For a while after I got my Glock 17, I was shooting consistently about 2 inches to the left at 7 yards, with a decently small group. I had never had this problem with any other gun, including an XD, M&P, 1911, and SIG.
Q: Is it the sights?
A: Probably not. A right hander shooting left is a common issue with all handguns, but especially Glocks. And if you're noticeably off, like 2 inches at 7 yards, that's equivalent to about 8 or 9 inches at 25 yards. If the sights more or less look centered, there's no way you would be off that much. To check, shoot from a sandbag rest if possible. Also, shoot left handed and see if you now start shooting to the right.
Q: Should I drift my rear sight right to compensate, even though the sights aren't the problem?
A: I don't believe in drifting the sights over to the right to fix the issue. For one thing, if you ever had to shoot left handed, you'd shooting way off to the right due to both the sights being off and whatever the original problem is. Also, you're incentivising yourself to use whatever bad technique you're using. When you start doing the correct technique, you'll hit to the right, so you'll naturally try to avoid that.
Q: Should I use "Kentucky windage" by aiming to the right of the target?
A: This is not a good idea because under stress, you will be more likely to aim directly at your target. Also, you'd need to calculate how much to hold right at various distances. e.g. if you hold right 2 inches at 7 yards, you'd need to hold right about 4 inches at 15 yards.
Q: On the assumption that the trigger is the problem, should I monkey around with different connectors and trigger springs?
A: If that's your thing, it's fine, but I don't think it will fix it. I've tried a few various connectors and the NY trigger spring, and haven't found it to make any difference with regards to this problem. I don't think for most people that the length or weight of a Glock trigger pull is the real problem. The trigger is not terribly long or heavy. I think the reason that Glock users tend to have this problem more is the size and shape of the grip.
Q: Should I just shoot a ton of rounds and assume I'm going to get better?
A: This is probably a bad idea because you are doing something wrong now, so doing it more is just going to ingrain bad habits. I think it's important to actively try to find and fix the problem.
Q: What about the handgun correction chart that says the problem is "too little trigger finger"?
A: As I mentioned before, I don't think the handgun correction chart has that much benefit. There can definitely be more than one cause for this issue. This may certainly be one of the causes, and it's worth trying to put more of your trigger finger through the trigger guard.
Q: What are some other things to try?
A: Note: I would try isolating each one of these techniques to see if it makes any difference.
- Obviously getting a good instructor to try to diagnose you would be good if feasible.
- Use either closer to the tip of the finger, or closer to the knuckle to touch the trigger. Either way might help. One thing you can try to determine optimum trigger placement is to dry fire the gun, so the striker is down, then repeatedly press the trigger. You'll notice that the sights move in different directions depending on what part of the trigger finger you use.
- Use a harder or softer grip, with either or both hands. Your other fingers sympathetically 'milking' the grip along with your you trigger finger is used can move the gun left.
- Stiffen your shooting wrist, as though you were trying to prevent someone from bending it sideways. This is NOT the same as just gripping harder.
- Try to avoid touching the frame of the gun with your trigger finger. The trigger finger should only be touching the trigger.
- Make sure you always take up the slack in the trigger before beginning your press. If you start with a heavy press while there's still slack in the trigger, it will smash through the slack with momentum and disturb the alignment of the gun.
- Don't let your finger come off the trigger during or after firing. Taking your finger off too fast after firing can disturb alignment of the gun.
- Don't hold the trigger all the way to the rear during or after firing. As soon as the trigger breaks, reset it forward while maintaining contact on it. Letting the trigger finger slam all the way to the rear with momentum can disturb the alignment of the gun.
- If the problem might be flinching, then ball and dummy drills, or just mixing in dry fire with live fire can help. For example, every time you throw a shot to the left, unload the gun and do 5 good dry fires.
- Think about pressing the trigger straight to the rear, and adjust your grip so that can be done to the extent possible. Your trigger finger can't actually move straight back since it describes a curve as it moves, but ideally the tangent to the curve would be straight back at the moment the trigger breaks.
- Try pressing back through the center of the trigger, i.e. through the trigger safety, instead of just contacting the whole trigger in general. Since the trigger face is rounded, it's possible to pull sideways through the trigger, which is obviously undesirable.
- I eventually fixed the problem by putting the Grip Force Adapter on it.
I don't know how to explain it, but my guess is that by increasing the trigger reach, it forced my hand into the right position to pull the trigger straight back. I'm not saying that this solution would be right for everyone, but with my hands, it solved the problem. In general if you didn't want to spend money to try this, you could try altering the size and shape of the grip, maybe with temporary methods like tape to see if it helps.
Some additional references:
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/ayoob85.html
- Discusses trigger "milking"
http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=93671
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_5_13/99034_Glock_Shooting_Left_.html
http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?1525-Consistently-shooting-to-the-left-with-new-Gen4-G17
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNVYu3koF4o&feature=youtu.be
OpSpec training on using a looser grip to avoid this problem
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCMrsFZDwF8
ssdsurf on shooting a Glock well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nlAmKLDT0E&feature=channel_video_title
ssdsurf on advanced trigger placement.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Safety glasses worn over prescription glasses for shooting
I've always worn safety glasses over my prescription glasses for shooting. My prescription glasses are thin and don't provide much coverage, especially coming from underneath. Also, they cost a lot of money and I really don't want to deal with scratches on them due to getting hit by brass or jacket ricochets off of steel.
This link provides a good overview of the need for real safety glasses as opposed to cheap plastic sunglasses or glasses with glass lenses:
http://www.6mmbr.com/eyeprotection.html
An alternate option is to get prescription safety glasses, which I'm looking into, but from what I've seen in my searches, it's rare to find any that are made in my prescription, which is very nearsighted. Also they are expensive, and I'd need to get both clear and dark versions, or figure out some kind of clip on sunglasses system.
What I've been running so far:
Escort safety glasses:
http://www.amazon.com/Escort-Safety-Glasses-Prescription-Eyewear/dp/B001924G8K
They also make these with smoke colored lenses for bright outdoor shooting:
http://www.amazon.com/Escort-Glasses-Prescription-Matching-Sensitive/dp/B001922GRS/ref=pd_bxgy_hi_text_b
These glasses work well but the black frame obscures peripheral vision a little.
Another alternative that I've found to work well is Pyramex OTS safety glasses:
http://www.amazon.com/Pyramex-Safety-Eyewear-Clear-Temples/dp/B001FWVSYO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325487587&sr=8-1
which also come in clear or dark.
Both options above were comfortable, gave good coverage, and seemed optically clear to me. But I have been thinking that perhaps a more expensive set of safety glasses would have better optical clarity which could come in handy.
Cocoons Eyewear seems to fit the bill, although I have not tried them yet.
http://www.cocoonseyewear.com
Note that the lenses are not advertised as meeting any safety standard such as ANSI Z87.1.
Finally, a tip from experience: if you leave your safety glasses in your shooting bag, make sure to put them in a separate compartment, or in a bag or case. Left loose in the bag, they will get scratched up by other things in the bag, even though they're supposed to be tough and scratch resistant.
This link provides a good overview of the need for real safety glasses as opposed to cheap plastic sunglasses or glasses with glass lenses:
http://www.6mmbr.com/eyeprotection.html
An alternate option is to get prescription safety glasses, which I'm looking into, but from what I've seen in my searches, it's rare to find any that are made in my prescription, which is very nearsighted. Also they are expensive, and I'd need to get both clear and dark versions, or figure out some kind of clip on sunglasses system.
What I've been running so far:
Escort safety glasses:
http://www.amazon.com/Escort-Safety-Glasses-Prescription-Eyewear/dp/B001924G8K
They also make these with smoke colored lenses for bright outdoor shooting:
http://www.amazon.com/Escort-Glasses-Prescription-Matching-Sensitive/dp/B001922GRS/ref=pd_bxgy_hi_text_b
These glasses work well but the black frame obscures peripheral vision a little.
