Training - Preparing to take a class

Sooooooo . . . you’re going to take some coursework.  Good for you!!!  You should take “something” every year.  I’ve shared any number of times about the idea of annual training.  Set aside $1,200 every year for training.  Buy 1,000 rounds of ammo every January for your 100-round range trips every month (allowing for two skipped months).  Take coursework from a reputable trainer every year.  And . . . document, document, document . . .

This whole process has been on my mind because I’ve entered what has become my “training season”.  I’ve just completed Massad Ayoob’s MAG-20 course, I’m leaving for the traveling Gunsite 123 Carbine Class in Indiana on Thursday and have signed up for Rob Pincus’ Defensive Firearms Coach course in August.  So much for a $1,200 budget . . . heavy sigh.

I wanted to take a bit of time to chat about how to prepare for a set of coursework you are going to take.  How do you “get ready”?  What’s important?  Let me share my thoughts.

Attitude:  a mental position with regard to a fact or state

                a feeling or emotion toward a fact or state, a negative attitude an optimistic                             attitude

                a negative or hostile state of mind

                 a cool, cocky, defiant, or arrogant manner

In NRA coursework, the goal for virtually every course taught revolves about developing a Knowledge, Skill and Attitude that allows the student to become proficient in what is being taught.  Of the three traits, ATTITUDE is defined as the most important trait.  The student’s Attitude will ultimately determine whether learning takes place.

A number of years ago I took a course from Rob Pincus.  One of my fellow students was a C.O.G. . . . Crotchety Old Guy . . . Honestly, I have no issues with C.O.G.s, I am one.  But, when it influences an individual to the point where their ATTITIUDE prohibits virtually any and all learning . . . nothing good comes of it.  I watched this person over two days simply refuse to move, learn, try, embrace what was being taught.  This student left with . . . nothing, not even a certificate because they refused to come to the AAR.  So, why share this tale . . .

Because if, right now, as you are about to fill out your credit card info on line to sign up for the coursework you’ve decided to take, you are going to show the instructor and your fellow students just how much you know and how good you are . . . please . . . DON’T GO!  STAY HOME!  If you have the ability to be open minded – even in the face of information you may find you are resistant to .  . . you will stand a much better chance of leaving the coursework having learned as much as you can!

So – number one on your list for course prep . . . have a good attitude!  EVERYTHING going forward depends on it.

Know the requirements of the course.  In college parlance, this would be the Syllabus of the course.  It will describe the date, hours, location, equipment requirements, round count and any other details that are relevant.  Pay Attention!!!

Make sure your equipment runs.  Guns, flashlights, weapon lights, magazines, mag pouches . . . make sure everything is functional.

Arrive a day early.  Now, for local courses, just make sure you are in place around ½ to 1 hour early.  That will account for “Murphy”.  For a traveling course . . . make sure you get there the day before with time to find the range and classroom the night before.  This too is meant to try and sidestep “Murphy” though with distance courses if things go sideways on your way there . . . it can get tough.

Don’t stay in a fleabag motel to “save money”.  If you can’t get a good night’s rest and meal before the next day’s course it will diminish your ability to get the most out of the course.  That doesn’t mean a 5-star hotel, it would imply taking a pass on the $50 “economy” housing.

One is none . . . two is one.   A favorite saying that allows for the whole “your gun is a mechanical device and mechanical devices fail” routine.  The course I’m taking is a carbine course . . . and I will be taking two carbines.  And two Glock 17s since part of the coursework is the transition from carbine to pistol.  Yes . . . I understand expense.  These particular weapons are, indeed, mine.  One is my primary and one my alternate.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t borrow a weapon for the course from a friend.  But please . . . don’t go with just a single weapon . . . not that I would have any experience with that . . . nope . . . not me . . .

