WARRIOR TALK NEWS

The PTR91GI: Enhancements and Accuracy

By Chris Upchurch, Director of Marketing

Back in September I wrote about my PTR91 GI in its stock configuration. Since then, I’ve made a few modifications. I sent the rifle out to Investment Grade Firearms to have them weld a rail to the top of the receiver for mounting optics and install a paddle magazine release to bring it into line with the G3 design.

They really did an excellent job with this. It truly looks like the rifle came from the factory this way. The paddle mag release makes magazine changes a lot easier, particularly for those of us with lots of experience running the AK system. It’s definitely a must-have upgrade.

I also added up a Magpul PRS G3 Sniper stock. This provides a lot of adjustability in terms of length of pull and cheekweld. It does add a fair bit of weight to the rifle, so this is something I’d only really recommend for a DMR or GS type role. Thankfully, the HK platform is very modular. You can swap stocks in a few seconds by popping out a pair of pins, so it’s easy to go from a battle rifle configuration to a DMR and back. To complement the stock I picked up a wide HK handguard and the integrated bipod.  I also swapped out the stock flash hider for an AAC Blackout that will (eventually) mount a suppressor.

I still don’t have a dedicated optic for this rifle, but Gabe was kind enough to let me borrow one of his ACOGs, the battery powered TA02. This optic has a .223 BDC rather than .308, but the BDC wasn’t really necessary for what I wanted to use it for: putting the rifle’s accuracy to the test.

Out at the range I backed up to 100 yards and deployed the HK bipod. It was very solid when loaded up. Add a rear bag and the rifle was extremely steady. I got a rough zero with some Prvi Partizan 147 grain ball. Groups with the Prvi ball were decent, but not spectacular, about 3“. With a rough zero in place, I went to work with the match ammo. I got everything dialed in with some Hornady 168 grain A-MAX match ammunition. With this ammo the rifle consistently shot between 1” and 1.25" 5 round groups.

Now the caveats: to do this you need good ammo, a good optic, a good optic mount, and a good shooter. My rifle really likes the 168gr AMAX load. I also tried some Hornady Steel Match and 175 grain Prvi Match ammo. Neither of them shot quite as well as the AMAX, but they were substantially better than the ball. The ACOG is a great all-around optic and would make a good Universal Rifle optic for the PTR. 4x certainly suffices for a demonstration like this, though it might not be enough to fully exploit the accuracy this rifle provides at longer distances. Having a rail welded onto the rifle by Investment Grade Firearms is really the way to go. It’s rock solid and perfectly aligned, I think it’s a far better choice than any of the other options. As far as the shooter, I can lay claim to being pretty decent, and shooting from a bipod and a rear bag eliminates a lot of imperfections.

Overall, I’m quite pleased with this rifle. A reliable semi-auto that shoots 1.25 MOA is nothing to sneeze at. This is more than enough accuracy to get minute of man out to the ballistic limits of the .308 cartridge. I’m looking forward to the Guerrilla Sniper class next spring so I can take this rifle out and shoot it at some extended ranges.

Video of the SIG 556R from 400 to 700 Yards

 

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School Shootings; A new phenomenon?

By Don Robison

Suarez International Tier 1 Staff Instructor

As I sit down to write this I still have the recent tragedy fresh in my mind as I’m sure everyone reading this does as well. I’m not writing this to inflame anyone, although I’m sure it will. That’s fine and I accept that sometimes it’s necessary to break a few eggs if one wants to make an omelet. The last four days I’ve read literally thousands of pages of various news articles, social media and print articles asking the question of why school shootings are suddenly happening. I have even read articles written about how banning assault weapons will fix “the problem”. 

Let’s start with some facts. School shootings are not a new or a recent phenomenon. The first school shooting reported in the United States was in 1764 and resulted in the school teacher and 9-10 students being killed. Since the first one in 1764 there were ten school shooting between 1853 and 1889, twenty one between 1902 and 1937, twelve between 1940 and 1949, twenty in the 1950’s, twelve in the 1960’s, thirteen in the 1970’s, twenty in the 1980’s, twenty in the 1990’s, seventeen in the 2000’s and in the 2010’s we are currently at seven. Not to make light of or to diminish the pain the affected family suffer, but violence and evil is nothing new.  The reality is that when looked at by decade the amounts of shootings have stayed fairly steady with a slight increase since 1970.  

As you can see it’s not new and it’s not going away. Some of these have taken place in areas of the country that have very aggressive gun control laws such as Illinois, New Jersey, New York, California and most recently Connecticut. From 1994 until 2004 when the entire United States was subject to an assault weapon ban which also limited all magazines for both pistols and rifles to 10 rounds there were twenty-seven school shootings in the United States.

What is the answer? I don’t know that I have that answer, but I have some ideas about how we got here.  Let’s start by looking at what has changed in the United States particularly since the 1970’s. In my opinion a strict moral code has been in decline since at least the 1970s. We now have kids who don’t know the difference between right and wrong or they may know the difference but are indifferent towards it. They aren’t taught how to control their impulses of anger, angst or dissatisfaction. They are taught that acting out has no consequences. I see it all the time while shopping. In the 70s and 80s when I was in school kids weren’t medicated and given a piece of paper to use as an excuse for their behavior. They were taught to control their emotions and impulses or the kids in their class dispensed some medication on the playground. Now before you get your panties in a wad; yes I know there is mental illness out there and I know first-hand what it can do to a family.  My point is that from talking with medical professionals and through my own observation there are certain things that are over diagnosed in order to let parents feel like their doctor is doing something and to let the parents feel good about being less than stellar parents. If their child has a piece of paper and medication his actions aren’t his fault or theirs; it’s because he has (insert affliction). Which brings me to what in my opinion is the root of the problem we face in the United States today: personal responsibility. Yes personal responsibility for one’s actions and the actions of those in your care will solve many of problems we encounter. Teach your kids to be responsible and how to control their emotions. It’s not easy, but nothing worthwhile is ever easy. I’ve raised two girls and have four grand kids so I’m speaking from experience. Not every kid is a future Albert Einstein or Louie Pasteur. Some of them are destined to be future Jeffery Dahmers and Albert Desalvos. When you realize this don’t turn a blind eye and hope it will go away. Take some responsibility and get them the help they need even if it hurts. Is it more embarrassing to be related to someone being treated for mental health issues or a mass murderer? I’ll catch flack for this but how about we fix the mental health system.  When I was growing up we had news three times a day at noon, 6P.M., and 11P.M. With the advent of 24/7/365 news stations 32 years ago we also saw something were weren't used to seeing; 24 hour access to news. Gone were the days of 30 minutes news broadcast where producers had to decide what was newsworthy. As more 24 hour stations came verifying facts and deciding what would go on the air took a back seat to filling 24 hours of air time. It's led to sensationalizing even the most mundane event. I'm not saying that school shootings are mundane, but how many car chases did you see for 60 minutes on the news during the 70's? I've seen news organizations in the past seven days demand gun owner's be held responsible for the actions of someone they have never met nor do they empathize with what he has done. I don't often listen to talk radio, but did on Monday. What I heard was an internationally recognized radio host appoligize for repeating on air what he was seeing on the national news networks on Friday. Everything he had repeated, all 90 minutes of air time, was proven false by Monday morning. How about news organizations start being held accountable for what they are putting on the air.

