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Monday, June 26, 2006
Rama: Tactical three-gun, anyone?
By Karlon N. Rama
Stage five
THEY don’t do this special kind of match often, but when they do, the action almost always makes the waiting worthwhile.
And in its latest run, yesterday’s Kamagong Tactical Match came in three-guns a three-stage pistol event with four different categories, a separate two-stage shotgun match, and a single-stage semi-automatic rifle competition.
The match drew some 70 entries from as far as Tagbilaran, Bohol as well as a few gunslingers from the Cebu City Police Office Swat Team.
Organized only once every two months by the AFP Central Command-based Kamagong Gun Club Inc. for its members, in coordination with the PNP Firearms Explosives Security Agencies and Guards Division, the first Tactical Match was held in February of 2005.
Since then, it has received a certain amount of loyal following even from shooters outside the club – civilian gun-owners and law enforcement people alike.
REAL-LIFE SCENARIOS. “The match is not designed for simple competition. It was designed to give club members an avenue to try out their skill in real-life defensive scenarios,” said Col. Ceferino Layao, the club president. “Care is given to making the stages as close as possible to what happens in a real shooting encounter. Shooters are required to seek cover instinctively, shoot behind cover always, and through visual cues, engage only when the conditions for the lawful use of a carried firearm is present,” he explained.
Shooters are divided into categories according to the equipment they use.
In the Pistol event, those shooting double-action only handguns like Glocks or double-action/single-action guns like the Jericho 941, the CZ 75 or the Beretta 92, are categorized as Stock Service Pistols (SSP).
Single-action only 9mm pistols like the Browning High-Power and .40 pistols built on the 1911 platform, such as the very popular Para Ordnance P16-40, are categorized under Enhanced Service Pistols (ESP).
Double column single-action only .45 pistols, like the equally popular P14-45, are categorized under the Custom Defensive Pistol (CDP). Those that fit single-stack magazines are placed under the subcategory SS.
No competition-only equipment is allowed. Only those rigs that are allowed in civilian carry may be used. The club brought in six new reactive metal targets for the competition. The targets are made of special steel welded behind a brace that holds a dense synthetic foam cutout of a humanoid upper torso. Only direct centerline hits can make the target drop.
Three types of targets are used in the tactical match – paper, metal and reactive – and each stage can have as much as nine of any one target type or combination of each. Only metal targets are used in the shotgun events though.
In the Pistol category, shooters need to score at least two hits on the body and earn a minimum of seven points or hit the target squarely on the head. But only targets with “threat cues” – the cutout of a knife or gun – are to be engaged. Metal targets, meanwhile, need to fall in order to score.
An FTN or failure-to-neutralize penalty is earned if a shooter scores lower than seven on a paper “threat” target or leaves a metal target standing. Shooting a “non-threat” target also results in penalties.
The amount of ammunition a shooter is allowed to carry in every stage is 34. So shooters are forced to make each precious shot count.
In the Pstol event, the top shooters were (SSP) Chief Inspector Arnel Banzon, the commanding officer of the CCPO Swat Team; Jasper Roble of Roble Shipping, PO2 Cliff Ediza, also of the CCPO Swat; lawyer Neil Nuñez and businessman Andy Chua; (ESP) perennial category champion Nogie Biagan of Casey Gun Club, with host club members Glenn Diaz, Allan Sacris, Mario Go and Manuel Rosales in tow; (CDP) Mario Caballes, Nestor Zamora, John Roa, Edgar Sasuman and Roger delos Santos, all of the host club; and (SS) Dr. Ray Atup of Bohol and doctors Joseph Yu and Rogelio Kangleon of the host club.
In the Shotgun event, the winners were John Melendrez, Glenn Diaz, Gerry Velez, Andy Chua and Mario Go, all from the host club. It was Chua, with Allan Osorio, Melendrez, Dr. Allan Sacris and Pancho Ramirez, all likewise of the host club, who topped the rifle match.
PERSONAL: My warmest congratulations to PO2 Albert Luardo, currently assigned to the elite Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau, and Leah Octaviano-Luardo for the christening of their son, Albert Lorenzo, yesterday morning. May the good Lord bless and keep you always.
(knrama@gmail.com)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 26, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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