Range Trip – 3-19-2014 Remember . . . It’s YOUR trip . . .

 

The range has finally dried, snow is gone, water is gone and it’s only muddy is patches. Temps in the 40s . . . about time to break out the beachwear!! I finished up with a client in town and had about an hour of spare time . . . and only 2 miles to the range. What to do . . . what to do . . . RANGE TRIP!!

Some thoughts . . .

Practice with purpose

I’ve pretty much made this phrase the intro to any discussion of a range trip. Why the heck are you going? What are you working on? How much time do you have? Does the purpose fit within the time frame? Decide these things before you go. Remember – this is YOUR trip. This is YOUR training. It needs to fit within YOUR parameters for what you want to work on.

For me personally, this year’s focus is simply accuracy. At least half my range trips this year will focus on that. The folks at TopSpecUS.com put a post on their blog containing the response from 20 well known shooters on what their favorite drill was to work on their accuracy. It’s a very good read, take a few minutes to roll through it . . .

http://blog.topspecus.com/pistol-shooting-tips/

My secondary purpose today was to keep evaluating the installation of my new set of sights for my carry Glock 17. I’ve not sent many rounds down range with them yet, so part of my evaluation was to see what my grouping looked like and use it to evaluate if adjustments needed to be made.

Time constraints being what they were, here’s my drill for the day:

• 5 rounds – 5 yards
• 5 rounds – 7 yards
• 5 rounds – 10 yards
• 5 rounds – 10 yards
• 5 rounds – 7 yards
• 5 rounds – 5 yards

Total round count – 30 rounds. The target is a standard B-8.

I checked off each distance as it was completed and took a photo. The results look like this . . .

     

Doing this type of record keeping is for YOUR benefit. It lets you track progress. It highlights your “issues”. It allows you to see progress. It holds you accountable. The results are YOURS – good and bad.

And, this type of documentation shows that you, as a person who carries a handgun to defend yourself – take your responsibility to train seriously.

My goal was to keep all my rounds within the 9 ring. I dropped 2, a 93%. It’s a starting point for this year. It is also a 3 inch-ish sized group. Again, a starting point. It seems to indicate that I need to move the rear sight to the right a tad since the group was fairly well defined. I’ll make a final decision on that after my next range trip.

The major component of accuracy is trigger press. It felt smooth today, we’ll see how the next trip goes. That said – unless you document your trip, it is all too easy to talk yourself into pretty much anything you want to as far as progress goes. Images, Range Trip reviews go a long way towards keeping you honest as a shooter and as an instructor.

I did some work with a training group I joined at their facility this past weekend (there’s a post floating around in my head, it’ll work its way out soon) and I had taken my Springfield 1911 along for a bit of range time. We had some surprises during out 2 days together and the range work never happened. However, my .45 was still in my bag along with a box of ammo. And, I hadn’t done anything past 10 yards on this trip . . . why not. So, I posted a new target, loaded 2 magazines with 5 rounds each and moved to the 50’ line. My personal goal for today, keep everything within the 8 ring.

I met my goal with a squeaker at 10 o’clock. But for today, after nearly a year away from the 1911, I’ll take it as my starting benchmark for the year.

I post these range trips to encourage my students to hit the range, make it count, make a plan, document their training and then look for their weaknesses, note their improvement and keep their feet moving forward.

For instructors – same goes for us as well. And, it shows our students we’re still out there training, we still have things to work on and that we all have room for improvement.

Remember – range trips are for YOU. Have a plan, make it count, focus – work – push – fail – improve . . .

It’s the only way any of us will improve . . .

Range Trip – New Sights – 3/9/2015

 

The middle of last month I posted that I had installed new sights on my Glock 17. You can take a quick look at the post here if you like. The primary reason for moving to this particular set of sights was twofold. First, for better visibility of the front sight for more rapid threat acquisition. And, for alternate methods of single handed weapon manipulation using the “claw” style rear  sight.

The past month has been a bit iffy for range time. The last course I taught on the range reached a high of 8*F. My trip to the RangeMaster Tactical  Conference the end of last month saw the range work end in a downpour of ice/rain. And, the real world has demanded my attention until today.

The range was significantly different . . . 52*F, short sleeved polo shirt weather! The footing was typical of the range I use this time of year. At 15 feet there was 6 inches of water and a couple of mud. At 21 feet there was fairly thick ice with a couple inches of slush. At 50 feet there was about 6 inches of crusty snow, as was the case at the 25 yard line. Heavy sigh . . .

The goal today was to just get a feel for the new sights. The rear notch is probably 30% wider. The front blade is BRILLIANT! The clarity was stunning, my eye was simply drawn to it. It was almost like a holographic sight – put the green dot on the target . . . and you are “there”. I shot 5 courses of fire, 40 rounds per course. The first was at 15 feet, the second at 21 feet, third at 50 feet, fourth at 25 yards and the last at 15 feet working on my draw and multi round engagements. Let’s see how it went . . .

My first target was at 15 feet and shot from the High Compressed Ready. I shot a mix of center mass as well as higher precision on colored/numbered shapes.

