SKD “PIG” Plate Carrier- A Review

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We currently issue the PPI Operator vest at work.  We’ve been looking at and testing various vests, and plate carrier rigs for our next vest replacement which comes up in 2014.

In comes the “PIG” (Patrol Incident gear) plate carrier from SKD Tactical. (http://www.skdtac.com/PIG-Plate-Carrier-p/pig.502.htm).  One of my coworkers purchased this plate carrier, set it up and we started testing it.  The first thing I noticed about it was the reasonable price.  The carrier ran about $340 shipped.  SKD’s website boasts that their product’s ship in one business day or it ships free.

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Heavy Training With A Weapon Mounted Light

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Cleaning handguns after heavy training can be tedious. Cleaning a weapon mounted light can be even worse.  The above pistol had nearly 3,000 rounds through it in a foolish stunt to see if we could make it break.  The gun got so hot at times that I had to rack the slide on my holster during reloads because I could not touch it with Oakley gloves on.  I do not advocate abusing a modern service weapon in the way we did above at any time.  But, sometimes during product development it is necessary. Continue reading →

Photo Of The Day: S&W M&P Shields

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We recently acquired two 9mm M&P Shields for carry/backup and as student loaner guns. (For when a student shows up at class with what a Gunshop Commando told them they needed, rather than what is the best gun for them.)

These were my first foray into the world of the M&P and so far I’m impressed. While I’ve seen M&P’s in class and competition and shot a few rounds through them, I had not owned/carried one until now.

The pistols come with flush fit 7 round and extended 8 round magazines. The extended magazine actually extends the grip in a useable manner, rather than the pinky hook found on the front of many magazines.

While larger that some other pocket pistols, I have found they work very well in a pocket holster or an ankle holster. I’ve also carried AIWB with the holster in the photo.

So far each pistol has shot 100 rounds in testing and proved completely reliable. While certainly not a complete break in, it is encouraging. The group in the photo was 15 rounds at 7 yards.

More testing and student evaluations to follow.

Mossberg 930 SPX Review And Modifications

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The Mossberg 930 SPX Shotgun has several factory features which make it a formidable combat shotgun out of the box, but as with most weapons some modifications will better suit it to the user.

The 930 SPX is a semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun with 18 1/2 inch barrel, and is fitted with an LPA Fiber Optic front sight with Ghost Ring rear sight. The red fiber optic front sight is adjustable for elevation and shows up well in daylight and glows like a night sight when a mounted light is used. There are tritium front sights available for the LPA Sights. Having been in the situation of not being able to see a brass bead, trust me you want a visible front sight. The rear sight is adjustable for both windage and elevation and the click adjustments are well defined, and are clearly marked in white. The rear sight is mounted to the receiver on a Picatinny rail, which allows mounting a red dot sight if so desired. Both front and rear sights are protected by metal ears and are very rugged. The 930 SPX has a Choate extended magazine tube. Synthetic stocks with recoil pad and sling studs front and rear round out the package.

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RAVEN VANGUARD 2: 15 MONTHS LATER

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Left: Raven Concealment’s Vanguard 2 for Glock pistols. Right: A pre-production Vanguard 2 for M&P pistols.

Back at SHOT Show 2012, our friends at Raven Concealment unveiled the latest incarnation of their Vanguard Holster. For those not familiar, the original Vanguard was a minimalist holster design that eliminates the bulk of traditional holster designs, but still provides the safety of a holstered pistol. The original design was essentially just a trigger guard cover with a paracord lanyard to act as a static line. Continue reading →

Review- Sure Fire X300 Ultra Weapon Mounted Light

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Sure Fire X300 Ultra mounted on author’s duty Glock 35

I am a flashlight nerd.  I admit it.  I’d almost go to meetings like any other addiction if it was offered.  I am constantly on the hunt for the next biggest and brightest thing.  I’ve often stated that I am waiting around for the light to come out that has the same performance on the human body as to when the Germans looked into the Ark of the Covenant on Raiders of the Lost Ark.  Real old Testament stuff.

So when James Otto of Otto Firearms contacted me and stated he had the new Sure Fire X300 Ultra in stock finally, I broke out the plastic and one was on its way. Continue reading →

LIGHTEN UP, IT’S 2013

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Some of the lights/features mentioned, plus two Fenix models.

Trainers urge when you carry a gun, you should carry a light, day or night.  I agree and do.  (Many LEO’s and non-sworn professionals have a weapon light mounted on their handgun at all times.  As one who spent range time and money learning the “classic” handheld handgun light techniques, I leave weapon mounted light discussion to the more knowledgeable MSW contributors.  OK, I confess I do have one weapon light, a Surefire X300 Ultra, mounted on a rifle).    I respectfully offer here a long-term user’s observations on EDC lights, and in passing, some other illumination products I have found useful along the way. Continue reading →

PHOTO OF THE DAY: OLD SCHOOL GLOCK 19

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A 2nd Generation Glock 19 with the original Novak replacement rear sights that were meant to be used with the stock front. Thankfully, we have come a long way.

