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| Copyright © Eugene Nielsen | ||
NEIL MORRIS ON SNIPING
Legendary USMC Scout Sniper &
President of Precision Rifle International
(Part II)
by Eugene Nielson
[Editor's Note: This is Part II of the exclusive S. W.A. T. interview with Master Sergeant Neil Morris and Elizabeth Geick Morris, his wife and co-founder of Precision Rifle International (PR!).]
Master Sergeant Neil Morris (USMC, ret.) is a legend in the sniper community. In December 1995, during his range dedication and White Feather ammunition test at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, the late Carlos Hathcock stated: "Neil has been the driving force in development of new technology and employment techniques, maintained the sniper standards, conducted more operations with more people, and influenced sniper training and employment more than anyone in the last ten years."
S.W.A.T.: How have weapons and equipment improvements greatly increased the sniper’s capabilities?
Neil Morris: The entire spectrum of weapons and equipment has improved. The example would be the Tango 51S that we used during the LASD SEB course. Students (with Tango 51S) were actually able to engage moving targets from the unsupported kneeling position with the same accuracy as shooters that were firing unsuppressed weapons in the supported prone. That was a major breakthrough. The quality of the weapon and the accuracy spoke for themselves. It was an amazing thing for me to watch brand new students being able to shoot moving targets from the sitting or the kneeling as well as other snipers shooting from the supported prone.
Tommy Lambrecht (Los Angeles Sheriff's Department,
Special Enforcement Bureau) explains to students
the do's and don'ts while shooting from an aircraft.
The sniper community as a whole has access to the best rifles, scopes, ammunition and equipment in the world. The schools that are out there that teach from experience will push the students to get the "right stuff." I'm not talking about "bells and whistles" either. Tom Lambrecht from LASD SEB and I agree that the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) theory is the best technique in tactical training and equipment, because in the heat of a gunfight you had better flow into and out of the situation without having to do much thinking past friend or foe! In a crisis, if you've all kinds of gee-whiz bells and whistles and doo-dads hanging from your gear, you're a liability. Both Tom and I believe in a nice clean weapon, nice clean gear. And, I don't mean cleanliness-I'm talking about the set up.
S.W.A.T.: Could you further discuss the role of SASRs, such the .50 caliber
and .338 Lapua, in sniping?
Neil Morris: The heavy caliber weapons are available to the sniper community and should be acquired and maintained until the need arises. Now that most LE agencies have been assigned additional responsibilities that they never considered before, they need to have the deal of weapons, equipment and training to do it. It's better to have an option and not use it than need an option and not have it!
When you start talking about teaching LE how to use .50 cal. rifles or shooting from helicopters, many (in the general public) don't see the tactical importance of how these things are going to be used-such as the requirement to stop a train, to stop a flaming truck like they had in Dallas a while back. They (heavy caliber weapons) are not going to be used against the general public. They're going to be used to protect them.
The improvements that have been made in these heavier weapons now allow the desired accuracy to be obtained in anti-material situations or in a counter-sniper situation where the threat has a .50 cal. One .50 cal. manufacturer alone in this country has sold over 2,800 of their weapons to the general public. The .338 gives you a deal of accuracy and additional "punch' when defeating extreme barriers, and provides long range accuracy in extreme weather that the .308 may not shoot through.
Elizabeth Morris: What we're having now with the new technology, especially since 9/11, is that departments, especially the larger departments in metropolitan areas, are now responsible for power plants, dams, airports and large venue stadiums. One of these agencies contacted us and asked "What do we do? They're talking about these semi-trucks being a threat. What can we do to stop an 18wheeler?" That's why they came to us for the .50 cal. You put that round into an engine block-you put a couple of rounds in the engine block-well, now that vehicle is going to stop. You don't have an out of control vehicle. If you've got these weapons properly deployed and you've the go-ahead that the vehicle will not come any closer than a specified perimeter, well, you can neutralize that vehicle with a few well placed shots with minimal collateral damage.
