By Tom Perroni
When you hear (CQB) Close Quarters Battle you think of SWAT doing a building or room entry; methodically searching a house or building room by room and floor by floor. You conjure up images of operators all clad in black carrying MP-5 sub machine guns.
I teach a different type of (CQB) at Perroni’s Tactical Training Academy. First let’s take a look at some statistics. The FBI in the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) tells us that most shootings – about 80% – occur in low or reduced light. Most shooting involving police officers and civilian concealed carry permit holders happen at a distance of less than ten feet with average distance at three feet.
In most police shooting the average number of rounds fired is ten. Keep in mind that most police agencies have a magazine capacity of 15 rounds. Of those ten rounds only two hit the subject that means an 80% miss rate. It is fair to say that most gun fights last about 10-15 seconds. And I would say as a general rule we know that action beats reaction.
I am sure you have also heard about the “Anatomical Theory of Stopping Power”. The theory that states there are only two places on the human body that you can shoot a subject and get immediate incapacitation:
1. The cranio-ocular cavity (about the size of a business card). This is the area on the head between the eyebrow line and the mustache line (Right between the eyes).
2. The Cervical Spine. From the base of the brain to the top of the collar bone (In the area of the Throat.)
Both of the above mentioned areas, when hit with a bullet, will shut down the central nervous system, thus incapacitating your attacker. There are also schools that teach the Pelvic Gretel shot. I am not a big proponent of this. When teaching I often ask my students “How many of you have seen a chicken get its head cut off?” “What happens once this happens?” The answer I most often get is it runs around for several minutes. My response is if a 10lb chicken can run around for several minutes what do you think a 200lb man bent on bringing the fight to you will be able to do? (Adrenalin is a powerful drug) I often get asked, “Well, what if I shoot him directly in the heart?” The answer is: It will take about 15 seconds to bleed out. How much damage can the attacker inflict in that time?
This may often happen because most police academies and shooting schools teach to shoot to center mass (It’s a larger target area to place shots). When the day comes and you are in a gunfight and place your shots center mass and the attacker does not go down then panic can set in and the good guy keeps shooting center mass. More hits mean more blood loss, but it’s still a time consuming process.
Remember I also teach that the Handgun is a tool: a tool to fight your way back to the long gun or shotgun you should have had if you new you were going to be in a fight. But since we carry a concealed handgun permit and often times we only have access to a handgun lets discuss (QCB) with a handgun.
The first thing I teach is the “Combat Mindset” this has been covered in a previous article. Then we move to Handgun handling skills this includes but is not limited to the 5 points to the draw. Let’s go over them. I am a firm believer that if you can not present the handgun properly then you can not fight with the handgun.
1. Non shooting hand moves to abdomen, Shooting hand moves to handgun a good grip is acquired in the holster ( the web of the hand is high on the tang of the back strap.) And we have disengaged any retention device on the holster.
2. We draw the handgun out of the holster by pulling up until we clear the top of the holster. Elbow pointing up and to the rear.
3. The Elbow is rotated downward to the holster and the handgun rotates up and has a natural point of aim at the center mass of the target with a slight cant of the handgun to the right. This is what I consider CQB position #1 shots can be fired in this position and with a slight upward tilt a head shot can be taken. Please note this is not aimed fire but rather point shooting using your body to index the handgun towards the target.
4. The handgun is pushed towards the attacker moving forward in a straight line. At this point in the middle of the chest the non shooting hand makes contact with the handgun, with fingers over fingers thumb over thumb giving 360 degrees of control on the handgun as we hold the handgun in this position. This is what I consider CQB position #2 close retention shots can be fired from this position. This also gives the shooter a great deal of control over the handgun when moving in any direction. This is also great for handgun retention. Please note this is not aimed fire but rather point shooting using your body to index the handgun towards the target.
5. Then we press the handgun out until the arms are fully extended in a perfect Isosceles position to take distance shots at 15 yards or greater. I consider (CQB) or close quarters battle at a distance of 10 feet or less with the average distance being 3 feet. I teach my students to shoot and move from the threat. Remember when doing a draw if you go from #1 to # 5 you may give the attacker your gun or at the very least make it easy for the attacker to take your handgun from you. However in order to be proficient at this distance and with this method, practice is the key. There is no such thing as muscle memory. However
perfect practice makes perfect patterns. When you’re in a gunfight it will normally be at close range. Are you prepared to fight? Will you rise to the occasion or default to the level of your training? I once had a student ask me after a Handgun courses for Concealed carry why we only trained a 3-7 yards My response was “Do you really think you should be shooting at someone 25 yards away?” My father always taught me when training for the fight make it as realistic as possible; paper targets don’t shoot back. Your attacker will not just stand their.
The root word in Gunfight is “fight”. Remember to train at CQB distance and remember to move. My father taught me to remember 3 things in a gunfight… Shoot, Move, Communicate. Smooth is fast; speed is fine; accuracy is final.
There are no second place winners in a gunfight.
If I had to sum this all up for you it would be: train hard, train often and train for the fight. Remember that most gunfights happen at close distance. Are you prepared to prevail? Have you trained properly to shoot to stop the threat or have you just spent time at the range? Practice the 5 points to the draw and practice
your close quarter’s battle shooting use your body to index the shots in the head and cervical spine.
“Conflict is inevitable; Combat is an option”
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