Know how to “run your gun”.  This does not mean you need to be an “expert”, especially if you are taking the coursework for exactly that purpose . . . to learn the weapon.  But please . . . don’t take it to the course and pull it out of the box for the very first time.  So, what’s involved with “running the gun”.  Let me roll through my carbine as an example.

Know how to load your magazines.  Yes . . . I know you can’t believe anyone wouldn’t know such a simple thing . . . Be able to clear the standard malfunctions – failure to fire, failure to eject, failure to load and, for the carbine, a spent casing that rides over the bolt.  Know how to load your weapon, and how to unload it and show clear.

Have your weapon zeroed.  Yes, for a carbine class virtually the first shooting drill is used to check your zero . . . but you shouldn’t have to actually zero the weapon.  For me I use the 50/200 yard zero process at 10 yards. I’ve been happy with this process as far as effectiveness and ease.  Zero both your optic and iron sights.  I typically zero the optic first, crank on the iron sights to co-witness the sights and then shoot to confirm and a final adjust.  That works for me . . . but I will also listen to the recommendation of the instructors come Friday, because THAT IS WHY I AM GOING . . . TO LEARN FROM OTHER INSTRUCTORS!

Check all your lights.  Make sure you have good batteries in your flashlight and weapon mounted light . . . and a spare of each light . . . and a spare set of batteries.

Clean your weapons.  Both the carbine and Glock 17 in this particular case for me.  And, while cleaning check for wear, damage and then properly lube them.  For a training course that expects to send around 1,000 rounds of .223 downrange, heavier lube of the bolt lugs is recommended.  Spend the time and get your weapons ready for a couple days of heavy use.

Ammunition Matters.  The course specs will give you the minimum caliber weapon and the type of bullet – some courses require frangible ammunition in some cases.  Buy reliable ammo not just the cheapest on the shelf.  I have a personal fondness for PMC, Magtech and Blazer.  That is what I buy and I’ve been pleased with the result.  At a course a couple years back a fellow bought surplus 5.56 military ammunition.  Military ammo has primers that are much “hotter” that commercial ammo.  The result?  In virtually every magazine there was at least one round where the primer literally exploded into pieces blowing back into the bolt lugs and locking the bolt forward.  This required the shooter to “mortar” his weapon and on one occasion he forgot to close the stock down and simply broke it making the weapon inoperable.  He had not brought a spare but the instructor had a limited number of loaners that he made use of while a fellow student brought an extra 1000 rounds that he bought so he could carry on.  Don’t be “that guy/gal”.

Take enough ammo.  My experience is that the 1,000-round count usually ends up to be 800-900 . . . or 1,200 – 1,500.  Take extra.

Dress for Success.  My lovely wife likes to ding me on my “shooter pants”, my “shooter boots”  . . . heavy sigh.  My typical advice to students is to wear “sturdy” shoes, long pants, high neck shirts, a ball cap.  Wear a real, honest to goodness, gun belt.  Thick and heavy enough to carry what you are going to hang on it.  For this course I’ll have my Glock 17, two magazines of 9mm for it and two magazines of .223 for what would typically be somewhere from 10 rounds to 30 rounds.  You might also include a dump pouch for your magazines (or big honkin’ rear pockets) and perhaps a minimal blowout kit.  This translates to WEIGHT.  Over the past couple years, as I have added weight to my belt for this type of coursework, I’ve also added some belt clip suspenders.  It’s helped keep things in place specially in movement drills or drills that require you to flow between prone, sitting, kneeling and standing in a rapid fashion.  Honestly you won’t now if any of this gear will really work for you unless you spend some range time prior to the course wringing things out.  DO THE WORK!

Take a Boo-Boo kit and a Blow Out Kit.  I’ve been shooting on ranges since 1968.  I’ve never witnessed a shooting on a range.  That doesn’t mean that one won’t happen this week.  If you’ve not taken coursework in how to respond to an extra hole suddenly appearing in you or a shooting partner . . . please . . . find one, take it and carry appropriate gear.  The Boo-Boo kit is for “slide bites” or other little inconveniences.  The Blow Out Kit is to keep the “red” in until the professionals arrive.  Take this crap serious!  Do not let a friend go home in a Ziploc simply because you knew that nothing was going to happen on your range trip.