What this all wraps up to, is that we're saying to law enforcement that here are some heavy weapon options that are available to you. There are those, especially LE higher ups, who say that LE shouldn't have those weapons, that they're too powerful. Well, a .50 cal. in the hands of a properly trained individual reduces your liability. How do you reduce your liability? Better training, better qualification, minimal standards, and proficiency with the weapon-just like you would do with any weapon. If they have this (heavy caliber) option available and the police department is aware of it- but they don't bring it into play-and they have a terrorist incident that could have been prevented, where's the liability then?
S.W.A.T.: What about the use of suppressed weapons?
Neil Morris: I get asked this quite often. The suppressed weapon is a "win-win" situation now. It wasn't for years due to accuracy problems, etc. These days, there are several weapons out there that provide the same accuracy with a "can" as they do without. There are several other reasons a suppressed long gun is an advantage. Masking or noise reduction is one, of course, but there are more important issues such as visible signature reduction and reduced recoil. I've used Mike Rescigno's (Tactical Operations, Inc.) Tango 51 with exacting point-of-aim, point-of-impact results out to 500 yards shooting Federal Gold Medal 168-grain HPBT and a wide range of other ammunition and, unless you were right beside me, you'd never hear the shot. I've used a Chandler Grande with an SWR suppressor out to 1,000 yards with the same exacting results, which was an eight-inch group at the 1,000. At close ranges (300 yards and in), these weapons maintained sub-MOA throughout the training. If the sniper can accomplish his mission with the same accuracy, yet not be heard or seen in the process, who wouldn't want this capability?
Elizabeth Morris, Neil and Tommy Lambrecht (right) discuss
an upcoming training
session while snipers from the Santa Monica
and Torrance police departments
stand ready.
S.W.A.T.: You mentioned that the use of variable-powered scopes has led to much greater success.
Neil Morris: It's much like the suppressor issues. In the past, the fixed-power scopes were more reliable and durable. Variable-power scopes had a tendency to degrade quickly and weren't capable of holding their zero as well as the fixed-scope. But, much like the suppressor, technology has caught up with the requirement with a vengeance. The modern variable-powered scopes being produced by Leupold and many others are tough, accurate and provide the long-needed field of view the modern sniper requires.
I've taught schools for LE and military snipers where this issue was seen clearly (no pun intended). I had USMC Scout Snipers going through a course I was teaching for HK at the time. Their training and experience was evident in every way when compared to many of the new LE snipers. But when we worked urban scenarios at ranges of 200 yards and in, the Marines' ability to engage the threat was limited. Why? Limited field of view. They were using a fixed 10X and could not power down at closer ranges. Therefore, all of the movement on the range had to be tracked, which is impossible in an urban environment. Fast moving targets in close proximity wouldn't even be picked up by the Marines, while the LE snipers were engaging regularly with accuracy and speed. Now, I'm not beating up my home team. Put the variable-power scopes on the Marine rifles and stand by. Anyway, the ability to adjust the power to the conditions at any given time, range, or visibility greatly enhance the sniper's overall capabilities. A fixed-power scope at 12 power or greater also magnifies the movement of the weapon and heartbeat of the shooter. This results in a trigger jerk that the shooter may take years to identify. Try shooting unsupported with a fixed-powered scope at 12 power or greater. Good luck! Probably shouldn't do that in a real situation because the liability monster would eat you for lunch.
S.W.A.T.: What about the use of data books?
Neil Morris: There are some out there that are preaching that the data book is obsolete and that they can provide you with computer generated "data cards" that will replace the old data books. I've never laughed so hard and then started crying again at the same time. The laughter was from the stupidity of the statements, but the crying was because some poor inexperienced snipers out there are going to buy into that theory and have a problem in a real world situation. Again, the liability monster is going to eat somebody up.
First of all, the data book should be a basic sniper skill that every sniper uses every time he or she gets behind a weapon. The sniper and the rifle system (weapon and scope) produce results in live fire. Each and every person is different, every barrel is different, and weather is rarely exactly the same on any given day. The physical act of recording information that you produced with your rifle and scope on this day reinforces the understanding of the fundamentals of marksmanship and the understanding of external ballistics. How do you identify trends with your new "cool guy card"? Where are the remarks columns for you to take notes on things you see or do during firing? Yes, a computer-generated chart can be made if you send in your required data, but it will only provide you with ball park figures much like a windage chart. It can be used in addition to a data book, but it can never replace it.
