WARRIOR TALK NEWS

Practically Offsides

Being - Tactically and Practically - Prepared

By Ted Demosthenes, Suarez International Instructor

You’ve just finished lunch on Day One of your class with Suarez International. With your busy work-week behind you, the trip down to Phoenix went well, including the airport check-in adventure of dealing with the ticket agent, airline paper-work, other passenger’s raised eyebrows, the TSA’s inconsistent packed-weapon practices, and the ever-enjoyable trip through the “security” check point. The weather’s mild, the range is great, and the class members are friendly and experienced.

 

The morning has been spent doing admin, safety briefings and class conduct, a thorough review of principle skills, and a gear check to see what everyone was carrying and if it appears adequate for the course (remember the gear list in the course description?). The instructors are evaluating each shooter’s level of preparation for the course and, after some warm-up with dry practice, the class proceeds to initial live fire from contact ready.

You’ve come to class with your new 9mm pistol, an appendix inside the waistband (AIWB) holster, mag pouch, 4 mags, and the leather belt you used for carryin’ strong-side outside the waistband (OWB). You work through the dry practice module without a concealment garment practicing the slow, smooth pace demonstrated by the instructor. Your instructors are now evaluating everyone’s draw stroke and return to holster. You notice that your holster’s retention is a bit snug, but you are able to work it smoothly enough. You make ready and the class proceeds to the next exercise, live fire from the holster.

 

Wisely, you continue the slow, smooth draw speed for the first string of fire. As you keep shooting, your speed builds, but you also notice how much effort is required to get a full firing  grip and to initiate the draw stroke. On the fifth draw, you obtain a good grip and make a noticeably smoother draw only to discover that your sights look different on target, your finger isn’t on the trigger and, $#!*!, your gun is still fully in the holster. Bummer, Dude or Dudette!

You bring the gun/holster combo to the compressed ready while everyone finishes shooting. When the exercise is complete, the instructor, who has noticed your new “technique”, steps over and has you carefully remove the gun from the holster without covering any body parts, chamber check, unload, chamber check, and step off the line.

 

While the class is taking a water and ammo break, you and the instructor take a closer look at your holster. You find that the holster retention adjustment, even at its loosest, still grips more strongly than needed, the belt hook is apparently not wide or deep enough to hook adequately under your belt, and the belt is not stiff enough to reliably resist the upward movement of the holster during the draw.

 

Fortunately, you brought your spare 9mm in your old OWB primary side holster and one of your classmates loaned you a stiffer gun belt for the rest of the day. You were able to get back in the fight without missing much or holding up the class. A quick trip to the nearby gun shop got you a new belt for day two.

 

So, to quote Roger “Badger” Phillips, the lesson learned and best practice is to “Try Dry Before You Fly”. Before traveling to a training course with new and/or different gear or, far more importantly, before stepping out the door carrying, devote deliberate attention and focused dry practice (and live fire) with the guns, ammo, and gear you’ve chosen. Your success in training, and in defending your life, will depend on your diligence and judgment.

The story above is based on actual events. During our Suarez International Instructor gathering at the end of 2012, we discussed the past year’s challenges of preparing for, and conducting, our catalogue of courses. One of our concerns was shooters coming to class with guns and gear that had not been adequately evaluated and sorted out prior to class. Issues with guns and gear have interrupted both the classes and the individual shooter’s progress in class. Many of these issues could have been avoided by preparation prior to leaving home for the course.

 

I strongly recommend you direct your questions about guns and gear for training to Suarez International at 928-776-4492 before you travel to your next course. You are also encouraged to share and discuss with the tribe at Warrior Talk your best practices for training and for being fully prepared to use your choice of tools. For fight-focused training and daily reality, you’ll find you couldn’t be in better company.

 

Warrior, Pirate, Priest, or Pragmatist, most everyone on Warrior Talk is a “Good Scout”, in that we are always working to “Be Prepared”. What I challenge us all to do on this forum is to share our best practices and perceptions for preparing... and living…strategically and tactically “Offsides”!

 

Semper Fi,

Ted

Rifle Carry Modes

First I want to define the difference between a Carry method from a Ready method.  A Ready can be expanded to a Ready To Shoot Position.  These are used immediately before and during the fight and share one common attribute - that they either already have the muzzle on target, or allow the quick movement of the muzzle to a target once it has been identified. 

These are what the bulk of the tactical shooting community are familiar with since they comprise the starting point for all the drills commonly done in a rifle class.  But they require a focus and intensity that is short lived.  For example, one cannot maintain a modern Contact ready, nor a traditional Low Ready for a five hour hike up a mountain.

Different in scope from a Ready To Shoot Position are Carry Methods (one cannot really call them
"positions" as one is usually on the move).  Carry methods allow for moving the rifle from one point to another.  In a military/tactical context, they are used for moving towards the general area of
where the fight might be.  Notice I said "might be" and not "to the fight". 

There is a subtle difference in anticipation, and apprehension.  If I needed to cover five miles and I knew that at any moment, from any unspecified point, I may encounter an enemy, I would be using a much more "ready to shoot" method over a Carry Method, but it would be exhausting. 

The Carry Method allows you to carry the rifle in the field, in situations where aggression is not
specifically expected.  They allow for faster and freer movement that any sort of Ready To Shoot Positions.

First we have sling carry.  I do not favor the so-called "American Sling Carry".  That would be muzzle up on the primary shoulder.  Common in the "sporting world" this interferes with the sidearm, and does not lend itself to a directional dismount sling-present to target.  A relic of bygone times, we do not use it.  

Instead we favor the African Sling Carry which involves muzzle down support side carry.  This is very convenient in the field and allows for a quick dismount should it be required.  If both hands are needed to climb the preferred sling carry is simply to sling across the back.  This allows you to climb up a rock face, a building or anything you might need to do with both hands without needing to constantly manage a slipping sling and rifle.  If wearing a ruck, the sling can simply be made longer.

If sling carry is not desirable, there are other options.  These other options are rarely seen outside progressive schools as they usually do not have a reason to exist on the "traditional rifle range".  But since we do a great deal of work in the AZ back country, we have found them to be quite useful.

First is Carry at the Balance.  Simply find the balance of the rifle and grab it there.  This works well
for running and for moving short distances in haste.   The Elmer Fudd types will go apoplectic that the muzzle is not pointed to the ground.  Well, I seriously do not care what they think.  Carry at the balance can be seen anywhere light equipped men need to cover ground quickly.  Reminiscent of carrying a spear, it is both natural and easy.

Second is Tucked Carry.  The more the arm swings with the rifle, the more energy is expended.  Bring the rifle up under the arm, tucking it in, and the march or hike will be a bit easier.

