American COP Magazine

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Carrying? When Impaired?

1 week ago | americancop.com | Erick Gelhaus

(No Ratings Yet)Loading... When do you carry? When don’t you? What is impaired? Throughout the training community, regardless of where one gets their paycheck, there is a tremendous emphasis on shooting, followed by how to do so quickly. Accuracy concerns follow that to various degrees. Interestingly, in the research I look at, there is a consensus that “we” collectively overemphasize shooting speed—a speed that is driven by an auditory stimulus rather than a visual one.
Math On The Range

2 weeks ago | americancop.com | Erick Gelhaus

(No Ratings Yet)Loading... Fun and math are two words that rarely intersect in my world. However, you need to step out of your comfort zone and try something different. Before I retired, one of my guys frequently talked about his PRS (Precision Rifle Shooting) hobby. While it was an interesting conversation over coffee, it was not my world. Fast-forward a few years, and I live in a far more firearms-friendly place with a wider variety of ranges.
Thoughts On The Effective Police Firearms Instructor - Part 1

3 weeks ago | americancop.com | John Hearne |Erick Gelhaus |Kevin McPherson |Eugene Nielsen

(No Ratings Yet)Loading... Contrary to popular opinion, attending a one- or two-week-long class does not and cannot make you an effective police firearms instructor (PFI). Sadly, such courses tend to give a false sense of competence as to the attendee’s skill. At best these classes certify someone to conduct qualifications in a mostly safe manner.
First Impressions - Aimpoint's COA and Glock's A-Cut - American Cop

3 weeks ago | americancop.com | Erick Gelhaus |John Hearne |Kevin McPherson |Eugene Nielsen

(No Ratings Yet)Loading... For as long as we’ve been mounting miniaturized optics on pistol slides, there have been debates over the mounting footprints. Several designs have come and gone, while a few have established themselves across multiple manufacturers. Many have voiced a hope that the firearms and optics industries would unite and standardize on just a few footprints, paving the way for a more streamlined and efficient future.
Training With The Unit4

1 month ago | americancop.com | Erick Gelhaus |Seth Thompson |Kevin McPherson |John Hearne

(No Ratings Yet)Loading... Regardless of what research you look at regarding training related to deadly force, there is at least a nodding agreement on one thing –practitioners need scenario-based decision-making training. This training, often referred to as Force-on-Force, is at least as important as working on your skills mechanically with our tools. The most recent study I’ve read on deadly force decision-making, which references the need for this training, is dated February 28, 2025.
Revolvers For Modern Cops

1 month ago | americancop.com | Seth Thompson |Erick Gelhaus |Kevin McPherson |John Hearne

(No Ratings Yet)Loading... Some people say there is a “Revolver Renaissance” going on in the shooting world. At the very least, it may be a “Revolver Revival,” with a variety of new guns, ammo, holsters, and support gear. Though the day of full-size service six-guns has passed for the police, small revolvers are still great companions on the mean streets. When I began police work in 1995, the full-size wheel gun was on its way out of uniformed patrol work.
The Certainty Principle

1 month ago | americancop.com | Dave Bahde |Erick Gelhaus |Kevin McPherson |John Hearne

(No Ratings Yet)Loading... One of the most common questions I get is about the difference between training for law enforcement and competition. Trainers and “experts” often cause confusion and uncertainty for many. Years ago, I developed the “certainty principle.” I’m not sure where or who it came from, so I probably stole it. It is the determining factor in the techniques I teach. The central idea is that what you do must increase the certainty the technique will work on the first attempt.
History - Re-Visiting Old Lessons

1 month ago | americancop.com | Erick Gelhaus |Dave Bahde |Kevin McPherson |John Hearne

(No Ratings Yet)Loading... There is that quote by George Santayana about those who do not remember history. Every so often, we see evidence of this happening – again. One example of this would be significant failures with safety equipment. I can think of three right now – a handgun manufactured overseas when a weapon-mounted light was attached, a domestically produced patrol car with post-crash fire issues, and body armor.
Situational Awareness And The Racing Line

1 month ago | americancop.com | Glenn Norling |Erick Gelhaus |Kevin McPherson |John Hearne

(No Ratings Yet)Loading... To the ‘non-tactically minded,’ the concept of situational awareness can actually be intimidating, misunderstood, and even interpreted as a type of justified paranoia. To those of us in law enforcement, that may seem downright silly. After years of teaching the concepts of mindset, preparedness, and situational awareness to people in just about every single profession, I have found this fundamental misunderstanding to be relatively commonplace.
Sinister Manipulations - Pistols

1 month ago | americancop.com | Erick Gelhaus |Kevin McPherson |John Hearne |Eugene Nielsen

5) On the left side; left. 6) Situated on or being the side of a shield on the wearer’s left and the observer’s right. Did you know the worldwide average of left-handers is 10.6% of the population, while here in the United States, it is nearly 11%—per Psychology Today. So, generally, one out of every ten shooters will be left-handed. That number goes up to about 12.9% in the Netherlands, the UAE, and Israel, while it drops down as low as 2.6% in the People’s Republic of China. Why do I bring this up?