Final Shotgun Manual 2006

State of Alaska
Department of Corrections
Remington 870
Certification Manual
Revised June 2006
D.O.C. Shotgun Certification Manual June 2006

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We wish to thank all those who have contributed in any way to this
D.O.C. Shotgun Certification Course Manual.
Please direct any questions or comments about this manual to DOC
Training Academy Staff. We are always looking for suggestions for
improvement in course content, firearm techniques, tactics, and doctrine.
We didn’t invent the information presented here; we merely compiled what
we believe to be the very best information available to us today. We will
continue to improve . . .
DVC
NOTES, CAUTIONS and WARNINGS
This manual has occasional bits of information that need to be emphasized, for one
reason or another, more than the rest of the text. Depending on the nature of the
information, it will be presented as a NOTE, CAUTION, or WARNING and contained in
a box as illustrated and described below.
NOTE: This manual was written and compiled specifically for the students and users
of Remington 870 Shotguns. Occasionally, information, which may be particularly
noteworthy, will be contained in a light, shadowed box, such as the box around this
note, to distinguish it from the rest of the text.
CAUTION: Information which is more important and, if ignored, can cause injury to
the shooter or a bystander or damage to the firearm is emphasized in a bolder
shadow box such as the one around this notice and begins with the word
“CAUTION”.
WARNING: INFORMATION WHICH IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND, IF IGNORED, CAN CAUSE SERIOUS
PHYSICAL INJURY OR DEATH IS EMPHASIZED IN A BOLDER, SHADED SHADOW BOX SUCH AS THE ONE
AROUND THIS NOTICE, AND BEGINS WITH THE WORD “WARNING”.
D.O.C. Shotgun Certification Manual
OBJECTIVES...............................................................................................................................................................1
CHAPTER ONE...........................................................................................................................................................3
CHAPTER 2..................................................................................................................................................................5
THE FOUR GENERAL FIREARMS SAFETY RULES.........................................................................................5
RANGE PROCEDURES.............................................................................................................................................6
RANGE COMMANDS.................................................................................................................................................7
TRIGGER FINGER PLACEMENT..........................................................................................................................8
WHERE THE SHOTGUN SHOULD BE..................................................................................................................9
WHERE THE SHOTGUN SHOULD NEVER BE.................................................................................................10
CHAPTER 3................................................................................................................................................................11
MIND SET: “SURVIVING A CRISIS ON OR OFF DUTY”................................................................................13
MENTAL CONDITIONING FOR COMBAT........................................................................................................18

TEN FATAL ERRORS . . ...................................................................................................................................19
CHAPTER 4................................................................................................................................................................22
SHOTGUN MANIPULATION.................................................................................................................................23
Strong Hand Tasks: ...............................................................................................................................................23
Stance: ...................................................................................................................................................................24
Mount: ...................................................................................................................................................................25
Index: .....................................................................................................................................................................25
PRESS CHECK..........................................................................................................................................................26
Empty Chamber Press-Check: ..............................................................................................................................26
Loaded Chamber Press-Check: ............................................................................................................................27
CONDITIONS OF CARRY.......................................................................................................................................27
METHODS OF CARRY............................................................................................................................................29
Pocket Carry: .......................................................................................................................................................29
Scramble Carry: .....................................................................................................................................................30
American Sling: .....................................................................................................................................................31
African Sling: ..........................................................................................................................................................32
Transition Drill: ....................................................................................................................................................32
SHOTGUN SHELL MANIPULATION: ................................................................................................................33
CHAPTER 5................................................................................................................................................................36
SHOTGUN MARKSMANSHIP...............................................................................................................................37
LOADING CONCEPTS.............................................................................................................................................38
CHAPTER 6................................................................................................................................................................40
LOW PROFILE SHOOTING POSITIONS............................................................................................................43

Speed Kneeling: .....................................................................................................................................................44
California Kneeling: .............................................................................................................................................45
Braced Kneeling:.....................................................................................................................................................45
D.O.C. Shotgun Manual Page i Revised June 2006

Table of Contents
PRONE POSITIONS..................................................................................................................................................46
Standard Military Prone:........................................................................................................................................46
Roll-over Prone:......................................................................................................................................................47
QUALIFICATION.....................................................................................................................................................48
Explanation of Qualification Rules.........................................................................................................................48
PHASE 1..................................................................................................................................................................49
PHASE 2..................................................................................................................................................................50
GLOSSARY OF TERMS...........................................................................................................................................53
MENTAL CONDITIONING FOR COMBAT........................................................................................................60
D.O.C. Shotgun Manual Page ii Revised June 2006

Table of Contents
OBJECTIVES
UPON COMPLETION OF THIS TRAINING, THE SHOOTER WILL BE ABLE TO PERFORM THE FOLLOWING TASKS
UNDER THE INDICATED CONDITIONS TO THE SPECIFIED STANDARDS:
1. List verbatim the 4 Firearms Safety Rules in their entirety and in order.
2. List the ONLY 4 places the shotgun should ever be.
3. List at least 3 places the shotgun should NEVER be.
4. List and explain the three (3) circumstances that Dr. Enoka determined would
cause a person to discharge a firearm if his finger were on the trigger, despite the
best efforts of the person not to press the trigger.
5. List and describe the three (3) constants that generally apply to ALL non–firing
manipulations of a firearm.
6. Explain when each of the following range commands or activities is used and why:
a) Make Ready
b) Press Check (why, when, how)
c) Guard (Guard Position, Draw–To–Guard)
d) Unload and Prepare for “Dry Practice”
e) Continuity of Fire
f) “Run–Dry Drill”
g) Stand–By (and Stand–Easy)
h) Clear for the Break
7. List and define the 4 color codes used to describe Jeff Cooper's "Mental
Conditioning for Combat".
8. Define the appropriate conditions of carry for the shotgun
9. Explain and demonstrate the steps to correctly manipulate the shotgun through
the acceptable conditions of carry
10. Explain in detail the various ammunition related malfunctions, their causes,
identifying characteristics, and remedies/corrective actions, to include:
a) “Squib” loads
b) Fail to fire (failed or missing primer)
c) Barrel obstructions
11. Explain in detail the two most common causes of marksmanship errors and how
to effectively correct them:
a) Improper trigger manipulation
b) Not using the front sight (looking at the target)
12. Thoroughly explain Alaska State Statutes and DOC’s Policies and Procedures
regarding:
a) “Deadly Force”
b) Use of Deadly Force against unarmed assailants and/or fleeing felons
c) “Warning Shots”
d) Use of sights and “weapon retention” shooting
13. Explain the "Minimum Standard Response" to a lethal attack should you choose to
shoot your attacker.
a) Minimum standard response using buckshot
b) Minimum standard response using a slug
14. Describe the 3 natural body armors on a human adversary, how and what they
protect, and how they are attacked/defeated.
15. Define and explain the purpose of the "Fail-to-Stop" drill and the "A-B-C” drill as it
applies to methodology for attacking a human adversary.
D.O.C. Shotgun Manual Page 1 Revised June 2006

16. Define “Night Vision” and describe in detail low or dim light tactical and
physiological considerations, including techniques for enhancing visual acuity and
searching/shooting techniques.
17. Explain the uses, advantages and disadvantages of lower profile positions and
explain and demonstrate the procedures for correctly assuming, shooting,
servicing the shotgun, and recovering from each of the following:
a) Speed Kneeling
b) California Kneeling
c) Braced Kneeling
d) Sitting
e) Squat
f) Military Prone
g) Chapman Rollover Prone
18. Demonstrate the proper procedures for clearing, disassembling (field stripping
ONLY), cleaning, lubricating, reassembling, and function checking the shotgun.
19. On the firing range, shoot the standard DOC Shotgun Course at 100% accuracy.
20. Complete a written examination with a minimum score of 80%.
21.At ALL TIMES, demonstrate proper and safe manipulation and handling of the shotgun
and its related equipment.
D.O.C. Shotgun Manual Page 2 Revised June 2006

Chapter One
Equipment Requirements
Authorized Shotgun
Authorized Modifications
Department Authorized Shotgun
Currently, the only shotgun authorized for use by the Department of Corrections is the
Remington 870, 12-gauge shotgun with a barrel length of 14” or greater.
NOTE: For barrel length of less than 18”, proper ATF paperwork must be approved for
each weapon to be equipped with the shorter barrel.
Authorized modifications
• Vang Barrel, porting

• Oversized dome safety
• Magazine tube extensions
• Stocks: Pistol grip, shortened
• “Side Saddle” ammunition carrier
• “Ghost Ring” sights
• High visibility night sights
• Tactical Light
NOTE: ALL modifications must be approved by the lead firearms instructor at the training
academy before the modified shotgun is carried On–Duty (under color of authority).
Proposed modifications to any shotgun should be discussed with the lead firearms instructor
at the training academy prior to the actual modifications to prevent having unnecessary or
unauthorized changes made, which would prohibit the shotgun for Duty use. NO
modifications may be made to any D.O.C. owned and issued shotgun without authorization
from a Department Armorer current on that weapon system. NO EXCEPTIONS. A few
minutes of your time may save you a lot of time, money and aggravation!
Chapter 2
Safety
The Four Safety Rules
Range Procedures
Range Commands
Trigger Finger Placement
Where the Shotgun Should Be
Where the Shotgun Should Never Be
Reduction of Risk Due to Lead Ingestion
The Four GENERAL FIREARMS SAFETY RULES
NO mechanical device has a will of its own and guns never “go off” unless somebody
caused them to do so. Guns are safe; PEOPLE ARE DANGEROUS. The wound
delivered by a bullet can easily be fatal. This means that you should not expect the
luxury of learning from experience. Your first mistake may very well be your last. But
you need not make that mistake. Memorize the four principal rules of firearm safety,
treat them with absolute seriousness and commit them to your conscious and
subconscious. You will never have a mishap with a firearm.
The source of these rules is Col. Jeff Cooper of the American Shotgun Institute in
Paulden, Arizona.
1. ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED

. NO EXCEPTIONS
. Don’t pretend
this is true; be deadly serious about it. Know the condition of your weapon and
we’ll never again here, “but I didn’t know it was loaded”. We run a “hot” line on the
range, unless the command is given to “Unload and Prepare for Dry Practice”, it is
the shooter’s responsibility to keep the gun fed.
2. NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING THAT YOU ARE

NOT WILLING TO DESTROY
. This rule is continuously and conspicuously
Violated, especially with handguns, due to their short length. Attempts are made to
excuse this at times because “it is not loaded”. (See Rule #1 Above!)
3. KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS

ARE ON THE TARGET AND YOU HAVE DECIDED TO SHOOT
.
You cannot line up a firearm any faster than you can manipulate the safety and
position your trigger finger. There is no reason to fire an unaligned firearm. This is
the most commonly violated of all the four safety rules and is the most important.
This rule will help to prevent a tragedy even if you take a “mental vacation" and
violate any of the other safety rules.
4. BE SURE OF THE TARGET AS WELL AS THE SURROUNDINGS

.
Targets on a square range are easily recognizable. In a real life situation it is not
so easy. We must not only limit our fire within deadly force statutes and
departmental policy, but possibly not fire due to the proximity of innocent
bystanders to our target. We must be aware of the area between us and the
target, and that area behind the target due to the possibility of a miss or over-
penetrating hit (particularly with rifles or shotguns-rifled slugs or buckshot). The
area behind us is also of concern due to the 62% possibility of multiple targets. We
must, of course, limit our fire to clearly identifiable targets, not merely sounds or
motion.
These four safety rules suffice and apply to all firearms. Memorize them and make
them part of your character. They also apply equally to the range, the street and
stalking the wily moose. There can be no exceptions to these rules.
Follow ing ALL FO U R of these safety rules w ill prevent AN Y unintentional discharge.
RANGE PROCEDURES
1. SAFETY IS ALWAYS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY!
2. All commands of the Rangemaster will be followed immediately.

3. Everyone on the range will use eye and ear protection.
4. Keep your shotgun stored (i.e. slung or pocket carry) except when on the firing
line.
5. We run a “HOT” range. Shotguns will be in Condition 1 (Action Carry) unless

directed by the Rangemaster to be in a different Condition of Carry for a
particular drill (see Rule 1).
6. Stand firm on the line. Plant your feet and DO NOT bend over to pick up
equipment with a shotgun in your hands. Sling the shotgun first, then recover
your gear by squatting while maintaining control of the muzzle (see Rule 2).
7. When talking with an instructor on the line, continue to face downrange.

Do not turn around unless the shotgun is properly slung or in pocket carry.
8. Never let the shotgun ''dangle" either in one or two hands.
9. Keep the muzzle downrange at all times when not properly slung or in Pocket
Carry.
10. Keep your trigger finger on the safety or on the side of the receiver when you are
in motion. Even for one step! (See Rule 3).
11. Malfunction clearances are the responsibility of the Shooter. They must be
cleared and the course of fire completed. If a squib load occurs, the shooter will
immediately cease-fire. (Shooting to clear a barrel obstruction could result in
injury to the shooter and destruction of the shotgun). The Shooter will then notify
the Rangemaster and the shotgun will be inspected before it is returned to the
firing line.
12. Any maintenance on the shotgun will be performed at the “fiddle table". The
shotgun will be downloaded to Condition 3 (Short Term Storage) at the firing line
before going to the fiddle table. When at the fiddle table, face the table to
present your shotgun and the Armorer will perform the necessary maintenance.
Sling the shotgun or go to Pocket Carry before turning away from the table.
13. Side saddles may be loaded or unloaded at any time anywhere on the range or
behind the firing line if the shotgun is in Pocket Carry or hanging from a team
sling. DO NOT load the sidesaddle if the shotgun is hanging in American or
African Sling.
RANGE COMMANDS
1. MAKE READY – Protect your eyes and ears. Plant your feet, pick a target
and load your weapon. This normally means Condition 1 (Action Carry). In
short, PREPARE FOR A FIRING DRILL.
2. STAND BY - A preparatory command usually given immediately before a Fire
command. This is to let the Shooters know that a fire command will follow and
allow the Rangemaster to confirm that everyone is ready for the drill.
3. STAND EASY - Given to let the Shooters know that there will be a short delay
before the Fire command, usually to permit other shooters to complete
preparations for the drill. Shooters should remain at or go to Guard. This is NOT
permission to relax from Guard.
4. GO to GUARD (Guard Position) - The shotgun in Condition 1 (Action Carry).