Have good standard safety gear.  “Eyes and Ears” . . . have good ones.  Yes, good is a bit more expensive . . . but they last longer and protect better.  Spend the money!

Water bottles, sun screen, sweat towel and a couple Cliff Bars.  Hydration, especially this time of year, is serious business.  This Gunsite 123 course is rated for 3 days, 8 hours minimum each.  Most on the range.  Temps are projected to be in the upper 80s, low 90s.  In similar circumstances, you will pour water out of your body.  Drinking a gallon of water during the range time would be a minimum IMHO.  I like Nalgene bottles and have carried them for decades on range trips, camping trips and paddles.  Bottom line have water.  The military first gave me a “sweat towel” as part of my basic issue when I hit Vietnam.  I’ve carried them ever since.  On a range they are great for sweat, a dry place to set a weapon on a wet or snowy range, they function as a sitting pad . . . well worth the bulk.  Sun screen . . . should be obvious.  Do you have some in your range bag?  I also like to throw a couple Cliff Bars in a cargo pocket or in my range bag should I run out of gas.  It’s cheap insurance.

Cleaning and Maintenance Equipment.  Take an appropriate cleaning kit for your weapons.  Honestly, it’s a tossup for spare parts.  I typically do not take a parts kit since I take a fully configured backup weapon.  But high-volume days on a range can take a toll.  Chances are you’ve spent a good chunk of change on your coursework . . . take care of your tools.

Fitness.  It’s no accident that I leave this to last since it is one place where I need to do much better.  I have no doubt I am fit enough to shoot the course, or I wouldn’t take it.  That said, I promise myself I’ll “get in shape” for “next year” only to fine that next year has arrived . . . and I’ve failed myself.  Don’t follow my example.  One other consideration for me was that I took a 24-hour carbine course this past November . . . and did some pretty nasty stuff to my right knee.  It’s better but I will take both a brace and some fitted compression supports to lend a hand this week.  Bottom line – pay attention to your body and take care of yourself.

Finally . . . Have Fun!  Yep, coursework can be exhausting.  It can be stressful.  It should push you to failure once in a while.  It should be challenging.  And you should also be FUN as well.

I’m sure I’ve missed something . . . but I hope you get the gist of the process.  Oh . . . yeah . . . MAKE LISTS!!!  Cause it’s hard to remember everything on the fly, so don’t.  For example, I’ve lists for lightweight back packing, base camping, “luxury” family camping, single and multiple day paddles . . . all of which I’ve refined over the past 40-ish years.  And, I have them for coursework also.  Make a list, review it over a few days and then pack a day early as you review the list.

Go forth, train, enjoy, learn, make friends . . . and then start thinking about next years coursework! 

A few additional links:

https://www.gunsite.com/classes/indiana-123-three-day-carbine-2/

https://www.gunsite.com/class-requirements/

https://www.gunsite.com/class-requirements/carbine/

Review - Mag-20 . . . Again . . .

From the MAG-20 course description:

A two-day, 20-hour immersion course in rules of engagement for armed law-abiding private citizens, emphasizing legal issues, tactical issues, and aftermath management. Topics will include interacting with suspects, witnesses, responding police officers…threat recognition and mind-set…management of social and psychological aftermath after having had to use lethal force in defense of self or others…and preparing beforehand for legal repercussions and minimizing exposure to them. Situations in the home, at the place of business, or “on the street” will all be covered.

Should you happen into the very worst day of your life . . . your primary job is to “prevail”.  Bottom line – you must stop the threat . . . or you may well go home in a Ziploc.  “Stopping the threat” does not mean killing him/her . . . it means just that - stopping them, changing their mind, scaring them off . . . but, it can mean seriously wounding them or killing them. 

