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.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
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/
2012 edit: There has been an explosion in new holster makers recently and I'm not interested in keeping up with all of them. I'd recommend checking the sticky thread on m4carbine.net "A compiled list of holster makers" http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=34835
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/
2012 edit: There has been an explosion in new holster makers recently and I'm not interested in keeping up with all of them. I'd recommend checking the sticky thread on m4carbine.net "A compiled list of holster makers" http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=34835
Saturday, April 9, 2011
John Jardine 1911 Essentials class AAR
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
- Glocks are easier to detail strip. A complete detail strip can be done with just a Glock disassembly tool or equivalent punch. The M&P requires taking the rear sight off to get at the striker block, and then once you do, there's a spring loaded plate covering it which is easily lost. The M&P also has an easily lost spring loaded detent under the sear, and an easily lost takedown lever retaining wire connected(but not secured) to the sear block, and on non-thumb safety, non-ILS models there is an easily lost little plastic circle that covers the hole where the thumb safety or ILS would go, and which is not secured when the sear housing block is out.
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
- Glocks are easier to detail strip. A complete detail strip can be done with just a Glock disassembly tool or equivalent punch. The M&P requires taking the rear sight off to get at the striker block, and then once you do, there's a spring loaded plate covering it which is easily lost. The M&P also has an easily lost spring loaded detent under the sear, and an easily lost takedown lever retaining wire connected(but not secured) to the sear block, and on non-thumb safety, non-ILS models there is an easily lost little plastic circle that covers the hole where the thumb safety or ILS would go, and which is not secured when the sear housing block is out.
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.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Poor SIG Sauer customer service experience
I bought my SIG P220 Equinox, and put about 600 rounds through it, with failures to feed or extract about once per 100 rounds. I sent it back to SIG and they polished the feed ramp and changed the extractor, and did their action enhancement package and short reset trigger (AEP and SRT) at my request, which I paid for. Reliability seemed to be improved, with about one malfunction in another 500 rounds.
I bought the .22LR conversion kit for the P220 when it was on sale last holiday season. From the start it had numerous failures, about 3 out of every 10 shots, with all different kinds of ammo. I eventually sent it back(the .22LR upper with the P220 frame). After 8 weeks I finally heard back: my frame was out of spec so it couldn't be repaired, and they wanted to send me a new gun. Where I live in CA, an out of state transfer on a new gun costs about 75 bucks, but they were not willing to reimburse me for the transfer fee. They were willing to throw in two .45 ACP P220 mags instead.
When I mentioned that I had the AEP and SRT done on the old gun, he said he couldn't find any record of it in the computer system, so he couldn't authorize having it done, but then I dug up the old RMA number and he then could check the record and then he authorized it.
So I said okay, and gave them the info for the FFL to send it to, and specifically requested that they let me know when it ships and send a tracking number.
About a month goes by and I haven't heard anything so I asked my FFL if it came in. He said yes, it had been there for two weeks. SIG had not included any contact info with the box indicating who it was for, so the FFL had no idea who to contact to let me know it was in. SIG had also not contacted me at all when it shipped. It came back with a new .45 upper on it. It came back in a different, smaller box than the factory box I sent it in. I'm not sure if it has the AEP and SRT, the trigger pull is smooth but seems to be heavier than I remember in double action. The reset is short but I can't remember how long it was originally to compare it to. It did not include the .22LR conversion kit. It did include the 2 spare .45 mags which I didn't need.
I called and asked where the .22 kit was. The customer service rep said that I had to send in the old .45 upper and then they would send me the .22 kit. Nobody had mentioned this to me before. So now I'm about to send it back and wait for that. Of course, we have no guarantees that the new gun won't have all the same plethora of problems the old gun has. The new gun they sent me is still in its 10 day California waiting period so I have no idea what problems it may have.
So basically my impression of SIG is that their quality is terrible and their customer service is not much better. The customer service is very disorganized and non responsive. Due to the crappy quality of their gun, which cost twice as much as a Glock btw, I've been without my gun for about 3 months, I'm out the transfer fee out of my own pocket, and I may or may not end up with a gun that runs properly, that remains to be seen. I would be very reluctant to buy any more SIG products.
On the plus side, they always paid for shipping both ways and they do seem willing to make things right.
Update: I finally received the new .22LR conversion kit. The barrel had some slight pitting spots that look like rust spots all over it. When I installed it on the P220, it wouldn't return to battery at all without forcefully pushing the slide forward. The movement of the slide felt very sticky. This was after cleaning and lubing it. I racked it by hand about 200 times, at which point the action was fairly smooth. When I shot it, it was pretty reliable with CCI Mini-mags, Winchester Super-X, and Federal bulk pack. There were some feeding problems with Wolf match ammo, but overall it's now performing as I would expect. The point of impact was a few inches above the point of aim at 7 yards, and I had to crank the adjustable rear sight down almost all the way before they were at the same point. Overall it's now at an acceptable state where I wouldn't really complain or try to return it.