The Shooter maintains a proper Stance and Grip with the trigger finger curled on
the safety and the buttstock of the shotgun properly mounted in the pocket of the
shoulder. The muzzle is depressed low enough to see everything between the
Shooter and the target area and their vision is focused down range.
THIS IS A FIGHTING POSITION! Do not relax into a “two-handed dangle”.
5. FIRE - (Go, Up, Shoot, Now, a Whistle blast, etc.) This is a command to Fire or
otherwise begin the drill. This command will normally follow a preparatory
command, but may come at ANY time while on the firing line.
(HINT - Ammunition Management is you're responsibility!)
6. UNLOAD and PREPARE for DRY PRACTICE - From the Guard

Position, plant your feet, pick a target, put the shotgun in Condition 3 (Short or
long Term Storage depending on the drill) in preparation for a non-firing drill.
7. CEASE FIRE - CEASE FIRING! Immediately stop whatever you are doing,
go to Guard and assess the situation. This command can be given by anyone -
anytime an unsafe condition occurs and continuing to fire would be hazardous.
8. CLEAR FOR THE BREAK – The last command given at the conclusion of a
range session (i.e. before lunch and at the end of the day). This means to put
your shotgun in the condition you want it to be in when you leave the range.
That may be Condition 2 (Transport Carry) to return to duty or downloaded to
Condition 3 (Short Term Storage) so it may be cleaned. Usually it is your choice.
TRIGGER FINGER PLACEMENT

Several years ago, Dr. Roger Enoka from the University of Arizona, concluded from
studies that there were three circumstances, which could cause a person to discharge
a firearm if their finger were on the trigger, despite the best efforts of the person not to
press the trigger. These events cause a person to flex their muscles as their body
moves toward the fetal position, the critical portion being the clinching of the hands.
• POSTURAL INSTABILITY - If a person loses their balance, slips or falls, the

instinctive reaction is for the hands to grasp and close as the person attempts to
regain their balance.
• OVERFLOW EFFECT - As a person grasps something in one hand and
squeezes (with up to 100 pounds of force), the opposite hand may also close and
squeeze with as much as 20% of the force of the grasping hand (20 pounds – in
burst strength).
• STARTLE RESPONSE – If a person is startled by a sudden and unexpected

action (noise, movement, etc.) the muscles contract suddenly and briefly. Again,
the critical concern is the clinching of the hands.
WARNING: IF A GUN IS IN THE HAND AND THE FINGER IS ON THE TRIGGER WHEN ANY ONE OF THESE
SITUATIONS OCCURS, THE CONSEQUENCE WILL LIKELY BE AN UNINTENTIONAL DISCHARGE. THESE
SCIENTIFIC REASONS REQUIRE ABSOLUTE COMPLIANCE WITH RULE #3.
With the knowledge of this phenomenon, we train our trigger finger to rest high on
the receiver of the shotgun above the trigger guard. If one of the three situations
described above occurs, any flexion or contraction of the hand would cause the trigger
finger to squeeze or curl—but along the receiver, not on the trigger! Hint: If any portion
of the trigger finger can be seen from the support side of the shotgun through the
trigger guard (when not firing), then the trigger finger is resting too low, too close to the
trigger. Anytime the finger is off the trigger, by definition; the proper placement of the
trigger finger is along the receiver above the trigger guard.
WHERE THE SHOTGUN SHOULD BE

Unless you are cleaning or otherwise performing maintenance on your shotgun, it
should ONLY be in one of the following four places:
1. “STORED”—secured in one of the approved methods of carry, in an approved
vehicle gun rack, gun case or cabinet/safe. In the armory or other secure
location due to maintenance or repair of the weapon also classifies as stored.
2. “GUARD— proper stance and mount (including sight alignment), “Weaver”
Stance, safety on, and the trigger finger curled on the safety [—OFF the trigger
—because the sights are OFF the target and/or the shooter has not yet decided
to shoot (see Rule #3)], muzzle depressed just low enough to see an adversary’s
hands (or with support elbow against side if no specific target is seen), and your
vision is downrange focused on the target. This is your “hunting” mode.
3. “POINTED IN”—same grip and stance as in GUARD (#2 above) except you are
engaging a specific target; therefore the sights are on the target (where you want
your hits to be) and you are focused clearly on the front sight, your finger is on
the trigger with the “slack” taken out, and you are an instant away from or are
actively engaged in delivering hits onto your target.
4. “CONTINUITY–OF–FIRE”—any non–firing act associated with servicing the
shotgun to keep it or put it back into a fight ready status (e.g.: speed loads,
tactical loads, or run–dry–drills or clearing malfunctions) (see explanations on
these topics later in this manual).
WHERE THE SHOTGUN SHOULD NEVER BE

If there are a limited number of places where the shotgun is permitted to be, it stands to
reason that there are some specific places where it is NOT PERMITTED to be. To wit:
1. “DANGLING”—with either one or two hands on the shotgun. This occurs
whenever you relax with a shotgun in your hand(s) and don’t do anything with it
that even closely resembles any of the four options listed above in WHERE THE
SHOTGUN SHOULD BE. If you are not actively engaged in anything that
requires the shotgun be in your hands, PUT IT AWAY.
2. “BRANDISHING”— Pointing—WITH THE MUZZLE OF HIS SHOTGUN! This is more
easily done with a pistol due to its smaller size, but it can also be done with a
shotgun. Remember, your fingers, not your muzzle, are for pointing (see Rule
#2).
3. “HOLLYWOOD READY”—developed by some Hollywood cameraman so a
close–up could be made of the hero (or bad guy) holding his weapon up next to
his face. There are no good reasons to ever have a shotgun held in one or two
hands up near your face, but there are lots of bad ones. Held this way, the
shotgun blocks a large part of your peripheral vision beyond the shotgun. And if
properly executed, the Hollywood Ready requires that you have at least one
finger on the trigger! This can lead to some disastrous results should you trip or
be startled.
4. UNSECURED—A shotgun (or any firearm) should never be left unattended or
out in the open, unsecured, for any reason. Responsible gun ownership and
handling dictates proper and reasonable safeguards and security measures be
adhered to at all times.
REDUCTION OF RISK DUE TO LEAD INGESTION

Lead is a toxic substance. The human body uses many trace metals in day-to-day
metabolism; however, lead is NOT one of them.
The following is a partial list of common symptoms of lead ingestion:
• Loss of memory and difficulty in concentration
• Fatigue
• Irritability and aggressiveness
• Loss of sexual interest
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Headaches
• Neurological symptoms, such as muscle twitching
• Encephalopathy (major brain & CNS dysfunction)
• Elevated blood pressure
• Digestive difficulties and abdominal pain
• Weight loss
• Joint pain, particularly in long bone joints
• Anemia
• Kidney and/or liver damage
• In women, menstrual irregularity and decreased fertility
• Sore or bleeding gums
These symptoms can vary from person to person as well as to the level of lead in a
person’s system. As you can see, some of these symptoms parallel clinical depression
or acute stress reactions.
The source of lead ingestion is usually inhalation of the particulates that saturate the
air around the shooter at the moment on ignition of the firearm. Particles of the
projectile from the firearm can be ingested as well as the particulates from the lead
styphnate in the primers of most of today’s cartridges.
PREVENTION: You can minimize exposure to lead ingestion by not shooting on an
indoor range. If you must shoot on an indoor range, make sure that the ventilation
system doesn’t allow lead particulates, gases, and smoke to hang in the area of the
shooters. A two-stage respirator, or at least a disposable paper dust mask will filter out
a good portion of the lead. An inevitable part of shooting is cleaning up the brass. DO
NOT put fired brass into your hat as a method of picking up brass. The lead left behind
in your hatband can be absorbed directly into the pores of your head. When you leave
the range, blow your nose, and wash your hands immediately in COLD, SOAPY water.
Thoroughly cleanse the area around your mouth, particularly if you have a mustache or
beard. Smoking on the range can allow the lead particles on your fingers to be inhaled
along with the cigarette smoke. Obviously, you must wash your face and hands before
eating at a lunch break in a shooting session. Try to wear an outer garment, such as a
coverall or jumpsuit that you can take off before getting into your car or entering your
home. Likewise wear a pair of shoes on the range that you don’t wear into your home.
Shower when you get home, or before, in your department’s locker room, and be sure
to wash your hair to avoid leaving lead particulates on your pillow.
Chapter 3
Mental Preparation
&
Mind Set
Mind Set: “Surviving a Crisis On or Off Duty”
Mental Conditioning for Combat
DOC Shotgun Certification Manual
MIND SET: “SURVIVING A CRISIS ON or OFF DUTY”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Much of this chapter was unabashedly copied (with a little editing!) from the Alaska State Troopers’ Tactical
Shotgun Course Handout, revised 3/7/97. It was written with Law Enforcement in mind—but applies to anyone carrying a firearm.
INTRODUCTION
A n off-duty deputy sheriff driving along a California freeway was picked at random by
members of an outlaw motorcycle gang for torment and intimidation. Their traffic
harassment escalated quickly to a roadside confrontation. Then, amidst their verbal
abuse, the bikers suddenly flashed guns, and shooting erupted. Facing six armed
assailants, the deputy shot two, then ran to a nearby auto repair shop and called police.
As the others closed in, blasting away at his position, he stayed on the line, giving a
running account of the action and reporting his name, badge number, exact location,
and even the name and phone number of his watch commander. Sporadically, he
interrupted himself to shout out warnings and to fire back at his attackers. Two more
went down, one so close that the dispatcher could hear his body hit the ground. Yet
throughout the battle, the deputy's voice stayed calm, authoritative and articulate, no
more emotional than if he were running a license check. Each of his four shots scored a
solid hit, and he avoided any personal injury. He was just 17 days out of his academy!!
A Southern officer, responding to a rape-in-progress in a car, took six hits from an
armed offender before incapacitating him with a shotgun. One of the first bullets
smashed into the officer’s mouth and destroyed a large part of his tongue. When he
tried to radio for help, the dispatcher could not decipher his mumbles so the officer
showed the near-hysterical rape victim how to use his radio. Bleeding profusely, he
comforted her and tended his own wounds until help came. When responding officers
arrived, they found him standing alert and ready to help in any way he could. By this
time, more than half of his uniform was drenched in his own blood.
If Academy Awards were given for performances under stress; officers like these
would walk away with Oscars. And yet other officers, with as much and more
experience and professional training and in circumstances of no greater pressure, react
in ways that are barely functional.
For instance, an Oklahoma detective team was hunting two prison escapees who
were on a murder spree. They spotted the fugitives standing beside a stolen truck in a
residential driveway. A few miles away from their location, the prisoners had just
gunned down two State Troopers. The detectives were nearly a block away, but the
driver sped their unit directly to the mouth of the driveway and stopped, only feet from
the killers. His maneuver placed his partner directly in the assailants' line of fire. One of
them promptly blew off the top of his partner's head.
During a nighttime pursuit in a Southwest state, an armed robber was fleeing from a
shoot–out with police. A pursuing officer within minutes fired two shotgun blasts from
his speeding patrol car at the suspect's vehicle without any idea where the rounds
would hit. After the gunman stopped his car, the officer exited his patrol vehicle and ran
toward the suspect. The suspect fired two shots at the officer then turned and ran. The
pursuing officer continued in a foot pursuit without advising his location and without a
radio or flashlight. He continued despite losing sight of the suspect, and then ran past
the suspect’s hiding places and through his line of fire three times without seeing him.
Later the officer had such poor recall of the incident that he could not remember that he
and his partner had totaled their vehicle at the end of the chase.
What accounts for these radical contrasts in responses? How can some officers
exhibit calm and control against incredible challenges, yet others be so overwhelmed
with fear, anger, excitement or panic that they make themselves — or fellow officers —
easy candidates for stretchers or body bags?
D.O.C. Shotgun Certification Manual Page 13 Revised June 2006
The answer is not necessarily that those who fail to perform well are just ignorant,
poorly trained or contemptuous of survival principles. Some, through reading and
role-playing, are actively striving for survival mastery, but still fall drastically short when
the chips are down.
The explanation lies with the orphan child of Officer Survival Training:
MENTAL PREPAREDNESS
The first two officers cited have hit upon the psychological secrets of maintaining
composure even under enormous stress. Their mental control allowed them to select
and apply appropriate tactical options without emotional disruption. Everyone has that
capability. Yet thousands of officers, like those others described above, are failing to
tap into it. Mental control is the prevailing factor in determining whether an officer lives
or dies in the face of life threatening circumstances.
OBJECTIVE
You must have a fundamental understanding of the effects your mental state will
have on your performance and survivability under life threatening stress, and how to
prepare yourself mentally for the likely circumstance of fighting to protect life -- whether
yours or another’s.
"PSYCHE OF SURVIVAL"
Your MIND is The Most Dangerous Weapon You Carry, on patrol, off–duty—
ANYTIME. The extent to which your mind is prepared for a high–risk, high–stress
encounter determines for whom it is dangerous. Properly prepared, it can be a
paralyzing threat to your adversary. Unprepared, it can prove devastating to you or to
your fellow officers because of its capacity, under stress, to sabotage your
performance.
If you approach high-risk situations without the proper mental preparation, the
strongest force in deciding your destiny is LUCK. In fact, after studying dozens of
shootings, one trainer has assigned the following relative weighting to the factors that
tend to determine whether unprepared officers survive:
Mental Skill---------------------------5%
Physical Skill------------------------5%
Shooting Skill----------------------15%
LUCK----------------------------------75%
With such a small reservoir of mental skills upon which to draw, these officers’
responses to a crisis situation tend to be strong in uncontrolled emotions and weak in
disciplined tactics. Stress overwhelms their thought processes.
Officers are sometimes asked by civilian friends, ‘‘who are you most scared of out
on the street?" The officer who is unprepared mentally should answer, without
hesitation: "Me''. Instead of going on patrol feeling confident because he is competent,
this type of officer operates either with a lurking fear of what might happen or with an
immobilizing insecurity about his ability or with a cocky denial that anything might arise
that he couldn't control.
SYMPTOMS OF:
Immobilizing Insecurity  avoidance of activity, especially new or unknown
situations.
Cocky Denial  “Tombstone Courage” or inability to recognize life
threatening situations.
Officers who really are prepared for winning that violent confrontation depend
on . . .
Mental Skill__________75%
Physical Skill-------------------15%
Shooting Skill------------------------5%
LUCK-----------------------------------------------5%
Controllable Factors, not chance, predominate on the prepared officers’ chart.

