Hsoi brings us more on the debate of Pump vs. Semi-Auto for defensive shotgun. Take a look as he makes some fine points that I did not cover in my previous post.
-Rob
my work here is done
14 years ago
Monday, December 7, 2009
Shotguns, the Defensive (Offensive...?) Kind....
At the BBOD we deal almost entirely in sporting grade shotguns, but we also sell a few personal defense guns, so let's talk about them for a minute...
The personal defense shotgun is probably the most often thought of, but least understood firearm for defensive and offensive use. We can start by defining the personal defense shotgun, what is the PD scattergun? The one you have on hand or the one you buy to use to protect yourself. Barrel length is not the criteria, let me repeat that, barrel length is not the criteria, you need to be concerned with. What you need in a respected defensive gun is reliability and the ability to hit what you are aiming at.
With that said, let's talk about preferred options of the defensive shotgun:
-Short(er) Barrel, generally 22" in length or less, typically an 18.5" or 20" barrel is found. Personal defense guns come in all shapes and sizes, but the guns that are designed and marketed as such are found usually with a 20" or shorter barrel length. The shorter barrel allows you to wield the gun more effectively inside your home, especially if you live in a smaller or more confined space. I recommend the longest barrel you feel you can effectively swing and get through doors for house clearing (I do NOT advocate house clearing, but if it has to be done, do it with your long gun!). The longer the barrel, the longer the sight radius, the easier it is to aim and hit with. Also, many of the defensive guns on the market are fixed cylinder choke barrels, if you can purchase a gun with screw in chokes. Screw in chokes will increase the versatility of your shotgun exponentially. Fixed Cylinder works okay with some buckshot loads and some slugs, but you need to experiment with loads and patterning to find the most accurate. Being able to adjust the choke, might allow an even tighter pattern or more general accuracy from your chosen ammo.
-Safety you can use; this one just makes sense, right? Yet, so many buyers out there buy shotguns and figure they will leave them in "Cruiser Ready" mode, or fully loaded with a round not chambered and the safety set. Guess what? If you can't work the safety, you're going to be in a world of chambered with a loaded shotgun that still doesn't work. When milliseconds count and you are fighting for your life, don't try and remember where the safety is and how it works, know it. I'm an advocate of the top tang Mossberg-style safety, because it works universally right and left hand and is easy to use and see, with a traditional stock. That said, there is nothing wrong with the position of the Remington safety for a right hander and many companies make left handed safeties for the Remington series of guns.
-Controls you can reach without having to adjust your grip drastically (I.E. can you reach the slide lock without having to take your main shooting hand off the gun?) This goes back to the safety argument above, if you are running a pump, can you hit the slide lock with your off hand, what about one handed? Again the Mossberg camp wins this with their behind the trigger guard on the left setup, versus the Remington in front of the trigger guard setup. How about the semi-auto guys, can you hit your bolt release or bolt lock back button without sacrificing control of the gun? It's critical, weapon control is as critical as hitting your target. Maintain it and pick a gun that has controls where you like them and where you feel like they should be.
-Semi-Auto vs. Pump vs. Non-Reciprocating Action Guns: This debate will rage until the end of time. Lets get down and dirty and quick. The Mossberg 500 and 590 guns, the Remington 870, the Benelli Nova and SuperNova, are all exceptionally reliable and functional pump shotguns. With a pump you do run the risk of short stroking the gun. If you are concerned about this, my suggestion is to buy a Remington. The Mossberg and Benelli guns are smooth, but not the same level as the 870 series of guns. The smoother gun will be easier to run and generally result in fewer operator errors, but the only way to be truly good is to practice. Semi-auto, gas guns will have a reduced felt recoil to pump guns and inertia driven guns, gas guns typically are more picky about loads, a pump will generally feed and shoot anything that fits in the chamber. Inertia Driven semi-auto guns, the Benellis, Berettas, and Stoeger guns are all super cool guns, but just not what I think it takes for personal defense. The Inertia Driven system is a super recoiling system and limits the ability to make fast follow up shots with defensive type shot loads. Non-reciprocating action guns, single shots are cheaper, but not necessarily any better than a quality pump gun, if it's what you have, learn it and love it, if you are in the market to buy, go pump if you can.
-12 or 20 gauge; another great debate. 12-gauge 00 buckshot has the record, 000 might be even better. 20-gauge has #3 buck in 2 3/4" shells and #2 in 3" shells, in my opinion, opt for 2 3/4" shells, the recoil vs. increased amount of shot or shot size, is not worth the trade off. It doesn't matter which you choose if you pick a good quality buckshot load AND you learn to aim.
-Ghost Ring Sights vs. Bead vs. Fiber Optic, now the truly important bit on this subject, sights. Gun sights are there for a reason, racking the shotgun and pointing in the general direction will not guarantee hits with the shots. You need to aim and the best way to do it, is to use the sights. Ghost Ring or Rifle type sights are all the rage these days with many of the "tactical" shooters and while I generally agree that Ghost Rings are faster and easier to focus on, I don't necessarily agree that they are the only choice in shotgun sights. A bead sight and vented barrel rib works well for tracking small, quickly flying game like dove, it can work equally well on a shorter barrel, for tracking a much larger, but still quick, human target. In this case, the Ghost Ring sights are advantageous in they help the shooter focus on the front sight and aim, but they are not the end all be all. If you have them on your gun, love them, learn them, shoot them, if you don't, spend your money on buckshot and range time.
Now, fiber optic sights, many new guns have them, especially sporting guns, bright red and green inserts certainly allow you to spot the right sight and keep a good eye on things. I personally, really like the Tru-Glo setups that are meant to attach over your standard bead sight and allow you to see a fiber optic tube. I prefer this setup to a fiber optic only setup, because the fiber rods do occasionally fall out. If that were to happen to you, you'd at least still have a front bead to focus on and shoot from.
