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The "hole" is that zero-to-six foot range at which differences in skill level or armament mean very little. A determined adversary at arm's length is dangerous no matter how he's armed or what his skill level. A firearm is not useless at contact distances but it doesn't give you anywhere near the advantage it does at longer ranges. If your opponent manages to get his hands on your firearm before you can fire, you are reduced to a wrestling match. You need to work within his reaction time and/or get out of the hole. Better still is to stay out of the hole to begin with. It doesn't hurt to brush up on your grappling skills and dirty tricks just in case.
In order to make maximum use of the reach advantage of a firearm and your presumed superior skill level (you have been practicing, haven't you?) you need to identify the threat and engage him before he can engage you and while he is still at a distance.
While moving on a position or especially while clearing buildings, you must remember that the defender is at a tremendous advantage. He can place himself behind cover and remain silent while waiting for you to come thumping and bumping along until you expose yourself. What you need to do is spot him before he knows you're coming. The way to do this is to slice the pie.
What you don't want to do is slide along the wall, gun first, the way they do it on television. The bad guy is going to hear the TV hero sliding along that wall and have a couple of options. He can shoot at the noise– interior walls usually won't stop bullets. He can wait at the corner for our hero to stick the gun around the corner at which point he simply grabs the gun. He can also hide behind a couch with nothing but a gun barrel sticking out and wait for our hero to jump out into the doorway. The bad guy has only to react to a target popping up right where he expects. The hero must visually search the entire room, try to spot the bad guy and then try to hit him. Who do you think is going to get the shot off first?
Bobbing the head out is only a slight improvement. You have to try to visually search the entire room in that moment when your head is exposed for all the world to see. You may or may not spot the bad guy. He may or may not shoot at you. You will probably have ruined any surprise you had and you still have to deal with the fellow (or fellows) in the room. Too bad if he shoots through the wall at you after you bob. Bobbing the head out at an unexpected level– floor or ceiling– will probably keep him from hitting you as you peek, but the other problems still exist.
In order to slice the pie, keep your pistol in the low ready position with your finger off the trigger. Do align the pistol in the direction you are searching. This enables you to immediately shoot at any targets that become exposed or expose themselves. Stay as far away from the corner as possible. A ricochet against the wall in front of you may hit you unless you are far enough away from the corner that it passes by you on the bounce. Advance until you can just see a small slice of what's around the corner. Now stop. You want to scan that slice visually for any sort of target indicators. You are looking for boot toes, shotgun muzzles, hat brims, cigarette smoke, the edge of a jacket, anything that will tell you where the bad guy is. Watch reflective or refractive surfaces for any sort of movement or target indicators. Remember that reflection or refraction can expose you as well.
Scan from up close where the threat would be the greatest to farther away where the threat is slightly less. Change the focus of your eyes as well. Focus in close and move your focus outward slowly. This change of focus allows you to look through things that may screen your vision– such as a screen of brush or trees, windows partially obscured by reflection, chain link fences, etc.. Visually search the entire exposed slice from bottom to top. Look all the way up to the ceiling. Positively identify anything you can see as a piece of something harmless before you move on. Now advance a bit to check the next slice.
When you move, move as quietly as you can. Don't slide your back along the wall behind you. Be ready for action at any moment. Don't relax just because there was nothing in the last slice. Don't get your feet crossed or get off balance. Move in a shuffle that allows you to remain in balance at all times and move without looking at your feet. As you advance a foot, feel for obstacles or unsure footing before you transfer weight to it.
Remember that you are only clearing what you can see. You haven't cleared any closets, cabinets, piles of clothing, or behind any furniture. Anyplace that could possibly hide anything bigger than a mouse needs to be checked. Be careful you aren't exposing yourself in one direction while you are checking another. And don't become so intent on searching the area in front of you that you are completely surprised when a bad guy jumps out of a door farther up the hall. You can't look in two directions at once. Having two people to watch each other's backs decreases the danger exponentially. Don't forget that your opponent may be moving at the same time that you are.
When you do move through a door, move quickly and get of to the side so you aren't silhouetted in the doorway any longer than necessary.
Slicing the pie on corners works vertically as well as horizontally. Coming out from under a balcony or looking down behind a wall should be done the same way. The same principle should be applied during traffic stops. Approach the car so that you can see the hands of all the passengers and the driver before you fully expose yourself. Clear windows the same as you would for any other opening. That glass doesn't prevent the bad guy from seeing and shooting at you.
Entering an area from an unexpected direction can be helpful. If the bad guy is watching the front door, and you started your search from the back door, you may be able to surprise him.
Remember that the first thing around the corner should be your eyes directly over your weapon's muzzle. Don't stick hands or feet out where they will be seen first. Be especially careful when coming out from under a balcony or stair landing as your feet will probably be exposed before your eyes are.
If you just want to visually check a room without entering it, then use a mirror, periscope, fiber optic lens, or video camera from behind cover. The properly used fiber optics or video cameras can be used without your opponents being aware of them. This is the method used by entry teams to gather intelligence prior to a dynamic entry. When it comes time to move around a corner you still need to do it as safely as possible.
The dynamic entry is the method used when speed is everything. Dynamic entry is the kick in the doors, throw in a flashbang to disorient your opponents, and swarm over anybody inside technique used by hostage rescue teams. Dynamic entries require teamwork and plenty of advance intelligence if they're going to work. Dynamic entry teams will still use as many principles of slicing the pie as possible– they will just do it very quickly. Dynamic entries increase the chances of taking casualties.
Room clearing in combat is a different breed of cat entirely. You can clear a room by tossing in a concussion grenade and then check behind the furniture with searching fire from an automatic rifle. A back door can be created by having a tank blow a mousehole for you. This lets you avoid booby traps that may be set on the normal entrances.
Either way you still have to see and deal with the other fellow before he does unto you. Slicing the pie must be done slowly and thoroughly. It doesn't make clearing an area of armed men a safe activity. You can still get killed doing it. If you have a choice, don't clear areas of armed men.
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