Feature Magazine Articles PROVE It Safe! The PROVE Procedure for ensuring firearms are safe Draw From the Holster The T.I.P. Weapon Presentation System Officers Field Guide to Replica Firearms Is it real or is it fake? Low-Light Shooting Tips Using your sidearm with a flashlight The Shotgun Speedload A Firearms Tactics article from Law Enforcement Technology Magazine Copyright Notice   The PROVE Procedure Safety-checking firearms to keep you safe by Dave Brown The essence of safety should be simplicity and consistency. This means doing it right every time. Accidents happen when people become complacent and overlook important steps. My goal as a firearms instructor is to ensure this doesn't happen. Years of teaching safety have taught me two important points - in the real world, the simpler the procedure, the easier it is to make it a habit, and acronyms can help people retain information. During the redesign of the Canadian Firearms Safety Course program in 1998, several alternatives were proposed for an acronym that could be universally used to safety check a firearm. I suggested the word PROVE, and this procedure is now incorporated into the Canadian Firearms Safety Course and the Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course. In simple terms, the letters PROVE stand for Point, Remove, Observe, Verify and Examine. These are the steps that should be followed EVERY time a firearm changes hands. 1) Point the firearm in the safest available direction; 2) Remove all ammunition; 3) Observe the chamber; 4) Verify the feeding path; 5) Examine the bore for obstructions. POINT Point the firearm away from anyone and towards a safe direction. Where this direction is to be found will vary widely depending on the circumstances. On a shooting range the safe direction may clearly be towards the backstop, but what about when a suspect dumps a gun during a pursuit and it is recovered from the middle of the street surrounded by officers and onlookers? With no clearly defined safe direction, simply MAKE one. Move the people out of a safe corridor BEFORE handling the firearm.   REMOVE R stands for remove all ammunition. Start at the magazine and remove it FIRST, then open the action. This is critical on spring-loaded actions such as automatics and semi-automatics, but being a believer in "simple," I remove the magazine first on EVERY firearm, regardless of action type. Once the magazine is out of the firearm, the action can be opened and any chambered rounds removed. Remember that there are TWO places in a firearm which may contain ammunition: the magazine AND the chamber. Notice in this photo that the handgun action is opened by grasping the top of the slide with the hand in front of the ejection port. This helps to ensure that any live rounds in the chamber will be ejected freely without being caught in the hand. The inside of the slide is full of sharp edges and corners, and rounds have been known to detonate while being removed. If this happens, you want it happening AWAY from your hand!   OBSERVE Observe the chamber. It always amazes me how many people are injured every year by "empty" firearms. One reason is that people forget the universal rule of firearms safety: always assume every firearm is LOADED. Another reason is a simple misstep in handling - the magazine must be removed FIRST and THEN the action is opened. If done in the opposite order, a round will be ejected from the chamber but another round will be loaded right behind it. The simple solution, of course, is to take a careful look into the chamber once the action is locked opened like in this photo.   VERIFY Verify the feed path. This means to check the path that a cartridge follows from the magazine to the chamber. On a semi-automatic handgun pictured here, once the magazine has been removed, inspect inside the grip for cartridges that may be stuck. On firearms with tubular magazines such as pump action shotguns, check to ensure that the magazine follower is visible at the very rear end of the magazine tube.   EXAMINE Examine the bore for obstructions. Due to the tremendous pressure that expels a bullet out the barrel, any obstruction in the barrel would not allow the aerodynamic pressure built up in front of the bullet to be released safely out the muzzle. The result can be a very explosive rupture. One way to prevent this is to examine the full length of the barrel by inserting a cleaning rod down the end, or by visually inspecting it while keeping the firearm pointed in a safe direction. If there is no cleaning rod handy, even a pencil will do. Simply remember and practice the five steps of safety: Point, Remove, Observe, Verify, Examine. Follow this PROVE procedure every time and a firearm will never surprise you. Sadly, there are some people who would still be alive today if this practice was as universal as it should be. Return to Top     Draw from the Holster A Threat-Indexed Presentation nails the front sight onto the threat faster! by Dave Brown Learning to draw quickly and smoothly from a holster is a lot like learning to ride a bicycle; it seems like a steep learning curve at first but with a little practice it becomes second nature. Although various new ways of teaching the draw have come and gone over the years, a technique that emphasizes simplicity and consistency will always have the best chance of working in a real-life