Do you train around vehicles?

Have you incorporated vehicles into your training? Do you know what to use them for? Do you know how windshields affect bullets?

 

Yes. With adrenaline going you would be surprised how many times your own seatbelt will grab your shooting arm in a rush until you practice around it. If you know a place where you can train in and around vehicles, I recommend it. Vehicle training should focus on avoidance and escape first. You are in a multi-ton vehicle. That can go 0-60 rather quickly to get away from a gun fight. A car is nowhere near 100% bulletproof but it is still better to be moving away from gunfire than sitting in it and fighting back. Returning fire from inside or from an exited vehicle should be a last resort. Because shooting through a windshield can be so unpredictable, most trainers will teach how to shoot out the driver's side window. Or other windows as a passenger.

 

Yes, to all 3 questions.

 

Neither is training to shoot from inside the vehicle, or evasive driving training, until it is.

 

Yes.

Believe it or not, this has become an important part in a lot of law enforcement weapons training for at least the last decade, and a number of the more credible civilian commercial training schools have at least got some instructors to come in to offer components of training incorporating vehicles into their curriculum. For those with military time, particularly during the early stages of OIF, many lessons were learned the hard way.

 

I have been in a number of matches that incorporated vehicles into stages. As targets and shooting positions, including drawing.

How a windshield deflects a projectile depends greatly on what it is and how fast it’s going. For example a 9mm or even 45 might not go through a door, side impact internal bracing and window glass where a 50 BMG will and blow other bits of the car out the door on the other side of the car too.

 

Yes, we included vehicles in our firearms training (police work) and even included high speed chases (very short) that ended up in gunplay at the stop... We also included training to recognize deliberate planned ambush scenes - how to avoid, how to retreat, and other similar tactics.. Pray, that as an ordinary citizen, you're not involved in any of that sort of action - since the good guys often don't survive it without serious harm...

What we did not train for, that I would have approved, was serious defensive use of your vehicle when confronted by an armed assailant when your life is on the line. I can understand why no police agency would allow such training - but a vehicle is a deadly weapon in its own right and prompt aggressive action can interrupt a planned attack -then allow you to retreat in that same vehicle. I suspect that serious executive protection training probably involves some of that - but not something they talk about at all...

Early on as a young cop I figured out on my own that my vehicle was also a weapon in an extreme situation - and was fully prepared to make use of it if necessary. I'm happy to report that I never got into any situations where it was used. I also figured out that I'd have a tough time explaining that sort of action after the fact... Real life is messy and seldom plays out the way you think it would so I'm very grateful it wasn't needed..

 

California Highway Patrol and Duncan MacPherson tested handgun bullet deflection through windshield glass and concluded the effects are so small that there's no need to compensate for deflection by aiming differently.

 

I recommend you find out for yourself. My experience proved it to be false.

 

Bullets choose the path of least resistance so shooting out of a windshield deflects the up and shooting into the car deflects them down. It tends to be 5" or so with 9mm ball on targets within a foot of the bumper.

 

General rule of thumb

 

My experience is shooting through car windshields a few times and my source is I lift more than you.

 

Yeah, the thread should be done after this response.