Resources

BC/CQC and Firearms Terminology

1. BC (Behavior Compliant) human actions that fall within the expected norm or human response

2. Behavior - activities in response to external or internal stimuli, including objectively observable activities, introspectively observable activities and nonconscious processes

3. Behavior baseline - a steady state of behavior against which the effects of introducing an independent variable or stimulus may be compared

4. Combat Stress Reaction (CSR) - any psychological reaction, ranging from mild to severe, to traumatic events in high threat environments

5. CQC (Close Quarters Combat) - building and room clearing using specific tactics, strategies and techniques

6. Empirically validated - the degree to which the accuracy of a test, model, or other construct can be demonstrated through experimentation and systematic observation

7. Scientific method - a set of procedures, guidelines, assumptions, and attitudes required for the organized and systematic collection, interpretation, and verification of data and the discovery of reproducible evidence, enabling laws and principles to be stated or modified

8. Priority of Life - the order of priority given to hostages, innocents, officers/soldiers and suspects when planning and conducting CQC

9. Priority of threats - the order of priority given to people, areas and openings

10. Reticent - restrained, reserved or quiet in nature

11. Warrior - one who is highly trained, highly skilled and prepared for battle

12. Warrior mindset - a strong mind that is prepared mentally, physically and spiritually to face death

13. Warrior attitude - strong love of others, ready to serve, willing to sacrifice, not willing to quit and at peace with your own death

14. Tactics - planned action to achieve a specific end or result

15. Strategy - plan of action to achieve an overall goal

16. Skill - personal ability to perform a specific task

17. Principle - fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning

18. T.T.P. - tactics, techniques and procedures

19. P.A.C.E. - primary, alternate, contengency and emergency plans

20. Violence of Action - aggressive movement and weapon deployment that overwhelms a threat

21. Clearing from outside - pivoting off the apex of a door frame or corner while slicing or sweeping to clear the majority of a room or structure prior to making physical entry

22. Cover - any barrier that stops bullets

23. Concealment - hides you from view but does not stop bullets

24. Flagging - giving away your position by exposing any part of your body or weapon to the threat

25. Fighting stance - hands up with body in an athletic position with knees slightly bent, ready for action

26. Tactical Position - your exact location in a dwelling or structure during CQC

27. Tactical Accuracy - shooting that hits the general center mass area of the target quickly

28. Lasering - unintentionally/unknowingly pointing your weapon at another person or team member

29. NPA (Natural Point of Aim) - having your body and weapon aligned on target with little muscular effort

30. Center fed - a room with the entry door in the center of one wall

31. Corner fed - a room with the entry door in the corner of one wall

32. Deep corner - the corner in a room farthest from the door on the same wall. Typically a good hiding place.

33. Shallow corner - the corner in a room closet to the door on the same wall. Typically too small for a person to hide

34. Triggering the next angle - exposing a portion of your body or weapon to the threat while slicing or sweeping

35. Over penetration - going so far into a room that you unintentionally trigger the next angle

36. 50/50 - driving directly toward a threat where you each have a 50% chance of winning the gunfight

37. 45° angle - the first primary angle in CQC when clearing a room from outside the doorway

38. 90° angle - typically the center of the room in CQC when clearing from outside the doorway

39. 135° angle - the third primary angle in CQC when clearing a room from outside a doorway

40. 180° - one complete half or side of a circle

41. 360° - one complete circle or the entire area

42. Snapping - a quick concise movement taking an angle in CQC or the quick concise manipulation of a weapon

43. Breaching - manual, mechanical, ballistic, explosive or exothermic methods of forcing open a door or entry point

44. Apex - the outside edge of a door, window or corner in a structure that you are clearing around

45. Extracting Angles - working the angles of a room prior to making entry or corner prior to passing it

46. Slicing - similar to extracting angles. Taking or slicing one small piece of a room or structure at a time.

47. Sweep - a quick slicing of a room prior to entry usually done from a wider angle

48. Quick Peek - Quickly looking into a room to get a flash picture of what is inside

49. Push - when all team members push into a room during CQC to overwhelm a target

50. Button hook - entering a room by stepping around the threshold to the same side of the doorway inside the room

51. Cross - entering a room by crossing at an angle from one side of the door across the threshold to the other inside the room