encounter situation. Survival instinct The body is capable of adapting to extreme circumstances through the evolution of its natural self-protection mechanisms. Often referred to as the 'fight-or-flight' syndrome, these physiological and psychological reactions to sudden stress must be factored into modern police weapons training. One common response to sudden stress is the sharpening of focus in the critical central area of vision. The body can distort the shape of the eyeball to optimize focus but the downside is a loss of peripheral vision, often described as 'tunnel vision.' Threats adjacent to the central vision may be missed. Firearms training must condition officers to always SCAN to the sides before completing any exercise. Another drawback to tunnel vision is that the brain has difficulty perceiving that the focus is sharper than normal so it interprets anything in the central vision as being CLOSER or LARGER than normal. (Remember that witness to an armed robbery who described the weapon as having a barrel "THIS big..." and indicated something the size of a sewer pipe?) The ability to judge distance is severely impaired under stress. This means that techniques that teach one method for close targets and a different technique for longer shots are NOT likely to work under stress. Stress can also impair the brain's ability to make decisions, which means trying to select between two alternatives may be difficult in the middle of a gunfight. The draw from the holster is one critical area of firearms training that should be kept as SIMPLE as possible. Emphasis should be on smoothness and consistency. If it takes hours to learn and practice, it's too complicated. The Threat-Indexed Presentation System The most important function of the draw is to get the sights onto the threat without wasting time or energy. I call this a Threat-Indexed Presentation, or T.I.P. system. Designed to get the sidearm out of the holster in the smoothest and most natural way possible, it quickly nails the front sight onto the target with the least amount of motions. It emphasizes consistency in the draw, regardless of target distance. The draw motion should look more like an inverted-L shape than a straight line from holster to extension. The sidearm first travels up and then out. This way, the front sight is indexed onto the potential threat as soon as possible. The officer has the ability to fire the weapon even before the draw is fully extended if the threat is extremely close. If the threat is farther away, full extension is employed and more careful alignment of the sights will result in an accurate, long distance shot. The advantage of the T.I.P. system is that it conditions the arms to move the same way every time regardless of distance to the target.   Stage One: GRIP Starting from ready position, the strong hand acquires a grip on the sidearm and releases the holster snaps as required. With both arms moving in unison, the weak arm bends at the elbow equivalent to the bend in the strong arm. (See Figure 1)   Stage Two: BREAK Once the sidearm is released from its retention devices, it should be drawn as close to vertical as possible. (See Figure 2a) It is important to keep the weak hand straight out from the side and not to cross the body until Stage Three. The break is actually the most critical component to the whole draw. A clean, vertical jerk contributes to a natural rise to eye level and a smooth subsequent extension in all further steps. The sidearm should be literally popped or snatched from its holster. Every holster has a very distinctive sound it makes when the sidearm is properly 'popped' out. (See Figure 2b)   Stage Three: PUNCH As the sidearm travels vertically, the weak arm parallels it and then moves inward. The two hands meet near the center of the chest and the gun is 'punched' forward into the weak hand. The weak hand forefinger presses tightly underneath the trigger guard at the second joint and both thumbs are aligned along the weak side, clear of the slide. (see Figure 3)   Stage Four: INDEX The sidearm rises almost completely vertically first before the arms begin to extend. The sights are now at eye level and if the target is literally on top of you, the handgun can be fired right here. The focus should shift to the front sight, and the front sight itself should be now indexed onto the center of the target. (See Figure 4)   Stage Five: ACQUIRE The sights are close to the eye so the notch of the rear sight will appear quite large and a rough sight picture can now be formed. At very close range, this 'flash' sight picture will still be acceptably accurate. The vertical rise before the horizontal extension will deliver the sights to eye level and indexed onto the target faster than any other method. (See Figure 5)   Stage Six: EXTEND Extend: At full extension, the sight picture can now be utilized for a longer-range shot. The basic principle here is that the time taken to precisely line up the sights is directly related to the distance to the threat. (See Figure 6)   (The only situation where an alternate method should be attempted is when the threat is literally on top of you and you can't shove the target away or back up. In this case, the sidearm can be pivoted forward as soon as it clears the holster and fired while tucked close to the body. This technique requires expert instruction and close