Miami Vice Revisited

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Every shooter who was around in the 80′s remembers this epic scene from Miami Vice’s fourth episode, Calderone’s Return, originally aired on October 19, 1984.  The actor who played the hit man, Jim Zubiena, was a prominent IPSC shooter back in the day and I was such an IPSC geek that I recognized him when the episode aired.  The above linked video, from the Youtube channel of the manufacturers of PACT timers, includes a shot to shot breakdown of the draw and fire sequence.  Next time you hit the range, give it a try!

For the serious students of the 80′s, here are two great links for more about the episode of Miami Vice, as well as Jim Zubiena’s own comments about the filming.

The Gun Zone: Zubiena’s Draw

The Gun Zone: Zubiena Speaks! 

 

Alternative Carbine Training Options on a Budget

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Two excellent training tools to compensate for the ever increasing cost of .223 or 5.56 training ammunition: Next Level Training’s SIRT AR Bolt and Smith & Wesson’s M&P 15-22 .22 caliber rifle.

Thanks to the recent push by politicians to capitalize on the public’s emotions and institute further restrictions on law abiding citizens, along with the ever increasing cost of raw materials, ammunition is more expensive than ever. Around January, a 1000 round case of PMC .223 caliber ammunition was selling for nearly $2000 a case. Thankfully, costs have come down, but it is still difficult to come by, and a 1000 round case of factory training ammunition still costs upwards of $600-800. Training organizations have responded by allowing students to attend courses with .22 caliber rifles or conversion kits.

Here, we’ll take a look at a couple options that can help us maximize our training efficiency without breaking the bank on ammunition. Continue reading →

First Look: Safariland’s New 7TS ALS Holster Line

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At SHOT Show, we caught a glimpse of the new line of Safariland ALS holsters. When we stopped by to speak to Bill Rogers, he showed us the new effort. Basically, it uses modern manufacturing techniques to fix some of the complaints that the ALS system has had from the end user. The current line of 6xxx holsters, when used in a concealment role, have met the complaints that they are too bulky for detective assignments. The new 7xxx holsters fix that without compromising the durability and dependability of the ALS system. The 7xxx line is going to be available in all the model lines apparently All you have to do is just substitute a 7 in front of your favorite 6 model holster for selection of the holster that is right for you. (IE- our current issued duty holster is a 6360 ALS with the hood, and the new slimmer, lighter version will be a 7360). When we spoke to Bill Rogers in January, he stated that the price point was going to be lower than the current line of ALS. How much? That is the million dollar question at this point.

Pic of the Day- The Tactically Practical

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The Glock 34/35 series of pistols are ideal for just about any role an end user may require.  They work well out of the box, with only a few minor changes needed to make them a little better.  Shown is one of my G34′s with one of the early Apex FRE prototypes, and a most excellent set of 10-8 tritium sights.  A man (or lady) can about rule the world with that setup.  It is no wonder why this series of pistols have became favorites of police officers and competitors alike.

Dry Practice: Carbine Props

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With ammunition prices soaring and availability dropping, it is more critical than ever before for the serious shooter to adopt a productive dry practice regimen.  Carbine training can be very intensive on position shooting and use of cover, and I always avoided doing it in dry practice for various reasons.  I had the epiphany the other day to combine it with my PT regimen, and found that the A frame ladder in my garage gym was the perfect carbine practice prop. Continue reading →

Springs and Cycles and Wear…Oh Crap!

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Simple to find, easy to replace yet so often overlooked, magazine springs for shotguns are very often the cause of feeding issues in shotguns.

Operating on the assumption that modern shooters who care for their equipment keep track of their round counts, most of us track the lifespan of our wear and tear parts.  In this case springs will be the main focal point.  Have you ever counted how many springs are in your gun?  Ever consider how important each one is to the proper operation of your pistol, rifle or shotgun?  I know quite a few people who have never given it a single thought.  They just figure that if it still works, it must be good to go.  Scary thought process huh? Continue reading →

Photo of the Day: Meet Elle

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We got a lot of positive feedback on our Facebook page so we thought I’d share this pic with all of our website readers. The beautiful Elle is from the South and is not a stranger to shooting or firearms. She joined us on the range last week and is wearing the 10-8 Performance SSV t-shirt. Here she is checking out the new Centurion Arms lightweight CMR 12-inch hand guard system on a Colt 6920. It looks like she’ll be shooting guns with us a bunch more, soon!

It’s that time of year again…A Word of Caution

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It is that time of year again where the sun is up longer and is more intense than we are used to in most cases.  With that in mind, please review the following and keep a close eye on your students and fellow instructors.

