.
Instead of the suspect taking the
opportunity to continue his escape, he
ran back to the officer and executed
the officer while he was attempting to
reload. That was then. Today, that
outcome would probably be much
different where the officer is armed
with a rapid reload semi-auto.
When it comes to technological
advances, I'm hard pressed to decide
which is at the top of my list... the
bullet proof vest or the secure holster
technology. I began my career when
both were non-existent, so my
appreciation for both cannot be
overstated. The high ammunition
capacity semi-auto takes a highly
valued third place on my list.
My concerns regarding the practice of
carrying a back-up gun relate to
control; accessibility (for the bad guy
as well as the officer); and the
training -- or non-training -- issues
involved. I'm in total agreement with
any reference to "Murphy's Law"
regarding anything; however,
anything applies to everything, and I
look at the BUG as potentially putting
another gun into play. You may hear
or read arguments from politicians or
those with activist agendas who allege
that allowing officers to carry back-up
guns would result in officers planting
guns on suspects. You read it
here...now forget it. That allegation is
just nonsense, and it has no place in
this discussion.
As a police officer, you'll be in close
contact with suspects on a continual
basis. Some of those contacts are
going to be violent, and some of those
suspects may well try to disarm you.
Those who attempted to disarm me
never succeeded, because all of my
attention and strength was focused on
preventing the suspect from
succeeding. I never carried a BUG;
however, had I been armed with a
second gun, I'm fairly certain that
some of that attention and strength
may well have been diverted to ensure
the security of the second gun.
When you begin your police career,
you'll consider this issue...everybody
does. While I'm not a big fan of the
BUG, I'd never vehemently argue
against the BUG, because it's going to
be a very personal decision for you.
My most strenuous advice would be,
should you choose to carry a BUG,
ensuring your control of the weapon
and consider the BUG as a weapon of
absolute last resort, and... don't let
the BUG provide you with a false
sense of security.
This is a really great subject, and I can't believe I hadn't thought about it;
until, Sergeant Richard Nable sent me his article which is printed below. I'm
not as enthusiast about the BUG as Sergeant Nable, but you'll soon learn that
police officers seldom agree (completely) about anything. While Richard hasn't
converted me to a true believer, he certainly makes some good arguments for
the BUG and caused me to rethink the subject. ~ Barry M. Baker
until, Sergeant Richard Nable sent me his article which is printed below. I'm
not as enthusiast about the BUG as Sergeant Nable, but you'll soon learn that
police officers seldom agree (completely) about anything. While Richard hasn't
converted me to a true believer, he certainly makes some good arguments for
the BUG and caused me to rethink the subject. ~ Barry M. Baker
| Are You Carrying a BUG? by Sergeant Richard A. Nable |
| Weapon of Last Resort by Barry M. Baker |
Sergeant Richard Nable is a member of
the Fulton County Police Department in
Atlanta, Georgia. He is a certified
firearms instructor and general
weapons enthusiast and is SWAT
certified. He is an internationally certified
driving instructor and teaches basic
defensive driving as well as high speed
and pursuit driving. Sergeant Nable is
considered an expert on a broad range
of topics related to law enforcement
such as gun control, profiling,
immigration, use of force and much
more. He has appeared on Fox News
Channel several times and on WXIA TV
in Atlanta as well as radio media.
the Fulton County Police Department in
Atlanta, Georgia. He is a certified
firearms instructor and general
weapons enthusiast and is SWAT
certified. He is an internationally certified
driving instructor and teaches basic
defensive driving as well as high speed
and pursuit driving. Sergeant Nable is
considered an expert on a broad range
of topics related to law enforcement
such as gun control, profiling,
immigration, use of force and much
more. He has appeared on Fox News
Channel several times and on WXIA TV
in Atlanta as well as radio media.
compact semi-autos hold more ammunition than compact revolvers. Both of
these are very good and valid points.
However, semi-autos are dependent on both the shooter and the ammunition to
function correctly and are certainly more prone to malfunctions than revolvers.
Anything that prevents the slide from moving while you are fighting and rolling
around will cause a malfunction. If you are injured, scared to death, covered in
crap, physically exhausted, shooting with one hand or any or all of the above,
might a reasonable person accept that there is a greater possibility of limp-
wristing the gun which will also result in a malfunction in a semi-auto? It is a
risk to consider. The malfunction clearance drill for a revolver is, “Pull the
trigger again!” Semi-autos are considerably more complicated.
Bear in mind that under extreme stress and close quarters combat, pressing the
muzzle into part of the bad guy’s body can put a semi-auto into an out-of-
battery condition that may prevent it from firing. The same problem can occur
if during the fight, the muzzle of the semi-auto is forced into the dirt. This
problem does not occur in revolvers. (Of course if the muzzle obstruction is
severe enough it can create a catastrophic failure in any weapon.)
