Category Archives: Training

Glock Armorers Course – A Review

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Recently, I traveled down to Smyrna, Georgia this week to the home of all things Glock for their eight hour armorers course. I had originally taken the course in 1996.  It was an eight hour course then, and best I remember it cost $75.  It was eight hours of assembly and disassembly.  The course wasn’t much.   As simple as the guns are, I never re-certified.

Fast forward to last November.  I told my boss I wanted to go down to the factory and take the Instructor Workshop class, and he green lit me for it.  A very nice lady from Glock Training called me back and informed me that I had to be a current armorer to be eligible for the class.  So, I said what the heck, and added a day onto my trip. I drove down with a head full of questions, ranging from recoil spring weights to extraction issue questions to a whole lot of questions about the 17T (Simunitions pistol). Continue reading →

Enter the Dagobah System with Next Level Training

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Mike Hughes shows us his “Progressor” Drill. It was actually quite a bit drier this time than last…

Those of you who have followed our articles know we are big fans of the SIRT Training Pistol developed by our friend Mike Hughes at Next Level Training. While we are always excited to check out that new piece of gear to improve our performance and maximize training potential, one of the lessons I have learned from Mike is that you don’t need fancy equipment to train effectively. 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 →

Low Light Training – Part 2

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Square range low light training on a two dimensional target – a starting point. (Photo courtesy of Jeremy Stafford)

This is PART TWO of a two part series on low light training.  Click HERE for Part One.

Normally, during low-light training, we are on the firing line with several co-workers. Every one turns on their lights, illuminating a two dimensional target at the same distance. This turns your low-light shoot into darn near daylight. Then they shoot. They do not really get to experience the capabilities and limitations of their issued and/or chosen gear.

Continue reading →

The Admin Load – Why do we still teach it?

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The “Administrative Load” refers to a common sight on the police range.  It is loading the pistol while the pistol is still in the holster.  It involves reaching back behind your holster and inserting/removing/swapping out magazines while your pistol is still holstered.  This takes place while the shooter is still on the line, facing down range.   This nonsense got started when semi-automatics hit police ranges, and some bean counter figured that the more time that the gun remains in the holster, the less time there is for cops to shoot themselves, or each other.  Fact of the matter is that it is a dangerous practice.

Dangerous, you say?

Continue reading →

Pat McNamara’s Grid of Fire Drill

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Last December I took a combined carbine / pistol class from Pat McNamara – author of TAPS and Sentinel. During the class, we worked on an earlier version of his Grid of Fire drill. We did it with a handgun. The course works on bursts of movement – five yards at a time – in different directions, target acquisition and all of the fundamentals.

This past week, Pat posted a video showing and explaining the drill on his YouTube channel. It is a drill worth doing.

Pat’s company – TMACS Inc – and his bio can be found here: http://tmacsinc.com/

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 →

Firearms Safety – Why do we take it for granted?

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This installment there are no pictures.  No high speed/low drag, Crossfit fueled, SWAT laden cool guy pictures.  My apologies to Tim and Hilton for not having pictures as required. (Editor: We don’t require pictures for every post!)

Instead, I hope this article will serve as a moment of pause.

It is 2013.  Why are gun owners still negligently shooting people in their homes?  Notice I said negligently.  I am talking about the unintentional shooting of a family member or guest that usually winds up with the shooter telling the first responding officer “I thought it was unloaded”.

The liberal left tries to get everyone to equate gun control with gun safety.  They seek an emotional response by invoking, “It’s for the children”.  Fact of the matter is that their versions of gun control have nothing to do with safety, nothing to do with guns, and everything to do with control.  What I am referring to is firearms safety becoming a way of life.  It becoming organic to who you are, a thread in your DNA.

Continue reading →

Training Techniques- New Or Old?

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After being a serious student of firearms and tactics and techniques for 35 years, and an instructor for 20, I’ve come to the observation that none of what we do is really new. While we as instructors perhaps refine techniques and adapt them to new technology, have we really invented anything new?