The common denominator with the majority of modern day school shooters seems to be some form of diagnosed mental illness or incapacity. It also appears that they target areas that are “gun free zones” where they know they are reasonably assured they won’t encounter resistance for their acting out. When they meet resistance from either law enforcement or a civilian with a gun such as the school principal in Pearl, Mississippi they either give up or end their own life. Why? Because they are cowards who can only act against unarmed opponents. It makes sense to me to eliminate gun free zones and allow people to engage these shooters without fear of being prosecuted. It also makes sense to me that if I were a minimally trained CCW holder I would seek out professional training and practice regularly in the event the unthinkable happens in your presence. It shouldn’t be viewed as a social stigma to be well trained it should be viewed as an obligation to be well trained.   

Earlier I mentioned that during the assault weapon ban era that there were 27 school shootings. I say that that gives credence to the claim that bans don’t work. There has been something that has been shown to work though. In 2008 a federal program was funded to help schools place officers in schools; this program was unfunded in 2011. During the three years the program was in place there were two school shootings and one of those was in the first two months of the program before it was fully implemented. Since the program was unfunded there have been seven shootings in the first full year since its end. I believe law enforcement calls that a clue. Let me say that again in case you missed it; during the ten years of assault weapon ban there were 27 school shootings, during the three years of officers in schools there were two school shootings. 

In closing; no, evil can’t be legislated away any more than it can be wished away. Tragedies happen and the best way to limit them is by getting involved, taking responsibility for your actions, holding others responsible for their actions and not turning a blind eye to someone or something you think may be a problem in the future.

About the author

Don's class training schedule

FS2000 Video Part 4: Vehicle Operations

 

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FS2000 Video Part 3: Movement and Partial Transfers

 

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On The CT Killings

I was in Scottsdale the morning when I heard the news from CT. I was at a business meeting and had to place that item off until later. But as I began the long drive home on I-17, I listened to Fox and CNN and various other sources.

I cried (a little...Only a little) and I swore...Loudly...ALOT!

I need to say that everyday, and every night, part of my comms to the Lord are that in His infinite mercy and provision, He allow me to be right in the path of one of those gunmen. I pray so hard that...well, my fellow Joabs know.

One day perhaps...(Please Lord!!!).

Who of us would not give our lives immediately and without any hesitation for our families? Yet those parents do not even have someone to avenge themselves upon.

We will now hear that guns are evil and I suspect the Lord of the Rats will take steps to cook up another anti-gun law. "Meaningful steps" is what he said.

So I suspect we will see another Assault Weapons Ban, in some form or another, by the end of 2013. I could be wrong...and I hope I am, but I suspect not. I deal in reality and not in how I hope things would be.

The question will come out about how this could be prevented. Nobody wants to hear that it cannot be prevented. But the truth is that it will happen again, and cannot be prevented.  Not by thug-huggers, not by gun-haters, and not by any stupid law erupting from DC's arse. You cannot prevent the evil that festers in the hearts of evil men...and man is evil. Few things keep evil in check. Governments and laws do not happen to be a part of those things.

 

What keeps evil in check?

 

First is God. But when man in his progressive socialistic stroke, expels God from his society (God doesn't hang with commies), all that is left is his evil. And that accepted evil leads to things such as this. You want a meaningful step?  Step away from Lenin and Marx and step back into church.

Next is godly man...godly leaders. Now specifically I mean "MAN", not the more commonly seen gentle-soft-modern-males that are so prolific in today's America. Godly man does not have a false picture of reality.  He does not skip around chasing butterflies with a glad handed, smilie-christian, view of the world.  Rather he leads with a reality view of things, knowing that there are evil men prowling the earth. These godly men lead their families, societies (I like to say tribes) and larger communities in a way that such things would not be likely. Leading in that way is not kind, or soft...it harsh.  It is the sort of leadership you will read about in the Old Testament. 

 

And finally, the way to stop events such as this (once it has begun, prevention is no longer an option) is to have armed and willing personnel in place in as many places as possible...in malls and in schools and in theatres, and any other "soft target".  And I am emphatically NOT referring to police or to paid security, I refer to every responsible man or woman, so that when the sons of the devil announce themselves, they will only have a few seconds before their own faces are filled with the bullets of the righteous.

 

How likely are these measures to be adopted?  I will leave that up to you.

 

 

Blessed be Our Lord in Heaven...who has made us both fierce and cold...who has strengthened our hands as well as our hearts...who has given us what we need to destroy the sons of evil that walk this earth.

Bring us to the right time and the right place Lord...make our vision clear that we may know the reality of what we see...make our hands quick, our aim true, our hearts cold, that by our decisive acts your softer children may be spared..

14 December 2012

Position Shooting With a Sling

By: Scott Vandiver, SI instructor Atlanta, Ga.

 Many of today’s gun owners are influenced by visual marketing. Companies in the USA spend billions of dollars on advertising. The goal of any business is to turn a profit; regardless of what the POTUS says. The goal of advertising is to sell products and make a profit. Sling manufactures are no different.  Some have really good products that do what is required. These companies do the research and field test their products. Other companies let the profit get in the way of selling the best gear. They cut back on research and testing. They outsource to the lowest bidder in a third world country.

 The best sling may not be the one with the best marketing or all the latest fasteners or buckles. Trained shooters know from experience what a good sling is and how to use it properly. One thing I like about the Suarez group is the fact we use and test products year round. No one in this group will recommend gear unless we use it. I have a tub full of gear I don’t use anymore because it did not work the way I thought it would.

 A sling is used to aid the shooter in a shooting position. A carry strap is used to carry the carbine. Carry straps come in all types. 1 point 2 point and 3 point carry straps are all common. It is important to know the difference and how a good sling can help a shooter.  I have not seen a single point carry strap that provides much added support while shooting. My experience has been they get in the way, especially shooting from any position other than standing. Even while doing shoulder transfers while standing they can have issues. Most of the single point straps with one arm through wrap around the upper chest at a 45 degree angle.  This ties the shooter to the rifle and creates other issues. These straps do carry the rifle fairly well and allow easy access to a secondary weapon. Watch out. If you drop a carbine the wrong way while on a single point strap it might just swing right between your legs and take you to your knees.

The 3 point straps carry the rifles well but the ones I worked with offered little support while shooting. To me the 3 point straps are complicated and cumbersome. Some run a strap down the side of the rifle interfering with the controls on the left side of the gun. They actually tie the gun to the shooter and in CQB this can be a hazard. The hazard comes when the attacker gets close and grabs the gun and you are strapped into it. Also most of the 3 point carry straps don’t work when doing shoulder transfers.