Think about where you carry a backup gun. First of all, it will be close to your
body and covered with some type of clothing. These two facts mean that it will
get dirty fairly quickly. If you do not make an extra effort to clean your semi-
auto regularly then you have another cause of potential malfunctions.
Revolvers are less-prone to this sort of failure.
Revolvers are inherently more accurate. While this is generally true (not
always of course) I personally do not think that accuracy is going to play a large
part in a gunfight where a backup gun is necessary. I still train our officers to
shoot at distances up to 25 yards with their backup guns (just in case) but in all
likelihood a gunfight with a backup gun will be inside of ‘personal’ distances.
What about things like size, weight and caliber? I like big guns that shoot big
bullets that make big holes. But realistically, a backup gun needs to be compact
enough to conceal on your body. It needs to be comfortable so that you won’t
mind wearing it regularly. The fact that we all have different body shapes and
sizes mean that these preferences certainly will vary according to the individual.
I personally don’t see the need for an airweight as an on-duty backup gun. It
will be carried on your leg or your torso where a few ounces will not be
noticeable. When you shoot however, the airweight can be more difficult to
manage, depending on the shooter.
Since I brought it up in the opening paragraphs, I prefer any finish over a blued
gun simply because bluing is the least durable finish out there. In the sweaty,
dirty environment of a police uniform, blued guns don’t seem to hold up as well
as the others. As a practical matter though, in my opinion the finish on your
backup gun has little relevance.
There’s one more little thing that often gets overlooked. The vast majority of
officers train (and practice) far more often with their duty weapons than they
do with their backups. We all know that what you train is what you do under
stress. Consider then that the grip angle on most revolvers is considerably
different than the grip angle on most semi-auto duty guns. Under stress, you
will use the grip you train and practice with most often. If you have ever tried
to transition from a full size Glock to a small frame Smith and Wesson,
hopefully you realized that you tend to shoot high with the revolver. In
practical applications with our officers on our range we regularly see officers
missing the target at 3 yards as a direct result of grip angle. When we correct
the angle, most of our shooters comment that it feels like they are shooting at
the ground. Because of this, there is definitely something to be said for
carrying a backup that is similar to your duty weapon.
What it all boils down to is a personal choice. There are a number of pros and
cons on all sides of the fence. The one immutable truth that stands out is that,
“Any backup gun is better than no backup gun!”
What is your life worth? You can get a great insurance policy (backup gun) for
under $400.00 and have the satisfaction of knowing that you are taking an
active part in saving your own life. Whatever you decide, you must train and
you must practice. Prepare everyday as if your gunfight is going to be today.
Carry that BUG!
As I am so fond of saying, “Train for the real world – not the ideal world.”
these are very good and valid points.
However, semi-autos are dependent on both the shooter and the ammunition to
function correctly and are certainly more prone to malfunctions than revolvers.
Anything that prevents the slide from moving while you are fighting and rolling
around will cause a malfunction. If you are injured, scared to death, covered in
crap, physically exhausted, shooting with one hand or any or all of the above,
might a reasonable person accept that there is a greater possibility of limp-
wristing the gun which will also result in a malfunction in a semi-auto? It is a
risk to consider. The malfunction clearance drill for a revolver is, “Pull the
trigger again!” Semi-autos are considerably more complicated.
Bear in mind that under extreme stress and close quarters combat, pressing the
muzzle into part of the bad guy’s body can put a semi-auto into an out-of-
battery condition that may prevent it from firing. The same problem can occur
if during the fight, the muzzle of the semi-auto is forced into the dirt. This
problem does not occur in revolvers. (Of course if the muzzle obstruction is
severe enough it can create a catastrophic failure in any weapon.)
Think about where you carry a backup gun. First of all, it will be close to your
body and covered with some type of clothing. These two facts mean that it will
get dirty fairly quickly. If you do not make an extra effort to clean your semi-
auto regularly then you have another cause of potential malfunctions.
Revolvers are less-prone to this sort of failure.
Revolvers are inherently more accurate. While this is generally true (not
always of course) I personally do not think that accuracy is going to play a large
part in a gunfight where a backup gun is necessary. I still train our officers to
shoot at distances up to 25 yards with their backup guns (just in case) but in all
likelihood a gunfight with a backup gun will be inside of ‘personal’ distances.
What about things like size, weight and caliber? I like big guns that shoot big
bullets that make big holes. But realistically, a backup gun needs to be compact
enough to conceal on your body. It needs to be comfortable so that you won’t
mind wearing it regularly. The fact that we all have different body shapes and
sizes mean that these preferences certainly will vary according to the individual.