Another alternative that I've found to work well is Pyramex OTS safety glasses:
http://www.amazon.com/Pyramex-Safety-Eyewear-Clear-Temples/dp/B001FWVSYO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325487587&sr=8-1
which also come in clear or dark.
Both options above were comfortable, gave good coverage, and seemed optically clear to me. But I have been thinking that perhaps a more expensive set of safety glasses would have better optical clarity which could come in handy.
Cocoons Eyewear seems to fit the bill, although I have not tried them yet.
http://www.cocoonseyewear.com
Note that the lenses are not advertised as meeting any safety standard such as ANSI Z87.1.
Finally, a tip from experience: if you leave your safety glasses in your shooting bag, make sure to put them in a separate compartment, or in a bag or case. Left loose in the bag, they will get scratched up by other things in the bag, even though they're supposed to be tough and scratch resistant.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Firearms training class preparations
Here are some things I do before going to a firearms training class. I just leave the small items in my range bag all the time.
- Verify functionality of the gun by shooting it for at least one session before the class. In other words, don't come to a class with a gun that I've never shot before, since the gun might be messed up.
- If I haven't run this set of gear before, try it on all together. For example, I try on my holster, mag pouches, belt, and pants that I'm going to be using. Even if you have experience running each individual piece, you need to make sure they all work together. You don't want to find out too late that your belt is too big for your belt loops on your pants, or the belt loops on your holster, or the belt loops on those particular pants are positioned poorly for the location that you want to run your holster or mag pouches.
- If I have adjustable sights, especially on a carbine, make sure they're zeroed before the class. Often the zeroing process on the first day of carbine class takes 2 hours or more, which is time that could have been spent learning. Bring the necessary tools to adjust the sights, even if they are already zeroed.
- Load all the magazines that I'm going to bring to full(check your local laws and make sure you're transporting them legally). It saves a lot of time when the class starts if you're already loaded and ready to go. I've never seen an instructor that minded the student coming in with loaded mags, although it is possible you may have to unload one or two for some drill that the instructor wants to do.
- Check that I have extra batteries for ear pro, optics, flashlights, etc. Check that the batteries currently in those accessories are not dead.
- Label everything, including mags, loading tools, ear pro, even your holster and mag pouches if they are common. I use a paint pen for this purpose. Certain gear, I engrave with a cheap hand engraving tool. If you do enough training, eventually someone will grab your stuff if you leave it on a table or in a common area, not because they were trying to steal it, but just because they thought it was theirs. Having labels settles the matter if there is any dispute. I have had this happen to my mags, Uplula, and ear pro. All mags are labeled with a number as well, to keep track of any mags that are malfunctioning.
- Check tightness on all screws/bolts, including any mounts on guns, lights, sidesaddle, optics, holster, mag pouches. I just kind of poke the screw with my finger in a turning motion, to save the effort of finding the appropriate bit for each screw, and to avoid breaking the Loctite if it was there.
- Pack an allen wrench set and a multitool which has needle nose pliers and flat head and philips screwdrivers just in case they come loose. I just leave these in my range bag all the time.
- Pack water and food if needed. Always more water than you think you need. Sweets like candy and cookies are good for a burst of energy.
- Pack an extra holster if I have one.
- Pack lube and spare parts for the gun. Generally a recoil spring and an extractor will solve most problems on a semi auto. For Glocks, a trigger spring would be good. For ARs, a full bolt carrier group would solve the vast majority of problems. If shooting a carbine, always bring a cleaning rod, not so you can clean it, but so you can knock out a stuck case from the chamber. A magazine makes a good hammer for this.
- Duct tape and zip ties can be useful for field rigging a fix for holsters, slings, etc.
- Pack a baseball style cap, even if shooting indoors where sun isn't a concern. This is mainly for keeping brass shells out of my face from the guy standing to my left.
- If it's going to be hot, don't wear a cotton shirt. Once you get soaked in sweat, cotton gets very uncomfortable and takes a while to dry. If the temperature cools down as the sun drops, you can get cold very quickly. Synthetic UnderArmor type shirts, or merino wool shirts are preferred. Similarly, synthetic or wool socks are preferred over cotton socks.
- Consider bringing sunscreen and/or a shemagh or other neck scarf if it's going to be at an outdoor range. Sunburn is no fun and is distracting.
- Consider packing an extra gun if I have one, ideally the same caliber, and really ideally one that can use the same holster and mags. Note a G19 can use a G17's holster and mags, but not vice versa. Depending on logistics it might not be worth it to pack a totally different gun with its own holster, mag pouches, mags, and ammo.
- Consider bringing a folding chair. Depending on the range and class size, there may or may not be sufficient seating.
- Consider bringing a bucket for brass. Most classes will let students keep brass that they pick up at the end of the class. People who reload or who think they might get into reloading would be silly to miss the chance to save some money and get free brass.
- Consider packing allergy medication or taking it in the morning if it's at an outdoor range.
- Depending on the range facilities, if running water isn't available, some wet wipes would be handy for wiping your hands prior to eating or after using the porta potty.
- Verify functionality of the gun by shooting it for at least one session before the class. In other words, don't come to a class with a gun that I've never shot before, since the gun might be messed up.
- If I haven't run this set of gear before, try it on all together. For example, I try on my holster, mag pouches, belt, and pants that I'm going to be using. Even if you have experience running each individual piece, you need to make sure they all work together. You don't want to find out too late that your belt is too big for your belt loops on your pants, or the belt loops on your holster, or the belt loops on those particular pants are positioned poorly for the location that you want to run your holster or mag pouches.
- If I have adjustable sights, especially on a carbine, make sure they're zeroed before the class. Often the zeroing process on the first day of carbine class takes 2 hours or more, which is time that could have been spent learning. Bring the necessary tools to adjust the sights, even if they are already zeroed.
- Load all the magazines that I'm going to bring to full(check your local laws and make sure you're transporting them legally). It saves a lot of time when the class starts if you're already loaded and ready to go. I've never seen an instructor that minded the student coming in with loaded mags, although it is possible you may have to unload one or two for some drill that the instructor wants to do.
- Check that I have extra batteries for ear pro, optics, flashlights, etc. Check that the batteries currently in those accessories are not dead.
- Label everything, including mags, loading tools, ear pro, even your holster and mag pouches if they are common. I use a paint pen for this purpose. Certain gear, I engrave with a cheap hand engraving tool. If you do enough training, eventually someone will grab your stuff if you leave it on a table or in a common area, not because they were trying to steal it, but just because they thought it was theirs. Having labels settles the matter if there is any dispute. I have had this happen to my mags, Uplula, and ear pro. All mags are labeled with a number as well, to keep track of any mags that are malfunctioning.
- Check tightness on all screws/bolts, including any mounts on guns, lights, sidesaddle, optics, holster, mag pouches. I just kind of poke the screw with my finger in a turning motion, to save the effort of finding the appropriate bit for each screw, and to avoid breaking the Loctite if it was there.
- Pack an allen wrench set and a multitool which has needle nose pliers and flat head and philips screwdrivers just in case they come loose. I just leave these in my range bag all the time.
- Pack water and food if needed. Always more water than you think you need. Sweets like candy and cookies are good for a burst of energy.
- Pack an extra holster if I have one.
- Pack lube and spare parts for the gun. Generally a recoil spring and an extractor will solve most problems on a semi auto. For Glocks, a trigger spring would be good. For ARs, a full bolt carrier group would solve the vast majority of problems. If shooting a carbine, always bring a cleaning rod, not so you can clean it, but so you can knock out a stuck case from the chamber. A magazine makes a good hammer for this.
- Duct tape and zip ties can be useful for field rigging a fix for holsters, slings, etc.
- Pack a baseball style cap, even if shooting indoors where sun isn't a concern. This is mainly for keeping brass shells out of my face from the guy standing to my left.
- If it's going to be hot, don't wear a cotton shirt. Once you get soaked in sweat, cotton gets very uncomfortable and takes a while to dry. If the temperature cools down as the sun drops, you can get cold very quickly. Synthetic UnderArmor type shirts, or merino wool shirts are preferred. Similarly, synthetic or wool socks are preferred over cotton socks.
