{"id":401734,"date":"2023-07-07T13:00:45","date_gmt":"2023-07-07T18:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/?p=401734"},"modified":"2023-07-05T15:10:02","modified_gmt":"2023-07-05T20:10:02","slug":"the-barricade-and-the-long-gun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/the-barricade-and-the-long-gun\/","title":{"rendered":"The Barricade and The Long Gun: Training for the Unexpected"},"content":{"rendered":"

Three days before Thanksgiving in 2017, I responded to a burst of gunfire a couple of blocks from me. Another officer and I located the residence where the shots originated from and, as we approached, the armed gunman exited the house and opened fire on us. After an exchange of gunfire, he ran inside and took cover in the basement. After a nearly two-hour standoff, the wounded gunman surrendered.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve taken a lot of lessons from that night \u2013 good and bad. One of the things I was most grateful for was having an early interest in unconventional shooting positions and prior experience with them. Shortly after the exchange of gunfire, my partner covered the house while I retrieved my patrol rifle. I took cover behind the front wheel of a Ford F-250 in a modified prone position that I\u2019d been in countless times before during training. I remained in that position providing the only available direct cover and negotiation to the shooter for 18 minutes until our first relief arrived on the scene and allowed us to relocate. That is not a position you want to be in for the first time immediately after a gunfight.<\/p>\n

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This is a slightly modified version of my shooting position immediately after my first officer-involved shooting. I had been in that position dozens of times before and practiced it. In this situation, it was my only available cover while maintaining a view of the shooter’s concealed position and their only point of egress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since that night, I\u2019ve learned the value of unconventional shooting positions and one\u2019s ability to effectively use and work around cover in a gunfight. I\u2019ve said it before and will emphasize it again \u2013 the first time to be doing an action shouldn\u2019t be during a gunfight. Ideally, training realistically and to your operating environment is the goal. In law enforcement, we don\u2019t conduct business under ideal conditions \u2013 nor does everyone else. In the real world, cover also doesn\u2019t come in the form of a perfectly rectangular barrel. Instead, your cover may be a tree, rock, engine block, or a pile of landscape timbers. None of us get to choose the time and place. The bad guy does.<\/p>\n

So how does someone get experience working around real-world cover? There are plenty of inexpensive options you can do at ranges that allow it \u2013 and even at home. Working cover begins with practicing unconventional shooting positions and knowing your weapons platform.<\/p>\n

The VTAC Barricade<\/h2>\n

The VTAC barricade is the brainchild of Kyle Lamb of Viking Tactics. The barricade features nine shooting ports designed to force the shooter to conduct business from different angles and at different heights. While it would be great to make nine shots on target from each port, there\u2019s a catch to the VTAC barricade \u2013 you may not be able to.<\/p>\n

The goal of the drill, as iterated by Lamb, is for the shooter to find out what positions work for them and their weapons system. Furthermore, what position are they faster in? What position are they better from? What if they\u2019re strong side? Support side? Daytime? Nighttime? While these factors may seem unimportant to the unacquainted, they are vitally crucial to success once some time is spent on the barricade.<\/p>\n

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This VTAC barricade was relatively inexpensive to build, is lightweight and easy to transport, and provides an effective training aid.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

VTAC barricades are inexpensive and easy to build. I built mine using about 16 feet of 2\u201dx4\u201d, a single sheet of 5\/8\u201d OSB plywood, some spare exterior decking screws, and leftover exterior paint. Total cost: around $45. A jig or handheld circular saw is necessary to make the cuts. Overall, it was a 30-minute commitment to build. I used some leftover brake rotors to provide balance on the back side of the barricade and had rounds downrange in no time.<\/p>\n

I recently ran the barricade with a new scope setup and was joined by a few others with new rifle builds. All of us discovered deficiencies with their setup in at least one position while enjoying the \u201coh, that was cool\u201d moments of other positions based on our respective rifle setups and experience. So, what are some considerations about cover that the VTAC barricade shows us?<\/p>\n

Standoff<\/h2>\n

Previously, I discussed the importance of understanding how your weapon and ammunition perform under low-light conditions. The muzzle device, barrel length, and ammunition type directly influence the muzzle flash to the shooter and others around them. Working around cover has similar considerations. When approaching the barricade, don\u2019t place the flash hider against the barricade. While this may sound like common sense, I\u2019ve seen a fair share of shooters with full-length rails that terminate near the muzzle and rest the rail against the barricade \u2013 which puts the muzzle device in line with the barricade. Consequently, the occasional piece of plywood gets ejected from the board back at the shooter in a \u201cteachable moment\u201d.<\/p>\n

Working around a barricade or modified cover teaches the shooter the importance of understanding what standoff you may need to have with your weapons platform. You may want to put the rail system just forward of the barricade and rest against the foregrip versus resting the front edge of the rail against it. The opposite may be true. The only way to answer this question is to try it.<\/p>\n

