Commentary - It’s a surrender process

Surrender:   a :  to give (oneself) up into the power of another especially as a prisoner

                    b :  to give (oneself) over to something (as an influence)

I’m sitting in a dimly light room, some type of instrumental music playing in the background.  There’s a fellow reciting a mantra over and over again . . . “Palms together . . . . . . . . palms apart . . . . . . . . the process will not change.”  He had been doing so for hours – and would continue for hours more.  The exercise was known as the “Surrender Process” . . . and my head was about to explode.  I felt certain that I could change the f#%@ing process pretty damn quick if I punched him in the face!  We – my wife and I – were here after an odd journey attempting to repair, glue, hammer and nail, love our life back together after her cancer treatment and the subsequent aftermath of that event.  To say I was out of my comfort zone would be a profound understatement.

The purpose of the exercise was to show, in a fairly direct fashion, that there are indeed times when an individual must simply “surrender” to the “process” . . . simply because it cannot be changed . . . PERIOD!  The process eventually ended . . . some “got it” . . . it took me years to truly understand . . . For us, as a couple, that particular part of our journey genuinely worked as this is a memory now 27 years in the past . . . and my wife is healthy with our marriage entering its 44^th year this coming August.  For me individually I finally “surrendered” to the fact that I was NOT in full control of my life, our direction as a couple or the final outcome of her bout with the Big “C”.  Understanding that, accepting that allowed me to turn all the energy I’d been spending on “control” to a much more productive path – simply doing the best I could every day and then loving my wife.

I know how trite this must sound on a firearms training blog . . . simply, sappy . . . I get it.  And yet . . . our nation is going through this exact “surrender process” as I type this.  Many of us – as both shooters and instructors – are also going through this process as well.  And I want to spend some words to discuss it with you.

Sunday morning we all awakened to yet another terrorist attack by an Islamic Fundamentalist . . . a “good boy” . . . a devout Muslim son.  Our world . . . from Orlando to San Bernardino . . . From Paris to London . . . From Brussels to Aleppo . . . From Mosul to Baghdad . . . From Kabul to Islamabad . . . From Bali to Bukidnon . . . is awash in attacks by “devout Muslims” and “good boys” that follow the strict interpretation of the Koran and Sharia Law.  The “process” continues . . . “palms together . . . palms apart” . . . we sit in our rooms, our cars, our coffee shops and we listen to the reports of the dead, the terror that has torn the communities apart literally limb from limb.    . . . “palms together . . . palms apart . . .  the process will continue . . . “

What are we “pretending not to know”?

Perhaps it is time to “surrender” . . . to a few simple truths . . .

We – meaning Western Civilization – are in an existential war with the followers of Islam who adhere to the tenents of Sharia Law.  Islam, by its very nature, is a religion of conquest, domination and subjugation.  A non-believers, a “kafir” has few options – convert, submit or die. 

“ . . . palms together . . . palms apart . . . the process will continue . . . “

In disgust I listened to those on the left blame the NRA, blame the gun, recite the evils of the AR, assault rifles, the “extreme right wing” . . . with an arrogance born of breathtaking ignorance we are told to surrender our weapons of personal defense while we open our nation’s doors to thousands upon thousands of “refugees” that the CIA readily admits contains terrorists anxious for more Orlandos.  Many in our nation’s leadership – particularly on the left – continue to wonder aloud . . . “Why do they hate us???”  They simply refuse to accept the simple truth . . . they hate us simply because we are, we exist, we breath.

There will be more attacks . . . there will be more death . . . there will be more gnashing of teeth . . . there will be more heartache . . .

“ . . .  palms together . . . palms apart . . . the process will continue . . . “

So how does this affect this community of shooters and instructors? 

For those of us who are instructors . . . myself included . . . are you growing as an instructor?  Are you taking annual coursework to make you a better instructor, a better shooter?

Is the coursework you teach “relevant”?  Are you teaching the minimum in your area so your students can “get their permit” . . . or are you teaching what they need to have a chance to survive an attack?

Are you doing individual training on your own at the range honing your skills? 

Are you continually learning, growing, pushing your limits as a shooter and an instructor?

If your intent is to teach a skill set that will give your students an opportunity to defend their life, the life of their family and those in their charge . . . it takes real work!  Do the work!!

The charge for the shooters amongst us is the same . . .

Take coursework on an annual basis – at a minimum – that will allow you to grow as a defensive shooter.

TRAIN . . . frequently . . . We’ve had this conversation before.  A minimum of 1,000 rounds per year is a starting point.  A hundred rounds a month with a solid training plan that if followed diligently with maintain your skills is a starting point.  More is better . . . always.

Carry your gun . . . every day . . . everywhere you legally can . . . it will do you no good at home in the safe when an active shooter or just a plain old street thug decides that this is your day . . .

Finally . . . pick a side . . . now.  The cries to implement all manner of “common sense gun control” will only increase.  As the attacks continue . . . so will the demand for your guns.  You need to decide in your heart of hearts whether the Bill of Rights was written my man or are a natural right granted by your Creator and act accordingly.  Elections matter – at all levels of government.  Governments by their very nature crave power and control.  Our founders understood this and invested their very lives to allow us the opportunity to be a nation of free people.  When you look at the ballot before you this election cycle – from your local officials through the Presidential slot . . . as the Old Knight said . . . Choose Wisely.

Commentary – Pieces of our soul . . .

Past all the ads and commercials for “Memorial Day Sales!!!!”

