Over at GunsHolstersAndGear.com, I wrote about a new compact pistol SIG SAUER is releasing called the P224. The P224 is a cut down (literally – take a look at the photos over there) P229 and is chambered in 9mm, .357 SIG and .40 S&W.
Initially, the new gun will come with the DAK trigger, which has a very smooth double action only pull. SIG states a DA/SA pistol will be available later. The gun should be at the 2012 SHOT Show, and we will get some video and more information on it then.
If you already have a weapon-mounted flashlight, then by default you possess a quick firearm aiming device…if you do a bit of homework!
Laser sights are all the rage and I confess to having purchased a couple. But they are not always financially justifiable or even allowed by policy for many coppers. At half the price, a tactical light can give you a similar service in a very close combat situation.
During night fire sessions at the range, some of our shooters began to notice that they were getting a flash sight picture from their handgun-mounted lights. At distances of five yards or less, the flashlights were illuminating center of mass on the targets and approximating point of impact.
A simple test is to unload and safety check your duty gun. Look over the sights at a wall at distances from one to seven yards. Turn on the light. If your sights are properly adjusted, the beam of your flashlight will give you a general aiming point.
In a case with important training implications, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the West Coast has ruled that a municipal patrol officer who killed a suspect when she confused her M26 Taser with her Glock pistol was not entitled to a summary judgment in her favor on the basis of qualified immunity.
A jury should have been allowed to decide if her mistake was reasonable, the 9th circuit appellate judges said in overturning a district judge’s decision and remanding the case for fresh action.
“Whatever the ultimate outcome, this case bears watching and studying because of the critical issues it raises regarding training, weapons placement, personal responsibility, and decision-making,” says Dr. Bill Lewinski, executive director of the Force Science Institute. As we have reported previously, Lewinski was involved as an expert witness in the BART incident, a widely publicized mistaken-weapon shooting by a transit officer in the San Francisco area.
[Ed. note: The Need for the Patrol Rifle is part three of a series on Tactical Patrol. The prior articles are Tactical Patrol Mindset and Patrol Response to Critical Incidents.]
The use of a patrol rifle is not a new concept. In fact, when you think about the “old west” the image of a lawman with a trusty Winchester lever-action is the standard. The 20th century witnessed the creation of some of the most deadly criminals to ever prowl our country. Names like Dillinger, Bonnie & Clyde, Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson, and Al Capone. This was the era of the “Tommy” gun, even BAR’s, and of course shotguns. Those heavier weapons ended the careers of many criminals.
After WWII times were good, America was growing, the Baby-Boom generation was in full swing. Then the 1960’s came. The Civil Rights struggle, the progressively unpopular Vietnam War, and the emergence of radicals saw America suffer home-grown terror from groups like the KKK, the Black Panthers, and the Symbionese Liberation Army.
During this time America had its first, real taste of an active shooter when a murderer mounted the bell tower at the University of Texas in Austin and shot multiple victims before two brave patrolmen and an armed citizen raced up the tower and ended his reign of terror. The racial, political, and social violence led police departments to look for a way to counter this new era of deadly threat.
Officer Involved Shooting
The dominant goal of citizen police academy programs is to get civilians to walk a mile in an officer’s boots. Thanks to the creativity of Force Science Analyst Steven Goard, those who attend the academy conducted by the Livermore (CA) PD walk an important extra mile–through the landmines of a simulated OIS investigation that tests their memory and perceptions of a personal controversial shooting.
The participants, including some police critics, learn first hand the vagaries of human behavior under pressure and the challenges of credibly defending a deadly force decision that may seem suspicious to outside observers.
“Invariably they’re shocked by the experience,” says Goard, who has now developed the OIS-investigation feature across 10 of his department’s citizen academy sessions.
Among many satisfying payoffs, he recalls the reaction of an African-American woman in her late 60s. “I feel guilty,” she told Goard as she shook his hand after the exercise. “For years, I’ve been skeptical of the police. I bought into the way the media report police shootings. I just didn’t have the knowledge to enlighten my thinking.”
Review of Lasers for Defensive Handguns from the Armed Response training series.
The use of lasers in law enforcement is a point of controversy with many instructors and policy makers. While there are some rational arguments made against the use of a laser, there are many very good arguments that can be made for the use of a laser sighting device.
If you are considering adding a laser to your pistol, I suggest you take a look at Lasers for Defensive Handguns, a training video featuring Ralph Mroz from the Armed Response video training series.
The Video
Lasers for Defensive Handguns is a practical training video in which Mroz, a veteran firearms instructor, tackles the topic of using a laser aiming device on your handgun.