Now the big word: liability! Snipers that keep accurate data books can show records of their individual training with the exact weapon system under exact conditions. Snipers that keep good data books can analyze their shooting. On and on and On . . . Believe me, snipers need to keep accurate data books every time they shoot their weapon and maintain those books permanently. They also need to maintain gun books with an accurate round count and maintenance log.
S.W.A.T.: What role do sniper associations have to play?
Neil Morris: I encourage snipers to join and take active roles in the sniper associations that are available to them in this country. I'm the VP for the Marine Scout Sniper Association and I think it's a good source for information gathering and it provides a comradeship for the snipers. I encourage snipers to join the American Sniper Association. I've worked with some of the snipers on their advisory board and know that their intent is to better the sniper community in the country.
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S.W.A.T.: There's a great deal of misinformation on sniping that's being taught. Much of this can be attributed to what you've referred to as "the book-writer mentality," --that's instructors whose claim to fame is writing a book, but who have little or no real-world experience. Neil Morris: I won't name call here because the operators out there know who these people are and what they're really after, but I'll explain the mentality. There are some in this country that realize that the military and LE tactical operators read everything they can get on the subjects that concern their chosen profession. Unfortunately, what happened in the early 90s was that a few people with the time and talent to write basically compiled their notes from schools and took military manuals and outlines and created them over again with their own slant. These guys usually push LE or military communities apart in an effort to be the apparent expert in the field from whichever community they came from. Once they're published, the "power of the pen" gets them into the limelight and they're asked to speak at public functions, etc. Up until that point, they're only greedy people. The danger comes when they start to feel their oats and actually believe they're truly experts and start to teach and write more. Now we have an inexperienced operator that put together a good research paper, called it a book and has fooled enough people to have a following of the unknowing. The worst part is the misinformation. These guys can't answer a question with "I'm not sure, but I will find out," because their egos won't allow it. What they do is tap dance around the question because they have no experience and don't know the answer. In order to save face they spout off something that sounds intelligent, but is totally wrong. The young or inexperienced sniper takes the answer as gospel and away he goes into the real world; ready to perform his duties the way he thinks he should-as he was told by the book-writing egomaniac. Ask them (instructors whose only claim to fame is writing a book) to shoot one of their own drills or competitions. Ha! Ha! Watch the tap dancing on that one.
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Also, beware of the prior military instructors that only have a few years of service or stopped their military careers mid-way and are now out there teaching weapons and tactics. You've got to ask yourself why they quit their military service. There are a lot of guys out there that use schools as their biography - not where they have been or what they have done, but the number of schools that they have attended. That doesn't hold any weight. There are a lot of guys out there trying to do the right thing, but they don't have the maturity to teach. Just because you were a Marine, a SEAL, or whatever, doesn't qualify you to go out and start teaching-especially something as crucial as sniping. You also have to watch out for a lot of the foreigners-guys who come from foreign countries who are all "special forces." Many have little or no experience. A lot of what they claim to have done, well, they were passing out ammo while the real guys were doing it. It's hard to check up on somebody's background when they come from a foreign country. |
 Morris Explains what he wants the students to do the aircraft. |
Elizabeth Morris: Some of these people cannot produce a resume that can back up what they claim. There are also a lot of misleading resumes out there. From a liability standpoint, we definitely encourage any agency or any person that seeks training to request either resumes or some type of proof of their [the trainers'] credentials and verify them. Don't just take the word of a company that a person actually has a certain level of credibility or background. The level of instruction that you get is equal to the instructor that you get.
Know who you're bringing into your agency-or who you're exposing your personnel to. Ask them if they offer expert testimony. Will they back you in a court of law if you're challenged? Do they possess the credentials to do that? If they don't, then I've got to wonder, because everything comes back to liability. You don't want to be the next case law.
