PMCI - October 2017

flag yourself (or passenger if your drawing the weapon from the
right) with the muzzle.
Unless you have armoured glass in your vehicle then all the
shots you fire can go straight through the windshield. Ejected
cases will be thrown to the right and may cause any harm to a
passenger sat beside you in the vehicle. Unless the passenger
takes action, instruct them to sit well back into their seat so as to
prevent empty cases hitting them in the face.
PASSENGER - THREAT TO LEFT WINDOW
The first action is for the driver to push themselves as far back
into the seat as possible. Reach down with your left hand and
unlock the belt from the anchor. The right hand and arm should
be placed flat across the chest so the seatbelt does not get caught
up when it returns home. With the seatbelt out of the way you
can lean forward and draw you weapon. Trace the muzzle of the
weapon over the dashboard to avoid the muzzle flashing any part
of your body. It is also very important to make sure you don’t
muzzle flash the driver also as you draw the weapon. Twist your
body to the left towards the threat. As you present the weapon
to the target, make sure your muzzle blast is clear of the drivers
face. Serious injury or death may occur if caution is not taken here.
PASSENGER - THREAT TO RIGHT WINDOW
Remove the seatbelt as before. The right hand and arm should
be placed flat across the chest so the seatbelt does not get
caught up when it returns home. Lean forwards and reach for the
handgun with your right hand. It’s important to make sure that
the seatbelt is clear of your body before you draw the handgun
from the holster. Twist your body towards the right and extend
the weapon towards the threat. Again remember to keep the
weapon in a close-quarters retention position and not to present
the weapon past the window in order to avoid the weapon being
taken from you.
EXIT
Once the shooting stops or you have suppressed your adversary
enough it’s time to exit the vehicle. Using your weak hand, reach
for the door handle and open it. Use your outside foot to keep
the door open making sure it doesn’t swing back and close or
trap you as you exit. Exit the vehicle while keeping your eye
on the threat at all times and slowly retreat to the rear, or side
depending on the orientation of threat, of the vehicle. If the glass
in your vehicle is armoured then you will have to shoot through
the V created by the windshield and the door, otherwise you can
put rounds through the glass. Once at the rear, or side, of the
vehicle you will need to reload and quickly assess your situation.
The use of smoke, if you have it, can aid you in your extraction
and provide Concealment until you can get to safety or a backup
vehicle.
Studies show that most people tend to shoot at the biggest
targets and in this case it’s the vehicle, so try to put as much
distance between you and the vehicle as possible without
compromising personal safety. Of course you will have to have
anyone that is sat in the back of the vehicle exit while you are
giving covering fire.
Most vehicles are soft skinned and won’t stop a round. The
only parts of a vehicle that are most likely to stop incoming
rounds are the engine block and wheels, but don’t rely on these
to save your life. Even the bodywork can play tricks on you. A low
powered round may not penetrate the skin but can easily ricochet
off a flat surface, such as the hood, and skip right into you. A
general rule of thumb is to stay at a minimum of 6 foot away
from the vehicle to help reduce ricochets from hitting you.
Just like all shooting skills and drills this must be practiced
regularly for it to become second nature. Take it slow when
running this drill and get it right first time every time as you may
not get a second chance if you have to run it for real.
SKILLS AND DRILLS: VEHICLES PT2
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