supervision to practice it safely.) Threat Indexed Presentation: GRIP, BREAK, PUNCH, INDEX, ACQUIRE, EXTEND. Remember that the T.I.P. system emphasizes consistency in the draw motion to reinforce the draw as a REFLEX action through thousands of repetitions. When it comes to the draw, street officers need something as simple as falling off a bicycle. Return to Top     Police Officer's Field Guide to Replicas A guide to weapon classification by Dave Brown From a police officer's perspective, anything that looks like a firearm must be treated as such. Replicas and imitation firearms are often used by criminals instead of real firearms, but officers cannot assume anything. Relatively harmless starter pistols have been converted to fire live ammunition and real firearms have even been known to have been painted to look like toys. The definitions of replicas and imitation firearms are probably among the least understood aspects of Canadian law. Under the Firearms Act, a "replica firearm" is a precision model made from wood, metal or moulded rubber that looks nearly identical to the firearm it represents, and cannot discharge projectiles, or discharges only harmless projectiles. Replica firearms became prohibited devices under the Act on December 1, 1998. Not everything that looks real is considered to be a replica firearm however. The Act does not consider toys, pellet guns, starter pistols, paintball guns or replicas of antique firearms to be a "replica." Even then, the possession of a replica firearm is not an offense because the Act outlawed only the sale, importation or manufacture of them after December 1998. When a firearms, replica firearm or anything that even slightly resembles a firearm is used in a criminal offence, it becomes an "imitation firearm." Under Section 85 of the Firearms Act, an imitation firearm can be almost anything that leads someone to believe it is real AND is used while committing an indictable offense or while fleeing from an indictable offense. The following article will focus on how to determine the safety and status of replica firearms that have not been used in any criminal manner; in other words, have been discovered by a police officer incidental to another investigation. Here is a review of some of the steps that should be followed. Recovered Firearms Step #1 - Is it safe to handle? Use the PROVE procedure to safety check every firearm. Even if you are certain it is a toy, never assume it is not loaded until you have performed a thorough check. Step #2 - Has it been illegally converted to fire live ammunition? Starter pistols are designed only to fire blanks. In order to do this, they use a restrictor plate threaded inside the barrel to channel gases from the blank backwards in order to cycle the action on semi-automatic firearms. Close inspection will reveal threads cut inside the first few inches of barrel, and a plate with a small opening threaded in from the muzzle end. (See Photo) If a starter pistol has been illegally converted to fire live ammunition, this restrictor plate will be missing. A good clue that you may have seized an illegal conversion is that the inside of the barrel is threaded, but there is no restrictor plate. (Possible charges: Possession of weapon for dangerous purpose, Section 88 C.C.C.; Carrying concealed weapon, section 90 C.C.C.; Weapons trafficking, section 99 C.C.C.) Step #3 - Does it have any other function other to resemble a real firearm? Toys, starter pistols and pellet guns do not meet the definition of a "replica firearm" under the Act because they have a legitimate purpose beyond looking like a real gun. Replicas do not. Their sole function is to exactly resemble a real firearm. They may or may not have moving parts but if it looks real and does nothing else except look real, it may be a replica. Additionally, some model guns commonly known as "airsoft" guns have been ruled as replica firearms. The RCMP's Central Forensics Lab has ruled that model guns manufactured by the Tokyo Marui Company are considered replicas because they exactly resemble real firearms in size, colour, appearance and configuration, and the projectiles they fire are not likely to cause serious injury. In other words, they are intended to exactly resemble a real firearm and only incidentally discharge a harmless projectile. Model guns, airsoft guns and toy guns that do not look real because of their physical size, generic shapes, brightly-coloured parts or clear plastic construction are not considered replicas under the Act. Some pellet guns may closely resemble real firearms, but if the pellet it discharges may be used for activities such as target practice, it is not considered a replica. Pellet guns often fire a .177 or .22 caliber pellets and could cause an injury such as an eye penetration. They are thus not considered replicas. Starter pistols that fire blanks are also not replicas under the Firearms Act. Step #4 - What was the intended use? To better determine the status, the intended use of the replica should also be considered. Even replicas acquired AFTER December 1 1998 can be legitimately possessed or lent to persons such as Canadian Firearms Safety Course instructors, or persons in the motion picture, theater, television, video or publishing industry. (A good rule of thumb to determine the status is to remember that a replica must be nearly an exact