Surviving a gun fight involves one very important factor – not getting shot. While numerous other factors involved in a gun fight affect the survivability of those involved, when preparing for the American Reformation cover and concealment must be understood.
Concealment:
You can hide behind an Azalea bush – which provides concealment. The bad guys can’t see you but their shots can go through the bush and kill you if they believe you are there. In a gun fight concealment has very few advantages but is better than standing out in the open. It is critically important to always understand where you are and what the limitations are of your position. Forgetting you are behind concealment rather than cover could ruin a perfectly good day.
Cover:
You can hide behind a large rock – which provides cover. The bad guys may fire on your position but their rounds will not penetrate the rock. The rock will provide both cover and concealment – and an opportunity to live for another day.
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When setting up defenses on a property, cover needs to be the primary emphasis. Most cover is going to bulky, large, and very dense. Think big boulders and rocks. Think rock retaining walls. Think stacked sandbags. Steel, brick, mortar, and heavy wooden logs should be considered. Car doors and drywall are horrible. Do some research on how much of different materials does it take to stop popular calibers such as .22LR, 9mm, 5.56mm, and .308 Winchester.
Recommended Download/Reference: A good reference that touches on cover and concealment among other fighting tactics is the military manual MCWP 3-35.3 Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain(MOUT).