FIREARMS TRAINING
Identifying and correcting
the most common shooting error
Skill with a handgun is difficult to acquire. I
hope to give you some insight on why it can be
so difficult and how you can advance your shoot-
ing skills. There is a common error among most
shooters, including law enforcement officers. I
often hear, “My gun is shooting down and to the
left; can you move the sights?”
It’s not the sights that need to be moved; it’s
SCOTT
a
habit that needs to be corrected. If you’re
LESSIG
right-handed and shooting down and to the left,
it’s likely you’re countering the discharge energy by pushing the
firearm at the instance of discharge. The further you are from
the target, the more problematic it is.
The error is actually a combined result of human reaction,
failing to identify the problem, being improperly instructed
and spending insufficient time shooting. Proper instruction
and repetition can help you overcome the error. But first, let’s
focus on handguns and humans in general and how the two in-
teract during the act of shooting. Keep this in mind: As a sworn
officer, you are legally accountable for every trigger press and
bullet that comes out of your handgun, whether it’s used in
self-defense or for the defense of another, dispatching an an-
imal and even during qualification.
Handguns are naturally difficult for most humans to shoot
well, let alone master. It is even more difficult for a new shoot-
er who is unaccustomed to gunshots. The human body is pro-
grammed to be fearful of loud explosions, muzzle flashes and
hot flying cartridge cases. We typically react to gunshots with
the startle response. This response will eventually diminish
upon exposure, and “double muffing” by using both earplugs
and muffs will help reduce the decibel level. (Electronic muffs
will help communication and range commands, and PEOSH
mandates double muffing at indoor ranges.) Solving the prob-
lem goes beyond the startle response, so let’s break down the
actual handgun discharge a little further.
A firearms discharge is made up of several segments. The
shooter sees, hears and feels the discharge. As the firearm dis-
charges, the recoil and the handgun function all within a frac-
tion of a second, all within the shooter’s hand. Handguns ac-
tually function on the principle of recoil, so all this activity is
necessary. Since all the discharge energy is transmitted to the
shooter, the typical human response is to control it by trying
to compensate or push back against it. Even veteran officers
who have been shooting for years may have developed this
subconscious and improper response, which will cause shot
placement error.
In order to solve the problem, you need to get the officer on
board and demonstrate how he or she is contributing to the
shooting error. The most important concept is that the officer
understand the problem and its cause.
Lastly, the officer must also recognize that the handgun in-
herently compounds this error. A handgun is typically held
with both hands at a single point (the grip). A shooter who re-
acts to the recoil discharge is using major muscle groups in a
gross motor skill response. When the shooter makes the shot
and presses the trigger, he or she should be using fine motor
skills. It’s gross motor skills versus fine motor skills. This strug-
gle is akin to pushing a car out of traffic and trying to text a
message at the same time. These two skills are in complete
conflict with one another and if they aren’t separated, they will
definitely cause shot placement error.
In the next article, we’ll address the issue of properly accept-
ing the discharge energy and how best to use the human body
to shoot accurately.
Scott Lessig is the director of training for the Tactical Training
Center of NJ, an indoor firearms training facility, indoor range
and retail firearms store, and a retired officer who served the
Raritan Township Police Department for nearly 32 years. He
holds certifications as a firearms instructor (pistol, shotgun, pa-
trol rifle, submachine gun and NRA pistol), live-fire shoot-house
instructor, active shooter response instructor and use of force in-
structor. He was the primary firearms training instructor for the
Raritan Township Police Department. TTC is located in Central
New Jersey and conducts various training courses, from begin-
ner to advanced tactical courses and Youth Firearms Academies.
74
NEW JERSEY COPS
■ MARCH 2019