 of American law enforcement as the familiar star or badge. Through the years, it has grown to be still another common bond between peace officers of many different jurisdictions. Over to suit almost any taste. Some officers like a plain model with simple holster to match, such as those issued as regular equipment to special agents of the FBI. Others may prefer an ornate nickel-plated gun, such as this automatic pistol, with intricate engravings and a tooled leather holster to match. Take your pick, but remember one thing. Plain or fancy, a revolver is no mere ornament or decoration. It's a most important and vital piece of your official equipment. Learn to use it safely and effectively. Your own life or that of someone else may depend on how well you handle it. Always remember that a loaded revolver is no respecter of persons. It will kill anyone at whom it is pointed, whether that person is the holder of the weapon, the criminal, or an innocent bystander. Never point your revolver at anyone unless you are justified and are ready and willing to kill that person. In combat training, emphasis must be given to shooting double action at close range. For this, most nearly duplicates the situation that may lie just around the corner for any officer on duty. With gun in shoulder holster, this criminal was no match for well-trained officers drawing and shooting double action from hip level. Remember, this is the fastest method of firing. It is accurate and effective up to 10 yards. When fired double action from the hip, the revolver is almost lightning fast. The weapon is cocked and fired in one continuous motion of the trigger finger on the trigger. With practice, both speed and accuracy will be improved. Note the grouping of shots on these targets. They were fired at 7 yards from the first position on the FBI practical pistol course. However, without good form, speed and accuracy will be no better than hit or miss. Above all, learn good form and practice it religiously. Drawing and shooting from the hip was developed on the western frontier, where speed with a gun often meant survival. Western style shooting with single action revolver was inaccurate compared to modern hip level shooting. Today's draw and shooting from the hip is smooth and continuous, with not a bit of waist motion. And the revolver in front of the shooter is in position to ensure a greater degree of accuracy. A quick draw holster is a necessity. As the shooter goes to a crouch, the holster tips forward, allowing the gun to slide out easily and in line with the target. By facilitating the draw, this holster contributes to safety, speed and accuracy. Whenever gun play is anticipated, the coat is unbuttoned. The shooter steps to his left and forward as he reaches for his weapon. Body movement swings the coat aside and away from the gun. As the left foot steps forward, the right shoulder drops. A firm grip is taken on the gun and it is then dragged from the holster and pointed toward the target. In this on target position, the forearm is rigid and almost parallel to the ground. Your grip is of utmost importance in double action shooting. Since the trigger pull is about three times that of firing single action, the grip must be tight. By keeping the trigger finger outside the trigger guard until the gun has cleared the holster, danger of accidental discharge is minimized. Such a juggling act can be dangerous. It wastes vital time that may mean the difference between life and death. The shooter must be prepared to take a proper grip at the instant he first puts his hand on the weapon. Control of the trigger is another essential. Insert the trigger finger to the first joint or even further. Keep the wrist stiff and the grip tight. Pull the trigger steadily and evenly. Only the trigger finger is moved. Use the other finger to maintain a tight grip on the weapon. Pulling the trigger unevenly or jerking it and breaking the wrist are two faults of double action firing that result in inaccurate shooting. These apparently minor faults have cost many officers their lives. When the shooter is ready to fire, he is in a crouch with his weight equally distributed on both feet. He is balanced like an athlete and can move easily in any direction. In this position he presents a smaller target for return fire. His head and shoulders are back for better balance and vision. The shooter keeps his direct vision on the target. With his outer vision he sees his weapon and lines it up with the target. The left hand is held near the revolver for it must be readily available to take the weapon should the shooter be hit in the right hand or arm. Firing then can be continued with the left hand without changing position of the body. This student illustrates the rule that when the weapon is returned to its holster the other hand must not assist in any way. Use only the shooting hand. Never cover the opposite hand when holstering your revolver. Make certain you learn how to holster your gun properly using only the shooting hand. Remember in all close range double action shooting in contrast to bullseye shooting your direct vision is on the target. Firing from hip level the gun will be seen in the outer vision. Your direct vision is still on the target. For close range shooting bringing your revolver to hip level is faster than raising it to eye level. And that split second you save by learning to shoot accurately from this position may well save your life. Effectiveness of hip level shooting decreases as the target becomes more distant. Therefore