-Other Accessories like butt cuffs, side saddles, and flashlights; Spare ammunition is good, having it on the gun is good, because we will probably fight with the ammo in and on the gun, but there is too much of a good thing. Choose one system and use it, use it, use it, until it is second nature to reload your shotgun from the butt cuff or side saddle. Personally, I opt for butt cuff, because I'm on a low budget and side saddles don't ever seem to come cheap. The stretchy spandex like butt cuff that holds five shot shells will fill all your needs. You do need to do one thing, secure it to the stock. I did this, by using marine grade velcro, the hook side on the cuff and the loop side on the stock, held on by marine grade waterproof adhesive. The cuff does not move around on my gun and allows me a platform to use.
On flashlights, just do it. You don't have to go for a Surefire flashlight fore end, but there are many setups out there on the market. Find one that works for you, use it, learn it, love it. Personally, my setup is pretty redneck, opting for a positive 'clicky' tail-capped LED Mini-Mag Light, that is secured to the fore-end via duct tape and more marine grade velcro. It's very ugly, but extremely functional, it does not effect the ability to use the fore-end nor does it move around while the gun is in use. Again, pick a system and practice with it, until it is second nature.
~Whew~ Let me take a breath, are you confused yet? Well, lets get back to basics. For personal defense, the shotgun that is for you, is the one with controls that you are familiar with and feel comfortable with. Your next big issue is picking a gauge that works for you, if you are recoil sensitive, don't buy the hype that 20 feels less than 12, because many 20-gauge guns are also lighter in overall weight. The lighter the gun, the more felt recoil, period, in this case, if the guns weigh the same, yes 20 will have a little lighter recoil, but 12-gauge will still be managable. Next, you need sights you can use and perhaps you should consider spare ammo and a flashlight on your gun. The later two items can help in a fight but aren't necessary, the sights are. Pick a sighting system that allows you to aim and hit. Finally, whatever you pick, practice, practice, practice, and train, train, train. The shotgun might be an extremely powerful and versatile tool for personal defense, but you need the ability to wield that power.
Defensive shotguns are extremely useful and should be part of everyone's toolkit. Selecting a gun is not hard, pick the gun that fills your needs with the least amount of compromise and practice with it. For those wondering about my top picks for defensive shotguns the list is as follows: Remington 870, particularly the Express Series "Defense" Models in 12-gauge, the Mossberg 500 and 590 in 12-gauge, the Remington Express 870 20-gauge "Youth" gun, the Mossberg 500 20-gauge "Youth" gun, and then the Benelli series of guns. The Benellis come last, because parts for the Mossberg and Remington series of guns are literally a dime a dozen of anything you need.
-Rob
The personal defense shotgun is probably the most often thought of, but least understood firearm for defensive and offensive use. We can start by defining the personal defense shotgun, what is the PD scattergun? The one you have on hand or the one you buy to use to protect yourself. Barrel length is not the criteria, let me repeat that, barrel length is not the criteria, you need to be concerned with. What you need in a respected defensive gun is reliability and the ability to hit what you are aiming at.
With that said, let's talk about preferred options of the defensive shotgun:
-Short(er) Barrel, generally 22" in length or less, typically an 18.5" or 20" barrel is found. Personal defense guns come in all shapes and sizes, but the guns that are designed and marketed as such are found usually with a 20" or shorter barrel length. The shorter barrel allows you to wield the gun more effectively inside your home, especially if you live in a smaller or more confined space. I recommend the longest barrel you feel you can effectively swing and get through doors for house clearing (I do NOT advocate house clearing, but if it has to be done, do it with your long gun!). The longer the barrel, the longer the sight radius, the easier it is to aim and hit with. Also, many of the defensive guns on the market are fixed cylinder choke barrels, if you can purchase a gun with screw in chokes. Screw in chokes will increase the versatility of your shotgun exponentially. Fixed Cylinder works okay with some buckshot loads and some slugs, but you need to experiment with loads and patterning to find the most accurate. Being able to adjust the choke, might allow an even tighter pattern or more general accuracy from your chosen ammo.
-Safety you can use; this one just makes sense, right? Yet, so many buyers out there buy shotguns and figure they will leave them in "Cruiser Ready" mode, or fully loaded with a round not chambered and the safety set. Guess what? If you can't work the safety, you're going to be in a world of chambered with a loaded shotgun that still doesn't work. When milliseconds count and you are fighting for your life, don't try and remember where the safety is and how it works, know it. I'm an advocate of the top tang Mossberg-style safety, because it works universally right and left hand and is easy to use and see, with a traditional stock. That said, there is nothing wrong with the position of the Remington safety for a right hander and many companies make left handed safeties for the Remington series of guns.
-Controls you can reach without having to adjust your grip drastically (I.E. can you reach the slide lock without having to take your main shooting hand off the gun?) This goes back to the safety argument above, if you are running a pump, can you hit the slide lock with your off hand, what about one handed? Again the Mossberg camp wins this with their behind the trigger guard on the left setup, versus the Remington in front of the trigger guard setup. How about the semi-auto guys, can you hit your bolt release or bolt lock back button without sacrificing control of the gun? It's critical, weapon control is as critical as hitting your target. Maintain it and pick a gun that has controls where you like them and where you feel like they should be.
-Semi-Auto vs. Pump vs. Non-Reciprocating Action Guns: This debate will rage until the end of time. Lets get down and dirty and quick. The Mossberg 500 and 590 guns, the Remington 870, the Benelli Nova and SuperNova, are all exceptionally reliable and functional pump shotguns. With a pump you do run the risk of short stroking the gun. If you are concerned about this, my suggestion is to buy a Remington. The Mossberg and Benelli guns are smooth, but not the same level as the 870 series of guns. The smoother gun will be easier to run and generally result in fewer operator errors, but the only way to be truly good is to practice. Semi-auto, gas guns will have a reduced felt recoil to pump guns and inertia driven guns, gas guns typically are more picky about loads, a pump will generally feed and shoot anything that fits in the chamber. Inertia Driven semi-auto guns, the Benellis, Berettas, and Stoeger guns are all super cool guns, but just not what I think it takes for personal defense. The Inertia Driven system is a super recoiling system and limits the ability to make fast follow up shots with defensive type shot loads. Non-reciprocating action guns, single shots are cheaper, but not necessarily any better than a quality pump gun, if it's what you have, learn it and love it, if you are in the market to buy, go pump if you can.
