Firearms Training Articles

Firearms training is a critical aspect of law enforcement. Police officers must be able to use handguns, rifles and shotguns under extraordinary stress and the only way to ensure superior performance is excellent training. These articles offer ideas on both training with guns and on the gear itself.

Ankle Holsters: Convenient But Deadly – Firearms expert Dave Spaulding looks at the ankle holster and what role it may have for law enforcement officers, both on- and off-duty. As the title implies, there are some drawbacks to this method of carry.
Basic Shooting Skills – Richard considers the problem that departments may neglect the fundamentals of law enforcement shooting in an effort to conduct “high speed” training.
Back Up Gun – You carry one (or two), right? If not, please read this article and find the compelling reasons why you should.
Carry Enough Gun: Mouseguns – Richard tells us why we should not rely on low power calibers for our back up and off duty guns.
Combat Pistol Shooting: My 2 Cents – Reasoned considerations on the state of law enforcement firearms training from Aaron.
Federal v. Remington .308 Ammo Comparison: One Sniper’s View – A look at two ammunition loads for precision shooting from Aaron, a SWAT sniper.
Firearms Training for Traffic Stops – Are you training for the specific dangers and obstacles presented by traffic stops? Have you ever shot into or from a car during training? You better…
Flying with Firearms – Part one of a two part series from Randall on flying with firearms and ammunition.
Flying with Firearms, Part II – This would be the second part of a two part series on flying commercially with guns and ammo.
Gunfights Happen Up Close…Except When They Don’t – A considered look at the decision to exclusively train law enforcement officers with firearms at close distances.
How to Effectively Shoot at Close Range – Dave Spaulding penned this firearms training article on dealing with deadly threats in extreme close encounters.
Improvements to the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act – Randall gives us the latest information on the changes to the LEOSA.
LEOSA Does Not Exempt on School Grounds – Tackling a common misunderstanding, Randall lays out what the LEOSA allows and ignores when it comes to school property.
Negligent vs Accidental Discharges – What’s in a name? Maybe a lot. By using the proper name for the unintended discharge of a firearm, maybe we can better prevent them from happening in the future.
Off-Hand Shooting: Priority or Passing Trend? – Aaron takes a look at teaching officers to shoot with their non-dominant hand. The article is thought provoking and the comments section is definitely opinionated!
Palm-to-Palm Handgun Transition – This is a firearms training video and article on how to safely transfer a handgun from one hand to another using a palm-to-palm method.
Police Shotgun: Carry It! – The shotgun has fallen into disfavor with newer officers. Randall explores why this might be, and offers compelling reasons for carrying the venerable scattergun.
Position Sul Training Video – Aaron put together an excellent article and training video on Position Sul. Position Sul is not a replacement for the “low ready,” but rather an alternative with some distinct advantages.
Pros and Cons of Small Handguns by Walt Rauch – Rauch takes a look at pocket guns and offers insight into what they are, and are not, capable of.
Revolver Reloads: Speed Strips – Part one in a two part series on reloading a revolver from Randall.
Revolver Reloads: Speedloaders – Randall finishes out the series on keeping a revolver stuffed with ammunition.
Selecting a Police Sniper – This article takes a look at how departments should pick which officers will make good police snipers.
Self-Guided Bullet Hits the Target – Bill Siuru breaks down the latest technology on putting bullets on target.
Sniper or Marksman? – What’s in a name? Maybe a lot. Aaron considers the naming of law enforcement snipers.
Tactical Patrol: The Patrol Rifle – Part three in an officer safety series for patrol officers.
The Problem with Handgun Stopping Power by Dave Spaulding – Spaulding looks at the concept of measuring handgun ammunition power, and why handguns are seriously deficient in stopping power.
The Tactical Reload: Reloading with Retention by Dave Spaulding – Veteran law enforcement trainer Dave Spaulding gives us the low-down on the tactical reload.
Training to Drill or Training for Real? – Aaron looks at what we are training, and why. Keep it realistic!
Training to Drill or Training for Real, Part 2 – The second part of Aaron’s series on reality-based training.
Tricks to Improve Your Department’s Firearms Training – Richard gives us three options to improving our law enforcement firearms training.

Additional article sections:

Bio
Latest Posts

Richard

Publisher at BlueSheepdog

Richard was a police officer and trainer with experience as a patrol officer, field training officer, court officer, corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, watch commander and commander of a field training and evaluation program. Currently, Richard spends much of his time testing and writing about guns and shooting products.