Past the “First weekend of Summer!!!”

Past the days off, the first games of summer, first days at the lake or on the river, past the BBQ with neighbors and friends . . .

There are the graves, that hold the pieces of our nation’s soul.

From Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, James Caldwell, Samuel Maverick and Patrick Carr . . . to . . . Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) 1st Class Charlie Keating IV . . .

Conflict has been part of our nation since its founding – it was created through the blood of those who hungered for freedom . . . for our natural rights of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.  Every generation or two forces arose to challenge those natural rights . . . and citizens of the time rose to those challenges.

From Boston to Gettysburg, from Flanders’s fields to Berlin.  From the Chosin Reservoir to the Ia Drang Valley to Sarajevo.  From the Twin Towers to Telskof.  Our nation has left behind the blood of those of us who stepped forward in times of need.  Our soldier’s graves – both marked and unmarked – dot the globe in our efforts to stand against evil.  We have invested so much . . . .

Today – take a moment in quite prayer – and remember these souls that have given so much that we, as a nation, may have a chance at survival.  They freely gave their last full measure for us . . .

Please Lord, hold them in your loving arms and help us to be worthy of their sacrifice . .

Review - AAR Basic Rifle Instructor and BIT 4-15-17-2016

Once a year I run a NRA Basic Rifle Instructor course that is primarily for scouters.  The NRA and the BAS have joined forces to insure that the training scouts receive is consistent and provided by well-trained instructors.  All scouters that conduct the Rifle Merit Badge training must be certified NRA Basic Rifle instructors.

Sooooooo . . . this past weekend found me at scout camp to conduct the training for three current scout leaders and an “interested party” who I suspect will be joining our ranks soon.

The first day was filled with the NRA Basic Instructor Training course.  I must say that of all the coursework I teach for the NRA – this particular course surprises Instructor Candidates (ICs) the most.  They typically expect it to be a “drag” and are surprised at its depth, at how much they find they actually didn’t know and how much they learn about the art of teaching.  It is, IMHO, the absolute most important piece of coursework in the entire sequence.

BIT is a long day.  I’ve mentioned that more than once.  The recommended minimum length is 6 hours . . . I typically find it takes 8.  It introduces everything from basic teaching principles to the concept of the coach/pupil method.  Unless the individual has had teaching/training experience in the past (we actually had a retired fighter pilot who was a student pilot trainer as one time in his career) the BIT course covers a lot of new ground.  It takes time to roll through the principles, to work through the exercises where the candidates “build” short presentations to practice/learn an instructor skill set and get some understanding of what this entails exactly.

The BIT course is also something you don’t want to rush through.  It is my opportunity to introduce the ICs to how I present information – following the outline laid out by the NRA training guide.  I want the ICs to truly experience the whole process of learning and becoming an “instructor”.  As I said, it’s a full day and these four ICs did a great job.

The NRA Basic Rifle Instructor Course . . .

Just a few points of clarification for those looking at taking this specific coursework.  It’s “sports shooting” . . . not tacticool, house clearing, butt kicking tactical shooting.  That’s not it’s purpose.

It’s “foundational” coursework . . . much time is spent on safety, range protocols, nomenclature, a broad range of action types, shooting positions and correcting issues with individual students.

It’s time consuming.  When was the last time you actually worked you way through the bench rest, standing, kneeling, sitting and prone positions to the point you could shoot a precise group at a specified distance?

Day 1 . . . Teaching ICs to teach the fundamentals.

Words mean things.  In a training community – they mean very specific things.  I write things like “bore”, “lands”, “groves”, “comb” . . . and if you are like me images appear in my head and a group of words form around them describing exactly what they mean.  They should mean the exact same things to all of us.  And that is much of what Day 1 is about.  Getting us all on the same track . . . in agreement . . . clear on the meaning of the words . . . and clearer on the words each individual IC will say to explain these things.

Again – long day, repetitive day but pretty interesting because each IC would describe exactly the same thing but using their own words.  We all learned something.  The ICs learned that PREPARATION is a very big word.  Tough to be smooth and clear . . . if you’re not fully prepared, if you have not solidified in your own mind what each item is and how you want to explain it.

I always start with the simplest firearm . . . in our case a single shot, bolt action .22 savage rifle the scouts use at camp.  (Were this a basic pistol class I would start with a SA revolver).  What I like to stress here is that if they learn the “words” on a simple firearm . . . the IC can show how the words don’t change when you get to a more complex firearm such as my AR that I used to work through a long range shooting course last year.

A common “issue” is moving ICs from the word “weapon” to using vernacular specific to the firearm in their hand.  “This is a single shot, bold action, .22 caliber rifle.”  It’s a little thing, many TCs kinda go overboard to extent of a jar on the table with fines placed in it for each infraction.  My approach is a bit different.  Three of us are were former military.  The argument I use is that the young scouts we will be training truly do not know the difference between a “weapon” and the firearm in their hand when they are on the range.  I simply want to keep it that way as long as I can . . . as we all can.  Sadly many will get the opportunity to hold a weapon in their hand during their life to defend their country, their buddies or their families.  As I type this I have men I’ve worked with when they were young scouts doing exactly that.  So, that’s my argument “against” using the word “weapon” . . . let’s allow them to be kids as long as we can.

While virtually all the ICs had shot rifles “all their life” . . . I find it a great deal of fun to see lights come on as they hear new words for the first time, learn from other ICs as they all presented their piece of the coursework.  By the middle of Day 1, they are truly “in the game” and working hard. 