-12 or 20 gauge; another great debate. 12-gauge 00 buckshot has the record, 000 might be even better. 20-gauge has #3 buck in 2 3/4" shells and #2 in 3" shells, in my opinion, opt for 2 3/4" shells, the recoil vs. increased amount of shot or shot size, is not worth the trade off. It doesn't matter which you choose if you pick a good quality buckshot load AND you learn to aim.
-Ghost Ring Sights vs. Bead vs. Fiber Optic, now the truly important bit on this subject, sights. Gun sights are there for a reason, racking the shotgun and pointing in the general direction will not guarantee hits with the shots. You need to aim and the best way to do it, is to use the sights. Ghost Ring or Rifle type sights are all the rage these days with many of the "tactical" shooters and while I generally agree that Ghost Rings are faster and easier to focus on, I don't necessarily agree that they are the only choice in shotgun sights. A bead sight and vented barrel rib works well for tracking small, quickly flying game like dove, it can work equally well on a shorter barrel, for tracking a much larger, but still quick, human target. In this case, the Ghost Ring sights are advantageous in they help the shooter focus on the front sight and aim, but they are not the end all be all. If you have them on your gun, love them, learn them, shoot them, if you don't, spend your money on buckshot and range time.
Now, fiber optic sights, many new guns have them, especially sporting guns, bright red and green inserts certainly allow you to spot the right sight and keep a good eye on things. I personally, really like the Tru-Glo setups that are meant to attach over your standard bead sight and allow you to see a fiber optic tube. I prefer this setup to a fiber optic only setup, because the fiber rods do occasionally fall out. If that were to happen to you, you'd at least still have a front bead to focus on and shoot from.
-Other Accessories like butt cuffs, side saddles, and flashlights; Spare ammunition is good, having it on the gun is good, because we will probably fight with the ammo in and on the gun, but there is too much of a good thing. Choose one system and use it, use it, use it, until it is second nature to reload your shotgun from the butt cuff or side saddle. Personally, I opt for butt cuff, because I'm on a low budget and side saddles don't ever seem to come cheap. The stretchy spandex like butt cuff that holds five shot shells will fill all your needs. You do need to do one thing, secure it to the stock. I did this, by using marine grade velcro, the hook side on the cuff and the loop side on the stock, held on by marine grade waterproof adhesive. The cuff does not move around on my gun and allows me a platform to use.
On flashlights, just do it. You don't have to go for a Surefire flashlight fore end, but there are many setups out there on the market. Find one that works for you, use it, learn it, love it. Personally, my setup is pretty redneck, opting for a positive 'clicky' tail-capped LED Mini-Mag Light, that is secured to the fore-end via duct tape and more marine grade velcro. It's very ugly, but extremely functional, it does not effect the ability to use the fore-end nor does it move around while the gun is in use. Again, pick a system and practice with it, until it is second nature.
~Whew~ Let me take a breath, are you confused yet? Well, lets get back to basics. For personal defense, the shotgun that is for you, is the one with controls that you are familiar with and feel comfortable with. Your next big issue is picking a gauge that works for you, if you are recoil sensitive, don't buy the hype that 20 feels less than 12, because many 20-gauge guns are also lighter in overall weight. The lighter the gun, the more felt recoil, period, in this case, if the guns weigh the same, yes 20 will have a little lighter recoil, but 12-gauge will still be managable. Next, you need sights you can use and perhaps you should consider spare ammo and a flashlight on your gun. The later two items can help in a fight but aren't necessary, the sights are. Pick a sighting system that allows you to aim and hit. Finally, whatever you pick, practice, practice, practice, and train, train, train. The shotgun might be an extremely powerful and versatile tool for personal defense, but you need the ability to wield that power.
Defensive shotguns are extremely useful and should be part of everyone's toolkit. Selecting a gun is not hard, pick the gun that fills your needs with the least amount of compromise and practice with it. For those wondering about my top picks for defensive shotguns the list is as follows: Remington 870, particularly the Express Series "Defense" Models in 12-gauge, the Mossberg 500 and 590 in 12-gauge, the Remington Express 870 20-gauge "Youth" gun, the Mossberg 500 20-gauge "Youth" gun, and then the Benelli series of guns. The Benellis come last, because parts for the Mossberg and Remington series of guns are literally a dime a dozen of anything you need.
-Rob
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Veteran's Day
Several years ago (about 5 of them to be exact), I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with a WWII Marine Corp Veteran about his service time and his time on the island of Iwo Jima and then following that his time during the occupation of Japan, Nagasaki to be exact.
This Marine, was part of the second wave on Iwo Jima and lost multiple friends and comrades on that rock in the South Pacific. He stood on the beach and watched the flag being raised at Mt. Siribachi, he explained to me, that he could not explain, the feeling that he felt that day. He told me the story of his life, a boy who grew up during the depression, a teenager who came of age during the war. A boy of 15 in 1941 who waited to do his part for Uncle Sam until he could enlist in 1944, just weeks shy of graduating from high school.
He went as part of the occupation force to Nagasaki in 1946 and 1947 and drove for the occupying general. For his efforts, the fallout from the nuclear blast caused him to be sterile. This fact was something that he would discover later in life when he and his first wife would attempt to have kids. Later even though they adopted, it would still cause a rift in his marriage and she left. This Marine went on, married another, beautiful, caring, and loving woman, who he is married to, this very moment, some 40 years later.
