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OCTOBER 13, 2020

The Clean-22 coating technology that made rimfire clean is now being used to extend the range and power of 22 WMR. New CCI Maxi-Mag Clean-22 Segmented Hollow Point uses an exclusive polymer bullet coating to greatly reduce copper and lead fouling in the barrel—without leaving a residue.
Daniel Defense congratulates Daniel McLeroy, DD Product Design Director, on his first place finish in the Production Division at the Gap Grind PRS event in Finger, TN. Daniel defeated 258 other shooters by using the recently introduced DELTA 5 PRO, a product he also happened to design for Daniel Defense.
Bushnell and Hoppe’s congratulate Jessie Harrison on a winning weekend of competitive shooting at the Steel Challenge World Speed Shooting Championship and the Georgia State USPSA Championship. Harrison shot her way to top honors with multiple Bushnell red dots including the recently released RXS-250.

Bushnell congratulates KC Eusebio on his record-setting performance at the World Speed Shooting Championship. Eusebio also became the first competitive shooter to win a championship with Bushnell’s new RXS-250 red dot.
Team Ruger's Dave Olhasso and James McGinty captured multiple divisional wins at back-to-back steel matches last weekend.

Benelli pro shooter Dakota Overland took top honors at the recent 2020 Texas 3-Gun Championship at Reveille Peak Ranch. Fellow Benelli pro shooters Heather Miller and Dianna Muller also placed third and fifth, respectively, in the Tactical Lady division.

Harris Global Marketing & Communications announces Safe House and the RANE Network partner for a public safety awareness event, the “Re-imagining Public Safety in America” e-Summit.
Industry Day at the Range has announced that limited exhibitor spaces and shooting lanes are available for companies wishing to showcase their products to over 1,800 invited buyers and members of the media.
Utilizing the new AXG (Alloy XSERIES Grip) metal grip module as a foundation, and a carefully selected set of premium options and performance upgrades, SIG SAUER, Inc. is pleased to introduce the SIG Custom Works P320 AXG Scorpion Pistol.

Red Arrow Weapons announces the RAW10 AR-style rifle in 308 Winchester. It comes standard with a "Midnight Bronze" Cerakote finish, 18" fluted stainless barrel and more.
Galco’s predecessor, The Famous Jackass Leather Company, introduced the Jackass Rig in the 1970s. Still a great choice for any gun carrier who prefers a horizontally-oriented shoulder holster, it has the ability to adjust it to a butt-down and muzzle-up position - to enable smaller-statured shooters to conceal bigger guns than a strictly horizontal holster.
Decorated Navy SEAL, podcast host, and BASE jump record-holder Andy Stumpf announced that he is Blackhawk’s newest brand ambassador. He’ll also star in the next episode of Blackhawk’s new film series No Fail.

Beretta announced the addition of competitive shooter Jessica Hook as its newest Team Beretta member. Hook has been competing in the action shooting sports for eight years and is a ladies’ champion in various 3-Gun, Pistol Caliber Carbine, and Rifle/Carbine competitions.
Beretta USA is pleased to announce that we have a sponsored 92/96 Series Pistol armorer course scheduled for January 27, 2021. Limited space is available, so register early.
Smith & Wesson is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Manager, Consumer Marketing Insights.