copy of a real firearm in size and colour. Remember also that if the item in question was used to commit an indictable offense and if it resembles a real firearm, it does not have to meet the legal definitions of a replica. It becomes an "imitation firearm" when used to commit or attempt to commit an indictable offense. Imitation firearms are treated exactly like real firearms under Section 85 of the Firearms Act. It does not matter if it is a toy or a pellet gun; if it was used to commit a crime and it looks even a bit like a real firearm, consider charges under Section 85.) As you can see, there is still legitimate ownership of some of the items that officers may encounter in the course of their duties. For more detailed information on firearms-related charges, contact the Canadian Firearms Center, Legislative Training Unit, and ask for a copy of the "Police Officer Field Guide." For more information on replica firearms and their legitimate use in the film, theater and publishing industries, see Fact Sheet on Replica Firearms from the Canada Firearms Center. NOTE This article only provides a brief outline into weapon classification. Consult the Firearms Act and related regulations for all legal information. Return to Top   Low-Light Shooting Tips When the lights go out and you can't just go home! by Dave Brown Effective dim-light shooting for patrol officers Trying to hold a sidearm in one hand and a flashlight in the other is difficult enough; there is no sense making it any more complicated. Sure, specialty teams who know they are going into low light situations can use weapon-mounted lights but what about the average patrol officer who is suddenly thrust into a dark situation and must find some way to support both a sidearm and a flashlight without compromising their aim (or their position) too much. No one method works best for every officer. Everything is a compromise. Nor does every method work for every one of the vast array of police flashlights on the market. Here are some suggestions that I have found to work most effectively. What works If you use a full body D-cell flashlight, you gain the most support and ability to aim the flashlight by wrapping your hand over the top of the barrel with your support hand while gripping your sidearm with your strong hand. Then simply place your wrists back-to-back. Place a support hand finger on the ON-OFF switch to minimize the need to have the flashlight on the whole time. If you use the smaller C-cell flashlights, you can literally cup it in your support hand and then place the sidearm with the butt resting on top of the flashlight. The newest technology is in small-cell flashlights such as the SureFire and the Streamlight Scorpion. These blinding little flashlights use lithium batteries and outshine many of the D-cell lights on the market. They are so bright that care must be taken not to accidentally leave them on while resting the lens on a flammable surface! They are ideal for placing them between the middle fingers of your support hand and then adopting a normal two-hand shooting grip. The ON-OFF switch must be located on the end cap for this method to work. What DOESN'T work It seems that when gun writers have nothing better to do, they write articles on low-light shooting tips. The better-known ones "invent" some new method of holding their hands and name it after themselves. Not wanting to be left out, I would propose this: Admittedly, this method may not be all that practical but is still better than some of the lame ideas taught over the years. One example of an idea that just would not work in a real-life situation is the 'FBI Method,' where the flashlight was held out to the side at arms-length. The theory was the assailant would shoot towards the light and miss the officer. If one depends on this method, you better hope the assailant is a really good shot. In practical terms, you are just as vulnerable with the flashlight at arms length as you right behind it, so you might as well get some use out of it for support. In reality, when surprised with a flashlight in one hand and a handgun in the other, you are not likely to have enough time to adopt ANY of these positions anyway. This simply reinforces the importance of one-hand shooting in police firearms training. Return to Top Other Publications Law Enforcement Technology Magazine Dave Brown has written a series of articles on police shotgun training, including this article originally printed in Blue Line Law Enforcement Magaziner in Canada and then reprinted by Law Enforcement Technology Magazine, one of the world's largest circulation police magazines. Security Management Magazine While a member of the American Society for Industrial Security, Dave Brown contributed several articles to the ASIS International publication Security Management, including an article on modern firearms training for armed response officers in the September 1996 issue.   Notice of Copyrights All material, images and articles on this web site are the copyrighted property of Dave Brown. Designated educational institutions are welcome to use the material for educational purposes only, and provided credit is given to the author. The above articles are edited versions of previously published material. For printable versions, please contact the author. Return to Top
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