This is their first opportunity to fire first shots from the bench rest position.  I like to use this as an opportunity to talk about building a position, refining the words they may want to use for sight alignment and sight picture.  And, with only four, I can work each and every one through the process acting as the “coach” to their being the “pupil”.  Our range is 50’ so we are using targets scaled down from a 25 yard target to represent the same sized target area on a 50’ range.  The course of fire is 5 rounds per target outline (there are five on each target).  I begin with each round “by command” and end with them firing the entire 5 round string on their own.  And, while this is going on I am walking from one shooter to the other “coaching” – demonstrating how that process works and letting them experience what it feels like.  This also kicks some of the “mud” off in the form of nerves, anxiousness and general fear of shooting really crappy.  They all did fine.

The day ends with a reminder that the next day is a full range day, they need to study the positions, work on their words, practice what they can . . . and be ready to roll at 8AM sharp.

Day 2 – Range Day

I spend the entire second day on the range.  For me it begins with a range safety brief . . . and then each IC was required to do a range safety briefing as well.  Again, it is instructive to watch the progression from first presenter to last as the words become more refined, clearer and each become more comfortable.  This is the 3^rd day of instruction, the nerves are quieted, the words come more easily, all are in their respective “roles” be it instructor or student.  And we can get real work done.

Next are presentations on each of the shooting positions – no live fire.  They describe, demonstrate without a firearm and demonstrate with a firearm – no live rounds are sent down range.

With only four ICs there is time to allow each to make a full presentation of each shooting position we will work through that day – standing, kneeling, sitting and prone.  We work on the first one – standing – the most.  The idea here is to make sure the “depth” of what is taught and demonstrated is as effective as it can be.  The first guy out of the chute has the disadvantage of simply being first.  The last . . . reaps the benefit of all the preceding presentations.  And we all learn.

This consumes the morning.  We had to lunch and come back for the live fire portion.  I do this by dividing the ICs into two pairs – one acting as the coach . . . and one the pupil.  By this time, it’s rewarding to see that both “coaches” are truly in their roles are the students.  There is real teaching and learning going on.  The course of fire is 5 rounds on each target.  The first 5 are by command only and then the target is fully reviewed downrange.  The last two are then shot, again 5 rounds per target, with both being evaluated after the course of fire is completed.  Do this for two shooters per target . . . for four positions . . . and you’re talking 60 rounds per shooter or 120 rounds total per shooting position . . . 480 rounds for the day total between all ICs.  It’s a long range session . . . but an incredibly valuable one.  Each IC has the opportunity to discover their weaknesses (and believe me folks, we all have them), learned what they need to work on as they go forward, and had the opportunity to coach a shooter through 4 different positions firing a total of 60 rounds.  It was a good day!

The range work a wrap they took both the Basic Rifle and Basic Rifle Instructor exams.  We graded them (90% was the minimum acceptable score), reviewed them, did final exit interviews . . .

 . . . and it was a Wrap!!!

Congrats to Tom, Jim, Jeff and Tim!  Thanks for coming guys!  Great job!!

Class Photos

Range Trip 3-28-16 Balance Speed and Precision

Well, the spring time analysis continues.  We had some really nice weather pop in so I snuck out of work a bit early and hit the range.

Purpose for today . . . work on why the heck the last time I was hitting left of center consistently from 50 feet . . . and see what my draw stroke times were as well as a couple accelerated follow up shots.  Would my speed and precision generate effective hits?

Let’s talk about that – effective hits – for just a bit.  For today’s work I was using the LE SEB targets.  It’s become my standard range target and provides a number of regions from head, high center mass, pelvic girdle and an array of number shapes for cognition drills.  When I working with local law enforcement a qualifying hit is within the silhouette. Were that my chosen standard today, my range trip would have been awesome!  I would have been only down 2 out of 60 rounds at 15 feet and down 1 out of 60 at 30 feet.  I’ll take it!!!  Sadly, my standard for today was that the hit had to be within the high center mass box.  Heavy sigh.  So let’s talk about it.

One of the reasons I post reviews of my range trips like this is to simply offer a “process” other instructors and shooters can evaluate to see if it works for them.  I always read folks saying “ya gotta do the work”, “hit the range and train!” . . . but few offer solid examples of how they do that and how they evaluate where they are, things they discover and corrections they made.  If you want to improve, you need to shoot and self-evaluate . . . and this is an example of how I do that – for better or worse.

I like to tape targets.  So you will see taped targets from 15 feet and 30 feet.  In the upper left you will see strips of the time of my initial shot and then follow up shots.  For the 15 feet target you will notice that the corresponding image for strip #2 is missing.  This is a malady known as “cranial rectal insertion”.  I posted the timing strip, taped the target and realized I that taped it before I’d taken the image.  Yep . . . head up my a$$ . . . so sue me. 

So let’s look at the targets first.  Each timing strip is 20 rounds (and yes, somewhere I missed writing down times for one set, heavy sigh).  Strip 1 showed first round engagements were right at 2 seconds +- a few hundredths.  Not bad honestly.  However, looking at shot placement I was down 6 with one round completely off the target.  Not what any shooter wants to see, I racked up a 70%.

Image 2 was missing but you can pick up the times from the second timing strip.  I obviously slowed down about a quarter second but actually became worse.  Heavy sigh!!  I was also noticing my rounds were still left of center – one of the things I was trying to figure out.