I also shot about 100 factory rounds and 50 of my reloads through the P220 .45, with no malfunctions. I noticed that the sights were set up so that the point of impact coincides with the front sight dot, not the top edge of the front sight. This was the same setup that the old one had, and is not to my liking but is not that big of a deal I guess. To SIG's credit, in the end, I ended up with an apparently working gun and .22 conversion kit.
I bought the .22LR conversion kit for the P220 when it was on sale last holiday season. From the start it had numerous failures, about 3 out of every 10 shots, with all different kinds of ammo. I eventually sent it back(the .22LR upper with the P220 frame). After 8 weeks I finally heard back: my frame was out of spec so it couldn't be repaired, and they wanted to send me a new gun. Where I live in CA, an out of state transfer on a new gun costs about 75 bucks, but they were not willing to reimburse me for the transfer fee. They were willing to throw in two .45 ACP P220 mags instead.
When I mentioned that I had the AEP and SRT done on the old gun, he said he couldn't find any record of it in the computer system, so he couldn't authorize having it done, but then I dug up the old RMA number and he then could check the record and then he authorized it.
So I said okay, and gave them the info for the FFL to send it to, and specifically requested that they let me know when it ships and send a tracking number.
About a month goes by and I haven't heard anything so I asked my FFL if it came in. He said yes, it had been there for two weeks. SIG had not included any contact info with the box indicating who it was for, so the FFL had no idea who to contact to let me know it was in. SIG had also not contacted me at all when it shipped. It came back with a new .45 upper on it. It came back in a different, smaller box than the factory box I sent it in. I'm not sure if it has the AEP and SRT, the trigger pull is smooth but seems to be heavier than I remember in double action. The reset is short but I can't remember how long it was originally to compare it to. It did not include the .22LR conversion kit. It did include the 2 spare .45 mags which I didn't need.
I called and asked where the .22 kit was. The customer service rep said that I had to send in the old .45 upper and then they would send me the .22 kit. Nobody had mentioned this to me before. So now I'm about to send it back and wait for that. Of course, we have no guarantees that the new gun won't have all the same plethora of problems the old gun has. The new gun they sent me is still in its 10 day California waiting period so I have no idea what problems it may have.
So basically my impression of SIG is that their quality is terrible and their customer service is not much better. The customer service is very disorganized and non responsive. Due to the crappy quality of their gun, which cost twice as much as a Glock btw, I've been without my gun for about 3 months, I'm out the transfer fee out of my own pocket, and I may or may not end up with a gun that runs properly, that remains to be seen. I would be very reluctant to buy any more SIG products.
On the plus side, they always paid for shipping both ways and they do seem willing to make things right.
Update: I finally received the new .22LR conversion kit. The barrel had some slight pitting spots that look like rust spots all over it. When I installed it on the P220, it wouldn't return to battery at all without forcefully pushing the slide forward. The movement of the slide felt very sticky. This was after cleaning and lubing it. I racked it by hand about 200 times, at which point the action was fairly smooth. When I shot it, it was pretty reliable with CCI Mini-mags, Winchester Super-X, and Federal bulk pack. There were some feeding problems with Wolf match ammo, but overall it's now performing as I would expect. The point of impact was a few inches above the point of aim at 7 yards, and I had to crank the adjustable rear sight down almost all the way before they were at the same point. Overall it's now at an acceptable state where I wouldn't really complain or try to return it.
I also shot about 100 factory rounds and 50 of my reloads through the P220 .45, with no malfunctions. I noticed that the sights were set up so that the point of impact coincides with the front sight dot, not the top edge of the front sight. This was the same setup that the old one had, and is not to my liking but is not that big of a deal I guess. To SIG's credit, in the end, I ended up with an apparently working gun and .22 conversion kit.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Ejection port loading vs magazine tube loading on a pump shotgun
A lot of trainers teach that when your pump shotgun is empty, you should pull the bolt back, load a round into the ejection port, and push the bolt forward.
This is supposedly faster than loading from the magazine tube, but its speed is predicated on the assumption that you'd know exactly when you fired the last round, then pull the bolt back and leave it back.
That's a bad assumption. In a fight, it would be difficult to keep track of how many rounds you fired, especially if you're loading extra rounds into the mag any time you get a chance.