Third is Cradle Carry.  Just like carrying a baby, cradle carry brings the rifle across your body close in, held by the arm against the body.      

Every rifleman will have a preference, so try them all out and determine which one suits you, your
topography and your personal equipment best.

WWW.ONESOURCETACTICAL.COM

The M4 "Pistol"

We have been working with this weapon some time now and I think it is a vastly under-rated system.  To recap.  I bought a 10.5" LMT Upper unit from one of our staff instructors.  It came as pictured less the Micro Aimpoint.  I had a number of M4 lowers in stock so I grabbed one and transferred to myself it as a pistol.  This would eliminate any possible concerns over the "constructive possession" issues. I added a pistol buffer tube and began working with it. More on the pistol buffer tube matter later.

We have had "pistol" discussions before, mostly relating to the AK series of stcokless SBR rifles.  These have zero utility and should be avoided.  That is what I have said from the beginning.  The M4 however, due to the design need of having a receiver extension (aka "Buffer Tube"), allows it to be used exactly as a rifle...almost.

We used two different systems to use the M4 pistol (I almost want to call it a "stockless rifle" since that is in effect what we have).  One we obtained from our friends in the Czech Special Forces.  They have a way to shoot the diminutive Skorpion VZ-61 Machine Pistol using three points of contact.  They place the buttstock on their cheek and ignore the shoulder.  Being a 32ACP, only Justin Beiber would find the recoil objectionable. This is best used for CQB, or close range problems where a center of mass (or center of face) shot is required.  The rifle...err, ah..pistol, is brought up to the face, and fired as soon as you have alignment, seeing what you need to see. Quite fast actually and reminiscent of the old SAS MP5 techniques. 

Invariably someone will try to use some sort of sling to "enhance" this.  I advise against it as it is simply unnecessary and return nothing for the effort.  Just bring it up, get that visual index, and press.

But this system is not solely for CQB.  We have shot this out to 300 yards and hit IPSC steels repeatedly.  When greater accuracy is needed for longer shots, or for extremely precise close shots, it is a simple matter to obtain that fourth point of contact by bringing the end of the buffer tube back into the shoulder.

It is also a simple matter to reach out with the weapon (we have taken it to 300 yards, but 200 is probably more reasonable ballistically) in any of the usual supported rifle firing positions.  You may need to modify them slightly, as you would when working with a short stocked rifle, but the results speak for themselves.

Several students in the recent rifle course noted that while an SBR may not be legal in all states, this M4 Pistol will not only be legal anyplace a handgun is legal, but also legally carried with any CCW permit.  Interesting option for those living in left-leaning regions of the country.

We have also found the M4 Pistol to be an excellent vehicle weapon, being extremely light and handy and capable of maneuvering in the close confines of a Tahoe, Jeep, BMW, or similar sized automobile. 

Invariably there will be those on the internet that will tell you that you could put on a rifle buffer tube and bring up documents and letter from the ATF.  Look guys...a pistol buffer tube is about fifty bucks.  Do you really want to kick over the ATF anthill for fifty bucks?  I do not.  I have friends that work for that agency and I called them to ask.  The unanimous reply was to not be a cheapskate and try to find some loophole to avoid spending fifty bucks.  I agree.

Try the concept out, I think you will be amazed at what you can do with the M4 Pistol. Oh, by the way...since i live in AZ, I did submit my Form 1 and send in $200 to make it a bonafide SBR, but for the guys that cannot do that, this is a very viable option.

 

Training opportunities in these times...

Dr John Meade

Director of Tactical Medicine

Suarez International

 

Everyone in the USA is having difficulty finding ammunition in most calibers, and the ammo that is found is usually expensive. Most stores are limiting the sales to each person, as well. If you didn't stockpile prior to the recent situation, or if you are concerned about being able to resupply that stockpile, you might be reluctant to sign up for a gunfighting class.

Yet at the same time, are we not realizing that the skills we teach in Suarez International classes are incredibly important now, more than ever! We must give up the fantasy that we all live in some happy Utopia. Ladies & Gentlemen, we are living in a time and place that is essentially a combat zone. Just as those living in Israel have learned to live a happy life, but never forgetting to be on their guard, we must do the same. 

We have for many years believed nothing bad will happen to us if we stay out of "bad neighborhoods". Then we started realizing that meth labs are proliferating in the rural areas, and those folks are happy to kill you if you get in their way. We now know that various gangs are viewing the USA as their next territory to own, since they now literally govern much of Latin America. And even our local thugs are looking to follow Sutton's Law, and go make their robberies in the nicer neighborhoods, "where the money is". And what about the simple nut jobs who decide to shoot up a school or a mall, due to their own inner demons?

So if that isn't enough reason to learn proper skills, now it is becoming obvious that Anytown, USA is also a place that terrorists can easily operate. For all too long, we were worried that the Russians would launch a nuclear bomb into our big cities. Much of our national defense thinking, as well as our personal approach, was oriented toward that. The attacks of 9/11/01 made us realize that terrorism could hit us hard. However, even after 9/11, we were left primarily with fears of a more large-scale attack, involving hijacking & bombing buildings and airplanes. 

Our friends in Ireland and Israel learned long ago that small scale attacks are perhaps even more effective purveyors of terror. The two bombs set off by the Islamist terrorists in Boston this week were small, easy to make, and easy to transport. From a perspective of killing personnel, they were not very effective. These small bombs only killed 3 people, and maimed several dozen, when set off in a very crowded location. Yet from a terrorism perspective, these little improvised explosive devices were incredibly effective. 

The fear of even a tiny IED has potential to destroy your way of life. Terrorists don't have to kills thousands like they did at the World Trade Center. Striking in any way at a mall in Peoria, a kid's soccer game in Tupelo, or a church in Boise would truly be even more effective to spread terror. Even Tom Clancy published a novel with this concept years ago. Is it not obvious that the jihadists will take this approach sooner, rather than later?

So when (not if) this happens, are you prepared? Do you know how to protect yourself and your loved ones? Are you ready to attack those who wish to destroy our way of life? What are the clues to let you know something bad is about to happen? Do you know how to respond during and after such an attack? When do you move? When do you close vs create distance? When do you go hands-on vs drawing your gun or knife? What is a tourniquet, and when do you apply it? 

Suarez International instructors are very attuned to the fact that the paradox of need for training, and lack of ammo, are both legitimate concerns. We believe the skills we teach are vital today, more than ever. It just so happens that some of our most important classes are actually fairly low round count classes. Even the classes that traditionally have been higher round counts are being done in ways to reduce your ammo expenditure, if you need to conserve. The trauma/tactical medicine classes (TMCO and ATM) and Zero-5 Feet Gunfighting use less than 200 rounds, and of course knife, FoF and CQB are zero round count. The Terrorist/Active Shooter Interdiction (TASI) class is specifically designed to help you in these situations, and requires only ~250 rounds. In these classes we spend a lot of time doing Force on Force (Airsoft) and dry drills. We also spend a huge amount of time emphasizing tactical thinking. 