While discussing muzzle positioning on the barricade, it\u2019s worth noting the importance of your weapon light setup. Many of us run weapon lights in a 3 or 9 o\u2019clock position on our rifles. When shooting through the rectangular ports on the barricade, it complicates the ability to illuminate the target while using your sights. I run my weapon light in the 12 o\u2019clock position, something I took from Larry Vickers, as it is directly in line with my sights.<\/p>\n

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The top photographs show how a weapon light performs when pushed past cover to illuminate the target. The bottom photographs show the result of not pushing my light setup past the barricade – blinding the shooter while illuminating them to the threat. Note: the 12 o’clock position of the Surefire X300 Ultra is in line with my sights and doesn’t conflict with my sight picture by being in a different orientation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you\u2019re back from cover, as we\u2019re commonly trained to not hug cover; the activation of your weapon light may have an adverse result for you. Figure 3 shows how standing off from cover can illuminate your cover and \u201cwash out\u201d your view of the threat area downrange. Consequently, the reflection of light back at you negatively affects your ability to see the target while illuminating you. This is undeniably bad if you\u2019re trying to not be an easy target while focusing on the threat before you.<\/p>\n

Addressing the issue of light when using cover is something you have to practice with your weapon platform and is individual to your setup. Practice with an unloaded rifle to start and have a friend or family member provide immediate feedback of what they see versus what you see. Through trial and error, you develop a better understanding of what works and what doesn\u2019t for your setup.<\/p>\n

Alternative Shooting Positions<\/h2>\n

Unconventional shooting positions are effectively those beyond just standing, kneeling, sitting, and prone. Positions such as rollover prone, \u201cSpetsnaz\u201d prone, and other awkward shooting positions are worth attempting to develop skills for the shooter when their cover isn\u2019t ideal. The VTAC barricade can force a shooter into those unconventional shooting positions and failures can occur if the shooter has never done them before.<\/p>\n

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While I can shoot from this position, the rifle’s operation may determine whether this is a suitable position for follow-up shots without a malfunction.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the photo above, I\u2019m positioned with my rifle ejection port against the ground behind the VTAC barricade. While this position may be acceptable to achieve the desired shot, the photo below shows that this position, while comfortable with a right-handed shooter, can cause two issues: (1) the shooter\u2019s sling can be positioned to obstruct the ejection port and (2) the rifle can be so low to the ground that the ejection port is obstructed by its proximity to the ground. I have experienced and seen failures to eject from a rifle due to the shooter not taking these factors into consideration while in this shooting position.<\/p>\n

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Obstructions like your sling, the ground, or a wall may determine that a certain position is not conducive to follow-up shots and can generate malfunctions with the rifle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019m lucky because I\u2019m left-handed and can address this issue by shooting from a left-handed position, which places the rifle with the ejection port towards the sky. However, what if my cover doesn\u2019t allow me to roll into that left-handed shooting position? I need to seek alternative cover or address where and how I will assume my shooting position.<\/p>\n

Managing Cover<\/h2>\n

If I haven\u2019t said it enough \u2013 learning how you and your weapon system utilize cover should be addressed on the range and in training long before application in the real world. No shooter can learn these things until they\u2019ve attempted them and done them regularly.<\/p>\n

Not all of us have the time to build a VTAC barricade. Not all of us have a range where we can perform these actions. Nevertheless, your backyard, home, garage, and possibly vehicle are all places where you can practice these positions. Have you tried to shoot from different angles around your bed? Your couch? The back tires of your car? Under your car? What about a pistol instead of a long gun?<\/p>\n

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Cover isn’t always ideal. The author is using a rock in their yard to practice a concealed shooting position in rollover kneeling. This position is somewhat stable but not comfortable to remain in for long periods of time. You’ll never know what works, or doesn’t until you’ve tried it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ultimately, working and training around cover is a vital skill that keeps you safe by giving the advantage to the good guys, e.g. the person defending their home, family, or friends from the underbelly of society. When looking at ways to use cover, ask yourself \u201cHow can I use this barrier or item to conceal or protect my body while still making a shot on target?\u201d If you\u2019re comfortable in every shooting position, you\u2019re not training hard enough. Gunfights aren\u2019t ideal and neither should your training. Work and train with the cover given to you and it may translate to a win for the good guys.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Three days before Thanksgiving in 2017, I responded to a burst of gunfire a couple of blocks from me. Another officer and I located the residence where the shots originated from and, as we approached, the armed gunman exited the house and opened fire on us. After an exchange of gunfire, he ran inside and took cover in the basement. After a nearly two-hour standoff, the wounded gunman surrendered. I\u2019ve taken a lot of lessons from that night \u2013 good and bad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":401736,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2615,2619],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-401734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drills-and-exercises","category-law-enforcement-and-military"],"small_media_thumbnail":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/featured-shooting-in-rollover-prone-behind-rock-300x225.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/401734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=401734"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/401734\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":403487,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/401734\/revisions\/403487"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/401736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=401734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=401734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=401734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}