 That brings us to the 2 point sling. These fall into 3 categories, the standard sling (like the style sold at OST), the military style sling and the new cuff style sling. All can be used for support while shooting. The standard sling can be adjusted so all the excess is on the front end under the rifle fore end. Make the front loop large enough to place your support arm through. Then slide the loop up your arm until it is high on your bicep; the higher the better.  Now wrap your forearm through the sling so that it lies against the back of your hand while holding the fore end of the rifle. The sling should form the top leg of a triangle. The other 2 legs are formed by your upper arm and your forearm. The sling should be mounted at 6 o/c on the fore end for the best results. Mounting on the side can cause the rifle to cant. 

  The picture on the right is an OST sling with a big front loop. Adjust the front loop

to aid in the shooting positions. The rear loop is used to adjust the overall length of the sling. I recommend having enough slack to carry the rifle across the back in order to free both hands for other task.

 

 

This sling position will add support in all 4 standard positions. The trick is to use bone support not muscle support. The shooter can rest the support side elbow on their hipbone or on their web gear while standing. When kneeling the rest is the support side knee. Remember to use the flat spot on the back of the elbow not the pointed end of the elbow. Keep the lower leg directly under the gun for maximum support. Both elbows when sitting go inside the knee pocket for stability. There are other forms for sitting but this one leads to the most stable shooting platform. For prone shooting get your elbow as close under the gun as possible to reduce fatigue. When the elbows are wide the hands come back, recoil is increased and the shooter is raised off the ground. The sling should be tight. You should have to push the rifle forward to get it in your shoulder pocket. When positioned correctly the rifle will be held in the shoulder pocket without the use of the firing hand. Here’s a tip. Wear a glove on the support hand. This dampens the pulse in your hand from the rifle weight and protects your hand against sling pinching.

 

Here I am using the OST sling sitting and prone. It is normal for the magazine to rest against the forearm in these positions. A shorter 20 round mag can be an advantage. Notice the eye relief in the sitting position is less than optimal. Be aware that impact with the eyebrow happens more in sitting than other positions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The military and cuff slings work within the same principal, with minor adjustments. The key is to dry practice with the sling. Spend time, maybe while watching TV, in the shooting positions so you will be comfortable with them. Depending on the shooter’s body type the sling may need to be adjusted between positions. If adjustments are needed mark your sling so you can return to the same place later. It is harder to make an accurate shot when the position is stressing you out.

      

Left is a cuff type attachment that wraps tightly around the upper bicep and uses a Fastex buckle to attach to the rifle sling. This makes getting into and out of position easier. Since the sling is still attached to the front and rear mount points a speedy transition to a carry mode is easy.  Just release the buckle and you have a normal 2 point carry strap.

 

 Here is an example of the old style military or Turner sling. It is leather and uses frogs and predrilled holes for adjustments. In front of the bicep is a leather band that tightens around the bicep as it slides down the sling. The sling is not attached to the rear of the gun. The tail section is hanging below the arm pit. These slings work well. Getting into & out of them isn’t as fast it may be when using slings with Fastek buckles.

 

Do not overlook the sling attachment points. As previously mentioned the front sling mount is best if placed at the six o’clock position. The rear sling mount is not nearly as important. In fact the NRA high power shooters remove the sling from the rear of the gun when shooting. I would not do this in the guerrilla sniper roll since we may need to make a hasty exit from a shooting position.

Here is an example of a Military spec sling swivel and an economy brand. I have had the economy brand break during a tactical rifle match. It is well worth the extra $7 for the mil-spec equipment.

 

The sling can apply pressure to the barrel if the sling is mounted to the front sight base or the barrel. This could affect accuracy when the shooter applies pressure to the sling.  The picture above is the solution to this issue. This is an example of a free float tube on an AR, all the pressure is on the tube not the barrel.

In conclusion remember just because it looks cool in marketing does not mean it will enhance your shooting.

A good sling is worth it’s weight in gold because you can’t carry a shooting bench into the field.

Be safe and shoot well. God willing we’ll get to train together.

Scott Vandiver

SI Staff Instructor, Atlanta, Ga.

FS2000 Video Part 2: Forward Ejection and Unique Characteristics

 

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FS2000 Video Part 1: Controls and Manual of Arms

 

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Which RMR should I get?

One of the most common questions we get at OST is "Which RMR should I get for my TSD pistol, the RM02 or the RM07?"  This is not an easy question to answer, because they're both very good optics.

The RM02 and RM07 both have 6.5 MOA dots (older RM02s have 8 MOA dots but Trijicon recently standardized on 6.5 MOA).  This means that the dot will appear to be about 6.5 inches across at 100 yards (or 0.65 inches at 10 yards).  This is more than enough accuracy for pistol shooting at any distance.  

The main difference between the 02 and 07 is that the latter allows for manual adjustment.  The RM07 has buttons on either side of the sight that allow you to brighten or dim the dot, or even turn it off entirely.  The RM02, in contrast, has no external controls whatsoever.  Instead, it has a sensor that automatically adjusts the brightens of the dot for the ambient conditions.  

Which system is better?  Well, the RM07's adjustability allows you to adjust the dot for unusual conditions (shooting at night using a flashlight, for example).  If your eyes have astigmatisim, it can cause the dot to appear star-like, rather than circular. Many people find that bumping down the brightness a notch helps with this.  Finally, if this gun is going to sit in the safe and not be carried for a long time, you can turn it off to save the battery.

The flip side of the RM07's adjustability is that it's possible for it to be wrongly adjusted for the conditions when you need it.  Too bright probably isn't a disabling problem, but too dim might be.  You could even leave the dot turned off completely and not realize it.  Its lack of controls make RM02 pretty much idiot proof.  There's no way to turn it off or mis-adjust it.  Just replace the battery once a year and the dot will be there for you.

On a carry gun, I prefer the idiot proof, always-on RM02.  For a home defense gun where I may want to tailor the dot's brightness to the conditions, or a gun that only gets used occasionally (as a range gun or for hunting, for example) then the RM07's adjustability really comes into its own.

My Impressions of The FS-2000

We have been talking about this rifle for a while and now I want to do a proper article on it in the same form as I did the 556R.  We ordered one of these rifles for a student and got a second one for T&E.  I know when I first looked at the rifle it looked very unusual.  Those looks have been the source of ridicule by "the ignorant" on the internet to whom anything not a version of the M4 is some sort of curiosity. But as soon as I began working with the rifle, from learning its manual of arms to running it through our rifle drills, I saw its serious benefits.

