Originally released in the Early 2000's, this video differed from most of the other 'Shotguns for Self Defense' videos at the time. Primarily because it does not include any material about handling, or maintaining your SG. It is strictly about proper use of a Shotgun for personal protection inside the home.
The reviewer was a member of Federal Law Enforcement that I knew through having attended numerous self defense seminars wit him. 'Mini Me 007' was the name he used at martial arts online forums.
While other self defense with a Shotgun videos have come out since the one this review covers, the Caracci video is still a relevant, well put together instructional program.
Review Of Chris Caracci’s ‘Shotgun CQB’ Video
by Mini Me 007 Aug 25, 2007
Gents,
With the home firearms defense thread in the Firearms section approaching three pages, I decided to pull this video from the bookshelf and see what it has that can compliment what has already been mentioned.
The video, "Shotgun CQB," is a L.O.T.I Group Productions film, 1998, and features C.J. Caracci, U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six veteran.
I have viewed some of Caracci's other training videos, and hold him in high regard. This tape is approximately 90 minutes long. I have the VHS version (not sure if a DVD version is available). Production quality varies throughout - had some difficulty with video tracking, and the audio is fuzzy at times, but that does not prevent me from recommending this video.
This video is geared towards providing civilians with tactics and strategies for using defensive shotguns indoors, i.e., in your house, to protect yourself and your family.
Caracci recommends staying put in a safe room, such as your bedroom, and only leaving it if absolutely necessary, such as to retrieve your children. Caracci suggests that you keep a flashlight and cell phone in your bedroom for contingency against someone cutting power / phone lines. He also recommends a child intercom to communicate with your children. Caracci advocates something I've said here before regarding gunfights: Your number one priority is don't get hurt.
Thresholds
Caracci discusses transversing through thresholds [channelized areas intruders expect you to come through, such as hallways]. His advise here is to get through them as quickly as possible. He gives a very basic demo of cutting the pie, and recommends observing as much of a room as possible from outside it before entering it.
The video also discusses utilization of cover [something that stops projectiles] and concealment [things that you can hide behind]. In this section Caracci discusses shooting from behind barricades, both from the strong and weak sides. His demonstrations here are very good. While shooting weak side barricade, he advocates rotating the shotgun ninety degrees to its side, and sighting along the side of the barrel. This gives you minimum exposure to the bad guys
Use of lights. Caracci emphasizes that you must identify a threat before engaging, and this cannot be emphasized strongly enough. Caracci's preference here is a weapon mounted light that is mounted above the barrel, at a 45 degree angle on the shooting side.
He demonstrates how this compliments his roll-out barricade technique so as the light does not shine on the barricade, but shines out towards the threat area. Caracci also warns to move after shooting or illuminating an area.
As far as movement goes, Caracci instructs you to move from the waist down. This enables you to keep your weapon on target. Caracci says that you know the layout of your home better than anyone, and that you should take full advantage of this.
Shooting positions
Caracci demonstrates kneeling, prone, and reverse prone techniques. Reverse prone - you are on your back, with the shotgun pointing beyond your feet. His demonstration shows how you have more maneuverability to track an intruder moving laterally to you than when in conventional prone. He also demonstrates his "Immediate Danger Position," basically hip shooting position with strong hand against waist, below pectoral area.
Caracci demonstrates high barrel mount [looking for bad guys with barrel up, muzzle/front sight in view of dominant eye] and low barrel mount [muzzle near weak side shin]. Carracci effectively demonstrates how his Immediate Danger Position keeps the muzzle trained at the threat area, allowing you to shoot from the hip as soon as a threat is identified, even if you don't have time to bring the shotgun up to conventional shoulder position. He recommends keeping your elbow in for the conventional shoulder shooting position so that it does not extend beyond the barricade.
Caracci also recommends securing your firearms from unauthorized people such as children. He also discusses slings and ammunition pouches. His personal preference is to keep ammo on his body, as opposed to using slings with built in bandoliers, or receiver mounted side saddles, since these weigh down the weapon. He also instructs that by downloading the magazine tube by one round, you can insert another type of shotshell into the tube for use next, e.g. 00 buck in the tube, bad guy goes behind barricade, insert slug in magazine tube, work action, and shoot through barricade.
The final section of the video discusses an often overlooked topic....patterning your shotgun. This needs to be done with the shotgun you will use for home defense AND the ammunition you will use. While at the range, shoot at targets that are of the same distance you would potentially engage an intruder at. This will show you the spread pattern at typical engagement distances. You could then evaluated the targets and see how wide spread patterns would typically be, and whether the pattern is too wide too allow you to shoot.
Mini Me 007
No comments:
Post a Comment