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Heath Layman

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Heath Layman Heath has been a law enforcement officer in the Great Northwest since 1993 and train as a pistol and rifle instructor for both law enforcement and civilians. He also serves as an advanced armorer on pistols and rifles. If you're looking for training or would like to contact him, he can be reached at [email protected]

Shoot to Wound and other Misinformed Ideas

WHY DIDN’T THE PERSON JUST SHOOT THE BAD GUY IN THE LEG?

Law enforcement and those carrying a firearm for self defense are poised with the same question every year; Why didn’t they just shoot to wound or shoot them in the leg?

Sometimes those asking the question sincerely don’t know and want to understand.  Other times it gets asked in a critical opinionated way, almost always made out of ignorance or bias.

LEGS SHOTS CAN KILL

You have all sorts of veins and all sorts of arteries in your legs.  The legs are the place where the largest artery in the body bifurcates (splits up) and runs along side the largest bone in the body which is held under tremendous pressure by the largest muscles in the body.

A gunshot wound to your femur bone causes things to shatter!  When bones shatter near veins and arteries, they are sliced open and bleed quickly.  Time is short if this happens.

RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERY ROUND

Police are responsible for every round that exits the muzzle of their firearm.  Everything that goes down range has to be accounted for.

Center mass of the human body is the least likely area to have over penetration and continue down range.  The center mass of a body is the slowest moving component.  They head, arms, and legs move very quickly.

Legs and arms are smaller in mass/depth than the torso.

DEADLY FORCE BY DEFINITION

The intentional application of force by firearms or any other means reasonably likely to inflict death or serious physical injury (Great Bodily Harm, RCW 9A.04.110).

Shooting a leg is deadly force just like shooting in the chest….or the head.  Deadly force is deadly force is deadly force.

TRAINING BY HOLLYWOOD

Have you ever shot a gun?  A moving target?  Shooting to wound isn’t a thing. Police officers and deadly force situations aren’t being directed by a Hollywood director that pauses the scene and sets things up perfectly so that John Wayne perfectly makes the shot and doesn’t hurt any good guys down range.

The goal is to stop the immediate threat.  Law enforcement is not trained to shoot to kill, they are trained to shoot to stop a deadly threat – in defense of life – theirs or others.  Where they are taught to shoot on the body is the center of available mass. “Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no substitute for a good blaster at your side”

Force Science Research Center FACTS

Dr. Bill Lewinsky of the Force Science Research Center had this to say about shooting reaction times and movement of the arms and legs;

“Hands and arms can be the fastest-moving body parts. For example, an average suspect can move his hand and forearm across his body to a 90-degree angle in 12/100 of a second. He can move his hand from his hip to shoulder height in 18/100 of a second.

“The average officer pulling the trigger as fast as he can on a Glock, one of the fastest- cycling semi-autos, requires 1/4 second to discharge each round.

“There is no way an officer can react, track, shoot and reliably hit a threatening suspect’s forearm or a weapon in a suspect’s hand in the time spans involved.

“Even if the suspect held his weapon arm steady for half a second or more, an accurate hit would be highly unlikely, and in police shootings the suspect and his weapon are seldom stationary. Plus, the officer himself may be moving as he shoots.

“The upper arms move more slowly than the lower arms and hands. But shooting at the upper arms, there’s a greater chance you’re going to hit the suspect’s brachial artery or center mass, areas with a high probability of fatality. So where does shooting only to wound come in when even areas considered by some to ‘safe’ from fatality risk could in fact carry the same level of risk as targeting center mass?

“Legs tend initially to move slower than arms and to maintain more static positions. However, areas of the lower trunk and upper thigh are rich with vascularity. A suspect who’s hit there can bleed out in seconds if one of the major arteries is severed, so again shooting just to wound may not result in just wounding.

“On the other hand, if an officer manages to take a suspect’s legs out non-fatally, that still leaves the offender’s hands free to shoot. His ability to threaten lives hasn’t necessarily been stopped.”

NOT A PAPER TARGET

Shooting a paper target on a square range with no stress is nothing like a real force encounter.  The stress is high, the adrenaline is pumping, and someone is trying to kill you or those you are trying to protect.  Often, that threat is closing the gap between you and them and the pressure builds as they approach.

YOU DON’T MEET DEADLY FORCE WITH LOW LEVEL OR INTERMEDIATE FORCE

A driven person, intent on killing you or others, can take multiple deadly rounds and continue to attack.  This lesson is a hard lesson that has been learned in blood by American law enforcement over the years.  Some of the incidents that stand out in my mind are those such as the Miami-Dade FBI shootout.  Rounds that were deadly hit their mark yet the suspect continued to persist and kill for an extended period of time before the body finally gave in.

