Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor Certification

I recently completed the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) Firearms Instructor Certification. Eric Wise of Cornerstone Performance taught the class. Attending the class were three Austin Police Officers, an officer from the Bryan Texas Police Department (PD) tactical team, a Deputy Sheriff from Bandera Texas, a retired Homeland Security investigations Special Agent, Karl Rehn from KR Training, and me. It was a great class with learning all around.

The TCOLE Firearms Instructor Course requires students to shoot two courses of fire (handgun and shotgun) on the first day of the class with a minimum score of 90%. The handgun course of fire is 50 rounds on a TQ-19 target or equivalent from 25 - 3 yards with a possible score of 250 points. The shotgun course of fire is shot at 25, 15 and 10 yards with five slugs and five buckshot rounds. Any student who cannot achieve 90% or better on both is dismissed and cannot participate in the class.

I was familiar with the TCOLE qualification course since I use it in a number of my intermediate daylight and low light classes. The difference is that for local students in my classes I use a target that matches the city or county where the student lives. These targets are typically the San Antonio PD or the Austin PD targets which have a smaller scoring area than the fairly generous TQ-19 target. I scored a 100% or 250 on the handgun and the shotgun qualifications on the TQ-19.

The other students did very well also with a class average of 248.6 points on the handgun qualification. Out of the six law enforcement officers, four scored 250 on the handgun qualification, one scored a 245, and one scored a 244. Karl Rehn of KR Training scored a 250 as expected.

As the class progressed, it was apparent that every student was a very good shot. All of the students were shooting at the IDPA Master or USPSA A class or better. Our instructor Eric Wise, is a USPSA (Limited and Production) Master, an IDPA Master (Carry Optics Division), and a multiple division Grand Master in Steel Challenge. Eric’s shooting demonstrations reflected this skill level.

The TCOLE Handgun Qualification is as follows:

From the 25 yard line:

-- Starting with the pistol holstered, at the start signal draw and fire two shots in five seconds. You do this four times for a total of eight shots.

-- Starting with the pistol holstered, at the start signal draw and fire six shots in 20 seconds. You do this one time for a total of six shots.

From the fifteen yard line:

-- Starting with the pistol holstered, at the start signal draw and fire two shots in four seconds. You do this one time for a total of two shots.

-- Starting with the pistol at ready, at the start signal draw and fire two shots in four seconds. You do this five times for a total of ten shots.

From the seven yard line:

-- Starting with the pistol holstered with six rounds in the pistol, at the start signal draw and fire twelve shots in twenty seconds.

There is a timed reload on this stage.

From the three yard line:

-- Starting with the pistol holstered, hands at sides, at the start signal draw and fire six shots in twelve seconds using primary hand only.

* Safely transfer the pistol to the support hand.

-- Starting with the pistol in the support hand at the ready, at the start signal fire six shots in twelve seconds using support hand only.

Training days two – four were focused on shooting skill drills and learning the live fire material. On day four all of the students conducted “teach-backs” on our assigned live fire topics with the instructor Eric Wise. On training day five the students taught the live fire curriculum to an open enrollment class of students from the Austin, Bryan, and College Station areas.

The student skill level for this class varied from fairly good to brand new shooters who had no formal training. Each of the instructor-students taught their assigned training module to the class and then conducted live fire drills to practice the skill—all of the students showed significant improvement.

If you have the opportunity to take a class from Eric Wise, I would highly recommend him. Eric is a professional and competent instructor who knows his material and presents it in an easily-understood format. His company is Cornerstone Performance.

I take my instructor continuing education seriously and I typically attend 3-5 classes per year. Eric’s TCOLE class was my seventh class for this year. I have attended enough training that I consider a class a success if I walk away with three or four new teaching tidbits or skills. I walked away from Eric’s TCOLE Firearms Instructor class with an unusually large number of new ideas and/or approaches to teaching the handgun—a very satisfied student.

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Training Ammunition - One of Reloading's Benefits

As I was preparing for a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) Firearms Instructor Certification class I wanted to confirm the zero on my pistols with the training ammunition I planned to use in the class. I zero my SIG P320 and P365 everyday carry pistols for my carry ammunition, the Hornady Critical Duty 9mm 135 grain FlexLock standard pressure round. However, I wanted to determine where the training ammunition was hitting with my carry zero.