For 40 rounds I was down 6 for the course of fire, my first with the sights. Honestly, they were exceptionally clear. The misses, all low left . . . something I traditionally need to keep working on. Another thing I notices was that the precise shots demanded more attention on equal light, equal height. Good to know.

I taped the target, replaced the center and went for my second course of fire – 40 rounds at 21 feet. Again, from the compressed high ready.

I was down 4 for 40 rounds. I worked on settling, being “deliberate” ( a topic for a future post), worked on my trigger press. A better performance and again, the front sight was amazing.

Let’s move back to 50 feet.

Obviously my group started to open up and trend left. While the group held slightly less that an 8” diameter, sliding left increased my down count for a total of down 8. At this distance the front blade covered the center black area. Obviously everything comes into play here – from stance, grip, sight alignment and sight picture to managing my trigger press and breathing. But I was encouraged by the performance and will make sure every range trip contains a couple magazines at 50 feet.

Honestly, I don’t spend a lot of time at 25 yards. But, it will be part of every range trip as well this year.

My group opened more and I ended down 12. So, I have a starting point for the year. As far as the sight performance, it was really good. The misses are not because of not being able to see the front sight, but was due entirely to my trigger press and sight alignment. That said, I am more than satisfied with the sights and look forward to working with them.

Finally, a little time with my draw stroke.

You can see my first round engagement time as well as my splits. The traditional goal is 2 seconds or less. I nudged that consistently. This was the first time since about November that I didn’t have to work through my cold weather gear to draw. I was wearing my typical summer wear – an un-tucked polo shirt.

Working from a speed point of view, sight/target acquisition was smooth and quick. The transition from being focused on the target to picking up and moving my focus to the front sight was very easy. My goal was to keep everything inside the 8-ring. With this in mind I ended up down 7.

In short, if you are looking for a new set of sights to aid in the acquisition of a threat, I believe you’ll be more than happy with the AmeriGlo GL-444 rear claw set with a Trijicon H3-11 front blade.

Hit the range, push yourself more than a little and make sure to document your progress.

Commentary - Cleaning My Glock Is A Lot Like Changing A Diaper

 

Grandpa here played host to our three granddaughters this past weekend – Miss A (8 going on 17), Miss E (6 and fully in charge of the crew) and Miss L (2 and swinging for the fence every day). While the two oldest are fully self-sufficient, Miss L still requires a bit more supervision . . . and assistance with “personal hygiene”. One such area is that of the diaper change. Grandma Susie was off to a Dressage clinic so such duties were left to the guy in the mirror . . . namely yours truly. Now that said, I am fully trained and experienced is dealing with this particular “biologic weapon system”. I received training in the military as a one-time NCB warfare officer, spent time is a Disaster Preparedness slot, was vetted in “combat” changing the cloth diaper of Miss E’s mom “back in the day” as well as her Uncle Mike’s new-fangled disposables. And, I’ve kept my skills current over the past nearly 8 years with occasional trips to the “weapons range” with her older sisters. I am a fully trained and prepared “defensive diaper changer”.

This weekend, as I was changing Miss L it occurred to me that changing her diaper had a great deal in common with cleaning my carry weapon – a Glock 17. So, for a change of pace on posts – I thought I’d share my thoughts on the similarities.

A full diaper . . . and a Glock 17 are both deadly weapons.

I carry my 9mm G17 as a defensive weapon capable of delivering lethal force if needed. I know its capability – and I train to use it effectively and properly a number of times each month.

The full diaper of a two year old child, may well approach a lethal level. Though a gas and biologic threat – the attack of a truly potent “load” can mount on both your olfactory senses and your visual senses can be near overwhelming. The thing that typically takes the inexperienced off guard is the ability for such a cute critter to deliver such a deadly “round”. It can be, quite literally, breathtaking!!

Field stripping is required.

For the Glock I confirm the weapon is empty – no magazine or round in the chamber. I make sure the trigger has been pressed, move the slide back 1/8”, pull the little release tabs down and move the slide forward until it separates from the lower receiver. I remove the recoil spring and barrel . . . and that’s as far down as I take it for a quick cleaning.

Cleaning a 2 year old after a fully purposeful “discharge” is a bit different . . . and similar. First, this particular weapon system is ALWAYS LOADED! Keep that in mind. Just because you heard the discharge and picked up on the olfactory cues . . . there is NO GUARANTEE THAT THE MAGAZINE – OR CHAMBER – IS EMPTY. I have, on occasion, received direct fire while changing a diaper – you must always be on guard for this. If their face turns red and the abdominal muscles begin to contract, it simply is not going to end well.

That said, removing the diaper also requires pulling back on two tabs and extracting the diaper and contents for removal.

Clean away excess GSR . . . or poo . . .

It is always best to brush away excess GSR prior to applying your specific treatment for cleaning the barrel, spring and slide. I keep a couple old tooth brushes in my cleaning kit to brush off the excess GSR before I get serious about cleaning the assembly.

The same is true during the diaper change. Once the tabs have been released and the front panel pulled slightly back . . . I will use it as an initial cleaning tool to remove as much of the “residue” I can from this particular biologic weapon. Remember, the more you remove, the easer the cleaning will go.

That said, it becomes clear at this particular point that there is a MAJOR difference between the two different weapon’s systems that is rather dramatic. With the Glock the round is expended out the barrel and travels down range to impact the threat. The particles left behind is truly simply residue.