This is step one . . . then there is . . .

Everything after . . .

It is this that Massad Ayoob focuses on in his MAG-20 course.  It is a course that I consider a “Have Too” type of course.  It simply must be one that is very, very high on your priority list.  While learning the fundamentals of defensive shooting is a must . . . as well as coursework that lets you refine things and become a more effective defensive shooter is important . . . if you win the fight and loose your freedom, loose your family, loose all your worldly possessions . . . what have you “won”?

It’s been said (sorry, I simply do not remember who first gets credit for this) you have two battles to win . . . the gunfight . . . and then your battle in court.  The MAG-20 course will lay the ground work for your legal defense.

The course is two days and 20 hours.  It is a continuous 10 hours per day.  There are 10 minute breaks each hour but lunch is eaten “on the run” . . . a slice of pizza or sandwich in one hand while you take notes with the other as the lecture continues is the rule of the day.  You’ve heard the analogy of taking in knowledge through a firehose . . . that is exactly what MAG-20 is.

The knowledge comes from an individual who recently fully retired from 43 years of law enforcement and who has become, in my opinion, the nation’s foremost expert witness in the use of deadly force.  He has participated in virtually every high visibility use of deadly force trial over the last couple decades, been the author of hundreds of articles on the topic, multiple books and taught thousands about the topic through his Massad Ayoob Group training company and his Lethal Force Institute company.  Frankly . . . he is THE guy you want to go to for this particular kind of training.  And . . . you want to do that more than once.

I last went to the MAG-20 course in November of 2013, you can read the review here.  Nothing has changed . . . and a lot has changed.  This course was still an intense 2-day effort where the flow of information was simply continuous and intimidating.  But, it had been updated with nearly four more years of experience and data added.  I also noticed parts were more polished than last time – they felt smoother than I remembered them.  One thing that was different for me this time was the price . . . rather than $400, it was only $200.  This is an offer made to all returning students.  It encourages return visits to catch up on the latest trends and data available and it is something I intend to continue to do.

As I said . . . TAKE THIS COURSE!!!  NOW!!!  TODAY!!!  Or as soon as you can.  You have two battles to win . . . your gunfight . . . and your court fight.  Mass has a great course to make sure you put your best legal foot forward should your worst day become a reality!

Review - Vortex Strikefire II Red-Green Dot

So, it’s that time of year when I begin to register for coursework I plan on taking . . . and taking appropriate steps to make sure I have the right gear to take the course.  One of them that I’ve signed up for is the Gunsite Indiana 3-Day Carbine course.   I took their 3-day 150 Pistol Course at the same location last year and came away with a very good experience and – just to brag a bit – 2 of their 3 challenge coins!  It was a great trip, you can find a review here.  I was delighted to see they were bringing their carbine class this year so I signed up on-line and am in the process of polishing off the paperwork.

That said, when I take coursework that is more than a little pricy I also make sure I take a full set of duplicate gear.  I’ve heard the phrase “two is one and one is none” attributed to Col Cooper in the past.  Regardless who first used that phrase, there is a great deal of truth to the words.  Just think of traveling a full day, spending a couple thousand dollars once ammo, gas, food and lodging is thrown in . . . only to have your weapon fail you on the first or second day of class.  For me this isn’t my first carbine class so I have a backup weapon.  It’s a mix of a Bushmaster Upper, Timney trigger, who knows what adjustable stock and a Blue Force sling.  It had a Nikon Prostaff Scope and Harris Bipod on it since I was using it to work on my distance shooting.  Obviously, some changes needed to be made to bring in more in line with my primary “patrol rifle” which is a DPMS Oracle with an Eotec red dot on it and Magpul pop up backup sights.

