Another thing to consider. I see a surprising number of malfunctions in police shooting videos. Makes me think they have never fired their guns from anything other than a firm two-handed hold while in an orthodox standing position. If you're going to bet your life on a gun, you should do a good bit of practice one-handed and weak-handed to make sure if you have to shoot like that in a gunfight, your gun will work properly.
Yep. That was why in the LE training and quals we often varied the scenario circumstances so more types of movement, postures and 'cover' would be involved. Different postures and adapting to different cover (and movement) could sometimes make the shooters aware of the need to keep their skills 'flexible' when adjusting to the needs of the environment and actions going on.
One of the things not commonly visible in the BWC video is how cops grasp and draw their weapons, and getting that initial grasp and grip can be critical to getting the gun to function properly, after all. It wasn't uncommon on the training & quals ranges to have to correct how a lot of guys & gals would occasionally have issues with their initial grasp, especially while using various security levels of holsters, or having to deal with the use of cold weather jackets or car coats (or plainclothes cover garments).
I initially chuckled when I saw how a lot of plainclothes folks showed up wearing their uniform gun belts, and removed their coats, for quals. They said it was easier for them to get a grip and draw using their uniform gear, and the decision-makers above my pay grade decided they could have the option of using either plainclothes or uniform gear (since they might always have to don their uniform gear for other assignments and situations, etc). Drawing from under one or more layers of cover garments can certainly affect how someone gets their primary grasp.
That was why I jumped at the chance to get myself, and another guy from my bureau, to be scheduled to attend an interesting outside training class one time. It was designed for plainclothes, UC and 'street enforcement' units who had to wear cover garments that covered their weapons. All the shooting done that week had to be done using 'realistic cover garments', specifically prohibiting the use of any 'token' cover, like lightweight camera or fishing vests. I didn't want to subject my suit/sport coats to the outdoor conditions on that agency's different outdoor ranges in
that weather, so instead I wore a long ski parka, as well as a couple layers of either sweatshirt or zippered fleece under the ski parka. If I could run the courses using
that multi-layered cover, I figured my normal suit/sport coats or an ocasional dress rain coat wouldn't present any problems.
It also kept me warmer during that winter class.
Bottom line, it's often easy to see how some stoppages and other functioning issues visible in a lot of the OIS videos happened due to grip issues, including both primary and support hand positioning. These are the sort of things that can unconsciously occur when the fur starts to fly and people rush themselves faster than they've practiced to perform. Well, a little adrenaline dump and fear can also have an effect, too.
