Active Crisis Consulting CQB Shoothouse Training (Part 2)

Day two overview and transition to the shoothouse

Day two picks up after the morning’s flat range work, where students focused on checkup drills, reloads, and transitions. The group now moves into the shoothouse, which the instructors describe as a dedicated close-quarters training structure, to begin more advanced CQC work while still following a crawl-walk-run progression. Students anticipate twists and more complex problems inside the structure and emphasize staying open to instruction and absorbing as much as possible. Instructors explain that no one else will be firing live rounds during the demonstration phase. Students are told to leave their guns against the wall, put on eye and ear protection, and move up into the rafters to observe the initial demos before running the drills themselves.

Review of two-man entries and deliberate versus dynamic clearing

Instructors recap the previous day’s work on two-man room entries for both corner-fed and center-fed rooms. They review using barricades, working the wall, procedures outside the door, and proper footwork through the threshold. A live demo contrasts a deliberate approach with a faster, dynamic entry. The deliberate method neutralizes more threats before the team fully enters, leaving fewer role players or targets standing when the entry team comes in. Instructors stress that the underlying skills remain the same in both deliberate and dynamic clearing; the difference is speed, not technique. Deliberate clearing is highlighted as valuable when there is no immediate hostage threat and when threats can be managed from outside the room.

When and how to use four-man room entries

The class shifts from two-man entries to four-man room entries. Instructors explain that four-man entries are primarily used on the initial entry into a building, not simply whenever more people are available or when there are more threats. Too many people in a room can complicate the problem. After the primary entry, teams generally revert to two-man entries unless a deliberate situation outside the door requires calling in more personnel. In a four-man entry, the first two shooters drive to the corners, while the third and fourth enter along the center, each taking about 10 percent off center to cover angles quickly. This approach allows simultaneous coverage of the room without stacking in the middle or assuming someone else has a target. Students are reminded to keep movements consistent and avoid overthinking rifle presentation as they flow to their assigned sectors.

Multiple threats, danger areas, and barrel release drills

Training progresses to handling multiple threats and multiple danger areas inside a room, such as furniture, file cabinets, or couches that create dead space. Instructors demonstrate how two people entering a room can manage these areas using barrel releases and threat exchanges. Students practice coordinating muzzle positions so that when one rifle comes up and meets the other, the second shooter smoothly drops or shifts to assume responsibility for a different sector. Feedback focuses on timing, foot placement, and setting up the stance before initiating a barrel release. Hesitation is expected on first attempts, but the goal is to make the exchange smooth and deliberate rather than rushed. The drills emphasize communication, clear movement calls, and maintaining coverage on unseen areas behind obstacles.

Door management, depth, and correcting over-penetration

Instructors address common issues with doorways and room depth. One student allows a partially open door to limit the field of view, effectively letting the door control the entry. The instructor demonstrates pushing the door fully open to gain additional visual access into the corner before moving to the center of the room. Guidance is given on proper penetration distances for four-man entries: the first two shooters drive approximately 6 to 8 feet into the room, while the third and fourth move 2 to 4 feet off center with about 10 percent offset. Over-penetration and crowding are corrected so that each shooter can sweep their sector without blocking others. Students are reminded to hug the hallway wall before entering, avoid drifting into the middle too early, and use clear “moving” and “move” calls to coordinate repositioning inside the room.

Barricaded flow and minimizing exposure in hallways

The final segment introduces a method called barricaded flow for dealing with hallways. Instructors describe hallways as inherently dangerous, essentially long shooting lanes where threats can appear from multiple doors. The barricaded flow technique is presented as a safer, deliberate way to clear, minimizing the number of bodies exposed in the hallway at any time. If someone is in the hallway, that person should be actively working; otherwise, personnel stay inside rooms. The team moves methodically, addressing doors without unnecessarily opening new problems. A scenario is discussed where the only reason to bypass this method and drive directly to a specific door is a known hostage rescue situation, where time and the risk of the hostage being harmed outweigh the dangers of leaving other doors unopened.