firearms officers...dont you just love em!!!!

[ordnance]

All this training? What training? I fired more rounds in the first two months of this year than most police would see in a full year. An accidental discharge from the psni is not a surprise to be honest. They're not even allowed to use their duty pistols to practice in their own time. If you want to get good at something you need to practice. Something our police force doesn't do frequently enough.

 

I would agree, most police forces worldwide have a certain level of basic training on firearms unless they are specialist units. But the PSNI still manage to have less negligent discharges than the MET police who have more training , don't take their firearms home with them, and there are less of them. So there must be more to it than lots of training maybe its the type of training. As for firearms officers giving advice, anyone can learn the do's and don'ts of firearms and never have fired a shot, and still be able to give good advice. And are quite capable of interviewing someone for an FAC all they are doing in the interview is checking that you have everything required, safe properly mounted, the security of the house and area, and you have some knowledge on safety. etc. Its a bit like saying someone couldn't give training and advice about safe driving because they once caused an accident. PS I know the FEO i deal with has no interest in shooting or firearms its just a job.

Edited October 6, 2014 by ordnance

[brook]

At a guess the met obviously have a laid back approach with their weapons or are conducting poor continuation training. And just one on the person who mentioned how poor the police was at shooting and they could do a 250mm group at 25m if that's true they should of been sacked as they wouldn't of passed their annual test.

[Steppenwolf]

I've recently befriended an ex Met armed response/diplomatic protection squad officer and on showing him my latest target card showing a 2.5 inch grouping for 5 shots fired from my .44 Remington BP revolver (shot over 25m), he commented that few if any of his ex colleagues (including himself) could possibly hope to achieve such a tight grouping.

 

I asked him were they firing under the same conditions as I would have been experiencing i.e. 25m, no timed shots, relaxed atmosphere and he said yes they were and added most of his ex colleagues were mediocre shots at the best of times on the range and proved even less effective when under pressure.

I am not surprised at all. I don't know if anyone has heard of Lyudmilla Pavlichenko.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyudmila_Pavlichenko

The most successful female Russian sniper during the Second World War. Guess what her hobbies were before the war. You guessed it: Target Shooting.

"Born in Bila Tserkva on July 12, 1916, Pavlichenko moved to Kiev with her family at the age of fourteen.There she joined a DOSAAF shooting club and developed into an amateur sharpshooter, while working as a grinder at the Kiev Arsenal factory."

 

Generally the best shoters in the world when it comes to police or army were people involved in some form of target shooting as a hobby previously and during thier military and police career.

 

Now I wonder how many of these New Firearms Officers are geniuine target shooters or any form of shooters of any kind?

[deershooter]

I worked with two police firearms officers once we all were given 2 ball bearings they both lost one and broke the other

 

 

P/s 3 things that go together to avoid

 

1, Police Marksman

2 , Lady Driver

3, Military Intelligence

 

 

Deershooter

[clakk]

met a retired colonel on a course that runs the "agency"that supplies ex -service gentlemen to protect ships off the coast of somalia ,he would not even consider police marksmen .he called them cowboys with little knowledge and dangerous ideas.and by the way deershooter military intelligence is a contradiction in terms

[srspower]

My local firearms response unit train at my club. They have a reputation for poor muzzle dicipline to the point they would get booted out if they were regular members. Just goes to show that putting on a uniform doesn't suddenly make you an expert despite what the public may think.

[Westward]

by the way deershooter military intelligence is a contradiction in terms

I think they all are

[Gordon R]

Now I wonder how many of these New Firearms Officers are geniuine target shooters or any form of shooters of any kind?

 

 

One of GMP's FEOs is a clay shooter - and a very good one at that.

[Pastiebap]

I've not heard anything, certainly nothing on the rumour mill. Must check with my old colleagues and see what the story is.

[Pastiebap]

Just had this confirmed and found out who too.

Lets just say I am not in the least bit surprised.

[millrace]

Just had this confirmed and found out who too.

Lets just say I am not in the least bit surprised.

Funny that was the reaction among those present when I was told ( ahh I've said funny again tin hat time!!!)

[Big Al]

All this "in house" talk is cracking me up millrace and pastiebap.

 

Right. My money would be on a psni man ( as opposed to an old school ex- RUC)

 

Am I close?

 

It is just speculation you understand.

[FoxyChris]

Just remember that most FAO's aren't even Police Officers anymore. All of Lancashires are civilian staff.

[Cannon]

I'm not surprised at all myself either

[STOTTO]

All this "in house" talk is cracking me up millrace and pastiebap.

 

Right. My money would be on a psni man ( as opposed to an old school ex- RUC)

 

Am I close?

 

It is just speculation you understand.

 

‘If you want the world to know your secret tell just one other person’, i.e. Pigeon Watch!

Edited October 11, 2014 by STOTTO

[Pastiebap]

All i'll say is that I cannot fathom how anyone can allegedly shoot themselves whilst allegedly cleaning a short barreled firearm.

