Immediate Action...?

[boltcatch]

I have tried to ingrain "tap, rack" into my repertoire to the point where the actions are automatic, but it's hard to prevent (at the very least) some sort of disbelieving look at the gun for having choked on me. It's that moment of realization (usually) where tap rack kicks in.

So if you're asking what I think you're asking, no, diagnosis isn't intentionally part of my immediate action.

What I've been taught is that tap rack is ALWAYS my immediate action, regardless of the weapon if I'm outside of "oh shit" territory. Inside that region, transition and get to business.

Not a direct reply to your post, but you got me thinking;

I find that it's very hard to get people to not just stare at the weapon and drool when they have a stoppage. If you immediately do SOMETHING, you're way ahead of the curve compared to most civvie shooters.

IMHO, I don't care if you're shooting at tin cans, you need to take the opportunity to get in the habit of taking action and not just standing there. Normally a subject like this would be way out of my lane, but this one seems pretty obvious.

[rhino]

I find that it's very hard to get people to not just stare at the weapon and drool when they have a stoppage. If you immediately do SOMETHING, you're way ahead of the curve compared to most civvie shooters.

IMHO, I don't care if you're shooting at tin cans, you need to take the opportunity to get in the habit of taking action and not just standing there. Normally a subject like this would be way out of my lane, but this one seems pretty obvious.

This is yet another of the many benefits of engaging in practical/action shooting competitions. You learn to address malfunctions quickly.

[Robb Jensen]

This is yet another of the many benefits of engaging in practical/action shooting competitions. You learn to address malfunctions quickly.

I agree. Even though it's an artificial stress, it gets you used to doing what you're supposed to do to get the gun running again. I've seen some great shooters (some of which who've shot for more years than I've been alive) totally loose it under the stress of that damn timer.

I know a lot of people who always tell to just shoot the same gun all of the time be it a Glock 17 in Production or my STI in Limited and shoot only that. Sure if I did that I would probably be a better USPSA shooter. I see their point but I like competition also a learning experience and like to shoot a lot of different stuff under stress. I think it makes for a more well rounded shooter. That's why I still shoot IDPA, USPSA, 3gun, GSSF, and a tiny bit of ICORE. For 'mixing it up' 3gun and IDPA are best. 3gun simply because you're shooting a handgun, shotgun and a rifle. IDPA because sometimes at good matches they'll make you pick up a gun from your 'wounded/dead buddy', this gun might be totally foreign to you so it's in your best interest to be familiar with many different types of handguns.

[CarlosDJackal]

I have a few questions about the scenario:

1) What kind of threat am I facing?
2) How many are they and how are they armed?
3) Are they behind cover, on the move, or in a vehicle?
4) Am I close to cover or behind one? Or am I in a moving vehicle?
5) What kind of an environment/terrain are we in?

Kinda sounds like "METT-T", doesn't it?

[ToddG]

This is yet another of the many benefits of engaging in practical/action shooting competitions. You learn to address malfunctions quickly.

I can see this meaning one of two things:

• Many serious competitors compromise reliability in the name of (something) and thus get forced to perform malfunction drills in the middle of a match.
• People who shoot competition seriously tend to practice a lot.

The first point, while true, is unimportant to me. I'd no sooner shoot a match with a gun that was unreliable than I'd carry it or teach with it. Toy guns just don't do anything for me. (though I think an intelligent argument can be made that shooting race guns can help you overcome certain performance plateaus)

The second point raises an interesting issue, since in my experience most competition-only shooters do very little (if any) dedicated practice of malf/stoppage clearance drills. So why do these shooters tend to solve gun stoppages quickly if they haven't practiced and developed a true non-diagnostic immediate response? Because their familiarity with the gun, how it feels and sounds and looks when it's working properly, gives them the ability to realize there has been a problem faster than people who don't shoot as much. It takes them less time to (1) realize something is wrong and (2) figure out what's wrong. So even though the actual motions of clearing the stoppage might not be as smooth or practiced, they get to the end result ("gun is working again, shoot") as fast or faster than less experienced shooters who rely on a non-diagnostic approach.

[aloharover]

3) even a grunt 11b or 0311, in the afore mentioned scenario would clear malfunction immediately or drop in place roll 3x L or R, and then clear it.

Still thinking in terms of 75-150m.
Standard TTPs you are not firing on the move. Fire and Manuever is two seperate acts, not combined. So in this case our Rifleman would already be on the ground or behind cover.
If it wasn't for EIB no one ever did a true SPORTS after leaving basic. More of a SPRS. Your firing hand never leaves the weapon. If you get a second click, then do the O and see wtf.
Pete

[BigRed]

Well, it appears the controversy will go on forever....

So I figure the only way to learn is from people that have been there "under that particular situation..."

For educational purposes... Has anyone here (IP's---LE or MIL or Contractor, etc...) had a malfunction during real dynamic stress situation?

Maybe we can learn from how people actually acted and what solution they came up with under that stress...weather good or bad....???

I had a stoppage while shooting left handed from the commander's seat of a vehicle at at threat to the rear. Stoppage was stupidly caused by ME holding my rifle with a magwell grip (right thumb over ejection port...) instead of the forend. Tap rang bang cleared it, no problemo.

Besides stoppages in training I haven't had any real ones (knock wood) under stress besides the above mentioned. My gunner has had stoppages using less than lethal before but he calls out "stoppage" as he does the drills and one of the other shooters or myself continues the escalation of force with our rifles.