Motivation, mental imbalance, and drugs can all play a role in the continuation of an attacker.

Put yourself in the shoes of the person trying to stop a real threat.  You might think you would do this or that but in reality you have no clue.

The attacker has made the decision that deadly force is going to be used.  Not the protector.  Don’t lose sight of that.

TASER devices fail, bean bag rounds rely on pain perception, and pepper spray takes time to work and doesn’t work on everyone.

Police don’t want to use deadly force!  We don’t wake up saying, “hey, I want to murder someone today.”  It isn’t Hollywood, it is a reality.

SPLIT SECOND DECISIONS

If it were plausible to “shoot to wound” law enforcement would be doing it.  It’s not plausible.  Action beats reaction; every time.

It’s very easy to analyze things from the safety and security of your keyboard.  Until you strap on the gear and put yourself between the threat and the public you won’t know the weight – physical weight of the equipment and the mental weight of what is on the line.

“My Sights Are Off” and other Pistol Accuracy Myths

Alien Gear’s Cloak Tuck 3.5: A Holster that Fits Comfortably

Alien Gear Holsters Cloak Tuck 3.5 IWB (Inside the Waistband) Holster is a holster that fits over 500 different pistols, comfortably.

Alien Gear Holster's Cloak Tuck 3.5 IWB Holster, A Holster that Fits - Comfortably
Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 3.5 IWB Holster

I’m a little more “girthy” than I wish I was.  Inside the waist band or IWB holsters aren’t something I’m very drawn to – until I tried the Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 3.5 IWB holster a try.

What’s Missing

The first thing to take note of when looking at this holster is the absence of any screws, rivets, or protrusions on the side that rests against your body. The entire back-side of the holster is covered in a cool vent neoprene which allows air to flow and moisture to wick away.  You won’t find anything against you or your britches to snag or jab.

The clips are sturdy and when worn with a quality belt, this holster isn’t going to pop out or wander away.

Many different holsters offer the user the ability to adjust where the retention clips are for adjusting the depth or cant of the holster.  Alien Gear has come up with a slick way to make it more realistic that the user will actually adjust the clips and dial it in to their body.  Simply rotate the clips down and pull them out.  Insert the clip into the hole that you think is going to make the desired adjustment and rotate it back up.  It’s really that simple and that quick.

Alien Gear Holster's Cloak Tuck 3.5 IWB Holster, A Holster that Fits - Comfortably
right side IWB carry

Alien Gear Cloak Tuck, It’s Cool

The Cloak Tuck holster is comfortable and sturdy.  Behind the cool vent neoprene is a steel core.  The design allows for rigidity where you need it and flex where you want it.

With the holster, I received additional retention spacers, allowing me to adjust the tightness for the amount of desired retention I was looking for.  The one it came with seemed to be spot on for my Glock 19 when being worn.  While not being worn against the body, the gun will come out too easily but I’m not sure why that would be a bad thing.

Alien Gear Holster's Cloak Tuck 3.5 IWB Holster, A Holster that Fits - Comfortably
easily concealable IWB carry

American Made, No Hassle Warranty

As with all Alien Gear products, this holster is American made with a no hassle warranty/guarantee.

Remember to get a great belt to wear with this Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 3.5 holster and if you’re a bigger fella or gal, get your pants one size bigger for some wiggle room, and wear your gun!

Try this holster for 30 days and if you don’t like it, Alien Gear will take it back…. no questions asked.

MSRP: $49.88 as tested.

Grab yourself a quality holster like those offered by Alien Gear and come train with us.


Streamlight Siege X USB rechargeable outdoor lantern

Streamlight Siege X USB rechargeable outdoor lantern

Light when and where you need it

Having light when you need it can make or break you!  A light that is reliable, bright, durable, and functions in ways you didn’t know you needed is invaluable.  The Streamlight Siege X USB lantern is one of those lights you might not have realized you needed until you use it.

Streamlight Siege X USB rechargeable outdoor lantern

Streamlight Means Quality

Streamlight continues their legacy of tradition, quality and innovation with the Siege X USB.

The Siege is easy to use and intuitive.  The white output modes allows a low light, medium, and high settings when using it as a lantern.  You can also switch it to red output mode with a single brightness setting or turn the red light into a SOS flash that will last a surprisingly long time of 90 hours! Streamlight also put a traditional feeling flashlight into this thing that has two settings of low and high.