Commonly, mental preparedness is equated only with staying aware of possible
dangers and "psyching up” a "will to win" against any assailant who takes you on.
These ingredients - alertness and commitment - are vital. But, to prepare yourself
mentally to the fullest extent possible, you need to delve much deeper than that.
Truly prepared officers depend on being Mentally Prepared for winning violent
clashes. Skill with firearms and defensive tactics are important. Being physically fit and
healthy are absolutely essential for good mental preparation.
METHODS FOR MENTAL PREPARATION

At a relaxing moment, daydream of survival/life-threatening situations, including
lose-lose, win-lose, and win-win circumstances.
1. In your scenarios, always be a winner—even in the “lose-lose” situations.
2. Use specific and actual experiences of your own and others as a basis for
your daydreams.
3. From your daydreams, devise a means to be successful—to live. Create live
scenarios of your dreams as far as possible in a training environment. Use fellow
officers as participants and discussion partners.
4. Attend any and all Officer Safety and Officer Survival training available and
mentally participate.
5. Continually critique and evaluate your on–duty performance and seek
feedback and opinions from other officers.
6. Avoid the "That would never happen here to me" attitude when attending
training and studying reference material.
7. Read and/or view books, magazines and video material relating to officer
survival.

THE WHEEL OF SURVIVAL
Expressed in the “Wheel of Survival”, mental attitude is the hub, the center or focal
point around which specific attributes attach as spokes to the wheel.
Mental attitude is the very essence of survival on the job — it is the key to Officer
Safety.
RECOGNIZE YOUR VULNERABILITY

• Acknowledge to yourself that you can be hurt and/or killed.
• Too often we lull ourselves into a false sense of security; "It’ll never
happen to me," or “That sort of thing only happens to other guys who aren’t as
sharp as me”.
• Recognize that it can happen anywhere, anytime (traffic stop, domestic
disturbance, routine calls, etc.).
TACTICS
1. Don't become COMPLACENT in your use of tactics.
2. There are many specifics to recall from your training — USE THEM!
3. Just as important, if not more so: DON'T BECOME APATHETIC!!
Remember to avoid the "It'll never happen to me” mentality.
4. Develop your own tactics from experience and continued training. Evaluate
your tactics and the tactics of others. Be willing to change and improve!
PROFICIENCY WITH TOOLS OF THE TRADE

What and how you practice is what and how you will most likely perform under
stress. Know your tools and how to most effectively use them. Become comfortable
with proper techniques.
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, and MORE PRACTICE!!!

But remember:
“Practice doesn’t make perfect—Perfect Practice makes perfect!”
PHYSICAL FITNESS and “INTESTINAL FORTITUDE”

Each builds on the other:
1. Physical fitness tends to build confidence as well as an increased pain
tolerance. Maintaining a higher level of physical fitness increases the
likelihood of being able to overcome your adversary.
2. Intestinal fortitude conditions you to never give up. Don't stop! EVER! You
must ALWAYS be the WINNER! We are the good guys—we have to win! It
really sucks when any one of us loses.

MORAL ISSUES
• You must acknowledge that you may have to use deadly force against
another. You must decide NOW whether you can or will do it.
• Indecision = Death (or Serious Injury). If you have to have a
conference with yourself before you will use deadly force against another, it’s
too late!
• If your conscience cannot accept deadly force as one of your
professional options, there is no shame in that. But, admit it . . . and leave
Law Enforcement immediately! With that attitude, you are dangerous to your
fellow officers, to the citizens you are sworn to protect, and most importantly,
to yourself. To remain on the street without a complete range of options for
responding to threats is suicidal.
MENTAL CONDITIONING FOR COMBAT (STATE OF ALERTNESS)

On the street, as you respond to a high-risk call or otherwise approach what could
be a crisis situation, you'll be at one of several possible levels of alertness, depending
on your anticipation of danger. The better conditioned you are mentally the more likely
you will:
1. Operate at the proper level of awareness relative to the degree of readiness
that you need.
2. Detect early warning signs of a risk or threat
3. Move to a higher plane of alertness and readiness in an appropriate fashion if
necessary.
These factors are decisive to the outcome – much more so than the equipment you
carry into battle.

MENTAL CONDITIONING FOR COMBAT
N
o amount of mechanical training or range work will be sufficient in a lethal confrontation
if the Officer is not mentally prepared for the occasion unless he is extremely lucky. Col.
Jeff Cooper has written an excellent essay on the subject entitled Mental Conditioning
for Combat, which normally accompanies this handout. However, one of the most important
lessons to be learned from the reading is found in a simple system of “Color Codes” which
outline four levels of awareness. Col. Cooper believes that being AWARE is more important than
being PREPARED. No matter how well prepared or armed a man is, he cannot defend himself if he
is unaware that he is in danger. The color codes and their meaning are depicted in the colors:
WHITE (unaware); YELLOW (relaxed alert); ORANGE (specific alert); and RED (fight or flight)
1. CONDITION WHITE: a state of environmental unawareness, completely

UNALERT, a non–combative state of mind. You are oblivious to what's going
on around you, because you are daydreaming . . . tired . . . preoccupied . . .
assuming there is no possibility of trouble. You are in that "It'll never
happen to me" mentality. If attacked in CONDITION WHITE, also known as the
"volunteer victim'' state of mind, you would be completely surprised and
would most likely die; unless your assailant was inept, which they frequently
are. We would all like to live in this carefree state of mind and the majority
of the population does. The fact is, however, that the world is not a friendly
place. Unfortunately, this is where most of the population, including too
many officers, spend their time. An officer should never be in this state of
mind.
2. CONDITION YELLOW: a state of RELAXED or GENERAL ALERTNESS. You maintain
an easy but steady 360-degree surveillance of the people, places, things
and actions around you. You are not expecting a hostile act, but are aware
of the possibility. Everyone should be in CONDITION YELLOW for his or her own
peace of mind, all the time you are on duty or carrying a gun, prior to the
actual detection of a potential threat. The alertness and the tactical edge it
offers actually discourages attack. It’s ironic but true that the officer who is
habitually prepared to defend himself rarely has to. CONDITION YELLOW can be
maintained comfortably and indefinitely without any undue nervous strain. It
is not a state of paranoia.
3. CONDITION ORANGE: a state of alarm, SPECIFIC ALERT. Something or
someone has aroused your suspicion; you have identified a specific threat
or target. Based on your training, experience, education and common
sense, you have a specific tactical plan in mind that you begin following.
You are thinking combatively; including calling for backup . . . use of
cover . . . and identification of the adversary presenting the threat. You
have decided to use deadly force IF your adversary displays certain
behavior. Tunnel vision is possible—be aware of the possibility of multiple
assailants. You cannot remain in CONDITION ORANGE indefinitely, but certainly
for several hours if necessary. It has been said that it is comforting to be
armed at such times, but it is not always possible.

4. CONDITION RED: FIGHT or FLIGHT, defensive combat. Your adversary has
exhibited behavior that you have already determined (while in CONDITION
ORANGE) is justification to use deadly force, i.e. a gun pointed at you or
someone rushing toward you with a knife. This is the condition in which you
act (shoot, hit, etc.), after a predetermined decision. You are engaged in
battle, but not necessarily using force. You are not an "explosive kook", but
a controlled fighter. You are in full control of your assets and faculties. This
is when your subconscious mind will take over, and if you have continually
trained with techniques for survival and have an appropriate "combat
mind-set", you will come out on top.
Being AWARE can:

• Often prevent becoming involved in an avoidable conflict.
• Often avoid the need to use force to resolve a conflict.
• Save your life.
TEN FATAL ERRORS . ..

(. . . that have KILLED experienced Lawmen!!)
1. Your attitude (preoccupation, apathy, etc.)
2. “Tombstone Courage” (not waiting for backup)
3. Not enough rest, sleepy or asleep
4. Taking a bad position
5. Missing the danger signs (not properly “reading” the
suspects’ body language)
6. Failure to watch suspects’ hands
7. Relaxing too soon (laid back – easy going)
8. Improper handcuffing techniques or NO Handcuffs
(not following procedures)
9. NO search or POOR search (not following proper
procedures or rules)
10. Failure to maintain proficiency and care of self,
weapon, vehicle, and equipment

→ PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF STRESS
In the dictionary, the word physiology is defined as – The biological science of essential
and typical life processes, functions, and activities. Stress is defined as – A mentally or
emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external
influences.
The previous paragraphs dealt with the color code. The color code deals with the
world as it is. In the color code, red means fight. The fight takes place whether or not all
the participants are ready. It takes place whether or not all the participants recognize
the unfolding events as a fight. Events unfold regardless of what the participants think.
What you think about can affect your body and how you perform under stress.
What is stressful to one person is not stressful to another. The execution of survival
skills requires fast cognitive processing and the ability to perform motor skills with a
high degree of accuracy. In law enforcement, we must be able to shoot quickly and
accurately while one or more subjects are shooting at us.
An indication of how stressful an event is to a person is heart rate. Your ability to
think and do changes as your heart rate changes. At 80 and 175 bpm, performance is
poor. The optimal heart rate was discovered to be 115 bpm. This has been called the
“inverted U-Hypothesis”.
Fine Motor Skills: Skills performed by small muscle mass or groups, such
as hands, fingers and frequently involve eye-hand coordination.
Complex Motor Skills: Skills that involve a series of muscle groups in
action, which require coordination and timing in a space of time.
Gross Motor Skills: Skills that generally involve the action of large muscles
or large muscle groups.
At a heart rate of 80 bpm (beats per minute) or at a resting heart rate the body is
not sufficiently stimulated for optimum performance. What comes to my mind is the
color code. . . . Condition White, unaware and totally relaxed; physically and mentally
unprepared for a fight. Fine motor skills are drastically reduced when the heart rate is at
or above 115 bpm. Optimal cognitive processing and motor skills occur around 115-145
bpm heart rate. Complex motor skills are lost above 145 bpm.
Vision is affected by stress. The lens of the eye becomes rigid and does not
change shape. This translates to a loss of near vision and depth perception. The pupils
dilate to let in more light, to take in as much information as possible. But as this
happens, tunnel vision occurs. The brain will only see what is inside of a circle 18-24
inches in diameter. As your ability to gather information deteriorates, the brain’s ability
to process the information slows. Cognitive processing slows proportionally to the
complexity of the problem. The more complex the problem, the longer it will take the
brain to process a solution.
At or above 175 bpm, gross motor skill is enhanced. Cognitive processing
continues to slow as much as 440%. At or above 200 bpm the body enters a state
called hypervigilence. Cognitive functions and motor skills may be temporarily impaired
(freezing in place), there may be repetition of an ineffective skill or irrational acts or
defective decision making.
Shooting a shotgun is a complex motor skill. Shooting a shotgun while someone
(or more than one person) is shooting or trying to shoot at you is a stressful event. The
survival plan for shootings should include controlling the heart rate, proper physical
practice, and enhancing cognitive skills.

CONCLUSION
You must be mentally and physically prepared to instantly respond to a deadly
attempt to take your life. You must respond AGGRESSIVELY and with RUTHLESSNESS to stop
that person who wants to take your most prized possession — your life!
At the end of each shift, you should review each of your calls, each traffic stop, and
each arrest made. Could you (or someone else) have been hurt? Or killed? Be honest
with yourself!
When responding to calls, have a plan. Think about what you are going to do before
you get there. Go through the “What if . . .?” exercise. BE PREPARED!
Think SURVIVAL!! Think TACTICS!! Have a PLAN!!

Chapter 4
Shotgun Manipulation
Stance
Mount
Index
Conditions of Carry
Methods of Carry
Shotgun Advantages

The Remington 870 Shotgun has many tactical advantages regarding solving lethal
confrontations. These advantages include, but are not limited to:
Ammunition: The Remington 870 is a very versatile weapon capable of shooting many
different types of ammunition such as buckshot, rifled slugs, O.C. rounds, less lethal
projectiles, barrier-penetrating projectiles.
Psychological Advantage: From the adversary’s viewpoint, looking down the barrel of a
shotgun is a very frightening experience. While a pistol can kill you just as dead, the
shotgun just looks meaner. Hollywood has helped with the psychological advantage by
allowing the adversaries to see and hear the awesome “Rack-Rack” of the shotgun.
While the adversary should never hear that “Rack-Rack” in the law enforcement arena,
the image is still there.
Powerful: Engaging an adversary with a 1oz-rifled slug is incredibly devastating. In

most situations, one center mass slug hit is enough to stop the confrontation. When
shooting with 00 buckshot, the shotgun is the only weapon system in the world capable
of delivering multiple, simultaneous, powerful hits.
Shotgun Disadvantages
While the Remington 870 Shotgun has many advantages, there are also some negative
aspects, or disadvantages associated with the weapon.
Recoil: The shotgun has considerably more recoil than many of the weapon systems in
use by law enforcement personnel. With proper technique, the recoil is easily
managed, but without proper technique, it doesn’t take long for the shooter to tire of the
shotgun slamming into his/her shoulder.
Heavy: The shotgun is considerably heavier than many weapon systems in use by law
enforcement personnel. Again, with proper technique, the weight of the shotgun is
more easily managed, but even for the most fit officers, the shotgun gets heavy.
Awkward: Especially in full-length configuration (20” barrel), the shotgun can be

awkward to manipulate, especially in confined spaces.
While there are obvious disadvantages to the shotgun, the bottom line is this: With
proper training and technique, the Remington 870 Shotgun is an awesome weapon
system, capable of solving most lethal confrontations.
Shotgun Manipulation
Strong Hand Tasks:

The strong hand has only four tasks to perform when manipulating the shotgun. ALL
other duties fall to the support hand.