The contents you behold when you pull back the front panel of the diaper IS THE WHOLE FRICKIN’ ROUND!!! And while you are not an intended target . . . you can easily become collateral damage! You must stay focused. One more reminder . . . THE WEAPON MAY NOT BE “UNLOADED” . . . remain vigilant for the signs of a “follow up shot” during the diaper change.

Both require a good cleaning . . .

I’ve recently moved towards denatured alcohol as a cleaning agent for the Glock. It does a good job of removing GSR, seems to have less odor associated with it and leaves nothing behind when I’m done. As a “lubricant” I’ve started using Fireclean on just my Glock for now. This is a new product whose purpose is to treat the metal so less GSR sticks to it during the discharge of the weapon leaving less to clean off during these sessions. So far so good . . . I like how the product is working. Once the cleaning is done I reassemble the Glock 17, do a couple function checks, reload it and return it to my IWB carry holster. I am good to go!

The same thing happens during a diaper change. The liberal use of diaper wipes insures the “weapon” is clean and that all “residue” has been removed. Depending on the condition of the surface area after cleaning, some type of protective application may be required. This is one of the most toxic areas known to man – and exposure to “expended rounds” may well cause tissue damage requiring some further treatment. If no damage exists – simply reassemble the area with a clean diaper and you’re good to go. Should the area be damaged, use the “mommie approved” meds – apply them as instructed and then reassemble the area with your clean diaper.

Purposeful discharges . . .

Just one more reminder . . . in the firearms community purposeful discharges off the range means that your life has severely slid off the rails. You have been physically attacked and that your last resort has been the employment of your defensive weapon to protect yourself, your family or someone in your charge. It is very serious crap!!

The lovely little bundle I call Miss L is all about “purposeful discharges”. And, when with Grandpa I can guaran – damn – tee ya she has a round in the chamber, a couple in the mag and will “fire at will”! In fact, she’s not hesitant to walk up to me and proudly state . . . “I stinky!!!”

So there ya have it . . .

Cleaning my Glock is a lot like changing a diaper . . .

Just the Basics - AOJP . . . what???

 

Frankly, one of the issues I have with what appears to be the majority of folks that decide to carry a defensive handgun is their resistance to taking on-going coursework. The primary focus seems to be on acquiring the permit to carry (or whatever the heck your particular state decides to call it). Once the permit is in hand . . . the coursework ends.

Notice I use the word “coursework” rather than “training”. This is a personal differentiation I make. Coursework is that endeavor of going to an instructor – be they range instructors or classroom instructors – and hearing/learning/experiencing what they have to say. Depending on their ability to teach you what they intend for you to learn, knowledge is transferred from them to you. In the case of classroom coursework, most times that is “it” – you heard something new, been presented with take home material . . . the end.

With range work the process is similar . . . and different. You are taught specific techniques: presentation from the holster, grip, rapid sight alignment, recoil management, movement . . . to name just a very few topics covered on the range. Add to this that it is typical that instructors have a set of drills that bubble up as their favorites during a range session. These are many times shared through the coursework material. But it ends there . . . when you leave the range. You have not undergone any “training”, you have been exposed to coursework that you can integrate into your “training” the next time you head to the range (something that needs to be at least once a month or more).

Your habitual coursework, your diligent training is what will allow you to transform from a “permit holder” with the right (yes, yes . . . I know, just roll with it) to carry a gun in your state - to a defensive shooter who can actually use your defensive firearm to defend yourself, your family or those in your charge. Coursework, combined with frequent training will save your life. A permit is a false sense of security without the ability to effectively use it.

Ongoing coursework, ongoing training will also stand you in good stead should you ever need to use your defensive handgun which results in the death of another person. I covered part of that in a post entitled Just the Basics - Preparing Your Defense. I’d ask that you take just a few minutes to read that article first – this particular post builds on it.

By taking the steps in “Preparing your Defense” you accomplish a couple of things. You are becoming a more knowledgeable shooter, you are becoming a more effective shooter and you are building a history that shows that you take your responsibilities as an armed citizen seriously. You are building your second round of defense – your history of taking coursework and your range training should you ever need to answer in a court of law for your actions. It’s part of the equation for defending yourself as a defensive shooter. One of the primary components of the process was your ability to “articulate” your specific choices – from your firearm, to why you carry, to the ammunition you use, to the coursework you have taken to the individual training you do every month on the range. And, as a reminder, I threw in one of my favorite phrases . . . “you have all the time in the world NOW” to begin to integrate these things into your life.

That said . . . there’s more. Isn’t there always! Standard disclaimer here – I am not an attorney. I am not a law enforcement officer nor do I have any type of criminal justice degree. What I am is an avid reader and a diligent student. I have read hundreds of articles, countless dozens of books and taken untold hours of classroom coursework growing my knowledge base of things I need to know to defend myself – both with a firearm and before the law. The rest of this post reflects my understanding of the terms. As with all things – do your own research, take your own coursework and make sure you understand the laws and statutes in your community, county, state as well as the federal law.

