The Tactical Advantage: A Definitive Study Of Personal Small-Arms Tactics

SIXTEEN TOOLS FOR SEARCHING

We've all heard the story of the idiot who brought a knife to a gunfight, but there are also plenty of stories out there about people who similarly went into battle without the proper equipment. This is even more poignant when we realize that the proper gear was at hand and the people in question had prior warning of its probable impending need. We can only speculate, for example, what a pair of Gatling guns might have done for Custer on one fateful day in 1876.

A tactical search of any kind is a proactive event. This means that it generally doesn't just happen unexpectedly, like a surprise gunfight. Rather, you go in search of the fight… on purpose. You generally know what you are getting into. Therefore, you want to bring the right gear with you to the party.

Some weapons, for example, may be more suitable for certain types of searches. If you are a rural ranch owner about to search the area around your home for a possible trespasser, the AR-15 or SKS by the back door will do just fine. In fact, such weapons are preferred for those environments because of their greater reach, power, and versatility. A carbine or compact repeating rifle is very useful if you expect contact at greater than 25 meters. I know some Korean businessmen who were glad to have had their "ugly and sinister" military-style rifles a few seasons ago in "kinder, gentler" L.A.

^{Remember what it is that you are trying to accomplish. Some weapons are neat, but this does not mean that they are the best tool for the job.}

The inner-city apartment dweller is in a different position altogether. He may want to limit himself to an easy-to-use shotgun with low-penetration birdshot. His apartment may not be large enough to even bother searching since he might be able to survey the entire area from his bedroom door. He might choose a weapon that he or his unskilled family can hide behind until the police arrive. Additionally, he may have concerns over rounds that miss, disrupting his neighbors' living quarters, so singleprojectile weapons such as pistols may not be a good choice. Carbines and rifles would, likewise, not be a consideration for this application.

At other times, the ubiquitous service pistol will be the tool best suited for the job since it is a weapon that most people already have access to and can readily practice with at urban indoor ranges. The pistol's maneuverability and compactness arc also the reason that many people, who have access to other weapons as well, choose it when they must operate in close-quarters environments. For example, if I am about to search a typical urban structure I prefer the pistol. I know, I know-the shot gun, the carbine, and the submachine gun are all more powerful, reach longer, etc., but they arc also very 1-o-n-g weapons. The pistol is much handier and more maneuverable in the indoor environment than the other weapons available. For instance, you can easily control it with one hand, if necessary, and you can move with it through areas that would severely limit your mobility if you were armed with a long gun.

If I am searching an outdoor area, on the other hand (such as a backyard, an alley, or a dark beach), I'll take a shotgun or a submachine gun. You will not face the same closely confined movement outside that you will in the indoors environment, so the length of the shotgun or submachine gun will not create a liability. The advantages in stopping power as well as in speed must not be ignored for rapidly moving outdoor targets. The point is that you must first examine the "battlefield" you will most likely be operating in and then select the tools to fit the problem at hand.

There is another item that is mandatory for the searcher: a compact, high-intensity flashlight. Every policeman should have one on his belt; every homeowner should have one by his home defense weapon. If your gun is to be used exclusively for defending your home or business, you can get away with a dedicated weapon mount as designed for special operations/SWAT use.

If your gun will see double duty as a concealed piece that you stuff into your waistband every morning, either avoid the weapon-mounted light or, better yet, get a second identical pistol. If you only have one gun, secure one of the compact Laser Products Sure-Fire or Streamlight Stinger flashlights and develop a strong flashlight-ready position.

Study your environment and the realities that you might face. Develop a plan of action, train your partners and your family, and be ready. Make sure that the next urban terrorist who hides from you will be in more danger from you than you are from him.

^{A standard submachine gun is often one of the best and most versatile tools available for indoor and limited-range outdoor scenarios.}

^{Even with the modern advances in weaponcraft, the ubiquitous handgun is still often preferred for indoor scenarios because of its controllability and maneuverability.}

^{Dale Fricke oversees a firing drill with a suppressed submachine gun.}