Timing strip 3 the primary correction I made was to firm up my grip and really work on focusing on the center of the target, driving straight to that point and really focusing on the front sight. My times remained good (all draws were from concealment with a long sleeved Henley shirt that was untucked) while my accuracy increased significantly dropping only 3 out of 20.  Overall I was down 18 for 60 . . . final “score” of 70%. 

Let’s move back to 30 feet.  Distance can magnify problems, errors, little things that can affect your shooting.  So let’s look at target 1 from 30 feet.

Notice the times are a bit longer – half secondish or so.  More distance, you have a bit more time, make use of it.  However, notice I am STILL a bit left of center.  So, I have slowed my time, firmed my grip, focused on driving straight and really paying attention to the front sight . . . what could be left.  Well, there is finger placement . . .

I usually stress the end 1/3^rd of a shooters finger trigger being placed on the trigger.  But one of the symptoms of too little finger is to actually “push” the weapon to the left.  Could it be that simple?  So I slid about a quarter more of the end joint pad onto the trigger . . . imagine that . . . .

Notice that the impact of the rounds has now moved right significantly and are much more centered.  Still only a 70% “hit” rate, but they are now much more centered with a couple of flyers.

One last time with timing strip 3.  First round time is now right at 3 seconds with around a second between shots but my hit rate is finally at 80%, my minimum desired percentage.  I’m down 17 out of 60 for a final “score” of 72%.  That said, even with a less than desirable outcome, I’ve found, evaluated and corrected at least one problem . . . I need a bit more finger on the trigger.  This then becomes a point to remember, work on and to continue to evaluate to see if this correction holds true throughout my work going forward.

I loaded up another 21 rounds split between two magazines and spent some time with the numbered shapes and the head shot.  The final time strip shows the results working from 15 feet.  Since these are precise shots I didn’t place a time limit on them, simply waited until I was ready to shoot.  It appears the average time was 3-ish seconds per shot.  I dropped 4 rounds out of 21 . . . a score of 81%.  That’s acceptable, nothing to write home about, but OK.

So why should a shooter go through all this work.  A few thoughts . . .

 How do you know where you “are” if you don’t measure yourself from time to time?  And when I say the word “measure” I mean you should develop a reasonable plan, pick 2 or 3 things you want to focus on and then shoot enough rounds to make that meaningful.  Today was 141 rounds to be precise over about an hour and a half with documentation and taping between shooting sets.  If gives me specific points to measure, focus on, work through corrections and then establishes a new bench mark going forward.

This makes sense to me . . . may not to you, but it does to me.  Making holes in paper just for the sake of sending rounds down range doesn’t make sense to me.  I am fond of “practice with purpose” . . . and you should be able to clearly articulate the reasons you are doing what you are doing.

All In My No So Humble Opinion . . . of course.

So there you have it.  Obviously I have things to work on.  But, I did create movement so I’m pleased with that. I would encourage you to make a plan, take some time, shoot the plan and document it . . . and then share it with the rest of us.  We can all learn from what you discover.

Commentary - Naiveté Kills

Naiveté:  lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment.

               innocence or unsophistication.

In many ways we . . . the “western world” . . . remain asleep.  We find comfort in our tablets, iPhones, Androids, Facebook, twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Skype . . . a virtual endless stream is entertainment and distraction.  It allows us to continue our slumber and to shake off momentary interruptions like the latest in Brussels as we did those in Paris and San Bernardino.

These distractions allow us to “mourn” as well by viewing videos of people holding candles, laying flowers, placing teddy bears and notes of sympathy.  It places a safe distance between the results of nails ripping through flesh and us – safe in our homes dozens to thousands of miles away.  There is a global gasp, a mutual outpouring of emotion and finally a collective sigh that we and our family are “safe”.  One moment we watch the explosion’s flash on YouTube . . . and then quickly thumb over to the latest music video . . . secure in our safety.

Safe in our slumber . . . our innocence . . . our naiveté.

How do you awaken folks to the fact the we are in a war with an existential threat?  That this war, in one fashion or another, we well over a millennium old.  That it has been fought with everything from a short sword to poison gas.  And that within the next decade or so that inventory will likely include nuclear weapons.

How do you get past the blather that ranges from the Pope kissing the feet of Syrian “refugees” and proclaiming that ISIS will be defeated by love?  Or the presidential candidates saying we will carpet bomb them out of existence.

As with most things, it’s more complicated than either of these two bookends would indicate.  Take some time to roll through this Pew poll on Islam and Muslims from December of last year.  And while you read the printed percentage numbers . . . do a mental calculation of the difference between the printed number and 100%. 

Some take-aways for me . . .

• Islam is the fastest growing religion on the planet, growing at over twice the rate that the population is growing.

• There are currently 1.6 Billion Muslims in the world today.

• The primary band of Islamic influence extends from Eastern Africa through the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia and into the Philippines. This represents 62% of the global population . . . or nearly 1 billion people.

• Well over 50% of that population desire full implementation of Sharia Law.

• Favorable views of ISIS range between 6% to 20% in this belt of influence.  This implies that between 60 Million and 200 Million Muslims find the actions and policies of ISIS acceptable.

• Around 8% of all Muslims interviewed justified the use of suicide bombings in some circumstances.  It we extend this particular number to the estimated 1.8 million adults (there are currently an estimated 2.75 Muslims in the US) this would lead to an estimated 144,000 Muslims within the us that see value in suicide bombers under certain circumstances.