1. FIRING GRIP—The middle, ring, and “pinky” fingers of the strong hand wrap
around the pistol grip (Or pistol grip area of conventionally stocked shotguns)
of the shotgun stock pulling the buttstock back into the pocket of the
shoulder. With a conventional stock, the strong thumb must be straight
along the top of the pistol grip area so it will not smack the shooter’s nose on
recoil.
2. TRIGGER—The strong hand index finger manipulates the trigger.
3. SAFETY—The strong hand index finger manipulates the safety. If the safety
is ON, then the finger is curled on the safety. . If the safety is OFF, then the
finger is straight along the receiver (NOT under the lower edge of the
receiver near the trigger).
4. ACTION BAR LOCK— The strong hand index finger depresses the action
bar lock when it is necessary to unlock the action (to Press Check, ejection
port load, download, etc.).
SUPPORT HAND TASKS: The support hand performs ALL OTHER tasks or functions
needed to run the shotgun or service it; clearing malfunctions, loading, running the
action, press checking, holding the shotgun up, etc.
Stance:
In order to successfully control the recoil of the shotgun and deliver fast, accurate hits,
the shooter must use a proper stance. The stance we recommend and teach is based
on the “Modified Weaver” stance. The key factors of a good stance are:
• Feet approximately a shoulder width apart (maybe a little wider)

• Feet, knees, hips and shoulders on the same plane (pointing in the same
direction) at some angle to the target. The angle to the target will vary from
shooter to shooter. It is permissible to point the support side foot more in the
direction of the target.
• To further compensate the recoil of the shotgun, a slight “lean-in” toward the
target is encouraged. This is not to be confused with bending at the waist.
There should be a straight line from the strong side heel to the strong side
shoulder. See illustrations below.

Mount:
A proper mount of the shotgun is critical for good shot placement. For a proper
mount, the toe of the butt stock must be firmly mounted in the pocket of the
shoulder. Once the shotgun is properly mounted, firm rearward strong hand
pressure maintains that proper mount. See illustrations below.
Index:
The index refers to the manner in which the comb of the butt stock contacts the
cheek of the shooter. A proper index requires that the head of the shooter not move
to the shotgun, but rather the shotgun move to the shooter’s head. This contact is
referred to as the stock-cheek weld. To ensure maximum recoil as well as good
shot placement, the stock-cheek weld must be firmly maintained throughout the
firing sequence. See illustration below.

Press Check
The next section in this manual covers actual manipulation of the shotgun.
However, as safety is paramount where firearms are involved, knowing how to
confirm the status of the firearm prior to manipulating it is imperative.
The Press-Check, or Touch-Check is a status check of the weapon. The primary

purpose of the Press-Check is to determine the status of the chamber. A Press-
Check should be performed any time you are not sure of the status of the chamber,
any time the status of the chamber has been changed, and any time the gun has
been out of your immediate control.
There are two different methods of Press-Checking the shotgun, dependant on the
expected condition of the chamber. (Loaded or unloaded)
WARNING: A PRESS-CHECK MUST BE PERFORMED FROM A CLOSED AND LOCKED ACTION. NEVER
PRESS-CHECK A FULLY OPEN ACTION, AS IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE A LIVE ROUND RESTING ON THE SHELL
CARRIER, COMPLETE THE STATUS CHECK OF THE CHAMBER, AND NEVER TOUCH THE ROUND ON THE SHELL
CARRIER. SHOULD THE ACTION BE CLOSED AND LOCKED AT THIS TIME, YOU HAVE JUST CHARGED THE
CHAMBER.
Empty Chamber Press-Check:
• From a closed and locked action, depress the action bar lock to unlock the
action, and dismount the shotgun from the shoulder.
• Ease the action back just far enough to get the little finger of the support
hand into the chamber.
• Cradle the fore-end in the crook of the support arm elbow, which more easily
allows the little finger to curl around and insert fully into the chamber. See
Illustration below.

Loaded Chamber Press-Check:
• From a closed and locked action, depress the action bar lock and ease the
action back just far enough to touch the chambered round with the little finger
of the support hand.
• Since the shooter expects the chamber to be charged, it is not necessary to
dismount the shotgun from the shoulder.
See Illustration Below.
Conditions of Carry
Typically, we refer to the different loaded and unloaded configurations of the shotgun
as Conditions of Carry. There are three basic conditions of carry, and very specific
procedures to manipulate the shotgun through these conditions of carry. A competent
operator has the ability to perform these manipulations automatically, without the need
to think about it first.
Condition 1: Chamber loaded, magazine full (minus one round for select slug option),
side saddle full, safety on.
Condition 2: Magazine loaded to capacity, hammer down on an EMPTY chamber,

side saddle full, safety on.
Condition 3: Chamber empty, magazine empty, action fully open, safety on. For
short-term storage, the side saddle may be full or empty.

Condition 3, long term storage: Magazine empty, hammer down on an EMPTY
chamber, side saddle stripped of all ammunition, safety on. This condition is preferred
for long-term storage as it eases tension on the hammer spring.
As stated earlier in this manual, there are very specific procedures to manipulate the
shotgun through the conditions of carry. The procedures are as follows:
Condition 3 (short term storage) to Condition 2:
• Close and lock the action

• Empty chamber press check (you expect an empty chamber so right handed
shooters must dismount the butt of the shotgun and cradle the fore end in the
crook of the support side elbow, allowing the small finger of the support hand to
insert fully into the chamber.)
• Close and lock the action
• Load the magazine to its capacity with buckshot
• Empty chamber press check (performed the same as above)
• Properly mount the butt of the shotgun in the pocket
• Muzzle in a safe direction
• Safety off, press trigger, safety on
• Jiggle the fore end to ensure the action is unlocked (with support hand)
• Support hand comes back and feels for the absence of the action bar lock
along the trigger guard (another confirmation that the action is unlocked)
• Re-confirm the safety on
The three steps above that are in bold text are referred to as the three indeces checks.
These three checks confirm that the shotgun is, or is not, in condition 2. The indeces
checks should be performed Each and Every time the shotgun is placed in condition
2.
Condition three (long term storage) to Condition two:
• Vigorously run action to re-cock the hammer. You should now have a closed
and locked action. From there, simply follow the steps above starting with the
first empty chamber press check.
Condition 2 to Condition 1:
• Properly mount shotgun in the pocket

• Vigorously run action to charge the chamber
• Confirm charged chamber with a press check
• You expect a charged chamber, so there is no need to dismount the shotgun
Condition 1 to Condition 2:
• Depress action bar lock to unlock action

• Ease action back just enough to get the live round out of the chamber
• Close and lock action

• Place the removed round back in the magazine. (If you accidentally popped one
out of the magazine at the same time, no problem. Put it back in the magazine
as well.)
• Empty chamber press check
• Safety off, press trigger, Safety on
• Perform the three indeces checks from above
• You are now in condition two
Condition 2 to Condition 3 (Short term storage)
• Open action fully

• Roll gun to side allowing the round that popped out of the magazine onto the
shell carrier to fall into your hand
• Depressing the right shell latch, finish unloading the rounds in the magazine
Long term storage
• Once steps above are finished, close and lock the action
• Empty chamber press check
• Safety off, press trigger, safety on
• Confirm action unlocked by jiggling the fore end
• Perform the three indices checks from above
• Re-confirm safety on
Methods of Carry
The term Methods of Carry refers to the manner in which officers deploy with a
shotgun, or simply move a shotgun to a different location. In our doctrine there are
only a few acceptable manners in which to carry a shotgun.
Pocket Carry:
This is the preferred method when recovering a shotgun from a gun safe or gun
rack. The weapon is carried on the strong side, muzzle up. It is called Pocket Carry
due to the fact that the officer can hook his/her thumb in the pocket of their pants,
which helps support the shotgun in case of long periods of this position. When
recovering a grounded shotgun into this position, the support hand should grab the
barrel, controlling the muzzle, and lift the gun up. The strong hand should establish
a “reverse pistol grip” on the grip area of the shotgun. From there the pocket carry
is established. This is the method of carry shooters should use when moving to and
from the firing line during range training, as the weapon can be recovered as well as

placed back in the gun rack with the muzzle always pointing in a safe direction, up.
See illustration below.
Cross Body Carry:

This method of carry allows the shooter to move more quickly, even run, while still
maintaining positive control of the shotgun. From Guard, the butt stock is removed
from the pocket of the shoulder, and the shotgun is pulled in tightly against the
shooter’s upper body. The muzzle remains depressed. See illustration below.
Scramble Carry:
Scramble Carry is used should the shooter need to climb (Ladder, fence, tree, etc) with
the shotgun, and the shotgun is not equipped with a team/tactical sling. To assume
Scramble Carry, the shotgun is slung around the shooter’s neck, muzzle up. Given the
known limitations of the Remington 870 cross bolt safety, and the proximity of the
muzzle to the shooter’s head, the gun must be in Condition Two prior to going into
Cross Body Carry. Additionally, as the shooter, as well as the shotgun is out of the fight
for the period of the climb, a cover officer with a shotgun in Condition One is also
required. See illustration below.
WARNING: WHILE IT WAS MENTIONED ABOVE, IT CANNOT BE STRESSED ENOUGH THAT TO USE
SCRAMBLE CARRY, THE GUN MUST BE IN CONDITION TWO, AND THERE MUST BE A COVER OFFICER WITH A
WEAPON IN CONDITION ONE.
American Sling:
The shotgun is slung muzzle up, over the shooter’s strong side shoulder. American
Sling is quickly assumed, and the shotgun can be carried for long distances or periods
of time from this position. However, there are disadvantages to this position. With the
muzzle pointing straight up, during inclement weather, it is much easier for rain or snow
to enter the barrel and travel down to the fire control system. Additionally, for officers
who also carry a handgun on their strong side, the shotgun and sling can interfere with
the officer’s ability to deploy the handgun should it become necessary. From Guard,
getting the shotgun into American Sling is a four-count process:
• Rotate the muzzle straight up

• Control the muzzle by holding the shotgun by the fore end with the support hand
• With the strong hand, reach around the strong side of the shotgun and grasp the
sling just below the top sling swivel
• Release the support hand grip on the shotgun rotating the strong hand toward
the strong side shoulder and slide the sling onto the strong side shoulder
Note: Another method for getting into American Sling is to simply go to Pocket Carry.
From there, grasp the sling with the support hand, just under the top sling swivel, and
slide the shotgun up onto the shoulder. See illustrations below.

African Sling:
The shotgun is slung muzzle

down, over the shooter’s
support side shoulder. This
position has several advantages. The muzzle is down, so there is less chance of
foreign objects getting into the barrel. For officers who carry a handgun on the strong
side, the shotgun does not interfere with handgun deployment. African Sling actually
hides the shotgun to some degree behind the officer’s body; so many people may not
even notice the officer is carrying a shotgun. Dismounting from African Sling is very
fast. From Guard, getting the shotgun into African Sling is a four-count process. See
illustrations below.
Transition Drill:
While not exactly one of the

methods in which we carry
the shotgun under normal circumstances, this is a very useful position should the officer
encounter a malfunction with the shotgun and need to deploy with a handgun. Once it
has been ascertained that the shotgun is out of the fight, the action is opened and left
open. From there, the muzzle is lowered, slightly to the support side of the body. The
support hand releases the grip on the fore end and slides between the conventional
carry strap and the butt stock of the shotgun. This is the support hand’s function during
the “grip” step of the handgun presentation. The strong hand establishes the firing grip,
and the presentation is completed. The shotgun remains suspended by the carry strap
in the crook of the support side elbow. If there is time to do so, the officer may elect to
go to African Sling prior to deploying with the handgun.
Should the shotgun be equipped with a tactical, or team sling, then the shotgun is
lowered in the same manner described above, but is allowed to hang in the team sling.
See illustrations below.
Conventional Carry Strap Team Sling
Shotgun Shell Manipulation:
For many reasons, there is only one way to manipulate a shotgun shell. While
manipulating a shotgun shell in a similar manner to many civilian shotgun shooters may
work well for magazine loading, it will not work well for ejection port loads. This is
extremely important due to the fact that if we are attempting to ejection port load, it
means that the shotgun has run dry in a fight. We need to get the gun fed as quickly as
possible, and without looking at the gun to do it. The following illustration demonstrates
the ONLY WAY to manipulate shotgun shells.

