Author Archives: Scott Ballard

About Scott Ballard

Scott Ballard is an instructor at the Sig Sauer Academy with 25 years of experience working as a private security contractor and executive/dignitary protection specialist. His experience includes training and development of high-value/high-risk protective security details and corporate security teams. Scott has over 15 years experience as a security detail trainer that includes specialties such as protective tactics, firearms and less-lethal weapons, defensive driving and detail operations. Scott is a certified executive protection specialist, master firearms instructor, force-on-force instructor and range-master. He is also a member of the United States Concealed Carry Organization, the Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network and is a life member of the NRA and SAF.

Wilson Combat Model 620BP Ambidextrous Thumb Safety

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The design of this safety from Wilson Combat just might make having a working and reliable ambi-safety a real possibility.

I am sort of a sucker for the 1911 and whenever a new part or an attempt at a new design comes out I find myself having to try it.  It was no different when I aw that the engineers at Wilson Combat had come up with a new ambidextrous thumb safety.  I quickly ordered one and 8 long days later the box arrived.  Now, I know you’re saying to yourself  what is so different and what in the world would make this particular part worth $142.95.  Well I asked myself that same question and the answer was if it is a ambidextrous 1911 thumb safety that actually works, then I am on board. Continue reading →

Combat Mindset – Making Decisions

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Making decisions under stress can be greatly simplified through preparation and training.

In “Combat Mindset – A Beginning,” we discussed the reasons we would be willing to kill or die.  We came to an understanding that using a firearm or edged weapon to end another human beings life is a violent, penetrative and messy act.  We also covered the physical and emotional dangers of not properly preparing your mind for some very stressful decisions. Continue reading →

Combat Mindset – A Beginning

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Chance favors the prepared mind. The unprepared mind just leaves you with file not found syndrome.

I am certain that this is something that many of you have covered and perhaps even think about on a regular basis.  However, it is so important to survival that I think we should cover it again to make sure everyone is periodically reviewing their own frame of mind.

Combat mindset is a simple yet vital component of preparing yourself for an armed encounter.  It allows you to learn and store those skills necessary for the gunfight and more importantly; it enables you to apply those skills knowing you are prepared mentally for that, which must be done.  There seems to be a shortfall when it comes to training in this area. Continue reading →

DARK Angel Medical Kit and Training Review

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Your DARK can come in either MIL or CIV/LE depending on if you want QuickClot and a x-ray viewable strip or not. A statement of competency and export restrictions apply for all DARK products.

As we go about our daily activities many of us find ourselves in some pretty scary situations.  Places where, should we go down and need medical help, it could be a long way off.  Even worse, what if a team-mate, student or family member went down.  Would you be prepared to help.  Many of us seek out medical training because it is the responsible thing to do and let’s face it, feeling helpless sucks! Continue reading →

CARACAL F 9mm, Final Post

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Started off with a basic Caracal F 9mm. The end result, was impressive with a total of 10,000 rounds. I was actually a bit surprised at how well the finish held up on this gun. Although I did not run the gun from a holster.

I finally got the Caracal F to my goal of 10K rounds.  It took a bit of time, but the gun held up.  With the original recoil spring assembly still in place I was a bit surprised to see it run that far.  The gun itself began to run a bit sluggish right around the 8800 round mark, but I attribute that to a well worn recoil spring assembly.  There is no evidence of battering yet, but I suspect I did not do the gun any favors.  I should mention that I was using some surplus 9mm NATO ammunition so the pressures on the gun were pretty high. Continue reading →

Record Keeping

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Keeping track of the round count, function issues and modifications is a must for a beauty like this one. It is just as important for every other gun you own as well.

I have been doing a lot of traveling these last few weeks teaching mostly Armorer courses at various agencies.  One thing that comes to mind immediately when I discuss their programs is how many of them are missing a significant portion of the job.  While being able to service and maintain the weapons is a primary function of the Armorer, maintaining accurate records of each item is even more important.

Continue reading →

Mid Sized Timberwolf Frames for Glock

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Deeper thumb grooves, larger mag releases, a flatter front strap and wider finger grooves are just a few of the improvements you will see on the Lone Wolf Distributors Timberwolf frames.

I carried a Glock pistol in one form or another for more than 21 years and have to say they always worked for me.  Coming from the PSD world, all I cared about was if it worked when I pressed the trigger and would the shots go where I pointed them.  After that I never gave a lot of thought to things like grip angle or texture unless they became a problem.  It wasn’t until I started using Gen 3 Glock pistols that I discovered how slippery my older guns had become.  The polymer had deteriorated with age to the point that guns simply were no longer useful.  This left me with an abundance of perfectly serviceable Glock upper assemblies and no hope lowers.  Luckily Lone Wolf Distributors  (LWD) solved this issue for us. Continue reading →

Geissele Reaction Rod – Review

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The New GEISSELE Reaction Rod quickly and easily holds any AR type rifle chambered for the 5.56 x 45 cartridge.

I spend a lot of time behind my rifles, which means I spend a fair amount of time building, cleaning and maintaining my rifles.  Anything that I can find that has the potential to help make my life easier or that saves time, I am willing to give a try.  I read about the Geissele Reaction Rod and about how the AMU’s armorers were using something like it several months ago and had been waiting for it to be released ever since.  Santa was good to me and I have been working with this new tool for the past few weeks. Continue reading →

CARACAL F 9mm Pistol Range Days, 2501-5500 rounds

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Over the course of several days I have been able to add another 3000 rounds to the total count for the Caracal F.  I started this process by giving the gun a thorough cleaning and another dousing with Frog Lube.   I was making no attempts to monitor accuracy as this was strictly a function test.