• Roughly half of the Muslims interviewed in the us are dissatisfied that their leaders have not spoken out more against radical Islam . . . and the other half are not.

Bottom line . . . we . . . western civilization . . . regardless of how the borders are drawn . . . are at war with an army of between 60 Million and 200 Million souls.

And yet we feel safe in our slumber . . . our naiveté . . . our distractions.

So between  . . . kissing the feet of our enemies . . . and . . . carpet bombing them out of existence . . . what are our options and how can we awaken from slumber and our naiveté?

A few thoughts . . .

Stop “pretending not to know” . . . there is a problem with Islam – period.

Muslim leaders must lead their people in the direction of sanity . . . not destruction.  The problem here is that much of the leadership has been radicalized and that our friends is Saudi Arabia are a large part of this particular problem.  At a minimum, Muslim leaders within the US must be encouraged and expected to speak out full voice against the acts of ISIS/ISIL/DASH. 

We are under no obligation to take in refugees from troubled countries unless each and every person can be fully vetted.  Our current policy implies that we can do this from Africa to the Philippines and is foolishness – as the couple from San Bernardino clearly shows. An indefinite pause on immigration from this region as well as any European country currently accepting people in this current migration should be implemented immediately . . . today . . . now!

We must understand that this is a multi-generational war, and our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren will deal with this threat.  That’s a hard line to type yet time-wise it covers only 60 years.  I suspect the resolution to this problem will take much longer.

We need to be willing to stand and fight.  I worry about this particular point.  I hear how tired our nation is, how we can’t afford a strong defense.  I see how quickly we are disarming . . . yet, I suspect kissing the feet of ISIS/ISIL/DASH will do little to defend us.  The US has traditionally only moved to defend itself after great pain has been inflicted.  These small attacks – deaths in the 20s, injuries in the low hundreds – seem to be below the threshold of pain that prompts action.  I suspect that is not accidental – and I suspect the operational pace will continue.  It’s been 14 years and 6 months since 9/11/2001.  To date there have been 28,041 since 9/11.  In the past 30 days there were 136 Islamic attacks in 25 countries, in which 1016 people were killed and 2914 injured.   Our enemy are “true believers”, they are dedicated, focused, skilled and plentiful.  We ignore them at our peril.  Larger attacks will come – to people, to infrastructure – eventually it will be enough to prompt us to action.

We need to get past the idea that the issue is not Islam . . . because it is.  When you have 60 to 200 MILLION believers in a faith bent on the conquest, subjugation and domination of all “non-believers” . . . that particular faith has a very real problem.  Obviously those within the faith have the best chance at moderation and shifting its path.  However, finding a large enough portion that will loudly and consistently condemn these acts seems to be difficult.  Until a change is seen and actions are taken by the Muslim community as a whole . . . Islam is, indeed, the problem.

Finally – a foundational principle from the Republican Party of Iowa . . .

5: Personal Responsibility is the primary duty of all citizens.

We are a nation of individuals held together by a common vision. We are not servants of the government; we are not dependent on the largess of society for our survival. Our possibilities are limitless; they not should be limited by our local, state and federal government. We are individuals, we are citizens of our country and we – and we alone – are responsible for our successes and failures.

As a nation we’ve become more and more dependent on the government for both services and protection.  In many respects we’ve become indentured to the government – held by the promise of money, jobs, protection and a better life.  Our parents and grandparents looked in the mirror and to friends and neighbors when they needed a hand.  We’ve chosen “big brother”.  It is profoundly naïve to believe a 911 call will bring the police quickly enough to prevent our loved ones from being killed.  It is profoundly naïve to believe our federal government has deep enough pockets to provide us our every need.  It is profoundly naïve to trust a government with our individual security when they have proven over and over again to being unable to protect us on either home or foreign soil.  Look in the mirror . . . because that person, and that person alone is responsible for your successes and failures, your well being and your individual defense.   

While kissing the feet of your mortal enemy may allow us to feel all warm and fuzzy inside . . . no one should be surprised when we take a bullet to the chest as we reach out to give them a hug.

Our naiveté as individuals and a nation . . . will get us killed.

It is time we set aside the man made distractions . . . and paid attention to the man made threats . . .

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/12/07/muslims-and-islam-key-findings-in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world/

Range Trip 3-6-2016 - Status Check

Well . . . the snow is off the range, the water and ice mostly gone and the temps have snuck above freezing . . . SPRING!!!  I’d like to say I shoot as much when it’s -10*F as I do when it’s 70*F . . . but that’d be stretching the truth just a bit.  I did conduct a class every month during the winter with a couple hundred rounds for me in each class.  And I did make a range trip or two each month . . . but no high volume days.  What that means is that it’s time for some polish before the training season picks up in the next few months.  Time for a Status Check. 

I did spend time last year working on longer range shooting – 50-feet and 25 yards.  So on Sunday, March 6^th, while waiting for a private student I hit the range a bit early to shoot a couple evaluation rounds to see how I stand coming into much better weather.  Here was my course of fire . . . 

• 50 rounds, .22cal, Ruger 22/45, 50 feet
• 50 rounds, 9mm, Glock 17 (my EDC weapon), 50 feet
• 10 rounds, 9mm, Glock 17, 5 yards
• 10 rounds, 9mm, Glock 17, 7 yards
• 10 rounds, 9mm, Glock 17, 10 yards
• 10 rounds, .22cal 22/55, 5 yards
• 10 rounds, .22cal 22/45, 7 yards
• 10 rounds, .22cal 22/45, 10 yards 

Total round count, 80 rounds 9mm and 80 rounds .22 – 160 rounds total. 