Loading the Shotgun: The primary ammunition for the Remington 870 Shotgun as it
pertains to D.O.C. use is 00 Buckshot, in either eight or nine pellet configuration. The
secondary ammunition option is the One-Ounce rifled slug. The Side Saddle
ammunition carriers on the shotguns should be configured as follows: The first four
shell holders (from the muzzle end) should be loaded with buckshot, and the rear two
shell holders should be loaded with slugs. This consistency enables any weapon-
qualified officer to man an armed post at any institution and know how the weapon will
be configured.
Magazine Loads: Loading the magazine tube of the shotgun should always be done
from a closed and locked action. When loading the magazine of the shotgun,
remember: Last in, first out. This means that the last round loaded into the magazine
will be the first round out of the magazine.
Ejection Port Loads: Should the shotgun run dry (out of ammunition) during a fight, a
very fast option of getting the gun back in the fight is to load a shell directly into the
chamber through the ejection port. When using this loading method, it is imperative
that the officer verify the gun is, in fact, dry. Should the officer mistakenly think the gun
is dry, and load a shell into the ejection port, a double-feed will occur. Therefore, we
accept the fact that we cannot count rounds in a gunfight. When the gun “clicks”
instead of shoots, vigorously run the action and attempt to fire again. If the gun “clicks”
again, open the action, leave it open, and ejection-port load a shell from the side saddle
carrier. (Situationally dependent; transitioning to a pistol, if an option, may be the best
solution at times)
Select Slug Drills
With the current DOC Shotgun Doctrine, the shooter has the option of selecting a slug
instead of firing the 00 Buckshot loaded into the magazine. There are three
circumstances in which selecting a slug is the appropriate action.
Range: Buckshot tends to spread out the farther it gets from the muzzle. Most
Shotguns, even with improved barrels, lose their ability to keep all pellets on target at
distances further than 25-30 yards. Therefore, engaging the adversary at distances
greater than this increases “rule 4” issues, and decreases the ability to get a fight-
stopping hit. Given this consideration, selecting a slug would be the appropriate action.
The one-ounce slug has the ability to deliver a fight-stopping hit easily at distances up
to and beyond 100 yards.
Accuracy: Given that Buckshot spreads out as its distance from the muzzle increases,
it makes sense that our ability to deliver precision shots at greater distances is
decreased. Should the officer need to deliver a precision shot (such as a hostage
situation) occur, selecting a slug would be the appropriate action.
Penetration: 00 Buckshot pellets are small, and have very little mass. Therefore, their
ability to penetrate is limited. Should extra penetration be needed due to the
adversary’s clothing, body armor, or a barricade of some sort between the officer and
the adversary, selecting a slug would be appropriate. A one-ounce slug has incredible

penetrating power, and can defeat most body armor, as well as car doors, windows,
etc.
Selecting a Slug: Once the decision has been made that a slug is needed in the fight,
the manipulation must be done in proper sequence:
• From a closed and locked action and with proper shell manipulation, remove one
slug from the Side Saddle Carrier and insert it into the magazine through the
loading port.
• Depress the Action Bar Lock and vigorously run the action. The slug should now
be in the chamber.
NOTE: The ONLY time it is acceptable to load the slug into the Shotgun through the ejection
port is if it has already been determined that the Shotgun has run dry. Attempting to
ejection-port the slug at other times can easily cause a double-feed, which keeps the gun out
of the fight for entirely too long.

Chapter 5
Shotgun Marksmanship
Sight Alignment
Sight Picture
Proper Trigger Finger Placement
Proper Trigger Manipulation
Loading Concepts
Dominating the Environment

Shotgun Marksmanship
The most important aspect of engaging a lethal adversary with the Shotgun is the
ability to deliver fast, accurate, fight-stopping hits. In addition to a proper stance, mount
and index, the officer must properly employ the use of the sights and properly
manipulate the trigger.
Sight Alignment: Describes the alignment (relationship) of the front sight, the rear
sight, and the intended target. Currently, there are two basic sight systems on DOC
approved shotguns. They are Standard Rifle Sights and Ghost Ring Sights.
Standard Rifle Sights: Properly done, the front sight should be centered in the rear
sight with equal space on both sides of the front sight and the top of both sights even.
Ghost Ring Sights: Properly done, the front sight post should be centered in the rear
sight ring. By simply focusing on the front sight, this will naturally occur. With a proper
front sight focus, the rear sight (Ghost Ring) will tend to blur and almost “Ghost” away,
hence the name “Ghost Ring.”
Sight Picture: Describes the shooter’s view of the front sight, the rear sight, and the
intended target. Properly done, the shooter should see the Front Sight in sharp focus
while the rear sight and the target are blurred, out of focus.
Proper Trigger Finger Placement: The Remington 870 has a mechanical safety that
must be manipulated with the trigger finger. DOC Doctrine requires that the safety
remain engaged until the decision to shoot has been made. Once the decision has
been made, the shooter must disengage the safety by pressing it from right to left with
the trigger finger. Prior to the shoot-decision, the trigger finger should be curled on the
safety, as that is the fastest way to get the gun in the fight. If the safety is already off as
it would be immediately after an engagement during the assessment, the trigger finger
should be off the trigger and along the side of the receiver. (Not along the trigger guard)
Proper Trigger Manipulation: As is the case with any weapon system, the trigger of
the shotgun must be manipulated smoothly in both directions to ensure accurate shot
placement. The concept is very simple: Place the front sight on target, hold it there,
and smoothly run the trigger in both directions. However, should the shooter deviate
from that and press the trigger harshly, or bail off the trigger too quickly, muzzle
movement will occur prior to the projectile exiting the barrel, which will cause
undesirable shot placement. Remember, in the Law Enforcement Arena, we cannot
afford to miss our intended target.

Loading Concepts
The Remington 870 has many tactical advantages, which makes it a very desirable
weapon system in most situations. However, one of the disadvantages of the
Remington 870 is that it is not a high-capacity weapon. This means that for the gun to
remain in the fight, the shooter must keep it loaded. Current DOC Shotgun Doctrine
employs two loading concepts, which are: Combat Load, Falling Load.
Combat Load: The Combat Load Concept is very simple: Load what you shot. If you
engaged a lethal adversary with a minimum standard response of two rounds of
buckshot, you need to load two rounds of buckshot into the magazine. By maintaining
the Combat Load Concept, the shotgun stays in the fight, and there will always be room
in the magazine for the select-slug option.
Falling Load: The Falling Load Concept refers to the muzzle. After engaging the
adversary, the shooter allows the muzzle to “fall”, or lower slightly, as the surroundings
are assessed. By allowing the muzzle to “fall”, two advantages are gained: The
muzzle of the shotgun is below the field of view of the officer allowing him/her to better
assess the surroundings. Additionally, allowing the muzzle to “fall”, the officer will not
fatigue as quickly. As we have discussed earlier in this manual, the shotgun gets
heavy.
Dominating the Environment
During a lethal confrontation, the goal of the officer is to dominate the environment out
to the maximum effective range of the weapon system. In order to accomplish this, the
officer must conduct a complete and thorough assessment of the surroundings to
ensure there are no further threats. During this assessment, several things happen:
1. The eyes and the muzzle track together to the limits of safety. That means that
the muzzle is directly below the eyes of the officer as that is the fastest way to
get the gun indexed and back in the fight. Should the officer not be able to keep
eyes and muzzle tracking together due to a safety concern, a quick glance in the
necessary direction is acceptable. However, avoid prolonged periods of time in
this situation.
2. The Officer needs to ask and answer three very important questions: Is the
Gunfight over? Is the world a safe place? Is my weapon in the condition in the
condition I need it to be for either storage or possible further threats?
Is the Gunfight Over: This question is answered by first confirming your initial
threat is out of the fight. Once that question has been answered, the initial
assessment of the surroundings should begin.
Is the world a safe place: This question is answered by a thorough, methodical

assessment of the surroundings. A majority of the time, where there is one threat,
there is likely to be another. It is imperative that the search of the surroundings be
thorough, methodical, and include all 360 degrees of surroundings. (Looking up and
down as well.)

Is the weapon in the condition I need it to be: This question is answered by

following the Combat Load Concept loading what you shot, which keeps the gun
properly loaded. Then, after the initial assessment indicates no immediate threats,
a press check will confirm that the chamber is loaded. Remember, the shotgun
does not tell you when the chamber is empty until you pull the trigger and get that
very loud “CLICK”.
Once all those questions have been asked and answered, then and only then, the
safety goes back on, and the shotgun is stored appropriately in either a gun storage
rack/safe or one of the approved methods of carry.

Chapter 6
Practical Marksmanship
Patterning Characteristics
Minimum Standard Response
Distance Shooting
Low Profile Shooting
The shotgun is the only weapon system in the world capable of delivering multiple,
simultaneous, powerful hits. This is accomplished by shooting buckshot. What this
means is that several pellets of buckshot exit the muzzle at the same time. However,
the downside to this is that they do not fly exactly straight, and as a result, tend to
separate somewhat in flight. In the law enforcement arena, we cannot afford to have
pellets unaccounted for, and potentially miss the intended target hitting something else.
(See rule four)
We refer to the separation of the pellets in flight as the Patterning Characteristic of that
particular shotgun, as each shotgun will shoot differently. Ideally, each shotgun should
be patterned prior to use and with the intended ammunition. That data should be
documented on the butt stock of the shotgun. The shotgun should be patterned at the
following distances: 2 yards, 5 yards, 7 yards, 10 yards, 15 yards, 25 yards.
The result of the patterning data is then categorized into the zones of fire for that
particular shotgun.
A-Zone: The A-Zone of the shotgun refers to the greatest distance at which all pellets
hit the target so closely together that it appears as one projectile. This distance is
typically around 2 yards.
B-Zone: The B-Zone of the shotgun is also known as the “Shotgun Zone”. The B-
Zone is the distance at which the shotgun pattern starts to open up. In the Shotgun’s
B-Zone, all pellets can be reliably placed on a target the size of the average human
torso. Typically, most shotguns are B-Zone guns between the distances of 7-25 yards.
C-Zone: The C-Zone of the shotgun is the distance that the shotgun can no longer
reliably keep all pellets on target. At this distance, there are “Rule 4” considerations,
and depending on the situation, selecting a slug and shooting the shotgun like a rifle
may be the best and safest option.
Minimum Standard Response:
The human body has three areas, which are stronger, more heavily “fortified”.
These three “Natural Body Armors” protect vital systems: the SKULL protects the brain
(computer); the CHEST (ribs and sternum) protects the heart, lungs, and great vessels
(boiler room – energy source); and the PELVIS protects the reproductive system and is
the pivotal area of mobility (movement – transportation).
The MINIMUM STANDARD RESPONSE to a deadly threat is a controlled pair of HITS to the
upper chest of the assailant. The objective is to disrupt the function of the felon's heart
and lungs, the energy source of the body, and thereby stop his or her aggressive
behavior. This minimum standard response may be insufficient to stop some assailants
for a variety of reasons (e.g.: ballistic vest, drugs, determination, etc.).
After hitting a deadly assailant with a pair to the upper chest, you should
immediately scan up to the suspect's head. If the head is still there, you can assume
that the body shots are not stopping the threat, so you should deliver a single shot to
the suspect's head IF YOU HAVE A HIGH PROBABILITY OF HITTING IT. This is Plan “B”, referred to
as a “Fail–to–Stop” drill. Remember, the head is a difficult target to hit due to its small
size and ability to turn rapidly.
The objective here is to disrupt the felon's brain, the body’s “computer”, with one hit
to the eye–nose area of the head. (Depending on distance and the patterning
characteristics of the shotgun used, selecting a slug may be appropriate) This shot will
almost certainly stop the fight immediately IF MADE, but will only waste time and
endanger by-standers IF MISSED. Given these concerns, you should not attempt a head

shot beyond about five (5) yards in a lethal confrontation unless you are confident in
making the shot presented.
If the body shots did not stop the suspect, a single head shot was ineffective/missed
or not taken (due to distance or circumstances), and the suspect is still a lethal threat,
you should then immediately deliver a controlled pair of hits to the suspect’s pelvis. The
objective in hitting and breaking the pelvis is to rob the suspect of the ability to move.
Even this might not stop a determined adversary’s attack. You must be prepared to
continue pressing your counterattack by delivering a steady stream of hits to the
suspect’s three “Natural Body Armors” discussed above (heart-lungs/sternum & ribs;
brain/skull — ONLY IF POSSIBLE; and pelvis) until the suspect stops the lethal attack.
On the range, this sequence is called the “ABC Drill”. The illustrations below
graphically portray these three Natural Body Armors of the human body.
The first two shots to the body should always be as fast as you can go, but as slow
as you have to, to guarantee good hits. The follow–up head shot should also meet the
same speed parameters, but must be more carefully fired due to the smaller target
area. The head shot should follow the body shots in the cadence: “front sight, press;
front sight, press; front sight, C-A-R-E-F-U-L press."
As indicated above, the minimum standard response when using buckshot is a

controlled pair, or two manipulations of the trigger. However, due to the size and
devastating power of the Rifled Slug, the minimum standard response when using a
slug is one hit to the upper center mass of the torso. A solid slug hit is very likely to
stop the fight immediately.
Distance Shooting
When shooting buckshot, the patterning characteristic of the multiple-projectile

ammunition compensates for MINOR errors in application of sights and trigger, stance,
mount, and index. That does not in any way suggest that we can afford to be sloppy
with our doctrine, but just at reasonably short distances with buckshot, we are afforded

the luxury of “less than perfect”. However, as the distance to the target increases, the
benefit decreases.
Earlier in the manual we discussed the three reasons the shooter may elect to select a
slug rather than shoot buckshot. As a reminder, those reasons are extended range,
accuracy, and penetration.
Once there is a slug in the chamber, we no longer have the luxury of the MINOR error
compensation afforded to us with buckshot. Therefore, we must shoot the shotgun just
as we would shoot a rifle.
Support Hand: When shooting the shotgun like a rifle, the shooter must relax the front
hand, allowing the fore end to rest in the palm. Should the shooter maintain a positive
grip on the fore end and apply any backward pressure, the chances are that the
pressure is not likely to be exactly straight to the rear. Therefore, when the round
discharges, the muzzle will move in the direction of force created by the support hand
pressure. This will happen before the slug exits the muzzle changing the flight path of
the slug. This is, of course, unacceptable. Relaxing the support hand and allowing the
fore end to rest in the palm alleviates the above risk. For some shooters of smaller
stature, it may even be more comfortable and stable if the support hand is brought back
toward the trigger guard, even as far back as the loading port. Shooting from this
configuration will afford some shooters greater stability.
Respiratory Pause: When shooting a single projectile load at extended distance,

proper breathing becomes crucial. While we can breathe and we can shoot, we cannot
do both at the same time very well. The reason for this is that when we inhale and
exhale there is expansion and contraction in the chest cavity as the lungs inflate and
deflate. This causes movement in the upper body, which translates to movement of the
muzzle. However, the human body is accustomed to a pause of 2-3 seconds at the
bottom of the exhale prior to the inhale. This is referred to as the Natural Respiratory
Pause. Ideally, the shot should break during this period of the breathing cycle. With
practice, it can become very natural and happen without much thought. Simply start
smoothly pressing the trigger as you exhale.
LOW PROFILE SHOOTING POSITIONS

