Cover vs. Concealment

Cover vs. Concealment

The Difference can be your Life.

 

ESEE 4 for size comparison

Sometimes people use the terms cover and concealment interchangeably. Not only is that a mistake, but not knowing the difference could end up putting you in a world of hurt.

Cover- Stops incoming fire.
Concealment- Doesn't.

Concealment will hide you from whatever is or wants to throw bullets at you. Take the tree to the right as an example. It is not exactly a sapling, for sure. Trees and brush can hide you from an aggressor. You can use them to mask your movements, and hopefully avoid being shot at in the first place. However, if and when bullets do start to fly, you need to have actual COVER.

Exit Wounds

Cover is going to stop incoming rounds, up to a certain point. Obviously what stops a .22 may not stop 7.62 x 51. You always want to put as much solid mass between you and the rounds coming your way.

For Example-

The picture to the right is the same bunch of trees as above, from another angle. Those are exit holes from 5.56 rounds. We were firing 55 and 62 grain hardball, at 15-45 meters. The rounds had plenty of energy on the way out, hitting larger trees behind. If a person had been hiding behind that tree, or trying to use that tree as protection, they would have some bullets in them. (This is also a good reminder to be sure of your backstop when shooting at the range)

This is something you should keep in the back of your head next time you are out and about. Active shooters in civilian environments have started to become more frequent. If you were to find yourself in such a situation, what is in your environment that will protect you from enemy fire?

Your situational awareness is your first line of defense, even before whatever weapons you carry on your person. If you carry a pistol, (and you should, if possible) you need to keep yourself in one piece long enough to get that gun into the fight, and that may mean taking solid cover.

 If you are not directly being engaged, instead of fixing yourself to a piece of solid cover, you may want to get some concealment by putting objects, whether they be able to stop bullets or not,  between you and the shooter. Use those objects as a screen, and put distance between you and the shooter. 

Remember, cover and concealment are two entirely different things, but both can be used towards the same goal, and that is keeping you from sprouting any new holes. Next time you are out at the mall or movies, consider possible points of cover and concealment. Knowing the difference may save the lives of you and yours.

Kyle
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