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SABER GROUP, INC. "Professional Training & Security Services" ~ Established 1997 ~ |
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Professional & Peer Reviews of POLICE PISTOLCRAFT All professional and peer reviews of POLICE PISTOLCRAFT will be posted here. If you read or hear of a review we do not have posted, or, if you would like to share your professional opinion regarding the text POLICE PISTOLCRAFT, please contact us and provide us with all the pertinent information relating to the review. For information regarding permission to re-publish any of these reviews, please contact the source of the review using the provided hyperlinks. Thank you!
Reviewed and Endorsed by Jim Cirillo Retired NYPD From the Foreword to Police Pistolcraft Michael E. Conti has written the most objective and informative book I have ever read concerning police firearms training. I believe this book should be required reading for every law enforcement firearms instructor in the United States. I also believe that the training program described within it should be adopted by every law enforcement agency in the country. As a former law enforcement officer and firearms instructor since 196l, I was personally involved both in academia as an instructor and in the field where I participated in many violent duty confrontations. During my law enforcement officer days, I quickly learned that in order to survive in the field, I needed to develop my own techniques, for what we were taught in traditional police firearms training classes was of little use in actual confrontations. It was amazing to me as I read Michael’s book, how his ideas and thoughts were parallel to those I had arrived at through my experiences as a member of the NYPD. This book is right on the mark. Michael has great courage to address the inadequacy of the majority of the current fundamental law enforcement firearms training programs and approaches. His in-depth findings will no doubt be criticized by proponents of the current nationally recognized methods. However, the research, study and resultant training program Michael has presented in this book are vital to the safety of all police officers working in the field and should be adopted by all agencies responsible for police firearms training. I congratulate Michael for producing a much needed study and contribution toward improving the training for all the members of our law enforcement community. (Copyright © 2006 Saber Press)
Reviewed and Endorsed by Dave Grossman Lt. Colonel, U.S. Army,
Retired From the Foreword to Police Pistolcraft This is a brilliant, seminal, groundbreaking work. The debate between point shooting and sighted shooting advocates has been raging for years, and will no doubt continue to rage for centuries to come. For those who are interested in this vital debate, Mike Conti’s book has clearly captured and defined the point shooting side of this issue. Even for those who are not “sold” on point shooting, there is MUCH that you can learn from this book. I predict that this will be the definitive book on the topic of point shooting and handgun performance under stress, as well as handgun training in the point shooting school, for the foreseeable future. This is much more than just a training manual. Building on the true pioneers in this field, combined with the best available modern research, and powerful, extensive new research that the author himself has conducted, this book provides an invaluable insight into the psychology and the physiology of combat. Mike Conti’s scientific analysis and application of his many years of observations and training in the “House of Horrors” are simply brilliant. His assessment of the “puppy” or unconscious mind, and the application of operant and classical conditioning in firearms training represent the best writing and thinking that I have ever seen on the subject. I am very proud and honored to observe the material drawn from my own work, and I am honored by Mike’s generous acknowledgment of my contribution to this seminal text. If this book had been available to me earlier, much of it would have been integrated into my own book, On Combat. I highly recommend Police Pistolcraft to anyone interested in this vital field. (Copyright © 2006 Saber Press)
Reviewed by Ralph Mroz The "New Paradigm" of the Massachusetts State Police Firearms Training In 2000, the Massachusetts State Police inaugurated a new firearms training unit under the direction of Trooper Michael Conti, giving him a blank slate to work from. Mike formulated an entirely new approach to MSP’s training, incorporating a re-creation of W.E. Fairbairn’s and Rex Applegate’s House of Horrors. To date MSP officers have taken over 4000 trips through it. Mike’s new book, Police Pistolcraft, details the rationale of MSP’s New Paradigm and the lessons learned in the House of Horrors. We believe that Police Pistolcraft is a seminal book that will be a cornerstone of a revolution in professional police firearms training. It is available from Saber Press. Below are two excerpts from the book. – RM (Read the complete article...) (Copyright © 2006 Police Officers Safety Association, Inc.)
NEW JERSEY COPS: The Garden
State's Law Enforcement Journal, September 2006 Reviewed by Todd A. Bailey POLICE PISTOLCRAFT IS A MUST READ
Mike Conti’s new book, “POLICE PISTOLCRAFT: The Reality-Based New Paradigm of
Police Firearms Training” is a must read for every serious police firearms
instructor. I first became acquainted with the New Paradigm at the
Massachusetts State Police Academy (MSPA)
about five years ago when Mike Conti invited a group of
MLEFIAA members out for an introduction to
the program. Since then, I have taken advantage of every opportunity to
participate in the various modules offered by Mike or the MSPA Firearms Training
Unit (FTU) staff. Having long been a proponent of realistic training, I liked
what I saw. The New Paradigm was the kind of training I was trying to initiate
within my department. I could only find one fault with the program – there was
no single source for all the material that Mike had put together. POLICE
PISTOLCRAFT has solved that problem.
