Review - NRA Basic Pistol 6-22-2014

 

Had a great Basic Pistol course this past Sunday. Small, but that makes for plenty of back and forth – and I like that.

We had an interesting mix of folks – a photographer, an electrician and a young woman at the beginning of a career in law enforcement. Two were looking to fill Iowa’s requirement for their carry permit. The young woman was just gathering foundational information.

There is always the temptation to think small classes go quicker . . . yet that never happens. There is specific material that must be covered . . . and that simply takes time. From a “basic information” point of view – a new shooter simply cannot do better today than the NRA Basic Pistol course. Everything from why a cartridge fires to the components of virtually every type of handgun on the market today is covered. Add to that fundamental firearm safety, storage of the gun and its ammunition, shooting stance, grip, sight alignment, sight picture, trigger press, cleaning . . . and live fire on a range . . . it’s very hard to beat the material presented.

That said – unless a new shooter is willing to set aside what they “know” and really jump in and do the course, very little information is actually transferred to the student. I actually experienced that in an experienced shooter at a training I took recently. Frankly, it was stunning to watch. The gent resisted the new material for the entire course. As far as I could tell he didn’t budge a bit from the way he did things when the course began. What a waste of time, money and – frankly – of the effort the instructor spent on him.

Happily, my experience was just the opposite in this weekend’s course. The photographer had been pistol shooting but was fairly new to foundational information this course is intended to teach. The electrician is a hunter but had limited handgun experience. Both were open to learning and was willing to jump in, work hard and “play”. Our young lady embarking on a law enforcement career was simply a sponge. She had never touched a handgun before. Once past some initial quietness, the questions came and her effort on the range was great.

The range work was . . . well . . . let’s just say it was WET, WET, WET!!! But, we had made some changes to our range recently that enabled the folks to stay relatively dry. We started out with pie plates and progressed to a qualification target I like. As I said above – they did great!

So – congrats to Cory, Carter and Raechel . . . GREAT JOB folks!

 

		NRA BP 6-22-2014 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Training – After Market Gear

 

The majority of “gunnies” that I know are well past the point of being just “gun owners”, or “gun enthusiasts”, or “gun aficionados” . . . they have moved well into the category of full blown “gun geek”. And, as is the tradition with most folks this level of “enthusiasm” . . . they love to “tweak” there guns and their gear.

The discussions enter the arena of the “microscopic” detail about – first and foremost – the “BEST” gun.  And then comes the “BEST” sights, “BEST” trigger, “BEST” grip, “BEST” magazine release, “BEST” safety . . . pick a component or a subsystem on your firearm . . . and these folks will be more than happy to tell you what the “BEST” components are, the “real” reasons why that’s true and who makes that specific item.

Expand the discussion to caliber and type of ammunition . . . well . . . God help ya! Lay in some snacks, crack open a cold one, find a comfy chair . . . cause you’re going to be an ear full!

Add to this discussions on modes of carry, holsters, mag carriers, belts, “ears”, “eyes” . . . and a host of other “shootie type things” . . . it can get real deep real fast.

Let’s just stick to the gun . . . in fact, let’s just stick to your defensive carry handgun. The gun you depend on to protect yourself, your family or anyone else in your charge. Why?? Because this is where the “rubber meets the road”. If this firearm fails to do its job properly . . . your day will end badly.

My general advice on “aftermarket” modifications – components that actually replace original factory components – it to simply be careful with your choice. Some components may well have consequences down the road – while others may well help you defend your life.

Sights

Sights are probably one of the most frequently changed components. Their purpose, of course, is to allow you to accurately place rounds on a threat. Honestly, within the range that +86% of all defensive shootings occur – you will never have time to use them. Yet, at distance and with time – there is value in finding a combination of front and rear sight that will work well for you. Do your homework, read the reviews of various combinations, try different setups on your friends guns. Just remember what your defensive handgun is for – it’s not for “Bulls Eye” shooting but rather engaging a threat at far closer range.  And . . . be able to clearly articulate why you installed those particular sights on your defensive handgun.  “They just looked cool!” simply isn’t going to cut it if you need to defend your actions in court.