The greats of our art, Col. Cooper, Thell Reed, Bill Jordan, Jack Weaver, etc. refined, codified, and brought our techniques to what they are today.  However, I would make the observation that some poor soldier in WWI used a technique that allowed him to live, and his buddy next to him tried something else, and he died. He then put that in his “Tactical Toolbox” and perhaps passed it on to his comrades and a technique was born. We could of course take this further back in the history of combat to the time of the cap and ball revolver or perhaps who had the bigger rock and stronger arm. Continue reading →

TRAIN ANYWHERE WITH PANTEAO PRODUCTIONS

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Paul Howe demonstrates to low ready position on the Panteao website.

I’m a training junkie, and though I love going to the range, real life (along with bills) gets in the way. And with the rising cost of ammunition and guns, the number of formal courses I am able to attend each year has dwindled down to just a couple. I would love to train with all of the top tier instructors out there, but there simply isn’t enough time and money for me to do so.

A few years ago, our friend Fernando Coelho started Panteao Productions and set a new standard in training videos. Gone are the days of monotone instructors speaking into a VHS video camera on a tripod. Coelho employs a video production crew that makes Hollywood-grade films. Panteao takes care to make sure that the videos are not only instructional, but entertaining enough to keep your interest. Continue reading →

WHY CARRY A GUN?

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I frequently hear co-workers tell me they do not carry a gun away from work for various reasons. These reasons range from simply being lazy or the gun being “uncomfortable” to stating that they wouldn’t want to involve their family in something so they leave the gun at home. Despite Emeryville (CA) Police Chief’s claim that guns aren’t a defensive weapon, the National Crime Victimization Survey and National Survey of Private Ownership of Firearms indicate that Americans use firearms to defend themselves between 108,000 to 1.5 million times a year. Additionally, according to the NCVS, resisting violent crime with a firearm is the most effective form of self defense resulting in the least amount of injury to the victim, including resisting with pepper spray, mace, hands/feet, or even being completely compliant. Continue reading →

Carbine Training: The 18 Drill

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The 18 drill is one of my old standby’s.  18 yards, 18 rounds, 18 seconds, 18 inch aiming area.  Sound pretty simple?

This is a carbine drill that is shot from three positions- standing, kneeling and prone.

To set up for the drill, the shooter loads three magazines with six rounds each.  One is inserted into the gun and the gun is charged.  The other two are placed somewhere on the body for two emergency reloads.  The shooter starts in the standing position,  facing the target, safety on, gun in low ready.  On the tone, the shooter fires six rounds standing, performs an emergency reload, and goes to the kneeling position.  From the kneeling position, the shooter then fires six rounds.  The shooter performs an emergency reload, and then goes prone.  The shooter then fires his/her remaining six rounds.  Time stops on the last round fired.

We score it as all or none on the target.  The run has to be “clean” with all 18 rounds inside the aiming area.  Usually we shoot this on the B21 target with all hits to be inside the “coke” bottle (a little more generous than a true 18 inch circle) or anything in the “Down One” or “C” zone on a IPSC or IDPA target.  The “Down One” or “C” zone is larger than 18 inches, but with a little ingenuity, you can make the scoring work with just about any target, by adjusting the target area to fit.

 

Your Patrol Rifle: Cruiser Carry

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I first heard the term “Cruiser Carry” many moons ago when I was in the Academy.  “Cruiser Carry” at that time was used to describe the condition of our Remington 870’s when stored in our police cars.

Then came the Patrol rifle.  We in the firearms training community adapted “Cruiser Carry” to the rifle.  There are a few different versions of “cruiser carry” but here is what we currently teach around here. Continue reading →

VIDEO REVIEW: “COMBATIVE PISTOLCRAFT ESSENTIALS” (PANTEAO’S MAKE READY WITH DAVE SPAULDING)

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Dave Spaulding needs no introduction.  A been there done that (for real, and for a very long time) instructor recognized by students and colleagues as one of the very best.  I expected top notch instruction and some novel technique pointers from his new video (available online via Panteao Productions subscription, the premier online training gig, or for purchase in DVD format), and got more than expected.  For me this is a strong two thumbs way up way to spend two plus hours.  You will want to rewind often or watch it twice start to finish. Continue reading →