Smith & Wesson is currently seeking Product Manager candidates for Pistols/Revolvers and for Rifles. The incumbent(s) will be responsible for product and category research and development.
NSSF is focusing on former Vice President Joe Biden’s radical antigun campaign promise to turn the Bureau of Alcohol. Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from its mission as the nation’s firearms regulatory bureau into a bludgeon to wield against firearm retailers to constrict the lawful trade in firearms.
XTech Tactical is proud to announce the Speedmag quick loading AR-15 magazine. Designed to make sore thumbs a thing of the past, the Speedmag adds convenience to your recreational shooting.
Season 8 of First Person Defender continues to answer the questions of “What If?” and “Are you prepared?” by putting participants in the middle of attacks that can happen - because they have happened.
Beretta Defense Technologies announced that Beretta’s President and C.E.O., Franco Gussalli Beretta, would appear on Vago Muradian’s Defense and Aerospace Report podcast. Defense and Aerospace Report will make the podcast available Tuesday at 1600 hours, with the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting underway.
The U.S. Concealed Carry Association announced that its organization has reached over half a million members and counting, keeping pace with record-breaking firearm-related sales over the last nine months across the nation.
Chon Martinez of Anderson, Texas is the winner of the 2020 Federal Kubota Sweepstakes. Martinez drives away with a Federal branded Kubota Sidekick utility vehicle, with accessories, and gear from Federal and Kubota worth more than $23,000.

Marine and Coast Guard members, as well as their families and other eligible patrons are now able purchase their favorite Riton Optics products at the Marine Corps Exchange and the Coast Guard Exchange.

Primary Arms Online has announced a new focus on offering a comprehensive selection of tactical apparel and gear for the American gun-owner. Initial highlight brands will include 5.11 Tactical, Propper, Vertx, Under Armour, and many others.
Beretta announced the opening of several pop-up retail locations. For a limited time, the stores are located in the Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta, GA, the Mall of America in Minneapolis, MN (open now), and the Cherry Creek Mall in Denver, CO (to open 17 October).
Smith & Wesson has signed on as a platinum partner for the Adaptive Defensive Shooting Summit set for October 23-24, 2020 at the SIG Sauer Shooting Academy in Epping, New Hampshire.
 

While it's not mentioned below, it's one of those 'dated' resources with valuable information. Learn what you can.

“Local ordinances, State (sic) laws, and departmental policy may in some cases differ from illustrations in the film.” – Disclaimer in the beginning of Officer Down Code Three.

Found on YouTube in the Periscope Film account, Officer Down Code Three is a training film, released in 1975, an adaptation of the book written by Pierce R. Brooks. Of course, it’s of little relevance today because we know so much more, right?

Or perhaps we’ve simply forgotten. I saw the “okay boomer” comments that cops sure were lazy and careless in the 1970s. They didn’t look back on the Officer Down Memorial Page or they’d note that officers were apparently “lazy and careless” in the 1960s, the fifties, and before – back into the 19th Century. Of course, it’s easy for the keyboard commando to judge those who’ve gone before us.

As an occupational group, we got heavily invested in what came to be known as the officer survival movement after fiascos like Newhall, amplified by events like Norco, FBI-Miami, North Hollywood and more. Now the mating cry of the clueless is “militarized police” or “cops assume the risk.” The latter is something not uttered when a violent criminal offender, already dying of an opioid overdose, passes away in custody; his name is stenciled onto the brain buckets of seven-figure game players.

A look back, taken honestly with intent to learn, can provide lessons helpful for today.

Gear (and skills) maintenance is important as is being aware of surroundings to see what's happening (below).

There is a laundry list in the book of things not to do, replicated in the film, with examples. They may seem silly, dated or poorly acted out – they almost lost me at the appearance of the ‘chalk fairy’ mucking about a homicide scene in the opening case – but the gold is there for the picking. Karl Rehn has applied the lessons to the non-sworn citizen. They certainly do apply.

Let’s look at the negative rules and make positives. For example, “maintain proficiency with and take care of weapons, vehicle and equipment.” I was in an agency where a local dirt track guy was the ‘maintainer’ of vehicles (sic). We worked it out as best we could.

You maintain proficiency through study, practice and maintenance – of skills and gear.

Properly search and cuff all prisoners; I’ve heard all the stories and made accommodations – at my own risk – on rare occasion. The high-risk search was for anyone who’s getting into the car; I allowed no one in – not to write a ticket – unless it was a trip to the cage. Taking a handcuffing instructor class isn’t expensive – it’s one day long and you can afford to take it. You’ll get more cuffing practice and procedure in eight hours than you’d get in ten years on the bricks.

