Movie Cover

By Paul Rackley (RSS)

November 21, 2012

I’m always amazed at how Hollywood seems to believe that couches, plank walls and interior doors can serve as cover for the hero and stop bullets. Don’t they have anyone who understands even the basics of ballistics, or the different between cover and concealment? I’m assuming not since heroes and heroines never get hit when hiding behind concealment, while the villain gets blown away when crouching behind cover.

My biggest fear in most of these situations is that Hollywood has convinced some people that concealment is cover. You can hide behind both concealment and cover, but only cover protects you from being hit by an attacker’s bullets.

And while concealment is better than nothing in a dangerous situation, cover is always better because it hides and protects you. However, you must know what can be cover. Here are a few items that should not be used as cover that seems to stop bullets in the movies.

•    Doors
•    Sheetrock walls
•    Couches
•    Car doors
•    Appliances (these might stop a bullet, but most are just sheet metal)

Finding complete cover can be difficult, which is why you should always be looking for better cover in a fight. And, when the opportunity arises, head for the exit.

Tags:  blogs,  concealment,  cover,  cover versus concealment,  movie cover,  paul rackley,  rackattack,  self defense,  self defense techniques,  using cover in a fight

Share |

Comments

ADD YOUR COMMENT

Enter your comments below, they will appear within 24 hours


Your Name


Your Email


Your Comment

5 Responses to Movie Cover

G. Smith wrote:
November 30, 2012

Yet another salient point once again proving the validity of that ancient allusion '. . . the quick and the dead', as in get your finger on the trigger, stat! (not to be confused with illusion, a dream, a fantasy of the worst and most terminal consequence). Get it in gear, get on the stick, get the lead outta your rear (before it gets filled with the smokin' hot variety). That way, the only one(s) concerned with cover / concealment is your nemesis.

Steve Shepherd wrote:
November 28, 2012

extremely well researched and informative, rack hits another home run!

Rich wrote:
November 28, 2012

When in your next firefight, look for termite mounds, or trees at least as big around as yourself. I have found them to be very useful, in the past, and would expect them to be so in the present.

MackMissiletoe wrote:
November 25, 2012

When bad guys storm my home I don't need a gun... I have a cardboard box in my pocket. I have the ultimate cover! Who needs ballistic armor when so many of us have coffee tables in our very living rooms? Really, there is no reason to fear while our couches are completely impenetrable lol

Walkin trails wrote:
November 23, 2012

This reminds me of that recent TV commercial for some product of which I can't remember depicting two cops in a gunfight taking cover behind a cardboard box. I remember first being made aware of the difference between cover and concealment in basic training. One must know something about the performance of different calibers and bullet configurations and how they perform. Add cinderblocks to your list because they are deceptive. In this day and age there really isn't much of any material used in any modern structure that would stop commonly used bullets anymore.