The backup sights were a no brainer so I picked up a new set of Magpul front and rear sights.  One characteristic of this particular rifle is that the rear peep on the popup needs to be cranked fully to the left . . . and I mean FULLY!  I suspect that is due to some offset between the front and rear top rails or something physically with the barrel.  But, it is an “adjustable” rear sight, and cranking the rear peep all the way to the left works . . . so I’ll figure the rest out later.

The red dot gave me a bit of a challenge in choosing which one to go with.  I know, I know . . . AIMPOINT!!!  Still, the price points of their red dots are pretty pricy so . . . No Joy on that.  Same with the Eotech though I am very satisfied with my 517.  What to do, what to do.

I have a number of shooter friends who have Vortex scopes on their precision rifles.  Of course they are more than a little pricy.  But they also have a Strikefire II Red/Green Dot optic for around $180.  Could that be my answer?  After looking at one at a local dealer, reading some of the reviews on line and watching a couple review videos I decided that for the backup carbine this choice would be more than good!  I went to the range today . . . I was not disappointed!

As you can see it is a bit bulky physically but it weighs just 7.2 ounces.  It comes with a cantilever mount allowing the rear Magpul popup to snug right up to the rear of the optic.  Both sights co-witness perfectly.  There is an elevation adjustment on the top along with a battery housing holding a CR2 battery.  Battery life is in excess of 300 hours at max brightness and approaches over 6000 hours on minimum brightness.  The windage adjustment is on the right side of the optic with either a red or green 4 MOA dot appearing in the middle of the field as you look through the optic. 

Operation is via two buttons located on the left.  Press the top button, it comes on.  Hold it in and after about 4 seconds it will turn off.  Hold the bottom button in and the color will switch to either red or green.  With the dot on, momentarily pressing the top button increases the brightness while doing the same with the bottom button decreases the brightness.  The optic is very crisp and clear.

I loaded a magazine with 10 rounds, set out a “10 yard 50/200 zero” target and sent three rounds down range.  I was more than a little surprised that all three rounds within the impact dot on the target.  The three rounds were followed by an additional 7 . . . all with the same result.  As you can see, the optic was perfectly adjusted for a 50/200 yard zero OUT OF THE BOX!  Gotta say I was very happy.

Honestly I was having a bit of trouble adjusting windage on the Magpul sight so I “cheated” and simply dialed the windage until the front and rear co-witnessed with the Strikefire II (which turned out to be all the way to the left).  Worked well with the final 10 round target showing all rounds within or touching the impact dot.

The next test was to move the target out to 50 yards.  For that I’ve built an evaluation target with two impact targets for evaluation on it.  The top left target shows the results using the Strikefire II.  The first 5 round group was high and spread out.  “High” was an elevation issue.  The “spread out” was a shooter issue.  So, I adjusted elevation down a couple clicks and sent another 5 rounds down range.  Group two came right in.

Next was 5 rounds on the lower right target with the backup sights.  They turned in a nice 1-inch group with one “flyer” out another ½ inch.  I’ll take it.

One last target.  10 rounds on the target I use for pistol qualification in my defensive shooting classes.  The target was posted at 50 yards.  At that distance, the dot pretty well covered the grey disk entirely.  Again, the Strikefire II turned in a nice group.

I had around 15 rounds left over so I went over to the 100-yard range and shot at the 12x14 steel plate at the end of the range.  It had no paint on it and sat against a berm essentially the same color but I was able to hit 13 of 15 rounds on the plate.  This gave me an opportunity to play with the intensity of the green dot and I found that at a lower setting I could clearly see both dot and target well.

Bottom line, I’m pretty darn happy with the performance of the Vortex Strikefire II red/green dot optic.  The class is the beginning of July so we’ll see how things go actually “running the gun”.  I plan to run the backup gun at least one full day provided my primary doesn’t fall apart in my hands.  That has never happened through any number of high volume classes.  But . . . the one time I go with a single weapon I am confident that murphy will bite me in the butt.  Stay tuned, the AAR for the Gunsite 3-day Carbine Class will be posted when I return from the course.