This is not the time to avoid training, in order to save your ammo. This is the time to get the training you need to survive in our current reality. We will help you do this in the most efficient way possible. But only you can make the commitment to get the skills. Sign up for some SI classes now.

Dr. John Meade is Director of Tactical Medicine for Suarez International , and a board-certified Emergency Physician. He is a reserve police officer on a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team, an EMS medical director and an NRA certified instructor. He may be contacted on WarriorTalk, or his website at www.statdoc.com .

Interactive Gunfight Training

By Brent Yamamoto, Suarez International Instructor

What will you do in a gunfight?  What are your capabilities?  How will you fight to your goal, and how can you avoid getting killed? 

Do you know, or do you just think you know?

These questions and many more are answered in Force on Force training.

In the martial arts world, the training progression basically goes like this:

1. Solo training: learning, performing, and polishing the fundamental techniques.  Punching, blocking, kicking, etc.  Building gross and fine motor skills. 
2. Impact work: hitting stuff.  Focus mitts, kick shields, the heavy bag…things that allow you to feel impact, generate power, and condition your body. 
3. Partner training drills: interaction with a partner in controlled sequences; building control, dexterity, and the ability to apply techniques against a live partner without killing each other.
4. Sparring: either performed slowly under very controlled circumstances…or strapping on the armor and just wailing on each other.  Sparring is basically practice for beating the snot out of a moving target that is punching back at you, while avoiding damage yourself.  It allows you to see what works…and what does not.

The gun world is similar, but generally leaves some things out.

1. Dry practice: the equivalent of solo training in the martial arts, this fundamental level of training shouldn’t be underestimated.  All the advanced stuff is predicated on a solid background and eventual mastery of the fundamentals.  Dry practice improves our marksmanship and polishes all aspects of gun handling.  It’s the foundation of everything we do.  And it’s virtually free (unless of course you put a bullet through the TV).
2. Live fire: the equivalent of hitting the bag.  Important and absolutely necessary because you must know where your bullets are going, and develop the confidence that you can put them where you want.   

For most people, that’s where their firearms training stops. 

 

I doubt anyone would consider punching the air and hitting the bag to be sufficient preparation for the fight of their lives.  Necessary, yes, but hardly sufficient.  And I would argue that shooting stationary targets – though an important aspect of training – is less valuable to our overall fighting skills than hitting the bag.

Force on force is the gunfighter’s version of partner training and sparring drills.

“But it’s not real!” some say.  Well, sparring isn’t ‘real’ either.  The reality is that no matter what kind of fight training you do, you must make concessions to safety.  You have to go to work on Monday – preferably with everything in roughly the same spot as it was on Friday. 

Virtually all sparring and martial sports have limitations and only focus on aspects of the fight.  Sometimes you emphasize grappling, sometimes striking.  Paper targets emphasize marksmanship. 

Force on force has its limitations (primarily that you know the scenarios will usually result in a gun fight...it removes the Orient phase from the OODA loop), but as a training tool it’s about as close to the real thing as you can get.  Moving targets, multiple bad guys, drawing from concealment, shooting on the move…these are real skills that are applied in the real world. 

No, it’s not a real gun fight…but I don’t know many folks who are willing to train shooting live bullets at each other.  There is no substitute for seeing the real elephant.  But force on force, though only a training tool, will give you the experience of knowing that you can prevail in a desperate encounter.  That will increase your odds if the real elephant visits you.

Some consider it just a game.  But facing a live opponent, one who is intent on shooting you, and intent on not getting shot…how is that more of a game than standing still shooting at a paper target??

It comes down to this: if you want to know how to fight, you have to fight.  

Do you have what it takes?  Do you know...or just think you know?  Find out.  Click here for upcoming force on force classes.  

Owning The Night - Which Path?

Gunfighting has always been an ongoing study. There are innovations being made constantly, both in the tactical (aka skills) and technical (aka gear) areas. It is a mistake to focus exclusively on one, and ignore the other. For example, one may have very good night combat skills, but his ability to apply will be severely limited if all he has is a 5 shot J frame with a mini maglite. On the other hand, a man with a PVS-14 and an OTAL laser that has no tactical skills will not fare any better. The key then is to have the technical to match the tactical. And when one considers that the tactical is more easily improved than the technical, it makes sense to start with the best kit possible, and then grow into it.

One strong concern for many has always been the "fight at night" thing. Like all conflicts we can divide them into reactive and proactive.

We can typify the "reactive" event as follows. You are walking to your car in a dimly lit parking lot at 11:00 PM and are suddenly and unexpectedly attacked by two thugs. We are not looking at total darkness, but rather at a situation where there may not be enough light to read the Wall Street Journal, but certainly enough to see aggressive physical action directed to you. No need for any lights, lasers, or anything else in a reactive event such as this. The key to victory is the ability to move quickly, and shoot with the visual elements available. Some of these elements may include lasers, mini red dot sights, point shooting, etc.

There is also the "proactive". Proactive is far different in that you are not "surprised", but rather have knowledge of what is happening. Having this information, one can get ahead of it rather than being overtaken by events. In years past, trainers offered lip service to the proactive low light problem by teaching the Harries position, or the Surefire hold. A small sub-art was born around the use of the small handheld/weapon mounted flashlight as manufactured by Surefire, Streamlight, etc. Where these sub-arts lack is in the almost exclusive focus on "white light" and its use in "target identification".

In fact, target identification is only a small part of the problem, and actually quite simple for most of us. Think of this - your wife and two children are behind you in your bedroom. How much actual "target identification" do you need for that 6 foot tall figure with the big knife sneaking around at the end of the hallway?

Other aspects of the problem include operator safety, and I think that takes precedence over target identification. I ran an experiment in class a few years ago. We had an impromptu conflict of sorts during a low light section. One student, a sales rep for a flashlight company, was advocating the blinding and debilitating effects of a super bright candlepower strobe. That it would not only identify and distract the adversary, both desirable characteristics for the police, but make him incapable of any effective response on the source of the light. Always willing to test out a theory, I set up an experiment.

I took a super bright light and inserted it into a cardboard target, lens toward the firing line. I took two military police guys in class, and had them face away from the target. They were armed with MP5 SMGs. I had them close their eyes and wait. Their instructions were that when I yelled "fight", they were to turn and engage the source of the light as they moved off the X. As they stood by, I turned on the light in the target bright and strobing. I then got out of the way and yelled, "fight!"