He doesn't live in a fancy house, or drive a fancy car, he doesn't ask anything of anyone that he wouldn't do for himself. He is retired now and makes his days pass by collecting antique pistols and growing vegetables in his garden, but he is MY hero. He is the hero of an ENTIRE generation, he and millions like him. Those who fought, those who died, those who were injured in ways we can't understand. MILLIONS of soldiers who have lived, fought, and died, for you and I. He is my hero, he is my Marine, and he is your hero too.
To him today, I dedicate this post, for the life of service to this country and a willingness to leave the glory of life, for death, to protect it.
Thank you Marine, Semper Fi.
Thank you Vets, your service is more invaluable than you will ever know.
-Rob
This Marine, was part of the second wave on Iwo Jima and lost multiple friends and comrades on that rock in the South Pacific. He stood on the beach and watched the flag being raised at Mt. Siribachi, he explained to me, that he could not explain, the feeling that he felt that day. He told me the story of his life, a boy who grew up during the depression, a teenager who came of age during the war. A boy of 15 in 1941 who waited to do his part for Uncle Sam until he could enlist in 1944, just weeks shy of graduating from high school.
He went as part of the occupation force to Nagasaki in 1946 and 1947 and drove for the occupying general. For his efforts, the fallout from the nuclear blast caused him to be sterile. This fact was something that he would discover later in life when he and his first wife would attempt to have kids. Later even though they adopted, it would still cause a rift in his marriage and she left. This Marine went on, married another, beautiful, caring, and loving woman, who he is married to, this very moment, some 40 years later.
He doesn't live in a fancy house, or drive a fancy car, he doesn't ask anything of anyone that he wouldn't do for himself. He is retired now and makes his days pass by collecting antique pistols and growing vegetables in his garden, but he is MY hero. He is the hero of an ENTIRE generation, he and millions like him. Those who fought, those who died, those who were injured in ways we can't understand. MILLIONS of soldiers who have lived, fought, and died, for you and I. He is my hero, he is my Marine, and he is your hero too.
To him today, I dedicate this post, for the life of service to this country and a willingness to leave the glory of life, for death, to protect it.
Thank you Marine, Semper Fi.
Thank you Vets, your service is more invaluable than you will ever know.
-Rob
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
More Meditations on Rule 1
Tam made a post earlier on the useful(less)ness of loaded chamber indicators. She pointed out that the LCI is one of the most useless features of a firearm, right up there with a magazine safety (I agree with this, which is why the one in my carry gun is going away). This gave me pause and a wonder.
This weekend at KR Training, Karl Rehn, the proprietor, pointed out that the LCI on the Springfield XD was a nice feature, because you can check to see if the gun is loaded while in the holster or drawer at night. This gave me a great pause, not enough to interrupt him, but it did cause me to pause. Now, don't get me wrong, I think Karl has a point, to an extent, a tactile feel for a round in the chamber is a nice indicator and I believe he meant it in the following way. He meant that you can check for the little tab, if it's up, you can reasonable assume that you do not need to chamber a round to make the gun function. However, he did then point out that a press check is a prudent thing to do, to confirm that status.
For me, the part that had me staring into space and thinking, was the thought that my gun might be unloaded. Anyone who has read this blog more than once (or just once), would realize that by now, there is only really ONE rule for gun safety that must be followed at all times. If THE rule is followed, then we can remember to not break the other rules and act accordingly. We all know what the rule is, THE *%@#%!$^% GUN IS ALWAYS @$^%@*^%*^ LOADED. So for me, Karl pointing out that an LCI can be used to verify a round in the chamber seems ludicrous, OF COURSE there is a round in the chamber, I put it there and have been in control of the gun ever since. And that's why I agree that an LCI is a useless feature on the gun, it's always loaded, we don't need no stinkin' indicators to tell us that.
Now, I must admit, I do press check the semi-autos and open the revolver cylinders twice a day on the guns I carry. Why? This is to confirm that while the gun was in the safe, the little ammunition fairies didn't come and remove the Gold Dots from my chambers. Then, I verify again, when I get home, to make sure that the elves making pocket lint didn't remove my Gold Dots, either. So far, I've never found an unloaded gun, I'd like to keep it that way.
It may seem counter intuitive, but if we all remember, all the time, just mantra it to yourself in your sleep. All loaded, all the time. All loaded, all the time. Mix that together with other good mantras. All loaded, all the time, front sight, squeeze, front sight, all the time. This way you've got it down...
-Rob
This weekend at KR Training, Karl Rehn, the proprietor, pointed out that the LCI on the Springfield XD was a nice feature, because you can check to see if the gun is loaded while in the holster or drawer at night. This gave me a great pause, not enough to interrupt him, but it did cause me to pause. Now, don't get me wrong, I think Karl has a point, to an extent, a tactile feel for a round in the chamber is a nice indicator and I believe he meant it in the following way. He meant that you can check for the little tab, if it's up, you can reasonable assume that you do not need to chamber a round to make the gun function. However, he did then point out that a press check is a prudent thing to do, to confirm that status.
For me, the part that had me staring into space and thinking, was the thought that my gun might be unloaded. Anyone who has read this blog more than once (or just once), would realize that by now, there is only really ONE rule for gun safety that must be followed at all times. If THE rule is followed, then we can remember to not break the other rules and act accordingly. We all know what the rule is, THE *%@#%!$^% GUN IS ALWAYS @$^%@*^%*^ LOADED. So for me, Karl pointing out that an LCI can be used to verify a round in the chamber seems ludicrous, OF COURSE there is a round in the chamber, I put it there and have been in control of the gun ever since. And that's why I agree that an LCI is a useless feature on the gun, it's always loaded, we don't need no stinkin' indicators to tell us that.
Now, I must admit, I do press check the semi-autos and open the revolver cylinders twice a day on the guns I carry. Why? This is to confirm that while the gun was in the safe, the little ammunition fairies didn't come and remove the Gold Dots from my chambers. Then, I verify again, when I get home, to make sure that the elves making pocket lint didn't remove my Gold Dots, either. So far, I've never found an unloaded gun, I'd like to keep it that way.
