Patrol Rifle Retention
Clamp, Orient, Push/ Pull (C.O.P.P.)
Richard Nance
LawOfficer.com Exclusive
2008 Apr 14
Once considered a weapons platform exclusive to SWAT team members, patrol officers now routinely carry the patrol rifle. The advantages of the patrol rifle are obvious: increased ammunition capacity, greater stopping power, and the ability to deliver accurate rounds from a longer distance. Unfortunately, many agencies fail to adequately prepare their officers to retain possession of the rifle during close quarter battle.

Patrol rifle retention techniques must account for the fact that the weapon is slung, which can be either a blessing or a curse for the officer. Most importantly, the techniques must enable the officer to maintain control of the rifle against a suspect who is fully committed to disarming the officer. This article is intended to provide officers with simple, effective tactics to retain their patrol rifle in the close quarter environment.

Clamp, Orient, Push/ Pull (C.O.P.P.)
Against an attempted disarm from the front or side, the officer must first transition from a shoulder-mounted position to a “close quarter hold.” This is accomplished by first pushing the rifle slightly toward the suspect and then tucking the stock under the arm. The officer can then clamp their arm on the stock, wedging it securely between their arm and torso.

Clamping the stock of the rifle against the officer’s body is critical. This step gives the officer superior leverage, which is necessary to retain the rifle when the suspect grabs with a two-handed “death grip.” After clamping the weapon, the officer should lower their center of gravity to maintain balance, while simultaneously off-balancing the suspect.

Orient
After clamping the stock of the weapon and lowering their center of gravity, the officer should immediately orient the muzzle toward the suspect by pivoting on the ball of the front foot. This prevents the muzzle from facing unintended parties such as other officers or innocent citizens. While intentionally firing the rifle at the suspect might not be appropriate, it’s probably better to have the muzzle pointed at the suspect than in another direction,in the event a finger or other object inadvertently presses the trigger as the officer struggles to maintain control of the rifle. Pointing the muzzle at the suspect also places the officer in the best position to wrench it from the suspect’s grasp.

Push/Pull
Thrusting the muzzle of the rifle toward the suspect and immediately pulling the rifle while stepping back is one of the best ways to compromise the suspect’s grip and disengage from the suspect. When the officer pushes the muzzle into the suspect, the muzzle might actually strike the suspect, inflicting pain, which would likely cause the suspect’s grip to loosen. Instead of pulling the stock to the clamp position under the arm, the officer could pull the stock over his arm, which allows for a longer pull. Once the suspect loses his grip on the rifle, the officer should seek to create distance and assess the situation. When feasible, the officer should issue loud, clear, and concise verbal commands to the suspect.

Safety
Deciding at which point to activate the patrol rifle’s mechanical safety is a hotly debated topic in the tactical community.
One school of thought is for the officer to keep the rifle’s safety engaged until the officer has made a conscious decision to fire. If this is how the officer was trained, it’s likely the mechanical safety would already be engaged when the suspect grabs the rifle.

Some officers are taught to carry the rifle in either the semi-automatic or automatic condition. If the rifle’s selector switch is in any position other than “safe,” the officer should attempt to move the selector switch to safe at the first indication of a disarmament attempt. This will help prevent an unintentional discharge of the rifle.

Rear sling grab
The patrol rifle’s sling is generally advantageous to the officer from a weapon retention standpoint. However, in certain circumstances the sling could be used against the officer. Since the sling is slung around the officer’s head and arm, a suspect pulling on the sling could result in the officer losing their balance or even being taken to the ground.
Against a frontal sling grab, the C.O.P.P. technique will enable the officer to remain balanced and in control of the rifle.

Against a rear sling grab, the officer can actually use the momentum of the pull to turn into the suspect (in the direction of the officer’s non-shooting side). The officer can swing an elbow and/or the stock of the weapon horizontally to strike the suspect’s head, causing him to release the rifle. If the suspect does not release the rifle, the officer can swing the rifle back along the same plane to strike the suspect with the barrel.

From the ground
If the officer is on their back, with the suspect on top, trying to disarm the rifle, the officer can reposition their grip on the hand guard so that their fingers are facing upward. From there, the officer is able to use the rifle as a lever by pushing on the muzzle and pushing off the ground with the corresponding foot. This will enable the officer to “sweep” the suspect onto his back. The officer should immediately scramble to a standing position and assess.
If you carry a patrol rifle, you are responsible for maintaining possession of that weapon at all costs. If a suspect manages to disarm you, your life as well as the lives of other officers and citizens is in jeopardy.

Don’t fall victim to the “it can’t happen to me” mentality. Practice these techniques using non-functional weapons and appropriate protective gear. Don’t assume that modified baton retention techniques, such as slapping the suspect’s hand off the weapon or rotating the muzzle in a circular motion will work against a fully committed suspect who is hell bent on taking your rifle!

Always have a “Plan B”. Never give up!