I want this post to focus on what you are accountable for should you use your defensive firearm to defend yourself, your family or someone in your charge. The result may range from frightening the attacker away at the sight of your determined use of a defensive firearm to you actually taking the attacker’s life. What is expected of you other than uttering the internet’s favorite phrase . . . “I was in fear for my life!” Just what the heck does that mean anyway . . . . because it matters. That is where we are going to spend our time.

Reasonable Man

This phrase bubbles up in conversations pretty quick. This is the “test” of your actions, the minimum benchmark you must be able to meet. Would a “reasonable man”, placed in the exact same set of circumstances, done the same as you have done. In the worst case scenario – would a “reasonable man” made the same choice as you, and taken the attacker’s life? It’s a sobering standard and something you simply must put some thought and study into.

Use of Force

A right to live is a natural right. In the vast majority of our country you have the right to use force to defend yourself, your family or someone in your charge. That said, you must only use the amount of force that is necessary to stop the attack. Once the attack has stopped – your use of force against the attacker must stop as well. Remember, you will be expected to meet the “reasonable man” test . . . was the amount of force you used to stop the attacker be the amount of force a “reasonable man” would use in exactly the same circumstances.

Use of Deadly Force

The use of deadly force is limited to very specific circumstances. You are in imminent danger of death or grave bodily harm. You have no other options, no means of escape. Your only option for survival is the use of deadly force. You must not have initiated the incident that brought about the use of deadly force. You must be able to articulate why you had the belief you were in imminent danger of death or grave bodily harm in such a way that a “reasonable man” would have made the same choice as you.

One of the premier expert witnesses in the United Stated, when it comes to the use of deadly force, is Massad Ayoob. He is often quoted and I will take the opportunity to share one of his quotes on this topic.

The use of lethal force that can end in homicide is justified in the situation of immediate, otherwise unavoidable danger of death or grave bodily harm to the innocent. — Massad Ayoob

“I had to shoot!!!” you say in court. “had too” is justified by your attacker having the Ability to attack you, the Opportunity to attack you, you – as a “reasonable person” had to believe you were in imminent danger of grave bodily harm or death – imminent Jeopardy and that the use of deadly force was your only available safe response – to the Preclusion of all other options available.

Ability, Opportunity, Jeopardy, Preclusion are the foundation of your justification for the use of deadly force. Let’s break these down individually.

Ability

The person attacking you has both the physical and practical ABILITY to inflict “immediate, otherwise unavoidable danger of death or grave bodily harm”.

What a “reasonable man” would conclude, as well as context – comes into play. A person with a gun has the Ability to inflict grave bodily harm or kill you throughout a broad range of distances

A person with a knife, a ball bat, a hatchet, a hammer, a screw driver when used as a weapon against you has the Ability to inflict grave bodily harm or kill you.

You MUST be able to clearly articulate why you believed your attacker had the Ability to inflict “immediate, otherwise unavoidable danger of death or grave bodily harm”.

Opportunity

An attacker may well have the Ability to inflict “death or grave bodily harm”, they must have the Opportunity to do so – right now. They must present an “immediate, otherwise unavoidable danger of death or grave bodily harm”.

While a person with a knife – a football field away has the Ability to inflict grave bodily harm or kill you – he does not have the immediate Opportunity – because he is 100 yards away.

A person with a knife – at a close distance – DOES have the Ability to inflict grave bodily harm or kill you and also has the immediate Opportunity as well because of the short amount of time it takes to cover the distance between you.

An armed intruder separated from you by a safe-room’s door has the Ability to inflict grave bodily harm or kill you, but lack the immediate Opportunity because of the door. A “reasonable man” may not believe you had the right to shoot them through the door.

Should the armed intruder break through the door and into the safe room – they now have the immediate Opportunity to inflict grave bodily harm or kill you.

Again - you MUST be able to clearly articulate why you believed your attacker had the Opportunity to inflict “immediate, otherwise unavoidable danger of death or grave bodily harm”.

Jeopardy

Jeopardy is a very subjective component of the need to use lethal force. Would a “reasonable man”, in your exact situation, come to the same conclusion you did – that you were in immediate Jeopardy of “otherwise unavoidable danger of death or grave bodily harm”. Your situation is NOT Potentially dangerous . . . it is Actually dangerous

We are surrounded daily by people who could potentially harm us. Some carry knives, some carry guns, some drive cars – but without an action meant to do you harm – they remain a Potential threat

The person who draws a gun and shoots at us, pulls a knife and attacks us, raises a bat to strike us while screaming threats aimed at us . . . They have become an Actual threat and have put us in immediate Jeopardy

Should your attacker break off the attack and leave – you are NO LONGER in immediate Jeopardy – and would no longer be justified in the use of deadly force against them as they leave

Again - you MUST be able to clearly articulate why you believed you were in immediate Jeopardy of “immediate, otherwise unavoidable danger of death or grave bodily harm”.

Preclusion

Preclusion looks at the attack on you and your response through a “wide-angle lens”. We are expected to use only the amount of force necessary that a “reasonable man” would determine was necessary to stop the attack, and protect ourselves or protect our family.

This “wide-angle” lens of the “reasonable man” would Preclude all other options – and determine that our only possible response to defend our self was our “tool of last resort” – the use of deadly force.