It may seem counter intuitive, but if we all remember, all the time, just mantra it to yourself in your sleep. All loaded, all the time. All loaded, all the time. Mix that together with other good mantras. All loaded, all the time, front sight, squeeze, front sight, all the time. This way you've got it down...
-Rob
Sunday, October 25, 2009
I am exhausted. I've been pretty tired for more than a week now, since last week I had to go out of the country to present my research at a conference. Then school has kept me pretty busy all week, but I looked forward to today. Why? Because today was KR Training day, Defensive Pistol Skills 2, and Low Light Shooting Skills. Today though, I am a good exhausted. When you are tired and stressed is a great time to actually use your shooting skills and build them up. I'll be honest, I almost never get to shoot, I went last months with a friend for an hour and it was mainly to let him shoot my guns to help him decide on a CHL weapon, it wasn't for me to practice. Prior to that, the last time I had extended range session time was months ago. It's a good time to practice, because when we're tired, stressed, and not doing our best, we'll not only work harder, but our mistakes will be more apparent. So, enough with that stuff, let's get to the meat and potatoes.
My gear: I took to the class my regular carry gun a Smith & Wesson 3913LS. The gun has normal 3-dot Novak sights, it is traditional double action, which some seem to poo-poo, but I've been running TDA guns for so long (more than a decade now), and double action revolvers for the last 5 years, that it just doesn't bother me. I work on getting the first shot as a good hit, is it easier with a single action or striker gun? You bet, and I recommend them for almost everyone, but me, I like what I've practiced a lot with. I took only 3 magazines, this is mainly because the extra 2 I ordered haven't shown up yet. My belt my every day wear Wilderness 5-Stitch with polymer insert (known as Combat Shooter's Model or C.S.M), and my holster/mag pouch made by Lobo Gun Leather (http://www.lobogunleather.com/). Everything worked great and no complaints for gear, just a wish for more magazines.
DPS2: Since I did Defensive Handgun at Thunder Ranch last year, most of what Karl covered was review for me, but it didn't hurt to get back to basics. Also, I'm using a new gun and working with it has resulted in not the same level of accuracy that I was used to with my other guns. Also, this was the first time I had worked through one of these classes with a semi-auto, so the reload and malfunction techniques, while I was familiar with them and I regularly run tap-rack drills in my dry practice, it was still nice to incorporate them into range time. It's essentially 5 hours of drills which is great, because trigger time is absolutely critical, I certainly had dusted the cobwebs off and found myself moving faster and shooting cleaner by the end of the day. The class incorporated many elements from reloads, one handed shooting, malfunction drills, to use and shooting from cover, which was an excellent portion of class. Overall, I'm very glad I took the class and I was pleased with the results, I didn't experience many missed during the day and found that with a little work, I could make the S&W run perfectly.
LLS: Low Light Skills seems like an entirely different beast. Ultimately, I found the class extremely informative and thought provoking. First thoughts, gear, I brought a Steamlight TL-2 LED to the class and used the "Tiger Ring" or Thunder Ranch O-ring retention system on it, instead of a tradition lanyard. First, this ran absolutely top notch and I had no problems with the light. It ~might~ be too bright as Hsoi pointed out while shooting, unfortunately to "stay with the times" Steamlight has turned up the juice. I actually don't care much for the super bright light, but it's not because it is reflective or causes major splash back (it's bright but not overly intrusive to the shooting, for me at least), no the issue is, it's really too bright for every day use. Checking my range bag or magazines for fullness, resulted in almost blinding myself over and over again. Yes, there is such thing as too bright, but I've been a firm believer for that for awhile now.
The next major thought is on technique. Here is my thought, whatever works and allows you to index the FRONT SIGHT, properly. This really became clear to me, when Hsoi and I ran through a scenario, I shot at a plate 5 times and missed every shot. FINALLY, I got the light repositioned and "saw the sight" (pardon the pun), and nailed the plate. A VERY frustrating experience, since I HATE missing (we miss in practice so we don't miss in life, right? Right.). The problem was my grip on the light was causing it to shadow the sight, so I was ultimately not seeing the sight, just what I ~thought~ was the sight. This happened a couple of times and has caused me to pause, wonder, and think about what to do and what to practice from now on. It also got me thinking, I know that some do not like tritium night sights. I've never been the world's biggest fan of them either, but I think that this gun will get, ONE, on the front sight, and that it will be the brightest, loudest, color that Novak's can install. I think this coupled with a widened rear sight notch, will provide the indexing I need, that way, if the light is less than perfect, I will still have a bright point to shoot from.
The final thoughts on low light shooting, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice. I can't believe how crappy I shot at night, it's just dark, hell it's not ~THAT~ much harder right? Wrong. Trigger control went bad, sight alignment went bad. Combine this with attempts to understand and work a flashlight, it became clear to me, quick, that I not only need to shoot more in low light, but I need work a lot more low light stuff into my dry practice as well.
Now, a thought on "inside the house scenario". It was a training scenario that I won't describe in too much detail. The first thing I will say is this; if you think someone is in your house or your business, the best thing to do is stand outside and call the cops. Don't go in, it will only cause problems. Now, with that said, I called the cops and walked away from the house, but then I took a house tour, just to see what was going on. Once inside, I encountered a potential threat, when the threat refused to follow commands, but I realized he wasn't a bodily threat, I simply backed out of the house and got out of there. Two things, I stood too long trying to get compliance, I wasn't getting, and the other I did not make a hasty retreat, I should've and I used the light while retreating far too much. I did feel pretty good though, because I didn't close distance with the threat AND I called for compliance which wasn't happening, then I decided okay, time to go. I also feel good about it, because despite a very distracting threat, I continued to scan and look for other potential threats.