it ranges greater than 10 yards bring the revolver to eye level. Fundamentals employed here are the same as in hip shooting the crouch the draw the grip and the trigger control do not vary. It is important that the shooter does not change his method of draw when firing from shoulder level. It should be the same fast smooth motion that he uses when firing from the hip. There is only one difference. Instead of halting at hip level the shooter swings his weapon up to shoulder level. The time necessary to bring the gun to shoulder level will be justified by the increased accuracy at greater distances. Eye level shooting is properly called point shoulder shooting. The gun is pointed at the target in the same way that a finger would be pointed. And the direct vision is focused on the target with the gun sight seen in the outer vision. A basic principle in defensive combat shooting is to make yourself as small a target as possible for return fire. The officer in a crouch position is a smaller target than if you were standing upright. In the kneeling position he further decreases his target size. To assume this position take a short step forward and to the left. The other knee goes to the ground and at the same time the shooter draws his weapon as for hip or point shoulder shooting. In addition to being a smaller target the shooter has adopted a steady position. He is still mobile and can move quickly if it is necessary to do so. Maximum protection from return fire is afforded in barricade shooting. Shooting with either the left or right hand this training simulates the time when you may have to use a building, a telephone pole or an automobile for cover. Taking advantage of the best cover available this officer made himself the smallest target possible. Instinctive attention to the fundamentals of defensive shooting saved this officer's life. There will be occasions when no cover is available. This officer learned his defensive positions well. With no cover available he dropped to the prone position. With his feet together he made himself as small a target as possible. And in this support position accurate shooting up to 75 yards is possible. Constant practice in the fundamentals and positions of revolver shooting is required if a law enforcement officer is to achieve and maintain that shooting skill that one day may save his life. For those in training at the FBI Academy at Quantico, Virginia a number of disabled weapons are available for such practice. Each such weapon has a red grip to indicate that it has been disabled. Here before a full length mirror a man can correct flaws in his stance, his grip and his defensive positions. Since gun battles are not necessarily limited to five or six rounds constant practice in loading and unloading is required. For this purpose dummy cartridges are available. Ejecting the empty cartridges and reloading is practiced and practiced until it becomes almost second nature. Any police department can easily disable a weapon that is beyond economical repair simply by removing its firing pin. After the disabled guns have been given distinctive red markings they can be used in the squad room or training school. Drive firing and position practice can be accomplished safely with such distinctively marked disabled weapons. Silhouettes of different sizes which simulate targets at various distances are another valuable training aid. Presenting a realistic picture to the shooter they closely simulate actual firing conditions and they can be easily and inexpensively installed in any squad or training room. Electronic courses have great value for advanced training and double action shooting. Each hit is recorded and scored electrically. The shooter learns that at first his accuracy goes down as his speed goes up. Before long he has learned the maximum speed at which he is able to shoot accurately. On the electronic dueling course students are in direct competition. Here essential speed and accuracy are developed under conditions similar to an actual gun battle. Through electronic control devices the winner is determined with split second accuracy. The running man target provides practice in firing at a moving target. It points up the necessity for shooting where the target will be when the bullet arrives rather than where the target was at the moment the gun was fired. Here the student is allowed three shots at the target moving to his right and three shots at the target moving to his left. Basic principles learned and perfected on these electronic courses someday may save an officer's life. Officer fired from the hip to get the first burglar. Remaining in crouched position he shot the second using eye level points shoulder technique. He employed basic principles taught in all three electronic courses. Because this officer was well trained and kept himself in training he survived. The revolver can be a lifesaver for the law enforcement officer and the person he is trying to protect. Its presence can even prevent a gun battle entirely. For the criminal will know by the way an officer holds his weapon that he is a well trained man. In such cases the criminal may well refuse to shoot it out with him. But there is a price that must be paid for this. That price is thorough training constantly practiced and regularly renewed on the range. In no other way can you buy the art and skill of fine marksmanship. So learn the fundamentals of good shooting. Practice them regularly and diligently until they become an instinctive part of everything you do with your revolver.