Point shooting

Point shooting, also called threat focused shooting, is a method of shooting a firearm that relies on a shooter's instinctive reactions, kinematics, and the use of biomechanics that can be employed effectively in life-threatening emergencies to quickly engage close targets.

This method of shooting is recognized for use in life-threatening situations where the use of sight shooting cannot be employed due to lack of time to use the gun's sights, low-light conditions, or because of the body's natural reaction to close quarters threats which prevent meeting the marksmanship requirements of sight shooting.

Overview
Point shooting has been used and discussed since the early 19th century. It is detailed in Lieutenant Colonel Baron De Berenger's 1835 book on rifle and pistol shooting. The method employs the use of the index finger along the side of the gun to aim the gun, and the middle finger is used to pull the trigger. Mention of the use of the middle finger can be found in 11 books from the early 1800s up to 1912: 1804, 1810, 1816 1829 1835, 1885, 1898, 1900, 1900, 1908, 1912, 1912, and in many other military manuals on the M1911.

The US Army's first instructional manual on the use of the Model 1911 pistol specifically mentions it, but in a cautionary way due to the design of the slide stop. The slide stop pin protrudes out from the right side of the pistol, and if depressed when the gun is fired, the M1911 can jam. Here is the cautionary language found on page 12 of the first manual on the M1911 published by the US military, which recognizes that shooting that way was a known method of shooting:

"3. The trigger should be pulled with the forefinger. If the trigger is pulled with the second finger, the forefinger extending along the side of the receiver is apt to press against the projecting pin of the slide stop and cause a jam when the slide recoils."

That same cautionary language, or language that is very similar to it, is repeated in many other military manuals published from 1912 and up until the 1940s: 1915, 1917, 1918, 1920, 1921,  1922, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1929, 1941,

Several US Patents have drawings showing the method used with firerms: US Patent # 694969 issued Mar. 11, 1902, US Patent # 896099 issued Aug. 18, 1908, US Patent # 2270707 issued Jan. 20, 1942, US Patent # 5166459 issued Nov. 1992.

Early 20th century shooting experts such as William E. Fairbairn and Rex Applegate advocated point shooting, while many experts later in the century advocated the use of sights. Later sight-based methods include Jeff Cooper's Modern Technique method which became popular after World War II. The modern technique is also known as sight shooting.

The issue of using Sight Shooting, which employs the use of the sights for aiming in close quarters combat situations, versus Point Shooting, which does not rely on using the sights for aiming in close quarters combat situations, has been debated since as early as 1835.

Basis for the use of aimed point shooting
Point shooting attempts to harness the innate ability to point at the target in such a way that the shooter can use that ability to hit targets with a firearm. This may be done in a variety of ways which differ depending upon the method used. The one thing that point shooting methods have in common is that they do not rely on the sights, and they strive to increase the shooter's ability to hit targets at short range under the less than ideal conditions expected in close quarters life threatening situations, self-defense, and combat situations.

The following is from Chap. 2, Sect. II, US Army Field Manual 23-25, Combat Training With Pistols & Revolvers:

"When a soldier points, he instinctively points at the feature on the object on which his eyes are focused. An impulse from the brain causes the arm and hand to stop when the finger reaches the proper position. When the eyes are shifted to a new object or feature, the finger, hand, and arm also shift to this point. It is this inherent trait that can be used by the soldier to rapidly and accurately engage targets."

Walter J. Dorfner SSgt VSP, the Vice Chair of the Use of Force Committee of the Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council at the Vermont Police Academy in Pittsford, VT, wrote a paper that details his experimentation with using that method of aiming and shooting. He also was the lead firearms instructor for the VSP.

In military doctrine
Point shooting is often included in military tactical training, alongside other topics such as combatives and urban warfare. A variety of point shooting methods have entered military doctrine at various times and places.

Fairbairn, Sykes, and Applegate
Soon after the creation of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in 1942, then Second Lieutenant Rex Applegate was given the task of adapting the training being given to British Commando forces for use by OSS agents. Applegate's methodology was published in his book, Kill or Get Killed which was first printed in 1943, and based on his training program for the OSS developed with William E. Fairbairn and Eric A. Sykes. This method is often referred to as the Fairbairn, Sykes, and Applegate method, or FSA (though sometimes the order is altered to FAS).

By 1976, it was into its fifth edition, and was re-published in 1991 as Fleet Marine Force Reference Publication (FMFRP) 12-80. This book covers a wide range of topics, from armed and unarmed combat to prisoner control and riot control techniques. Chapter 5, "Combat Use of the Hand Gun", covers the basic use of a handgun in a combat situation, while chapter 6, "Combat Firing with Shoulder Weapons", covers techniques for submachine guns, rifles and shotguns. While aimed fire techniques are covered in both chapters, along with topics such as use of cover and different firing positions, the point shooting techniques generally attract the most attention. Much of Applegate's instruction on point shooting involves developing a firm, consistent shooting position that allows the student to consistently hit where he is looking.

While Applegate did cover firing handguns from the hip (from a position he called the "1/2 hip" position), he was careful to point out that this method only worked on targets at the same level as the shooter, and only at very close range. The preferred method was to bring the handgun up to just below eye level. With the proper grip and a locked elbow and wrist, this will bring the gun to bear on the target. To reduce error in the stance, targets not directly in front of the shooter are engaged by turning the upper body at the hips, since turning the arm at the shoulder, elbow, or wrist will result in a loss of control and a miss, while turning at the waist keeps everything aligned correctly.