- Consider bringing sunscreen and/or a shemagh or other neck scarf if it's going to be at an outdoor range. Sunburn is no fun and is distracting.
- Consider packing an extra gun if I have one, ideally the same caliber, and really ideally one that can use the same holster and mags. Note a G19 can use a G17's holster and mags, but not vice versa. Depending on logistics it might not be worth it to pack a totally different gun with its own holster, mag pouches, mags, and ammo.
- Consider bringing a folding chair. Depending on the range and class size, there may or may not be sufficient seating.
- Consider bringing a bucket for brass. Most classes will let students keep brass that they pick up at the end of the class. People who reload or who think they might get into reloading would be silly to miss the chance to save some money and get free brass.
- Consider packing allergy medication or taking it in the morning if it's at an outdoor range.
- Depending on the range facilities, if running water isn't available, some wet wipes would be handy for wiping your hands prior to eating or after using the porta potty.
Gear for carbine classes
The purpose of this post is to describe how I set up my gear and why. Everybody's needs are different, so it's not to say that this is the best way to go, just what works for me.
I just took a class today using a VTAC Brokos Belt with VTAC Cobra belt for the inner belt, with 3 HSGI taco mag pouches on my left side and three handgun tacos attached to them, and an Atomic Dog holster on the right side, and a dump pouch in the back that I use to hold my gloves and empty mags. I think this setup is ideal for someone who doesn't need more than 4 rifle mags, and who doesn't wear armor. If extra mags are needed, they go in the left cargo pocket. It's relatively comfortable even with all the weight on the hips since the belt spreads the weight over a large area. And you can put on and take off the whole rig in about 1 second using the Cobra buckle. I don't have to change anything to switch to a different rifle system since the tacos can hold any rifle mag. This is very nice for me because I usually run an AK, but sometimes I run an AR. My dump pouch is a cheap 5.11 one. As far as I can see, there is no need for anything fancy in a dump pouch. The gloves I run are Mechanix MPact, which have been working well for me. I would recommend at least having gloves on you if you're going to run a carbine, since the handguard and barrel can get very hot after rapid fire. A quad rail AR handguard can be sharp, and an AK especially has lots of sharp edges all over it.
The HSGI tacos are expensive but really nice. They fit any rifle mags, the retention is adjustable, you can attach a pistol mag pouch to it, you can run bullets forward or backwards as you wish without changing anything, and they're fast since there's no retention device like a flap or bungee strap.
The Brokos belt is a lightly padded MOLLE belt that uses an inner belt to provide the tension around your waist and a buckle. It buckles around your waist over the top of your pants belt(which is not the same as the inner belt). The Brokos belt has the nice feature that you can expose the inner belt to the outside and use your existing OWB holster or other belt mounted accessories. It's also light and comfortable. The downside is that it isn't really anchored to your pants belt, so it can ride up a little bit. I found that it only rides up on my hips when I drop to prone, but then when I stood up, it automatically went back down to its normal position without me having to adjust it in any way. So it wasn't really a big deal.
On sizing: the inner belt should be a little bit longer than usual, since it has to go outside your pants waistband and your pants belt. The Brokos belt can be quite a big longer than usual, since that just means that the MOLLE extends closer to your centerline.
I wear 34 or 35 inch waistband pants, and I have the Brokos belt in XL, but the inner Cobra belt in Large. I originally tried the XL Cobra belt but it was too long and the excess was getting in the way of my holster. The Large Cobra belt is almost a little too small, but is workable. If I were to do it again I would probably go with the XL and just trim it down.
I don't like chest rigs because they can be uncomfortable when you go prone. Also, if you're training in the rain or cold, if you have a chest rig, you have to take it off and on when you want to add or remove layers of clothing. You may or may not need to do the same thing for the battle belt, but a battle belt comes off and on much easier.
I would avoid any double(meaning two mags in one compartment, like this: http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/MOLLE940-1.html) mag pouches because if you take one of the mags out, then the other one is loose and can fall out, unless you remember to reapply the velcro or other retention device. Each mag should go in its own compartment that has its own retention.
Kydex mag pouches are great but if you have too many of them with fully loaded mags on your belt, the weight becomes uncomfortable and most designs don't have any way to attach pistol mag pouches.
Some people would say that you should 'train as you would fight'. I would agree with that, except for the fact that in my lifestyle, I wouldn't really ever use the carbine in a fight unless it was a serious SHTF where anything goes and more gear would be appropriate. I leave my carbines in the gun safe and I have a quick access lock box with a handgun in it for emergencies. That said, I do think that beginners to carbine training should keep their gear simple and inexpensive so they can look at what other people are running and get an idea of how it works.
For a relatively slick setup, I'd probably just go with one or two kydex Ready Tactical mag pouches and then run the rest out of pockets, and have one dump pouch for empties. The Ready Tactical pouches are relatively inexpensive and you can run your AR mags bullets pointing forward or to the rear. I prefer pointing to the rear, but that's something each individual has to decide for themselves. The LAPolicegear.com 'operator pants' have two pockets that are just the right size for AR mags and will fit AK mags too. They're the horizontal slits right below the plastic D-rings on the belt loops. http://www.lapolicegear.com/elastic-...ator-pant.html
California-specific:
For info on carbine legality in California, see http://www.tenpercentfirearms.com/index.php?main_page=ar15
Between featureless carbines and bullet button carbines, I would definitely go for featureless. Being able to use the mag release normally is well worth not having a flash hider or collapsible stock or the other evil features. On the negative side, I have found that not being able to wrap my thumb around the grip makes it harder to do rapid fire consistently. Also, on an AR, you're going to want to install an ambi safety if you're right handed, since your thumb will be on the right side of the rifle. Featureless rifles can also be used with legally owned pre-ban magazines, while bullet button rifles can not. I like the Solar tactical grip wraps, which bolt on to a normal pistol grip and therefore can be easily removed if you visit or move to a free state.
http://solartactical.com/SOLAR-TACTICAL-KYDEX-GRIP-WRAP-FEATURELESS-BUILDS_c19.htm
If you go the bullet button route, the gpik works reasonably well:
http://www.gpik.net/bullet-button-release-tool.aspx
You stick it on your middle finger and can use it to drop the mag. It does require you to be fairly precise to poke the bullet button in exactly the right place. One caveat: if you have to draw your pistol, it really messes with your grip.
If you are running 10 round magazines, I would recommend getting 10/30 magazines, which are 30 round magazines that have been internally blocked to only hold 10 rounds and then permanently fixed so they can't be disassembled. The reason I recommend 10/30 mags this is that they will fit in normal pouches, and you can get a much better grip on them for malfunction clearing and tactical reloads, compared to short 10 round magazines. Solar Tactical has 10/30 mags or the kits to make them. If you want to make them yourself, you'll need disassembled mag rebuild kits, which can be had from Solar Tactical, or http://www.copesdistributing.net, http://www.calegalmags.com/, or http://midwestpx.com/, among others.
I just took a class today using a VTAC Brokos Belt with VTAC Cobra belt for the inner belt, with 3 HSGI taco mag pouches on my left side and three handgun tacos attached to them, and an Atomic Dog holster on the right side, and a dump pouch in the back that I use to hold my gloves and empty mags. I think this setup is ideal for someone who doesn't need more than 4 rifle mags, and who doesn't wear armor. If extra mags are needed, they go in the left cargo pocket. It's relatively comfortable even with all the weight on the hips since the belt spreads the weight over a large area. And you can put on and take off the whole rig in about 1 second using the Cobra buckle. I don't have to change anything to switch to a different rifle system since the tacos can hold any rifle mag. This is very nice for me because I usually run an AK, but sometimes I run an AR. My dump pouch is a cheap 5.11 one. As far as I can see, there is no need for anything fancy in a dump pouch. The gloves I run are Mechanix MPact, which have been working well for me. I would recommend at least having gloves on you if you're going to run a carbine, since the handguard and barrel can get very hot after rapid fire. A quad rail AR handguard can be sharp, and an AK especially has lots of sharp edges all over it.
