Third Party Protection – Handgun Training

Third party protection scenario is similar to the Secret Service Agent protecting the President from a life threatening situation. In our case you may have drawn your firearm to protect your loved ones or friend who is unarmed from an armed assailant at a store. The objective is to get out of the affected area safely, but if the gunman had spotted you and your friend. What is the safest way to get your third party out?

When we practice shooting its usually for self protection, but not much thought goes into third party protection. When shooting for protection what’s different is that tactics must be used in coordination with your shooting practice. In other words we move away from stationary shooting to a combination of shooting and moving with a partner.

Here are some third party protection tactics to consider and implement into your training:

First we draw our weapon out and step in front of our friend to provide a barrier between them and the threat.

Command your friend to “run to a vehicle” as you fire several rounds towards the armed assailant, then move to the vehicle.

Second, in case you are providing protection of a child you may need to shield them with your body. One hand back to shield the other hand (1 hand) with the handgun pointed at the threat. As you move towards cover you fire several rounds (1 hand) and guiding the child to the vehicle.

This last tactics involves you moving away from your friend as you yell for them to “get out of here, or get to the vehicle”. As you move to draw attention to you, you fire several rounds at the threat.

Key Notes
When shielding your loved ones, be sure to stay squared up facing the threat, you don’t want to be bladed. In the last tactic it is shooting on the move vs in the first tactic was shooting from stationary. Not saying one is better than the other. But, it’s important to practice both tactics so that you’re comfortable and you can hit the target. Same thing goes for one handed shooting do it from the slow walk with partner (shielding) and from a dead run.

Practicing
Be sure to practice with an iron silhouette target and with an “airsoft gun“. Live firing against an iron target helps give you instant feedback to see where you hit the target as you’re on the move. Using air soft guns helps you play out the scenario without using live rounds. This setting helps you carry out your tactics and reach the objective. For instances, get out of the danger area while protecting your love one by effectively using your firearm to pave that way.

Written by Jon Hines