A week ago, I asked my good friend and dyed-in-the-wool 1911 guy, Dean Caputo, if he would be interested in shooting a Glock Sport Shooting Foundation (GSSF) match with me over the weekend. I try to make it a habit of inviting my buddies to shooting events as it is another excuse to turn it into a social endeavor as well as a training opportunity. Much to my surprise, Dean said, “Yes!” I was even more shocked to discover the guy who owns countless 1911s and turns his nose up to the plastic guns actually owns a Glock 19 or two. So I gave him the details of the match and planned to meet on Saturday.

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Trigger Reset and Prepping the Trigger

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Much ado has been made of the Smith and Wesson’s M&P having a less distinct reset than what many 1911 and Glock shooters are used to. This particularly bothers those who have been trained to “shoot to reset” between shots. This has never particularly bothered me and here is why:

For those who are not familiar (or may need a quick refresher), most basic pistol courses teach shooters to “reset” the trigger between shots as part of the follow through process. I look back to my Basic Academy training way back in the day, which taught shooters to hold the trigger to the rear, realign the sights, and then slowly release the trigger until they feel a distinct click. Then they can begin preparing for the next shot. Continue reading →

BriteStrike Lights – Review

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These BriteStrike lights are an affordable solution for those needing a tactical style pocket light.

I was busy spending a nice afternoon watching some streaming videos on the Panteo Productions web site (shameless plug) and came across one of the instructors using a BriteStrike hand-held white light.  At first I thought, great, another $300 flashlight that does what every other one does.  However in this case I was pleasantly surprised.  As I was checking out the BriteStrike website, I found their Blue Dot line of Mil/LE lights and decided they looked good enough to try.  Two days later, I had both BD-198-MH and a BD-180-MH lights in hand and ready for me to abuse. Continue reading →

Combat Mindset – Aftermath

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Few are prepared for what to do after using deadly force. Even fewer recognize this planning is part of your combat mindset.

I find it peculiar that nearly every person with whom I discuss the topic has failed to mentally prepare for the aftermath and subsequent fall out from the deadly force encounter.  The simple fact is that this timeframe is literally the rest of your life.  Many people spend thousands of dollars each year preparing for an event we all hope will not happen, but if it were to occur, would last a mere 3-10 seconds; and I am being generous with that time estimate.  The simple fact remains that most are simply not prepared for what will come afterwards.

It is an unfortunate, yet very real, part of our modern law enforcement and legal systems that the person who calls 911 first is the complainant.  Since you have been busy defending innocent life, you may not be able to be the first to call.  However, you certainly need to make that call.  Have you prepared your mind for what you will say?  Have you practiced it as much as you have your verbal challenges to your assailant(s)?  Have you practiced how to make that 911 call using your cell phone?  Smart phones are a wonderful addition to the world.  The fact still remains that they can be more complex to operate.  If yours has the ability to make a direct 911 call without unlocking, do you know how to do this? Continue reading →

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 →

Return To Where the Professionals Train

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It had been a long time since we had been to the SIG Sauer Academy.  Going on five or six years it seems.  Too long I guess.  Bruce and I rolled into the Academy on Thursday to check things out prior to the class we were teaching on Friday.  The first thing that struck us was the fact so much had changed in that time.  The Pro Shop was the big addition we noticed immediately.  In this day and age of going into gun shops and seeing bare shelves, it was really nice to go in and see the walls lined with Evil Black Rifles.  Did my heart good, actually.  We checked in and found out that we were going to be teaching on range three, and drove back to check it out.  We chatted to some familiar faces from a SIG centric Federal agency to find out that the SIG Academy was basically their home range.  Interesting, I thought. Continue reading →

PHOTO OF THE DAY: SIRT PISTOL IN LE TRAINING

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K-9 Handler and Firearms Instructor S. Sharpe uses a SIRT 110 PRO training pistol while giving in-service training to a group of police officers. Photo Credit: S. Sharpe

Most shooters understand the SIRT Training Pistol from Next Level Training is an excellent training tool for dry practice away from the range. What many don’t realize is that there is a universe of training potential for the SIRT on the range as well. By integrating the SIRT into live fire training, you can help mitigate the flinch response and focus on trigger control. A 3 to 1 ratio or so (three reps SIRT to 1 rep live fire) will develop trigger control drills while still keeping you honest with recoil management. Try it and you’ll see great results.

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 →