Based on the experiences of those who have survived gunfights, it is reasonable to
assume that your lethal confrontation will be a dynamic encounter. Should you choose
to stand on your hind legs, in the open, without cover, and duke it out with your
assailant, you will be fortunate indeed if you survive. Prudence, as well as good tactics,
suggests that movement of any kind will enhance your survivability. Getting behind

cover is always a good idea. Making yourself the smallest possible target is also high
on the list of good things to do. Surprise, the unexpected or unusual may baffle your
assailant just long enough to give you the winning edge. Greater distance between you
and your adversary gives you an advantage of time.
One disadvantage common to all low profile positions is that you loose some degree
of visibility over the tactical area as you get lower. The tactical situation in the “blind
spot” may change without your knowledge while you are in a lower position. Therefore,
never be in a hurry to jump up out of position—rather, recover to the next higher
position slowly, at guard, ready to continue the fight if necessary. Treat that next higher
position as a new tactical scenario (a new, unchecked room). Since it is tactically
unwise to go into any new situation with less than a fully loaded pistol, service it while
you are a small target.
These concepts (movement, cover, smaller target, surprise, and distance) require
tactics and techniques different than standing still and shooting like most of your basic
firearms training on a square range. The following low profile positions take advantage
of these concepts—but be aware of their limitations as well as their advantages.
GET SMALL, GET STABLE, GET HITS!!!
Speed Kneeling:
A rapidly assumed low profile position with many advantages. The shooter can
assume an unexpected height at any distance from the target and conform to lower
cover. Speed Kneeling is not a supported position so therefore the shooter can track a
moving target or switch to other targets quickly. Additionally, this position will alter the
flight path of the round—if an adversary is in front of innocent bystanders, a head shot
from Speed Kneeling (close range) would carry any over penetration above anyone
behind the assailant. This position also has the advantage of being a surprise
movement that may momentarily catch your adversary off guard. Speed Kneeling is the
quickest and easiest low profile position to assume and recover from. From Guard,
Speed Kneeling is a two-step process:
1. The shooter takes a step forward with the support side foot, landing on the
support side heel.
2. The shooter lowers into the Speed Kneeling Position. Once in the position,
the support side leg should be perpendicular to the ground, there should be
a straight line from the strong side knee to the strong side shoulder, which is
also perpendicular to the ground. See Illustrations below.

California Kneeling:
A rapidly assumed low profile position with many of the same advantages and
disadvantages as Speed Kneeling. The shooter has greater variation in body height
and can vary his profile to conform to available cover. California Kneeling can be more
stable since there are four points of contact with the ground rather than three and the
shooter can lean or brace against cover. The shooter can also lean way back or to the
side (depending on his particular physiology). California Kneeling is slower to recover
from than Speed Kneeling.
Assumption of California Kneeling from Guard is a one-step process. The shooter
leans back slightly, canting or rolling the hips forward while lowering and rocking onto
the balls of the feet. It is important the the final step of placing the knees onto the
ground be done under control to avoid possible injury. (Note that the feet do not move
and the knees are pointed diagonally toward the target the same way the shooter was
facing, NOT directly toward the target). The upper body remains in a modified “Weaver
Stance”. Both knees and both feet must be on the ground.
The shooter may easily alter his height by putting the buttocks on the heels or using
the leg muscles to support the body at the desired height. A word of caution—allowing
your butt to lower between your heels may injure your knees if you are out of shape or
your knees aren’t prepared for that range of motion. This may put too much strain on
your knees.
Recover from this position at GUARD, after servicing the shotgun. The shooter
should put the support side foot on the ground in front and rise to the Speed Kneeling
position, stabilize and assess the area. Then recover from Speed Kneeling as
described above. See illustrations below.
Braced Kneeling:
A low profile supported position that helps stabilize the pistol to increase accuracy at
longer distances. It is slower to get into and out of than Speed or California Kneeling
and restricts a shooter's ability to track a moving target. Elevation is also limited.
However, weapon stability is greatly enhanced.
From Guard, assumption of this braced position is a TWO-count process similar to
Speed Kneeling, except that the strong side buttock comes to rest on the strong side
lower leg and heel. On count one, the shooter takes a small step forward and across
the body’s midline with the support leg, almost on line from the strong side foot to the
target. On the TWO count the shooter drops straight down into the position. The strong
side buttock rests on the strong side lower leg and heel.
The toes on the strong side foot should remain curled up to allow the shooter to
move quickly if necessary. The strong side foot and leg should support the majority of

the upper body’s weight. The support side knee and lower leg support the support arm
and the shotgun itself. The support arm and leg should be perpendicular to the ground,
providing direct bone support from the ground to the shotgun. The flat of the arm, just
above the elbow must be placed against the flat of the knee to insure a stable position.
Placing the tip of the elbow on the kneecap makes a round surface on a round surface,
which allows the elbow to “roll” around. The strong knee should be set wide to create
as big a triangle (support foot, strong knee, strong foot) as possible.
Recovery and weapon manipulation is the same as with the other kneeling
positions: service the shotgun while a small target, recover at Guard slowly from one
stable platform to another, assessing the changing tactical environment as more is
revealed.
GET SMALL, GET STABLE, GET HITS!!!
PRONE POSITIONS
Accurate shots out to 100 yards and beyond with a shotgun are not uncommon
using a proper prone shooting position. When a lower shooting platform is required and
the shooter may have to be in position for an extended period of time, either Roll–Over
Prone or Military Prone would be a sound tactical choice.
Standard Military Prone:
Assumption of Military prone is a four-count process:
1. Assume "California Kneeling".
2. The support hand lowers toward the ground to stabilize the descent while fully
extending your body forward (at the same angle to the target as when standing).
3. Rotate your upper body so you can land on your strong shoulder. DO NOT land
on your elbow—it only takes about 12 pounds of force to break/dislocate the
elbow.
4. The shooter lays flat on the stomach and chest, maintains a proper mount and
index, and spreads the feet just past shoulder width for stability. The toes are
pointed outward and the heels lay on the ground. The shooter should rest the
support elbow on the ground.

Roll-over Prone:
Also called “Chapman” Roll–Over Prone, this is an extremely relaxed and stable
shooting position, which most people can get into in seconds. The position begins
standing in a normal Weaver stance.
Assumption of the rollover prone is a four-count process:
1. 1.Assume "California Kneeling".
2. The support hand lowers toward the ground to stabilize the descent while fully
extending your body forward (at the same angle to the target as when standing).
3. Rotate your upper body so you can land on your strong shoulder. DO NOT land
on your elbow—it only takes about 12 pounds of force to break/dislocate the
elbow.
4. Position the strong side forearm flat on the ground, aligning your sights on the
target, and relaxing your head on your strong arm bicep. Your support hand
maintains a proper grip on the shotgun. Simultaneously bend your support side
knee and place the ankle behind your strong side knee. Pull the support side
knee up toward your chest to rotate your abdomen and diaphragm off the
ground, which will make breathing easier and minimize the effects of breathing
on shot placement.

The strong side foot must lay flat and motionless—any movement of the foot will
translate to movement of the muzzle. Your upper body and strong leg should be
fairly straight and at some angle to the target, not straight toward it. In fact, the
greater the angle to the target, the more comfortable and efficient the position.
Service the shotgun while in the prone position. To recover from prone, simply reverse
the steps and return slowly to “California Kneeling", at Guard, attention directed on
target area. Complete the recovery in the same manner as you would from “California
kneeling” described above. See illustrations below.
Qualification
Weapon Requirements: DOC

Approved Remington 870 12
Gauge Shotgun.
Ammunition Requirements: 2
Foster Type (1 ounce) slugs,
10 “00” (8 Pellet) buckshot per
qualifying attempt. These are
actual rounds fired for the qualification. You will need additional ammunition to load the
sidesaddle.
Target Requirements: A minimum of 4 DOC IPSC targets with stands. For a full range
(both phases) 7 IPSC targets and stands are optimum.
Scoring Requirements: Slug on target, a minimum of 12 out of 16 buckshot pellets on

each buckshot target. The 51% rule is in effect. This means that in the event of a
round cuts the perforation between two scoring zones, that zone containing at least
51% of the round determines the score of that round.
Setting up your Range: All targets should have a minimum distance of 5 feet between
them. This will enable a clear line of fire to each target. Check the line of fire prior to
practice and/or qualifications to avoid possible over-penetration of rounds.
Explanation of Qualification Rules
Officers will be afforded no more than two graded opportunities per day to successfully
qualify. Should an officer fail either phase of any qualification attempt two times, that
officer has failed the course for that day.
In addition to getting all rounds on the proper target in the allotted time, the Officer must
do so in a safe manner. Their weapon manipulation skills must display a level of
competence that will ensure that they can handle the shotgun safely, especially under
stressful circumstances.
PHASE 1
(1) IPSC target placed at 25 yards and (2) IPSC targets placed at 15 yards.
Upon the command to ''Make Ready” the weapon will be placed in Condition 2, with
four rounds of buckshot in the magazine, and the side saddle loaded appropriately.
The shotgun will be either slung African or if equipped, team slung. If team slung, the
shooter’s hands must remain off the gun until the “Stand By” command is given.
Upon the command to "Stand By" the shooter will go to Guard, put the weapon in
Condition 1 while giving a verbal command to halt. The Safety stays ON until the fire
command.
Upon the command to ''Fire" the shooter will have 25 seconds to complete
the drill. The time will stop upon the last round being fired.
1. Select slug and engage the 25 yard target.

2. Follow up with 2 rounds of buckshot to each 15 yard target.
3. A total of 5 rounds for this drill.
At the completion of the firing drill, the shooter will reload ammunition from the side
saddle while coming to guard and performing a thorough search.
TARGET 1

25 YARDS
TARGET 3 TARGET 2
15 YARDS
Firing Line
PHASE 2
(1) Target placed at 25 yards, (2) targets placed at 15 yards and (1) target at 10 yards.
Upon the command to ''Make Ready” the weapon will be placed in Condition 2, with
four rounds of buckshot in the magazine, and the side saddle loaded appropriately.
The shotgun will be either slung African or if equipped, team slung. If team slung, the
shooter’s hands must remain off the gun until the “Stand By” command is given.
Upon the command to "Stand By" the shooter will go to Guard, put the weapon in
Condition 1 while giving a verbal command to halt. The Safety stays ON until the fire
command.
Upon the command to ''Fire" the shooter will have 35 seconds to complete
the drill. The time will stop upon the last round being fired.
1. Engage the 10-yard target and the two 15 yard targets with (1) round of buckshot
each.
2. Select slug and engage the 25-yard target.
3. Return and shoot the two 15 yard targets and the 10 yard target again
with (1) round of buckshot each.
4. A total of 7 rounds for this drill.
At the completion of the firing drill, the shooter will reload ammunition from the side
saddle while coming to guard and performing a thorough search.

TARGET 4
25 YARDS
TARGET 3 TARGET 2
15 YARDS
TARGET 1
10 YARDS
Firing Line


Glossary of Terms
A–B–C Drill Method by which we attack a human adversary;

Plan “A” – a controlled pair of hits to the upper center of mass of
the torso. See “Minimum Standard Response”.
Plan “B” – one single hit to the center of mass of the skull. Only
used if plan “A” FAILED TO STOP the assailant.
Plan “C” – a pair of hits to the pelvis/pelvic girdle. Used if plans
“A” & “B” failed to stop the assailant.
Continue to work over these three “Natural Body Armors” until the
assailant stops his assaultive behavior.
Administrative Load Load or Unload the firearm in preparation for a specific task; i.e. to
(& Unload) prepare the firearm for duty, training, or for cleaning or
maintenance. This is done “administratively”, in other words, not in
a gunfight!
Battery As it applies to firearms, the firing mechanism is fully closed and

locked as necessary to properly fire. This means the slide is fully
forward on the auto–pistol and the barrel is locked in place.
Braced Kneeling A very stable kneeling position with the support elbow stabilized
on the support knee and the shooter sitting on the strong heel.
Brandishing A slang term used to describe sloppy, unsafe, and unprofessional

firearm handling where the shooter is using the firearm as a
pointer to give directions. This is more common with a handgun
due to its size.
California Kneeling A kneeling position quickly assumed by the shooter simply

lowering himself onto both knees without moving his feet.
Clear for the Break The last range command given before a break in the training
session—it means “put the firearm in the condition you want it to
be in when you leave the range”. This may be cleared/unloaded
for cleaning or maintenance or fully loaded to return for duty.
Compressed The third component of the “Modern Technique of Pistolcraft” —

Surprise Break Proper trigger manipulation, which applies to ALL firearms.
Pressing the trigger straight to the rear, smoothly increasing
pressure until the firearm discharges, without the shooter knowing
or anticipating the exact moment of ignition. It must be a surprise
to the shooter. “Compressed” refers to the reduced amount of time
the trigger is pressed. This must be done quickly in combat
shooting.
Continuity of Fire Loading the firearm and/or clearing malfunctions.