As a matter of training, every time you fire a pump action shotgun, you should automatically, without pausing, rack it completely, all the way to the rear and then forward. Your bolt should never be just sitting open to the rear during a fight. If your bolt is forward and you hear a click, the easiest thing to do would be to load a round in the mag tube, then rack the bolt completely back and forward to load the round. This has the advantage that you only need to practice one way of loading, which is a big advantage in keeping things simple.
Loading through the ejection port, you can load from the top, in which case you might have problems if you ever mounted an optic, or you can load from the bottom, which requires twisting your arm uncomfortably.
Loading through the ejection port, you turn the gun slightly inward to help the round fall in to the gun. Loading through the mag, you turn the gun slightly outward to give your support side hand access to the mag tube, which is consistent with the same direction you turn a handgun or a carbine when doing a speed reload.
Loading your first round through the ejection port when doing an administrative load is fine because the bolt starts out back because you started that way to show the gun was unloaded. But once the shooting starts, why would your bolt ever be back? This is perhaps a matter of training and preference, but I like to keep it simple.
Option 1:
Every time you fire, rack the bolt fully. Every time you hear a click, load through the mag(the same way you always load) and rack the bolt. When you get a chance, load more rounds through the mag.
Option 2:
Every time you fire, rack the bolt fully, except on the last shot where you only pull the bolt back You've been keeping track and you know exactly when you're on the last round, and you're not afraid of inducing a double feed if there indeed was one more round in the mag. Port load a round and push the bolt forward. When you get a chance, load more rounds through the mag.
For more technique tips: http://jumpthestack.blogspot.com/search/label/shooting%20tips
This is supposedly faster than loading from the magazine tube, but its speed is predicated on the assumption that you'd know exactly when you fired the last round, then pull the bolt back and leave it back.
That's a bad assumption. In a fight, it would be difficult to keep track of how many rounds you fired, especially if you're loading extra rounds into the mag any time you get a chance.
As a matter of training, every time you fire a pump action shotgun, you should automatically, without pausing, rack it completely, all the way to the rear and then forward. Your bolt should never be just sitting open to the rear during a fight. If your bolt is forward and you hear a click, the easiest thing to do would be to load a round in the mag tube, then rack the bolt completely back and forward to load the round. This has the advantage that you only need to practice one way of loading, which is a big advantage in keeping things simple.
Loading through the ejection port, you can load from the top, in which case you might have problems if you ever mounted an optic, or you can load from the bottom, which requires twisting your arm uncomfortably.
Loading through the ejection port, you turn the gun slightly inward to help the round fall in to the gun. Loading through the mag, you turn the gun slightly outward to give your support side hand access to the mag tube, which is consistent with the same direction you turn a handgun or a carbine when doing a speed reload.
Loading your first round through the ejection port when doing an administrative load is fine because the bolt starts out back because you started that way to show the gun was unloaded. But once the shooting starts, why would your bolt ever be back? This is perhaps a matter of training and preference, but I like to keep it simple.
Option 1:
Every time you fire, rack the bolt fully. Every time you hear a click, load through the mag(the same way you always load) and rack the bolt. When you get a chance, load more rounds through the mag.
Option 2:
Every time you fire, rack the bolt fully, except on the last shot where you only pull the bolt back You've been keeping track and you know exactly when you're on the last round, and you're not afraid of inducing a double feed if there indeed was one more round in the mag. Port load a round and push the bolt forward. When you get a chance, load more rounds through the mag.
For more technique tips: http://jumpthestack.blogspot.com/search/label/shooting%20tips
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Low light training
I got a chance to take a training course with a low light component recently. Here are some thoughts.
If you are using a hand held flashlight, it's really really useful to have a lanyard on it that you can wrap around your wrist, for when you need to reload or clear a malfunction, you can just let the flashlight hang (after turning it off ideally).
I'm not a fan of flashlights where you push the tailcap switch gently for momentary use and click it hard to keep it on. Under stress, you'll pretty much always click it hard, which is undesirable because now you have to click it again to turn it off. This is assuming that your style is to turn the light off most of the time, which may be too complicated for some (possibly including me).
The ideal flashlight switch style would have different motions for momentary and permanent on.
The Crimson Trace Lasergrip on my Dan Wesson PM7 1911 fared pretty well. It held zero over about 500 rounds, and was very useful in fast shooting, especially on multiple targets. In near full darkness it actually also helped light up the target a little, enough to see features on the target. One downside to it, is that it's another switch to manipulate, especially if you want to have discipline about turning it off as soon as the shooting is done. To illustrate:
A target appears. You:
- light it up with the flashlight
- decide to shoot
- activate the laser
- switch off the safety
- pull the trigger several times
When the threat stops (but theoretically there may be other threats there so it might behoove you to turn the light off):
- click the safety on
- deactivate the laser
- deactivate the flashlight
That's a pretty complicated dance to do, and would be simplified with no laser and no safety lever. As always, it's a matter of training and doctrine. e.g., one could train to do this dance proficiently, or one could choose to just not turn the light/laser off or re-engage the safety at this point. When shooting normally I have no problem clicking the safety off and on without even thinking about it, but throwing in the light and laser was causing me to get my wires crossed a little.