The HSGI tacos are expensive but really nice. They fit any rifle mags, the retention is adjustable, you can attach a pistol mag pouch to it, you can run bullets forward or backwards as you wish without changing anything, and they're fast since there's no retention device like a flap or bungee strap.
The Brokos belt is a lightly padded MOLLE belt that uses an inner belt to provide the tension around your waist and a buckle. It buckles around your waist over the top of your pants belt(which is not the same as the inner belt). The Brokos belt has the nice feature that you can expose the inner belt to the outside and use your existing OWB holster or other belt mounted accessories. It's also light and comfortable. The downside is that it isn't really anchored to your pants belt, so it can ride up a little bit. I found that it only rides up on my hips when I drop to prone, but then when I stood up, it automatically went back down to its normal position without me having to adjust it in any way. So it wasn't really a big deal.
On sizing: the inner belt should be a little bit longer than usual, since it has to go outside your pants waistband and your pants belt. The Brokos belt can be quite a big longer than usual, since that just means that the MOLLE extends closer to your centerline.
I wear 34 or 35 inch waistband pants, and I have the Brokos belt in XL, but the inner Cobra belt in Large. I originally tried the XL Cobra belt but it was too long and the excess was getting in the way of my holster. The Large Cobra belt is almost a little too small, but is workable. If I were to do it again I would probably go with the XL and just trim it down.
I don't like chest rigs because they can be uncomfortable when you go prone. Also, if you're training in the rain or cold, if you have a chest rig, you have to take it off and on when you want to add or remove layers of clothing. You may or may not need to do the same thing for the battle belt, but a battle belt comes off and on much easier.
I would avoid any double(meaning two mags in one compartment, like this: http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/MOLLE940-1.html) mag pouches because if you take one of the mags out, then the other one is loose and can fall out, unless you remember to reapply the velcro or other retention device. Each mag should go in its own compartment that has its own retention.
Kydex mag pouches are great but if you have too many of them with fully loaded mags on your belt, the weight becomes uncomfortable and most designs don't have any way to attach pistol mag pouches.
Some people would say that you should 'train as you would fight'. I would agree with that, except for the fact that in my lifestyle, I wouldn't really ever use the carbine in a fight unless it was a serious SHTF where anything goes and more gear would be appropriate. I leave my carbines in the gun safe and I have a quick access lock box with a handgun in it for emergencies. That said, I do think that beginners to carbine training should keep their gear simple and inexpensive so they can look at what other people are running and get an idea of how it works.
For a relatively slick setup, I'd probably just go with one or two kydex Ready Tactical mag pouches and then run the rest out of pockets, and have one dump pouch for empties. The Ready Tactical pouches are relatively inexpensive and you can run your AR mags bullets pointing forward or to the rear. I prefer pointing to the rear, but that's something each individual has to decide for themselves. The LAPolicegear.com 'operator pants' have two pockets that are just the right size for AR mags and will fit AK mags too. They're the horizontal slits right below the plastic D-rings on the belt loops. http://www.lapolicegear.com/elastic-...ator-pant.html
California-specific:
For info on carbine legality in California, see http://www.tenpercentfirearms.com/index.php?main_page=ar15
Between featureless carbines and bullet button carbines, I would definitely go for featureless. Being able to use the mag release normally is well worth not having a flash hider or collapsible stock or the other evil features. On the negative side, I have found that not being able to wrap my thumb around the grip makes it harder to do rapid fire consistently. Also, on an AR, you're going to want to install an ambi safety if you're right handed, since your thumb will be on the right side of the rifle. Featureless rifles can also be used with legally owned pre-ban magazines, while bullet button rifles can not. I like the Solar tactical grip wraps, which bolt on to a normal pistol grip and therefore can be easily removed if you visit or move to a free state.
http://solartactical.com/SOLAR-TACTICAL-KYDEX-GRIP-WRAP-FEATURELESS-BUILDS_c19.htm
If you go the bullet button route, the gpik works reasonably well:
http://www.gpik.net/bullet-button-release-tool.aspx
You stick it on your middle finger and can use it to drop the mag. It does require you to be fairly precise to poke the bullet button in exactly the right place. One caveat: if you have to draw your pistol, it really messes with your grip.
If you are running 10 round magazines, I would recommend getting 10/30 magazines, which are 30 round magazines that have been internally blocked to only hold 10 rounds and then permanently fixed so they can't be disassembled. The reason I recommend 10/30 mags this is that they will fit in normal pouches, and you can get a much better grip on them for malfunction clearing and tactical reloads, compared to short 10 round magazines. Solar Tactical has 10/30 mags or the kits to make them. If you want to make them yourself, you'll need disassembled mag rebuild kits, which can be had from Solar Tactical, or http://www.copesdistributing.net, http://www.calegalmags.com/, or http://midwestpx.com/, among others.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Training scars: "Cruiser ready" with hammer down on a pump shotgun
A lot of people advocate leaving one's pump action shotgun in 'cruiser ready' or 'cruiser safe', which means that the chamber is empty, the mag tube is fully loaded, and the trigger has been pulled, so that you can just rack the shotgun to get a round into the tube and fight.
In my opinion, the step of pulling the trigger while the mag tube is loaded is unsafe and unnecessary. It eventually could lead to a negligent discharge if a round somehow found its way into the chamber due to inattention.
Regardless of the potential safety issues, I think it's preferable to train always hitting the action release lever the first time that you rack the bolt. That way, the bolt will come back whether or not it was locked forward. It doesn't take any significant extra time and is more reliable.
I had long had this opinion, but I was reminded of it recently in a Magpul Dynamics shotgun class where Chris Costa said something to the same effect.
In my opinion, the step of pulling the trigger while the mag tube is loaded is unsafe and unnecessary. It eventually could lead to a negligent discharge if a round somehow found its way into the chamber due to inattention.
Regardless of the potential safety issues, I think it's preferable to train always hitting the action release lever the first time that you rack the bolt. That way, the bolt will come back whether or not it was locked forward. It doesn't take any significant extra time and is more reliable.
I had long had this opinion, but I was reminded of it recently in a Magpul Dynamics shotgun class where Chris Costa said something to the same effect.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Quick and easy cleaning after shooting corrosive ammo
I shoot a lot of Yugoslavian 7.62x39 ammo in my AK. It's corrosive, so I do make sure to clean the gun afterwards, but I think a lot of people spend way too much time and effort on it. The entire cleaning process shouldn't take longer than about 10 minutes.
Key concepts:
The primers in corrosive ammo contains salts that attract and hold water, causing rust. The salts are water soluble. The best way to get rid of them is to wash them away with water. The idea of 'neutralizing' the salts with ammonia or other chemicals is not necessary, and is dubious as to whether it works at all. Heating the water or adding soap would help in the cleaning but is more effort and is unnecessary. We want to make sure that the water we use to clean the gun doesn't get trapped in any nooks and crannies and cause rust itself. So we either displace it with WD-40 or use Ballistol which will protect the gun until after the water evaporates.
Ballistol is a gun oil that emulsifies in water. When you use Ballistol diluted with water, the water component can dissolve the corrosive salts, and then when/as it evaporates, the oil component is left behind to protect from rust.
I have 2 different procedures that I use, depending on how dirty it is.
Procedure 1, for when it's really dirty:
1) Field strip the gun, and spray everything dirty in the gun with water from a hose, including the bore. If you can get hot water to come out of your hose, that would be desirable, but if not, cold water is fine. If there are patches of crud that aren't coming off, brush them with a bronze brush while spraying them with water.
2) Run a boresnake through the bore a few times with a light coating of CLP or similar oil on the brush part. Wash the boresnake later with the hose to get rid of any residual salts.
3) Spray everywhere that water was sprayed with WD-40 to displace the remaining water. This does not include the bore, since the snake + oiling should have taken care of that.
4) Wipe everything down with paper towels.
