Drill of the Day - Gas 'Em Out

Today’s “Prepare to Defend” Drill of the Day: Gas 'Em Out One of the biggest advantages of the Byrna launchers is the ability to engage targets with two different methods. We can shoot them directly, or we can use indirect shots by hitting the ground in front of them or walls next to them to indirectly expose them to chemical agents to gain compliance.

This also works great if you can’t actually see the suspect to hit them directly because they’re hiding in a room or around a corner. Learning how to use the powder in the rounds to get good exposure is crucial to making sure those shots count. For this drill, we need one target set 7 to 10 yards away from our shooting position, preferably on hard ground or near a hard vertical surface like a wall, a pillar, or in this case, a dumpster.

Today, we’re going to be using a Byrna SD loaded with five rounds of pro-training projectiles to shoot this drill, but really, you can use any of Byrna’s handheld or shoulder-fired launchers. To begin this drill, we are going to start at the low ready or position three, present, and fire our first two rounds at the hard surface next to our target. We then assess the threat and fire the next three rounds directly at our target.

Pro tip: Make sure you’re shooting far enough in front of your target so that the powder disperses in a way that completely envelops your suspect. Shooting too far to the side will allow the powder to travel past them and may not incapacitate the assailant. Alright, so get out there and train early and train often so that if the time comes, you are prepared to defend.