In a few seconds, both operators had moved off the X and peppered the target with about twenty rounds each. The flashlight was miraculously not hit, but the target was fairly well destroyed. The bright strobe prevented them from getting a sight picture (like all good guys use), but it did not prevent them from point shooting it a cumulative total of over forty times even if they were "blinded by the light".

Moral of the story is this - The use of light may identify your threat, but it will also give away your position and safety.

Solution to both identify the threat positively while at the same time keeping you totally safe? That is the tactical application of modern technology - night vision.

To put its position in the realm of history, consider these things. What would Custer have given for several armed and armored Humvees at Little Big Horn? What would Napoleon have given for modern Air Support at Waterloo? It is that much of a game changer.

That the technology is desirable is not an issue. Usually the only concern is cost. Custer and Napoleon would have loved such an advantage...but they would have had to pay for it. All advantages, whether flying a plane, diving to the bottom of the ocean, or driving 200 mph, will cost. And being able to positively identify a face as friend or foe across a large room, and kill it if a foe, also has its price. But in the realm of "fighting at night" it holds the position of being the ultimate solution to the problem.

How costly is it? A complete home defender set up is no more than one would pay to set up a good sniper rifle kit (rifle, optics, and accessories). The main point of discussion is often whether one could save money by opting for an apparently less expensive Generation 1 or 2 unit over a Generation 3. I do not think that is a good option, and here is why.

Whatever you buy has to fulfill the mission. The mission can be defined loosely into thirds. Each third is important. Those thirds are; maintaining operator's position hidden, positive identification of the threat in darkness, and finally, the ability to deal with the threat successfully. Not one of the thirds, but implicit in the exercise...it has to work. We tested a number of popular, economy-priced units and many failed to work out of the box!

The lack of brightness as well as resolution in the Gen1 and Gen2 tubes isolates the operator from his surroundings. Situational awareness is severely compromised. With these units, one can see a blob, but there is no comparison in identification with what you get in Gen 3. You will often hear that Gen 1 and gen 2 units can be made better with the use of an IR light. That is true, although nowhere near what a true Gen 3 unit will provide. But regardless, you should consider that night vision units are common today and a constantly running IR light will be as much a detriment to you as a constantly running white light, if your adversary is also equipped with Night Vision.

Finally is the issue of lifespan. Generation 1 - Expected lifespan is 1500 hours. Generation 2 - Expected lifespan is 2500 hours. Generation 3 Expected lifespan is 10,000 + hours. Your Generation 3 unit will last over four times as long as the lesser quality and featured Gen 2, and close to ten times longer than any marginally-effective Gen 1 unit.

NIGHT VISION UNITS AVAILABLE AT ONE SOURCE TACTICAL

Technology And Owning The Dark - 2

The method most basic, for using a Night Vision Monocular in conjunction with a handgun goes like this.  Hold the monocular in your support side hand and bring it up to your non-dominant eye.  How close will be up to you, but understand that there is a glow given off by the unit and holding too far away will not only illuminate your face but also reduce your visual acuity through the unit.  Adjust the optic so you can hold it as close as possible. This will remain in place as you move through the area.

It is suggested that you attach a neck lanyard so that if you needed both hands free you could drop it on the lanyard and instantly be able to operate whatever you needed with the support hand without loss of the unit.

When moving, you can bring the pistol into a compressed ready such as SUL, or a modification of SUL.  This allows you to move efficiently without excessive exertion, or projection of the pistol into unknown areas. 

The main point to remember is that in total darkness, if you are equipped with night vision, you can see things you normally could not and thus move with an ease that would not be available otherwise.

Although we are assuming that you can see and your adversary cannot - to a certain degree - remember that night vision, like body armor, is quite common and the opposition may also be equipped with it. 

As well, other target indicators such as sound, smell, shine, etc., remain a concern so be quiet and stealthy. The idea here is to start and finish the gunfight without the other guy knowing you are even on the same planet as him.

When the need to engage is presented, bring the pistol up in the usual one-handed shooting position.  Notice that my TSD Glock is canted slightly in what we jokingly refer to as a "half homie".  This is actually a bullseye shooting position known as the McMillan Tilt, invented by Marine Olympic pistol champion Bill McMillan. I won't go into the benefits of this here, but try it for yourself.  If it works use it.  It works well for me.

Now to the matter of the eyes.  Keep them both open of course.  If the target is within three yards, just point shoot him.  If you need more precision such as if taking a small part of the target, such as a head shot, you will need to refine what you see.   Here is how.

If using tritium sights, pick up the dots with the shooting eye and keep scanning the target with the non shooting eye.  The two images will come together via the binocular capability of the eyes.  It will need to be learned and developed, but is quite fast into use. The only disadvantage of the tritiums is that they do produce a glow that can be picked up in total darkness.  Nothing is free so consider the advantages as well as liabilities of tritium sights.

Using the MRDS/RMR, as in our TSD Combat Systems packages is even easier, and the dot appears as a bright green dot centered on the threat using the same methods. The MRDS/RMR does not produce the shine/glow that tritium does.

Finally is the use of the laser.  Ideally you would have an IR laser mounted on the pistol, so that you could refine alignment without any notice given to the opposition.  While there are IR pistol mountable lasers, I have a Surefire X400 mounted on my TSD Glock.  The reason is that there is a need for a white light in these scenarios and currently there are no factory produced white light units with IR lasers.

Unless you will be using a head mounted NVD, you have one hand to hold up the NVD and the other for the pistol.  Nothing is free to go get the flashlight on your belt.  So I sacrifice stealth at the moment of shooting for greater flexibility in application. With the visible laser, simply align everything and only activate the laser the instant before firing so you do not compromise your position with it.

More studies on the practical combative application of night vision technology for the individual coming soon.

****************************************************

LOW LIGHT COMBAT TECHNOLOGY

One Source Tactical is holding a special group buy on night vision units and ir rifle mounted lasers until February 17th.  To get 10% the cost enter the code "NIGHTVISION" at checkout.

Technology and Owning The Darkness

The city had been stalked by a rapist. This guy was good. We thought he was an ex-military guy or an ex-cop. He left no physical evidence, and managed to hit every night for the last ten days regardless of how many units had been deployed to the area and how many days off had been cancelled.But it was not hard to avoid those “high profile” patrols. They drove around giving a very good, and loud, rendition of the “illusion of security”.

That was the modern administration’s answer to violence – to look like you were really trying hard until the bad guy got tired and went away .I had been out on foot in the alley. One of those coincidences of happenstance and good preparation I suppose. There had been a call of a suspicious person, right where I was on foot.

