TACFIRE - Tactical Firearms Training Institute

Tactical Firearms Training
By Dave Manning

Tactical because we will teach you how to fight with a gun.

We will spend as much time teaching you not to shoot as how to shoot.

We do not play with guns!

We use the supermarket method of teaching. This way you can choose the best method for your body type.

Never holster an empty handgun. If it's in the holster, it's ready to fight with. "If you don't put an empty gun in your holster you will not have an empty gun in your holster." John Farnam

"The most important thing in a fight is not hits, but not getting hit!"

50/50 (I shot him but he cut, bashed or shot me too) is not good enough.

Always carry a knife on your support side. That way it can be used to cut an opponent off your gun.

Aim at the center mass of the target selected or available. That gives you the greatest margin for error.

Interview stance: Stand with your body bladed, support side closest to threat, gun side back, primary hand on gun. Support hand on guard.

Always have support hand on anchored to body* when drawing so as to avoid shooting it! *Except when using support hand to block or strike opponent.

Use the retention-ready position as often as possible and be able to hit any target within 10 yards from that ready position.

Immediately after firing at a threat: Lower the gun so you can see and access the threat. If the immediate threat has been neutralized, start looking around for other threats. Don’t forget to look over your shoulder. Think ammunition (how many rounds did I fire and should I reload?) Think malfunction (is my gun still working?) Think cover (if you aren’t behind some then get to some). If it's over, get out of there and find some help.

Rules for winning a gun fight:

Have a gun!
Have a big gun!
Have lots of friends with guns!

“The best reason for carrying a handgun is so you can fight your way back to the rifle that you should have had in the first place.”- John Farnam

Everything that can go wrong will go wrong! So don’t just stand there, do something. Even if it is the wrong thing, it may buy you time to do the right thing.

Move when you draw or mount.
Move after several shots or several seconds.
Move when you reload.
Move when your gun stops.
Move, Move, Move!

50% of all officers killed in the line of duty were shot in the head. Keep moving: the head is a hard target. Do not make it any easier by standing still! Moving targets are hard to hit.

That is not a paper target, it is someone trying to kill you!

Get out of range mode and into street mode.

As you practice, so shall you probably perform!

Rules of Cover:

Find it before the fight starts.
Get to it before the fight starts.
Don’t leave it until the fight is over.
If you must move, don't leave anything behind; you may need it later.

More rules of cover:

Minimum amount of exposure for a minimum amount of time.
No more than 2 or 3 shots from any one position.
Never come out in the same position consecutively.
Stay well back from cover.

Cover is better than concealment, but concealment is better than nothing.

If you think it's cover, it probably isn’t.

Holding your gun out in front of you is not cover! It will not stop incoming projectiles.

Challenge!
“Police!”(Please!)
“Don’t move!”
“Drop your weapons!”
“Drop your weapons!”
“Drop your weapons!”
There are always witnesses.

How important is stance? How important is grip? If you think that during a fight that you are always going to have a good grip and great footing, you have forgotten about Murphy!

Sight alignment and trigger control are what counts.

The immediate action drill for a failure to fire is: MOVE! Tap - Rack - Ready is OK if you have cover or are moving while doing it.

If that does not solve the problem:

Find cover!
Transition! (if you have that option)
Rip - Work - Tap - Rack - Ready

Never put your foot down where you can not see. Always step forward when turning.

All long guns should have a sling.

All fighting guns should have night sights.

We recommend Glock handguns because they are simple and reliable.

We recommend Vang Comp Shotguns because the increase the maximum containment range of 00 Buck and accuracy of slugs.

We recommend 'Blade Tec' Kydex holsters and accessories because they are durable, fast, and retain the guns well.

We recommend Sure Fire flashlights because they are small, light, and powerful.

We recommend Colt AR15 style carbines because they are the best rifle available. Parts and accessories are abundant. Ammunition is reliable and inexpensive.

Choose the heaviest bullet per caliber for maximum effect. Hollow points are a must.

According to Bruce Siddle, “Sharpening the Warriors Edge”:
During a lethal force encounter, the sympathetic nervous system kicks in and the following happens:

Heart rate increases
Blood moves to major organs
Fine motor skills diminish
Vision narrows
Audio exclusion occurs
Adrenaline is dumped into your system.
You will fight, flee, or surrender!

After the fight it will take time to remember what happened. In fact, you may not remember what actually happened, only that which you perceived to have happened.

You will probably not use the Weaver stance you were taught.

You will probably not know how many rounds you fired.

You will probably not know if you have been injured until well after the fight is over.

The best way to aid in survival is to train like a warrior!

Eat a high-protein diet.
Exercise like a powerlifter. You need explosive, short-term strength!
Meditate to practice mind-over-body techniques.
Breathe deeply in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Believe in God or an equivalent.
Maintain a strong family system.
Live each day one at a time. “Today is a good day to die.”