Posted: 4/20/2006 4:41:47 PM EDT
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Do any of your try to have say weekend shoots with your officers? Im not talking about department sanctioned training , just a few guys getting together and doing some structured shooting, that the officers might not get to do otherwise. Our officers cant use the range unless a firearms instructor is on the range and we dont have any full time instructors. I am trying to put together something say on a Saturday morning. My officers dismal performance at recent qualifications has opened their eyes up a little bit. Any comments, suggestions appreciated as always. |
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We (firearms instructors) have had an informal weekend shoot for the last 4 or 5 years. It's sponsored by the other medium security prison in the area. I donate my time to help run the shoot and usually my prison will donate ammo. The first year was a huge success. We had municipal police, RCMP and DNR officers attend along with many CO's. The attendence has dropped off the last few years I think mainly due to the course of fire being the same. The instructor who started the shoot has since retired and there is new blood running it now. Hopefully we can get the attendence back up. It is a great chance to handle and shoot other agency sidearms, trade tips on training, tactics and share war stories. the problem is and always will be..a lot of LEO's aren't shooters. |
| I try to get anyone to go out and shoot anytime they want. I've got about 3 takers so far who regularly will go out and shoot with me when I go. I try to get out once or twice a month and always mention it to guys with the same days/time off. Like I said, so far I've had 3 takers and they have all benefitted from going and enjoy shooting a lot more after we do. |
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We would have an informal shoot every Sunday from 1300 to 1700. Anyone could attend from any department. The majority of the guys who showed up were 90% plus shooters. It seemed like the guys who do just good enough to pass hardly ever showed up. We would do traffic stop drills, barricades, shooting on the move, etc... I would go through 300-500 rds easy on one of these shoots (pistol and carbine). Lots of fun and good training. ETA: Does your department provide training ammo? Mine did not. Many of the guys who did not shoot would make the statement if they wanted me to shoot better they would buy my ammo for practice. |
Now..if overtime or time in lieu was being paid..... |
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Doing it April 30th, yes a Sunday. I guess I'm lucky that my younger officers are shooters. The old heads are not expected to show, but it is voluntary, and as much free ammo as you care to shoot. We will cover rleoads, shooting on the move, weak hand drills, multiple target engagement, police challenge, failure to stop, low light, etc. etc. By the way, any officers from the DC metro area are invited (bring your own ammo). Brandywine, 4/30/06 from 1600-2200. You can email me for particulars. |
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I have made several comments to hold a couple of shoots this spring and also I had hopes the department would splurge and buy 50 rounds per office who showed. No sure where it will go. I am also sure they will have some type of restriction so I may just do it on my own and hopefully some will show. We just issed new Sig P226R and P229R guns with Safariland 070 holsters. I cleaned and inspected all guns. I was told to clean them as opposed to the officers during a classroom training. Needless to say they paid me 12 hours of OT and took away a learning opportunity from the officers. I also broke the holsters in with a blow dryer to help the officers. Each was told to practice with the holster before the transition training. I was allowed 50 rounds per officer (we carried P226 9mm before) so they felt it would be a quick process. I expressed concern with the lack of rounds through a new gun, not to mention it is for duty. Needless to say the results were miserable for the presentation of the pistol. The actual shooting was great though. I found guys with belts and keepers that were issued way too long (as in should have been replaced years ago).  Mike |
Nope, it was an off day (for most of us), a Saturday. We posted our intent several weeks in advance but no one took advantage of it. And there are several that should have come out for some practice. So, we instructors shot some rounds, had some contests and I rifle qualified some of the instructors. I am doing firearm qual's at the end of June. I had my other instructor post the notice. I even sent a inter-office memo to them, to practice and be ready. I'm willing to be no one will fire one practice round until the weekend before qualification. |
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The institution that hosts our shoot provides firearms and all the ammo you can shoot for officers from our agency and we usually supply 9mm for those from other agencies that want to shoot our 9mm carbines. I bet I've shot close to 1000 rounds myself over the last 4 years. The supervisors at the host prison will try and get officers relieved for an hour so they can come shoot, plus they provide sandwiches and buy the coffee for us too. All in all we can't complain. |
| Its always going to be hard getting the shooters that really need the practice to show up, especially on their days off. Everyone's right when they say that most of the time, its only the instructors or 90% + shooters that take advantage. At my dept., I think almost every division has FI's. So what I started doing a couple years ago was getting approval for our own Division range days. Everyone in the Divison got to come out and the dept. furnished all the ammo I asked for. And it's on everyone's duty day. Leave the dept. wide shoots up to training, too many people. |
Same thing happened to me when I tried to run a day like that. At least my Co Instructor and I got a chance to shoot. I've tried to get my guys to shoot IDPA with me as well, same response, sounds great, how much does it cost? Etc. Then they don't show. I teach them everything I know, thats my job. But I can't change the mindset. I can and will try, but ultimately they have to make the decision to take it seriously and put in more time than the Chief allows. |