Blank-firing handguns
look, feel and operate like a real gun.
Other models of the Bruni blank-firing
handguns include look-a-likes of the Model 1911, the Walther P-38, and
the Model Python revolver. All of these realistic blank-firing handguns
are constructed out of an alloy unsuitable for use in a regular
firearm. It is difficult to tell a Bruni blank-firing handgun from
real gun.
Giving training a realistic boost
Firearms are an important and
ever-present part of almost all law enforcement training. The
blank-firing handgun is one step in a progressive series of firearms
training. Firearms training must progress from classroom basics of
deadly force to live-fire field exercises with issue equipment.
Depending on an agency's needs and budget, firearms-specific training
can run the gamut from pointing a finger and saying "bang"
to live-fire ranges that are as big as a city block. In between these
extremes, the blank-firing weapon comes in at about the middle.
The blank-firing handgun does not expel
a projectile, like a paintball gun does. But then a paintball gun does
not fit a standard-issue duty holster either. A blank-firing handgun
functions and sounds like a real gun, unlike the red plastic guns used
for defensive tactics training and deadly force training.
Most federal agencies train their law
enforcement personnel at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy
(FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia. And at times, the entire FLETC campus can
beco
me part of a training exercise. Trainees patrol the campus,
respond to radio calls, write reports and make arrests. These training
exercises are very complete. Even so, FLETC uses a revolver modified
to fire blanks, not a blank-firing gun. In addition, most federal law
enforcement officers carry automatics.
Training scenarios, like the ones
described above, could be upgraded and improved easily by utilizing
blankfiring handguns. The trainee would be able to use and handle a
handgun that is virtually identical to his standard-issue duty
equipment. And more importantly, the resulting training would be
closer to the, "Train to win; fight to survive" philosophy.
Firing blanks
Bruni blank-firing handguns function
like real handguns. The automatic versions are
magazine-fed and fire a
special 8mm blank cartridge. The blanks are manufactured by Fiocchi
U.S.A. of Ozark, Missouri. The blank magazines are loaded in the same,
familiar manner, then the magazine is inserted into the handgun grip.
The slide is cycled and a blank is fed into the chamber. When the
trigger is pulled, the blank cartridge gives off aloud report. The
action cycles and a fresh blank is loaded. When the weapon is empty,
the slide locks back and the weapon then can be reloaded with a fresh
magazine.
The blanks that are fired by the
blank-firing handguns are loud; therefore hearing protection is
advised. Eye protection also is recommended. In addition, the blanks
make a significant flash, making the guns useful when training in
low-light conditions.
Not exactly like handguns
Note that these blank handguns are not
perfect copies of the originals and with good reason. In addition to
problems arising with patent infringement, no officer would want to
accidentally go on-duty with a blank-firing weapon in his holster.
The most obvious difference between
Bruni blank-firing guns and real handguns is that the barrel of the
blank-firing handgun is plugged at the muzzle with a bright-orange
insert. This makes it possible for an officer to quickly identify the
blank-firing weapon. The gases of the blanks do not
exit the muzzle of
the barrel, but exit through a vent on top of the chamber, at a right
angle to the direction of the muzzle.
Even with such safety precautions in
place, it is advisable to treat these blank-firing weapons as if they
were real firearms. This is not only good for training purposes, it is
also good for safety. The user should not put the weapon near his body
when firing. And even though these weapons fire blanks, the user
should never look down the muzzle, until the magazine has been
removed, the chamber cleared and double checked to ensure no
ammunition remains in the weapon.
In the training environment, it also
may be necessary to check the blank handgun for fit with the officer's
duty holster. The exterior dimensions of the blank handguns are
slightly different from that of a real handgun. Passive trigger-guard
restraints are especially sensitive to size and may require slight
adjustments to work smoothly with the blank-firing handgun.
Blank-firing handguns are an important
part of the progressive nature of law enforcement deadly force and
firearms training. And in the important
middle ground of training
where the classroom training ends and the street training begins,
officers must be ready for the rigors that lie ahead. Training with a
blank-firing handgun is as close as an officer can get to the streets
without actually being there.
Jerry Cannon is a
freelance writer based in Poncha Springs, Colorado. |
In
law enforcement, in the long run, the most important thing is training.
With training, an individual officer is personally safer, does a better
job and presents less liability to the agency. Good training is not a
static event, but dynamic and ever-changing. Firearms and the use of
deadly force are the most critical training subjects. Therefore, every
possible method to train an officer should be explored in order to
achieve the best possible results.