A trait shared by all other bullpup rifles, the FS2000 is short.  It is as short as an SBR rifle, and its balance is directly at the pistol grip.  Unlike other rifles, this salient point makes the rifle fast.  The unusual balance is yet another cause of derision by the uninformed, yet its balance is one of the greatest assets it brings to the fight.  In fact, I will say that the FS2000 is much quicker into action than any other rifle we have worked with, including the SIG and V-93 series.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The manipulations are quite simple.  Simpler than even the AK as a matter of fact.  The bolt manipulation is reminiscent of the old HK "Legacy Weapons", the MP5 and HK53.  The non-reciprocating bolt handle is pulled back and either released into battery, or locked back in a recess like the MP5. I have found myself using the HK manual of arms more and more with this rifle. More on that later.

The safety mechanism could not be simpler.  It is ambidextrous, positive, and more conveniently located than any other rifle system, except perhaps the AUG. Magazine insertion and extraction is simple as well.  Grab the magazine and pull it out.  there is a button that must be depressed to extract it, but that is naturally taken care of grabbing the magazine.  To insert the magazine, sim0ple insert hard and tug to ascertain seating. This magazine operation has been a point of contention with the bullet golfers that like to leave a hansel-and-gretel trail of magazines on the range.  For those with less sporting points of view, the rifle encourages retention of spent magazines...just like the AK system.

The FS will not accept any polymer magazines.  No P-mags, no Lancers, Troys, or even TSD Magazines.  Is this a worthwhile trade-off?

Well, take it from one who has spent the equivalent cost of a nice suburban house making and marketuing his own branded magazine...the need to use metal GI magazines is definitely NOT a deal breaker given the advantages of the system. 

We have been using either standard "New" GI magazines or the excellent DSG Arms teflon coated magazines.

The trigger is fine for a military rifle and was actually better than the stock triggers on many of our Colt 6920s and SIG M400 rifles in inventory.  It is very much like a Glock trigger and only a problem if one is looking for reasons to dismiss the rifle.  With the stock OEM trigger I was able to hit a steel IPSC silohuette repeatedly at 500 yards. Can it be improved?  certainly it can.  We added one of those neu-trigger units and that lowered the perceived weight considerably.  The Neu-Trigger group is quite anachronistic about doing business, not having a proper online store and not being able to accept payment in any other way than a postal money order. Regardless, we muddled through and obtained some samples of his product.  There is a company that could make a fortune if it stepped into the 21st century. 

The OEM handguard is fine, but we have determined that a bullpup rifle benefits greatly from a VFG. This makes a very maneuverable rifle even more so.  To that end we obtained an FN handguard and added a Magpul VFG.  The OEM handguard is heavy and obvious its original intent was to mount a grenade launcher.  I suspect that inevitably, an after-market handguard will be available.

On my original FS2000 (I have three now) I had an ACOG 3X calibrated for .308.  Having a 1:7 barrel, I can run 75 grain bullets with a similar ballistic curve as a 7.62x51. Alternatively, I can remove that ACOG from the Picatinny rail and replace it with an Aimpoint T-1 or Trijicon SRS for use as a CQB weapon.  Similarly, I can replace the 75 grain ammo filled magazine with one loaded with more expansive or frangible ammo for the indoors application.

This last month we conducted an SMG class in Prescott and found several Bullpups in attendance.  Having to loan out both of my SMGs, I used my Steyr AUG and FS-2000.  I will discuss the AUG in a seperate article very soon.

In running our various movement and point shooting drills, many of us found the FS-2000 to be as fast as the SMG.  Roger Phillips noted that it handles far more like a big pistol than a small rifle.  It can be run single handed in an emergency problem without undue strain on the operator, yet just as easily move back into rifle realm for long or extremely precise shots.

And then Chambers and Nichols, two of our former US Army staff  instructors conducted their Vehicle Operations lecture, we immediately saw the advantages of the bullpup inside and immediately outside a motor vehicle. As Nichols noted, firing a centerfire rifle inside a car is like a knife fight in a phonebooth as the expended hot cases fly everywhere.  Not so with the FS's forward ejection.  The fired cases dribble out under control and substantially cooler than "fresh from the chamber". As well the fast handling and short length allow for some immediate action on any point on the clock while seated...almost instantly.

One interesting attribute of the rifle which I will leave for you to ponder is that one can fire up to five rounds without a single fired case being ejected from the weapon.  One attendee noted that such a thing would have been very beneficial to certain dark ops when deployed with frangible ammunition.

All in all, I am quite impressed with the Bullpup concept and the FS-2000 in particular.  As we progress into 2013, I suspect we will be doing similar write ups on the Steyr AUG, the Tavor, and the FN P-90.  I am not about to sell anything off, but for now, the rifle I find myself training with the most seems to be the FS2000.   

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HK Platform Modularity

When you talk about modularity in a rifle, most people think of the AR platform, or perhaps one of the newer rifles like a SCAR or XCR.  The HK G3 was modular before it was cool.  In some ways it still outpaces any of its more recent rivals.

For instance, you can go from this:

 

To this:

In under a minute, without any tools.  

Changing the furniture on the PTR and other HK-style rifles is easy.  To remove the stock, all you have to do is pop out the two pins at the back of the receiver and slide the stock off.  If you have a second stock with backplate, buffer, and recoil assembly already attached, just slide it in and drive the pins home.

 

To change out the front handguard, just remove the pin right behind the front sight assembly, slide the handguard forward slightly and pull down in the front.

 

 

The HK rifles also allow you to change out the trigger group and pistol grip.  With the stock off, just pivot the pistol grip downard and pull it off.  If you don't want to carry around an entire extra trigger housing and pistol grip you can also easily remove the trigger pack itself from the housing (with the trigger group removed from the rifle, rotate the safety up past the safe position and pull it out to the left, then lift the trigger pack out of the housing).

The ability to change all of these components offers some interesting possibilities.  For instance, you could go from a battle rifle with a slim handguard, folding stock, and fighting rifle trigger to a GSR/DMR with an adjustable stock, bipod equipped handguard, and match trigger as the situation warrants.  All these possible combinations make an HK-style rifle like the PTR91 a tool of considerable versatility.

The TSD Classic Bowie: Excellence is Worth the Wait

John Chambers

Suarez International/TSD Combat Systems Staff Instructor

“…let's discuss the ultimate Bowie. I don't mean the ultimate collector's item, but rather one that can be carried and used TODAY.”

    Gabe Suarez 09/16/2004

 “Think of a Glock Bowie knife, dull black and sharp, suitable for chopping fire wood or beheading hadji. The kind of knife you'd leave out overnight in a rain storm and not think twice about it. Totally out of place if you are wearing buckskin and shooting a Sharps, but would fit in perfectly if you had Multicams and a Kalashnikov.”

     Gabe Suarez 08/17/2007

 “Well we tried several sources but either they want too much money for it (for me to make any money selling it), or they want to make a copy of Alan Ladd's Iron Mistress. I've had guys try to connect me with knife makers several times and it’s always the same story.   If a knife maker wants to review this thread, make up a sample and send it out for us to look at, cool. In all honesty, I have no more time to devote to this apparently dead-end project. The project has been set aside indefinitely.”