52. Limited penetration - partially wrapping around a threshold, doorway or window enough to cover threats inside a room without making entry

53. Team leader - designated team member about 5th in the stack that helps direct team movement and direction

54. Point man - number one man in a team stack

55. Rear guard - farthest rear team member who is responsible for rear security of the team

56. Stepping Center - moving to the center of a threshold or doorway just prior to entry

57. Stepping through - stepping completely through a threshold or doorway as you break cover/concealment

58. Drop step - stepping back just before launching forward

59. Dynamic - sudden/fast entry into a structure or room

60. Deliberate - Slow methodical movement through a structure or room clearing as you go

61. AOR (Area of Responsibility) - the specific area you are responsible for during CQC

62. Point of Domination - a point deep enough into a room that allows you to see and control the room

63. Fields of Fire - individual team members areas of responsibility to address threats.

64. Cross cover - covering the opposite side of a hallway due to having a better angle and view of threats

65. Diamond formation - a team of four shooters assembled and moving in a diamond shape with each covering their side of the diamond

66. Muzzle First - placing the muzzle of your weapon in front of other team members prior to engaging a threat also referred to as earning the shot

67. Low Ready - having your weapon pointed downward below your line of sight

68. High Ready - having your weapon pointed upward at or below your line of sight

69. SUL - having your weapon pointed straight down

70. Temple Index - pointing your weapon straight up beside your temple. Typically used with a handgun.

71. Compressed Low Ready - weapon pulled in close to your body while pointed downward

72. Compressed High Ready - weapon pulled in close to your body while pointed upward

73. Retention - weapon pulled into your strong side under arm area for greater control

74. High/Low - shooting position with one operator standing and one kneeling

75. Footwork - the movement of your feet during CQC to assist in body alignment, movement and to prevent flagging

76. Shoulder Check - quickly looking behind you over your shoulder. Used frequently in One-Man CQC

77. Threat Focused - staring at the threat intently and losing sight of your surroundings similar to tunnel vision.

78. Scanning - moving your head, eyes and weapon together as you look for threats

79. Auditory Exclusion - temporary hearing loss or dulled hearing due to high stress from a threat

80. Tunnel Vision - temporary constriction or narrowly focused vision on one small area loosing peripheral vision

81. Fight/Flight/Freeze - a pattern of physiological changes elicited by activity of the sympathetic nervous system in response to threatening or otherwise stressful situations that leads to mobilization of energy for physical activity either directly or by inhibiting physiological activity that does not contribute to energy mobilizationthe body’s natural response causing one to fight, run or freeze in the presence of danger

82. CNS (Central Nervous System) - the processing centre of the body consisting of the brain and spinal cord

83. Sympathetic Nervous System - controls automatic body functions, breathing, heartbeat, etc.

84. Para Sympathetic Nervous System - helps return the body calm, heal and return to homeostasis

85. Human nature - the general psychological characteristics, feelings, and behavioral traits of humankind, regarded as shared by all humans

86. Psychology - the study of the mind and behavior traits, attitudes, and so forth that characterize an individual

87. Physiology - the science of the functions of organisms (humans), including the chemical and physical processes involved and the activities of the cells, tissues, and organs

88. Myelination - how neural pathways create faster highways to transmit electrical impulses

89. Conscious memory - where declarative (facts) and episodic (life events) are stored

90. Unconscious memory - where procedural (skills) are stored

91. Unconscious incompetence - you don’t know that you don’t know

92. Conscious incompetence - you know that you don’t know

93. Conscious competence - you know you know but have to think through it

94. Unconscious competence - you know it so well, you don’t even think about it

95. Kinesthetics - awareness of the position and movement of body parts

96. Economy of motion - the process of minimizing the physical and perceptual loads imposed on you while engaged in any type of work or physical activity

97. Hebbs’ law - Study by Dr. Donald Hebb indicating that neurons that fire together wire together.

98. Hicks law - (also known as the Hick/Hyman law) in experiments or tasks involving choice reaction time, the finding that the time required to classify a stimulus as being from a particular set increases proportionally with the number of stimuli in the set.

99. Heuristics - Any approach to problem solving or self-discovery that involves practical method that is not necessarily optimal, perfect or rational but is nevertheless sufficient for reaching a short-term goal.