Another of Applegate's training innovations was the use of particularly intense combat firing ranges, which he called the "House of horrors". A cross between an obstacle course, a haunted house, and a shooting range, it used a three dimensional layout with stairs and tunnels, pop-up targets, deliberately poor lighting, psychologically disturbing sounds, simulated cobwebs and bodies, and blank cartridges being fired towards the shooter. The range was designed to have the greatest possible psychological impact on the shooter, to simulate the stress of combat as much as possible, and no targets were presented at distances of greater than 10 ft from the shooter.

Applegate also used his house of horrors as a test of the point shooting training. Five hundred men were run through the house of horrors after standard target pistol training, and then again (with modifications in the layout) after training in point shooting. The average number of hits in the first group was four out of twelve targets hit (with two shots per target). After point shooting, the average jumped to ten out of twelve targets hit. Further shooters trained only in point shooting, including those who had never fired a handgun before receiving point shooting training, maintained the high average established by the first group (FMFRP 12-80, p. 286). Similar methods were in use as early as the 1920s and continue to this day, for example the FBI facility called Hogan's Alley.

Quick kill
Another method of point shooting, developed by Lucky McDaniel and taught by the US Army beginning in 1967, was the "quick kill" method. It was taught using an air rifle, although the same techniques apply to handguns or shotguns. The quick kill method was outlined in Principles of Quick Kill, and was taught starting with a special Daisy BB gun that had no sights. The slow moving steel BB was visible in flight on sunny days, making it an inexpensive tracer round. The students began by firing at 3.5 inch diameter metal disks thrown in the air slightly in front of the student and 2 m to 4 m above the student's head. After an 80% hit rate is attained firing at these disks, the student is then presented with 2.5 inch diameter disks. Once proficiency is attained with the aerial targets, it shows the student has mastered the fundamentals, and training moves on to stationary targets on the ground, first with the BB gun and then with a service rifle having its front and rear sights taped over.

The reason the quick kill method works is that the shooter learns to sight above the barrel, rather than along the barrel. While focusing on the target, the muzzle is placed about 2 inch below the target (the distance being measured at the muzzle), which places the barrel nearly parallel to the line of sight of the shooter. To hit the aerial targets, or other targets above eye level, the shooter focuses on the top edge of the target. When shooting at targets on the ground or below eye level, the shooter focuses on the bottom of the target. One of the points emphasized in quick kill is that it is essential to focus on a single spot on the target, such as the top edge of a thrown disc, or the bottom edge of a can on the ground.

The Daisy company commercially sold sightless BB guns and target throwers for a number of years under the name Quick Skill, along with an instruction book that was a demilitarized version of the aerial target portion of the "quick kill" course.

Quick fire
Quick fire is a method previously used by the US Army for teaching point shooting. It is described in the following excerpt from US Army Field Manual FM 23-9:

For pistol: "Quick-Fire point shooting. This is for engaging an enemy at less than 5 yards. The weapon should be held in a two hand grip. It is brought up close to the body until it reaches chin level and is then thrust forward until both arms are straight. The arms and body form a triangle, which can be aimed as a unit. In thrusting the weapon forward, the firer can imagine that there is a box between him and the enemy, and he is thrusting the weapon into the box. The trigger is smoothly squeezed to the rear as the elbows straighten out."

For rifle: Aimed quick fire: When presented with a target, the soldier brings the rifle up to his shoulder and quickly fires a single shot. His firing eye looks through or just over the rear sight aperture. And he uses the front post to aim at the target. Using this technique, a target at 25 meters or less may be accurately engaged in one second or less.

Pointer quick fire: When presented with a target, the soldier keeps the rifle at his side and quickly fires a single shot or burst. He keeps both eyes open and uses his instinct and peripheral vision to line up the rifle with the target. Using this technique, a target at 15 meters or less may be engaged in less than one second.

Pointed and aimed quick fire should be used only when a target cannot be engaged fast enough using the sights in a normal manner. These techniques should be limited to targets appearing at 25 meters or less."

Reflexive fire
Reflexive fire is a method currently used by the US Army to teach point shooting with a rifle. It is described in US Army Field Manual FM 3-06.11 (Combined Arms Operations in Urban Terrain).

Israeli method
The "Israeli method" is a point shooting system devised by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for use in training personnel to use rifles, submachine guns, and handguns.

In its initial stages of training, it closely resembles the FSA method. In later stages, training in the rapid acquisition of the sights is taught, as well as a more advanced method of point shooting.

In the United States and Canada, the term Israeli method is generally believed to refer to the carrying of a semi-automatic pistol with its chamber empty. However, the carrying of the chamber empty served a safety consideration, rather than a tactical consideration. In past decades, due to severe budget constraints, the IDF purchased and issued large quantities of antiquated side arms, the mechanical safety of which was questionable. In recent decades, as budgets improve, and more modern, standardized side arms are issued, this mode of carry is being eliminated. It should also be noted that specialized personnel, such as police and special forces units, have typically carried newer and safer firearms, and have rarely used this mode of carry.

Fairbairn and Sykes mentioned and suggested this form of carry in their book discussed above.