Practice with purpose – be able to articulate the purpose.  We’ve had a number of discussions of why we go to the range, what we do there and how that dials into our legal defense should the need arise.  In this case I’m confirming (or NOT confirming) my marksmanship skills at multiple distances after a season of diminished range time.  And, I am also setting a baseline for the year as well as polishing my capabilities.  As I’ve said, have a reason to go, document the trip and hold yourself accountable for the results.  Simple as that.

The target of choice for this trip was a standard D-1 “tombstone” target with a 4”, 8” and 12” circle centered “center mass”.  I also added 6 2x2 “post-it” notes for the 10 round engagements.  (Photos will make this a bit clearer).

Status checks should be shot cold.  Obviously, by the time the course of fire is complete you will no longer be “cold” but the first 50 rounds or so should be a pretty good indicator of where you are.  My expectation is to hold a 6” group at 50’.  That is actually pretty easy to do with the .22/45 – very low recoil and near target quality sights.  My overall group size was right at 4-ish inches, I’ll take it.  You can see in the image below (.22 rounds on the right, 9MM on the left) that while my group size was acceptable and all rounds were within the bounds of the target – they tended right.  This is a brand new gun and I have not confirmed the sights with a bench rest session but it may well be that my trigger press is the culprit.  More on this in a bit.  All in all, I was happy with the result – the precision was within my expectations . . . the accuracy was not, as I said, I’m a bit right of center.

Next up was my Glock 17, EDC weapon.  I have made one change to this gun, I’ve added the Trijicon front sight as well and I.C.E.’s “Claw” rear sight.  It is designed to assist in single-handed weapon manipulation and also has a wider rear notch for faster threat acquisition.  It’s a trade-off that allows you to get on target with a threat faster, but can reduce (or increase the time required) to place an accurate shot at distance – in this case 50’.  Since 80+% of all defensive encounters happen within 3 yards, it’s a good tradeoff.

You can see that this group of 50 rounds is a bit higher and to the left.  If you get real picky you can notice that I number each hole 1-5 corresponding in each 10 round engagement. I expected this group to open a bit, and it did though the majority of rounds held to the 6” goal I set for myself.  Again, all rounds were within the target.

So what to draw from this?  A few thoughts . . .

• Trigger press is fairly consistent as seen by a reasonable group size.
• Finger placement is fairly consistent as well – again the groups were consistent.
• It may imply that a rear sight alignment might help since I have never bench rest shot either my Glock 17 after I replaced the sights or the .22/45 since I took it out of the box.  I will probably do this with the .22/45.  Pending the outcome of that I’ll make a decision on the Glock 17.

Just a reminder about the difference between “Precision” and “Accuracy”.  Precision implies reasonably tight groups depending on the weapon.  For a rifle with a barrel that can shoot 1 MOA – a 1” group at 100Y would be a precise group.  Placing it within the outline of the designated target would be an “Accurate” shot.  For a weapon to be both Accurate and Precise – both of these things must occur.

For my 50’ engagements – they fell within my desired level of precision . . . however their accuracy can certainly be improved.  That said – if we move to the realm of “Combat Effective Hits”, virtually all 100 rounds would have inflicted damage that would have diminished the threat’s ability to attack.  So . . . balance in all things. 

Moving to an evaluation of my ability to place precise shots from within a standard defensive range – 5 yards, 7 yards and 10 yards – I used a standard post-it note, a 2”x2” target. 

First I rolled through my Glock 17.  Notice that left to right I scored a 90%, 80% and 70% in accuracy, but 100% in precision keeping the overall group size at a 2” limit.  Also note that the rounds tended left as they did from the 50’ mark. 

Next, the .22/45 fared better with 100% in the first two engagements and a 60% (heavy sigh) in the 10-yard engagement.  That said, the overall precision for all three targets held within the desired 2” expectation. 

So what did this trip show me? 

First, I’ve maintained my skillset fairly well over the winter months.  My standard training regimen should add the “polish” fairly quickly this spring. 

I may need to evaluate the rear sight placement/adjustment for each of the handguns used. 

It’s nice to be back on the range without absolutely freezing my butt off . . . I was really ready for spring! 

So, for you – both the experienced and inexperienced shooter – hit the range, choose an evaluation course of fire and then shoot and document it!  See where you are, tease out your weaknesses and then set about fixing, improving, polishing your skills.  Honestly folks, there are no shortcuts.  Good, consistent and focused training will polish your skills and maintain them.  Period. 

Go do the work!

Review - NRA RSO Course 2-20-2016

safety  : freedom from harm or danger, the state of being saf

          : the state of not being dangerous or harmful

          : a place that is free from harm or danger, a safe place

Can I be Frank with you?   (Careful Francine! . . .  sorry, couldn’t resist) Shooting ranges, fire arms and the interaction of one with the other – not to mention hunting activities – are NOT SAFE!!  I’m sure that comes as a complete shock to you.  They are not free “from harm or danger”.  A range – when in use – is not in a “state of not being dangerous or harmful”.  They are NOT A SAFE PLACE!

We forget that.  How many deaths occurred on shooting ranges?  Unknown.  That said, the CDC compiles data on accidental deaths.  Refer to page 41 of the NVSR for 2013 linked below.  Under the row within “Accidents” and “Accidental Discharge of Firearms” you find the following data.