Controlled Pair Two “HITS” on target. The hits are “controlled” because the
shooter focuses on the front sight before AND after each press of
the trigger. (Front sight–press, front sight–release, front sight–
press, front sight–release).
Dangling A slang term used to describe sloppy, unsafe, and unprofessional

firearm handling where the shooter is holding the firearm with one
or two hands but is not in control of it. He is not ready to fight with
it. The muzzle may be pointing in any direction.
Deadly Force AS 11.81.900. Definitions.(12). “Deadly force” means force that

the person uses with the intent of causing, or uses under
circumstances that the person knows create a substantial risk of
causing, death or serious physical injury; “deadly force” includes
intentionally discharging or pointing a firearm in the direction of
another person or in the direction in which another person is
believed to be and intentionally placing another person in fear of
imminent serious physical injury by means of a dangerous
instrument.
Dim Light Reduced ambient light conditions.
F.O.T. FINGER ON the TRIGGER (at an inappropriate time).
Fail to Eject A Type–2 malfunction, commonly called a “Stovepipe”, especially

in pistols; most commonly caused by “short stroking” the shotgun’s
action resulting in a spent shell being trapped in the ejection port.
May also be caused by a chipped extractor or damaged or missing
ejector. Excessive dirt or insufficient lubrication resulting in the
action not cycling fully to the rear may also contribute to this
malfunction.
Fail to Fire A Type–1 malfunction; caused by the cartridge/shotshell failing to

fire—due to defective ammunition, the firearm out of battery,
broken firing pin or other mechanical failure, or a clear chamber
(most commonly caused by the shooter failing to cycle the action
fully to the rear and therefore not carrying a shell up from the
magazine).
Fail to Stop (Drill) Describes the method of attacking a human adversary; a

controlled pair of hits to the upper half of the assailant’s chest, if
the assailant fails to stop the assaultive behavior, a single hit to
the center of mass of the head, if made, will most likely stop the
assailant. NOTE: The head shot should only be attempted if the
shooter is extremely confident that he can HIT the head, and
usually only if the assailant is five yards or closer.
Feedway Malfunction A Type–3 malfunction; occurs when the bolt tries to carry up a live
round from the magazine and chamber it when there is a spent
shell (or live round) still in the chamber. This is commonly caused
by chipped or broken extractors, damaged or defective shell

latches, excessively dirty action. and by “short stroking” the
shotgun’s action.
Flash Sight Picture The fourth component of the “Modern Technique of Pistolcraft”,
which applies to combat shooting of ALL firearms – Focusing on
the FRONT SIGHT for only the briefest amount of time necessary
to confirm the front sight is properly aligned on the target.
Firearm AS 11.81.900 Definitions. (22) “firearm” means a weapon,

including a pistol, revolver, rifle, or shotgun, whether loaded or
unloaded, operable or inoperable, designed for discharging a shot
capable of causing death or serious physical injury.
Grip (Firing Grip) A proper grip has the middle, ring, and “pinky” fingers of the strong
hand wrapped around the pistol grip of the shotgun stock pulling
the buttstock back into the pocket of the shoulder. The strong
thumb must be straight along the top of the pistol grip so it will not
smack the shooter’s nose on recoil. The support hand lightly
grasps the forearm with the support elbow as directly underneath
the shotgun as possible. The strong elbow is as high as possible
(at least horizontal) to maximize the “pocket” of the shoulder.
Guard (Position) Combines a proper Stance and Grip with the muzzle depressed so
the hands of a suspect could be seen over the front sight of the
shotgun, power (isometric tension) is maintained in the
hands/arms. Vision is down range and the trigger finger is OFF the
trigger; curled on the safety. (See Rule 3).
“Hammer” A term describing the method of delivering two hits very accurately
and rapidly (more commonly associated with pistol shooting than
with long guns). A “hammer” is accomplished by confirming a flash
sight picture immediately before pressing the trigger and relying on
strength and technique to control recoil and keep the sights on
target for each shot. The maximum distance the average shooter
can effectively and consistently hit with “hammers” is about 5–7
yards with a pistol, perhaps out to ten to fifteen yards with a long
gun, depending on caliber and action.
Hammer The mechanical part of a firearm that pivots under spring tension,
and which, when released by the trigger/sear, strikes the firing pin
or contains the firing pin, which impacts on the primer of the
cartridge or shotshell causing it to discharge.
“Hollywood Ready” A “ready” position developed by a Hollywood cameraman which

has the shooter holding the firearm (usually a pistol), with one or
both hands, muzzle pointing up, next to the shooter’s face. To be
executed properly, It must include the finger on the trigger! This is
one of several places the Professional will never have a firearm.
Isosceles Having two equal sides: an isosceles triangle. As it applies to

Pistolcraft, it refers to a stance/grip where the shooter’s arms are
extended and the elbows are locked straight. This stance causes

the shooter to stand square to the target and has no isometric
tension in the arms, reducing recoil control.
Isometric Tension Isometric–Physiology: Of or involving muscular contraction against

resistance in which the length of the muscle remains the same.
Tension– A measure of force, a balanced relation between
strongly opposing elements. As it applies to Pistolcraft, Isometric
Tension refers to the “push–pull” of the [modified] “Weaver
Stance”; the push of the strong hand/arm against the pull
(resistance) of the support hand/arm.
Jam A mechanical stoppage in the cycle of operation of a firearm,

which cannot be cleared by an immediate action drill. A jam
requires tools and/or disassembly to repair.
Magazine As it applies to firearms, the removable box which holds

ammunition in the firearm to be cycled into the firing chamber as it
is fired. The magazine is an integral part of the firearm (autopistol)
necessary for proper function. It is NOT a CLIP (a term which
describes a device which holds cartridges inside the magazine of
certain types of military rifles.)
Magazine Tube As it applies to the shotgun, the tube attached to the forward end
of the receiver just below the barrel which serves to store and
supply shotshells to the action for successive shots.
Make Ready A range command meaning to prepare for a firing drill. This
includes protecting your eyes and ears, loading the firearm
(chamber and magazines).
Malfunction A mechanical stoppage in the cycle of operation of a firearm which

can be cleared by an immediate action drill.
Minimum The Minimum Standard Response to a deadly threat is a

Standard Response controlled pair of HITS to the upper chest of the assailant.
Natural Body Armors Refers to the three major skeletal structures of the human body:
the chest (ribs and sternum), the skull, and the pelvis.
Overflow Effect One of three circumstances Dr. Roger Enoka, from the University
of Arizona, concluded would cause a person to discharge a
firearm if his finger were on the trigger, despite the best efforts of
the person not to press the trigger. As a person grasps something
in one hand and squeezes (with up to 100 pounds of force), the
opposite hand will also close and squeeze with as much as 20% of
the force of the grasping hand (20 pounds – in burst strength).
Point In A range command meaning to point the firearm at the target using
proper stance/grip, finger on the trigger, focus on the front sight. A
shooter goes from Guard or the holster to Pointed In ONLY when
the shooter has made the decision to fire.
Point of Aim The exact location on the target where the sights are aligned and

the bullet is expected to impact.
Postural Instability One of three circumstances Dr. Roger Enoka, from the University
the person not to press the trigger. If a person looses their
balance, slips or falls, the instinctive reaction is for the hands to
grasp and close as the person attempts to regain balance.
“Pre–Ignition Push” Used to describe a shooter’s trigger manipulation when the

“Compressed Surprise Break” is not used. The shooter “jerks” the
trigger at the last instant and/or “pushes” the firearm away instant
the firearm discharge is anticipated. This results in the muzzle
being pulled down as the bullet is still traveling down the barrel
which causes the bullet to impact below the point of aim.
Presentation As it applies to Pistolcraft, the systematic method of getting the

(Weapon Retention) pistol from the holster to Pointed In (or Guard), as quickly,
efficiently and safely as possible. The Weapon Retention
Presentation is the second component of the “Modern Technique
of Pistolcraft”
Press Check The method by which the status of the chamber of the firearm is
confirmed (charged or clear). A proper Press Check includes
checking the status of the magazine in the firearm as well as any
additional ammunition carried by the shooter. A Press Check
should be performed anytime the shooter changes or is uncertain
of the status of the chamber. To properly Press Check the
shotgun, the action or bolt must be closed and locked before
opening the action to check the chamber.
Run Dry Refers to expending all the ammunition in the firearm.
Sight Alignment Describes the alignment (relationship) of the front sight, the rear
sight, and the intended target. Properly done, the front sight
should be centered in the rear sight with equal space on both
sides of the front sight and the top of both sights even. This
alignment is then superimposed over the target with the intended
point of impact centered on top of the front sight.
Sight Picture Describes the shooter’s view of the front sight, the rear sight, and
the intended target. Properly done, the shooter should see the
Front Sight in sharp focus while the rear sight and the target are
blurred, out of focus.
Speed Kneeling A kneeling position quickly assumed by the shooter stepping

forward with the support foot, dropping down to rest all the body
weight on the strong knee.
Squib Load A slang term applied to any cartridge that had insufficient charge
to propel the bullet as it was designed and expected.

A Squib Load usually results in a barrel obstruction caused by the
bullet clearing the cartridge case but not the barrel. If detected, the
firearm must not be fired again until the obstruction is cleared from
the barrel.
Stand–By A preparatory range command usually given immediately before a

Fire command, usually when using a timer, as during a
qualification course.
Stand–Easy A range command given after Stand By to let the shooters know
there will be a slight delay before the Fire command, usually to
allow another shooter to complete preparations for the drill.
Startle Response One of three circumstances Dr. Roger Enoka, from the University
the person not to press the trigger. If a person is startled by a
sudden and unexpected action (noise, movement, etc.), the
muscles contract suddenly and briefly. The critical concern is the
clinching of the hands if a firearm is in the hand and the finger on
the trigger.
Stored One of the Only Four places a firearm should ever be. Stored
includes holstered (or slung in the case of a long gun), in a safe or
other secure place.
“Stovepipe” A Type–2 malfunction. See “Fail to Eject”.
Strong Refers to the shooter’s dominant hand/side, the hand which has the
Hand primary grip on the firearm. The Strong Hand has only four
(Side) functions: maintain a firing grip, manipulate the trigger, manipulate
the safety (if applicable), manipulate the action bar lock (magazine
release in the case of an auto–pistol).
Support Refers to the shooter’s hand (side) opposite the dominant hand, the
Hand hand which provides a supporting grip on the firearm and performs
(Side) all support or servicing actions for the firearm (loading, running the
action, clearing malfunctions, etc.).
Warning Shots fired, not at a suspect but in the air or near a suspect,
Shots intended to provide a warning. Warning Shots are NOT authorized
by DOC Policy or Procedures.
Weapon Describes both the philosophy of a method of deploying the shotgun

Retention and the method of shooting when an assailant is closer than arms
length. Also refers to the methods used to retain a shotgun/long gun
if it is grasped by an assailant.
Weaver The first of the five components of the Modern Technique of

Stance Pistolcraft. Describes the balanced, powerful stance developed by
Jack Weaver to increase recoil control for rapid successive shots. A
“Modified Weaver Stance” is unique to each shooter but includes all
of the following elements: Proper Firing Grip; placement of Feet,
Knees, Hips, Shoulders (all in same plane); Arms (strong arm—
straight, support arm—bent); Head (upright); Isometric Tension
(push/pull); all for the primary purpose of maximum Recoil Control.
As it applies to shotguns/long guns; the support leg/knee may be
bent slightly to increase the “lean” toward the target to assist in
recoil control.

MENTAL CONDITIONING FOR COMBAT

By
Col. Jeff Cooper
Mortal combat is a startling experience. Even those who engage in it quite

frequently don’t really get used to it, and very few people are ready the first time. This is
especially true of the junior police officer, who, no matter how well he has been trained,
finds that looking up his first gun barrel is something he can hardly believe. It happens
so suddenly. There you are, on routine duty as always, somewhat bored and looking
forward to getting off watch, and then in an instant you are a split second away from
death. If you do everything right you will survive. If you don’t—well, you still may survive
(goblins are usually bad shots), but only by the grace of God. Adjusting one’s mind to
these conditions takes a bit of doing.
One’s personal defensive weapons may be good or bad, and one’s skill in their
use may vary from splendid to spastic, but neither a fine gun nor prize–winning
marksmanship matter if they are not used. The decision to use them must come from a
properly conditioned mind, and it must come immediately. This is hard. A normal
human being is not programmed to kill without emotional preparation. Therefore, a man
who is equipped and trained to use lethal violence must “pre–set” himself to respond in
a certain way to certain kinds of stimuli, according to hypothetical decisions made in
advance and “fed into his computer."
In a classic case a couple of years ago, a young officer in a two–man patrol car
made a man–with–gun stop on the highway. As his partner commenced arrest
procedures, the young man got out on his side of the car and stood ready, with his
shotgun at high–port. He stood there and watched as the felon in the halted car opened
the door and shot him in the chest with a .357. He was certainly well armed, he
certainly could have hit at an estimated range of 20 feet, and he had ample time, but he
died in amazement, without firing a shot. His mind had not been pre–set for the
possibility which killed him.
On another recent occasion, a police officer answering a “shooting–in–progress”
call was hit in the spleen with a .22, after both he and the felon had emptied their
weapons and reloaded. He got off his six rounds all right, but he shot from belt level, a
totally inappropriate stance for the distance involved. He reacted, but incorrectly. One
deliberate squeeze could have saved his life (he was a good shot), but he tripped the
wrong mental switch and he died as a result.
And what shall we say of the commonplace shootings of police officers with their
own guns? Clearly a man who has his pistol taken from him is in an entirely unsuitable
state of mind at the time. You can’t snatch a man’s gun if he expects you to try. Any
D.O.C. Auto–Pistol Course Manual Page 60 Revised December 2004