The Dan Wesson PM7 did not fare so well. It was having some major malfunctions where there was a horizontal stovepipe and the slide would not move forward or back without a lot of fiddling with it. It's going to be on its way back to Dan Wesson pretty soon. Unlike most other companies, which email you a shipping label, Dan Wesson sends it to you physically, which is kind of weird. I'm hoping they can get to the bottom of it. It's apparently pretty unusual and only reproduced about once every hundred rounds.
If you are using a hand held flashlight, it's really really useful to have a lanyard on it that you can wrap around your wrist, for when you need to reload or clear a malfunction, you can just let the flashlight hang (after turning it off ideally).
I'm not a fan of flashlights where you push the tailcap switch gently for momentary use and click it hard to keep it on. Under stress, you'll pretty much always click it hard, which is undesirable because now you have to click it again to turn it off. This is assuming that your style is to turn the light off most of the time, which may be too complicated for some (possibly including me).
The ideal flashlight switch style would have different motions for momentary and permanent on.
The Crimson Trace Lasergrip on my Dan Wesson PM7 1911 fared pretty well. It held zero over about 500 rounds, and was very useful in fast shooting, especially on multiple targets. In near full darkness it actually also helped light up the target a little, enough to see features on the target. One downside to it, is that it's another switch to manipulate, especially if you want to have discipline about turning it off as soon as the shooting is done. To illustrate:
A target appears. You:
- light it up with the flashlight
- decide to shoot
- activate the laser
- switch off the safety
- pull the trigger several times
When the threat stops (but theoretically there may be other threats there so it might behoove you to turn the light off):
- click the safety on
- deactivate the laser
- deactivate the flashlight
That's a pretty complicated dance to do, and would be simplified with no laser and no safety lever. As always, it's a matter of training and doctrine. e.g., one could train to do this dance proficiently, or one could choose to just not turn the light/laser off or re-engage the safety at this point. When shooting normally I have no problem clicking the safety off and on without even thinking about it, but throwing in the light and laser was causing me to get my wires crossed a little.
The Dan Wesson PM7 did not fare so well. It was having some major malfunctions where there was a horizontal stovepipe and the slide would not move forward or back without a lot of fiddling with it. It's going to be on its way back to Dan Wesson pretty soon. Unlike most other companies, which email you a shipping label, Dan Wesson sends it to you physically, which is kind of weird. I'm hoping they can get to the bottom of it. It's apparently pretty unusual and only reproduced about once every hundred rounds.
Friday, June 25, 2010
On Pearce grip extensions
I'm not a big fan. There's nothing wrong with them, but it's a solution in search of a problem (which happens to cost at least around 6 bucks per mag).
Try this: grab your left wrist with your right hand. Try using all five fingers gripping equally hard. It will actually feel somewhat weak and your hand will feel like it's getting tired fast. Take your index finger out of the picture by relaxing it. The grip will get much stronger. Then take your pinky finger out of the picture by relaxing it a little. It's still making contact but just not pulling hard compared to the other fingers. The grip will get stronger(at least it does for me). This is pretty common way of gripping when training wristlocks in martial arts.
Why does this work? To be strong, your grip needs to have good alignment, with all fingers besides the thumb pulling in more or less the same direction. Your index finger doesn't grip well with the others because it isn't aligned with the other three, so it's gripping on a different vector than they are. If you look at your knuckles, your middle finger, ring finger, and pinky knuckles are on a line, that the index knuckle is not on.
Your pinky finger is also not aligned with the middle and ring fingers relative to the thumb.
If you touch your pinky fingertip to your thumb tip, or otherwise pull your thumb and pinky towards each other, your hand is sort of folded in half, which is not a strong, natural position. If you touch your middle and ring fingertips to your thumb, it forms a natural O shape that is comfortable and strong.
I think that people who feel uncomfortable shooting a subcompact without grip extensions are trying to grip hard with their pinky, leading to discomfort when they can't get a firm grip with it. If you just relax your pinky, which is preferable, then it doesn't really matter either way.
For the record I have an XD 9 subcompact that I have shot with or without Pearce grip extensions and it makes no difference to me. Just my perspective, not saying I know anything about anything, or that what works for me is best for everyone.
When I took a handgun shooting course from Louis Awerbuck, he mentioned the same thing; he sees no need for grip extensions, and in fact they hinder people by tempting them to grip hard with the pinky.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)