When people ask us [PRI], we say read our bios, and anything that you have questions about, we will gladly give you people that you can contact who can verify it. Just don't take our word for it. When we teach someone, when we're done with the training, they have an open door to us. It doesn't cost them anything for us to consult with them to help them with their policies and procedures. It doesn't cost them anything for our time or to set up our recommendations for qualification with a certain type of weaponry. We offer expert witness support at no cost, except for possible travel expenses. How many other trainers do that?
S.W.A.T.: How would you define the philosophy of training at Precision Rifle International?
Neil Morris: Everything we do or say at PRI is based on experience in the field. If we don't know the answer to something then we find it. We demonstrate all of the techniques that we teach. All of our instructors are experienced LE or military snipers, most of whom 'Spent most of their active careers behind the rifle. There are no egos and the staff is dedicated to teaching every student the best and most effective methods. When we teach a course, the staff is available to the student body 24/7 for the length of the course. One-on-one training and remediation, if required, will always be available. We have the same high standards of training and marksmanship used by the most accomplished LE and military sniper units. We make the training realistic, push the envelope, but maintain safety to ensure the successful completion of all training.
Ask any PRI student for the real "low down" on PRI. I know what they'll tell you and I'm confident that that will remain the norm for all PRI functions in the future. Why do we do it? Because PRI is contributing to the overall betterment of tactical operations in the military and LE sniping organizations. As we teach sniper skills and tactics, we are doing our part to fight terrorism through our students who are still actively in the fight.
There are people who profess that the military should not be teaching law enforcement and that law enforcement should not be teaching the military. I don't know where that comes from. I can only say that, again, it's just another way of trying to divide the community. It's not in keeping with the President's call for the country to pull together and use every asset that we can in the fight against terrorism.
S.W.A.T.: You recently conducted an Urban Sniper course at the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. All of the participants had extremely high praise for the course and for your instructional abilities. Any final closing thoughts for our readers?
Neil Morris: I can give you a list of the real pros that have their expertise in their special fields or special areas. If we don't have them on our staff, I know those who are available in this country and we work together. Anybody can call me anytime to ask for more information on anything that we have in the article. If I don't know the answer, I'll find somebody who does. I'm not the all-knowing or all-seeing, but I've been doing this a long time and I've been lucky enough to learn the entire time that I've been doing it. Nobody has a monopoly on knowledge.
What I can guarantee you is, what comes out of my mouth, or instructors'
at PRI, is based on sound experience. There's no guesswork. I don't do something
because some scientist tells me. I've seen so many books written, so many manuals
on marksmanship and then watched bullets do the exact opposite of what somebody
told me that they were going to do. I'm not knocking the science. Wind charts
and all of those kinds of things are good, but they're just a basic groundwork.
You've got to get out there and shoot and operate. Sergeant Major Mark Spicer
is commanding snipers in the Balkan region as we speak.
My biggest thing is to train the way that you're going to fight. If you're
going to fight like a little girl, go out and lay on the hundred-yard line,
shoot your little, tight groups, get up and high-five yourself, beat your chest
and talk about being a sniper. If you're going to go out and train the way
you fight, then you get out there and you push the envelope. You put yourself
in scenarios that are going to be crucial, that are going to be stressful.
You shoot from unsupported positions. You shoot from farther out than one hundred
yards. You do all the things that are going to be required of you. That's what
training is for. Training is the safe environment to push the envelope.
Last but not least, a quote from Paul Howe (USA ret./DELTA FORCE), CQB Instructor, Combat Shooting and Tactics, Inc., "Being what people call an 'elite' or 'high-speed' operator is simply mastery of the basics while adapting and applying them to the current situation which ensures success."
S.W.A.T.: Thank you.
SOURCE:
Precision Rifle International
19898 Keenan Cut Off Road
Montgomery, Texas 77316
(936) 597-5371
www.precisionrifleinternational.com
Tactical
Operations, Inc.
433 North Camden Dr. 4th
Fl. #239
Beverly Hills, Ca 90210
Phone 310 275-8797
Fax 323 933-3521
Email: blackops2@earthlink.net