HA2 8.2 – Firing Stance

  In casual tone, Hide explained the trigger system and safety mechanism on Haka VP9. As a striker fired handgun, HK VP9 didn’t have external safety lever, while its internal safety was being integrated with trigger mechanism. To fire it, shooter only had to squeeze the center bar until it parallel with the trigger, and then continued squeeze it along the way to the back together with the trigger.

  This kind of mechanism enabled a quick deploy or pull and fire action, but compared to other mechanism it would require more pressure to pull the trigger. Of course, shooters could spend some money to modify the trigger take-up into their preference.

  However, unlike other striker fired handgun that had punchy trigger take-up, HK VP9 had a very smooth and crisp trigger mechanism. The trigger reset was also very short and enabled a lightning speed follow up shot.

  Under the rear sight, just above the grip, it had an indicator to show if the gun was cocked. Once shooter cocked the gun, the indicator would turn red. It also had chamber indicator to tell the shooter that the firing chamber was loaded or unloaded. Therefore, shooter didn’t need to slightly pull the slide when they wanted to check the firing chamber.

  Most of all, Haka VP9 was ambidextrous. Shooter could fire it using either right or left hand and with ease could reach the magazine release button or slide-stop lever no matter which hand they used. It would help Shizuka a lot in case she had to shot using her left hand when riding a motorbike.

  After ensuring that Shizuka understood the basic function on Haka VP9, and smoothly executed every example he showed, Hide then explained about some procedure in shooting range. After that, the shooting practice began.

  “Before every shooting session, you have to ensure your gun is empty. Even if you are sure it’s unloaded, you still have to re-check it and develop this step as your second nature,” Hide calmly said. “Do you understand?”

  “I do,” Shizuka firmly replied.

  “Are you ready for the practice?”

  “I’m.”

  “Execute my instruction then.” After a moment of paused Hide continued, “Shooter, take the gun!”

  Shizuka immediately took Haka VP9 on the table, hold it close to her chest with both hands, pointed it to the side down to the floor, and then she said, “Shooter have the gun.”

  “Clear it.”

  In a swift movement, Shizuka took the magazine out and put it into table. Then, she pulled back the slide a few times using full power. Hide had told her that she had to do it that way to ensure the firing chamber was totally clear, and didn’t have to worry it would break the Haka VP9 as it was specifically made to receive hard abuse.

  After she sure that the chamber was clear, Shizuka deployed the slide-stop lever to hold the slide, peeked into firing chamber and then she showed it to Hide.

  “Gun is clear.”

  “Load the magazines.”

  Shizuka immediately put the gun back to the table and swiftly loaded 9 mm round to the first magazine. Before long, she already fully loaded all three magazines on the table and arranged them next to Haka VP9.

  “All magazines are loaded.”

  ‘So far so good,’ Hide calmly muttered before saying, “Ready the gun.”

  After inserting the magazine, Shizuka put the slide-stop lever back into its position and the slide instantly drive back forward and loaded one round into firing chamber. Then, she held the gun close to her chest with both hand, and as always the muzzle was pointing to the side down to the floor.

  “Gun is ready.”

  “Stand by for instinctive counter terrorist stance.”

  Hide then took the tablet on the table. It was connected to digital smart control panel, and Hide used it to generate a holographic target 3 meter in front of Shizuka. The holographic target was 20 cm in diameter, red in color, and it floated 165 cm above the floor. In short, it was target practice that mimics human’s head in size and position.

  After looking at Shizuka for a moment Hide said, “Target!”

  In a smooth motion, Shizuka opened her right leg to the side at shoulder wide, lower her knees a little and slightly bent her upper body forward. At the same time, both her arms pushed Haka VP9 forward until it formed a triangle. Then, she made a line alignment to the target without using iron sight. In short, she took an aim by relying on her feeling and stance. After that, she lowered her finger to the trigger and gently pulling it.

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  Bang!