5) On parts of the gun that need lubrication, add gun oil or grease. I wouldn't consider the WD-40 a good lube in itself.
Procedure 2, for when it's not that dirty:
1) Field strip the gun. With a spray bottle full of Ballistol diluted 1 part Ballistol to 9 parts water, spray everything dirty in the gun, including the bore.
2) Run a boresnake through the bore a few times with a light coating of CLP or similar oil on the brush part. Wash the boresnake later with the hose to get rid of any residual salts.
3) Wipe everything down with paper towels
4) Lubricate the gun as needed.
Neither procedure should take more than 10 minutes, and you can probably get it down to less than 5 with practice.
On an AK, the key parts to clean are the chamber and bore, the gas tube, the bolt and bolt carrier, the muzzle brake and the threads on the end of barrel.
I've run my AK during training days where shooting started around 9 am, it was raining the whole day, and I cleaned the gun at about 7 pm, with no rust or corrosion. I've shot about 1500 - 2000 rounds of the Yugo ammo total. I could probably get by with less cleaning, but this is a level of cleaning that I have found to be fast and effective.
Some other links that you might find useful and are sufficiently lazy for me:
Shooting and cleaning after corrosive ammo (Box of Truth)
Key concepts:
The primers in corrosive ammo contains salts that attract and hold water, causing rust. The salts are water soluble. The best way to get rid of them is to wash them away with water. The idea of 'neutralizing' the salts with ammonia or other chemicals is not necessary, and is dubious as to whether it works at all. Heating the water or adding soap would help in the cleaning but is more effort and is unnecessary. We want to make sure that the water we use to clean the gun doesn't get trapped in any nooks and crannies and cause rust itself. So we either displace it with WD-40 or use Ballistol which will protect the gun until after the water evaporates.
Ballistol is a gun oil that emulsifies in water. When you use Ballistol diluted with water, the water component can dissolve the corrosive salts, and then when/as it evaporates, the oil component is left behind to protect from rust.
I have 2 different procedures that I use, depending on how dirty it is.
Procedure 1, for when it's really dirty:
1) Field strip the gun, and spray everything dirty in the gun with water from a hose, including the bore. If you can get hot water to come out of your hose, that would be desirable, but if not, cold water is fine. If there are patches of crud that aren't coming off, brush them with a bronze brush while spraying them with water.
2) Run a boresnake through the bore a few times with a light coating of CLP or similar oil on the brush part. Wash the boresnake later with the hose to get rid of any residual salts.
3) Spray everywhere that water was sprayed with WD-40 to displace the remaining water. This does not include the bore, since the snake + oiling should have taken care of that.
4) Wipe everything down with paper towels.
5) On parts of the gun that need lubrication, add gun oil or grease. I wouldn't consider the WD-40 a good lube in itself.
Procedure 2, for when it's not that dirty:
1) Field strip the gun. With a spray bottle full of Ballistol diluted 1 part Ballistol to 9 parts water, spray everything dirty in the gun, including the bore.
2) Run a boresnake through the bore a few times with a light coating of CLP or similar oil on the brush part. Wash the boresnake later with the hose to get rid of any residual salts.
3) Wipe everything down with paper towels
4) Lubricate the gun as needed.
Neither procedure should take more than 10 minutes, and you can probably get it down to less than 5 with practice.
On an AK, the key parts to clean are the chamber and bore, the gas tube, the bolt and bolt carrier, the muzzle brake and the threads on the end of barrel.
I've run my AK during training days where shooting started around 9 am, it was raining the whole day, and I cleaned the gun at about 7 pm, with no rust or corrosion. I've shot about 1500 - 2000 rounds of the Yugo ammo total. I could probably get by with less cleaning, but this is a level of cleaning that I have found to be fast and effective.
Some other links that you might find useful and are sufficiently lazy for me:
Shooting and cleaning after corrosive ammo (Box of Truth)
Friday, September 9, 2011
Comment page for the list of San Francisco Bay Area firearms trainers
This is a placeholder for comments about the trainer list which is at http://jumpthestack.blogspot.com/p/san-francisco-bay-area-firearms.html
I made this because static pages can't receive comments, but blog posts can.
I made this because static pages can't receive comments, but blog posts can.
Training scars: no-look holstering
This one is probably somewhat controversial. See http://jumpthestack.blogspot.com/p/about-me-contact.html for a disclaimer on my qualifications or lack thereof.
A lot of trainers focus on always holstering without looking. I think this is overrated in terms of importance. Remember, you only holster once you are fairly certain the situation is over. One should always holster slowly and reluctantly, for safety purposes. So, it's a relatively safe time, when looking down for one second is not that big of a lapse in awareness.
It has happened before that a piece of someone's shirt or various straps or other pieces of gear get snagged on the trigger as a person goes to holster, causing an unintended discharge even though the person was keeping his finger straight and away from the trigger. This is especially likely with concealment holsters that hold the gun close to the body. Holstering slowly and carefully would also help prevent that, and the shooter should pause if he feels any resistance while holstering.
But taking a quick peek would certainly help prevent this issue as well.
Practicing holstering without looking is a useful skill that people should practice, that could be useful in some limited situations. But I think it is overemphasized sometimes.
Edit- FYI, I recently took a class from Kyle Defoor, who advocated looking at the holster as you holster, for pretty much the same reasons as above.
A lot of trainers focus on always holstering without looking. I think this is overrated in terms of importance. Remember, you only holster once you are fairly certain the situation is over. One should always holster slowly and reluctantly, for safety purposes. So, it's a relatively safe time, when looking down for one second is not that big of a lapse in awareness.
It has happened before that a piece of someone's shirt or various straps or other pieces of gear get snagged on the trigger as a person goes to holster, causing an unintended discharge even though the person was keeping his finger straight and away from the trigger. This is especially likely with concealment holsters that hold the gun close to the body. Holstering slowly and carefully would also help prevent that, and the shooter should pause if he feels any resistance while holstering.
But taking a quick peek would certainly help prevent this issue as well.
Practicing holstering without looking is a useful skill that people should practice, that could be useful in some limited situations. But I think it is overemphasized sometimes.
Edit- FYI, I recently took a class from Kyle Defoor, who advocated looking at the holster as you holster, for pretty much the same reasons as above.
Training scars: fast scan and assess
One common practice in firearms training is to scan and assess after finishing a firing string. The purpose is to break tunnel vision after focusing on the target, and to maintain awareness of your surroundings. This is a good idea, but in practice it's sometimes done in a way that's less than optimal.
A lot of people swivel their heads to the left and right really fast. The problem with this is that if you turn your head that fast, it's hard to actually see anything. It would be better to turn your head relatively slowly, enough that you can pick out distinct details. If you actually can see things while moving your head that fast, that's fine, but make sure you can. It's good to try to actually pick something to the side of or behind you that you see and take note of, just to force yourself to look for real.
Another common practice is to only look left and right. It would be better to make sure to look behind you as well.
There's also some small controversy over whether or not the muzzle should move with your eyes. I think that obviously if you're going to look to your sides or behind you, you can't keep the muzzle pointed in those directions, so it's better to keep it simple and keep the gun pointed at the original target or straight down while you look.
A lot of people swivel their heads to the left and right really fast. The problem with this is that if you turn your head that fast, it's hard to actually see anything. It would be better to turn your head relatively slowly, enough that you can pick out distinct details. If you actually can see things while moving your head that fast, that's fine, but make sure you can. It's good to try to actually pick something to the side of or behind you that you see and take note of, just to force yourself to look for real.
Another common practice is to only look left and right. It would be better to make sure to look behind you as well.
There's also some small controversy over whether or not the muzzle should move with your eyes. I think that obviously if you're going to look to your sides or behind you, you can't keep the muzzle pointed in those directions, so it's better to keep it simple and keep the gun pointed at the original target or straight down while you look.