     Gabe Suarez 06/2/2008

 “Yes!  I love it when a plan comes together!”

     John Chambers 09/11/2012

 Sometimes a project comes together very quickly.  A perfect example would be how quickly the TSD slides for the Glock went from concept, to prototype, to production.  In a manner of months TSD was shipping the first production units to end users all over the country.  Then there are the other times when it takes time to do something RIGHT.  No compromises is a high standard but when your organization is committed to quality and living up to that can take time, but it is almost always worth it.  This is one of those times, and it took almost eight years to the day for the Warrior Talk/TSD Classic Bowie to become a reality.  In fact my very first post on Warriortalk was on the initial thread that Gabe started regarding the ideal Bowie knife.  But my involvement goes back even farther as the design and manufacture of the perfected modern fighting Bowie is a goal that I have pursued for at least 30 years. 

 I have had a love and appreciation for a good Bowie knife since I received my first at the age of seven as a gift from my father.  It is a seven inch, stag handled Solingen and it was my first good fixed blade knife.  Soon after I began to design my own versions on paper and in the wood shop and while the initial efforts were crude it was my first steps in learning what characteristics make a proper Bowie.  Within a few years, other things took me towards a better understanding of the handling characteristics of a fighting Bowie:   I became an active sabre fencer and I began to read Bill Bagwell’s writing regarding the characteristics of the blade.  More importantly, later I began to read James Keating’s writing about the Bowie and how to fight with it.

As you can see from this picture, my designs started to solidify around the classic Randall pattern that has been used successfully in combat and in the woods since WW II.   This is an old sketch that dates from the late 1980s!  Blade length was about nine inches and though there was not any feature that was earth shatteringly original, it did show me that I was on the right path.  Needless to say, there were many variations over the years.   Out of every design I gained more insight into what made a blade handle as a fighter should.  My training in the sabre, and other blade arts also had an impact on my designs.  

 The years between 2004 and 2012 showed that the desire for a “Warriortalk Bowie” did not wane in the least.  New threads and updates to old threads demonstrated that the desire for a real, modern Bowie that was not a sharpened pry bar was very strong and very real.  In those years we had a few prototypes that were manufactured. 

I was not the only person who was working on designs.  Gabe had put many ideas to pen and paper and as you can see from this one, it was not time wasted.  Many of the characteristics you see here were later used in the TSD Universal Combat Knife.  As a small Bowie, it is unequaled!  It is brutally strong, and yet it has both the finesse and feel of a true fighting knife. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the early efforts was a western styled Bowie that, even though it was based on a design that Gabe sketched out, it still looked like something that belonged on a frontiersman’s belt instead of a HSGI battle belt.  It was a good knife, but it was not what we wanted.

 

 Another that was donated to the cause was a big blade, but it was not a fighting Bowie.  No double guard, single edged, and a grip that did not possess the proper feel that is so important to the Bowie.  If the balance is not there, you simply are holding a large knife.  A fighting Bowie has a feel that only can be appreciated by handling and training with it.  Nobody had foreseen that this process would be so complex!

 

 

In mid-2012 I began tweaking the details of my latest design.  The blade stock needed to be 3/16 inch as ¼ was too thick for a blade this size.  It made the knife too clumsy and was firmly in the category of a “sharpened pry bar.”  A blade length of approximately eleven inches, combined with a handle length of about six inches gave a very dynamic balance and the knife seemed to change direction without any effort.  At the same time it could chop limbs (wood and flesh!) with the best of them.  It needed to be flat ground and the steel needed to be a good carbon tool steel.  At the same time, the whole design needed to be able to be manufactured with modern methods. 

After many minor changes, I arrived at this design and the mock up felt so good in the hand that I knew that I would be getting this one built, even if only as a custom knife.

 

 Thankfully by 2012 the manufacturing and design stars had aligned!!  TSD was building very precise gun parts, fine blades and I believed I had finally arrived at the perfect design for a fine fighting Bowie that could be built to tight specs with modern manufacturing processes.  I pitched the idea to Gabe and the TSD team and this time, everything came together as we had desired for so many years.  The Warriortalk Bowie was finally a reality in the form of the TSD Classic Bowie.  Fortune DOES favor the bold!

 Train with John Chambers:  CLICK HERE

Submachine Gun Gunfighting in Prescott

By Chris Upchurch, Suarez International Director of Marketing

Last weekend we held the first Suarez International Submachine Gun Gunfighting class. Gabe has been pushing the SMG or Pistol Caliber Carbine (PCC) for quite a while. We’ve had students bring SMGs to our rifle classes (I had one student run the first day of Rifle Gunfighting with a full-auto Uzi) but this is the first time we’ve gotten enough interest to hold a specific class.

We held our annual instructor summit on the Thursday and Friday before, and many of the instructors stuck around to help teach the class. In addition to Gabe and myself, we had John Chambers, Randy Harris, J.D. Lester, Doug Little, Dr. John Meade, Greg Nichols, Alex Nieuwland, Jon Payne, Roger Phillips, Don Robison, Dr. Keith Seto, Cullen Smith, Wayne Uhrman, Scott Vandiver, and Brent Yamamoto. There were nine students, so this class had one heck of a student-instructor ratio.

By far the most common weapon in the class was the Uzi. We’ve been selling these at One Source, so that’s not really a surprise. Most were in their stock configurations with 16" barrels, but two were SBRed (both Gabe’s that he loaned out to students). The only Mini Uzi in evidence was Gabe’s, the others were all full size. In addition to the plethora of Uzis one student brought a semi-auto HK UMP .45 and another an FN PS90. Scott Vandiver was the odd man out with a 9mm AR.  

From top to bottom: The Uzi, Mini Uzi, FN PS90, HK UMP .45, 9mm AR.

We had a couple of full auto guns in class. Randy Harris brought his FA Uzi (with suppressor), while one of the students had a Swedish K.

Suppressed Uzi, top, and Swedish K, bottom.

Both Gabe and I had loaned our Uzis (all of his Uzi's in Gabe's case) out to students, leaving us SMG-less.  I carried my FS2000 during the class and Gabe got some use out of his AUG, as well as his own FS2000.

Gabe with AUG, top, and FS2000, below.

A few students were kitted out in full LBE and a couple carried extra mags in a shoulder bag. Most either carried extra mags in mag pouches on the belt or worked out of their pockets.

Saturday

We started out with the usual admin stuff: waivers, the safety lecture, etc. Gabe had all of the instructors introduce themselves, followed by all of the students.

We launched into a fairly extensive discussion of the context of the submachine gun. This is very much an in-between weapon, with some of the qualities of a pistol and some of the qualities of a long gun. You can shoot it much quicker and more accurately than a pistol, thanks to it having four points of contact, yet it lacks the noise and muzzle blast of a full power rifle. SMGs can be very compact, particularly when SBRed, allowing carry of a long gun in environments where a full length rifle, or even a SBR in a rifle caliber, would be impractical.