  The first shot was missed by a land slide, but Shizuka stayed calm and made an adjustment before pulling the trigger one more time.

  Bang!

  It was another miss. Shizuka immediately made another adjustment before firing again, and hit the holographic target in her third attempt. As the holographic target disappeared, Shizuka pulled her Haka VP9 close to her chest and returned to standby position.

  Without delay, Hide put another holographic target. This time, it was 5 meter in front of Shizuka.

  “Target!”

  After Hide signaled her to hit the target, Shizuka immediately take the shoot. This time, she only needed two attempts to hit it. After that, Hide put the third target at 7 meter in front of Shizuka, and the shooting drill continued until Shizuka managed to hit a holographic target at a distance 19 meter in front of her.

  “3 meter, 5 meter, 7 meter, up to 19 meter,” Hide calmly calculated Shizuka’s statistic. “You spent 37 rounds to hit nine targets, not too bad for a first timer.”

  “Hide, what’s next?” Shizuka eagerly asked.

  “Let’s repeat the drill,” Hide calmly replied.

  “Okay.”

  Wasting no time, Hide put a holographic target 3 meter in front Shizuka and signaled her to hit it. This time, Shizuka nailed at first attempt. Hide then put the second holographic target, the third, the fourth, and so on, until finally it reached the last target at 19 meter distance.

  However, before Shizuka pulled the trigger to hit the last target Hide suddenly shouted. “Hold fire! Hold fire! Hold fire!!”

  Shizuka immediately canceled her intention to fire, but maintain her firing stance and calmly waiting for further instruction.

  “Shooter, answer my question,” Hide calmly said. “Who can become range officer in shooting range?”

  Without turning away her eyes from holographic target in the distance Shizuka replied, “Everyone in the shooting range can become range officer for other shooter. They can give warning to stop the practice if they see unwanted circumstance arise in the firing range.”

  “Give me an example of unwanted circumstance where a range officer should shout a warning?”

  “A puppy enters the firing area.”

  “That’s the example I previously gave you,” Hide calmly said. “Be creative and give me other example."

  After furrowed her brow for a whole 30 seconds Shizuka said, “A kitty enters the firing area.”

  “Not so creative, but it will do for now.” Hide paused for a moment before asking another question, “What does shooter should do when they hear ‘Cease fire!’?”

  “Clear the gun, put it back to the table pointed to safe direction, step back three steps from the table, and wait for further instruction.”

  “What does shooter should do when they hear ‘Hold fire!’?”

  “Stop firing their gun, but maintain their stance and wait for further instruction.”

  After taking a glance at Shizuka’s grip, Hide walked over to her side. “Your grip is good and solid, but your posture is correct in form only.”

  “Tell me what I did wrong,” Shizuka said expectantly.

  “Your neck, shoulder, and waist are too stiff, and stiff stance is mortal enemy of a shooter,” Hide calmly said. “It will drain your energy and focus. Most of all, it slow you down when you have to hit multiple targets.

  Always remember that firm and stiff are two totally different things.”

  “How I correct my stance?”

  “Take a deep breath, feel your posture, and slowly relax your muscle.”

  “…”

  “Also, the reason why you bend your upper body slightly forward is to help you made the line alignment to the target. While you put both arms in a triangle form is to help you suppress the recoil and muzzle raise. Every time you took this stance, always remember this two fundamental principal.”

  “Understood.”

  “Question?”

  “If I take aim without sight, is it possible to hit the target at first shot constantly?”

  “It is. However, it need around 3000 rounds before you start getting the correct feeling on how to aim without sight. And it will need another 3000 rounds until you fully master it. Then, you have to spend no less than 1500 rounds each month to maintain your sharpness.”

  “I see.”

  “Well, tell me what do you remember about contra terrorist stance?”

  Shizuka firmly replied, “It’s the most effective stance when you have to hit multiple targets. Shooter also has to develop a habit of aiming at the head when using this stance.”