Magazine Releases

Many handguns have fairly short release buttons and shooters may well have difficulty in pushing the mag release with a single digit (typically the thumb) while they are simultaneously reaching for a full magazine. One “fix” for this is the installation of an “extended” mag release. This is a magazine release button that is a bit longer, sticks out a bit farther and makes it easier to push the mag release. My only caution here is make sure it’s not so long that you accidently push the mag release while simply gripping your handgun. You could suddenly drop the magazine from your gun just when you need that next round the most.

Ambidextrous Safeties

On some handguns it’s possible to replace a factory safety with a safety that has a lever on both sides of the rear of the gun. If you are a left-handed shooters and shoot a semiautomatic handgun, working the safety on a traditional semiautomatic can be a pain since virtually all semiautomatic handguns are designed for right handed shooters. There is no convenient way to work the manual safety with your left hand as you extend towards the threat. Answer? Either purchase a semiautomatic handgun that comes stock with an ambidextrous safety . . . or have one installed if that is possible.  This is one modification that may well let you run your gun more efficiently and safely.  Again – make sure you can articulate your reasons for this modification clearly should the need arise.

Triggers

There few other topics, when you begin talking about “tuning” your gun, that generates more conversation than “trigger jobs”. Let’s set those aside and focus on a single topic . . . what’s the purpose of the trigger?

There are a couple. Obviously it either releases the hammer or the striker depending you the type of firearm you have.

In some handguns, there is a component of the “safety” built into it as in Glock “Safe Action” pistol. Some handguns that are “double action” only (typically with fairly long trigger pulls) have triggers that need your finger to travel a fair distance to set the hammer before you can be released to fire the cartridge – adding a layer of safety simply because of the time and strength required to set the hammer.

The typical “pull weight” for a defensive handgun is 5-ish pounds. It’s typically not less than 4.5 pounds and not over 8 pounds. There are some law enforcement agencies that require 10 pounds pull weight – helping officers avoid negligent discharges under stress.

Mix all of this together and you are talking about how your trigger “feels” when you press it to the rear. You don’t want it to be so light that the slightest touch sets off a round. And, you may not want it so stiff that your finger simply cannot work it at all. You may not want the “travel” to be so long that you begin to wonder if it’s ever going to fire as you press the trigger . . . and you may not want it so short that the slightest movement discharges the firearm.

Again, keep in mind the purpose of this particular handgun – it’s for your personal defense. My typical advice . . . go with the trigger that comes with the gun when you purchase it. Try it out before you purchase it. Find a friend with the same model, rent one from a range, try a bit of dry fire in the store. If you don’t find it profoundly unusable or uncomfortable . . . stick with the factory trigger. And, if you choose to “upgrade” . . . stick with the 5-ish pound trigger pull weight.

Magazines

Finally to the component that actually generated the thought for this post . . . “spare” magazines. Any shooter who does any amount of consistent training on the range will have number of additional magazines. Obviously, for every day carry, you will carry at least one spare, possibly two. For range work . . . and another half dozen or so.

And, as with virtually every component in your handgun . . . somebody else makes that same part other than the original manufacturer. These are called “after market” components. “After” a manufacturer builds a handgun the “market” will seek to find bits and pieces that they believe they can do better . . . hence the “after market” component is born. With respect to magazines for specific handguns – there are innumerable manufacturers out there that will make the “perfect” magazine for your handgun. They don’t always care if their product works well in your handgun . . . they just want you to buy it. Sometimes this is done through some kind of “bling” that’s added to make their product standout. But, most times, it’s simply price . . . their magazine is just cheaper. And, after all, “more is better”, right? If I can buy more magazines for the same money – that’s a good thing, right? MMmmmmm – not necessarily.

During a recent course I had an experience with “after market” magazines. You can read the details here . . . but the bottom line is that when that magazine was inserted in you Glock 17 the gun simply wouldn’t function. I experienced failure to feeds, double feeds, failure to eject, my slide would lock . . . all in abundance. Yet, I had only one of these magazines so it didn’t come through my rotation of magazines inserted in my G17 all that often. I wrote it off to bad ammunition from a new vendor. As you can see in my previous post – the instructor “diagnosed” it quickly and remedied the problem by chucking the half-filled mag down the back of the range while informing me to NEVER USE THAT MAGAZINE AGAIN!!!