Underarm assault.

After the lecture, we started with some dry work. Gabe explained the different ready positions and had the students practice moving between them and shouldering the rifle from each position. He demonstrated how to reload the Uzi and talked a bit about our philosophy of of retaining magazines when possible. As one student put it, “Ammo don’t come in magazines.” If you blithely discard your magazines you will eventually end up with a single shot club.

Shoulder transfers with an AUG and Uzi.

At Suarez International we’re real big on ambidexterity, being able to fight effectively from both sides. Part of this is the ability to smoothly transfer the rifle from one shoulder to the other. Gabe demonstrated the procedure. This is actually a bit different with a SMG than it is with a rifle, because with many submachine guns (including an Uzi, particularly one with a vertical forward grip) you don’t need to move your hand from the forend to the magazine well.

We finished up the morning with transitions to pistol. With a two-point sling we can transition pretty much the same way we do with the rifle, dropping behind our head so it hangs it diagonally across the back. Several folks in the class were running one-point slings. While we continue to prefer two-point slings for most situations, a short weapon slide an SMG mitigates some of the disadvantages of a one-point sling. It should be considered, particularly with SBRed subguns that are on the smaller end of the spectrum.

With this, we broke for lunch.

Randy Harris, checking out the Swedish K.

Gabe, demonstrating the proper shooting position with the AUG.    

After lunch we moved on to live fire. Gabe started with the basics of marksmanship as applied to the SMG. He emphasized body position and trigger control. We worked this a bit dry, then started with some live fire. We shot a series of three round bursts at five yards, ten yards, and twenty yards. The students generally started shooting fairly slowly, but were encouraged to speed up their trigger fingers as the drills progressed.

Shooting from the prmary shoulder.

Randy's suppressed full auto Uzi.

During a break I shot a bit of video of Randy Harris shooting his suppressed full auto Uzi. The big can on there makes it very quiet with the subsonic ammo.

After shooting from the primary shoulder we did the same from the support side shoulder. This was a bit less familiar to most students but they did quite well. Finally, we meshed the two sides together with the transfer drill, moving the rifle from one shoulder to the other and back again. They all worked through a magazine or two doing this.

Next up was getting off the X. Gabe talked about why we like getting off the X, including his experience outside a convenience store in Southern California. He gave the clock angle lecture and described why we prefer getting off the X to the forward oblique angles if possible.

Moving to the 3 o'clock.

He turned it over to Jon Payne to run the drills for the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock directions. He started with a dry pacing drill, having everyone walk right and left in front of the target, to get them used to moving with the weapon shouldered and changing shoulders on the move. The key here is to get your toes and hips pointed the direction you want to move, to avoid sidestepping and backpedaling.

After getting everyone comfortable moving with the rifle, Jon moved on to getting off the X to the 3 o’clock. He had everybody run the drill dry until they had it down pat, and then we went live. Next up was the 9 o’clock direction. This is a bit more complicated for most people since right handers have to incorporate a shoulder transfer as they get off the X. Again, we practiced it extensively dry, then went live.

Randy and Roger demonstrating the virtue of the forward oblique angles.

Randy Harris took over to teach the forward oblique angles: the 1 o’clock and 11 o’clock lines. He started by saying, “Roger and I are going to have a gunfight” (the folks on WT have been waiting for this for years). Using verified empty guns, he and Roger Phillips demonstrated how getting off the X to these angles effectively lets you get way off the X very quickly, disrupt the adversary’s OODA loop, and acquire his flank or even get behind them. At Randy’s invitation, John Chambers stepped in and demonstrated how the unique balance characteristics of guns like the Uzi or a bullpup can let you do some pretty wild stuff. One of the things he demonstrated was the ‘Hebrew homie’, extending the Uzi or bullpup and using it like a big pistol.

John Chambers demonstratres the Hebrew homie with an AUG.

Brent Yamamoto and some students getting off the X to the 1 o'clock.

Randy had everyone work the forward oblique angles dry. After everyone had this down cold, we went ahead and did it live.

Getting off the X to the 11 o'clock.

For our last instructional block of the day, Roger Phillips went through the takeoff concept. Roger has been responsible for a lot of our evolution in this area and he does a great job presenting it.

The Takeoff.

This finished up the formal training day for us. We had quite a variety of weapons here, so afterwards there was quite a bit of shooting other guy’s guns. Randy Harris kindly let me shoot his full auto suppressed Uzi. With the added weight of the can on the front there’s hardly any muzzle rise. I also had a chance to shoot a student’s full auto Swedish K, which was a real blast.

Randy shooting the Swedish K and J.D. Lester shooting Randy's suppressed full auto Uzi.

Chambers transitioning to a TSD Classic Bowie after running the Swedish K empty.

After having our fun, we adjourned to a local mexican place for a nice dinner. Frankly, as fun as shooting the full auto guns was, this kind of fellowship with like-minded people is one of the highlights of the class.

Sunday

We reconvened on Sunday morning. Gabe asked if anyone had spent a lot of time seeing their sights the previous day and segued into a discussion on point shooting. Not so much the methodology, but the context where we use it. There are some trainers out there who are adamantly opposed to any form of point shooting, but as Gabe put it, “Limited experience gives limited perspective.”

A student asked about the recent shooting in New York where a pair of NYPD officers confronting a man with a gun hit several bystanders. This turned into a very interesting discussion of mindset (if you haven’t seen Gabe’s mindset DVD, I highly recommend it).

After the lecture and discussion we split the class into two groups. One group went over to the 100 yard range and practiced some longer range shooting with the SMG. The other group stayed on the main range and worked some more on getting off the X. After about 90 minutes, the two groups switched.

Over on the 100 yard range, we started out at 25 yards doing some shooting from a kneeling position. Position shooting with an SMG takes a bit of adaptation. They generally have a much shorter handguard than the rifle, which gives a bit less flexibility in hand position (in return, requiring more flexibility in body position). The further an SMG is from the standard rifle form factor (such as the PS90) the more adaptation it requires.

Kneeling with the Uzi and FS2000.

Sitting with the Uzi and PS90.

We did some work from kneeling, sitting, and shooting from supported positions, starting at 25 yards and moving back. In addition to looking at these as shooting positions Greg Nichols also demonstrated addressing 360 degree threats from positions other than standing. After everyone shot steel out to 75 yards or so, we started taking shots at some of the range’s steel targets set up on the hill. Most folks were able to ring the big steel gong up near the top of the hill at about 250 yards. Many were able to do so with their pistols as well.

Supported positions with submachine guns and bullpups.

Greg Nichols demonstrates 360 engagement from kneeling.

Over on the CQB side, Roger Phillips led the students in putting some of the takeoff techniques he’d discussed the previous afternoon into practice. We used these to do some more work on the 1 o’clock and 11 o’clock lines. Compared to a rifle, the relatively short length and balance of the SMG allows you to do some interesting things, such as staying in the partial transfer (switching shoulders but not switching hands) considerably longer than you can with a rifle. The students ran a drill to the 11 o’clock entirely from the partial transfer.