I personally don’t see the need for an airweight as an on-duty backup gun. It
will be carried on your leg or your torso where a few ounces will not be
noticeable. When you shoot however, the airweight can be more difficult to
manage, depending on the shooter.
Since I brought it up in the opening paragraphs, I prefer any finish over a blued
gun simply because bluing is the least durable finish out there. In the sweaty,
dirty environment of a police uniform, blued guns don’t seem to hold up as well
as the others. As a practical matter though, in my opinion the finish on your
backup gun has little relevance.
There’s one more little thing that often gets overlooked. The vast majority of
officers train (and practice) far more often with their duty weapons than they
do with their backups. We all know that what you train is what you do under
stress. Consider then that the grip angle on most revolvers is considerably
different than the grip angle on most semi-auto duty guns. Under stress, you
will use the grip you train and practice with most often. If you have ever tried
to transition from a full size Glock to a small frame Smith and Wesson,
hopefully you realized that you tend to shoot high with the revolver. In
practical applications with our officers on our range we regularly see officers
missing the target at 3 yards as a direct result of grip angle. When we correct
the angle, most of our shooters comment that it feels like they are shooting at
the ground. Because of this, there is definitely something to be said for
carrying a backup that is similar to your duty weapon.
What it all boils down to is a personal choice. There are a number of pros and
cons on all sides of the fence. The one immutable truth that stands out is that,
“Any backup gun is better than no backup gun!”
What is your life worth? You can get a great insurance policy (backup gun) for
under $400.00 and have the satisfaction of knowing that you are taking an
active part in saving your own life. Whatever you decide, you must train and
you must practice. Prepare everyday as if your gunfight is going to be today.
Carry that BUG!
As I am so fond of saying, “Train for the real world – not the ideal world.”
| Sergeant Richard A. Nable is the Author of Searching for Evil...and the perfect donut and Confronting Evil. |
More on Training
from Sergeant Nable...
from Sergeant Nable...
As a follow-up to the BUG article, I
would like to add a comment on
training. Hopefully we all realize
that what we do in training and
subsequent practice is what we will
do under extreme stress. As the
designer of much of my
departments’ firearms training, I
would like to add a comment on
training. Hopefully we all realize
that what we do in training and
subsequent practice is what we will
do under extreme stress. As the
designer of much of my
departments’ firearms training, I
am always looking for ways to make our training recent, relevant and realistic.
Our backup gun training is no different. In ‘the old days’ our backup gun
training was much like our primary gun training – which was much like
everyone else’s training. A bunch of cops would line up on a range and stand
still in a box while shooting a static, two-dimensional, non-threatening paper
target…NOT very realistic.
In August of 1991, one of my best friends was assassinated on duty by a lunatic
with a hunting rifle. While searching for witnesses to a “drive-by” shooting, he
came around the corner of a garage to find the perp pointing a rifle at him. He
squared off on his target while yelling “Gun” but before he could finish the
draw he took a 30-06 round to the face. He did exactly what he was trained to
do. He stood still in his firing block, faced his target, and died. Since then I
have always believed that he died as a result of training. Departments are too
worried about how long it takes to train officers one at a time or that moving
and shooting might be unsafe. Well, last time I checked this is not a safe job
and we owe it to our officers and ourselves to “Train for the Real World… Not
the Ideal World.”
Our current qualification courses are a bit different. Officers who carry a
backup gun must first qualify in the old ‘ line dance ‘ fashion. The basic
qualification course incorporates some movement – both side steps and step
backs. Most of the course is fired one-handed because, after all, if you are down
to your backup gun, it has probably gotten pretty dirty, and proper stance, grip
and follow-through etc. are unlikely luxuries.
Once an officer has qualified with both the primary and the backup guns (if
applicable) on the basic course designed for each, the officer must then proceed
to a tactical course. The tactical course is an active, three-dimensional course
that each officer goes through on his or her own with an instructor guiding the
way. Our current course requires the officer to exit a patrol car and retrieve
his/her long gun (which is required for every officer). The officer must make a
shot from cover on a 24 inch target roughly 85 yards away. The officer then
tactically moves to another position of cover and engages four, eight-inch plates
at approximately 30 yards. Once the long gun is empty, the officer discards it
and sprints to the next station about 50 yards away where he/she engages a
three-dimensional “dummy” target with an ASP baton. The officer must strike
the dummy correctly until the instructor declares the threat neutralized and
the dummy is “secured”. The officer must then engage a steel target with
three shots, move to cover and engage a second target with a minimum of three
shots. (Reactive targets must fall). The officer must perform a combat reload at
some point after which the officer shoots left-handed on a reactive target then
right-handed on a separate reactive target. (We like to make certain that our
officers can shoot with either hand because you never know which one might
become incapacitated.) We have a few more similar stages where the officer is
allowed to choose how to engage the specific target within certain parameters.