man—soldier, policeman, or private citizen—who wears a sidearm must bear

constantly in mind that not everyone within arm’s length is necessarily his friend.
We need not belabor the obvious truth that when one carries weapons he
assumes a grave social responsibility. Shooting a man is a very serious matter, justified
only in dire circumstances, and when we carry a pistol we are bound to give the matter
our deepest thought.
First, let’s consider the ubiquitous question about “shooting to kill.” The use of
this phrase marks the user as one unfamiliar with firearms in general and with
defensive pistolcraft in particular, but it is common enough with journalists and some
legalists. The fact is that it is, as most commonly heard, meaningless. The only
adequate reason for shooting a man is to prevent his doing something awful. Usually
that will be his killing you, though it can be his killing someone else, or the activation of
an explosive or incendiary device. It can also be to prevent his escape, providing that
you are convinced beyond any doubt and prepared to prove it before God and the law,
that he certainly will do something awful if he does get away. Thus we are never much
concerned with killing, but we are vitally concerned with stopping. If we shoot at all, we
shoot to stop. Nineteen times in twenty, this means that we shoot for the center of
mass. In the twentieth case we shoot for the brain. In no case do we shoot to disable—
simply because we aren’t that good. Defensive combat is split–second work. Some of
us, it is true, can hit a man in the elbow in a split–second at short range—much of the
time. But not always—under pressure, under fire, in motion, in dim light. No marksman
in the world is so good that he can shoot to wound and be absolutely sure that he will
not kill—not under combat conditions. Therefore, we must conclude that if an adversary
needs shooting, he needs killing. If he doesn’t, we are not justified in the use of the gun.
Question: "Did you shoot to kill?"
Answer: "No, sir. I shot to stop."
The next point involved is what some moralists call “playing God.” We hear the
query, “But do I ever have the moral right to decide that a man shall die by my hand?
Shouldn’t that be up to the courts? Doesn’t scripture say ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill’?"
Very well. Let’s consider the Commandment. In the King James Bible, and many
other English language translations, the word “kill” is unqualified. This is an error. In the
original Hebrew, the word used connotes killing—murder. The Old Testament
specifically authorizes taking human life justly (“Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Thief to Live!”
Deut: 24:10) and scripture tells us of any number of powerful, and moral, fighters, from
Little David on down. Killing, for a good and proper reason, is a perfectly acceptable act
—to most of us. A man who does not think so should not be a cop, nor should he bear
arms in any capacity. The problem, of course, comes to a head in the case of the man
who feels that while socially directly killing may be moral, he himself, is not justified in

making that decision personally on the spot. This is possibly a valid attitude for a
private citizen, but not for a policeman. The policeman is a sworn protector of
society, and must be prepared to make the lethal decision, under conditions
dictated by law and his conscience.
It really isn’t all that hard—most of the time. In that notable photo taken in 1973
on a California parking lot, we see a troll sitting on a girl he has wrestled to the ground,
the point of his knife in her throat. Behind him is a security guard, his .45 locked in,
two–handed, on the murderer’s head. An instant after the picture was taken he fired,
we are told. The girl escaped with a scratch, though the experience was one that may
well affect her emotionally for a long time. This may have been “playing God,” but I
can’t see it as presumptuous in this case.
On another occasion in Connecticut, a counter–culture type, possibly crazed by
drugs, took it upon himself to disembowel his pregnant cohabitors with a butcher knife,
right on the sidewalk. The police car arrived too late to save the girl’s life, but caught
the man horribly and literally red–handed, still chopping at his mangled victim. Even for
a veteran cop, this was a frightful sight. As the monster (no, I won’t call him a “suspect")
turned and ran, the policeman drew and called upon him to stop—or so he says. Many
of us do not much care whether he did or not. At that point, the policeman made a
decision, and fired, catching his target low and center in the head, and thereby saved
the community a great deal of time, trouble, and money. I cannot see any cause for
remorse on this policeman’s part.
These things happen. We must be aware of that. We need not worry about
taking too much upon ourselves in making decisions in such cases, because, for the
most part, the decision will be obvious. If it is not, we don’t fire. Simple.
If a man is about to kill us, we fire. If he is about to kill an innocent party, we fire.
If he is an atrocious felon, ready to commit another atrocity if he escapes, we fire.
These decisions are not hard to make—at leisure. What is necessary is to prepare to
make them instantly.
The lethal decision must, of course really be a conscious decision, not a
conditioned reflex. This demands a clear, quick mind that not everyone can claim. But
by analyzing and anticipating the problem, we can prepare our minds to handle a
hypothetical question faster. We can employ the venerable mental exercise of the junior
officer—"What will I do if. . . ?” In situation after situation, both imaginary and real, we
can ask ourselves that question. Then, when a real tactical decision is called for, we will
be prepared.
Elaborate training aids exist to sharpen our combat wits. They can be expensive
and are not always available to everyone, but they are both interesting and useful. One
of the best is a cinema booth in which a live situation is vividly represented in both color

and sound. The student is “read into the problem” by a voice track, and enters the
booth armed with a weapon that will stop the scene and record his hit, if he chooses to
fire. As a “guinea pig” on such a device, I remember that my response to the briefing
was that if I saw a gun barrel pointed in my direction, I would fire. (The briefing
postulated no other lawman on the scene.) The scenario was pretty exciting, and
included some highly provoking action, but, while I drew and went to the Weaver Ready
position, I did not fire until I saw that gun. The machine logged a center hit in .65
seconds—on the right man. I do not recount this as a boast, but only to illustrate how a
pre–set decision can be made to work. It is obvious that working with a machine is a far
cry from a live gunfight, but once we have accepted the proper philosophy about the
justified use of deadly force, the difference is not great enough to invalidate our
preparations.
I have now been conducting training in modern defensive pistolcraft for the best
part of a decade, and one thing that has become very clear is that sheer marksmanship
is not enough. Some students turn out to be better shots than others, of course, but
becoming a good, fast shot is only the first half of the exercise. To attack the second
half, I have devised a simple color code which is used to enable the student to assume
a state of mind appropriate to the various stages of readiness he may need. A man
cannot live constantly looking down his sight with his finger on the trigger. As you read
this, for example, you are not emotionally prepared to shoot at a living enemy. But you
can, with a bit of practice, learn to switch your mind into a more advanced state of
readiness, in which certain pre–set decisions are easier to make. You do this naturally,
but usually by an infinitely variable graduation. The color code makes it easier, by
means of definite, pre–considered steps. It works thus:
CONDITION WHITE: Is a normal, non–combative state of mind. It is where we would
prefer to live. In CONDITION WHITE, we do not expect trouble. No one nearby constitutes
any conceivable threat. We need not look behind us. We feel perfectly safe (with what
we believe to be sufficient reason), and we are not armed. If we are attacked when in
CONDITION WHITE, we will be completely surprised and we will probably die.
Condition Yellow: Is a state of relaxed alertness. It must always be assumed
whenever we wear a gun. In CONDITION YELLOW, we do not expect any specific hostile act,
but we are aware that something of the sort is possible. We maintain an easy but
steady 360 degree surveillance. We know who is behind us. We stay out of arm’s
length of strangers, insofar as possible. The policeman, on duty, is always on YELLOW—
except when he is on ORANGE or RED. A man can maintain CONDITION YELLOW indefinitely,
without undue nervous strain. He is not completely safe, but he is much safer than on
WHITE.
CONDITION ORANGE: is a state of alarm. In ORANGE we have reason to believe that a
fight is likely. We have a specific tactical situation in mind, and we have considered the
provocations that may arise to justify our use of deadly force. We are careful to avoid

“over–reaction” but we are thinking combatively. We keep our backs well covered. We
cannot be surprised. A man cannot maintain ORANGE for very long, as his concentration
must be completely devoted to the matter at hand. The pistol is
holstered, if the subject is competent, but a carefully controlled shot is available

in about three seconds’ notice.
CONDITION RED: is that of defensive combat. In CONDITION RED, if you see a deadly
threat you shoot. You have made up your mind that that is what the situation warrants,
and only certain pre–set checks (a badge, a uniform, etc.) will inhibit your fighting
stroke. “All systems are GO.” Your pistol may be holstered, but more often it will be in
hand, and in either case a controlled shot is available in about one second. A
policeman usually enters a tactical situation on ORANGE, and shifts to RED when he is
shot at.
This color code is not advanced as the complete answer, or even the best
answer, to mental preparation, but it has been very well received by my classes. It is
difficult to assess its tactical application, for it applies mainly to circumstances prior to
actual combat, but we can certainly see numerous cases wherein its absence proved
disastrous. In the two instances cited, for example, the young man with the shotgun
was on YELLOW (or possibly even WHITE) when he should have been on ORANGE. I cannot
really say what the mental condition of the PPC (belt level) shooter was, except that it
was not RED, as it should have been, since he was obviously playing, not fighting.
One of the surprising things about the color code is the degree of peace of mind
it affords. Having thought the matter through, and thus prepared your alternative in
advance, you can discard your nervousness about how you are going to react when the
whistle blows. It really does wonders for the pre–combat jitters. In so doing, it provides
a large head start toward achieving the absolute essence of success in combat, which,
to no one’s surprise, is coolness.
To keep your cool, when you have every reason not to, is the mark of a man. It
is in no sense an unattainable goal. The complaint I often hear, “But how do you expect
me to keep my head when some goon is trying to kill me?” is unworthy of our serious
consideration. We know you can do so because people have done so—not just once in
a while, but continuously throughout history. To find himself suddenly in a situation that
is exciting, unexpected, and terrifying is a sound test of your character. Pass it. Keep
cool, concentrate on your front sight and press smoothly, disregarding your enemy’s
fire. It can be done. Perfectly ordinary people do it all the time.
Deplore it as we may, personal, mortal combat is a very common thing in our
culture, and nothing suggests that this is going to change. To a large degree it is an
attribute of a free society, for crime is easily stamped out by tyranny. The policeman

opts for strike when he takes his job, and it would appear that a cop who is dismayed
by violence is clearly in the wrong profession. Moreover, the private citizen must also
face up to the probabilities of his cultural environment, and, unless he lives on a

farm or in a slave state, these include fighting.
Winning a fight is nothing to be ashamed of, though there are indeed some
complex souls who might have us think so. Killing a man who is trying to kill you, or who
makes a business of preying upon the innocent, should be a source of pride—not
a badge of shame. I know a man who has been employed in one of our biggest
police departments for many years on its reaction squad. He and his colleagues
respond to lethal violence with lethal violence, and they do it very well. I will not give his
score here because I’m not sure of it as I write, but it was high when I last talked to him,
and it has doubtlessly grown since. Some would have you believe that this man must
live a life of unimaginable nightmares, with all those killings on his conscience. Such is
simply not the case. My friend is one of the most well–adjusted, open–hearted,
uncomplicated, cheerful men I have ever met. His marriage is conspicuously happy,
and his children are outstanding. He has no hang–ups, that anyone can tell. His
business is blowing away bad guys, and it obviously relieves him of all his frustrations.
We could use more like him.
So set your mind at ease. If you must fight, take the moral course and do your
best. The obvious confidence that you can—that you are technically equipped properly
trained, and emotionally prepared—may well serve to abort a fight before it starts. This
is not uncommon. But if things do come to a conclusion in “unmitigated act,” a proper
balance of physical and mental preparation will stack the deck heavily in your favor.
DVC

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State of Alaska

D.O.C. Shotgun Certification Manual June 2006

THE FOUR GENERAL FIREARMS SAFETY RULES.........................................................................................5

TRIGGER FINGER PLACEMENT..........................................................................................................................8

WHERE THE SHOTGUN SHOULD BE..................................................................................................................9

WHERE THE SHOTGUN SHOULD NEVER BE.................................................................................................10

MIND SET: “SURVIVING A CRISIS ON OR OFF DUTY”................................................................................13

MENTAL CONDITIONING FOR COMBAT........................................................................................................18

LOW PROFILE SHOOTING POSITIONS............................................................................................................43

D.O.C. Shotgun Manual Page i Revised June 2006

MENTAL CONDITIONING FOR COMBAT........................................................................................................60

D.O.C. Shotgun Manual Page ii Revised June 2006

D.O.C. Shotgun Manual Page 1 Revised June 2006

D.O.C. Shotgun Manual Page 2 Revised June 2006

• Vang Barrel, porting

The Four GENERAL FIREARMS SAFETY RULES

1. ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED

2. NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING THAT YOU ARE

3. KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS

4. BE SURE OF THE TARGET AS WELL AS THE SURROUNDINGS

1. SAFETY IS ALWAYS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY!

2. All commands of the Rangemaster will be followed immediately.

5. We run a “HOT” range. Shotguns will be in Condition 1 (Action Carry) unless

7. When talking with an instructor on the line, continue to face downrange.

8. Never let the shotgun ''dangle" either in one or two hands.

4. GO to GUARD (Guard Position) - The shotgun in Condition 1 (Action Carry).

6. UNLOAD and PREPARE for DRY PRACTICE - From the Guard

TRIGGER FINGER PLACEMENT

• POSTURAL INSTABILITY - If a person loses their balance, slips or falls, the

• STARTLE RESPONSE – If a person is startled by a sudden and unexpected

WHERE THE SHOTGUN SHOULD BE

WHERE THE SHOTGUN SHOULD NEVER BE

REDUCTION OF RISK DUE TO LEAD INGESTION

Controllable Factors, not chance, predominate on the prepared officers’ chart.

METHODS FOR MENTAL PREPARATION

D.O.C. Shotgun Certification Manual Page 15 Revised June 2006

RECOGNIZE YOUR VULNERABILITY

PROFICIENCY WITH TOOLS OF THE TRADE

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, and MORE PRACTICE!!!

PHYSICAL FITNESS and “INTESTINAL FORTITUDE”

D.O.C. Shotgun Certification Manual Page 16 Revised June 2006

MENTAL CONDITIONING FOR COMBAT (STATE OF ALERTNESS)

D.O.C. Shotgun Certification Manual Page 17 Revised June 2006

MENTAL CONDITIONING FOR COMBAT

1. CONDITION WHITE: a state of environmental unawareness, completely

D.O.C. Shotgun Certification Manual Page 18 Revised June 2006

Being AWARE can:

TEN FATAL ERRORS . ..

D.O.C. Shotgun Certification Manual Page 19 Revised June 2006

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Think SURVIVAL!! Think TACTICS!! Have a PLAN!!

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Powerful: Engaging an adversary with a 1oz-rifled slug is incredibly devastating. In

Awkward: Especially in full-length configuration (20” barrel), the shotgun can be

Strong Hand Tasks:

D.O.C. Shotgun Certification Manual Page 23 Revised June 2006

2. TRIGGER—The strong hand index finger manipulates the trigger.

• Feet approximately a shoulder width apart (maybe a little wider)

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The Press-Check, or Touch-Check is a status check of the weapon. The primary

Empty Chamber Press-Check:

D.O.C. Shotgun Certification Manual Page 26 Revised June 2006