100. OODA Loop - the decision to action process of observe, orient, decide and act

101. Cognitive pause - the momentary switching or changing of thought patterns brought on by a person’s OODA loop being disrupted

102. Proprioception - the sense of body movement and position, resulting from stimulation of proprioceptors in the muscles, tendons, and joints and of vestibular receptors in the inner ear. Proprioception enables the body to determine its spatial orientation without visual clues and to maintain postural stability

103. Intuition – Awareness without conscious attention.  Making a rapid decision based on a limited number of facts

104. Perception – Becoming aware of something through your senses: seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling

105. Instinct - an innate tendency to act in ways that are essential to your survival

106. Flinch Response - the body’s natural response to a close proxemity threat

107. Flinch Out - using the body’s natural response to move away from a threat

108. Multitasking - doing muliple complex tasks at the same time which is not actually possible in CQC

109. Task switching - rapidly switching between complex tasks

110. Finding work - taking the initiative and assuming the responsibility to cover or clear a person, place or area

111. Index point or touch point – place on your body or gear that allows shooter to repeat a technique with precision

112. Direct Exposure – being exposed to a threat area without any cover or concealment

113. Indirect Exposure – limited exposure to a threat area from behind cover or concealment

114. Partial Exposure - exposing any part of your body or weapon to the threat

115. Down range - anyone forward of the firing line

116. Lasering - unintentionally pointing your weapon or muzzle at others

117. Emergency reload – slide is locked to the rear because the weapon is empty

118. Tactical reload – removing partially used mag and replacing it with a full mag

119. Weapon Malfunctions – failure to fire, failure to feed, failure to extract and failure to eject

120. Stove pipe – empty casing stuck in ejection port generally sticking up or out.

121. Double feed – empty casing did not extract and a second live round in now behind it

122. Mortaring a rifle – collapsing butt stock, pulling on charging handle as you drive butt stock into thigh or ground to clear a malfunction especially a bolt override

123. Double arm rowing a rifle – sitting on ground, placing rifle horizontal on ground with butt stock between your legs, hold front of rifle with both feet and then pull charging handle back with both hands in a rowing motion

124. Kickstarting a rifle – collapse butt stock, place rifle butt on ground pointed away from body/head, use foot on charging handle to pull it back.  Least favorite, can bend charging handle

125. D.O.P.E. - Data On Previous Engagements. This is a term frequently used by snipers and other precision shooters. We use it in shooting drills to establish a baseline of performance.

126. Baseline - This is specific to the individual shooter and is a sum of their previous training and experience. Baseline in our training often refers to a General or Specific standard of performance.

127. Ballistics - Bullet begins to drop or fall as soon as it leaves the barrel (gravity is the number one force on a bullet).  This is compensated for by having the plain of the barrel slightly elevated over the sight plain so bullet is fired up.  Because of this the bullet is rising over the sight plain when first fired.  50 yard zero bullet will be rising through 50 and fall back down to the line of sight at about 200 yards.  Wind has the second largest impact on a bullet’s travel and temperature is third.  For every 20 degrees rise in temperature, you gain one minute of angle.

128. Minute of angle - The relationship between the bore, sight and/or optic is measured in minutes of angle.One minute of angle is roughly 1 inch at 100 yards.A circle is 360 degrees.One degree of a circle has 60 increments and one increment equals one minute of angle which goes to infinity.A unit of angle or unit of measure is 1 inch at 100 yards.One click on your optic is typically ½ minute or 1/3 minute of angle depending on the brand of optic

129. Rifle cycle of operation (8 steps)

     1.     Firing – failure to fire, human induced, bad ammo, broken firing pin, broken hammer spring.

     2.     Unlocking – few problems

     3.     Extracting – failure to extract, human induced, ammo casing swollen, obstruction in throat, broken or dirty extractor. 

     4.     Ejecting – brass barely coming out.  Broken ejector spring

     5.     Cocking – failure to cock, losing gas through gas rings or gas keys.  Gas block loose.

     6.     Feeding – failure to feed, bad magazine

     7.     Chambering – failure to chamber, obstruction in chamber.

     8. Locking – In battery, ready to fire.