There were no other safe options – you could not run away, you could not use a non-lethal weapon without placing yourself in “immediate, otherwise unavoidable danger of death or grave bodily harm “.

You MUST be able to clearly articulate why you believed you had no other choice but to use deadly force to protect yourself from “immediate, otherwise unavoidable danger of death or grave bodily harm”.

Disparity of Force

Disparity of force – the attacker has a significant size advantage. A 230 pound male attacks a 120 pound female with intent to do her grave physical harm. This is a “Disparity of Force” and plays into the decision to use Deadly Force. Would a “Reasonable Man” decide that the use of Deadly Force was justified by the woman to defend herself.

A home owner is confronted by multiple individuals entering their home – some are armed. Here too the Disparity of Force comes into play. Would a “Reasonable Man” decide that the homeowner was justified in using Deadly Force to defend against multiple intruders – some of which were armed?

Remember, the laws regarding personal defense and the use of Deadly Force can vary widely from community to community, county to county and state to state. It is your responsibility to know the law in your community and the laws of any other community or state you may travel to.

As I said earlier – you have all the time in the world now, today, this moment to begin to think about these foundational blocks to your defense should you need to use your defensive handgun to defend your life, your family or someone in your charge. You will be expected to articulate each of them clearly should the need arise. Today is when you should begin expanding your knowledge of them . . . right now!

Honestly, of all the coursework I’ve taken on this topic, all the books I’ve read on this topic . . . Massad Ayoob is at the very top of the list of experts you should take coursework from and to place on your reading list. His classroom offering is his MAG-20 course. His latest book is Deadly Force: Understanding Your Right to Self Defense. If it is not on your night stand or in your Kindle . . . it needs to be.

You have a right to life. You have a right to go home to family and friends at the end of the day. You have a right to defend your life. That said . . . it is also your responsibility to know how to defend that right both on the street and before the law.

You have all the time in the world . . . .

Review - Rangemaster Tac Conference 2015

 

Picture your dining room table, with the family gathered around for Thanksgiving dinner. Spread before you is a traditional meal – turkey, dressing, cranberries, potatoes, pies, green beans, traditional family specialties, deserts . . . a meal that will leave you an a tryptophan and carb coma on the living room floor while you watch the afternoon football games. And while you try your best to not gorge yourself – you fall prey to all the good food and simply stuff your face . . .

That is the Rangemaster Annual Tactical Conference in a nutshell. A “meal” of some of the best trainers in the country spread across 3 days from 8AM until 5PM each and every day. Allow me to say . . . it was delicious!

The three days covered 38 topics and provided over 70 hours of instruction including classroom lecture, FOF and live fire on the outdoor range. Classes were spread between two classrooms, two indoor ranges and an outdoor range. To see all the coursework that was covered, you can view and download the 2015 schedule here.

The process of selecting what to attend was particularly frustrating – I found I wanted to go to about 80% of the offered material. Obviously that wasn’t going to happen. Instead, I intended to focus on shooting coursework. This worked well for precisely one course block, the very first block on Friday. By the end of the 3.5 hour block the ground was covered in ice, heavy rain and sleet was falling and the rest of the range day was canceled. While Saturday was much warmer – sleet had turned to rain with the day’s tally at well over an inch again canceling the day’s range work. The weather had cleared by Sunday but other classroom material put the kibosh on additional range time. So, while getting one solid 3 hour block in on Friday, I transitioned to classroom material which turned out to be a great choice as well. Let me roll through the sessions I went to with my thoughts.

My Block 1 – 3 hours – Heightened Gun Handling

Instructors: Shane Gosa is a Georgia POST certified general and firearms instructor, and Georgia Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors executive board member. Lee Weems is the Chief Deputy of the Oconee County Georgia Sheriff’s office, a certified police firearms instructor and Georgia POST general and firearms instructor, and a Georgia Association of Law-Enforcement Firearms Instructors board member.

Course Description: This block of instruction will focus on the use of sound judgment while involved in defensive shooting scenarios. While knowing how to shoot is important, so is knowing when to and when not to shoot. This class will give you alternative ready positions and siding/indexing methods to use in high stress or densely situations. You will learn how to maximize your ability to stay alive while minimizing liability and threats to innocent persons. This class is based off of one designed for peace officers and draws from the International Association of Chiefs of Police model policy for the use of force.

All Rangemaster range work begins with accuracy first. All shots to the target were to be delivered as precise shots. We began with a single pair center mass and moved through multiple engagements center mass, a single round to the head and various cognition drills involving shots to called numbered / colored / or “math problem” drills requiring mental calculations before shooting the designated target area.

Also included was a moving 3 dimensional target requiring a headshot on a hostage taker holding a small child and surrounded by friendlies.

It was a great course to begin with, did a good job of getting rid of the first day jitters and presented some of the latest material from the law enforcement / armed citizen community.

The only downfall here was the weather. By the end of the range block we were wet, getting more than a little chilly and nearly had to crawl out of the range pit because the walkways were simply too slippery to stand up on. It was to be my first and last shooting block of the conference – but one I truly enjoyed. Here is my target for the day . . .

My two flyers up by the “2” Circle were support hand shots while the two outside of the center box were simply sloppy shots. As I said the emphasis was on accurate shots only, period, explanation point! I obviously have more work to do.