With one button to interact with, the user quickly learns that the duration of the press determines the outcome.  Pushing the button within 1.5 seconds of the last button push will change the light level or intensity.  When doing this, you scroll through the different brightness levels until you have the brightness you want or it turns off.

With the light already on, you push and hold for 2 seconds to scroll through white lantern light, red lantern light, red lantern flashing SOS, and flashlight mode.

Streamlight Siege X USB rechargeable outdoor lantern

Solutions to Mounting

The Siege features a spring loaded D-Ring on one end that can be stored flush to the unit when not in use.  It also has a handy handle hook that you can hang the light from any edge or bar.  When it’s not in use, it is designed to lock in the stowed position.

The Streamlight Siege X uses either two CR123 cell batteries or one Streamlight 18650 USB rechargeable cell (included with USB cord).  You simply undo the cover on the bottom and remove the battery for charging.

The operating switch also serves as a charge indicator.  With a complete charge time of about 5 hours, it will glow green when done.  During use, the color of the switch indicates to you the remaining battery life.

This lantern is durable and well thought out.  I’m looking forward to using it this summer when camping and know I’ll be reaching for it when crawling underneath my Jeep in the middle of the forest.

• Multiple modes:
• White LED:
• High for brightest light: 325 lumens; runs 4.5 hours
• Medium for bright light and longer run times: 170 lumens; runs 7.75 hours
• Low provides extended run times for when less light is needed: 30 lumens; runs 25 hours
• Red LED:
• High – Steady (night vision preserving mode): 1.6 lumens; runs 22 hours
• Flash SOS mode for emergency signaling: 1.6 lumens; runs 90 hours
• Night vision preserving mode extends run time for emergency preparedness
• Flashlight Mode
• High: 300 lumens; runs 3.5 hours
• Low: 40 lumens; runs 25 hours
• Top of lantern functions as a flashlight with High and Low modes

MULTI-FUEL:

Uses 18650 USB rechargeable battery; also accepts two CR123A lithium batteries, so you always have a light when you need it

• Polycarbonate glare-reducing cover provides soft, even 360° light distribution; comfortable to use in close quarters without straining your eyes
• Stand it upright, use it as an overhead light or hang it with integrated D-ring
• Rugged polymer construction with rubber molded base that provides stability on slippery or uneven surfaces
• Ergonomic handle designed to lock in upright or stowed position; incorporated hang hook
• Recessed power button prevents accidental activation; features battery level indicator
• Battery level indicator changes from green, to yellow, to red, then to flashing red when batteries reach the end of their usable life.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

High Lumens: 325
Run Time:  25.00 hours
Battery Type:  CR123A Lithium, 18650 Lithium Ion Battery
Battery Quantity:  1 – 2
Length: 4.35 inches (11.05 centimeters)
Weight:  7.20 ounces (204.12 grams)
Colors:  Coyote

• IPX7 waterproof to 1m submersion; 2m impact resistance tested
• 4.35” (11.05 cm); 7.2 oz. (204.12g) 18650 USB battery; 6.8 oz. (192.78g) CR123A batteries
• Available in Coyote
• RoHS compliant

Bring fun back to shooting with Firebird Targets

Have a Blast Shooting

Bring back the fun of shooting with Firebird Targets pyrotechnic exploding targets.  Use them to improve marksmanship, provide instant hit recognition, for situational training and more – but don’t forget the fun.

Found at SHOT Show 2019

SHOT Show 2019 was fun and a bit overwhelming as usual with the plethora of products and companies.  Trying to see them all in a few days is more than a bit of a challenge.  Sometimes the accidental discoveries are the best.  I had no intention of looking for exploding targets (maybe that’s a problem too, hmm), but I came across Firebird Targets and loved the concept of their product and very much looked forward to getting my hands on them to try.

Mail Call

Fast forward a few months after SHOT and I was pleased to receive a care package from Firebird Targets, Firebird 65mm Targets in a slick little 10 pack packaging.  I didn’t remember the discs being quite so small and began to wonder if they were going to be any fun.  I wasn’t disappointed with them being fun.

The received care package was 10 65mm targets, MSRP $19.99.  Firebird Targets are not a Binary Target.  No mixing or prepping of the targets are necessary.  Simply peel the backing off the adhesive and stick it to your target.  Once attached, move back at least 10 meters (33 feet), be sure you have eye and ear protection on, and let it rip!