Total	Under 1	1-4	5-14	15-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65-74	75-84	85+
505	3	27	39	107	82	48	80	59	35	18	7

There were 505 deaths in 2013 due to the accidental discharge of firearms.  The number of shooting ranges registered with the Nation Shooting Sports Foundation in their “Where to Shoot” app exceeded 7,500 in 2014. 

According to an article published by the Daily Caller in November of 2014 there were between 300-310 million firearms within the us at that point in time.  I suspect the number is substantially higher today. 

Let’s marry a few numbers together then . . . 300,000,000 and 505 accidental deaths due to their unexpected discharge.    Your chance of one of these firearms doing you grave physical harm was .0001683333333333333%

The general inference from this number is that you are relatively safe from grave physical harm caused by firearms within the U.S.

If we try to bring together data on where these accidents happen, 2011 data sited by the NSSF showed of the 606 accidental deaths reported that year, 400 of them happened in the home – 66% were within the home of the gun owner.

Another 41 occurred while hunting . . . leaving 165 unaccounted for.

How many of the remaining 165 accidental deaths that occurred in 2011 occurred on one of the 7,500 shooting ranges?  There is no stat for that.  It pencils out to one death for every 45 ranges. 

At this point, things slide very quickly into pure speculation.  There are 38+ MILLION gun owners in the US owning an in the neighborhood of 300+ MILLION firearms . . . that resulted in 606 accidental deaths in 2011 and 505 accidental deaths 2013.  This gives rise to a simple question . . .

Why aren’t there more?

Given that the object of our discussion – firearms – are inherently dangerous, that they were designed specifically to kill both wild game and humans alike, given that there are hundreds of millions within our borders . . . why aren’t the streets and country side running red with blood?

There’s a simple answer really – legal gun owners aren’t sociopaths.  They don’t take pleasure in the act of killing.  They’re responsible gun owners that handle their firearms in a safe and responsible manner.  And there it is . . . the reason that the use of a firearm for hunting and the shooting sports – as well as self-defense, when compared with a broad range of other activities, is a profoundly safe activity.

There are a number of groups that have lead the way on making shooting a safe activity.  The NRA, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, state lead DNR hunter safety programs, well over 100,000 recognized firearms instructors within the U.S. and all the dedicated dads, moms, grandfathers and grandmothers that take the time to make sure their children can safely handle a firearm.  This truly is a national and a cultural effort that yields a tremendous benefit to our nation.

I’ve taken a lot of words to set the stage here so I can drill down to a specific type of individual whose importance is dismissed all too many times but who, within the world of shooting ranges, is critical in their safe operation.  That would be the Range Safety Officer or RSO.  These are the folks that make sure we seldom . . . and I mean very seldom . . . hear of fatal accidental discharges on the over 7,500 shooting ranges scattered across our country.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to conduct a NRA Range Safety Officer course.  My focus was on scouters since the area council is trying to build our stable of RSOs for the shooting sports with camp season just around the corner.  The class was 50/50 scouters and others interested in becoming a RSO.  Some recently trained new instructors, one fellow looking to help a high school trap team, another couple guys looking to help at ranges in their area that were in need of RSOs.  In other words, all were there with a purpose in mind.  Honestly, that helps more than you can know.

According to the NRA On-Line Catalog – here is a description of the RSO course.

Name:NRA Basic Range Safety Officer Course

Short Description: Develops NRA Certified Range Safety Officers with the knowledge, skills, and attitude essential to organizing, conducting, and supervising safe shooting activities and range operations.

More Details: This course is nine hours long and is conducted in a classroom and at a shooting facility. Range Safety Officer candidates will learn roles and responsibilities of an RSO; Range Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs); range inspection; range rules; range briefings; emergency procedures; and firearm stoppages and malfunctions. Each Range Safety Officer Candidate will receive an RSO Student Study Guide, a Basic Firearm Training Program brochure, an NRA Gun Safety Rules brochure and a Course Evaluation form.

The name simply and clearly explains their job . . . Range Safety.  Period.

There are a number of facets to this, let’s chat a bit about them.

Physical layout and structure:

A range’s safety begins with its physical layout.  A RSO needs to consider/review its physical location with respect to housing, roads, farm fields (at least in Iowa) all while considering what is “down range” as well as outside its other boundaries.

Rear berms and side berms must also be considered for their ability to stop rounds as well as their ability to protect the shooter.

Targets and target stands – from paper to cardboard to steel.  All must be appropriate to the range, be in good working order and be appropriate to the event itself.

Clear areas for observation, positioning gear, loading, well defined firing lines and final areas to clear and/or reload of weapons before the shooter leaves the range must also be provided and be clearly defined.

Prior to any shooting event the RSO must inspect the facility and make sure everything is in good working area.  As is explained in virtually every shooting course I’ve ever attended – the two primary reasons for firearm injuries is ignorance and complacency. The RSO can simply NOT BE IGNORANT of proper range procedures or be COMPLACENT in any way, shape or form.  Facility safety starts with them.

