Double tap
A double tap is a shooting technique where two shots are fired quickly at the same target.[1][2] The term hammer is sometimes used to describe a double tap in which the firearm's sights are not reacquired by the shooter between shots.[2]
Origins
The origin of the double tap technique is credited to William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes, British Police chiefs in Shanghai during the 1930s to overcome the limitations of full metal jacketed (FMJ) ammunition. FMJ ammunition is commonly used by militaries for feeding reliability, adherence to the Hague Convention regarding non-expanding ammunition and improved armor piercing qualities. Even in large calibers, FMJ ammunition can fail to damage an enemy enough to take him out of the fight quickly. In Ian Dear’s book Sabotage and Subversion about British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and United States Office of Strategic Services (OSS) forces, Fairbairn is reported to have instructed SOE personnel in the double tap from 1944 to 1945 at the SOE training school directed by Fairbairn and Sykes near Arisaig in Scotland. The term "double tap" is now used to describe the broader technique of firing two rounds quickly and accurately to disable an opponent. The tactic is still used today by firearms handlers, police tactical teams, military personnel, counter-terrorist military units, and other special forces personnel.
Theory
In the double-tap technique, after the first round is fired, the trigger is quickly squeezed again as the muzzle drops down out of recoil. The technique is meant to impose fire control while maximizing the potential of incapacitating the target.
See also
References
- ^ "GunTec Dictionary". MidwayUSA. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
- ^ a b "A Glossary of Terms Relating to Firearms". Retrieved 2007-09-08.