VIDEO: HEAT Shootout Revisited/Recreated

H/T to Ryan @ TSLRF for finding this video.

The instructor covers safety in the video. A couple of things that I would adjust to the way we do it at MVT:

1) There is no need for the 270 degree pirouette. Muzzle down and out of the way of your buddy(s), turn 90 degrees and move. It comes down to active muzzle awareness.

2) Although I have done plenty of break contact drills with the rifle muzzle up, at MVT we teach for it to be held in the patrol ready (muzzle down) position when moving. That way, if you end up disregarding the requirement to apply safety and keep your finger outside of the trigger guard, and you fall, there is less likelihood of the muzzle sweeping anyone as you fall. When training on real ground, there is always a danger of stumbling and falling, and muzzle down is safer: usually the worst that happens is that you dig your barrel in.

3) Notice the emergency/speed reload: weapon stops firing, cant and observe the chamber, empty magazine, drop off the magazine, new magazine on (push pull), bolt release catch, keep firing.

4) Full auto fire is not good covering fire unless it is accurate enough to suppress the enemy i.e. a support machine gun firing short accurate controlled bursts. Volume of fire does not suppress unless it is accurate and effective. You are better off with rapid aimed single shots.

Why was the HEAT shootout so well done? Following on from my video post on fighting through, I put up this is interesting video on the making of the movie HEAT. What is interesting is the training that the actors underwent in order to create such excellent shootout scenes:

Live Hard.

Die Free.

Max