Knowledge of a broad range of firearms:

As you don the RSO cap . . . you become “the guy” or “the gal” who is expected to know all the ins and out of every firearm that walks onto the range while you’re on duty.  Take a moment to breath that it.  Of course the individual range will do a great deal to determine the range of firearms you will need to become familiar with.  On a Boy Scout rifle range the chances of you needing to know how to clear an AK are profoundly slim to none.  Help out with a carbine class . . . and the possibility of you needing to lend a hand with an AK substantially increase.  As a RSO it becomes your responsibility to become knowledgeable with a broad range of firearms – and the guys in the classroom for this particular RSO course had a reasonable depth of handguns, shotguns and rifles.  For those that were focused on the shooting sports for Scouts, they were more than knowledgeable enough with the types of firearms used to fill the RSO square.

Understanding of the individual range’s SOP – Standard Operating Procedure

It is the responsibility of a range’s Chief Range Safety Officer to develop a SOP for the individual range or ranges on a property.  It is the responsibility of the RSO to know, understand and enforce that SOP.  Honestly, this is another area that gets a bit shaky for many ranges.  If you choose to become the RSO for a specific range – make sure a clear SOP is in place and that you become thoroughly familiar with it.

Range Inspections

Things change.  People get sloppy.  Equipment degrades.  Weather happens.  One of the primary duties of a RSO – at least in my mind – is to periodically inspect a range, suggest improvements and to assemble work parties periodically for a range cleanup day.  “Crap” can easily accumulate on a range – broken target stands, shot up targets, spent brass, fallen leaves – the list is virtually endless.  A clean and tidy range lends itself to safer operation.  There is no guarantee . . . but clean shooting lanes, assembly areas and berm areas go a long way towards setting the proper attitude when a new shooter comes to the range.

Range safety briefings

Typically, as part of the process of joining a range, a Range Safety Brief is given.  It covers the rules and expectations of the range for its use and membership.  Each range is slightly different but it has been my experience that many rules are common across the community.  As an RSO it will be your responsibility to know and to be able to deliver these general briefings.

In addition, for events that you are acting as an RSO, you may well be expected to deliver a safety brief for the range, the event, or perhaps a specific stage of the event.  It is your responsibility to clearly understand all aspects of the range, the event or the stage so you can effectively and fully answer any question that may head your way.

Presence

You must be a presence, and authority on the range.  If you are there as the RSO for the day – you are THEY GUY, THE GAL that insures all shooters act in a responsible and safe way.  Much of this can be done by being a “presence” or a “force” on the range.  You don’t need to be an asshat . . . but you do need to be in full control of what is going on within the lanes of your range.

Communicator

You may well know the rules, know the firearms in use, understand the SOP up and down . . . but if you can’t communicate in a clear and concise manner – your day may not end well.  There is a balance between loud, forceful, intimidating . . . and clear, concise and firm.  Find it, work on it and use it.

Emergency Actions

I have been very fortunate.  I’ve been working in and around shooting ranges since 1968.  I’ve never seen any type of catastrophic event on a live fire range.  I consider myself fortunate . . . but there is also a reason why ranges, as a whole, see very few tragedies.  The range operators, the RSO and the CRSO, as well as the individual shooters – take their responsibilities seriously.  That said – there is always . . . ALWAYS . . . the opportunity for things to go sideways in a truly big way.  Mitigating that event will, at least in portion, fall on the shoulders of the RSO.   HAVE A FRICKIN’ PLAN!!!  The absolute worst time to deal with a “holy crap” moment is during the actual moment.  Have addresses, phone numbers well posted on the range.  Assign tasks – medical response, who calls and directs the 911 response, who takes notes, who guides the response team to the area of the mishap, what do those uninvolved do and where do they go?  All of these things need to be determined and briefed before a group steps on to the range.

For “open ranges”, have addresses and contact numbers posted so they are easy to find and use.

Get some type of first aid training.  I’ve chatted about this topic a couple of times.  Basic Red Cross training at a minimum.  Their Wilderness First Aid course will fill the vast amount of squares you want filled on a shooting range.  Or, take one of the many shooter first aid courses that have popped up from a reputable training group.  Bottom line . . . get this training ASAP – lives could truly depend on it.

Inspection and Range Briefings

I am fortunate that at the range I teach at the RSO candidates could inspect and prepare range briefs on an Archery Range, Trapp Range, Rifle Range and Pistol Range.  They formed into 4 separate inspection teams and each team inspect each range.  Each team then prepared an inspection status brief for their assigned range that covered each range in depth along with what they viewed as deficiencies and their suggest course of action to fix the problems.

Once that was complete and all briefings were complete we moved on to the Range Safety briefing.  Again, each team was assigned a range and given 15 minutes to develop a safety briefing.  Once the prep was done, each team presented their briefing in turn.

The purpose of these two briefings was to simply put them in front of the class and have them deliver a brief and then respond to questions.  Your ability as an RSO relies in no little part to your ability to clearly and quickly communicate with shooters on the range.

Finally, the exam and it’s grading.  A 90% is required to pass the course – they all handled that easily

A final wrap-up and their thoughts, ideas and suggestions on how the class went, what they liked and what they thought I could work on ended the day.  Below you see the shiny face of 8 brand new NRA Certified RSOs.  Good job guys.  And, you’ll also have access to some of the other photos I took throughout the course.

Again, congrats guys, it was nice having you in class!

View Course Photos

Additional links of interest

CDC Accidental Deaths – Quick Facts

National Vital Statistics Report for 2013 – published February 16, 2016

NSSF Annual Report 2014 – Number of Ranges – 7,500+ (PG 14)

Gun Ownership By The Numbers – Daily Caller – 11/4/2014

NSSF Injury Statistics – 2013