Center Mass Group on Habits of highly effective shooters
Center Mass Group is run by retired Navy Seals, and they have an excellent blog. I especially like their series "Seven habits of highly effective shooters", which is about the fundamentals of marksmanship. Articles so far:
http://centermassgroup.com/2011/07/the-first-habit-of-highly-effective-shooters/
http://centermassgroup.com/2011/08/the-second-habit-of-highly-effective-shooters/
http://centermassgroup.com/2011/09/the-third-habit-of-highly-effective-shooters/
http://centermassgroup.com/2011/09/the-fourth-habit-of-highly-effective-shooters/
http://www.itstactical.com/warcom/firearms/you-want-me-to-do-what-with-my-finger/
http://centermassgroup.com/2011/07/the-first-habit-of-highly-effective-shooters/
http://centermassgroup.com/2011/08/the-second-habit-of-highly-effective-shooters/
http://centermassgroup.com/2011/09/the-third-habit-of-highly-effective-shooters/
http://centermassgroup.com/2011/09/the-fourth-habit-of-highly-effective-shooters/
http://www.itstactical.com/warcom/firearms/you-want-me-to-do-what-with-my-finger/
Sunday, June 19, 2011
handgun correction chart
From time to time, on a forum someone will ask about shooting problems that they're having, and someone will post this chart, or one like it:
It's fine for what it is, but realize that
a) It was made for shooters shooting one handed bullseye style
b) There can be many causes for shooting errors in any given direction, so don't take the chart as gospel.
I like this one better: (seen on ar15.com at http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=5&f=13&t=109634
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Larry Vickers on 1911s
http://militarytimes.com/blogs/gearscout/2011/06/08/read-this-before-you-buy-your-first-1911/
Really interesting article by Vickers on choosing a 1911, and whether or not to choose a 1911.
See also
http://vickerstactical.com/faqs-with-larry-vickers/
Really interesting article by Vickers on choosing a 1911, and whether or not to choose a 1911.
See also
http://vickerstactical.com/faqs-with-larry-vickers/
Sunday, May 8, 2011
List of holster makers I'm interested in
This page is intended to be a reference of holster makers that I'm interested in. I always forget the names of some of the less popular ones. They are mostly custom makers of pancake style Kydex holsters of the type pioneered by Raven.
http://www.ravenconcealmentsystems.com/ Raven Concealment
http://www.calsentllc.com/page04.html Kaluban Cloak
http://www.shop.peterscustomholsters.com/ Peters Custom
http://www.psholsters.com/ Personal Security Systems
http://www.talontactical.com/ Talon Tactical
http://www.ntacholsters.com/store/Default.asp NTAC
http://www.caneandderby.com/ Cane & Derby
http://www.atomicdogholsters.com/Main.html Atomic Dog
http://www.pitbulltactical.com/ Pitbull Tactical
http://www.jmcustomkydex.com/
http://www.kolbesonleatherworks.com/
http://www.ravenconcealmentsystems.com/ Raven Concealment
http://www.calsentllc.com/page04.html Kaluban Cloak
http://www.shop.peterscustomholsters.com/ Peters Custom
http://www.psholsters.com/ Personal Security Systems
http://www.talontactical.com/ Talon Tactical
http://www.ntacholsters.com/store/Default.asp NTAC
http://www.caneandderby.com/ Cane & Derby
http://www.atomicdogholsters.com/Main.html Atomic Dog
http://www.pitbulltactical.com/ Pitbull Tactical
http://www.jmcustomkydex.com/
http://www.kolbesonleatherworks.com/
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Training review: John Jardine 1911 Essentials
I attended the first 1911 Essentials class taught by gunsmith John Jardine at Reed's Indoor Range in Santa Clara.
The blurb on Reed's site states:
He noticed some problems with the improperly fitted extractor on my 1911 and demonstrated the problems it was having holding proper tension even after fiddling with it for a while, and how it was rotating(clocking) slightly. I left it with him and picked it up the next day with a new extractor fitted and tensioned and with some other minor work he'd done after noticing problems during the extractor fitting process. He charged a very reasonable rate for the work and it was obvious that he cared about the students and their learning and making sure they were satisfied with the class and the work. Note: he did not in any way solicit gunsmithing business from the students. A few people, including me, approached him and asked about it.
The negative thing I would say about the class is that most students, including myself, had very little experience detail stripping and reassembling the 1911, so he had to come around to each person and help them out, which took a really long time. It would have been better if he had some assistants to help everybody, or if maybe he showed a video clip on the projector of how to do each step, so that only people who were having serious problems would need help.
I would say the class is well worth your time and money if you're a 1911 aficionado. The 1911 as a serious defensive use gun is best suited for those who are willing to take the time and effort to maintain it properly and check it regularly for problems. See http://vickerstactical.com/faqs-with-larry-vickers/
The blurb on Reed's site states:
John Jardine is a master pistolsmith who has enjoyed a well-deserved reputation for simply outstanding work. Firearms produced by Jardine's Custom are heirloom quality pieces of work. Made to be functional and reliable yet with attention to beauty and the fit and finish that customers expect in a truly custom-made firearm.
Jardine's 1911 EssentialsThe class covered detail stripping the 1911, cleaning and lubing it, checking the extractor tension and retensioning it, inspecting the pistol for common problems, and Jardine answered many questions, and took a look at students' 1911s and found various minor or major problems with most of the students' pistols, including several very expensive pistols from highly regarded makers. He repeatedly stated his opinion that the firearms industry as a whole cuts corners in terms of quality because most guns don't get shot enough for problems with them to become apparent. It was very clear that in his own work he considers it very important to take the time to do it right, even if it ends up costing more. He also noted repeatedly that the standard 5" government size 1911 in .45 ACP tends to be the most reliable, and that shortening the length of the slide makes it much more difficult to keep the gun running reliably.
A 6 hour course designed to teach you cleaning, maintainance, diagnosis, performance, enhancements, and more. This class is sure to save anyone owning a 1911 pistol both time, and money. $200.00
He noticed some problems with the improperly fitted extractor on my 1911 and demonstrated the problems it was having holding proper tension even after fiddling with it for a while, and how it was rotating(clocking) slightly. I left it with him and picked it up the next day with a new extractor fitted and tensioned and with some other minor work he'd done after noticing problems during the extractor fitting process. He charged a very reasonable rate for the work and it was obvious that he cared about the students and their learning and making sure they were satisfied with the class and the work. Note: he did not in any way solicit gunsmithing business from the students. A few people, including me, approached him and asked about it.
The negative thing I would say about the class is that most students, including myself, had very little experience detail stripping and reassembling the 1911, so he had to come around to each person and help them out, which took a really long time. It would have been better if he had some assistants to help everybody, or if maybe he showed a video clip on the projector of how to do each step, so that only people who were having serious problems would need help.
I would say the class is well worth your time and money if you're a 1911 aficionado. The 1911 as a serious defensive use gun is best suited for those who are willing to take the time and effort to maintain it properly and check it regularly for problems. See http://vickerstactical.com/faqs-with-larry-vickers/
Hand loading dummy rounds for ball and dummy drill
I was watching Hickock45's video on trigger control, which is pretty good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xa5JPLGIsU
My tip on trigger control is at http://jumpthestack.blogspot.com/2010/12/trigger-control.html
and he mentions doing the ball and dummy drill, in which you load a number of live rounds and dummy rounds into a magazine in random order and detect flinching when you drop the hammer on a dummy round. That drill is very useful for detecting and correcting problems with your trigger control.
He mentioned that he hand loads some dummy rounds with no primer or powder for use in this drill, rather than using commercial snap caps. This is a great idea. I wouldn't want to use relatively expensive snap caps for this at the range because there's a good chance that they'll get lost. Also because commercial snap caps look and feel so different from real rounds that if I was loading the mag myself, I would know which ones they were.