GOTX with a partial transfer.

John Chambers demonstrated the one-handed shooting (the Hebrew homie) again and the students tried it out on a drill going to the 7 o’clock. Dr. John Meade stepped up to describe our after action drills (including the medical self-check) and ran the students through those.

The Hebrew homie with a Swedish K.

While the second group was doing this, Gabe and several of the SI staff instructors gathered at the back of the bay and played around with some dry exercises with the bullpups and Uzi. It was pretty impressive to see how fast an extremely knowledgeable group of guys. This half-hour discussion has really laid the groundwork for a revolution in rifle and SMG gunfighting that’s going to completely transform how we teach folks to shoot with bullpups and certain SMGs over the next year. I have seen the future and it is going to blow your mind.

Just a taste of what's to come from SI with the bullpup.

Gabe showing off some rifles.

During lunch, Gabe did a bit of show and tell, talking about some of the platforms we offer through OST. He showed off the HK system rifles: the V–93 and PTR91, as well as the SIG 556R. Moving on to the less conventional rifles, he showed off the bullpups: the AUG and FS2000. Gabe made a special offer to folks at the class who wanted to buy the FS2000 for a very nice price. After lunch everybody had a chance to shoot the different different rifles.

Once everyone was done having a bit of fun with our guns, Gabe drove his jeep onto the range and Greg Nichols and John Chambers gave a brief introduction to vehicle operations with a special emphasis on the role of the submachine gun and bullpup. The short length of these weapons makes them a lot easier to handle inside a vehicle than a full size rifles. Folding stocks on the rifle can offset this, but the fighting capability of a rifle with the stock folded is limited until you can get out and get it unfolded. The ability to shoot them one-handed makes them especially suitable for the driver, who will often need to shoot one-handed.

John Chambers and Greg Nichols demonstrate how handy SMGs and bullpups are in a vehicle.

The SMGs offer some advantages over weapons that fire rifle cartridges, particularly in terms of noise and muzzle blast. Shooting a full power rifle inside a car can be punishing (as anyone who’s done vehicle hides in our Guerrilla Sniper class can attest). That said, rifles offer some real advantages in terms of range and penetration (important if a situation involves shooting at other vehicles).

John and Greg lay down suppressive fire from Gabe's Jeep, dismount, and assault the target.

Greg and John demonstrated a live fire response to contact, shooting from inside Gabe’s jeep, then deploying out and assaulting the target (letting them shoot from inside his car displays some serious trust on Gabe’s part). Gabe demonstrated one of the unique characteristics of the FS2000: in addition to it’s short length, its forward ejection system means that cases dribble out the front. They’re often deposited outside the vehicle and if they end up inside, they’ll be dropped gently, rather than flying out the ejection port and around the passenger compartment. This is an underappreciated feature.

Shooting the FS2000 from inside the jeep.

Moving on, J.D. Lester and John Chambers demonstrated deploying the Uzi from two different covert carry options. J.D. showed how to deploy the Uzi from the Suchka Bag, as seen in his recent article on the topic. John Chambers showed how to deploy it from a very innocuous looking Dell laptop case. John doesn’t lock the Uzi stock shut, so he can just grab it by the butt of the stock and as he pulls it out of the bag, the stock will open and lock into place in one smooth motion as the gun comes out. Unlike the Suchka bag, the laptop case isn’t big enough to accommodate a 16" barreled Uzi. It works great for an SBRed gun, but if you don’t have an SBR you can also store the Uzi with barrel removed (reinstalling it only adds about 10 seconds to the deployment time if you practice).

Deploying the Uzi from a laptop case.

We finished up the class doing some extreme close quarters shooting with SMGs. We do this sort of thing in many of our pistol classes, but this is the first time I’ve seen it done with long guns. The effects of muzzle blast alone can be pretty devastating.

John Chambers demonstrating extreme close quarters shooting with the FS2000.

Warning: Doing extreme close quarters drills with a full auto Swedish K may cause face-splitting grins.

With that, we wrapped things up. Gabe handed out the certificates and we went our separate ways.

Final Thoughts

This class was really a unique experience. Having more than fifteen instructors meant that students got a huge amount of individual instruction. Gabe could call on highly experienced instructors with specialized knowledge like Roger Phillips, John Chambers, Greg Nichols, John Payne, and Randy Harris to teach particular material. If you ever have a chance to come to a class associated with one of our instructor gatherings you should be all over it.

The submachine gun curriculum is truly outstanding. There’s precious little SMG/PCC training available to civilians, and what little there is tends to be adapted from law enforcement training, or training designed to sell submachine guns to law enforcement (I’m looking at you, HK Training Division). A class like this, that teaches how to use a SMG for self defense is a must for anyone considering a pistol-caliber long gun for self-defense.

If I seem to mention bullpups almost as often as I do submachine guns in this writeup, that’s no accident. Bullpups and certain submachine guns have some similar characteristics that mean it makes sense to address them together. SI is getting much more into bullpups, and it’s clear that we’ll be traveling even further in that direction in the future. In addition to the class material, the instructors also kicked around ideas on how to employ these unique weapons. What we’ve done here will lay the foundation for some truly revolutionary new material.

Any chance to shoot something with a fun switch is a great pleasure, and I have to thank Randy Harris for letting me shoot his suppressed full auto Uzi and a student (Saladin on WT) for letting me shoot his Swedish K. Now the only problem is that I want both!

Truly an excellent class, with great fellowship among the students and instructors.

Keep the context - Close range (inside 5 yards), Bad guy has the initiative (he starts the fight and not you), and you must react. Same context as what we see done with the pistol. Thus...no standing in a picture perfect Magpul-esque shooting position unless you wish to make it a tie. Solution? Haul ass off the line of fire as you bring the rifle to bear on target.

Do you need sight pictures, shoulder mounts, or even two hands on the gun? Well...do you need those things with your Glock? No? You do not need those things if your rifle IS BALANCED THE SAME as your Glock. With this method you can zipper a target (or a bad guy if the context is kept) from nuts to nose as you move. Time on target - less than 2 seconds. This is not the technique to fire dime sized groups for qualifications or to impress some overfed doughnut swilling instructor on some backward shooting range. But it will keep you alive and the other guy dead in those unexpected close range gunfights.

Limited experience (which includes extensive experience in only one subject) will lead to a limited perspective. On the other hand, the unlimited experience provided by fifty minds from many different walks of operational life brings the total opposite...as unlimited experience as man can bring together and the resulting ego-less, mission focused, bring open minded results based perspectives.

Weapon Concept - The Personal Defense Weapon

After some of the work we did at the Submachinegun Gunfighting Class I wanted to revisit the discussion of the PDW. 

Sometimes things get confused due to the meaning of words being different for one man than for another.  It is easy for a modern day Jeremiah Johnson living in the middle of nowhere Alaska to point to his full sized G3 as his PDW, but that is not what we are working with here. 

