Mozambique Drills vs. Hose'm 'Till They Drop

[Kettlebelly Slim]

I'm not convinced that it's time to revert from the Mozambique Drill to Hose Technique, just because they use the Mozambique Drill a lot in competition.

Michael's assertion that the "Two in the chest and one in the head" reflex came from competition is true.  But the REASON it entered competition was that it came from a real incident in the late Rhodesian conflict (across the border in Mozambique, actually).  The "Hammer to COM, re-assess, then deliver a head-shot if necessary" has evolved into transitioning from the first two COM shots directly and immediately to the head-shot if the target is still up.  If the target is still up, there's no need to pause to "re-assess."

So the Mozambique Drill is currently "competition-based" - but it originally came about due to the repeated failure (in the field) of simply emptying the magazine to COM.  That was often with 9mm Ball - but the point was that if a couple of good COM hits didn't work, something else was called for (whether the failure was due to armor, drugs, adreneline, momentum, et cetera).  A major power-factor load delivered through the ocular window is likely to work.

I had some fun with Gunsite's Charging Robot, using G-18 mags in a G-17.  It's just a robot, though, and only stops when the operator stops it.  While the fountain of brass spewing out the ejection port was amusing, I'm not sure that there'd be much advantage to continuing to pour rounds into COM after the first few had failed to stop the assailant.  With deeply penetrative loads, COM hits will disrupt the spine - but the head is a wider target than the back-bone, and easier to visualize from in front of the assailant.  And possibly easier to hit.

[Rastus]

Those are some great insights....though I don't know that I'd call shooting until a threat is neutralized "hosing".  Do you think going for the head shot is really better than continuing a string to center of mass until it stops?  At calving time we have problems with strays and "fluffy" eating the cow's afterbirth...the larger dogs and packs if left unchecked will kill and eat a calf half born.  I had a particularly large and dangerous dog I tried to run off decide I was a threat...the Browning .380 hollow points did not stop it first two or three shots...I continued through about eight before it finally stopped running to get me.  Not the same as a man, decidedly tougher animals over humans...but a threat that did not stop and it was a lot easier to go for center of mass than to try a head (smaller I know) shot.

Just my 2 cents....

[ultima ratio]

I like the term non-standard response to describe the "hosing down". In competition the interval between the two COM shots and the head shot is marginal and there is no actual reassess involved. In the real world most people who got two shots to the chest will act funny and you will have a hard time placing that head shot after you really took the break to reassess. They will very likely not stand still for you. With a non-standard response you can always move the sights up to go for the head if you feel the adversary does not disappear out of your sight picture. Just don't stick to a certain round count.

[ellis4538]

Moz also makes a lot of sense now because the BG's are wearing BP vests and hosing doesn't work.

Richard

[SigShooter]

In my armed guard class only COM hits counted. I honestly can't think of a crime in recent times where the BG(s) had body armor, except North Holywood in '94. The most enduring solution to that situation was to get patrol rifles. And with the introduction of the FiveSeven pistol and AP for LEOs, the rifle's penetration can be given to a handgun. I wouldn't concentrate on moz; I'd go a few to COM and if that doesn't work, stitch upwards.

[Sponsor]

[ultima ratio]

Like I mentioned above, a non-standard response doesn't mean you have to stick to a certain body area and cannot take head shots, it just means you don't stop shooting because of a given round count. Kyle Lamb describes the body as a rebar with two tennis balls aka the spinal cord with the heart and the brain. Hit anywhere on this axis with your non-standard response to drop your adversary