How was it different from a standard, factory Glock magazine? The images below will tell the tale. The plastic was thin and softer – meaning that it would flex a bit more than a standard Glock magazine. The biggest – and most fatal flaw in it’s design . . . no steel sleeve insert. Looking into the bottom is the disassembled mag you can clearly see it is simply a plastic sleeve. Add the tension of the spring . . . it’s no wonder the cartridges couldn’t exit the top of the magazine smoothly.

The lesson? It’s simple really . . . each and every component of your defensive handgun is important. It’s what you will use to defend your life should the need arise. If you can’t “feed” the gun . . . your day will not end well.

Pay attention. Remember the purpose of those 30-some ounces of weight on your hip. And, as the Old Knight said . . .

“Choose Wisely”

Review – Combat Focus Shooting Course with Rob Pincus

 

 

Say the name “Rob Pincus” in the “gunny” community and you seem to hear two general story lines . . . “Isn’t he the guy who has you flop your hands all round and get “off the X”?” . . . or . . . “Best class I ever took – you need to go . . . NOW!!” I’ll share my thoughts on that later, let me get down my reflections on Rob first, then the course and then whether you could add Rob’s CFS course to your list of “to dos”.

Were I to sum up Rob Pincus in a single word it’s PASSION!!!!! (Caps, Bold, Underline and explanation marks fully intended). From his first words on the pad as we started our morning brief to the last conversation I had with him during the exit brief – it was crystal clear that Rob is passionate about CFS, passionate about teaching and passionate that you learn, absorb, integrate, demonstrate and are successful at learning what the CFS course has to teach.

He is equally passionate that you understand the “whys” of what is taught as well. He’s NOT a “do this because I say so” kind of guy – there is depth, experience, research, understanding, behind each and every component of the CFS course – from the distances that most the shooting takes place (12-15 feet), to the simulated “flinch” response, to moving during the response, to moving during reloads, to real – honest to God assessment prior to your reholster. There is a reason for everything, backed by a broad range of knowledge that is shared liberally throughout the course.

“I am NOT your life coach!!” Yep, that was pretty damn clear within the first few tens of minutes of the very first shooting drill. I’d been having “problems” with my ammunition for a while. Double feeds, failure to eject, failure to feed . . . I’d begun to purchase from a new Iowa manufacturer and I was certain it was the ammo. After all, I’d run countless thousands of round through my Glock 17 with a 99.99999999% success rate – until I switched ammo . . . now the problems. This issue poked its head up a few rounds into the first set of drills.

“What’s your name!!” asks Rob – his FULL “outside” voice on display.

“Bill, my gun seems to be jamming a lot here!” I explain as I am trying to free the slide enough to eject the round and the magazine.

“What the hell!! You’re making Glocks look bad in front of the 1911 guy!! Cut that shit out!! Clear the damn gun!!” (paraphrasing here just a bit).

Finally . . . “Oh for God’s sake – give me the F’in gun!!!!!” Rob grabs the slide, smashes the shit out of the grip and the round flies free. Then he drops the mag and gives the gun back – then examines the magazine.

“HERE’S THE F’IN’ PROBLEM – YOU BOUGHT A GREAT GUN AND THEN PUT A SHITTY KNOCK-OFF MAGAZINE IN IT. LOOK AT THIS!! CHEAP PLASIC, THIN BASE PLATE, IT IS NOT STEEL LINED!!!” Then as he draws his arm back and launches the half-filled mag down range says “NEVER BUY A PIECE OF SHIT MAG FOR YOUR GUNS – THAT’S JUST F’IN’ STUPID!!!” . . . he then returns to the end of the line . . . and our drill begins again . . .

Well shit – not the way I wanted to start the day . . . yet it was perfect. Let me explain . . .