     

My Block 2 – 2 hours – Gunfight Video Study

Instructor: John Murphy is an experienced and talented trainer with a broad tactical education and actual field experience, including ten years with the Marine Corps. He now operates FPF Training in Virginia.

Course Description: In this session, John will teach how to incorporate the now ubiquitous surveillance videos into training programs for instructors or individuals. His goal is to facilitate the initiation of action/speed through Recognition Primed Decisions. He will relate the methodology we use to analyze post-IED attack Jihad footage and apply that to self-defense incident footage. This is a method of "gaining experience" without getting shot and giving people the capacity to speed up their decision-making process to take prompt, decisive, and CORRECT action. John will also discuss the limitations of video as a training tool and the dangers of having too much of a "canned" response. The latter part will be illustrated by using dash-cam footage from an unfortunate shooting that took place in South Carolina.

We are awash in multimedia information – from cellphone videos, to dash cams, to body cams, to surveillance video to news reports. We are under constant observation as some level 24/7. There is good news and bad news in this. For us, as armed citizens, the good news is that much of the violence that occurs today is recorded and available for review and to learn from. John provided a number of methodologies to capture, review and to evaluate video information that allows us to see what went wrong during various violent attacks and those times when things went the defender’s way.

One of the most interesting videos simply showed raw street violence with one individual running from one person to another bashing them over the head with a shovel. His purpose in showing this? He finds the majority of folks that come to his class have little understanding what simple, raw violence even looks like. It’s a sobering lesson for many.

My Block 3 – 1.5 Hours – Defining the Threat

Instructor: Tom Givens has been carrying a gun professionally for 44 years, teaching firearms and tactics for 35 years, the last 19 years full-time. He has been certified as an expert witness on firearms and firearms training in both state and federal courts all over the US, is the author of five published textbooks on the subject and over 100 published magazine articles. He holds a Master rating in three IDPA divisions and holds instructor certifications from numerous organizations including the NRA LE Division and the FBI.

Course Description: This is a lively PowerPoint presentation going into some detail about how to set up a defensive firearms training program for private citizens and others who go armed in plain clothing. Much use is made of data from over 60 Rangemaster student involved shootings plus data from the FBI, DEA, Bureau of Justice Statistics, and other sources.

Tom was our host for the weekend. The focus of the program was to differentiate the training requirements for the armed citizen as opposed to military or law enforcement shooters. This then helps focus the material a civilian shooter should focus on and refine. He used a combination of federal data and Rangemaster data to draw a number of conclusions. Bottom line, focus on the basics and getting accurate hits . . . not the tacticool training.

My Block 4 – 7 hours – Performance Under Fire Part 1&2

Instructor: John Hearne has been a law enforcement officer since 1992, a Rangemaster staff instructor since 2001, and a serious scholar of self-defense for many years. He holds a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Research Methods. John has trained multiple times at Gunsite, Thunder Ranch, the Rogers Shooting School (to name a few), working with trainers such as Louis Awerbuck, Ken Hackathorn, Pat Rogers, Larry Vickers, Scott Reitz, Bruce Gray, Todd Green, and more. He is a Rangemaster-certified Advanced Firearms Instructor. John’s full-day training segment is a condensed presentation of the ongoing data collection that he has pursued over his career.

Course Description: This cornerstone extended training session is the center piece of the conference. John’s lecture series is the culmination of several years of research into who wins gunfights and who loses, and how their prior training affected the outcomes. Training psychology and current theories of adult skill learning and decision making are examined in detail with an eye toward devising a more effective training program for those who go in harm’s way. Due to the length and intensity of this presentation, it will only be offered on Saturday (Session A from 8am to 12:30pm; Session B from 3pm to 5:30pm).

This was probably the most valuable block of the conference. Starting from the very beginning of the human’s existence to today John evaluated how we got to where we are and what this means as far as the human’s ability to fight, how we react physically and mentally and how we can make this all work to our benefit. 300 slides, 7 hours all presented by a self-professed research geek with a Master’s Degree is the research sciences. This is one of those sessions that a person simply digests over a long period of time. He offered a great handout with each of his slides presented . . . I’ve got more than a little review to do.

My Block 5 – 1.5 hours – Court Proofing Self-Defense

Instructor: Marty Hayes is a former police officer with many years of law enforcement experience and a degree in law. He founded the Firearms Academy of Seattle, a nationally recognized firearms school in Washington. Marty is the president of the Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network (ACLDN) and a frequent expert witness in legal matters pertaining to firearms use. The ACLDN is committed to the legal defense of citizens who are forced to use lethal force in legitimate self-defense. Marty is a published author and a firearms instructor, certified by numerous organizations including the NRA, Massad Ayoob Group, and Rangemaster.

Course Description: This presentation will examine the actions a lawfully armed private citizen can take before a critical incident in order to forestall future unmeritorious claims and charges. Marty will discuss training, equipment, and personal lifestyle adjustments that can keep you out of trouble in the event that you're forced to use a firearm in self-defense.

I’ve written on this topic before and I was nice to have some verification that I was on the right track. Marty reviewed everything from how to document your training and range time to some solid advice on what to do should you ever be involved in an actual shooting. He recorded the entire lecture and will be providing it at no cost via YouTube. When it is edited and complete, a link will be provided on the ACLDN website.