Get enough sleep; you may have to forgo that side hustle or the fine looking (person) that you’d like to be seeing. Going on the job fatigued and falling asleep can be terminal. It has been in the past and it’ll happen again. Don’t let it be you.

When you close to cower a suspect, you lose perspective. Controlling distance and using a soft focus allows you to see more -- sooner..

Relax when you’re in a covered environment and not before. Relaxing too soon, dropping your guard and firmly placing your skull into your keister is a quick way to get measured for a wooden suit. It doesn’t have to be the stone killer/high octane felon that catches you looking away or being distracted. A hype with a two-digit IQ would find it easier than stealing candy from a baby. Keep your head out – and up.

Anticipate danger – Brooks calls it “missing danger signs.” An adjunct to other rules, like relaxing too soon, it’s not noticing preattack behaviors, not seeing what’s wrong in “your right world.” If something appears wrong, don’t just bumble around; ask yourself why? Time for cover, to call for help, for rapid movement out of the area until you sort it out.

Gain situational dominance – in positioning. Brooks refers to “not taking a bad position.” Yeah. Don’t do that. Put obstacles between you and others – in a potential contact weapon assault, that buys time. If it’s a gun assault, it can give you something to get behind. When was the last time you practiced working corners, doors, using the physical layout to provide some protection from being seen – and being punctured?

As the timer sounds, the small pistol is clearing the pocket in the Wizard Drill. When someone has hands in pockets, ordering them to "show hands" predictably leads to a negative result -- don't do that.

The hands kill. Watch them. If someone has his hands in his pockets, the appropriate verbalization (please, not challenge; it’s not a duel) is “DON’T MOVE!” Again, I plead with you, do not say “let me see your hands.”

If you see their hands then, when you expect them to move, you’ll see what comes out of the muzzle of the gun that’s in that pocket with their hands … and you can’t stop it. You’re a fraction of a second away from extinction.

Control distance. The tendency, as well I know it from experience, is to close with and cower the suspect. It’s a sucker play. I learned that too. It’s a bluff and it’ll end badly for you some day. Cpt. Brooks calls it “tombstone courage,” an appropriate moniker; rushing in where angels fear to tread. When was the last time you participated in scenario-based training? Recall the take-aways from that training?

When you deal with living, moving, thinking people in a dynamic environment you learn it’s anticipating then reacting, setting yourself up for success – and setting them up to fail. That’s the game.

Keep your eye on the ball. Brooks calls it preoccupation – thinking about inconsequential BS when there’s nothing between you and the problem but air. In the old days, it was thinking about activities on days off or the argument you had at home; today, people live with their faces buried in electronic media.

Walking up on a car stop -- on the job. Below, a simulation in training -- did you remember the lesson?

In the words of the noted philosopher Chris Rock, “Turn that @#$% off.” I well remember a dispatcher going high order on me after a call where I was facing a domestic abuser SOB by myself in a venue otherwise crowded with ‘no-shoot’ targets that were moving about. I shut my portable radio off after I’d asked for help.

It seemed a long time, but the place was quickly crowded with uniform members of service – from other agencies – and the situation resolved. I told my concerned radio operator later that the only thing separating me from the potential incoming gunfire was air – and talking to someone on a radio was really something that could wait.

Finally, “you’re not exempt from the newspapers – nor am I.” (Jeff Cooper). This can happen to any of us – and it does. Apathy isn’t a winning strategy. Being a fatalist merely gets your mindset to give up. “It’s not going to happen to me” may, in the long run, be true. It’s something you can consider on your deathbed when you’re my age.

Until then, ask “Could someone take me today?” and “Will I let that happen?”

The old lessons are hard won. Don’t disgrace the dead by ignoring them. Embrace them.

Keep that damn wall bare.

-- Rich Grassi

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