There was no malice in his words and while there was some anger – it was directed at what could have happened should I engage a real threat in a real place with a piece of shit magazine in my gun. Not good. It also acted as a starting point to let the class know he was not there to be our “life coach” . . . but that what we were learning was serious shit, we needed to get our head in the game and that he was determined to make sure each and every one of us understood the content – and “in your face” would be a learning tool – not the only tool, but part of the “kit”. And so it was.

That also amped up the energy on the range as well. It’s impossible to simulate the stress of being involved in a real “dynamic critical incident” – but, you can increase the stress on a range, you can push students until they make mistakes, you can demand excellence and allow them to fail and correct . . . and Rob had no hesitation to push us to be perfect, to do better, to have us expect to make the shot – not just “hope” to.

For those of us from military backgrounds – this is NOT an unfamiliar leaning environment. THIS is where you want mistakes to happen, THIS is where you want to learn from them – not in some Wal-Mart parking lot at 9PM at night. Ya just go with it, push yourself hard and learn everything you can.

Those not experienced with a high energy instructor, a demanding instructor, a “LOUD” instructor quickly learned to listen to the words, understand the reasons for the demands being made on them – and then get with the program, do the work and learn what’s being taught.

If you’re looking for a shooting instructor that can also be your “life coach” . . . Rob may not be your guy. BUT, if you’re looking for a shooting instructor that possesses the PASSION to teach you a skillset that could save your life . . . Rob should be on your instructor list.

“Layered Drills”

The course was “layered” – beginning with a “by the commands” – “extend” (your firearm), “touch” (the trigger) “press” (the trigger to the rear in one smooth motion).

And, ending with a “Figure 8” drill with 6 different targets with numbers, shapes and images spray painted on them in red paint. As you walked around two paint cans in a figure 8 Rob would yell out “The coolest F’in animal ever invented!!” and you had to . . .

• Simulate a startle response while drawing your gun and moving
• Scan the targets for the “coolest F’in animal ever invented (it’s a unicorn BTW)
• Engage that specific target with 4-6 rounds
• Bring your gun back to the high ready
• Finally – scan for more unicorns on other targets

“BILL – WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!! THAT WAS ONLY 3 ROUNDS – I SAID FOUR TO SIX . . . WHAT THE HELL???

So I extend and send one more round into the target.

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR???? THAT WASN’T 4 ROUNDS, THAT WAS ONLY ONE!!! FIGURE 8!!!”

My magazine runs dry on the next target . . .

“RUN!!! MOVE!!! MOVE WHILE YOU’RE RELOADING – DON’T JUST FRICKIN’ STAND THERE!!!!!

Reload complete, I am back at the high ready looking for more threats.

“FIGURE 8”

So I began walking again . . .

And so it went for all of us until our loaded magazines were empty.

Look at the difference in complexity between the first drill on day 1 and the Figure 8 drill on day 2 . . . orders of magnitude more difficult . . . but much more realistic than the overwhelming majority of drills most firearms teach as their stock and trade.

Balance of Speed and Accuracy

Most gunfights are close and fast. It’s imperative that you be able to get combat effective hits quickly. For close distances, 9-15 feet, sighted fire is simply not needed. Look at the threat, focus on center mass, drive out to the threat and engage with 3 to 5 rounds. Assess your situation, look for other threats . . . repeat as necessary.

That said – there are times when sighted fire is necessary - longer distances or the specific need to take a difficult shot under stress. These were integrated throughout all the drills – rapid engagements of boxes that simulated the center mass of a threat with the sound of “5!!” interspersed meaning a single round was to be placed in the center of the circle with a “5” on it.

Stress the Shooter

In addition to verbal demands, pushes, challenges . . . there were physical stressors as well . . .

“MIDDLE!!”

We all ran towards the middle firing line (about 21 feet) as quickly as we could . . .

“BACK”

We turn, run toward the 30 foot line . . .

“UP!!”

We stop, do a startle response, draw our firearm, move left or right and engage our target with 3-5 shots. Then we assess our situation and reholster . . .

“FRONT!!!”

We run to the front line

“UP!!”

Startle response, draw your gun, move left or right, engage with 3-5 rounds, assess the situation, reholster . . .

“”ONE!!”

Startle response, draw your gun, move left or right, and place a single round in the 2-inch circle that is the “Number One”, assess the situation, reholster . . . .