Many years ago I developed a 135 grain training load that shot close to the same point of impact as the Hornady Critical Duty. I load the Xtreme 135 9mm 135 flat point plated bullet; Winchester primers; 3.7 grains of Universal Powder; and typically do not sort my brass. I have found that this load has worked well in my SIG P320 and P365.

Being able to match your reloads to your carry ammunition is one of several advantages reloading offers. Reloading can be very satisfying and can save you money as well. Of course, safety protocols are always important to consider and follow. If you are completely new to reloading, there are a variety of books and online information that can help you get started. Click here for an article that discusses some reloading tips and tricks I've learned over the years through my own experience and that of others.

My training load continued to perform satisfactorily with a 15-yard zero within a 1.697-inch circle if I discount the single flyer (that I called). The same held true with the Hornady Critical Duty 9mm 135 grain FlexLock standard pressure round that was also within the 1.697-inch circle discounting the single flyer.

 

I have always had good results from the Critical Duty standard pressure round in every pistol in which I have tried it. In my pistols, the standard pressure round is typically a little more accurate than the +P version. The fact that the FBI, the Texas Department of Public Safety (state police), and my county sheriff’s office also use the Hornady Critical Duty is a happy coincidence. For several reasons, it is a good idea to carry the round a national law enforcement agency or your state or local police carry, if possible.

Carry ammo is expensive. Reloading your ammunition can provide a more economical practice round for matches and training. The opportunity to develop a load that matches the point of impact for your carry ammunition is an added plus.

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Quit Blowing Up Your Pistols

Quit Blowing Up Your Pistols

In yet another example of how to blow up your pistol, a competitor in a recent pistol match very forcefully hit the back of his pistol’s slide with his left palm in an attempt to clear the malfunction. As he struck the slide, the round detonated in the ejection port.  

At one point, hitting the back of the slide was a commonly taught response to a 1911 pistol failing to go into battery. However as we see in this incident, that may not be a very good idea and indeed could be very dangerous.

The competitor was recording a video of his match so we had the ability to analyze what happened. In picture #1, you can see that there is no round in the chamber. In picture #2 you can see that a round has “nose-dived” into the magazine and was likely holding the slide to the rear. In the video, you can see the competitor pull the slide to the rear to attempt to clear the malfunction which seems to exacerbate the problem because the slide ends up stuck further to the rear.

In picture #3 you can see the competitor’s hand an instant before he slams the slide forward. Note the slide’s position in relation to the muzzle. In picture #4 we see the instant the round detonated in the ejection port—note the slide’s position. The competitor hit the slide so hard he easily forced it forward an inch or more. The competitor received relatively minor cuts since his hand was not directly over the ejection port. The pistol was not seriously damaged, but the magazine was ruined.

So what caused the round to detonate? Before everyone starts—NO, it was not the ejector. The arrow in picture #5 shows the part of the slide which strips a round from the magazine and inserts it in the chamber when the slide moves forward ( I do not know what this part is called and could not find any info identifying the part). When the round nose-dived into the magazine, it perfectly positioned the primer in the path of the slide. Picture #6 shows the detonated round’s primer. Picture #7 shows that the primer fits perfectly into this part of the slide.

As I researched this article, some additional information became available. Earlier in the video the competitor was having feeding problems with his pistol. He mentioned that he had recently replaced the magazine base pads with “+4” extensions without replacing the magazine springs. This coupled with the fact that the magazines were not new may have contributed to the feeding problems and the nose-dive. If you are going to change or add anything to your pistol that takes it out of factory specifications, make sure that the change works.

In my classes I teach that the proper response to a click instead of a bang is to tap the magazine (to ensure it is properly seated) and rack the slide—tap, rack. This will often clear the malfunction. If it does not, the proper response is to lock the slide back, aggressively strip the magazine out, and then reload the pistol and continue to fire if the circumstances so warrant. With the proliferation of striker fired pistols, beating the back of the slide is an outdated technique that is counterproductive.

After reloading, if it does not fire you probably have a broken pistol that's not going to be easily fixed on the spot. If you are under assault, the proper response at that point is to aggressively depart the area or take other necessary action.

Finally, when serving as a match Safety Officer, I have become more aggressive with stopping a shooter when I see them excessively struggling with a malfunction.  This is the fifth incident of this nature that I have direct knowledge of over the past ten years in the San Antonio area. I doubt that it is only happening here. I have noticed that as competitors begin to struggle, the chances of them doing something unsafe rises quickly. These are matches, not life or death situations. If a competitor is having problems we are better off stopping them and allowing them safely resolve the problem and then to reshoot (if necessary) before we permit something unsafe.