 

Funny you should say funny Millrace, as laughter might have been my reaction when I heard.

[Scully]

Not really.

[Rim Fire]

Some police officers havent got a clue about firearms i was out foxing back 2 yrs ago. When i was going from one farm to anouther when i was stopped a police car with a PC and a WPC when he ask where i had been i told him i been shooting fox when he replied but its dark i explained to him my mate was my lamp man and i was the shooter. in the mean time the WPC was checking my tyres and called in my reg. by now the PC was looking at my cert the wpc came around and gave him the nod all was ok when she ask for my name i said ask him where she said how do he know i said he been looking at my cert for 10 mins like it was a chinese takeaway at this point the PC said what is that in your van i said its a 14lb sledge hammer i was using earlier in the day and forgot to take out where he responded by saying i could arrest you for that its an offensive weapon where i replied i got a firearm in that case which you havent looked at yet it can kill at 1000 mtrs and you think i am going to go around swinging a 14 ld sledge hammer and he still didnt check my firearm to see if was correct on my cert not a CLUE now this was a PC and WPC who was patroling the country side who you would think they would the basic skills on firearms

Edited October 14, 2014 by Rim Fire

[Steppenwolf]

^ Got a good chuckle at that. Oh noes, 14lb sledge hammer, obviously OFFENSIVE WEAPON! Gun in gun slip, 100 times more dangerous, meh it's okay we "trust" you. LOL

[STOTTO]

In the past when dealing with a normal policeman or woman and to a large extent even some of the trained firearms officers, I have always assumed that their knowledge on the subject of firearms and the law pertaining to them is likely to be somewhat limited in regard to that of an experienced shooter.

When stopped or approached by one of the above I have always been polite, respectful and calmly explained my business to them and showed any documentation authorising my activity, explaining any aspect that I believed would be helpful. I have found this approach to be beneficial to both myself and the officers involved with any ambiguities being quickly resolved to our mutual satisfaction resulting with me proceeding speedily on my way. At the end of the day we are all on the same side after all!

[bostonmick]

In the past when dealing with a normal policeman or woman and to a large extent even some of the trained firearms officers, I have always assumed that their knowledge on the subject of firearms and the law pertaining to them is likely to be somewhat limited in regard to that of an experienced shooter.

When stopped or approached by one of the above I have always been polite, respectful and calmly explained my business to them and showed any documentation authorising my activity, explaining any aspect that I believed would be helpful. I have found this approach to be beneficial to both myself and the officers involved with any ambiguities being quickly resolved to our mutual satisfaction resulting with me proceeding speedily on my way. At the end of the day we are all on the same side after all!

+1 politeness costs nothing..give respect to gain respect.

[Brooksy789]

We went to Emergency Response Day at Newstead Abbey Nottingham a few months back now and 2 armed response officers where there having talks with members of public about what they do etc.

 

His had it boot down on his Land Rover DIscovery Armed Response car with his H&K MP5 sat there. I got talking to him and he said he has no interest in firearms outside of work and that it's "just a job" to him. Sacry really.

 

He did say though he has to do a test every 6 months and ongoing training and if he fails at any point he can no longer be an armed responce officer.

[bostonmick]

We went to Emergency Response Day at Newstead Abbey Nottingham a few months back now and 2 armed response officers where there having talks with members of public about what they do etc.

 

His had it boot down on his Land Rover DIscovery Armed Response car with his H&K MP5 sat there. I got talking to him and he said he has no interest in firearms outside of work and that it's "just a job" to him. Sacry really.

 

He did say though he has to do a test every 6 months and ongoing training and if he fails at any point he can no longer be an armed responce officer.

Why do you find it scary that a man who uses firearms in his professional life has no interest in them in his private life.I would say a lot of servicemen have guns as part of their daily routine but no interest outside of duty hours.as for the six monthly tests and regular training courses maybe that could be introduced into private firearms ownership in some way.could go a long way to changing the publics perception of the shooting community. And making the subject of firearms less scary.atb

[Rim Fire]

Why do you find it scary that a man who uses firearms in his professional life has no interest in them in his private life.I would say a lot of servicemen have guns as part of their daily routine but no interest outside of duty hours.as for the six monthly tests and regular training courses maybe that could be introduced into private firearms ownership in some way.could go a long way to changing the publics perception of the shooting community. And making the subject of firearms less scary.atb

And who is going to pay the cost

[bostonmick]

And who is going to pay the cost

Obviously the people who wish to shoot.or do you think the public should subsidise your pleasure.there are many walks of life where people have to undertake courses and exams on a regular basis at their cost to be able to do their day job so as to keep their family and their homes. My daughters both went to university to gain degree's in nursing yet they have to pay to be on the register so that they can do their job and look after people.even the labourer on the building site must undertake courses on a regular basis to be able to work.yet you should have no training of any kind to be in possession of a weapon that is designed to do nothing other than take life. How arrogant.