Shooting On The Move

Three separate styles of shooting on the move at the Casa Grande, Arizona PD Range. From left to right: Jerod Johnson, HK rep for these parts, is low, hunched over the gun, and moving with short steps. He is absolutely deadly. Scott Loomis (aka Armored Car) moves more erect and with longer steps, but is uncannily accurate. Steve Fisher—a large human—has the grace of a wounded hippopotamus, but shoots faster and with greater accuracy than 99% of the people the author has ever met. The technique has to fit the user.

Shooting On The Move Effective Dynamic Engagement » BY PATRICK A. ROGERS

Delivering rounds into paper bad guys on the flat range is a relatively simple exercise.

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cquiring the threat, getting a sight picture and then pressing the trigger straight to the rear are all pretty academic. To be sure, there is pressure, even there: performance anxiety, peer pressure, plus the normal cerebral flatulence that may occur when loaded guns are placed in the hands of many. However, no one is shooting back—a major stressor. And the targets are anchored firmly in place, big side toward you. Pretty simple, no? But people still have difficulty getting solid hits within specific time constraints. Don’t believe me? Take a look at any of the thousands of CCW classes conducted around the country—some people have a difficult time performing even the basic skills necessary to deliver a projectile into a specific target.

MARCHING FIRE Shooting on the move had its genesis in the horribly misnamed War to End All Wars. With a stalemate that extended across the war zone, raids of various sizes—some involving Divisions—were frequent. Artillery preparation and counter battery fire were common, but a rifleman still had to leave the relative safety of his trench to advance across no man’s land, and against the massed fire of emplaced machine guns and rifles. The assaulting troops had to advance with the support of indirect fire and limited direct fire. They were defenseless as they moved up to the enemy’s trenches, where they assaulted with fixed bayonets. Remember that the standard infantry rifles of the day were long and cumbersome bolt-action repeaters, with a magazine capacity of five to ten rounds, and reloading was a slow process. They were used for long range, indirect fire as well as for aimed direct fire, and were inefficient for close quarter combat (resulting in the birth of the sub caliber submachine gun and eventually, the assault rifle). The bayonet was long, to provide farther reach, and the combination of a long rifle and long bayonet resembled the Pike of days gone by. The dogma of generals with more pomp than common sense prevailed, and in the middle of squandering a generation’s blood across fields of green, the theory of “Marching Fire” came into use. As originally visualized, as the soldiers moved out of the trenches toward the entrenched battalions of machine guns, they would fire a single round of unaimed fire when their left foot touched the ground. This technique would al-

legedly strike fear into the hearts of the dreaded Hun, and allow the assault to carry through the defenses. Maybe not. Only some could actually fire—those at the front of the assault—and while a rapid turnover could be expected, the volume of fire might be less than sufficient. The terrain was seldom clear, and physical obstacles, craters and other distractions—like those defending the opposite trenches—made movement difficult. The greatly maligned French M1915 Chauchat Automatic Rifle was many things, but foremost it was the first true squad automatic weapon. “The technique of walking fire was felt to be the best manner in which to take advantage of the Chauchat’s firepower and portability. Walking fire was basically firing the weapon while marching toward the enemy to keep their heads down and suppress return fire. While this may have sounded like a good idea in theory, it didn’t work out so well in practice….The tactics eventually shifted from emphasis on marching fire to using the weapon for infantry support by firing from some form of cover….” –U.S. Infantry Weapons of the First World War, Canfield The U.S. adopted a modified French gun, the Caliber .30 Chauchat Automatic Rifle, Model of 1918, which was less reliable than the 8mm French version. It was a gun that was way ahead of its time and suffered the problems of being adopted during wartime with insufficient attention to manufacturing. Later the U.S. Browning Automatic Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1918 made it to the front. The BAR had a longer sling to allow it to be used in Marching Fire, and the gunners’ war belt had provisions for six BAR magazines, two .45 pistol magazines, a pistol holster and a metal butt cup to accept the buttstock and keep the BAR supported during marching fire—schoolhouse mandated shooting from the hip, and probably the forerunner of pray and spray. There were not very many Chauchats available, and the BAR only got into combat in September 1918—less than two months before the Armistice. The U.S. had developed a device to replace the bolt in the Model of 1903 Rifle with a semiautomatic unit firing a .30-caliber pistol type cartridge and fed from a 40-round magazine. The “Automatic Pistol, Caliber .30, Model of 1918” was a secret, and it never made it to the war. More commonly known as the Pederson Device, it was designed specifically with marching fire in mind. It also followed the premise that large numbers of troops indiscriminately S.W.A.T. » JULY 2008 53

SHOOTING ON THE MOVE firing an anemic round against a wellentrenched opponent would somehow shift the balance. While Marching Fire gave way to fire and movement at the end of the Great War, it was resurrected during World War II against the same enemy, though possibly with similar results. Note that Assault Fire, where the unit moves into the final assault, is a different technique where the assaulters advance the last few meters while rapidly firing onto the objective to suppress fire when they are most vulnerable. To paraphrase Stalin, the quantity of fire has a quality all its own. All of the above involves different Tactics, Techniques & Procedures (TTPs) from Close Quarter Battle (CQB)—which is the crux of this article.

