NCJ Number
219585
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 55 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2007 Pages: 103-106
Date Published
June 2007
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes the design and training uses for the new Tactical Breach Door (TBD) manufactured by Action Target.
Abstract
The TBD is a multipurpose steel frame and door system that has adjustable opening resistance and can be used repeatedly for training in how to conduct door breaches. Nothing on the door or latch is broken when the locking latch releases. Repeated use requires no replacement parts other than wooden dowels for shotgun breaching. Resetting the door for the next training exercise requires approximately 1 minute. The TBD can be used as a stand-alone unit, or it can be incorporated into an existing ballistic shoot house or nonballistic training structure. Weighing more than 500 pounds, the TBD is not easily portable; however, it can be moved around an indoor or outdoor range with the proper equipment. In teaching kicking breaches, the TBD can be set at the lowest tension setting so the door can be opened with any shoulder or leg method. In reporting on testing done with the door, however, this article indicates that kicking techniques can open the TBD at even the maximum tension setting. The article advises that at its highest setting, the door should require more force to open. Otherwise, it does not properly simulate a fortified door that requires two to four hits from a ram to open it. This article discusses the effectiveness of the TBD for training in breaching with a shotgun, a battering ram, an explosive, and a pneumatic or hydraulic entry tool.