Training Safety – Reaction vs. Prevention

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A lot of information has started to come forth over the past several years as we have watched many of our seasoned combat veterans return, and enter the realm of tactical training. One specialty in particular that has gained a lot of attention from not only our military folks, but also LE, and civilian shooters seeking a more well-rounded set of skills is TCCC (in military parlance), or Tactical Combat Casualty Care. A cadre of well trained, and very experienced medical professionals are offering this type of training all over the country, and it is being well received, and rightly so. Continue reading →

REVIEW: Combat Optic Tool by Patriot Products

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The lightweight and extremely versatile Combat Optic Tool should have a home in everyone’s range bag.

Our good buddy, Lt. Col. of Marines (ret.) Freddie Blish, of Patriot Products AZ, recently sent us an early sample of their latest product, the Combat Optic Tool. Freddie is a hard shooter, and having worked at Aimpoint, LaRue Tactical, and Gunsite Academy, he has a firm understanding of what shooters need, and what they don’t. It is no surprise, then, that he is the brains behind this extremely handy little device. At about 3-inches long, it incorporates several extremely handy adjustment tools for anyone who uses a modern optical sight on their pistol or long gun. Regardless of what optic or mount you run, this neat little tool will work with your sighting system. It will adjust windage and elevation on all Aimpoint, EOTech, Trijicon ACOG and RMR sights and tighten the mounting nuts on LaRue Tactical, GDI and ADM mounts as well.

Continue reading →

ROBAR/10-8/MSW GLOCK17-PART 2

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NP3 Treated Internal Parts

Internal Parts before firing.

The first part of this series highlighted the overall modifications the ROBAR Company made to the project Glock 17. This installment will focus on the internal modifications and NP3 and PolyT2 treatments.

NP3 is an electroless nickel-based finish that co deposits teflon with the electroless nickel. NP3 treated parts require no lubrication, which gives dirt and carbon nothing wet or oily to stick too. Cleaning is less frequent, function is enhanced and the treated parts are virtually rustproof. When you do clean the firearm, you can basically wipe it clean with a dry paper towel. NP3 is a satin gray color similar to a matte stainless finish. Continue reading →

AAR: STATE OF FLORIDA VS. GEORGE ZIMMERMAN

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The criminal aftermath is over for George Zimmerman.  (Contrary to the drivel of some legal pundits, there is no legitimate basis whatsoever for federal criminal charges).  Zimmerman has successfully negotiated the near impossible battle of both mortal combat and courtroom trial, the latter after undeserved and overwhelming demonization by the media. 

First, let’s get the deserved moral outrage out of the way.  My opinion is short, but not that simple:  The prosecution was politically motivated pandering and a miscalculation of Constitutional proportions by a dopey governor and trial prosecutors who ignored facts and law.   How do I know this?  The chief of the prosecutor’s office gave a press conference shortly after the verdict which brazenly confirmed the foregoing … beyond any reasonable doubt.  Guess what? Does not happen frequently, but it does happen.  You carry a gun?  Accept it.  You should already realize even an innocent or noble misadventure can turn into one of “the gravest extreme.”  (Read the book of similar title, by Massad Ayoob).   Sadly, good public servants lost their jobs.  Maybe not so noble elected officials should too. Continue reading →

PHOTO OF THE DAY: Nighthawk 10-8 1911 On Duty

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Around 2006, we at 10-8 Consulting, LLC worked with Nighthawk Custom and commissioned the 10-8 Model 1911 to be built by the smiths at Nighthawk. Built to our specifications, it was designed to have all the features we wanted in a service ready 1911, including a Dawson Light Speed Rail and then-brand-new 10-8 rear sight for the 1911. Pictured above is one of the very first test pistols Nighthawk sent us for our evaluation (which I purchased myself.) Paired with it is an old school SureFire W117D Military Light. Yes, it is heavy and not nearly as bright as the new X300U, but old habits die hard. Plus, I like having a system disable switch on board. I have rebuilt this pistol twice, refinished three times, replaced the extractor three times, went through countless recoil and FP springs, and put nearly 30,000 rounds through it. With strict maintenance, this pistol continues to serve me well.

PHOTO OF THE DAY: Mk 262 Ammo from Colt?

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Not long ago, Colt introduced a new line of ammunition they call their “Hunting and Defense Match”, which is manufactured for them by the renowned ammunition company, Black Hills. Loaded to 5.56 NATO specifications, the 77 grain variant is essentially the Mk 262 Mod 1 Black Hills offering in a Colt box. It’s currently distributed by Midway USA and was in stock until recently. Let’s hope more comes in soon.

ROBAR/10-8/MSW GLOCK 17- PART 1

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My exposure to Glock Pistols began at a Vehicle Assault Tactics Course in 1992. The local Sheriffs Department had adopted the Glock 17 with +2 extensions, giving a total ammunition load of 20 rounds. During the “Let me try your gun and you can try mine” part of the class, I loaned my S&W 4506 (9 rounds in the gun) to a Deputy while I tried his Glock. While he suffered from “Caliber Envy” I was wondering if his Glock would ever run dry. At the time I was still in Blued Steel and Walnut mode. (Or at least Stainless Steel). And thought like many that “These things will never catch on.”