Initially, I thought a resident had seen me moving through the alley. I had a plain black raid jacket with the “POLICE” lettering sufficiently and purposely worn off so it covered all the shiny bullshit I was required to wear. I donned it when out on foot and probably looked more like a burglar than a police officer. I called in via my radio that it was Code 4…meaning it was only me. Dispatch acknowledged and I kept walking, silently in the dark. Then I heard it.

I wasn’t sure what it was, but it was one of those sounds that simply do not belong. I stopped and took a knee, listening hard. There it was again. Some sort of metallic and non-rhythmic sound. Definitely man-made. I moved toward the sound..trying hard to not make any myself.

A night vision unit!? Yes.

In those days I had my side business working and had a much better rate of disposable income than the average line officer (much to the dismay of ever-heavier administrators). One of the things I added to my kit was a third generation night vision monocular. I bought it from Cory Trapp and paid the princely sum of $900 back in the mid 1990s.

I looked at the problem with a very practical eye. I needed to be able to see in the dark, that much was obvious. But my goal was not simply observation, but also being able to act upon what I saw. In my context it would mean either shooting, or going hands on violently and proactively. I needed to both be able to shoot with the NVD, but also to be able to secure it if I needed to hit someone or to load/fix the pistol.

Securing the unit in a pouch seemed the most protective but I knew I would not have the time to do that. I settled on a neck lanyard made from 550 cord. I rigged the monocular with a lanyard around my neck so I could use it as needed and then drop it and have hands-free as needed as well.

My Glock 24 had a white light mount on it but the intention was to not use it to search, but only at the last moment when I knew what I had, lest the light alert my prey…I mean…the suspect.

I had developed a way to use the Trijicon Tritium sights in conjunction with the NVD (Night Vision Device). I would hold the monocular over my left eye. With it I would scan the area I was examining. If I saw a target that needed to be shot, I would bring the pistol up and look for the tritium dots with my right eye. I found that the binocular characteristics of human vision would integrate the three dots against the blackness with the green illuminated scene my left eye was picking up. This would yield three dots hovering over the targeted zone.

There was absolutely nothing defensive or reactive about this and the intention was to be able to hunt bad guys in the dark with zero warning. If I could have added a sound suppressor, I would have. That was 1995!

It is now 2013, almost twenty years later. Technology today has surpassed what I had back then. While I am a minimalist when it comes to techniques, I am also firmly in the camp that we should use modern technology. There is a tendency in the Civilian Tactical Community to want to minimize more than just techniques. I think that is a mistake.

Why send a letter when we have email?

Why carry a bag of coins when we have credit cards?

Why walk when you can drive a BMW?

Why rely on antiquated equipment, or worse, purposely handicap yourself in a fight, when there are easier things?

We need to identify the fight. A reactive fight is something we get into. A proactive fight is something we go to. And yes my friends, there are those two angles regardless of your profession. In this discussion we will focus on the PROACTIVE FIGHT, meaning that you go and look for the fight. There is little use for flashlights, much less, night vision in an unexpected reactive gunfight. 

One scenario - your door gets kicked in at 0400 HRS. Its dark as a rhinoceros rectum. You hear footsteps and voices through your house. Any light you turn on will make you a target for the enemy that you cannot see.

Here is your First Option - Turn the lights on...or a flashlight, and exchange gunfire with them on equal footing. From experiments we have done, a bad guy need only fire toward the light...he doesn't care how many it takes to dump you.

Your Second Option - Use night vision technology and alternative sighting tools, such as IR lasers, to locate, move to contact with, and eliminate the adversary unseen. Which one is safer for you?

Owning the night is not about having the brightest flashlight or the newest flashlight technique. While lights are desirable in their niche, the technology has moved beyond them being the only thing available. To really own the dark, the modern defender will utilize some form of night vision in conjunction with his other tools. Body armor is already a common addition to many defender’s kit bags. It should be the same with modern night fighting technology.

Today there are IR visible lasers available to everyone, as well as high quality Gen 3 Night Vision Units. As well, there are handheld Infrared Viewers that used to be limited to helicopter use in my time. Like anything else, quality will cost and the top quality units are not for those on food stamps.

In addition, there are ways we have developed to use the RMR/Red Dot systems in conjunction with the NVD that make my 1995 system look like a Wright Brothers plane compared to a modern fighter. If you are ready to take the first step to really owning the darkness, take a hard look at the night vision technology and the IR laser technology. The epiphany will be like the first time you realize that you could win the fight decisively without being seen or shot.

“Night vision devices let you own the night. Flashlights just let you borrow some of it for a little while.”

Chris Upchurch – SI Staff Instructor.

In a few minutes I was on him. He was dressed in black like me. He had a large screw driver in his hands and was working quietly to pry open the window of a residence. I watched him in the green hue of the NVD, and brought my Glock up silently, the three tritium dots hovering like three fireflies in formation on the center of his back.

For a moment I was tempted to do as my friends in the “surveillance detail” often did…yell “Hey” and then shoot him in the chest as he wheeled around. But I had exceeded my quota for at least the next year so I brought the pistol back down slowly.

I loaded my left leg and swung the hardest Muay Thai kick I have ever sent. I heard his femur break with a gratifying crack.

As he screamed, I slowly pressed my mic, “Three L Seven I need Code Three back Up…..”.

 

BUY TIER ONE NIGHT VISION TECHNOLOGY AT ONE SOURCE TACTICAL

Beretta Storm - Part Four

Part Four

I’ve discussed the Beretta CX4 Storm at length here, here and here.  I want to finish up this series with a discussion on upgrades and accessories. The Storm is a great performer out of the box but there are few things that will make it even better. 

Accessories

I wouldn't presume to tell anyone how they should set up their gun...but it wouldn't be much of an article if I didn't share my opinion on it.     

What you do to the gun depends on how you intend to run it.  Rails are easily added that let you mount all manner of lights, lasers, forward grips, and tactical bottle openers.  If adding stuff helps you be the best fighter you can possibly be, go for it.  Options are a great thing.

However, in my opinion: the defining qualities of the Storm are its light weight, its balance, its small size/length, and its snag-free, "aerodynamic" body.  The last article was about how the gun handles; to me that's what differentiates it from other weapons.  A minimalist approach here will capitalize on the gun's attributes, keeping it light weight and low drag. 

These are my opinions guys, based on how I would run the gun.  How you run it and what you want will be up to you; I hope these ideas are helpful to you.

 

Leave it off

Lasers - To me, lasers make sense as a training tool.  There’s a place for them in proactive situations, such as lying in wait for an intruder coming up the hall (setting an ambush).  However, I think red dot optics are more useful over a wider variety of situations; to me a laser is just one more thing to keep off the gun. 

