| Barricade Firing | | | | make a fist with the thumb extended, in a |
| | | | "thumbs up" sign. Press the pad of the thumb |
| Firing from a barricaded position is an | | | | and the last knuckle of the support hand into |
| essential part of combat marksmanship. It is | | | | the barricade. Cradle the firing hand and |
| a relatively straightforward skill and easily | | | | weapon in the support hand. Make sure that |
| acquired. As all shooting techniques, | | | | no part of the firearm is touching anything |
| however, mastery only comes from extensive | | | | other than your flesh. Contact by the weapon |
| practice. Contrary to what is seen on | | | | with solid objects causes the weapon to |
| movies, most shooting incidents do not happen | | | | bounce and the round to go off target. The |
| at high noon on Main Street. Common sense | | | | only portions of your body that should be |
| dictates that when being shot at, the | | | | exposed beyond the barricade are your firing |
| reasonable person will try to find cover from | | | | hand, and only the amount of your face that |
| incoming rounds. If withdrawal from the | | | | is needed to obtain a clear view of the |
| scene is not practical and returning fire is | | | | sights, target, and situation. Your arm |
| justified, then knowledge of barricade | | | | should be raised enough so that the weapon is |
| position firing is essential. | | | | brought up to your face, not your face |
| | | | lowered to your sights. It takes practice to |
| | | | enable you to be able to quickly judge the |
| | | | distance needed between your body and cover |
| As this is a combat skill, it is important to | | | | to allow you to quickly assume the position. |
| become as small a target as possible. A good | | | | |
| strategy is to adopt a kneeling position | | | | This article is based on the strategies for |
| behind the item of cover. Kneeling is a good | | | | using a pistol behind a barricade, but long |
| position because it allows quick adoption | | | | guns can also use this tactic with |
| from standing and is quick to get up from. | | | | superficial modifications. Instead of using |
| As a general rule, the closer your center of | | | | the knuckles of the support hand against the |
| balance is to the ground, the more inherently | | | | wall the hand should be extended as if making |
| accurate a position is. Therefore the | | | | a "stop" sign. Extend the thumb away from |
| kneeling position is a two-fold better | | | | the hand. Press your hand against the cover |
| position than standing for return fire, not | | | | with your index finger flush against the |
| only for making yourself a smaller target but | | | | barricade edge. Your thumb should extend |
| also for making your shots more likely to hit | | | | past the cover like a shelf. Rest the |
| your aggressor. | | | | forearm of the firearm on this shelf. All |
| | | | other aspects are similar. |
| The adaptations from a normal two handed | | | | |
| shooting position are simple. The shooter | | | | It cannot be stressed how important this |
| does not use the off hand to give support to | | | | technique is in a lethal force situation. It |
| the weapon by muscle tension as he would in a | | | | is equally important that this technique is |
| traditional manner. Instead the off hand is | | | | practiced so as to allow a seamless |
| pressed against the covering object. A | | | | transition into this position. |
| much-used method to accomplish this is to | | | | |