POLICE PISTOLCRAFT has something for every instructor and should be in every
instructor’s reference library. Whether you have a healthy training budget or
make do with whatever you can piece together, you will find material that you
can use without breaking the bank. This book is filled with photos, diagrams,
and courses of fire that police firearms instructors can use to their benefit.
Much of the data can be used to support your requests for additional training
funds. (The reviewer is the Lead Firearms Instructor for the Duxbury,MA Police Department and a Senior Staff Instructor for the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors’& Armorers’Association. He can be contacted through www.mlefiaa.org Copyright © 2006 North Jersey Media Group, Inc.) October/November 2006 Volume 2, Issue 3
Book: Police Pistolcraft Author: Michael E. Conti Publisher: Saber Press (2006) Reviewed by Bert DuVernay Too many people will see this book in the context of the “sighted shooting versus point shooting” controversy. That view misses the point. Though there is a point shooting component to the approach of the author, there is also an equal emphasis on sighted shooting. The real message of this book is that police firearms training must be based on the requirements of the job, rather than the various forms of competition upon which nearly all police firearms training is based. After making that point in the cold hard logical fashion of an experienced police investigator, the author explains in detail how one agency, the Massachusetts State Police, was able to break free of older, self limiting training methods and establish what truly is a new paradigm of firearms training. Even more progressive agencies that have implemented some interactive force on force training typically use a competition based marksmanship proficiency course as the primary firearms training activity. The interactive portion is usually seen as the "gravy" of the program, rather than the meat. Sergeant Conti outlines a program in which the concentration is on the decision making process and gunfighting, with the development of marksmanship skills being only a step along the way. Chapters one through three comprise a very insightful history of police firearms training and help the reader understand how we got to where we are now. In addition to being interesting (and sometimes amusing to those who “grew up” with portions of it), understanding the history of our craft helps to prevent us from repeating our mistakes. Chapters four and five expose the effects of training as we’ve been doing it for years and reveal a training model that promises to be more effective. Particular attention should be paid to chapters six, seven and eight which propose a process for officers to win fights rather than matches. These chapters are truly the heart of the book and will be the most useful for instructors. They contain many pages that will become worn and dog-eared from frequent reference. Police Pistolcraft delivers a major waypoint in the evolution of police use of force training. The book also sets the stage for scholarly research on the best methods for training police officers to perform well in making the life and death decisions that define their jobs. Future police firearms instructors will speak of this work in the same way that current trainers speak of Jordan, Cooper, Applegate and Farnam. This book must be on the required reading list for any serious student of police firearms training. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Bert DuVernay is the former Director of the Smith & Wesson Academy in Springfield, MA. He currently serves as Chief of the New Braintree Police Department in Massachusetts, and as the President of the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors' & Armorers' Association. Copyright © 2006 International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association.)
Reviewed and Endorsed by Alexis Artwohl, PH.D. Police Consultant and Trainer When I was a practicing police psychologist I saw many problems caused by training that was poorly informed, not enough, etc. For instance, quite a few years ago an officer referred himself to me for treatment because he was unable to qualify during his annual firearms training and was facing serious consequences unless he overcame his difficulty. His firearms instructors had given up on him and he (and probably they) had decided he must have some kind of psychological problem interfering with his ability to pass. After talking with him for about an hour I told him, in so many words, “You have no emotional hang-ups that are causing you to fail. I know nothing about firearms but I think this is a training problem. I know your trainers are doing the best they can so I recommend that you hire a private firearms instructor to give you some additional coaching.” So I kicked him out of psychotherapy and sent him off to find an expert trainer. He was surprised and somewhat doubtful of my advice but took it. During the first session with
his private coach, the coach identified that his service weapon was too big for
his hand. With a smaller weapon and little coaching he passed with flying colors