CLOSE QUARTER BATTLE ON THE MOVE: WHY? CQB by definition requires surgical/ discriminatory shooting. The rounds fired must be directed directly into a threat. Anything else may wind up in a hostage, unknown or other team member. Therefore some questions that should be asked are: Can you be as accurate while shooting on the move? Why would you shoot on the move in the first place? To answer the last question first, the reasons are multiple and diverse. They can range from an Infantry Company in the final assault on an enemy position, to CQB with terrorists. As for accuracy, you will probably not have the same degree of accuracy when shooting on the move as when standing on your own two hind legs. However, how much degradation of that skill set can you afford to live with—literally? The techniques for shooting on the move can vary as well, from the gross deviation for the Grunt to the smooth flow of a police tactical team.

HOW? Here’s an example I use at class to justify shooting on the move. You have to move down a long hallway (hallways being a funnel of death). If you are moving down that hallway and an opponent leans out around the

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Making life easier. Hips and shoulders square to the target, toes pointed in the direction of the target, and short, smooth steps, coupled with a good sight picture and proper trigger control, make for good hits downrange. L shape and brings a gun up, you have options. Option one is to stand still and die like a man. While an option, it is not optimal. Another is to stand still and return fire. As you are behind the power curve, it is better than Option One, but still not optimal. Executing the Nike Defense (turning around and running away) is likewise an option, but like Option One it is not optimal, as you are giving the smelly bearded man an unopposed shot. The final option is to continue to move aggressively down the hallway and close on the mutt while engaging him with rapid, accurate shots. Your training may be the decisive issue here. Not the best of things, but then again, this is either the vocation you chose or, as a private citizen, you have been forced into action. Like the Coast Guard says, you don’t have to come back…. For one conducting CQB—generally inside a structure, and on a more or less level surface, here is one way that may work for you. Before you start reading, though, remember this. As one SOTG

Instructor emphasized, “Shooting on the move requires two things: shooting and moving.” Keep these pearls of wisdom in mind as we stroll down this particular path. Taking the shot while moving presents some unique issues. One is that accuracy will be degraded. The other is that the degree of degradation will be the direct result of multiple inputs. We have all heard that consistency is the mother of accuracy, and that is true here as well. If we can keep a smooth and steady gait, our hit potential goes up. But the environment and the tactical situation may preclude this. Clearly an interior hallway will make moving easier. However, if an explosive device has been functioned, debris, fragments, bodies, and sprinkler system activation may combine to make movement more difficult. Exterior movement will always present some degree of difficulty, as micro terrain, rocks, and such will make hits more difficult. Orient your body more or less with hips and shoulders square to the direction of travel. Keeping a collapsible stock at the closed/one click open position SWATMAG.COM

SHOOTING ON THE MOVE

Clint Lynch (foreground) steps off the line and brings his SCAR-L up to the target at a recent EAG Carbine class. Clint is bent forward at the waist, while Stephan Hilliard (in MultiCam) is more erect. Different body styles require different techniques.

will help with this. Lower your center of gravity by squatting slightly—think the beginning of a squat thrust exercise and you’ll be on track. Keep your shins vertical, and your weight over your feet. Bend your knees so that the legs are not locked and rigid. Understand that every shock that is transmitted from the ground goes up your leg and into the carbine. And, because there are four points of contact with the gun— your shoulder, strong hand, weak hand and cheek weld—keeping the gun even reasonably steady can be a chore. Keep your feet pointed at the target. If you are walking at a normal gait, many people will have the support side foot oriented toward the direction of travel and the strong side foot pointed outboard. This is fine for strolling along River Walk, but if you are intending to fight it out at close range with one or more people who hate you, it may not be sufficient. We are all physically different, and body type, configuration, past injuries, present injuries and the time of day may all factor in to how we move. Some people will never have the grace to move effortlessly downrange, but may or may not be able to deliver the rounds into the intended meat balloon at the other end of the hallway. Some may move with the style of a ballroom dancer and not hit anything. You are the one pressing the trigger, and you are the one responsible for launching those rounds. Speed of movement will be dictated by two things: the speed at which you can accurately shoot, and the surface you will be traveling over. Clearly you will be able to shoot more accurately by moving slower, but that lack of downrange speed may negate your moving in the first place.