Those officers that have a backup gun are given the advantage of having five
more rounds to complete the course than the officers who do not have backup
guns. Typically, the ammunition round count only allows for about three to five
misses over the entire course for those who do not have backup guns.
We make the courses challenging because we have realized over the years that
most officers will rise or fall to the standards that are set by the department.
Many claim that our course is “too hard” but all of our officers can complete it
– though some may take more attempts than others. Those that have trouble
typically go out and buy a backup gun to make the next qualification – or
gunfight for their lives – easier to finish successfully. Shortcuts in training don’
t do anyone any good. Quite the contrary – they get people killed. Twice a year
each one of our officers goes through at least one and sometimes two or three
entirely new and different courses designed to put physiological and
psychological stress on the officer. We can’t put them in real gunfights but we
can get close.
Twice in the past year I have gotten a call from an officer after his first
gunfight. I cannot tell you how good it feels to have someone credit the training
they received in one of my classes for saving their lives. One of those officers
was saved by his backup gun. Who knows, maybe after reading these articles,
even more officers will rethink their training and adopt some tactics that will
keep them alive too.
Our backup gun training is no different. In ‘the old days’ our backup gun
training was much like our primary gun training – which was much like
everyone else’s training. A bunch of cops would line up on a range and stand
still in a box while shooting a static, two-dimensional, non-threatening paper
target…NOT very realistic.
In August of 1991, one of my best friends was assassinated on duty by a lunatic
with a hunting rifle. While searching for witnesses to a “drive-by” shooting, he
came around the corner of a garage to find the perp pointing a rifle at him. He
squared off on his target while yelling “Gun” but before he could finish the
draw he took a 30-06 round to the face. He did exactly what he was trained to
do. He stood still in his firing block, faced his target, and died. Since then I
have always believed that he died as a result of training. Departments are too
worried about how long it takes to train officers one at a time or that moving
and shooting might be unsafe. Well, last time I checked this is not a safe job
and we owe it to our officers and ourselves to “Train for the Real World… Not
the Ideal World.”
Our current qualification courses are a bit different. Officers who carry a
backup gun must first qualify in the old ‘ line dance ‘ fashion. The basic
qualification course incorporates some movement – both side steps and step
backs. Most of the course is fired one-handed because, after all, if you are down
to your backup gun, it has probably gotten pretty dirty, and proper stance, grip
and follow-through etc. are unlikely luxuries.
Once an officer has qualified with both the primary and the backup guns (if
applicable) on the basic course designed for each, the officer must then proceed
to a tactical course. The tactical course is an active, three-dimensional course
that each officer goes through on his or her own with an instructor guiding the
way. Our current course requires the officer to exit a patrol car and retrieve
his/her long gun (which is required for every officer). The officer must make a
shot from cover on a 24 inch target roughly 85 yards away. The officer then
tactically moves to another position of cover and engages four, eight-inch plates
at approximately 30 yards. Once the long gun is empty, the officer discards it
and sprints to the next station about 50 yards away where he/she engages a
three-dimensional “dummy” target with an ASP baton. The officer must strike
the dummy correctly until the instructor declares the threat neutralized and
the dummy is “secured”. The officer must then engage a steel target with
three shots, move to cover and engage a second target with a minimum of three
shots. (Reactive targets must fall). The officer must perform a combat reload at
some point after which the officer shoots left-handed on a reactive target then
right-handed on a separate reactive target. (We like to make certain that our
officers can shoot with either hand because you never know which one might
become incapacitated.) We have a few more similar stages where the officer is
allowed to choose how to engage the specific target within certain parameters.
Those officers that have a backup gun are given the advantage of having five
more rounds to complete the course than the officers who do not have backup
guns. Typically, the ammunition round count only allows for about three to five
misses over the entire course for those who do not have backup guns.
We make the courses challenging because we have realized over the years that
most officers will rise or fall to the standards that are set by the department.
Many claim that our course is “too hard” but all of our officers can complete it
– though some may take more attempts than others. Those that have trouble
typically go out and buy a backup gun to make the next qualification – or
gunfight for their lives – easier to finish successfully. Shortcuts in training don’
t do anyone any good. Quite the contrary – they get people killed. Twice a year
each one of our officers goes through at least one and sometimes two or three
entirely new and different courses designed to put physiological and
psychological stress on the officer. We can’t put them in real gunfights but we
can get close.
Twice in the past year I have gotten a call from an officer after his first
gunfight. I cannot tell you how good it feels to have someone credit the training
they received in one of my classes for saving their lives. One of those officers
was saved by his backup gun. Who knows, maybe after reading these articles,
even more officers will rethink their training and adopt some tactics that will
keep them alive too.
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