Just let us defend ourselves, if you aren't up to it!

"Police are being accused of double standards after it emerged yesterday they are required to do less training with firearms than hunters.

Police national operations manager Superintendent Tony McLeod said police firearm training consists of nine days in camp, plus 24 hours "maintenance" practice each year.

"Police were "not generally" trained to shoot at moving targets, McLeod said.

The president of the Sporting Shooters Association, Dr Lech Beltowski, said the training was insufficient.

"You can't, in nine days and 24 hours every year, teach people what takes years of experience and repetitive target shooting to achieve."

Members of pistol clubs were required by police to shoot 12 times a year or they faced losing their B class (target shooting pistol) endorsement, Beltowski said.

"For us to stay reasonably accurate we really have to shoot at least once a month ... There's a bit of a double standard here, I think..."

Link:

First, I want to clear up a point in this article- the reason pistol shooters need to attend 12 shoots per year is to demonstrate and prove a bona fide interest in the sport of pistol shooting.

Police training, not unlike military, is more about firearms drills and procedures than in accuracy. In these aspects, their training is good. Having mastered safe firarms handling, they need to move forward to action shooting, which includes moving target.

If they could take a dose of humble pie, their local pistol club could provide much valuable instruction in this area. We would be more than happy to help- for a small fee and a pile of free 9mm!

The only ones better instructors are a bit occupied at the moment, the SAS being a bit busy right now.