I would only consider adding a laser if it was a good quality laser/light combo that's light weight and simple as possible. 

Pressure switches are convenient, and probably not so bad in a house gun.  But for my purposes, cables hanging off the gun are a negative.

Personally I think a better investment is one of Roger Phillips' Point Shooting classes.  We should get the best equipment we can, but I always prioritize skill development over gadgets.

 

 

Extra rails and VFGs - Unless you have it SBR'd or find that it really enhances the handling for you, I'd leave off the forward grips and the extra rails.  No, they're not a lot of weight, but more stuff is more stuff, and they add points to snag.  This gun is very svelte. I’d keep it that way.

My opinion - no VFG necessary on a Storm.  If you use one though, it should be as short as possible.

 

Spacers - If your name is Gigantor and your arms can reach into the next county, you may need the spacer in the butt stock to shoot it well.  But if not, consider removing it.  Experiment so you know what works best for you. 

In my opinion, for this gun’s niche it should be as short as possible.  

The gun to the right has three spacers...that guy must have orangutan arms!

 

This gun actually had the stock shortened...  More effort/expense but if that's what it takes to make it work for your needs it's worth it.

Flash hider  - For a pistol caliber?  Why?

 

Barrel shroud - Exactly what purpose does this serve?  Makes it longer and a little more barrel heavy…how does that improve the handling? 

There's something to be said for a gun that looks cool, but I just can't see adding stuff that doesn't enhance its function. 

 I’d rather SBR it, thread the barrel, and get a real can.  Or have a custom made integral suppressor…now that would be cool.

 

I guess if you want to add it just because it ticks off "the shoulder thing that goes up" lady, okay, I respect that.   

Just my opinion but there's too much stuff on this gun.  However, some very nice work has been done on it.  The silly thumb-hole strap thing (STHST) has been cut off, as have the stock sights and sight covers.  A customized top rail extending the length of the gun has been added, and topped off with back-up folding irons.  Not too shabby.

 

Stick it on

Top rail and optic - Primary fighting weapons should have an optic (backup and/or pocket pistols being the exception). 

A quality red dot such as a Trijicon RMR facilitates amazing things if your marksmanship skills are up to it.  Eyeball shots at room distance?  Consistently fast and easy body shots at 100 yards? 

We do that in class with RMR'd Glocks. 

Imagine an RMR'd Storm. 

 

 

 

One side rail and a light - A close quarter fighting gun should have a light.  One side rail instead of the whole tri-rail set up would be sufficient.  The retractable rail is an option, though it seems a little flimsy to me.  A flashlight in a VLTOR mount on the top rail might also be a good option.

The gun to the right is kept very simple.  One side rail for a light, and an optic.  Done.

 

Mag pouch - For the home defense role, consider a mag pouch attached to the gun.  I prefer leaving stuff off, but in the home you may not always have the time/ability to grab your fighting bag with the extra mags.  Unless you keep a mag pouch on your tactical pajamas, keeping an extra mag or two onboard the gun is a reasonable compromise. 

Sling (maybe) - A long gun should almost always have a sling.  However, as a niche weapon to be used in the home or particularly in a vehicle, I would rather not have one.  I'm usually opposed to quick detach slings because they can come loose when you least want them to, but for the intended purpose here it might be a good compromise.

 

Pistol - Maybe the best accessory for a Storm is a pistol with matching magazines.  Because you needed an excuse to get another pistol.

 Modifications

Ahhh...922r and the joy of Federal regulations.  The short story - if you start doing certain things to the gun, you will want to keep the thing compliant with 922r.  Much of the information I found on the Storm was conflicting, and BATFE hasn't responded to me yet.  The best information I found indicates that BATFE considers the Storm to have ten (the legal limit) of the relevant 922r parts.  Depending how you define it, I think it actually has more than that, but the gun was approved for importation into this country "for sporting use," so it seems they pegged it at ten parts. 

I would have liked to add definitive information regarding 922r compliance, but a.) I'm not a lawyer, b.) this article is too long already, and c.) write your own damn letter to the BATFE.  Based on my research, the modifications below will comply...but it doesn't matter what I tell you, it's what they tell you that matters. 

So with that disclaimer, here is what I would consider.

• Absolutely: Add the Sierra Papa trigger/hammer upgrade.  This will give you a crisper trigger pull, allowing better marksmanship at longer ranges.  The steel hammer and aluminum trigger also count towards compliance with 922r, bringing the number of applicable parts down to eight.  This is an absolute necessity if you decide to make some of the modifications below (assuming you care about 922r, and I think it's smartest to do so).

 

The Sierra Papa parts are well-made. The folks there are friendly and very helpful.  

•  If you can: SBR it if that is legal in your state.  Some folks think getting the tax stamp eliminates the need to comply with 922r, but this is not the case (at least based on some of the BATFE letters I have seen). You're still responsible for compliance.

 I think this one is just about perfect: red dot, SBR, short as possible, quick detach sling. An SBR should retain a short, simple VFG.

• Nice to have: Install a charging handle on both sides.  We must be able to run the gun ambidextrously regardless of which side the charging handle is on.  But with the Storm it's such an easy upgrade, at such low cost, so why not do it?  Enhanced functionality...and if you don't like it that way you can always remove it and have a spare.

 

• It depends: Add the Sierra Papa steel guide rod and buffer upgrade.  The polymer guide rod is plenty strong enough for shooting, so if your Storm is simply a dedicated home defense gun then I wouldn't say it's necessary.  However, there is the possibility of the guide rod breaking during disassembly/reassembly (an uncocked hammer can potentially catch this piece and snap it - this is why the gun should be cocked prior to disassembly).  For those who would consider discretely carrying this gun disassembled, you can imagine the circumstances of reassembly would be stressful.  This upgrade is good insurance, and you never have to worry about breaking it while cleaning. 

 

•  Do it but be aware of 922r: Cut off the silly thumb-hole strap thing (STHST).  It's there for 922r compliance reasons and makes some manipulations a little more difficult than they need to be.  This should take your 922r count back up to nine.

 

Some of the guys I've spoken to don't mind the STHST, and some even like it.  If that's you, great.  It's one less compliance issue you need to worry about.  Me, I think the handling benefits make the effort worthwhile...and if some folks consider a pistol grip an evil feature, well hey that's enough for me just on principle.

 

• Do it but be aware of 922r: The barrel should be threaded for a suppressor.  Assuming you have added the hammer/trigger upgrade and cut off the STHST, threading the barrel should bring you back up to the ten parts for 922r. 

 

If you want to ensure compliance, I suggest that you write the BATFE (you might want to use less sarcasm than I do).  If you noticed the weasel word "should" above, that's on purpose.  The parts count/legality depends on the judgment of the BATFE agent that writes the response to your letter, and I have seen conflicting information on this point. 