All in all, I found both classes extremely useful and thought provoking, low light more so than DPS2, but DPS2 was extremely helpful class in terms of knocking the rust off and getting the bullets back on target. Low light was thought provoking and stimulating and it was a lot of fun. I will probably take it again, simply for the excuse to practice it more and work with more tactics.
-Rob
PS: Will H/T Hsoi and KR Training
My gear: I took to the class my regular carry gun a Smith & Wesson 3913LS. The gun has normal 3-dot Novak sights, it is traditional double action, which some seem to poo-poo, but I've been running TDA guns for so long (more than a decade now), and double action revolvers for the last 5 years, that it just doesn't bother me. I work on getting the first shot as a good hit, is it easier with a single action or striker gun? You bet, and I recommend them for almost everyone, but me, I like what I've practiced a lot with. I took only 3 magazines, this is mainly because the extra 2 I ordered haven't shown up yet. My belt my every day wear Wilderness 5-Stitch with polymer insert (known as Combat Shooter's Model or C.S.M), and my holster/mag pouch made by Lobo Gun Leather (http://www.lobogunleather.com/). Everything worked great and no complaints for gear, just a wish for more magazines.
DPS2: Since I did Defensive Handgun at Thunder Ranch last year, most of what Karl covered was review for me, but it didn't hurt to get back to basics. Also, I'm using a new gun and working with it has resulted in not the same level of accuracy that I was used to with my other guns. Also, this was the first time I had worked through one of these classes with a semi-auto, so the reload and malfunction techniques, while I was familiar with them and I regularly run tap-rack drills in my dry practice, it was still nice to incorporate them into range time. It's essentially 5 hours of drills which is great, because trigger time is absolutely critical, I certainly had dusted the cobwebs off and found myself moving faster and shooting cleaner by the end of the day. The class incorporated many elements from reloads, one handed shooting, malfunction drills, to use and shooting from cover, which was an excellent portion of class. Overall, I'm very glad I took the class and I was pleased with the results, I didn't experience many missed during the day and found that with a little work, I could make the S&W run perfectly.
LLS: Low Light Skills seems like an entirely different beast. Ultimately, I found the class extremely informative and thought provoking. First thoughts, gear, I brought a Steamlight TL-2 LED to the class and used the "Tiger Ring" or Thunder Ranch O-ring retention system on it, instead of a tradition lanyard. First, this ran absolutely top notch and I had no problems with the light. It ~might~ be too bright as Hsoi pointed out while shooting, unfortunately to "stay with the times" Steamlight has turned up the juice. I actually don't care much for the super bright light, but it's not because it is reflective or causes major splash back (it's bright but not overly intrusive to the shooting, for me at least), no the issue is, it's really too bright for every day use. Checking my range bag or magazines for fullness, resulted in almost blinding myself over and over again. Yes, there is such thing as too bright, but I've been a firm believer for that for awhile now.
The next major thought is on technique. Here is my thought, whatever works and allows you to index the FRONT SIGHT, properly. This really became clear to me, when Hsoi and I ran through a scenario, I shot at a plate 5 times and missed every shot. FINALLY, I got the light repositioned and "saw the sight" (pardon the pun), and nailed the plate. A VERY frustrating experience, since I HATE missing (we miss in practice so we don't miss in life, right? Right.). The problem was my grip on the light was causing it to shadow the sight, so I was ultimately not seeing the sight, just what I ~thought~ was the sight. This happened a couple of times and has caused me to pause, wonder, and think about what to do and what to practice from now on. It also got me thinking, I know that some do not like tritium night sights. I've never been the world's biggest fan of them either, but I think that this gun will get, ONE, on the front sight, and that it will be the brightest, loudest, color that Novak's can install. I think this coupled with a widened rear sight notch, will provide the indexing I need, that way, if the light is less than perfect, I will still have a bright point to shoot from.
The final thoughts on low light shooting, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice. I can't believe how crappy I shot at night, it's just dark, hell it's not ~THAT~ much harder right? Wrong. Trigger control went bad, sight alignment went bad. Combine this with attempts to understand and work a flashlight, it became clear to me, quick, that I not only need to shoot more in low light, but I need work a lot more low light stuff into my dry practice as well.
Now, a thought on "inside the house scenario". It was a training scenario that I won't describe in too much detail. The first thing I will say is this; if you think someone is in your house or your business, the best thing to do is stand outside and call the cops. Don't go in, it will only cause problems. Now, with that said, I called the cops and walked away from the house, but then I took a house tour, just to see what was going on. Once inside, I encountered a potential threat, when the threat refused to follow commands, but I realized he wasn't a bodily threat, I simply backed out of the house and got out of there. Two things, I stood too long trying to get compliance, I wasn't getting, and the other I did not make a hasty retreat, I should've and I used the light while retreating far too much. I did feel pretty good though, because I didn't close distance with the threat AND I called for compliance which wasn't happening, then I decided okay, time to go. I also feel good about it, because despite a very distracting threat, I continued to scan and look for other potential threats.
All in all, I found both classes extremely useful and thought provoking, low light more so than DPS2, but DPS2 was extremely helpful class in terms of knocking the rust off and getting the bullets back on target. Low light was thought provoking and stimulating and it was a lot of fun. I will probably take it again, simply for the excuse to practice it more and work with more tactics.
-Rob
PS: Will H/T Hsoi and KR Training
Friday, September 25, 2009
Footwork, footwork, footwork...
This semester, I decided to take Beginner's Fencing: Introduction to the Foil, as part of my never ending attempt to complete my desired renaissance man persona. That just meaning that over the years I've made a conscious effort to learn a valuable skill every 3 to 6 months. Some skills, I continually work with, others get filed away and come out when needed, yes they are a bit rusty, but there are only so many hours in a day.
