The 90-7-3 Rule defined:
- 90% of LEO have one firearm,
their duty weapon, which they begrudgingly qualify with once a year.
They do not hunt, target shoot, plink, or compete off duty. In the event
of a justified shooting, they will empty their magazine(s) towards the
perp and maybe hit them. IMHO, there should be no more than one or two
shots fired, and unless the bad guy is wearing body armor, should result
in a fatality every time. Instead what we get is the ground littered with empty LEO brass, and a perp hit once or twice and recovering in the hospital.
- 7% of LEO do own and use firearms outside of
their normal duties. They will hunt, target shoot, plink and maybe even
compete at a lower level by shooting clays, silhouette, bullseye, or at a
turkey shoot. They might even load their own ammo.
- 3% of LEO
are truly firearms experts. They most likely grew up with firearms and
served in the military. On the job they are instructors for other LEO
and may be members of tactical teams. Not only do they participate in
all types of recreation with firearms, they probably compete at a high
level shooting like 3-Gun, Military, SWAT Challenges, IPSC and IPDA. They are NRA safety
instructors, Range Safety Officers, and belong to the local sportsman's
club, teaching the civilian population firearms safety. They may even be
advanced hand loaders, gunsmiths, and hold an FFL. I actually know one of these. He's a retired LEO that works at the state's largest gun retailer at their indoor range as an R.S.O. and instructor. His son has followed in his footsteps at a different police department here in Kommiecticut. Both are big Second Amendment supporters and support civilian firearms ownership and use.
So here is what prompted this post... an EMS call last night involving a violent individual with a firearm. For our part, we were to stage until state police made the scene safe. We got called in to provide EMS services after the individual was taken into custody. But it turns out, the scene wasn't 100% safe. The handgun, a J-Frame 5-shot S & W revolver was in the hands of an inexperienced state trooper trying to unload it and all the time exhibiting poor muzzle discipline. He and his partners could not get the cylinder open, and they asked ME if I knew how to do it. I professed to them to be a gun guy quite familiar with wheel-guns. I immediately saw the problem... THE FUCKING HAMMER WAS BACK! The cylinder release is never going to work that way on any modern revolver and that trooper had no idea how little trigger pressure it would take to cause a negligent discharge. He handed me the gun, and I moved over to the lawn area, pointed the muzzle to the ground, and properly lowered the hammer. I pushed the cylinder latch and popped the cylinder out. I then handed the gun back to the trooper with all the rounds still in the cylinder. All of state troopers admitted that they were unfamiliar with revolvers, because they are used to dealing with semi-autos. We got the patient to the hospital without incident.
I would be more than happy to provide firearms training to these guys. They don't know revolvers? The cylinder mechanism is different between Ruger, S & W, and Dan Wesson.What would they do with a lever action? A Henry unloads differently than a Marlin or Winchester. How about a bolt or semi rifle with a flush fit box magazine? How about a mil-surp? An M1 Garand? How about a Mauser or a Mosin-Nagant where you pop open the magazine floor plate? The list is endless.
