Sniper Tactics: going for the gun

It was something out of a movie or TV show. A suicidal man who was about to shoot himself with a .38 revolver was saved by a SWAT sniper. The sharpshooter removed the pistol from his seated target’s hand with a single shot from a .308 rifle. His team members then swarmed in and took the hapless soul into custody without incident or injury. But it wasn’t a movie and it wasn’t a TV show. This was a real SWAT operation conducted by the officers of a Midwest agency, and the shot that disarmed this potential suicide by cop was heard throughout the law enforcement sniper community. Everywhere, snipers, tactical commanders, and departmental administrators watched the videotape of this incident and debated the pros and cons of the instantly controversial tactic. Some were impressed and they felt it was a tactic that merited practice and consideration. Others took a more skeptical stance, recognizing the dangers inherent in this course of action.

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Viable tactic, or one lucky circumstance? Are you confident enough to try it?

a well trained shooter can do the unexpected, as this shooter did, noit all are like that, one in a hundred are, I am not one.

reply to post by Evolutionsend


I would say it would be circumstantial. The primary concern is the public in general. If the shooter felt that the community was in no immediate danger and felt as if they could pull it off then so be it.

Uh, yea..good shot. I might have done the same in the heat of the moment, but it is probably not too wise.

Lucky the exploding lead did not get the victim. I could see this go very wrong if the bullet ricochet hits the victim. The officer becomes a murderer.

Police shouldn't be shooting at citizens unless there is a direct threat posed to themselves or in some cases the public. It's too risky, no matter how good of a shot you are. Projectiles impacting live rounds will cause them to detonate and that's dangerous enough to kill someone. You can't justify that unless you are defeating an imminent deadly threat. If the gunman aims his firearm at the police or the public then they would be better off aiming for centre mass.

surely aiming for a non lethal part of the body should be a better option when co-ordinated so that before the person has a chance of using their weapon the officers are able to secure the area rather than hoping that some guy gets lucky with a shot and if it goes wrong will force the guy or even kill him

I've always thought the point would to be disarm before murder, call me an optimist but if your swat you've got about 15 times more training than johnny robbedabank over there, take the legs!!

thinking of games randomly, true crime new york had the ability to shoot the gun or foot and subdue, where most of the time IRL even a circumstansial wound could lead to death, it depends what you hit.

i've said it before and i'll say it again, if they legalise guns in the UK I will buy a tranqulizer rifle and have zero hesitation to shoot an intruder in my home, nor any guilt because I have zero intent of murder. I wish more people thought like that, when I read stories on here about the USA and home protection its 'grab an assault rifle and blow them out the door' and im like -_- ok. one way to do it. (the reason I personally disagree with this tactic is what happens when your kids come home late and you think its a burglar...nuff said.)

reply to post by Maxatoria


I'm not sure there is such a thing as a completely non-lethal target area when talking about snipers. They use really big bullets, the person may bleed to death.

reply to post by Evolutionsend


Yep, I believe that happened somewhere in OH as well.
And yes, a trained marksman and/or sniper should be able to pull this off.

Originally posted by Evolutionsend
reply to post by Maxatoria

 

I'm not sure there is such a thing as a completely non-lethal target area when talking about snipers. They use really big bullets, the person may bleed to death.

well i'm thinking where in theory theres ready equipped medical help available so as soon as the threat is removed they can move in and sort out the patient enough not to let them die but for me i'd say permanent injury such as a walking limp is better than a corpse

Originally posted by Evolutionsend
reply to post by Maxatoria

 

I'm not sure there is such a thing as a completely non-lethal target area when talking about snipers. They use really big bullets, the person may bleed to death.

Depends on the platform that the shooter is using.

A standard AR15, shooting a .223 round can enter and exit with a small hole.
A M24 style bolt action rifle, will use either the .308 or the .338 Lapua round, which is a larger hole.
But, it also depends on the projectile.
If it is FMJ, meaning lead cased in steel/copper, then it can pass through the human body.
If it is a ballistic style round, say Hollow Point, then it will create a small entry wound, but typically a massive exit would.

But, marksman, snipers and such do not typically shoot to wound, they shoot to neutralize a target.
Any Marksman, Sniper or what have you, using a precision style rifle should at the very least be able to hit their target within a 1" diameter at 100 yards.