I assume said gentlemen are such good shots that whichever mode is followed, both shots will be on target.

I always liked the two to the body and one to the head,when asked by a policeman why replied some sneaky bastards wear bullet proof vests he did not like the answer!

A question that can only be resolved, if at all, over a bottle of old port shared with even older friends.

"...happier times when I still owned a Browning Hi-Power"

Too sad, Mr FM. You'd be most welcome to chunnel over here and use mine.

Bollocks. Nine times out of ten, a double-tap will be used on a moving target, and odds of said double-tap going into the same hole (iffy, at best, regardless of how good the shooter) are reduced to infinitesimal.

Unless they're shooting .22 LR (or 9mm FMJ, not much difference).

I've seen some REALLY good shooters (I mean, world class) shoot double-taps, and never were the two holes closer than half an inch. Of course, they were shooting self-defense .45 ACP ammo (and not weak-ass practice- or target stuff).

Two shots, one wound channel? It is, as they say, to laugh.

Mr. FM,

If you're ever in Chicago, I'd be more that happy to break out the Hi Power. And perhaps a few others you might find fun.

Not everyone shoots like you do, Kim. XD

( BTW, I agree. I'll take the self-defense equivalent of Massad Ayoob's advice about where to aim when pin shooting: "Hit the white part". )

KdT - You got to remember that it isn't the entry wound that you need to worry about. So two 'close' shots would be damaging roughly the same internal/exit area. I think in this case they may be after two distinct exit wounds, which will definitely give you a bad day feeling when on the recieving end (and confuse the average 'Queeny' who is applying the dressing)

Sadly my bad groupings weren't appreciated as a technical skill when I was doing service for HM the Q!!

I would remind Kim of Chris Byrne - who we both saw put two rounds from a new-out-of-the-box 10mm through one elongated hole at the NOR Shoot Fest in 2007.

As to the "revised double tap standard"; I have slightly more specific data from an equally unnamed first-hand source (moldy bonnet variety); the example offered was "one round through each lung rather than two through the heart". In practical shooting terms (for those of us who aren't Chris Byrne at least) this roughly equates to a "group" of a foot or so rather than an inch or two, and applied to rifles as well as pistols.

While being a moving target yourself was just assumed (room clearing and close-to-contact ambush response not often taking place from behind cover apparently).

The origin of the phrase "one-two punch" is from boxing. Apparently, if you hit someone and then quickly hit him again somewhere else, it overloads the nervous system which can cause a knockout from shock alone, even if you don't disrupt a vital organ.

From a firearm, hydrostatic shock can kill even when no vital organs are hit. If the boxing theory is true, then hydrostatic shock from two firearm rounds are more likely to kill than one, regardless of where they hit.

The origin of "double tap" is an urban legend surrounding the Law of War. Under the Law of War, you are not allowed to shoot a wounded soldier who does not have the means to resist. So, as you cross the objective, you "double tap" them to ensure a kill without giving yourself time to assess the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of the first round. It's rather convenient in that sense. ;)

On Special Operations teams, they always talk about two in the chest and one in the head. That seems impractical when there are other bogeys who could enter your field of view in an instant. But since they work as a team, they might have the time for such precision.

It's always good practice to aim center-of-mass to avoid a miss. Double tapping is likely to hit the chest twice. If you're moving, tight shot grouping is not a feasible objective. And as you state, it might not be optimal. One round into each lung is enough to ensure total incapacitation even if it doesn't immediately cause death.

Also if you're moving or the target is moving, even putting a second round into the same hole would likely take a different path through the body, causing more blood loss and organ damage.

Double-tap is good technique, but there's no need to turn it into a precision exercise. Center-of-mass is the new and improved version of "aim small, miss small".

Double tap was taught by Capt Fairburn.
Centre-of-mass was "new and improved' before 1976 as that was part of the then current Range Practices.

Cheers

No such thing as a double tap, only two rapid aimed shots.

KdT is 100% correct

Two to the chest, one to the head is commonly referred to as a "Failure to stop" drill. It's most common uses are for opponents who are either wearing body armor or those who are in a drug induced haze that renders the first two rounds not as immediately effective.