So, I thought maybe it was time to try my hand at something a bit more physical. I won't lie, most of my skills are academic, some or hands on, but none, besides shooting, and a bit of martial arts, are physical or fighting. Fencing is exactly those things, fighting, physical, and academic. Footwork, many think fencing is a focus of bladework, but it's not, it's a focus on footwork and good footwork at that. It is a three to one ratio of footwork to bladework for success. The very first thing you learn is your on-guard position, which after 45 minutes of standing in has your begging for mercy. Then there is advance and retreat, and these two are the things I really want to focus on. The extension of the weapon arm makes an attack, but without being able to advance or retreat on a target, we are nothing.
Advance is made by picking up your forward, dominant, leg, kicking it out and down, then stepping forward with the back foot. If this sounds dramatic, it isn't, you should be able to do a proper fencing advance without making a sound. Also, the step you take is SHORT, and this is the key, you can take lots of small steps without losing your balance easier than you can take big steps back. You follow a similar method with retreat, where the back, non-dominant, foot leads and the front foot follows. Again, completely silent and with some practice taking steps the length of your own foot, you'll discover you back up 40 feet of fencing platform in less than 3 seconds.
The retreat is very useful, I feel, in a shooting situation that might require you to back away from the target and it is, I feel the number one reason to use Weaver over, Isosceles, stance, because your feet are splayed and your body slightly bladed, in Weaver, your ability to use short, backwards steps while facing forward is greater. As a test, I retreated from contact distance with a training partner, in my house, down my hallway which is a measured 21 feet, exactly. We engaged and I retreated, using fast, short, fencing style retreats, while he continued to come forward. Before you ask, yes, he did manage to stay virtually on top of me during that time, but, he was unable to knock me backwards, or, land what I felt was a fatal blow, in that time.
Two reasons for this, first, it turned out that I moved faster than I thought I would, backing down 21 feet in less than a second, but also, it turns out once he was at arms length, I could keep him there. His advances were fast powerful, but unbalanced motions, that were easily redirected. After several goes, his attacks were predictable and we knew the test was over, when after taking four retreats, I made an attempt to disengage that had my training buddy on his ass (basically he kept coming and I bounced him off a wall and knocked him down, by redirecting his motions, don't try this at home folks!).
So, that's one of my cases for the purpose of footwork, footwork applies to shooting, especially, competitive shooting, as much as it does in other sports. The short step retreat found in fencing could and probably should, find its way into your repertoire of skills to have when training for engaging a target that we might encounter on the street.
-Rob
So, I thought maybe it was time to try my hand at something a bit more physical. I won't lie, most of my skills are academic, some or hands on, but none, besides shooting, and a bit of martial arts, are physical or fighting. Fencing is exactly those things, fighting, physical, and academic. Footwork, many think fencing is a focus of bladework, but it's not, it's a focus on footwork and good footwork at that. It is a three to one ratio of footwork to bladework for success. The very first thing you learn is your on-guard position, which after 45 minutes of standing in has your begging for mercy. Then there is advance and retreat, and these two are the things I really want to focus on. The extension of the weapon arm makes an attack, but without being able to advance or retreat on a target, we are nothing.
Advance is made by picking up your forward, dominant, leg, kicking it out and down, then stepping forward with the back foot. If this sounds dramatic, it isn't, you should be able to do a proper fencing advance without making a sound. Also, the step you take is SHORT, and this is the key, you can take lots of small steps without losing your balance easier than you can take big steps back. You follow a similar method with retreat, where the back, non-dominant, foot leads and the front foot follows. Again, completely silent and with some practice taking steps the length of your own foot, you'll discover you back up 40 feet of fencing platform in less than 3 seconds.
The retreat is very useful, I feel, in a shooting situation that might require you to back away from the target and it is, I feel the number one reason to use Weaver over, Isosceles, stance, because your feet are splayed and your body slightly bladed, in Weaver, your ability to use short, backwards steps while facing forward is greater. As a test, I retreated from contact distance with a training partner, in my house, down my hallway which is a measured 21 feet, exactly. We engaged and I retreated, using fast, short, fencing style retreats, while he continued to come forward. Before you ask, yes, he did manage to stay virtually on top of me during that time, but, he was unable to knock me backwards, or, land what I felt was a fatal blow, in that time.
Two reasons for this, first, it turned out that I moved faster than I thought I would, backing down 21 feet in less than a second, but also, it turns out once he was at arms length, I could keep him there. His advances were fast powerful, but unbalanced motions, that were easily redirected. After several goes, his attacks were predictable and we knew the test was over, when after taking four retreats, I made an attempt to disengage that had my training buddy on his ass (basically he kept coming and I bounced him off a wall and knocked him down, by redirecting his motions, don't try this at home folks!).
So, that's one of my cases for the purpose of footwork, footwork applies to shooting, especially, competitive shooting, as much as it does in other sports. The short step retreat found in fencing could and probably should, find its way into your repertoire of skills to have when training for engaging a target that we might encounter on the street.
-Rob
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Meditations on TactiCool
One of the things that I've noticed seems to bother a lot of folks, is the increasing use of the word "tactical" to describe everything. I tend to agree with those who have voiced their opinions before me, that "tactical" is an over-used marketing term these days. TactiCool is just tactical on stupidity pills and it is...rampant. At the BBOD we carry a few "TactiCool" accessories that are just that, cool looking, not useful in any sense of the word. We carry some of the cheap ProMag accessories which should immediately be synonymous with the word, JUNK. Other greats are the BSA "Stealth Tactical" Laser/Flashlight/RedDot combination monstrosity for your AR.
Their are plenty of gadgets, widgets, and doodads that you can hang from your gun to make it more "tactical". The trouble comes not from the thing-a-ma-jig but from the word, tactical. The Oxford English Dictionary, gives one definition of tactical as, " 2. a. Of or relating to arrangement, esp. the arrangement of procedure with a view to ends." And that folks is the trouble with tactical and tacticool. When you chose your firearm accessories are you considering them with a view towards the end goal?
