An interesting article by Louie Tirona “How Do You Stack Up?” described how he used the IDPA 5x5 Classifier to evaluate officers in his department, around 200 troops. This included SWAT personnel and, I imagine, instructor staff.
If your only assessment is the state qual course and you do that 1-to-4 times a year, does that really make you qualified? It does check a box, but it’s a minimum standard. The scoring area is vastly larger than it should be, the time you’re allowed is too long and, on the whole, judgement and discretion are never evaluated.
So how would a different shooting course help?
It’s an attempt to measure basic needed skills with a time constraint as well as allowing the instructor to evaluate gun handling – a critical aspect of the job.
The 5x5 classifier can be downloaded as a pdf here. It doesn’t have to be the IDPA 5x5 classifier, that’s just an example.
Mr. Tirona found that over 90% of his cops were classed as “marksman” or below, and 2/3 of the total were in the Novice class. 80% of an agency SWAT unit scored marksman.
Not good. Having hard skills in place is critical. I’d looked at evaluations of shooting proficiency before several times, many during my tenure at this network. I’m back at it again, though I use it to (1) check my decline and (2) to compare firearms samples as an academic exercise.
Why “see how you stack up?” Because you’re comparing your ability to others on a quantifiable standard, on standardized targets – as well as establishing a baseline for improvement, if you’re so inclined.
If you’re an active member of service, you should consider it.
For me, the classifier is in, but I’ll also check the following:
A take on the 5^5 from Claude Werner, but using the five-inch square of the Shootists’ Challenge target from 20 feet. A four- or five-inch circle would work as will the 9-ring of the B-8 (CP) target. You’re doing five hits in five seconds, all-in, from the holster. The holster may be concealed or not; this isn’t perfect. It’s a range evaluation.
The same target size is used at 20 feet for five singles from a legit, 45° low ready. Each shot has to be under 1 second and all hits are required to call it good.
Using a B-8(CP), perform five hits (singles or a slow fire string) from fifty yards.
Finish with a walk-back, 15-, 25-, 35- and 45 yards.
All hits are required to “pass,” but the evaluation is more about seeing where you go off the rails – time, hits or both – at whichever event. Record that and work on the skills individually, not reshooting the drill repeatedly.
If you’re going long on the IDPA 5x5, work on that draw to the first hit. A lot of that can be done dry practice. If you’re wandering from the -1 (or the square), work on precision.
If it’s distance causing you grief, have a large enough target to get an idea where you’re hitting at fifty yards – then, using a large, clean target with a defined aiming point, check again to see where you’re hitting with your gun and your ammo. To get your skills up to par, you have to know where you're starting from.
Then it’s a matter of practiced precision, making corrections as you go.
– Rich Grassi