6 Oct 99
We’re here at the annual IALEFI (International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors) Conference, this year in Phoenix, AZ.
The conference is only half over, but here are some notes of interest:
>Several of my colleagues and I tried, once again, the S&W (Walther) P99 Pistol. We were united in concluding that the decocking “button” is unusable for any kind of emergency (practical) purpose. None of us were able to use it without compromising our firing grip.
>The kind folks at H&K were nice enough to convert Vicki’s USP Compact (40S&W) to self-decocking mode (DAO). She wanted to try it that way and compare it with the single-stage, manual decocking mode in which it has been thus far. I tried it and found it useable, albeit slower in delivering follow-up shots. Vicki found it virtually unusable! She was unable to maintain her grip through multiple, rapid shots, and her ability to shoot it accurately was greatly diminished. After a half of day in that mode, she had the H&K folks convert it back to manual decocking! For a person Vicki’s size, DAO mode with that particular pistol is unworkable.
>I tried H&K’s new 45ACP SMG. It looks very much like their new G36 rifle, which they also had on display. I found a three-round burst to be my limit for any kind of control. I can usually hold down and under control most 9mm SMGs through a long burst, but not this one. I tried several longs bursts and it invariably went out of control about the forth round. This gun is going to be best used in single-shot and short-burst mode only.
More later
/John