Good tactical decisions are based not on what looks cool or seems to perform well, but on what helps you achieve your final goal with maximum efficiency. So, for instance, I use three dot sights on my carry gun, some will disagree with me for it, but I have trained with three dots for so long that they make the most tactical sense for me. In another case, I also have a set of Crimson Trace Lasergrips on my S&W J-Frame that I pocket carry. Why? Because I find from a tactical stand point that they make the most sense for me. I focus on the front sight and have the laser properly sighted in, per CT's intructions. This allows me to have a glowing red front sight, even in the dark, that is extremely hard to not focus on (if you don't understand what I am saying, see end of the post)*.
The reason I bring up my meditations on tactical and tacticool, is because of a couple of recent discussions with some of my customers. One gentleman wanted to purchase an AR15 and one of the aforementioned BSA scopes. He asked me honest opinion of the combination and I told him, I wouldn't rely on the BSA scopes, simply because their battery life was atrocious. He said, "but the red dot is more tactical, right?" My question then was to inquire as to the needs of his rifle, ultimately we got to the root of the issue. He just wanted the gun to shoot it at the range and to show off to his buddies. That's a fine reason to purchase an AR, in my book, if he so desires and that wicked (ugly) BSA scope, fills the job of looking VERY tactical/tacticool.
On the flipside, another gentleman came in and purchased a Springfield XD handgun to use in a home defense scenario, he queried me on flashlights and ended up purchasing a Steamlight TLR-2, which is in my opinion, one of the best purchases a person can make for a night stand bound gun. The ability to light up a target, identify, see your sights, and engage, with the element of surprise garnered by a bright light, can be an important tool. In this case, he made a sound tactical decision, and even decided to seek training from a local academy to improve on his shooting.
In short, remember the definition and origin of the word "tactical". It is a word derived from tactic, and is supposed to pertain to military or navy tactics (of which gunfighting is one), and furthermore, a tactical decision or device, is to aid you in reaching your final goal, whatever it may be.
-Rob
*CT Laser Grips should be properly zeroed at your choice distance (mine for instance is 7 yards), such that when you look down the sights, in succession you should see rear sight, front sight, and only a portion of the red dot, such that it is blocked by the front sight. This allows you essentially a super bright bullseye to focus on while squeezing the trigger. I've found that zeroing at 7 yards will allow you to accurately use this method out to 15 yards and as close as 3 yards, with hit derivation at 3 yards actually being more than at 15 (I.E. POA=POI at 7, POI at 15 is half inch low, POI at 3 yards is about 2 inches high). I personally feel that shooting out past 15 yards with a snub nosed J-Frame is an exercise in frustration, I do it, but only by force. At 25 yards the dot helps some, but not as much as at closer distances, in those cases, it is best to concentrate hard on the front sight and use a 6 o'clock hold on the target.
Their are plenty of gadgets, widgets, and doodads that you can hang from your gun to make it more "tactical". The trouble comes not from the thing-a-ma-jig but from the word, tactical. The Oxford English Dictionary, gives one definition of tactical as, " 2. a. Of or relating to arrangement, esp. the arrangement of procedure with a view to ends." And that folks is the trouble with tactical and tacticool. When you chose your firearm accessories are you considering them with a view towards the end goal?
Good tactical decisions are based not on what looks cool or seems to perform well, but on what helps you achieve your final goal with maximum efficiency. So, for instance, I use three dot sights on my carry gun, some will disagree with me for it, but I have trained with three dots for so long that they make the most tactical sense for me. In another case, I also have a set of Crimson Trace Lasergrips on my S&W J-Frame that I pocket carry. Why? Because I find from a tactical stand point that they make the most sense for me. I focus on the front sight and have the laser properly sighted in, per CT's intructions. This allows me to have a glowing red front sight, even in the dark, that is extremely hard to not focus on (if you don't understand what I am saying, see end of the post)*.
The reason I bring up my meditations on tactical and tacticool, is because of a couple of recent discussions with some of my customers. One gentleman wanted to purchase an AR15 and one of the aforementioned BSA scopes. He asked me honest opinion of the combination and I told him, I wouldn't rely on the BSA scopes, simply because their battery life was atrocious. He said, "but the red dot is more tactical, right?" My question then was to inquire as to the needs of his rifle, ultimately we got to the root of the issue. He just wanted the gun to shoot it at the range and to show off to his buddies. That's a fine reason to purchase an AR, in my book, if he so desires and that wicked (ugly) BSA scope, fills the job of looking VERY tactical/tacticool.
On the flipside, another gentleman came in and purchased a Springfield XD handgun to use in a home defense scenario, he queried me on flashlights and ended up purchasing a Steamlight TLR-2, which is in my opinion, one of the best purchases a person can make for a night stand bound gun. The ability to light up a target, identify, see your sights, and engage, with the element of surprise garnered by a bright light, can be an important tool. In this case, he made a sound tactical decision, and even decided to seek training from a local academy to improve on his shooting.
In short, remember the definition and origin of the word "tactical". It is a word derived from tactic, and is supposed to pertain to military or navy tactics (of which gunfighting is one), and furthermore, a tactical decision or device, is to aid you in reaching your final goal, whatever it may be.
-Rob
*CT Laser Grips should be properly zeroed at your choice distance (mine for instance is 7 yards), such that when you look down the sights, in succession you should see rear sight, front sight, and only a portion of the red dot, such that it is blocked by the front sight. This allows you essentially a super bright bullseye to focus on while squeezing the trigger. I've found that zeroing at 7 yards will allow you to accurately use this method out to 15 yards and as close as 3 yards, with hit derivation at 3 yards actually being more than at 15 (I.E. POA=POI at 7, POI at 15 is half inch low, POI at 3 yards is about 2 inches high). I personally feel that shooting out past 15 yards with a snub nosed J-Frame is an exercise in frustration, I do it, but only by force. At 25 yards the dot helps some, but not as much as at closer distances, in those cases, it is best to concentrate hard on the front sight and use a 6 o'clock hold on the target.
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