What we are discussing in this article is typified by the UZI SMG or the FN P90 type of weapon.  It is a weapon that is as compact as possible so it can be carried with some discretion in any urban environment.  It would be suitable for work inside a house, as well as for work out to 200 yards. 

There may be a need for some compromise in these areas but we will see about that.  It would allow for eye socket accuracy inside a house, as well as have enough power to overcome armor, cover, or minor vegetation. It would provide greater speed, rapidity of fire, and accuracy than would be found with a typical service pistol.

First, we will discuss the weapon itself.  The PDW Concept, or Advanced Personal Defense Weapon, was first officially discussed in 1986.  The United States Army Infantry School based at Fort Benning issued the reference document Smalls Arms Strategy 2000, which defines the APDW (Advanced Personal Defense Weapon). The earliest weapon marketed as PDWs was the Heckler & Koch MP5K-PDW.

The PDW is intended as a non-combatant's weapon.  In other words, it is not something with which one goes and picks a fight.  Rather, it is something with which one gets away from a fight.  Similar weapons have been developed in the past for support personnel, such as the M1 Carbine.  That such weapons have attributes that lend them to the used in special functions is often ignored. 

The PDW is defined as a compact semi-automatic or fully automatic firearm similar in most respects to a submachine gun, but firing a rifle round, thereby giving a PDW better range, accuracy and armor-penetrating capability than submachine guns. The class of weapon as it exists today evolved as a hybrid between a submachine gun and an assault rifle, retaining the compact size and ammunition capacity of the former while adding the ammunition power, accuracy and penetration of the latter. PDW are often seen in proprietary calibers such as the FN 5.7x28.

The P90 in 5.7x28 is truly a hybrid weapon that bridges the gap between the SMG and the Assault Rifle.  There are those that want to argue the point about the validity of the 5.7x28 round as hard as the modern technique guys want to argue against the Glock in 9mm. Suffice to say that if they think so poorly about the 5.7, they should simply allow a P90 shooter to shoot them two or three times in the chest and then comment on the results.  Moving on.

The P90 is exceedingly compact in its civilian form and if one pursues the SBR road he will end up with something that has little competition in the civilian market.

I spent some time with the P90 in South America and I must say having such a weapon at one's side in an urban environment would only make a fool feel outgunned. The P90 cannot reach or penetrate as well as a full sized rifle round such as a 5.56, nor is it as quiet as a 9mm out of an UZI, but it does much of the PDW role quite well.

The submachinegun, in semi auto or selective fire, has been a point of our study for some time now.  Teaching our first class in SMG verified many of our assumptions about the weapon. 

Whether it is an UZI, an MP5, a Beretta Storm...or even a Swedish K, it can be run like a big handgun rather than as a small rifle.  It is extremely fast to bring into action, scary accurate when using the correct ammunition, and as easy to carry as a laptop.  Staffers John Chambers and JD Lester gave us some demonstrations of bagged SMG deployment that amazed us.

There are several things however, that the SMG is not great at.  One is distance.  While we had the class hitting steel at 200 yards with their UZIs (yes...200 yards), the impact of a 9mm out there would not be conclusive.  Two is penetration.  And by penetration I am discussing ammunition similar to what one would carry in a CCW handgun, not the FMJ one uses for training on the range. The 9mm will not penetrate armor worn by bad guys.  Is that an issue?  Maybe. One member at Warrior Talk correctly noted that hard plate armor is very common now making even a 5.56 ineffective against it, thus head shots should be the order of the day regardless.  It's hard to argue that point and head shots are easy with an SMG. Third is that unless one goes the SBR/NFA route, a semi auto SMG is as long as anything else.  Nonetheless, there are many who will have an SMG by the bed as an immediately accessible PDW.

Finally we look at the rifle as a PDW.  A full length rifle is a poor choice for this role simply due to its size.  Remember that a PDW is intended in this context as an urban weapon, and must be of a size that it can be commonly taken along discreetly. Such a thing is difficult with a rifle unless it has both a folding stock and a shorter-than-standard barrel.  An SBR rifle can work well, but has the drawback of a lessened ballistic effect due to the shorter barrel coupled with the exceedingly loud muzzle blast and report.  You have no idea of the magnitude of this unless you have fired a short rifle with unprotected ears inside a house in the middle of the night.  As well, not everyone has the ability nor desire to go the NFA route, and for them, the short rifle will not be a choice.

Those issues are what drew us to the bullpup rifle as a study project. The bullpup is as short as a short rifle with stock extended, or a full sized rifle with stock folded. Keeping a full length rifle (16" in the AUG and 17.5" in the FS2000) they wind their way past the NFA requirements and legal anyplace the typical assault rifle is legal. Balanced like a submachinegun, they are almost as fast as something like an MP5 or UZI, a fact we demonstrated repeatedly at the class. And firing a rifle cartridge, can reach out as far as one can see an adversary, penetrate anything which may need penetration (within reason), and yet stalk through a house, or in a vehicle with the fluidity of an MP5. The only problem we could see with this is that it's advantages are also its disadvantages...just like the SMG.  Its cartridge will not suffice for SMG problems anymore than an SMG will suffice for rifle problems.

Like most other things in life, there is no "single best answer".  The SMG and the Bullpup are far
more similar than different.  The only distinguishing issue is the caliber.  If you believe you will need more rifle than SMG, yet still want a PDW weapon, the Bullpup is the best choice based on what I have seen.  On the other hand, if you perceive less rifle needs and more SMG needs, the simple choice is the SMG. A thorough and honest evaluation of your AO as well as likely patterns of encounter should be done before choosing.  In the land of the pistol, the SMG is the king.  But in the land of the rifle, the SMG is a janitor.

One very capable man in the recent class said this.  "By my bed is an SBR'd UZI with 50 rounds in an L-clip. But in my car is a Steyr AUG". 

 

 

The Bullpup And The SMG

This last weekend we conducted the SMG Gunfighting Class at the tail end of our yearly corporate staff meeting and in-service training.  We had 20 Suarez Staff Instructors involved in teaching the class.  When you get a group of minds like this together, all looking at the same concept, amazing discoveries are made.

One of these paradigm shifts was the application of many of the Bullpup rifles we had in attendance.  We had several FN FS2000s in various configs., we had one FN P-90, and a couple of Steyr AUGs (one SBR and one standard length). Anyone that disdains the bullpup or its combat application is foolishly ignorant of the weapon's capabilities.

The Bullpup bridges the worlds of the very compact SMG and the more powerful assault rifle.  It is as short as an SBR without any need for NFA documentation, can be shot like a handgun, yet reaches and penetrates like a rifle, and is unparalleled in the ultra-close range dynamic CQB environments of vehicular combat and any confined spaces. We developed some very interesting material for this rifle.  Think "evolutionary" rather than revolutionary. More to follow very soon.