I generally had not been interested in loading dummy rounds myself for use dry firing at home because I was afraid that I might accidentally load a live round and not know the difference. But for the purpose of this specific drill, the dummy rounds would only be used at the range while pointed at the backstop anyways. And when I load them into the mag, if I don't specifically look at the primer, I can't tell them from live rounds so they are more likely to surprise me and reveal my flinch. If you don't reload, an alternate option is to use snap caps but just mix live rounds and snap caps in multiple magazines and put the magazines in a bag and shuffle them and pick a random magazine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xa5JPLGIsU
My tip on trigger control is at http://jumpthestack.blogspot.com/2010/12/trigger-control.html
and he mentions doing the ball and dummy drill, in which you load a number of live rounds and dummy rounds into a magazine in random order and detect flinching when you drop the hammer on a dummy round. That drill is very useful for detecting and correcting problems with your trigger control.
He mentioned that he hand loads some dummy rounds with no primer or powder for use in this drill, rather than using commercial snap caps. This is a great idea. I wouldn't want to use relatively expensive snap caps for this at the range because there's a good chance that they'll get lost. Also because commercial snap caps look and feel so different from real rounds that if I was loading the mag myself, I would know which ones they were.
I generally had not been interested in loading dummy rounds myself for use dry firing at home because I was afraid that I might accidentally load a live round and not know the difference. But for the purpose of this specific drill, the dummy rounds would only be used at the range while pointed at the backstop anyways. And when I load them into the mag, if I don't specifically look at the primer, I can't tell them from live rounds so they are more likely to surprise me and reveal my flinch. If you don't reload, an alternate option is to use snap caps but just mix live rounds and snap caps in multiple magazines and put the magazines in a bag and shuffle them and pick a random magazine.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
S&W M&P vs Glock
S&W M&P vs Glock
See also http://jumpthestack.blogspot.com/2009/10/glock-vs-springfield-xd.html
M&P pros:
- Arguably more ergonomically contoured grip and adjustable backstraps (the gen 4 Glocks have adjustable backstraps. I haven't held one so I don't know how it feels, but I don't like the feel of the older Glocks)
- Can be field stripped without dry firing
- Comes with steel sights vs Glock's plastic sights
- Traditional rifling means you can shoot lead bullets through it, as opposed to the Glock's polygonal rifling
- Ambidextrous slide release
- Beavertail grip prevents hand bite.
- Traditional 1911 style grip angle provides similar feel to other guns
- Smith and Wesson is an American based company if that matters
Glock pros:
- Magazines less expensive
- Greater availability of spare factory or aftermarket parts / holsters
- Longer track record of service
- Shorter, more positive trigger reset (The Apex RAM for the M&P is an aftermarket part that can improve the M&P in this regard).
- Pisses off anti-gunners more
- I don't have direct experience, but I've read the Glock is easier to detail strip.
Arguable:
The M&P is available with an ambi thumb safety on some models.
The M&P comes with a magazine disconnect on most models, which some people may or may not like, but it's easily removable.
The M&P is more likely to auto-forward often when you slam a mag in while the slide is locked back. If you get the technique right, it will do it every time. This may or may not be desirable depending on preference.
See also http://jumpthestack.blogspot.com/2009/10/glock-vs-springfield-xd.html
M&P pros:
- Arguably more ergonomically contoured grip and adjustable backstraps (the gen 4 Glocks have adjustable backstraps. I haven't held one so I don't know how it feels, but I don't like the feel of the older Glocks)
- Can be field stripped without dry firing
- Comes with steel sights vs Glock's plastic sights
- Traditional rifling means you can shoot lead bullets through it, as opposed to the Glock's polygonal rifling
- Ambidextrous slide release
- Beavertail grip prevents hand bite.
- Traditional 1911 style grip angle provides similar feel to other guns
- Smith and Wesson is an American based company if that matters
Glock pros:
- Magazines less expensive
- Greater availability of spare factory or aftermarket parts / holsters
- Longer track record of service
- Shorter, more positive trigger reset (The Apex RAM for the M&P is an aftermarket part that can improve the M&P in this regard).
- Pisses off anti-gunners more
- I don't have direct experience, but I've read the Glock is easier to detail strip.
Arguable:
The M&P is available with an ambi thumb safety on some models.
The M&P comes with a magazine disconnect on most models, which some people may or may not like, but it's easily removable.
The M&P is more likely to auto-forward often when you slam a mag in while the slide is locked back. If you get the technique right, it will do it every time. This may or may not be desirable depending on preference.
DIY Kydex links
I read a few forum threads about how easy it is to make custom Kydex holsters and mag pouches and such, and I purchased some gear from knifekits.com and will give it a try when it gets here.
It looks really easy and enjoyable, and you can save a lot of money and time spent waiting for commercial holster vendors to work through their backlog (Currently 16-18 weeks lead time for Raven Concealment, and Kaluban Cloak was about 8 weeks, for example). And you can choose a lot of different colors or camo patterns for the Kydex, and make gear for rare guns or gun/flashlight combinations that otherwise would be unattainable. For example, I'm thinking of making a sheath for my cheap Romanian AK bayonet, just for fun.
Some tips I've gleaned from reading a bunch of threads:
- Don't heat the kydex in the same oven you use for food. It can release toxic chemicals. Use a dedicated toaster oven.
- If making a holster for a gun with a weapon mounted light, you need to make a jig to cover the trigger guard area. If you didn't, then the kydex pressed in around the trigger guard would prevent the light from coming out.
- Buying a kydex press is a waste of money, but do get the nice 1 inch thick PVC or neoprene foam from a vendor like knifekits. Many sources said the sleeping mat foam was not as good.
M4carbine how to make a kydex holster picture tutorial
http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=64714
http://knifedogs.com/showthread.php?10608-Kydex-Press-My-Way
http://knifedogs.com/showthread.php?1687-Building-a-Kydex-press-and-making-a-Kydex-Sheath-Tutorial
Kydex pouch for ar-15
http://www.migunowners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=87106
http://www.derekleewo.com/wp/2009/04/10/homemade-leatherkydex-tuckable-iwb-holster/
Another tuckable crossbreed ripoff
http://nicksfirearms.wordpress.com/2011/01/18/project-p11/
Forming kydex belt loops
http://www.paracordsecrets.com/articles/22/article.html
Holster tutorial
http://www.steyrclub.com/vb/threads/2602-Procedure-For-Forming-Kydex
Big Do it yourself kydex thread
http://www.ar15.com/FORUMS/topic.html?b=10&f=17&t=628104&page=1
Podcast on getting started with Kydex
http://www.gunfightercast.com/wordpress/2011/01/20/gc-038-getting-started-with-kydex/
It looks really easy and enjoyable, and you can save a lot of money and time spent waiting for commercial holster vendors to work through their backlog (Currently 16-18 weeks lead time for Raven Concealment, and Kaluban Cloak was about 8 weeks, for example). And you can choose a lot of different colors or camo patterns for the Kydex, and make gear for rare guns or gun/flashlight combinations that otherwise would be unattainable. For example, I'm thinking of making a sheath for my cheap Romanian AK bayonet, just for fun.
Some tips I've gleaned from reading a bunch of threads:
- Don't heat the kydex in the same oven you use for food. It can release toxic chemicals. Use a dedicated toaster oven.
- If making a holster for a gun with a weapon mounted light, you need to make a jig to cover the trigger guard area. If you didn't, then the kydex pressed in around the trigger guard would prevent the light from coming out.
- Buying a kydex press is a waste of money, but do get the nice 1 inch thick PVC or neoprene foam from a vendor like knifekits. Many sources said the sleeping mat foam was not as good.
M4carbine how to make a kydex holster picture tutorial
http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=64714
http://knifedogs.com/showthread.php?10608-Kydex-Press-My-Way
http://knifedogs.com/showthread.php?1687-Building-a-Kydex-press-and-making-a-Kydex-Sheath-Tutorial
Kydex pouch for ar-15
http://www.migunowners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=87106
http://www.derekleewo.com/wp/2009/04/10/homemade-leatherkydex-tuckable-iwb-holster/
Another tuckable crossbreed ripoff
http://nicksfirearms.wordpress.com/2011/01/18/project-p11/
Forming kydex belt loops
http://www.paracordsecrets.com/articles/22/article.html
Holster tutorial
http://www.steyrclub.com/vb/threads/2602-Procedure-For-Forming-Kydex
Big Do it yourself kydex thread
http://www.ar15.com/FORUMS/topic.html?b=10&f=17&t=628104&page=1
Podcast on getting started with Kydex
http://www.gunfightercast.com/wordpress/2011/01/20/gc-038-getting-started-with-kydex/
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Tactical preschool blog series
http://tgace.wordpress.com/category/tactical-preschool/
A nice series of posts on an introduction to (mostly) room entry and clearing tactics, with helpful illustrations.