and has had no further problems. His intense curiosity and keen powers of observation cause Mike to be the proverbial sponge, so he has soaked up massive amounts of information on training, distilled out the best, and summarized it for fortunate instructors everywhere. Even though POLICE PISTOLCRAFT is about firearms training, every instructor of every skill taught in training academies should read this book. Mike covers it all; from theories of learning down to the smallest details of setting up and running scenarios, nothing is left out. (It even includes a chapter on the “weapon too big for the hand” problem, thank you very much.) No matter how many years you have in the training field I guarantee you will find this book enlightening. (Copyright © 2006 Alexis Artwohl) BOOK REVIEW PUBLISHED TO INTERNET Reviewed by Matt Temkin In the year 2000, veteran Mass State Police Trooper Mike Conti was offered to head up a new Firearms Training Unit (FTU) for his agency. But it was not until the MSP Colonel informed Mike that the goal of the program was to, "Make our people safe, make sure that they get home at the end of the shift" that Conti accepted the generous offer. Although well schooled on the modern technique shooting methods, Conti had already decided that this alone left quite a hole in police survival, and made the decision that mindset, Applegate point shooting and a Fairbairn type house of horrors was also needed for a well rounded combat shooting system. This book is the result of that process, one that was written for police instructors as opposed to civilian and military--who have different missions. The book begins with Conti's personal journey of finding out what is most practical for survival shooting, and then takes off from there. Chapter three is a very good historical perspective of the development of combat shooting, while chapters 3-5 makes the case of why the MSP has been doing what it now teaches. Chapters 6-7 fully details the training program and chapter 8 explains what is taught in the two week recruit firearms training program. Included in all this is a very detailed explanation and description of the MSP "Fun/Kill" house and how one can be effectively and at low cost be set up by any department. Chapter 9 is titled Monitoring the Results and chapter 10 is called, The Future. But the book does not end here, because the next 157 pages are my personal favorite. These are a series of well illustrated appendices, such as... Pistol trivia, courses of fire analysis, range safety, safety in the real world, one handed pistol malfunction techniques, clearing malfunctions (or as old farts like myself used to call them...JAMS!!!), precision pistol shooting, range/house of horror designs, alternative shooting positions, moving targets, use of Sims and airsoft, what's new in sight R&D and an excellent 11 page description of point shooting. IMHO this book is a must have for instructors and well worth the small asking price of $29.95.
Fall 2006 Reviewed by Todd A. Bailey POLICE PISTOLCRAFT Released by Saber Press
Member Mike Conti’s new book has been released by Saber Press. POLICE PISTOLCRAFT is the long awaited compilation of all the material Mike put together to develop the New Paradigm while Director of the Massachusetts State Police Academy’s Firearms Training Unit. POLICE PISTOLCRAFT has received excellent reviews in the short time it has been available and is a “must read” for any serious firearms instructor. MLEFIAA members will receive a double benefit when purchasing POLICE PISTOLCRAFT, not only do they get an excellent reference for conducting realistic firearms training, they also receive free shipping! Noted author and trainer Jim Cirillo calls this book “the most objective and informative book I have ever read concerning police firearms training.” LTC Dave Grossman, USA (ret.) says, “Mike Conti’s scientific analysis and application of his many years of observations and training are simply brilliant.” Former S&W Academy Director Bert DuVernay wrote, “Future firearms instructors will speak of this work in the same way current trainers speak of the works of Jordan, Cooper, Applegate and Farnam.” POLICE PISTOLCRAFT contains over 350 pages of text, photos, courses of fire and lesson plans. It is available from Saber Press a division of Saber Group (www.sabergroup.com). Regardless of your feelings on point shooting, this book belongs in your library. (Copyright © 2006 Massachusetts Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors & Armorers Association)
Vol. XXXI No. 6 November/December 2006 Powered by PoliceOne.com Reviewed by George Williams POLICE PISTOLCRAFT:The Reality-Based New Paradigm of Police Firearms Training By Mike Conti (Click here to view the original review in PDF format)
Although a proponent of sighted fire, I've always had a problem with the theory
of modern technique (with its emphasis on front-sight only employment) and the
real-world, as experienced by officers who say they never saw their front sight
during their shootings. Therefore, for almost two decades, I've developed a
bastardized version of interrupting the eye-target line at close range, while
moving and hitting, with positive results from students. Sgt. Mike Conti of the Massachusetts State Police has written a book that every police firearms trainer should read. This book contains everything needed to create a cutting-edge firearms program, from explanations of shooting methods to complete courses-of-fire. More importantly, Conti provides a history of his journey from a serious supporter of the modern technique, to his creation of a foundational text that is likely to revolutionize police pistol training. Conti relates that during a SWAT callout, he had his front sight on a suspect who was reaching for a shotgun when his eyes "felt like they were ripped off the front sight." Even though the incident ended well, he questioned what happened and why he had that reaction. This began decades of research, finally leading to his belief that point-shooting, as originally described by Col. Rex Applegate was, in fact, how to prepare police officers for deadly force events. To prevent misunderstanding, he refers to his method in the text as the new paradigm of police pistolcraft. Conti asks a simple question: If officers are qualifying at a 70% score in training, but achieving only a 20% hit rate in real world encounters, doesn't this indicate a serious training failure? His answer is simple: Instead of using marksmanship training to solve combative problems, why not discover what police officers actually do in real life conditions, and train them to survive based on science and real-world experience? Especially at close distance, humans focus on the imminent threat right in front of them, rather than on their handgun sights. Police officers have the need to observe suspects at