DIY Force-On-Force Training: Good Idea?

July 12, 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCX_cLuwobc

Instagram user Baret Fawbush posted the above (and below) video a few days ago that shows his use of fireworks … being shot directly at him … in order to elevate his stress levels while shooting. Some will say he’s nuts while others will praise the brilliance in this. I’m somewhere in between, since he is wearing eye and ear protection. There isn’t much to stop him from taking a firework right to the face, but it sure does seem to be doing what it’s intended to do: raise your stress level while trying to get rounds on target . . .

What do you think? Nuts or brilliant? Is this something you’d ever try?

PS: We don’t recommend anyone trying this.

Shot from behind. Notice the first 6 shots. 5 hits. 1 miss. Accuracy matters they say. Yes it does. Under stress and at that distance, can you do that while moving to cover? Lol I just found out that I can ???? #glock19 #trainhard #stress #ccw #trustandard #pewpew #police #merica #murica #military #wow #sickgunsallday #concealedcarry #shooting #gunsdaily #guns

A video posted by Baret Fawbush (@truexodus) on Jul 6, 2015 at 9:55pm PDT

42 COMMENTS

Nate July 12, 2015 At 18:04

As a reformed pyro I say its genius! 😀
- Sanchanim July 12, 2015 At 18:33
  
  And who is reformed LOL
  While yes this specific method is dangerous the idea is brilliant. You could use an automated paint ball or Airsoft system, with proper equipment of course.
  - Accur81 July 12, 2015 At 20:46
    
    Greg Block has such a system. It’s a scenario on a screen. Trainees armed with laser / air pistols acting as cops, CCW holders, or security personnel get played a number of interactive scenarios. The scenario plays out, and role players on screen can attack or submit to authority. A paintball cannon, mounted above the screen, shoots .68 caliber nylon paintballs at about 250 FPS. It simulates the role players’ shooting back.
    
    The scenarios are filmed. Everything from reaction time to accuracy of hits is recorded. It’s a lot harder to be accurate when dodging high speed rubber balls. The paintball gun is run by a separate trainer, and she is very accurate with the thing.
    
    https://m.facebook.com/SDFT.GregBlock?refsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSDFT.GregBlock
- mike July 12, 2015 At 21:16
  
  This is really sad.
  
  Why, oh why, did you have to reform?
TT July 12, 2015 At 18:06

When I was a kid, we would use our toy rifles to launch bottle rockets at each other. If we didn’t have bottle rockets, we just shot each other with our bb guns. I guess we were doing “force on force training” without realizing it.
- Tominator July 12, 2015 At 18:25
  
  LOL…me too! I ain’t afraid of fireworks, though this is a good way to get noise, fire and smoke into a defensive equation. I applaud the effort!
- What about Bob July 12, 2015 At 21:10
  
  We did the same thing. Whistling bottle rockets and BB gun fights. Thought we were smart wearing goggles and winter jackets. Until one guy lost half his front tooth from a BB. Dentist found the projectile lodged in his mustache lip the next day.
- Jonathan - Houston July 13, 2015 At 07:16
  
  Here, too. We figured that since a BB gun’s muzzle velocity was so slow that you could actually see it in flight, it couldn’t be that dangerous. Still, we wore our little BMX bike facemasks for protection, just in case.
  
  After seeing “Red Dawn”, we stepped up to roman candles launched out of PVC pipe and sparklers shot out of CO2-powered pellet guns; all the while running around screaming “RPG!” and “Wolverines!” Ahhh…..the 80s….
  - Virginia Gunner July 13, 2015 At 20:10
    
    I made a rocket launcher out of PVC pipe as a kid too. Fired a model rocket out of it that actually looked like an RPG, only with fins. Had the battery powered launch control duct-taped to the top with holes drilled in the pipe for the ignition wires. Problem was it the rocket would only go straight a little ways and then always turned vertical and flew straight up. Never hit what I was aiming at, but the firing part was cool.
- Virginia Gunner July 13, 2015 At 19:55
  
  Same here. That came to end when one of my friend’s ‘suppressing fire’ BB’s made it to the road and hit an unmarked cop car cruising past. Worst luck ever. I’d been playing at his house for years and had never heard his Austrian mother scream until that day. Scared the hell out of me.
  
  We did the fireworks battles too, down the neighborhood street. Roman candles and bottle rockets mainly, mail-ordered from some southern state where they were legal. We lit them with Swisher Sweets we all smoked for the event. Turns out the lamest little fountains can be great weapons when you throw them over an enemy position just before the fuse runs out. They come down spinning and raining sparks everywhere.
JWM July 12, 2015 At 18:11

Potential future Darwin award.
- TITAN308 July 12, 2015 At 18:31
  
  Some might say the same thing about riding around on a tiny scooter on roads meant for multi ton cars…
  - Tominator July 12, 2015 At 18:33
    
    Or the dumbazzes riding bicycles!
    - Geoff PR July 12, 2015 At 21:27
      
      I carry while riding.
      