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The Federal Air Marshall TPC revisited using the FBI QIT-97 Target

This is an update of an article I wrote in 2018 that described what I was able to glean concerning the pre 9/11 Federal Air Marshall (FAM) qualification or Tactical Pistol Course (as it was known at that time). From 2016 – 2018 despite numerous tries, I could not pass the TPC even though I was shooting at an IDPA Master level on the old 90 round qualification. I essentially stopped trying.

Fast forward to 2023 and Duane Thomas’ article in the Dillon “Blue Press” on the FAM TPC using the FBI Q target (The Blue Press, June 2023, pages 60-63). Coincidentally, a friend’s daughter is interested in becoming a FAM and asked me to teach a basic pistol class for her and another student. Since I was satisfied that I could pass the TPC using the FBI Q target, I dug out some FBI QIT-97 targets so I could demonstrate the pre 9/11 TPC using that target. I shot it cold and passed the time requirements (barely) and the points.

I shot the qualification with my P320 Carry in 9mm with a Holosun green dot optic sight. I used an open front concealment garment for the strings that required concealment. I was somewhat concerned that the accuracy necessary for success on the QIT-97 would require a bit more deliberation and therefore a quicker concealed draw than the FBI Q target—this proved to be the case.

Target Placement: Two targets placed three yards apart from edge to edge with a third target placed in the middle. Targets are seven yards from the firing line.

Scoring: The maximum possible score is 150 points with a minimum passing score of 135 points. Hits earn five points for inner bottle, 2 points for line hits on inner bottle or full value hits on outer bottle. Zero points for line hits on outer bottle or for a miss. You must be within the time limits for each string of fire. 

Shooting the FAM qualification course within the time limits while hitting the inner bottle necessarily requires a careful balance between speed and accuracy. This is not trivial. If you do not meet every stage’s time requirements, you fail even if you managed to shoot a passing score overall.

The Qualification:

Stage 1: From concealment, draw and fire one round on one target. Repeat. Maximum time is 3.30 seconds for 2 rounds fired.

Stage 2: From low ready, double tap (two shots) on one target. Repeat. Maximum time is 2.70 seconds for 4 rounds fired.

Stage 3: From low ready, fire 6 rounds into one target. Maximum time is 3.00 seconds for 6 rounds fired and all splits (shot to shot time) must be 0.60 seconds or less.

Stage 4: From low ready, fire one shot, reload, fire one shot into one target. Repeat. Maximum time is 6.50 seconds for 4 rounds fired.

Stage 5: From low ready, fire one round into the one of the two outer targets and then transition and fire a round into the other outer target. Repeat. Maximum time is 3.30 seconds for 4 rounds fired.

Stage 6: From concealment and facing up range with back to targets, turn 180 degrees and place one shot into each of the three targets. Repeat. Maximum time is 7.00 seconds for 6 rounds fired.

Stage 7: From low ready and standing, fire one round into one target, slide locks back, drop to one knee, reload, fire one round. Repeat. Maximum time is 8.00 seconds for 4 rounds fired. (Note this is essentially a slide lock 1-reload-1 drill just dropping to a knee while reloading)

The times for the qualification shown in the picture above using my P320 Carry were as follows:

Stage 1: Draw: 1.56, 1.57 = 3.13 (Standard: 3.30 seconds or less)

Stage 2: Double Tap: 1.06, 1.03 = 2.09 (Standard: 2.70 seconds or less)

Stage 3: Rapid Fire: 2.84 (Standard: 3.30 seconds or less)

Stage 4: Speedload: 3.26, 3.34 = 6.50 (Standard: 6.50 seconds or less) I barely squeaked by on this stage.

Stage 5: Transition: 1.55, 1.49 = 3.04 (Standard: 3.30 seconds or less)

Stage 6: Turn & Draw, 3 Targets: 3.04, 3.07 = 6.11 (Standard: 7.00 seconds or less)

Stage 7: Slidelock Reload: 3.10, 3.98 = 7.08 (Standard: 8.00 seconds or less)

Times = Pass for all strings

Points = Passed with 138 points (I dropped a total of four shots (or twelve points) outside the inner bottle)

The Federal Air Marshall TPC is an extremely challenging pistol qualification and particularly challenging using the QIT-97 target.

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