gunpoint. Universally before an officer shoots, he must identify what the suspect is doing and why there is a threat resulting in the use of deadly force. Under this threat, with eyes focused on the suspect, is it realistic to expect the officer to look away from the offender and attempt to focus on the front sight? The vast majority of officers who have been in shootings will say, "No, that's not what I experienced." Those who hit the suspect consistently brought the handgun up to their eyes as they focused on the threat and hit the suspect until he ceased being a threat. With a foreword written by Jim Cirillo and Dave Grossman, any firearms instructor and law enforcement officer who is interested in the latest research and particularly, those who are not afraid to question their beliefs of how handgun training should be needs to read this book. There were a couple of times it challenged me to the point that I tossed it on the table. But each time, I took a breath, got back into it and read, and reread until I understood what the author was saying. I finally came to a point where I realized that Conti was explaining what I'd heard officers for 25 years say about their shootings. This is not another book about point shooting. It is an explanation of the new paradigm of teaching officers to shoot a bad guy when they need to. Conti follows the correct approach of:
Even if your beliefs about handgun training are set in stone, it will still be worthwhile for you to read this book. Individual books - $29.95 plus shipping & handling. I highly recommend that anyone who carries a handgun for a living or who teaches law enforcement officers read this book. Police Pistolcraft will have a dramatic effect on how officers are trained in the future. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ George Williams, a member of the Police Marksman National Advisory Board, is the President of Cutting Edge Training in Bellingham, Washington. (Copyright © 2006 The Police Marksman.) POLICE PISTOLCRAFT recommended by The Swedish National Police AcademyThe Swedish National Police Academy is the educational center for the entire police force and is organized as a division of The Swedish National Police Board. The Academy has approximately 210 employees and just above 1000 students (May 2006). In Sweden, law enforcement is considered one of the highest regarded professions. More than 8,000 individuals compete for the approximately 400 law enforcement positions filled annually!
REVIEW & ENDORSEMENT OF POLICE PISTOLCRAFT Reviewed and Endorsed by Denny Hansen Editor of SWAT Magazine
Firearms’ training, especially since 9/11, has become a cottage industry. Many so-called instructors who have hung out their shingle in the last few years often know less about their subject matter than their students. My association with Mike Conti spans the last two decades and I can say without reservation that he, unlike the Johnny-come-lately’s, is one of the most respected trainers in the United States. Whether you are a street cop or a private citizen concerned about your safety and that of your loved ones, Police Pistolcraft is a book that belongs in your personal library.
COMBAT HANDGUNS, May 2007
From the article SHOOTING FOR SURVIVAL by Ralph Mroz Mike Conti of the Massachusetts State Police has just released his book, Police Pistolcraft, detailing his experiences in running thousands of Mass state troopers through his Applegate-influenced program, including a recreation of the Colonel's famous House of Horrors - mandatory reading! Vol. 49 No. 10 October 2008 Reviewed by D.K. Pridgen
POLICE PISTOLCRAFT "The Reality-Based New Paradigm of Police Firearms Training." We'll just call it "Police Pistolcraft." This book, by Mike Conti of the Massachusetts State Police and director of Saber Group, details his search for, and establishment of, a training program that could prepare "police officers for the realities of the lethal force encounter." The result is the New Paradigm of Police Firearms Training program. There is more material in "Police Pistolcraft" than I could cover in an entire column. It encompasses not only the history and justification for the program, but implementing the program as well. There is a bounty of information regarding the how and why of the program. Finally, "Police Pistolcraft" has over 150 pages of appendices containing a variety of valuable information, such as safety on the range and in the world, clearing malfunctions with one or both hands, shooting positions, simunitions, and moving targets. "Police Pistolcraft" should be a must read for all law enforcement firearm trainers and their administrations. Even non-law enforcement folks can certainly learn from "Police Pistolcraft." Give it a look-see!
by Hoon Lee NOTE: This is an excerpt from the review written by Hoon Lee. We are honored to have been granted permission by Mr. Lee to post it here on the Saber Group Review Page! Click here to access the entire review, and here to access Mr. Lee's vita. POLICE PISTOLCRAFT: THE
REALITY-BASED NEW PARADIGM OF POLICE FIREARMS TRAINING Police Pistolcraft elaborates on weaknesses inherent in the traditional training paradigm in the process of developing new training schemes. Firearms trainers must focus on in-depth description of police officers’ problematic reactions and psychological predicaments. One of the most important elements of the book can be found in his use of tables, photographs, diagrams, and the 157-page appendix. Detailed comparisons about old paradigm practices and DPTC are demonstrated in the text and appendices. Because precise schedules of the new in-service training and recruit-level training paradigms are provided, Police Pistolcraft can be used as a model for other departments’ firearms training policies. As the author agrees, however, Police Pistolcraft is not a panacea for all police-involved shooting incidents. Rather, it is a good turning point for police firearms training... (Read more)
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