Gunfighting and Neuroscience: Why Using Your Front Sight Might Kill You

[RedFive]

I think it might be a reference to the NYPD Firearms Discharge Report for the year 2000, which showed, for gunfights (an incident with shots fired by both officers and perps), officer accuracy rates of 9% (16 hits for 185 shots fired) and perp accuracy rates of 17% (7 hits for 42 shots fired).

NYPD SOP 9

That year may have been particularly bad, and an aberration for the NYPD, though. There was a 2008 RAND study that said “Between 1998 and 2006, the average hit rate was 18% for gun fights.” But that was for the NYPD, the RAND study doesn’t appear to give accuracy stats for the other side of the gunfight (the perp).

https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG717.pdf

The NYPD seems to be the main agency studied — they are the largest police force in the US and seem to keep copious statistics.

The NYPD also fits their issued sidearms with triggers that are designed to take additional pressure to pull, which was described to me as a "lawyer's trigger" ie. the only way that gun could have possibly fired is because you wanted it to.

The RCMP S&W 5946 has a trigger weight of between 10-12lbs. I can't speak for the NYPD, but they're probably in a similar range.

I have about 10 years of shooting experience, and I find it difficult to shoot with CONSISTENT accuracy even under ideal conditions at a range. When relaxed and focused, it is a pleasure to shoot. Any time I've taken it out to play for keeps? I've never been relaxed, nor focused on the principles of marksmanship.

EDIT: NYPD Trigger pull

Because I know sources are better than hearsay. I can't find any source on the RCMP trigger besides my own experience and training.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I had an ex-SQ Sig 2340, with the most god awful trigger I have ever felt, apparently long, hard and gritty is the required trigger pull. After six shots my trigger finger started to hurt.

 

[Haggis]

Honestly I hope more follow suit if it means putting pressure on police/leo unions to be more vocal about the bans.

My club discussed this and brought the idea to the CSSA. It was not very well supported as most clubs recognize that front-line LEOs are just as flabbergasted by the bans as regular club members. Smaller clubs don't want to risk losing paying members or the income from local LEA rentals.

My club's licence has an exemption for the use of prohibited firearms by LEOs during the course of their duties (i.e. organized training and requalification). We allow LEOs to use their duty firearms for off duty practice, but only one or two actually exercise this privilege usually because they don't own any handguns.

 

[Haggis]

The RCMP S&W 5946 has a trigger weight of between 10-12lbs. I can't speak for the NYPD, but they're probably in a similar range.

My agency's pistol has a 9.9 lb double action only trigger with a long, long pull. It's at least twice as long as the 5946.

 

[daftandbarmy]

My agency's pistol has a 9.9 lb double action only trigger with a long, long pull. It's at least twice as long as the 5946.

Holy crap... I hope you guys do alot of finger tip pushups!

 

[lenaitch]

Technical specs for Ontario from the Regs under the Police Services Act;

Item	Specification
1.	Weapon type
	i. Semi-automatic pistol,
	A. that requires a single consistent trigger pressure of not less than 8 pounds and not more than 13 pounds to discharge the weapon on each shot, and
	B. all the safety features of which are housed within or are a part of the trigger system.
2.	Calibre
	i. 9 × 19 mm, or
	ii. .40 S & W
3.	Barrel length
	i. Minimum 90 mm (3.5²)
	ii. Maximum 130 mm (5²)
4.	Finish
	i. Corrosion-resistant
	ii. Non-reflective
5.	Sights
	i. Fixed metal
	ii. Self-luminating
6.	Operation
	i. The slide remains locked fully open after the last round in the magazine is fired.
	ii. The pistol has an external device that allows the slide to be manually locked open.
	iii. The pistol has drop safety protection capable of preventing an accidental discharge when dropped from a height of four feet.