Heat Exhaustion (Mayo Clinic)

Heat exhaustion is a condition whose symptoms may include heavy sweating and a rapid pulse, a result of your body overheating. It’s one of three heat-related syndromes, with heat cramps being the mildest and heatstroke being the most severe.

Causes of heat exhaustion include exposure to high temperatures, particularly when combined with high humidity, and strenuous physical activity. Without prompt treatment, heat exhaustion can progress to heatstroke, a life-threatening condition. Fortunately, heat exhaustion is preventable. Continue reading →

Photo of the Day: Centurion Arms CMR 12-inch Rail

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Tim checks out Centurion Arms’ brand new, lightweight and narrow diameter CMR 12-inch tubular rail.

Centurion Arms has developed its latest hand guard system for the AR platform for 5.56mm and 7.62mm rifles. Boasting an extremely narrow diameter, it is approximately .120″ narrower in diameter (side to side) than a Troy Industries VTAC rail. The lightweight, custom barrel nut can be installed with a standard adjustable pin spanner wrench. Rather than attach sections of picatinny rail to the hand guard, Centurion Arms will be releasing mounts that will screw directly into the hand guard eliminating the need for an intermediate interface. The mount system is a hybrid design. It borrows the concept of the locking cross bolt system found in the H&K 416 and combines it with a clamp to the barrel nut. The tolerances are held tight and the hand guard is about a slip fit on the barrel nut prior to tightening. The mount mechanism is rock solid. As with all Centurion Arms hand guards, there are integral sling swivel attachment points at the front and rear at 9 and 3 o’clock. The entire rail is cleanly machined, extremely ergonomic, and attractive to boot. They should be hitting the market at any moment so look for it at your favorite dealer.

SOURCE: http://www.centurionarms.com

Edited to add weights:

CMR 12-inch with barrel nut and screws: 10.7 ounces

CMR 14-inch with barrel nut and screws: 11.6 ounces

Range Props: Budget Cones

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When I’m at the range, I like to get right to the training.  Time wasted with laborious setup is wasted training time.  Moving and shooting is a critical skill, but setting up good positions is key to making the training more productive.  Rubber traffic cones and shooting boxes are common methods to delineate shooting areas, but they can be heavy, bulky, and time consuming to carry or set up.   Continue reading →

Smith & Wesson M&P 45c Testing and Modifications

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S&W M&P .45c 36 Rounds Corbon DPX

After the recent purchase of 2 S&W M&P Shields in 9mm for back up and as student loaner guns, my descent into the world of the M&P began. Being a long time fan of the .45 ACP cartridge, there was only one choice, an M&P in .45. I decided on the M&P 45c SKU 109108. This is a 4in. barrel, 8 shot magazine M&P with ambidextrous thumb safety. The pistol is supplied with 2 eight round magazines, one flush fit and one with an extension. The pistol has the standard 3 dot sights and interchangeable backstraps of the M&P line. I’m currently using the small backstrap insert as that gives me the best fit to my hands. As Hilton Yam has noted before, the M&P with the thumb safety is very natural for a 1911 shooter who uses a high thumb grip to shoot. The pistol is available with or without the safety. Continue reading →

VTAC Streetfighter: AAR Part 1

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Last weekend I was able to attend the Viking Tactics Street Fighter class in Lakeland Florida.  The class has a prerequisite of having attended Carbine 1.5, as the skill sets learned during that class are put to the test in Street Fighter.  I had attended Carbine 1.5 twice and Pistol 1.5, and was looking forward to seeing how it all came together in this practical applications class. Continue reading →

Pic of the Day: Dawson Rail

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The Dawson Light Speed Rail adapter was the heat back in 2004-2006 or so, prior to the real proliferation of Picatinny rail framed 1911s, and with many owners still owning legacy format Government Models that needed to catch up with the developing weapon mounted light trend.  The rail required a proprietary adapter to be attached to the light (Nitrolon, Military Light, and X200/X300).  The modified frame without an attached light would fit into certain 1911 holsters with minimal alterations.  It seemed like the ideal setup, and our 10-8 signature 1911 with Nighthawk featured this rail.

Fast forward to present day, and every vendor sells a rail frame 1911, and Dawson has discontinued the Light Speed Rail.  With the current state of the market, the lack of continuing holster support (the growth of tightly molded pancake style Kydex holsters meant that fewer and fewer holsters would “also fit” the Dawson Rail), and the need to semi-permanently alter the light (only one light is left compatible with existing adapters – the Surefire X300) have pretty much left the Dawson Rail as an interesting relic of a bygone era.