Strikefire II Vortex Page

 http://www.vortexoptics.com/product/vortex-strikefire-2-red-dot-with-red-green-dot-cantilever-mount

Strikefire II Manual

http://www.vortexoptics.com/uploads/web_manual_strikefire2_red-dot_17-S.pdf

Strikefire II Specifications
Magnification	1 x
Objective Lens Diameter	30 mm
Eye Relief	Unlimited
Adjustment Graduation	1/2 MOA
Travel per Rotation	25 MOA
Max Elevation Adjustment	100 MOA
Max Windage Adjustment	100 MOA
Parallax Setting	Parallax Free
Length	5.6 inches
Weight	7.2 ounces
4 MOA red/green dot

Training - Recoil – It’s a Thing

“Man!!  That baby will flat out knock you on your butt!!” 

“Why the kick from that pistol is gonna take your hand off!!”

“With paws like mine I should have any problem controlling the recoil!”

And so the discussions of recoil, “kick” go . . .

I picked up a Ruger LC9S a few days back.  I had purchased a LC9 when the original hammer fired version came out but stopped carrying it when the trigger went sideways on me.  That generated a post a few years back on why you should always shoot your carry gun on a regular basis.  Since that time I’ve stopped carrying that particular pistol and I use it in my course work as a “visual aid” when I talk about the topic of shooting your carry gun.

The next day after my purchase I grabbed a hundred rounds and headed to the range.  My primary purpose was just an initial evaluation of the handgun and to work my way through a couple different drills.  I started with 2 magazines at 3Y, 5Y and 7Y.  I was fairly impressed with the results.  The trigger is greatly improved over the original version in my opinion and the little guy was pretty darn accurate as long as I paid attention to sight picture, sight alignment and trigger press . . . and ignored the fact that the recoil is . . . mmmmm . . . “snappy” . . . let’s say that . . . SNAPPY!  (I’ll return to this since that IS the purpose of this post)

     

       

       

Next I put up an SEB target and ran a number of drills.  My first was from 5Y and it was Rob Pincus’s “take a lap” drill.  One round in each numbered box. I dropped 2 rounds, one on the “2” and one on the “6”.  From there I went to the accelerated pairs at 5Y and 7Y.  Next I did the Gunsite “failure drill” at 3Y and dropped 2 on the ocular cavity box.  Finally, I ran 15 rounds through from 50 feet into the pelvic girdle box.  I dropped 3 there.  All in all, for the first time running any rounds through the firearm, I’ll take it. 

Bottom line on the gun, I like it.  It’s accurate, not a bad tradeoff of size and capacity.  I’ll carry it in a “7+1” mode with two spare 7 round magazines so I’ll have 22 rounds on my person rather than the 30 I have when I leave the house with my G17.  But, for summer carry this will provide one other acceptable alternative IMNSHO anyway.

So . . . . back to the “SNAPPY” recoil . . .  l want to spend some time on this from a physics POV, a management POV, a “run the gun” POV and a handgun “fit” POV.  First, let’s get on the same page as far as the words are concerned.  Some definitions . . .

Recoil:          a movement backwards, usually from some force or impact. The recoil of a pistol is a backward movement caused by momentum.

Momentum:            property of a moving body that the body has by virtue of its and motion and that is equal to the product of the body's mass and velocity a property of a moving body that determines the length of time required to bring it to rest when under the action of a constant force or moment

Newton’s 1^st Law:  Every object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change that state by forces impressed upon it. (Commonly referred to as “inertia” as stated as “a body at rest tends to stay at rest unless acted upon by an external force”)

Newton’s 3^rd Law:  For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Foot Pound  A unit of energy, one foot-pound is the energy it takes to push with one pound-force one pound for a distance of one foot.