Fast forward to 1995 and I was responsible for selecting the Glock 22 .40 S&W for my Department. Six Glock Armorers Courses later, and it’s safe to say I’m firmly in the Glock side of the ledger. That being said, any reader of this site knows that I’m a fan of the 1911 as well as the S&W M&P.  As a Police Firearms Instructor and Head Instructor/Co Owner of a Firearms Training Business, I need to be more than familiar with a variety of weapons systems. Each one has its pro’s and con’s, and none of them is “perfect.”  As shooters, we all strive for “perfection” in our firearms. Perfection for one is not necessarily perfection for another. That being said, I believe I’ve found “Glock Perfection” for myself. While your preferences may differ from mine, I think the place to find “Glock Perfection” for yourself exists at ROBAR. Continue reading →

UPDATE: 15% Off All SIRT Products Thanks to Next Level Training

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We at MSW have been big proponents of Next Level Training’s SIRT pistol since we discovered them a couple years ago. With current ammunition shortages and prices, training with the SIRT to maintain marksmanship and gun handling skills is a no-brainer. Even with an endless supply of ammunition, the SIRT pistol helps replace bad habits formed by recoil management.

Thanks to our friends at Next Level Training, the discount offered to all MSW readers and 10-8 Consulting / 10-8 Performance fans is now 15% OFF. To receive your discount, simply enter the code 10-8 in the coupon code box after adding at least one SIRT product in your shopping cart on the Next Level Training website.

Enjoy!

Tim

Review: Blue Force Gear’s RACKminus Chest Rig

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BFG’s RACKminus loaded with Helium Whisper pouches

At SHOT Show, our friends at Blue Force Gear released the RACKminus, a super lightweight chest rig made of a high tech laminate they call ULTRAcomp that is extremely strong, durable and lightweight. A while back, Blue Force Brittney sent out a sample of the RACKminus along with some of their Ten Speed pouches, which use Helium Whisper technology. I had a chance to run it on the range for a bit and thought I’d share my thoughts.

Continue reading →

Photo of the Day: M45 Spring Testing

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Our friends at the Colt Custom Shop graciously supplied us with some of the dual recoil springs and guide rods for long term testing in other 1911 platforms. As seen in my earlier article on the M45 Spring System, the dual spring system does function in a standard 1911 platform, but we will be looking at long term results, such as long term reliability and whether or not there are adverse effects on the slide and frame. Stay tuned!

New Life For An Old Warrior

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While perusing the inventory at my local gun store, I discovered a used 1911. It consisted of a Caspian frame and a vintage Ithaca slide. The gun was completed with an assortment of vintage and modern small parts. The slide is a WWII era production with “P” Proof and Ordinance Marks. The Ithaca rollmarks were shallow and the slide had a few dings and had been arsenal refinished over the years.

Being that the slide and frame were mismatched, I decided to use it as the canvas for my first build. I had worked on 1911’s over the years, and I am a certified 1911 armorer, however this was going to be a first and would be done completely by hand. Files, Emery Cloth and the occasional Dremel tool would be the only tools used. I decided to make the pistol a Retro Build, keeping the classic lines while incorporating modern features into the pistol. My inspiration was actually Hilton’s Delta Build. (And I DO NOT compare my work to Hilton’s). Continue reading →

Evolution in Training – The Importance of Staying Current

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When people see the topic of evolution, it usually brings forth some heated arguments.  This article is about how we fail to evolve as firearms and tactics instructors.  This failure of evolution has brought forth a lot of heated arguments as well.

I don’t see this failure as much in the larger, more mainstream firearms and tactics schools as I do in the smaller ones.  Certainly it exists in larger schools.  I see it more often in training at the local level, and mainly in institutional organizations and police training. These schools often have instructors that have been around a while, and generally they haven’t been to a school to upgrade their skills and knowledge since Carter was in office.  And the curriculum shows it. Continue reading →

Desert Tactical Arms- Stealth Recon Scout (SRS)

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If you ask my wife she’ll say my personality lends to me being a headfirst, all or nothing type of guy. When I started getting into the precision rifle market, I was overwhelmed by the different options available to me. In today’s modern media based world it is really easy for a person to become overwhelmed by sifting through the mountain of information available to them and determining what is valuable. Having a pretty solid background from work, and a budget that could support a fairly nice platform, I started researching. During the quest for my first personally purchased precision platform I stumbled upon a company from Salt Lake City Utah called Desert Tactical Arms (DTA) and their Stealth Recon Scout (SRS). Desert Tactical Arms was founded in 2007 by Nick Young, who set out to make a reliable, compact, extremely accurate and affordable bullpup rifle system. Other previous weapons to the SRS were foreign and extremely expensive with the DSR-1 being the most recent and priced around 12-17k dollars if you can even find one for sale. The Stealth Recon Scout was developed to be completely modular. The SRS is a switch barrel system capable of firing most short or long action calibers from .243 all the way to .338 Lapua Magnum. Continue reading →

10-8 Consulting’s 1911 Armorer’s Course

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Okay, I admit a little bait and switch. This is what we WON’T be doing in the Armorer’s Course. But we WILL be fitting extractors, safeties, and working on triggers.

After our recent series of articles on the 1911, many folks have gotten the impression that I am down on the 1911 platform, but this is not the case. I have carried a 1911 on the job for better part of 13 years, and dedicated countless hours and dollars to learning about and supporting the 1911 system. I think I speak for Hilton when I say our hope is to ensure potential end users go in with both eyes open should they choose to carry a 1911 on the job, or adopt it for team or agency use.

To this end, we offer the 10-8 Consulting 1911 Armorer’s Course. This is by no means a gunsmithing course, but goes significantly further than our 1911 Operations/Diagnostics curriculum in that it covers the skills necessary to perform basic maintenance and parts replacement. Unlike factory armorer’s courses, this class gives the student a broad spectrum approach to understanding how the 1911 works and will go beyond replacing factory parts. Included in the curriculum is a full overview of the cycle of operation as it pertains to the 1911, pistol and magazine maintenance, a full limited technical inspection worksheet, extractor replacement and tuning (geometry and tension), basic trigger work, and reliability modifications. We also provide an in depth explanation of the 10-8 1911 Function Test Protocol, where it came from, what it means and what it doesn’t mean. Continue reading →