This is information every armed citizen should be aware of. If you carry for personal defense now, today, this very moment you should begin to get your legal defense in order – because after a shooting you world will turn to crap in a very big hurry!

My Block 6 – 2 hours Training / Reality Mismatch

Instructor: Gary Greco is a recently retired career officer from the U.S. intelligence community. He specialized in counter-terrorism with service in Lebanon, Panama, Somalia, Bosnia, Africa, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In his last assignment, he served as the Senior Intelligence Advisor to the Commanding General Joint Special Operations Command. He has been heavily involved in firearms and tactics training for many years. From a teenager, he was lucky enough to study weaponcraft under long forgotten firearms instructors Major Larry Thorne, Ambassador John George, Police Officer Brian Felter and Korean War Veteran John Pepper. Additionally, Gary was a founding member of a self-supported training and study group in the Washington, DC area comprised of local law enforcement, federal agents, military personnel, U.S. intelligence professionals, and concerned citizens that have now trained together on a monthly basis for over twenty years.

Course Description: This presentation will examine modern firearms training and explore the appropriateness of TTPs and weapons for private citizens. Discussion will also enter into possibly controversial topics of your training resume, the development of fantasy and gamification of the firearms training industry, realities of the criminal justice system, and crossing personal Red Lines and Stupid Lines. Additionally, we will discuss weapons, caliber, tactics and mindset that participants in the recent Global War on Terrorism have successfully employed. The session will also take a realistic look at the current threat to the U.S. posed by terrorists.

Probably the most interesting block of the weekend. Gary has the real world type of experience few have and few physically survive. We are faced with a broad range of threats that we need to consider and he did a “deep dive” on a broad range of topics. I’m not sure where the average citizen would find this type of information, yet here I was receiving they type of intel briefing few in our nation and government receive. More than interesting. And a reminder that the world continues to be a dangerous place.

My Block 7 – 2.5 hours – Secrets of Successful Gunfighters

Instructor: Darryl Bolke retired from a Southern California police department as a Sr. Corporal after 19½ years as a full time officer due to injuries sustained during a violent on-duty confrontation. He was a Firearms Instructor and Armorer for the Special Weapons and Tactics Team for 17 years and the primary instructor for all firearms systems used by his agency. He also provided mandatory firearms training for the fire department Bomb Squad and Arson investigators. He assisted on the investigation of over 75 officer-involved shootings, assisting the administrative investigation team with the firearms portion of these investigations. He has provided expert testimony on firearms and police tactics in numerous court cases.

COURSE Description: This class will center on training lessons learned in police agencies with highly successful street records, including Darryl’s former department, the LAPD Metro and SWAT units (with whom he has trained extensively), and other agencies that share a similar approach to training gunfighters. Actual shooting incidents will be studied, along with the implications from the training of the officers involved.

We can learn a lot from “winners”. Why do certain law enforcement officers, who work some of the most dangerous areas of the country, have a propensity to win their fights. The short answer – rigorous training. Quick, accurate shots end the fight. Period. Darryl reviewed 4 cases from his own time on the force in detail, detailed his training regimen and how we, as armed citizens, could adapt that type of training to insure we are prepared to win the fight should one come our way.

My Block 8 – 3 hours - The Five Ws of Risk

Instructor: William Aprill possesses a rare combination of different types of experience. He has worked in law enforcement, is a seasoned competitive shooter, has an advanced rating from the famed Rogers Shooting School, and is a licensed psychologist. He has trained extensively with numerous shooting and tactics schools and holds an Advanced Instructor certification from Rangemaster.

Course Description: Techniques, tactics, and procedures for the active, emergent context of violent assault are as common a topic as the weather, it seems. Abundant material on the aftermath of this sort of event is also available. However, the preparatory period, what Craig Douglas has referred to as the pre-kinetic phase of such encounters, is given limited, if any, attention by the vast majority of erstwhile defenders. This presentation will review common errors made by practitioners as they attempt effective preparation for defense against violent aggression as well as common pitfalls and limitations in thinking about lawful violence. Attendees will also be exposed to a programmatic method for undertaking the pre-need decision-making that will underpin a sound self-defense and survival mindset.

The bottom line of this session was – where to the street predators come from? How can we categorize them? How can we defend against them? His parting comments brought the entire weekend into focus . . .

“When you leave here today, right now . . . you will be in the “pool” with them.”

A sobering thought.

And the conference ended. My tally? 22 hours of range/class room time on 8 very broad topics. Where on earth can you find such a plethora of information in a single location in such a compressed period of time?

It’s been a great weekend!

Just the Basics - New G17 Sights

 

One of the complaints I hear voiced most about the Glock pistols is . . . “Man!! I hate their sights!!!!!!” Honestly, I’ve always like the white “basket” on the rear sight combined with the white “ball” on the front blade. Put the “ball in the basket” and all is good in the world. Yes – I know they’re plastic. But . . . I like ‘em.