Da Physics

We start at the beginning – with the cartridge.  It consists of 4 components – the case, the primer, the powder and the bullet.  Two elements have “potential” energy – the chemical compound in the primer and the gun powder the primer ignites.  The sulfur in the gunpowder burns first once the primer is stuck, the potassium nitrate with its free oxygen acts as an oxidizer and they then burn the remaining carbon in the gun powder.  Gas is produced and forces the bullet out of the casing and down the barrel.  The potential energy of the chemical compounds is changed to enough pressure to send the bullet out of the barrel at 1190 fsp for the Winchester 9mm ammunition listed below and in the process this chemical reaction generates 362 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle of your 9mm handgun.

At this point Newton’s 3^rd law “kicks” into action.  (See what I did there?).  A force equal to the 362 ft-lb that pushes the 115gr bullet out of the barrel also acts to drive the entire handgun rearward with that same 362 ft-lb force.  This is the handgun’s “Recoil”.  And that is what I want to talk about.

From a management POV

“Ya gotta control the recoil!!!”  says your instructor.  Listen folk . . . you can’t “control” it, you’re simply not strong enough.  Even for the tier one, super Delta types – recoil is “managed” and not controlled.  So let’s first see what mechanical things help us to mitigate the recoil of your handgun.

Mass . . . the mass of your handgun helps.  Remember the first law – a body at rest tend to stay at rest . . . unless acted on by an external force – say 362 ft-lb of recoil force.  The larger the mass, the more energy it will absorb and the lower the “felt” recoil will be.  For example, my daughter really enjoys shooting my Springfield 1911.  To her the felt recoil is much reduced over some of my other options.  That is due in large part to the fact that it weighs 39 oz. with an empty magazine – nearly 2.5 pounds!  That will do a great deal to mitigate its recoil.

The Firing Cycle and mechanics of the handgun . . . the energy from the cartridge runs much of the firing cycle.  It drives the slide back, which ejects the spent casing as well as “loads” the return spring.  The return spring drives the slide forward and strips a cartridge from the top of the magazine and then seats it in the chamber.  It also cocks the hammer or sets the striker.  Add to that the friction of metal sliding against metal, the heat generated and even more of the recoil is absorbed and mitigated.

Mass of the Shooter . . . finally, we get to the end of the chain in the mitigation of your handgun’s recoil.  You . . . and your mass.  The remainder of the energy that is left will be used to drive your body rearward.  Any mechanical weaknesses in your grip, the way you’ve driven your arms outward, your stance . . all will allow the recoil to be SNAPPIER and will move you in such a way that may well be painful and prohibit you from reacquiring your threat in a timely fashion should the need arise.  So let’s work from “gun to butt”.

Grip . . . I’ve talked about the Grip before.  You want your dominant hand high on the back-strap getting the barrel’s centerline as close to the centerline of your extended arm as you can get it.  You want your support hand’s meaty part of its palm to close the gap left on the grip by your dominant hand and its fingers to wrap around those of your dominant hand as well, providing a full 360 degrees of coverage by your grip.  You want to have a very firm grip . . . but I do not subscribe to a “death grip” on your handgun.

The grip is the first point of weakness that can occur.  A weak grip allows the recoil to drive the gun off center and in a worst-case scenario it could actually drive the handgun completely out of your hands.

Driving your arms to the threat . . . I encourage my students to “drive the blade to the center of the threat”.  This means that your arms are fully extended and the elbows are held “firmly” in place.  I am also not a proponent of locking your elbows.  I want them “firm” but not “locked”.  This is also a point of weakness.  If your elbows are not firm enough, a part of the recoil will move your elbows a bit.  This will take energy from your handgun and in the case of semiautomatic pistols is a leading cause of “failure to eject” or “stove pipe” issues.  The common term is “limp wrist-ing” but it has more to do with arms and elbows rather than wrists.

