The Value of Firearms Training
By Sheriff Michael E. Cook
Published 10. 1. 02 at 20:50 Sierra Time
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I was talking with and old friend from law enforcement the other day and the conversation got around to training. This brought up the firearms training that I was responsible for over the years with my agency.
I started in 1971 with the Sheriff's Office. The majority of police officers in this nation were still carrying revolvers for duty weapons in those days. We were just learning about speed loaders and the standard for qualification was the Practical Pistol Course (PPC). We started at 50 yards and worked forward to seven yards with 50 rounds. In many agencies this was it, three or four times a year. Some agencies didn't fire this course or any course, the only time the officer qualified was at the new Police Academy in Oregon.
With the efforts of a good friend, we were able to get the Sheriff to allow us to reload practice ammo. I got a six gang semi-wadcutter mold and started making bullets. We were able to get lead from a local news paper that had stopped using lead type and my friend would load the rounds on an old Star reloader that belonged to the Sheriff's Office. In those days we could run all the deputies through a qualification course with about 3,000 rounds.
Then something great happened, we found someone who would take our brass and reload it for about $35.00 a thousand. The Sheriff budgeted for this and we were off the hook for reloading our own. This went on for many years so my friend and I could spend more time working on the training side of things. We also got involved in competition shooting.
I'm not sure of the year when the qualification course was changed but it did change for the better. We went to the Tactical Revolver Course (TRC). This course started at the 25 yard line and went forward to the five yard line, putting more emphases on the close up shooting as this is where most shoot-outs between police officers and bad guys took place.
Speed and reloading skills were always stressed during this time. The Sheriff's Office was also working on getting a Special Weapons Team going and training was taking many new turns for law enforcement. We also started looking at shooting under low light conditions and with a flash light in one hand. So weapons training took on a new look, dealing with officer survival and weapons retention training. Our non lethal weapons training and implements were also going through big changes during this time. It was great being in law enforcement and watching the changes.
Then I was approached by the Deputies, who asked if we could think about going to semi-auto side arms. This was in the early 1980's and many agencies and officers throughout America were making the transition to semi-auto. I must say I resisted this at first because all my training from back in those years had told me that the semi's were not reliable firearms and not safe to carry as defense tools.
I always had pride in the fact that I had an open mind and would try anything sensible once, so I started reading everything I could get my hands on about semi-auto's and purchased one of my own for testing. What I discovered with my Smith and Wesson 9 MM semi-auto was that they were not only reliable but a very good combat weapon. So I went to the Sheriff and got permission to make the transition to semi-auto's for those that wanted to. Before long that was all anyone carried.
Over the years, the training has gotten better and better and now we even have virtual realty training with live fire ammo in the situations calling for you to decide to shot against what appears to be a real moving talking human person. This has caused our officers to be some of the best trained that we have ever had to carry a firearms to protect themselves and others. I was very proud to be a part of the many years of transition and improved training for law enforcement. I hope the next 30 years will have the same improvements for our officers.
God Bless America.
Michael E. Cook, Coos County Sheriff, Retired
http://www.sierratimes.com/02/10/02/sheriff.htm
By Sheriff Michael E. Cook
Published 10. 1. 02 at 20:50 Sierra Time
xxx
I was talking with and old friend from law enforcement the other day and the conversation got around to training. This brought up the firearms training that I was responsible for over the years with my agency.
I started in 1971 with the Sheriff's Office. The majority of police officers in this nation were still carrying revolvers for duty weapons in those days. We were just learning about speed loaders and the standard for qualification was the Practical Pistol Course (PPC). We started at 50 yards and worked forward to seven yards with 50 rounds. In many agencies this was it, three or four times a year. Some agencies didn't fire this course or any course, the only time the officer qualified was at the new Police Academy in Oregon.
With the efforts of a good friend, we were able to get the Sheriff to allow us to reload practice ammo. I got a six gang semi-wadcutter mold and started making bullets. We were able to get lead from a local news paper that had stopped using lead type and my friend would load the rounds on an old Star reloader that belonged to the Sheriff's Office. In those days we could run all the deputies through a qualification course with about 3,000 rounds.
Then something great happened, we found someone who would take our brass and reload it for about $35.00 a thousand. The Sheriff budgeted for this and we were off the hook for reloading our own. This went on for many years so my friend and I could spend more time working on the training side of things. We also got involved in competition shooting.
I'm not sure of the year when the qualification course was changed but it did change for the better. We went to the Tactical Revolver Course (TRC). This course started at the 25 yard line and went forward to the five yard line, putting more emphases on the close up shooting as this is where most shoot-outs between police officers and bad guys took place.
Speed and reloading skills were always stressed during this time. The Sheriff's Office was also working on getting a Special Weapons Team going and training was taking many new turns for law enforcement. We also started looking at shooting under low light conditions and with a flash light in one hand. So weapons training took on a new look, dealing with officer survival and weapons retention training. Our non lethal weapons training and implements were also going through big changes during this time. It was great being in law enforcement and watching the changes.
Then I was approached by the Deputies, who asked if we could think about going to semi-auto side arms. This was in the early 1980's and many agencies and officers throughout America were making the transition to semi-auto. I must say I resisted this at first because all my training from back in those years had told me that the semi's were not reliable firearms and not safe to carry as defense tools.
I always had pride in the fact that I had an open mind and would try anything sensible once, so I started reading everything I could get my hands on about semi-auto's and purchased one of my own for testing. What I discovered with my Smith and Wesson 9 MM semi-auto was that they were not only reliable but a very good combat weapon. So I went to the Sheriff and got permission to make the transition to semi-auto's for those that wanted to. Before long that was all anyone carried.
Over the years, the training has gotten better and better and now we even have virtual realty training with live fire ammo in the situations calling for you to decide to shot against what appears to be a real moving talking human person. This has caused our officers to be some of the best trained that we have ever had to carry a firearms to protect themselves and others. I was very proud to be a part of the many years of transition and improved training for law enforcement. I hope the next 30 years will have the same improvements for our officers.
God Bless America.
Michael E. Cook, Coos County Sheriff, Retired
http://www.sierratimes.com/02/10/02/sheriff.htm
