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Shotgun CQB

Chris Caracci

    Chris Caracci is a Navy SEAL who has produced a number of videos in association with the L.O.T.I. Group.  These include a number of PT workout tapes, unarmed combatives, gun retention, tactical pistolcraft, and this video on shotgun CQB (Close Quarters Battle).  Mr. Caracci is articulate and professional in his presentation, stressing the moral implications of armed defense as well as the practical issues involved in defending your life and the lives of your family.  This point is "brought home" by the unusual setting chosen as a shooting location - a normal house (ok, a fancy house, but a private residence none the less).

    Unlike other videos which Mr. Caracci has produced which focus more on skills mainly needed by military or law enforcement personnel, this title is aimed solidly at the civilian.  Since the shotgun is the most widely owned weapon for home defense, a tape like this fills an important gap.  This tape does not presume any knowledge of shooting, movement or tactics, and thoroughly covers them in an easy to understand manner that even your brother-in-law can follow.  Everyone who I have shown this to has been able to understand it and felt that it had opened their eyes to a lot of possibilities.  They all felt it had given them an edge just from watching and knowing some things not to do, and a few tricks they remembered.

    One thing that I think gives these people some of that confidence is that unlike other shotgun videos, this is not a tape about "how to shoot" - it is about "all the rest" of the skills required for combat.  You don't watch it and say "I could never do that fancy shooting" and give up.  One tape I reviewed spent a long time training to rapidly switch from shot to slugs, and for me as a civilian that is of little use - If the bad guy is far enough away that I need a slug to hit him suddenly then it probably isn't legal for me to be shooting him.

    Instead, Caracci works from the point of view that you are fighting in defense of your home against an invader, and that this is in some ways an advantage; "Who knows your house better than you?"  He first wisely advises in case of a break in for people to hole up in a safe room, call the police, and wait for the criminal to come to you (essentially, waiting in ambush).  This is the safest way to go, but for times when you must "go hunting" to secure your children, or for whatever reason, Caracci gives us a lesson in how to go about it safely.  Throughout the tape safety, responsibility, and family are stressed.

    Thresholds and Barrier Shooting form the first major blocks of instruction.  Caracci details the tactics for moving between rooms quickly while still maximizing vision into upcoming areas.  Concepts such as Channeled Areas and Cutting the Pie are shown.  Shooting from behind barriers from standing and kneeling are shown, with the camera filming from both so you can see Mr. Caracci performing the technique and from the bad guy's point of view.  Roll Outs, Weak Side Shooting, Changing Elevation and more are covered.

    Cover and Concealment are shown, with variations for common indoor furniture.  Shooting from the prone position is examined in both the conventional Prone position, and using Inverse Prone (shooting from lying on your back) position.  Many advantages of the Inverse Prone position are shown, including some interesting examples against a moving adversary.  Again, the camera takes the view point of the bad guy in this example, clearly illustrating the points.

    A number of Less than Lethal Force options are also discussed.  Mr. Caracci shows several methods for freeing up your weapon in case it is grabbed and a number of basic power strikes with the shotgun its self.  Support kicking and the use of one arm are touched on as well.  The use of lights, both ones mounted on the shotgun and handheld ones, is shown, and again some of the Holy Commandments of Shooting are invoked for viewers to remember - "Finger off the trigger until target is identified and the sights are in line"

    For the last segment we are transported to the shooting range to see Patterning and some Point Shooting from the Hip.  In this segment, Mr. Caracci discusses the importance of patterning your shotgun with whatever loads you use, so you have a clear idea of the shot dispersal.  He sets some targets up and fires with both a custom shotgun and a classic short barreled side-by-side so we can see the damage.

    If you or a family member keep a shotgun in the house "just in case", I would recommend keeping a copy of this tape around the house, too.  Valuable information that could save your life, and a value price to boot!