Overall, the gun has been running incredibly well.  Some have even said that they are quite surprised at how well the gun works.  I chalk that up to a certain amount of brand snobbery and pre-judgement based on where the gun is manufactured.  Once we got through all that nonsense things began to settle down with most shooters looking at this with an open mind.  All five of the shooters I had helping me with this cycle of the testing said they will be buying one in the near future. Continue reading →

CARACAL F 9mm Pistol – Range Day 1001-2500 Rounds

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Today the Caracal ran a large variety or ammunition and added another 1500 rounds to the total round count.  It is now up to 2500 rounds and has had one failure to extract issue. This was with the 147gr Federal FMJ and was the first round I fired with that ammunition.  After that, the remainder of the 200 rounds ran flawlessly.

The day also included a mixed bag of defensive ammunition with at least 100 rounds of the following loads:

115gr Honrady Critical Defense

115gr +P Corbon DPX

124gr +P+ Hydra Shock Federal Premium

124gr +P T-Series Winchester LE

124gr +P Speer GDHP

147gr Speer GDHP

The start of the day and a sampling of the rounds to be fired.

Continue reading →

CARACAL F 9mm Pistol – Range Day 1-1000 Rounds

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I ran the first 1000 rounds through the Caracal F 9mm pistol today.  The good news is that it ran all 1000 rounds without a single issue.  Using Aguila 124gr FMJ, I was concentrating on running the gun, and how it extracted and ejected.  Extraction was perfect and there were only a few erratic ejections.  Most of those landed either on the top of my head or in the hood of my sweatshirt.  Thankfully this was in less than 2% of the rounds fired.  I did note that the ejection pattern settled down and became consistent between 3 and 5 o’clock somewhere between 200-300 rounds. Continue reading →

CARACAL F 9mm Pistol – The Magazines

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The Caracal came with two, 18 round metal tube magazines.  The follower and base pad are plastic and seem reasonably durable.  The spring is a nesting style with the final three coils reduced to nest inside the lower coils while under compression.  What’s different from most other magazines is the lack of an internal base plate.  The absence of this part means that the spring rests directly against the plastic base pad and that the final coil of the spring locks the base pad into place.  It was easily disassembled using a thin blade of a flat tip screwdriver tip.  I’m not sure if it really matters if there is a metal base plate inside the mag or not.  We will see as things progress.

The mag bodies are smooth and well finished with no sharp or jagged edges to hang up on things. The ambi mag catch holds the mag in via a centered notch on the mag body.

Continue reading →

CARACAL F 9mm Pistol – The Insides

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Takedown is exactly like that of a Glock, so yes, you do have to press the trigger to de-cock the gun before disassembly.

This group of pictures are of the Caracal F as I received it.  It arrived very dry and I suspect if it had been shot that way, it would have lasted about 200 rounds or so before it began to have problems.  I have since cleaned it all up and Frog Lubed the gun so it is ready to go for the range tomorrow. Continue reading →

CARACAL F 9mm Pistol – First Look

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A work requirement has caused me to take a long and hard look at the Caracal F 9mm.  A full size, 18+1 9mm, the Caracal is designed and built in the UAE and marked specifically from Abu Dhabi, UAE.  It is the standard service sidearm for most of their military, including the Special Guard of the United Arab Emirates.    I will be working this pistol through a series of tests to see how well it can hold up.  This is the first of several pieces I will write on the gun, with updates following as I reach milestones in the testing and evaluation process.  My ultimate goal is to get at least 10,000 rounds through it and as many hands on it as possible.

The Caracal comes with two, 18 round mags, manual, lock and plastic case for about $449 retail. MSRP is slightly higher.

Continue reading →

Training in Context

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Let me start by saying I am all about training in all forms.  As long as the skills you are working are beneficial to your overall goals then we are good to go.  What started me thinking was when a civilian student asked me, while in a basic level handgun class, why we didn’t offer aerial marksmanship training,  I was actually at a loss for words for a few seconds while trying to figure out if he was serious.  Turns out he was.

Is training to do this really within the context of how you live your life?

Apparently he had read all about aerial marksmanship training and wanted to find out where he could get this type of training.  You know, “just in case.”   I had to ask what he did for a living.  Turns out he sells electronics, but, “…thought it would be a good skill to have.”  I tried to explain to him that it was highly unlikely that he, or any average citizen would ever need to “bungee up and hang in the door.”  Not that it wouldn’t be a really fun thing to do, but was it the best use of his training dollars?  Was it in context with his daily life?

I can’t imagine a better way to prepare for training than to place it within the context of your daily life.  The time and money we have for professional training is so scarce these days that getting the most out of every round, every minute of range or dry-fire practice time only makes complete sense.   Before training, take the time to put it in context.  Use visualization techniques to set the tone.  Is that target placed in such a manner as to duplicate what you might see at home, the office or your favorite restaurant?  Do all of your draw and fire drills start from standing while facing the target?  Is this a realistic expectation based on your everyday interactions with potential threats?

Only you can decide what is appropriate for your skills and abilities.  Keeping your training within the context of your daily life, within the boundaries of reason, will pay off for you in the long run.  Stay focused on what fundamental skills you need to master and set yourself up for success.  Sure it is not as sexy as flipping the selector over to full auto, or spider rapelling while engaging multiple targets, but are those things in context with who you are and the life you lead?  Stay Safe & Keep Training!