 

More important than how you set it up is how good you become with it.  Run it through its paces so that you know for certain what works for you, and what does not.  Practice, and become an expert with it...no matter how you set it up. 

 

That was a lot of words on the Beretta CX4 Storm.  Given today's political climate, perhaps a few short words would have been better: get one while you still can.

Snow Storm - Part Three

Part Three

In Part One, I discussed the rationale for the PCC, and started a conversation on why the Beretta CX4 Storm is an excellent choice.

In Part Two, I shared some impressions about the gun, some noteworthy features, and briefly discussed shooting it.

Let's turn to what I think is the most interesting aspect of the Storm: how it handles. 

 

Lighter and easier to use one handed than the Uzi

 

Lightweight and Well-Balanced - I've already mentioned the weight; lower weight means easier handling in general.  The weight and short overall length make this gun very handy in a vehicle.   Ditching the VFG and SBRing the barrel would help even more.

 

Perhaps even more important than weight is balance.  I have an AK74 that is very light, but its balance makes it difficult for me to run to my maximum ability.  My FS2000 is heavier, but its balance allows me to do almost everything easier.  The Storm is lightweight and balanced.  These attributes alone make it a winner in my book.

 

 

Intuitive - Every weapon has a learning curve, but the Storm is very natural and easy to learn and use.  The faster you learn how to use it, the faster you can become fight-focused rather than weapon-focused. 

 

The controls are laid out well, very similar to where they are on a pistol.  The pull of the charging handle is easy, a real benefit to family members.  It's not as satisfying as yanking on the charging handle of an AK, but it's an improvement over the Uzi in my opinion.

 Virtually all the controls can be reversed, allowing you to customize the gun to you.  This is a handling advantage.  No matter how you set the gun up, you still need to train with it and make those skills second nature...but the more natural it is from the start, the better you'll be with it.

 

 Moving and Shooting - Some guns are easier to use while moving and shooting, particularly with challenging footing such as the snow we shot these pictures in.  The Storm just goes where your hands go, very easily, and allows you to focus on keeping your footing and hitting your target.

  My variation of the takeoff (the "Japanese Takeoff" - an article and video is on the way) allows good footing in slick conditions.  Easy to do in the snow with a Storm.

 

Mag Changes - Another handling advantage is that mag changes are almost identical to your pistol.  However, as with any weapon, you need to practice this skill A LOT, and some of the mags are easier than others.  The standard 15 rounder of the 92 for example, and the 8 round 45 pictured here, are shorter than the pistol grip, making it more difficult to handle.  The longer mags for the .40 and 9mm are easier, but you'll need additional practice with them as well because they're longer than your standard pistol mag.  Still, for most people I think this is probably easier than mag changes with an AK.

 

Streamlined -  Look at this photo:

 See any rough edges on it?  Neither do I. 

As much as I love the Uzi, it's almost all rough edges.  Look, I'm an AK guy, so I can appreciate a gun that leaves a few love marks (Seriously Honey!  These are from my AK!!).  But it's refreshing to see a gun that was obviously designed to not snag anything.  For the niche this gun is likely to be employed - close-quarters, indoors, vehicle operations, pulling out of a sneaky bag in response to an active shooter event - aerodynamic is a handling advantage.

 

Completely ambidextrous - Even without changing any of the controls, this is a very easy gun to run on both sides.  One skill I practice a lot is shoulder transfers, changing the gun from right side to left and back again.  The way I had Dad's Storm set up it was THE easiest and fastest carbine I've ever practiced transfers with. 

 

The gun I handled started out with long Vertical Forward Grip (VFG).  We didn't get any pictures of it, but later we removed the grip and front rails, and I found that transfers were even easier without the VFG.  Transfer the butt stock to the left shoulder, maintain backward pressure with your left hand...and just slide it back into the firing grip as your right hand grabs the fore-end.  It is much easier to use this "sliding" method with the Storm than with other guns such as the Uzi.  (Try the same thing with an FS2000 vs. an AK or AR.)   

  

Going to the left shoulder is easy even in a vehicle. 

 

Yes, preferably you'd be stepping on the gas instead of shooting if you can help it...

 

 

 

Or step on the gas while you shoot. 

 

You're not going to hit anything this way but the Storm easily allows the option for suppressive fire as you get away.

 

 

 

 

I prefer the Storm without a VFG, but if it improves your handling of the gun then go for it.  If the gun is SBR'd like the one above, it becomes a safety issue and I'd recommend a very short VFG.  No sense shooting your support hand.

 

Different from a "Rifle" - Although the Storm isn't a bullpup, its balance and light weight make it handle like one.  In some ways it's like a scaled down FS2000.  There are some movement patterns and shooting positions where you can treat it like a big pistol.

The Storm is less bulky, but it's longer than the FS2000.  Handling is similar.

 
Some angles in a vehicle are more like using a pistol.

 

 

Transition to the left shoulder is even easier if you handle it like a pistol.

 

In the WT after-action discussion on the recent SMG class in Prescott, SI Instructor Greg Nichols commented:

"I believe the Uzi to be faster in operation than the HK (MP5) and easier to one hand shoot. I believe that having the mag and well at the balance point of the HK makes it slightly easier to [shoulder] transfer than the Uzi."

 Comparing the Storm to the Uzi - even with a full-length barrel the Storm is easier to shoot one-handed than an SBR'd Uzi, and it's certainly easier to transfer shoulders.  As to which is faster in operation, I think it's something of a toss-up, and really depends on which platform you are more comfortable with. 

   

The Storm is an excellent tool at bad breath distance...

 

It handles like a pistol, allowing for easy one-handed manipulation and allows the other hand freedom to block and strike.

 

 

Getting off the X in the 5 o'clock direction. 

Once again, the Storm's design allows you to handle it like a pistol. 

A better example for pictures  would have been to go to the 7 o'clock. 

Going to the 7 o'clock with a rifle like an AK or an AR requires a transfer to the left shoulder, as well as moving the left hand to the pistol grip.  With the Storm, simply transfer the gun to the left shoulder but leave your right hand on the pistol grip...much faster and easier than with a traditional rifle set up.

 

I'd rather shoot with it, but it makes a decent impact weapon.

 

Dropping to Spetsnaz Prone doesn't make as much sense in an open field like this...unless it's slick and you can't get off the X quickly.  Dropping straight down, fast, out of the bad guy's sight may be your only option.

 

Sometimes the gun is empty and there's no time for anything else.  Hit the b*stard. 

I intended to write one simple article on this gun...and it grew into four (really, that's it, no more!)  Next time I will talk about accessories and potential upgrades. 

