In the 1930 s and 1940 s the classic FBI target was a cartoon version of the
stereotypical criminal; a pug-faced, Caucasian male of undetermined ethnic
origin aiming his pistol at point-blank range. The central shooting area of
this target, from the chin to the diaphragm, was lightly shaded to guide the
shooter’s aim to that part of the body where he could effect what law
enforcement terms a “cessation of voluntary activity.” In the 1980 s the “FBI
Silhouette,” an outline of a male torso that stands upright either at attention
or with one hand on hip, replaced the caricature and has been more or less
officially adopted by most American law enforcement organizations. Scoring
numerals are positioned along contoured rings, akin to a topographic map,
indicating the various hit zones resulting in “rapid incapacitation.”
“The numbers on the targets,” explained Agent Jackson, “are
worked out in ballistic workshops where scoring agenda take the arbitrary
nature out of the process.” But it is not necessary for a target to be a human
figure. “The fundamentals of marksmanship,” Jackson asserted, “will get
you where you want regardless of the target itself.” Actually, in the 1980 s
the FBI switched to the FBI-Q, or the so-called “Coke bottle,” a simple
rendering of a thin neck and fat body that eschewed human resemblance
but provided a proper hit zone. Jackson speculated that since there is no
FBI design department dedicated to target research, the redesign of the
FBI-Q and Federal Firearms QIT (Quick Incapacitation Target) was
probably the work of “one persuasive guy in the organization.”
Targets are designed to be ripped, torn, and shot apart. In this
sense even the basic circular target evokes an eerie quality that is difficult to
detach from its graphic grace and elegance. Yet it is this very tension
between the target’s form and function that makes it so intriguing, indeed
hypnotic. In the hands of a marksman it is an efficient tool, but in the eyes
of the designer a target is harmony and balance.
tuis.
(Tuis.)
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