At this point we were being stressed mentally (follow the commands), physically by running back and forth and finally – we were still expected to hit the target . . .

And so it went.

My round count for the two days was 1,100ish.

Worth the time and money?

There are no shortcuts – ever. If it is your intent to be the best defensive shooter you can be – you need solid course work, consistent training on your range and a dogma that is designed to actually respond to the way your body functions and then provide you the ability to roll with that and “stop your threat”. I am convinced that as to today – Rob’s “Combat Focus Shooting” provides a solid foundation to do exactly that. Still – it’s a starting point. Past that it’s up to you to train on your range to cement what you take away from his CSF course and to continue to learn.

Bottom line . . . save your pennies, stock pile your ammo, save your “rewards points” . . . and then find a CSF course near you and take it . . .

Period . . . end of story!

 

		Combat Focus Shooting with Rob Pincus 6-9-2014 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Training – “But, but . . . what if I look stupid??”

 

It’s that time of year again when some type of annual training rolls around for me. This year? Rob Pincus’s “Combat Focus Shooting” is what’s on tap this coming Monday and Tuesday.

I’ve got my gear together, plenty of 9mm ammunition, two Glock17s, a new Blackhawk Sportster OWB holster, my EDC IWB Blackhawk leather holster, sturdy shoes, sturdy belt and rain gear – 80% chance of getting wet Monday. At least it’s not snow!

Reworked the mount on my “ears” for my Contour camera. Not sure Rob allows video but if he does I’ll bring you a “bloopers” reel for your enjoyment!

And, of course, there’s just a touch of nerves. Let’s chat about those for a bit . . . “nerves”.

Both of our kids were in a wide range of activities – they were swimmers, in a school show choir, the boy was in the band, the daughter was/is a dancer . . . and then there were traditional school activities – classes, exams, college, first-second-third jobs . . . and phone calls.

As I type this the daughter and her kids are with us for a few days while her hubby rips their living room and kitchen down to the studs . . . smart guy – get the family the hell outta Dodge! She’s starting yet another course on child learning theory. I read one of her papers for the class and she recounted a panicked 2AM phone call from her college days where her computer crashed, a 5 page paper due the next day, no backup and she was sitting on the very edge of panic. My response was to simply ask “what are you learning from this experience?” I was dumfounded to find out the impact that short conversation had – she finally realized it wasn’t the grade that was important . . . it was what she learned. The fact that she was panicked, nervous simply meant that what she was doing was important to her. Let me say that one more time . . . if you are nervous about something all that means is that it’s important to you! It’s not an indicator of impending failure, that you will freeze mid note, mid dance step or mid shooting drill . . . you just want to do a good job.

Add to this a good old dose of type “A” male testosterone, competitive spirit and a drive to do your absolute best . . . it’s no wonder that when you step on to a square range or competition range or shoot house that you’re a bit “edgy”. That’s a GOOD thing.

The other thought that invariable wanders through is . . . “I don’t want to look stupid!” Well duh! The problem is that if you let this particular “inner dialogue” stop you from taking more advanced training . . . you never advance. That simple.

Perhaps you’re concerned about “failing”. We’ve chatted about this in the past as well – training to the point of failure. It is at that precise point that you begin to grow – where you find your limit, experience a failure and learn how to grow past it. You MUST fail to grow, there are no shortcuts!

Finally, I have always been tremendously resistant to the word “stupid”. I hammered on our kids that neither were stupid . . . but there were many things they were ignorant about. And so am I. THAT is the point of course work – to learn new techniques, to refine everything from our presentation to our trigger press. Ignorance is one more tool to use to your benefit because once you make that particular piece of missing knowledge yours – you can move on to the next piece and the next and the next . . . THAT is the point of ongoing course work and the changes to your training routine that results from your newly found knowledge.

So, for me, am I nervous? Yep, that I am. Am I afraid of looking stupid . . . come on – I’m a guy, of course I am.

But just think how entertaining the bloopers reel will be . . .

Don’t let your nerves or your fears stop you from pushing your development as a defensive shooter. The skill you learn in your next course may well save your life . . .