 

That said, there are a few things that moved me in the direction of changing them. First, my eyes “ain’t what they used to be”. I have great distance vision. But, move my point of focus to fully extended arms holding my Glock 17 – let’s just say things get a bit fuzzy. So, I was looking for a front sight that was a bit more “dramatic”. Second, the stock plastic rear sight is simply not capable of any type of weapon manipulation against a holster, belt, shoe heal, sharp edge or anything else for that matter. The forward edge is gently sloped  and offers no point of purchase. Why would this even be important? Using a rear sight that can be hooked on some edge to manipulate the slide has become one option should you end up with a single arm to use during an encounter.

While there are a number of options available I settled on the AmeriGlo GL-444 rear claw set with a Trijicon H3-11 front blade. The rear sight is milled steel and has a slight curve on its forward face. This allows it to grip belts, holster edges, heels or other firm edges to allow its use to rack the slide using a single hand.

It also has an enlarged, square opening providing quicker front blade acquisition.

The Trijicon H3-11 front blade is a large square that settles nicely in the enlarged rear sight notch. It also has a Tritium-Phosphor gas filled lamp providing better front blade acquisition whether in daylight, low light or no light conditions. Just the thing I was looking for to help my eyes find the front blade quicker and easier.

A word about changing sights on your semi-automatic pistols . . . This is not a rear sight changing and adjustment tool!

 

The thought of taking a mallet and punch to my slide simply makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. My Uncle Ted was the one who always talked about the “proper tool for the job”. And in removing and replacing a rear sight on my Glock 17 there is, indeed a proper tool. Made by the Maryland Gun Works it’s purpose is to push the rear sight out of its notch and to push the new one into its proper place.

 

Here you can see my Glock 17 slide properly mounted in the pusher tool. There is a plate that fits into the slide’s rail insuring the slide is firmly clamped into place and that it is not squeezed together while the old rear sight is removed and the new on is then pushed into place.

You can also see the newly installed front blade as well as the much larger notch in the rear sight.

Removal and replacement of the rear sight went very smooth and took mere moments to accomplish.

Here you can see the old sight combination as well as the front sight wrench and the Loctite “Blue” 242.

You can see the very small bolt on the bottom of the old front blade. The small wrench on the left is used to remove it and then the front blade pops out. It is then replaced with the new front blade and a small amount of BLUE Loctite 242 is dabbed on the threads to hold it in place. This is a medium strength adhesive and will hold the bolt in place while the slide cycles but is not so strong that the bolt would be damaged should you decide to change it out again later. Looking at the inside of the slide you can see the small bolt that is holding the front blade in place.

    

This process also went very easily.

The result so far is quite good. I can pick up the front blade much easier and at standard defensive distances out to 10 yards the accuracy is definitely there.

Bottom line – don’t change your sights because everyone tells you to. But, if you have a specific reason to change, if you are looking to resolve an issue that has come up for you . . . take your time, do some shopping, read the reviews and find something that works for you.

I’ll be posting some range trips with these sights in the coming months and will let you know how well they have worked for me.

Training – Something Brand New!

 

Beginning in late May 2014 I was invited to be part of the development team for the new Second Amendment Foundation Training Division. Our goal was to develop a set of coursework for the new and inexperienced shooter. It’s “come from” is the focus on the defensive use of a handgun, shotgun and carbine. Other courses will also be in the mix but our foundation is the defensive use of these three platforms to defend yourself, your family or someone in your charge.

The rollout of SAFTD was at Shot Show in January with our first round of coursework to be held the last weekend in March with Defensive Handgun 1. Additional courses will be rolled out through the summer/fall to include Defensive Handgun 2, Defensive Shotgun 1 and Defensive Shotgun 2 as well as Defensive Carbine 1 and Defensive Carbine 2. 2016 will see additional coursework as well filling out our entire suite of courses.

This is a national rollout with regional Master Trainers being responsible for different areas of the country. Who they are can be found here and a national map of their locations can be found here.

SAFTD is also looking for a core of instructors to help roll out these courses. That said, we are looking for serious, experienced instructors. Our requirements for those interested can be found here. If you can meet the requirements and are interested in getting in on the ground floor – contact the Regional Master Trainer nearest you.

So how is the SAFTD coursework different from all the others out there? In a couple ways. The news has been filled with articles about the millions of folks purchasing a firearm as a defensive weapon for the very first time. For me, personally, this is where I like to spend my time – working with new and inexperienced shooters. These folks are not interested in target shooting, trap shooting or hunting – they are looking to defend themselves, their families or someone in their charge. While there are a host of training companies and organizations out there, there simply is not one that is focused – from the very first day of class – on training brand new shooters in the defensive use of their firearm from the get-go. That is our intent and our target market. From the very first hour of class – and throughout all following coursework – our intention is to focus on your personal defense.

This also means much more range time, earlier, than some coursework that is currently offered. All of which is conducted from the defensive use of your firearm POV.

And, with a core set of curriculum that will be offered across the country we will be able to offer consistent quality training in your region.

If you’ve purchased a firearm for your personal defense, look our courses over. Simply having a defensive firearm means little if you have not trained on how to properly use it to defend yourself, your family or someone in your charge. “Wishing” you knew how to use it means nothing when faced with a determined attacker. Our coursework is starting next month in your region. Sign up! Get trained! And be ready to defend your family!