Range Time

I shot a little video of myself trying these targets out.  I completely intended on being quiet and serious for the video.  My attempt to be serious went right out the window as soon as I hit my first Firebird Target!  I found myself laughing, woo-hoo’ing, and smiling as soon as hits were made, what a blast!

Aside from the absolute fun you can have shooting these for about $2.00 a target, you could easily find many ways to use these in a formal and serious way.

One of the ways I look forward to using these in the future is for head-to-head competitions to make shooters push their speed and balance it with accuracy.  The first shooter to clear their plates has to hit the Firebird Target to finish it.

These targets would make a great addition to your skeet shooting as well.  Stick the disc to the underside of the clay pigeon and add a fireworks display to your hit.

Doing some long range shooting?  No spotter needed to know if you’ve hit the target, you’ll know when you hit it!

Firebird targets are a fun and effective way to improve your shooting.  Firebird Targets are not a Binary Target and do not contain Ammonium Nitrate.  Firebird Targets are considered a pyrotechnic device. You’ll never wonder again if you’ve hit the target with Firebird Targets.

Manufactured in Texas

Firebird launched in 2010 in the United Kingdom but is now exclusively manufactured in Texas.

Firebird Targets are available now at Defender Outdoors and select gun shows.

What Not to Do

Don’t attach with hammer, staples, etc. to attach.  Just use the adhesive.  Read and follow safety instructions on the package. Clear the area of dry items/flammable material. No smoking around them.  Check local fire conditions and comply with local ordinances. Don’t have open flames around Firebird Targets. Don’t use Firebird Targets indoors.  Stay back 10 meters (33 feet).

Have a Blast!

Photo of the Day: Short, Sweet and Quiet

Photo of the Day: Short, Sweet and Quiet

One of my favorite rifles to use at work and for play.

Maxim Defense CQB Stock on a Colt Lower with a Spikes Tactical Compressor Upper.  Magpul magazines, back-up Iron Sights, and sling.  Trijicon MRO and Phase 5 Extended Bolt Release.

 


Tenicor ARX Holster: A Strong Fortress for Your Pistol

Tenicor ARX Holster: A Strong Fortress for Your Pistol

ARX in Latin means a Citadel, Stronghold, Fortress.  ARX in Tenicor means a Citadel, a Stronghold, a Fortress for your pistol!

Purposeful Design

The Tenicor ARX holster is a simple design with no hardware to fail you.  When you pick the holster up for the first time you’ll be surprised at the lightweight and evident strength.

The shape and weight of the holster lends itself to secure all-day wear.  If you care about concealment but prefer an outside the waistband carry, this is the holster you want at or just behind your strong side hip.  In a world of fancy and inside the waistband holsters, the Tenicor ARX stands out as thinking outside the box.

Tenicor ARX Holster: A Strong Fortress for Your Pistol

 

A purposeful design of the holster places the gun tight against your body while still being comfortable.  The pistol is easy to draw from the Tenicor ARX with a 10 degree forward cant.

Tenicor smartly placed the belt slots on the holster so that the pistol rides high enough to keep the gun from showing without having to wear long shirts or jackets.

Securely Concealed

With your pistol inserted into the Tenicor ARX holster you know it is secure. No frills, no snaps, no buttons, and no-nonsense with the ARX holster.

Tenicor ARX Holster: A Strong Fortress for Your Pistol

You have one adjustment point on the holster which allows you to easily adjust the level of retention on your pistol.  The holster has integrated belt loops that are angled perfectly for a tight fit to your body that doesn’t pinch. Tenicor paid attention to strength and simplicity when they built the ARX.

Tenicor ARX Holster: A Strong Fortress for Your Pistol

Precision Fit

Tenicor has built the ARX holster from custom CAD designs and then precision machined CNC tooling to create a positive fit.  Tenicor is currently offering the ARX Holster for the GLOCK pistols in models 19/23, 17/22, 48, 43 and 43x.

When you purchase a Tenicor ARX you also will need to choose a loop size to match your belt.  The choices for loop size are 1.50″ or 1.75″.

Lifetime Guarantee

No frills or lengthy explanations are needed from Tenicor on their stance about a warranty.  If it fails, they will replace it.

Tenicor is an American design, development, manufacturing, and training company that builds products that work.

As tested, the ARX holster costs $87.00. If you’re Military, Law Enforcement, or a First Responder, contact Tenicor for a coupon code.

 

Use code LOADOUTROOM for 10% off your order


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