  “Very good.” Hide made a satisfied smiled before continuing, “What will you do if your target hide behind a hostage and have a knife at hostage’s throats?”

  “Switch into conventional stance?”

  “What is the cardinal sequence in conventional stance?”

  “Aim with sight, get clear line alignment, take the shoot.”

  “Where do you place your shoot if your target has knife’s point at hostage’s throat?”

  “Clean headshot through the eye or cheek,” Shizuka paused for a moment, and thinking so hard before continued, “Or at upper arm just below the shoulder. I forget the name of the nerve that I have to destroy, but I definitely remember its exact location.”

  “What will happen if you shot at this nerve that you forget the name but definitely remember its exact location?”

  “Target will lose the ability to grip or lift up his or her arm, and this is a permanent damage.”

  “Is there any other place that can give similar result?”

  “Lower arm around the wrist, but there is a possibility the bullet will hit the hostage if I shoot at it.”

  “In a close quarter fight, is it possible to destroy the nerve that you forget its name but definitely remember its exact location by using a knife?”

  “It is. A stab and screw movement will definitely destroy it.”

  “You know,” Hide cheerfully said. “You have a good brain actually. If you use it on your study, you will definitely get good score.”

  “…”

  As Shizuka remained silence while pouting her lips, Hide continued, “Unfortunately, all this time, you make a fatal mistake without realizing it.”

  Then, as puzzlement filled Shizuka’s face, without warning Hide used his finger to poke her at her slender waist.

  “Aww!!”

  Bang!

  In an instant, Shizuka turned her head to Hide and gave him a furious gaze. “Hide, that’s fucking dangerous.”

  “Exactly.” Hide calmly replied, “Tell me the basic rule for firearm safety that you violated?”

  After tilting her head for a moment Shizuka replied in low voice, “Third rule, keep your finger away from the trigger until you are ready to shoot.”

  “Yep.”

  “Sorry.”

  “No worry, but next time you violate it again, I will give you a severe punishment.”

  “Understood.”

  “Now, how is it? Do you find some discomfort with your grip, recoil, or such, and want to try the other gun?”

  “No, I will go with this one.”

  “Let’s continue then.” After taking a deep breath Hide calmly said, “Shooter, stand by for conventional stance.”

  Without delay Shizuka pulled the Haka VP9 close to her chest, and changed her posture into a ramrod straight stance.

  “Target!”

  Shizuka immediately moved her left leg a half-step forward and slightly bent her knees. At the same time, she pushed her right hand until it was as straight as possible, while her left hand slightly bending downward as it supported the gun. In summary, she pushed her firing hand forward while pulling her supporting hand backward.

  Then, she took aim through the iron sight before lowering her finger to the trigger and gently pulled it.

  Bang!

  Shizuka missed again, but she stayed calm and took another aim. However, before she pulled the trigger Hide once again shouted. “Hold fire! Hold fire! Hold fire!!”

  After moving her finger from the trigger Shizuka asked, “What mistake I did this time?”

  “You miss horizontally to the left because you pull the trigger too hard,” Hide calmly said. “Remember, don’t pull the trigger but gently squeeze it. Just do it slowly but correctly, as time goes on, your speed will increase on its own, and after doing it for a few thousand times it will become second nature.”

  “Okay.”

  “Let’s continue then.”

  Without delay the drill continued. This time, other than ensuring Shizuka followed the correct procedure, Hide didn’t give her any advice. He let Shizuka firing Haka VP9 without pause other than when she changed or reloaded the magazine. However, Hide carefully made a note each time he found something worth to remember.

  In total, Shizuka fired 100 rounds using two stances, and hit the target 24 times. After that, it was Takeo’s turn. As Hide suspected, Takeo had absorbed almost all information he need to know. He also fired 100 rounds using two stances, and hit the target 27 times.

  After that, Hide carried a solo training. He fired 100 rounds using contra-terrorist stance and hit the target sixty five times. Then, he cleared the gun before joining Takeo and Shizuka in the back area.

  *****