      Make my day…
      
      🙂
  - JWM July 12, 2015 At 18:37
    
    The scooter is an in joke between me and wife. I did ride a motorcycle til I got too old to heal right.
    - Tominator July 12, 2015 At 18:48
      
      Raced a bit back in the day…..THAT keeps me off them now! LOL!
  - C July 14, 2015 At 21:24
    
    Here, most of those guys on scooters are riding them because they’ve had their license revoked over DUI’s. So, they’ve kinda made their own bed.
JR Pollock July 12, 2015 At 18:22

I suppose that it’s marginally safer than having real live ammo fired at you, but I wouldn’t do it.
spankeythejarhead July 12, 2015 At 18:29

We used to do this practicing patrol with the CO tossing flashbangs and such. For reals it was stimulating!
Skippy Sanchez July 12, 2015 At 18:41

I wouldn’t do it either, but I don’t see the harm in it unless practicing naked. Having things go bang back at you is probably more of an adrenaline rush than a paper silhouette target.
- JWM July 12, 2015 At 18:50
  
  Thanks bunch, skippy. Now I got images of a naked dude dodging fireworks in my head.
  - Geoff PR July 12, 2015 At 21:32
    
    Cripes, now I have a vision of Ralph’s pasty-white @ss running for his life…
    
    It burns! IT BURNS!!!
    - JWM July 12, 2015 At 21:40
      
      Once again the no beverage rule while ttaging is a life saver. Or at least a keyboard cleanup saver.
Ralph July 12, 2015 At 18:43

If upping the stress level is the aim, why not just stuff a live cobra into the guy’s Jockey shorts? Or show him naked pictures of his significant other with a goat? Or have his friends report him to the ATF? Or . . . .

Yeah, this is just a little bit silly. And maybe just a little bit crazy.
- Indiana Tom July 12, 2015 At 19:08
  
  Or show him naked pictures of his significant other with a sheep? I’m baaaddd!
CentralIL July 12, 2015 At 18:50

Some things look more dangerous than they are. The guy is wearing eye and ear protection, so the only real risk is minor burns. I would be sure to keep my mouth shut though.
The Original JohnO July 12, 2015 At 18:59

Those were relatively small-bore fireworks.
gsnyder July 12, 2015 At 19:01

Shoot at with paintgun. If it works for him, whatever. I don’t see any advantage for one simple reason, if bullets are so close you can hear them whizzing, you are in the wrong spot, and you will not hear the one that takes you out.
neiowa July 12, 2015 At 19:27

Step up to the plate Baret, shot a mortar from the top of your noggin. Guy that did so last week failed, you can show him up.

The guy needs another r and t and some 50cal.
- Geoff PR July 12, 2015 At 21:38
  
  “Step up to the plate Baret, shot a mortar from the top of your noggin. Guy that did so last week failed, you can show him up.”
  
  No, he succeeded, but it really blew his mind…
  
  *snicker*
  
  Man Shoots Firework From Top of His Head, Dies
  
  http://www.cnet.com/news/man-dies-after-shooting-off-firework-from-top-of-his-head/
Gunr July 12, 2015 At 19:47

Great idea, The next time I go shooting, I’ll have my buddy stand back a couple hundred yards, and throw Badminton birdies at me. Ooooo! I can feel a rush coming on!
thewiz July 12, 2015 At 19:55

stupid idea. got hit in the upper lip by a standard bottle rocket once. punched a nice little round hole through my stash and lip; loosened a front tooth. frikkin hurt like hell. wife wasn’t too pleased either. and yes as kids, we did the bb gun woods wars. with no protection. miracle none of us got hurt
Brentondadams July 12, 2015 At 20:03

How about like a tennis ball thower?
barnbwt July 12, 2015 At 20:25

I always make sure to SWAT myself at least once every range trip…
Vhyrus July 12, 2015 At 20:35

Slightly off topic, but I can’t seem to find any companies doing real force on force training. Anyone know of any places that are reasonable?
- JWM July 12, 2015 At 20:39
  
  Join the marines. They’ll pay you and give you room and board. Can’t get more reasonable than that.
- Kevin July 13, 2015 At 09:12
  
  I found a place that does simunition training just a couple miles from me just by typing “guns” into Google maps. I was trying to keep up with all the LGS’s that popped up in the past few years…they have been multiplying around here since ’08.
Siris July 12, 2015 At 21:20

Distractions is the major thing. You can run a sprint back from your target and get the heart pumping Pretty hard.

Having people yelling at you and or throwing brass/ hacky sacks on you while you try to hit targets seems more life like To work thru distractions. Kind of draws the crazy eye if you aren’t alone at the range tho. Lol
Roy H July 13, 2015 At 04:37

Hahahahahahahahahahaha.

This is brilliant. By the way. I recently realized that you can by fireworks online. One website had 120 saturn missile batteries (25missiles/per battery) for only $80. Saturn missiles batteries can be as cheap as a single round of .308 apparently. The down side is it might not be legal in your area and shipping is a minimum $150 because of hazmat.
Don July 13, 2015 At 08:40

I’d say that is both nuts AND brilliant.
Sian July 13, 2015 At 09:40

I see no problem here, having been on that end of more than my share of fireworks in my time. They’re not the exploding sort, the worst that can happen is a minor burn.

Paintball mask and long sleeves would make sure that any injury or burns would be a slim possibility though. Gotta protect the face!
TheSleeperHasAwakened July 13, 2015 At 13:28

Great idea and looks like a LOT of fun!

Going to have to try this in the near future.