A nice series of posts on an introduction to (mostly) room entry and clearing tactics, with helpful illustrations.
Steve Levitt on crack economics
http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_levitt_analyzes_crack_economics.html
...
From the transcript:
Freakonomics author Steven Levitt presents new data on the finances of drug dealing. Contrary to popular myth, he says, being a street-corner crack dealer isn’t lucrative: It pays below minimum wage. And your boss can kill you.
...
From the transcript:
But then we asked the gang member, "Well, why is it you always get paid, and your workers don't always get paid?" His response is, "You got all these n[..] below you who want your job, you dig? If you start taking losses, they see you as weak and shit." And I thought about it, and I said, "CEOs often pay themselves million-dollar bonuses, even when companies are losing a lot of money. And it never would really occur to an economist that this idea of 'weak and shit' could really be important." But maybe -- maybe "weak and shit" -- maybe "weak and shit" is an important hypothesis that needs more analysis.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Trigger control
For more technique tips: http://jumpthestack.blogspot.com/search/label/shooting%20tips
The most difficult part of shooting any gun accurately is trigger control. Here is my step by step guide to proper trigger control. A lot of this material came from taking Louis Awerbuck classes, especially the follow through and trigger reset sections. Follow through and reset are the most underrated areas of trigger control, and learning them helped me a lot. Any part that you think is incorrect is probably from my interpretation of the material.
During this whole procedure, you should have a hard focus on the front sight. This is because you're trying to line up the rear sight, front sight, and target. By focusing on the middle object, you can best keep all three aligned.
1) Touch the trigger.
What part of your finger you use depends on both the gun that you're using, and your own body. You should pull the trigger somewhere between the tip of your trigger finger and your first knuckle. It doesn't need to be complicated, because you'll instinctively know what's right. But here is an analysis for those who like to think about things in detail. The part of the trigger finger that you use depends on:
a) The weight of the trigger pull and your own hand strength. Pulling the trigger with the part of your finger near the tip may have finer control, but it will be weaker. Pulling the trigger with your first knuckle will have a little less fine control, but have more strength. You'll want to match the strength of your pull with the weight of the trigger.
b) The distance between the trigger and the back of the grip, and the size of your hands. A long trigger like on a double action revolver may require you to touch the trigger with your finger closer to the tip, especially if you have small hands, which would be undesirable since the trigger pull would be heavy. (see http://www.personaldefensenetwork.com/articles/handguns/dealing-with-the-double-action-trigger/ for more on double action triggers). A gun with a short trigger and thin grip like on a 1911 would allow you to use any part of your finger that you choose.
2) Take up the slack
Press the trigger through the light section of the pull until you start to feel some resistance. If you just smash through the slack, then when you hit the firm part of the trigger, you'll have too much momentum and slap the trigger, pulling the gun off target. Thus this section has to be distinct from step 3.
3) Press the trigger directly to the rear until the gun goes bang
As you press the trigger it should be moving at a constant velocity. We don't want any stop and go. During this process, the sights will be wobbling a little on the target. Accept this, and don't try to hit perfectly. If you try to wait until the sights are perfectly aligned and then yank the trigger fast, you will pull the gun way off target.
4) Follow through
After the gun goes bang, the muzzle will rise a little. Maintain focus on the front sight. Do NOT look at the target to see where you hit. If you get in the habit of looking at the target immediately after shooting, you will sometimes lower the gun while shooting so you can see the target, and end up shooting low. After you pull the trigger, the sear releases, the striker/firing pin hits the primer, which ignites the powder, which creates expanding gases, propelling the bullet out the barrel. This all happens pretty fast, but you can mess it up before the bullet leaves the barrel.
5) Reset the trigger
Keeping your finger on the trigger, let the trigger out just until you hear and/or feel a click, indicating that the trigger has reset and the gun is ready to fire again. Do NOT chuck your finger off the trigger immediately after shooting. If you get in the habit of taking your finger off the trigger immediately, you will sometimes end up shooting left(as a right hander). For that reason, you should always reset the trigger before taking your finger off the trigger, even if you're only taking one shot.
However, if you're taking more than one shot, there is an additional benefit. When you only let the trigger out to reset, the next trigger pull will be as short and light as possible for that particular gun, which means you start about halfway through step 3 for your next shot.
The most difficult part of shooting any gun accurately is trigger control. Here is my step by step guide to proper trigger control. A lot of this material came from taking Louis Awerbuck classes, especially the follow through and trigger reset sections. Follow through and reset are the most underrated areas of trigger control, and learning them helped me a lot. Any part that you think is incorrect is probably from my interpretation of the material.
During this whole procedure, you should have a hard focus on the front sight. This is because you're trying to line up the rear sight, front sight, and target. By focusing on the middle object, you can best keep all three aligned.
1) Touch the trigger.
What part of your finger you use depends on both the gun that you're using, and your own body. You should pull the trigger somewhere between the tip of your trigger finger and your first knuckle. It doesn't need to be complicated, because you'll instinctively know what's right. But here is an analysis for those who like to think about things in detail. The part of the trigger finger that you use depends on:
a) The weight of the trigger pull and your own hand strength. Pulling the trigger with the part of your finger near the tip may have finer control, but it will be weaker. Pulling the trigger with your first knuckle will have a little less fine control, but have more strength. You'll want to match the strength of your pull with the weight of the trigger.
b) The distance between the trigger and the back of the grip, and the size of your hands. A long trigger like on a double action revolver may require you to touch the trigger with your finger closer to the tip, especially if you have small hands, which would be undesirable since the trigger pull would be heavy. (see http://www.personaldefensenetwork.com/articles/handguns/dealing-with-the-double-action-trigger/ for more on double action triggers). A gun with a short trigger and thin grip like on a 1911 would allow you to use any part of your finger that you choose.
2) Take up the slack
Press the trigger through the light section of the pull until you start to feel some resistance. If you just smash through the slack, then when you hit the firm part of the trigger, you'll have too much momentum and slap the trigger, pulling the gun off target. Thus this section has to be distinct from step 3.
3) Press the trigger directly to the rear until the gun goes bang
As you press the trigger it should be moving at a constant velocity. We don't want any stop and go. During this process, the sights will be wobbling a little on the target. Accept this, and don't try to hit perfectly. If you try to wait until the sights are perfectly aligned and then yank the trigger fast, you will pull the gun way off target.
4) Follow through
After the gun goes bang, the muzzle will rise a little. Maintain focus on the front sight. Do NOT look at the target to see where you hit. If you get in the habit of looking at the target immediately after shooting, you will sometimes lower the gun while shooting so you can see the target, and end up shooting low. After you pull the trigger, the sear releases, the striker/firing pin hits the primer, which ignites the powder, which creates expanding gases, propelling the bullet out the barrel. This all happens pretty fast, but you can mess it up before the bullet leaves the barrel.
5) Reset the trigger
Keeping your finger on the trigger, let the trigger out just until you hear and/or feel a click, indicating that the trigger has reset and the gun is ready to fire again. Do NOT chuck your finger off the trigger immediately after shooting. If you get in the habit of taking your finger off the trigger immediately, you will sometimes end up shooting left(as a right hander). For that reason, you should always reset the trigger before taking your finger off the trigger, even if you're only taking one shot.
However, if you're taking more than one shot, there is an additional benefit. When you only let the trigger out to reset, the next trigger pull will be as short and light as possible for that particular gun, which means you start about halfway through step 3 for your next shot.
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