Nose over toes . . . is the next component in the “gun to butt” evaluation.  You want your weight forward and “into the gun” rather that the shooter leaning back.  You put more of your mass immediately behind the gun and allow it to mitigate the recoil simply because it takes a fair amount of energy to move even the average person’s body mass reward.

Stance . . . the typical phrase is that your feet are shoulder width apart.  And, I usually take my dominant foot about half a foot’s length back as well.  This is commonly called a fighting stance or defensive stance.  It’s not exaggerated, just comfortable.  And, if you have a firm two handed grip, have driven your front blade fully in front of you at the center of the threat, if your nose is over your toes and you have a solid grip on your handgun . . . you are in the best position possible to allow your body to absorb your handgun’s recoil in the center of your upper body where a major portion of your physical mass is.  It is this that allows you to “manage” your recoil in such a way that if the need arises you can have rapid and accurate follow-up shots. 

Run the Gun . . . is one of the primary reasons you manage recoil as consistently and properly as you can.  If you do not help contain as much of the recoil energy as you can in the gun, it’s just won’t run right and failure to eject will become your new best friend.  Your entire “package” – stance, nose over toes, grip, driving straight out to the threat . . . all allow you the best chance to manage the recoil, insure the firearm functions properly and positions you for the 3 to 5 rounds high center mass that may well be needed to stop a mortal threat barreling in your direction.  These things allow you to run the gun – your gun – to the best of your ability.

Fit . . . is the last piece of this little walk through recoil.  And the most important in my opinion.  We’ve all see YouTubes of the jerk boyfriends who give their girlfriend their .454 Casull revolver that shows her splitting her forehead open on the muzzle of the revolver as the recoil drives it out of her hands and into her face.  An obvious example of a handgun that is NOT a good fit for the shooter.

Other examples are subtler.   For example . . . the LC9S that the hubby buys for his wife because it’s the “right size” for her hand.  That may well be true but if she doesn’t have hands strong enough for a firm grip the results – while not as dramatic as a .454 Casull – will still be frustrating if she can’t consistently shoot her firearm accurately.  The amount of energy generated by 9mm round is exactly the same whether fired from a 17oz LC9S or a 43oz 9mm Loaded Springfield 1911.  However, one will do much more to mitigate recoil than the other. 

Also, smaller grips do not always mean a better grip is possible by the shooter.  All of these things go into whether the handgun is a good “fit” for the shooter.  And to that the ability to “run the gun” – easily load the firearm, work the slide or cylinder release, clear malfunctions – these things also go into the concept of “Fit”.

Bottom line . . . smaller guns are susceptible to a “SNAPIER” felt recoil simply because . . . “smaller gun”.  The only thing that can mitigate that is the shooter through their grip, stance, the way they drive to the threat and getting their weight forward and into the gun.  For most this is a learned process . . . for some it is simply not physically possible for their body to mitigate the recoil enough to accurately shoot it.

And, on other part of this equation.  To be competent with your firearm, you need to shoot your firearm frequently enough to get competent and to maintain competence.  If it beats you up, hurts your hand and is just plain no fun to shoot . . . you won’t.  And, you’ll develop all those crappy training scars that goes along with this as well.

My advice.  Try a bunch of different handguns.  Choose one that fits, that you can run, that you can shoot accurately and one that you can well and truly manage the recoil on.

Additional info and links . . .

Energy of a 9mm 115gr cartridge in foot pounds

http://www.winchester.com/PRODUCTS/HANDGUN-AMMUNITION/Value/Full-Metal-Jacket-handgun/Pages/USA9MMVP.aspx

A Physics discussion on Momentum for the geeks in the crowd . . .

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/momentum/u4l1a.cfm

Newton’s 3 laws explained . . .

https://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/newton.html

Interesting discussion of “foot pounds of energy”

http://www.lasc.us/TaylorHowHard.htm

Kenetic and Potential Energy

http://www.softschools.com/difference/kinetic_energy_vs_potential_energy/124/