WHEN? A big issue is this: when do you shoot?

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While this seems to be a simple question, some answers border on over-thinking to the tenth power. For example, when I asked Marines (in several classes) this question a few short years ago, I was told—emphatically—“When both feet are on the ground.” Very cool. Except when are both feet on the ground? Now? Now? Now? When you are moving, both feet will likely never be on the ground at exactly the same time. But even if they were, is that when you need to take the shot? How about if you need to take the shot when only one foot is on the deck? And how about this: If you are so wound up trying to figure out when both of your feet are on the ground, what are you not paying attention to? Yes, sports fans, you are not paying attention to that smelly bearded guy at the end of the hallway who was the reason you are doing this shooting/moving thing in the first place. Therefore the short answer is, shoot when you have the shot. See him. Shoot him. Quit over-thinking it.

COMMON MISTAKES It is often stated—correctly stated— that many train for the flat range and not the fight. To that end, many will start off shooting on the move correctly, but as they prepare to take a

shot, they will do one of the following: Stop: They stop completely to take the shot. Niagara Falls: They go into the “slowly I turn” routine performed by Abbott and Costello (ask your Mother). They move in super slow motion as they take the shot, then regain speed after they finish shooting, rushing to keep up with the rest of the line. Cute…. Stutter Step: Their legs will not pass when moving, taking a long step with one leg and then bringing the second leg up to the first—they look like The Mummy as they bring their feet together. This is fine for moving within a confined space, but not so good for covering a longer distance. Vapor Lock: This usually occurs when faced with a malfunction. They forget all about their Immediate Action Drills and halt in place. They gaze wondrously at their malfunctioned weapon, while apparently wishing/hoping that this would all go away so they don’t look like a clown’s derriere. The Capt. Diaper Walk: Some have a distinct lack of grace in their movement and walk stiff-legged and upright, feet splayed and wallowing from side to side. Their movement makes me think of a child or the psycho Navy Astronaut who wanted to make her boyfriend’s girlfriend disappear. SWATMAG.COM

SHOOTING ON THE MOVE

TRAINING ISSUES We have been walking since we were wee lads, and have been more or less successful at it. Shooting on the move should not be that difficult, but it seems like many make it that way. We walk every day. And we can shoot from a stationary position fairly well. So why can’t some shoot on the move? The answer is fairly simple: We overload ourselves with nonsense. Shooting on the move is nothing more than shooting, albeit while moving. That means those pesky little things like sight picture and trigger control are still necessary. Iron sights are tough, but by no means impossible to use—unless you are one of those who insist on using the smaller aperture on the sight. Using the larger aperture will increase the certainty of a hit, and there are those who teach/use looking over the top of the sights and do it quite well. I run an XS Sight Systems Big Dot on my AK, and it is extremely viable (for me, anyway). If you are running a red dot sight

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(RDS), I’ll tell you what I tell people who are trying to shoot standing still. Accept your wobble area. Don’t try to make the dot stop moving—it won’t happen. Don’t chase the dot, shoot through the dot. In the end you will have to accept the Zen of this. Be the bullet. Trust your shot, and if your training is good, and you run this often, it will probably be there. One very good way to train is this. Next time you go into Petsmart or a similar store, look for something called a “Cat Toy.” It is a small visible laser that you can use to drive your dogs and cats crazy (if you don’t have CTC grips on your Rings Gun). Remove the bolt from your carbine and Rigger tape or zip tie the laser onto your forend. Place an eight-inch paper plate on a wall—the longer the distance you have, the easier this will be. Look through the sight at the laser as it strikes the plate while you are moving. It may well be erratic. Vary your body position, stride, length of step and so forth, and see if it will reduce that pattern on the plate to something manageable.

You are looking for something that may approach a lazy figure 8 for some (but not others). The big issue here is to keep the beam within the circle no matter the distance. You may not be able to do this in one or three of five sessions. You may do it once, but not immediately again. Don’t give up. It will happen, and the light will eventually shine over your head. Make shooting on the move part of your dry practice and live fire training, to the extent possible. Shooting on the move is a TTP. It may or may not be something that you would use, but when used effectively, it is one more thing that can keep you alive and ensure that the guy at the end of your muzzle will be the one hearing the Hallelujah chorus in hell. § [Pat Rogers is a retired Chief Warrant Officer of Marines and a retired NYPD Sergeant. Pat is the owner of E.A.G. Inc., which provides services to various governmental organizations. He can be reached at [email protected]]

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