Snow Storm Part Two

Part Two

In Part One I shared some ideas about the niche and benefits of Pistol Caliber Carbines and began discussing how the Beretta CX4 Storm is a solid choice for that role.  Here's Part Two...

The Storm has been around since 2003, so I won't go into all the gun details.  However, here are a few items I find noteworthy…

Caliber and Magazines

The 9mm and 40 S&W CX4 models are designed to be compatible with magazines for several Beretta pistol models - the 92/96, the PX4 Storm, and the 8000/8040 Cougar.

In other words, a 9mm or 40 S&W gun will accept multiple mag types; all that's required is changing a magazine insert and a mag release button (they’re reasonably cheap when in stock).  The inserts are conveniently stamped to tell you which mag type they accept.

The table below displays the part numbers needed for a given mag type, as well as the available mag capacities. Just buy the appropriate insert and release button, and you can switch mags.

 

Beretta offered a nice variety of 9mm mag options with the 92 and PX4 styles.  Perhaps there's a good reason they don’t offer more than 17 rounds of 40 S&W, though it seems to me it wouldn't have been such a stretch to cook up a 20ish round mag.  And they didn't even bother with more options for the 8000/8040 Cougar.

 As for the 45 ACP...8 rounds?  That's it?? 

The 45 CX4 Storm takes the 8 round magazine of the immensely popular 8045 Cougar pistol (that's sarcasm for those who don't speak it). 

I guess we can't fault Beretta too much for the lack of foresight on this one, but with the 8 round Cougar/CX4 45 mag, Berreta managed to make a magazine that is useless both in New York and everywhere else.  (More sarcasm.)

The least Beretta could have done was offer an insert option for the PX4 45...it IS called the PX4 Storm after all (CX4 is for Carbine, PX4 is for Pistol). That would have at least allowed a 9 and 10 round option.  Maybe they just got tired at that point. I certainly got tired just writing this section.

Sierra Papa has an aftermarket solution to this problem that looks promising.  It's a little spendy, and there's effort required to modify the factory magazine.  But if you like 45 ACP, and like even better the sound of 16 rounds in the magazine, maybe that's just the ticket for you. 

The version I shot was a 45, and since this gun seems destined to stay in the family I ordered two of the mag conversion kits.  I haven't had the opportunity to convert the mags yet, but the parts look very solid and the quality looks excellent.  Plus, the folks at Sierra Papa are very friendly, helpful, and informative.

Left to right: Glock 21 mag (for comparison), Sierra Papa 45 mag extension, Beretta 92 20 round mag, Beretta 92 30 round mag.  The Sierra Papa looks like a solid piece of kit. 

 

Except for the cut outs in the grip, the factory 45 mags are actually shorter than the mag well.  This is yet another reason it's silly there isn't an extended 45 magazine (though I'm sure the compatibility is a driving feature for the hoards of Beretta 8045 users out there). 

I found the best way to get these to seat was a hard palm strike: hit it with the heel of the hand lined up with the grip cut-outs. 

 

Somebody offers a 10 round extension for the 45, but at this point I'm sick of researching magazine options.

 

 Disassembly

 It’s easy. 

1. Remove the mag.  Hopefully you don't need to be reminded of that step.

2. Cock the hammer by pulling back the charging handle (necessary because the polymer spring guide rod and buffer can be broken during disassembly…this is an argument for purchasing the steel guide rod). 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Push out the "Disassembly Latch;" it can be pushed out from either side. 

 

 

4. Slide the upper from the lower.

 

 

5. Pull the bolt assembly back until the charging handle is lined up with the round area just in front of the ejection port.  Remove the charging handle.

 

 

6. Pull out the bolt.  I didn't have time to disassemble it further but this much is adequate for most cleaning.

 It's not quite as easy as an AK, but it's close.

 

 

The Bolt

 While we've got it apart, let's discuss the bolt.  Warrior Talk member Goodspeed(TPF) shared a good deal of information on the Storm with me.  (At one point he owned six of them!  Two each of 9mm, 40 S&W, and 45 ACP.  I have Storm envy.)  He describes this better than I can:

 Many people may not realize just how heavy the slide mass is in the Storm, especially compared to other similar carbines. This aids in a few areas.

 First, it allows the recoil springs to be lighter which makes the bolt easier to cock enabling those of weaker stature to still easily charge the weapon.

Secondly it helps to soften felt recoil as a heavier slower moving mass is easier to control than a much faster, lighter one.  Enabling much faster follow up shots. It also helps to lengthen the service life of parts compared to other PCCs. One example would be a Marlin Camp Carbine, which will beat its stock to death if not properly maintained.

And finally it aids in proper safe and reliable function with the use of +p or +p+ ammunition. I am a big lover of faster moving bullets for certain purposes and I have to say the Beretta Storm has never let me down. I have fired high pressure 9mm from many other Carbines and experienced not only bulged cases but also case ruptures, and that was with standard pressure ammunition. When you introduce +p, +p+ and NATO pressure ammunition to some other PCCs they fail miserably and even become dangerous to the shooter. I have never experienced this type of failure (or any failure for that matter) with either my 9mm Storms, or my .45 Storm when shooting higher pressure ammunition (no +p is available for the .40).

   

This bolt is set up for right side ejection.  This is the left side of the bolt, the ejection port cover can be moved to the other side for left handed shooters.

 

 

The right side of the bolt with the empty ejection port. 

 

 

Another view of the bolt, this time in comparison to the bolt of a Marlin Camp Carbine.

 

A view from the top this time, also next to the Camp Carbine bolt.  Besides giving you a good idea of the mass in the Storm's bolt, this also givea a good view of the spring guide rod.  This piece is polymer, offers a weight savings over steel, and is plenty strong enough during operation of the gun.  However, it can be broken during disassembly if the gun is not cocked prior to starting the breakdown process.  Aftermarket steel guide rods are available.

 

Weight

Beretta's website says the gun weighs 5.75 pounds unloaded (most of that weight is the bolt).  When comparing to an Uzi, which I think is surprisingly handy and quick on target, the Storm is a featherweight.  If weight is an issue - often the case for family members - the Storm is a better choice hands down.

 

Reversible Controls

 The Storm is the perfect lefty gun: with the exception of the bolt release, EVERYTHING is reversible.  I didn't have time to mess with changing the extraction, mag release, or safety.  As a right hander, things are laid out pretty much where they should be (it's sort of a pistol/rifle hybrid), so personally I probably wouldn't change anything.  For righties, shooting left will just require some practice to access all the controls fluidly.  (Though I intend on running the gun with a lefty set up before posting Part 3...)

 

 Charging Handle

 One thing I did experiment with was switching the charging handle.  It's simple and takes seconds:

1. Follow steps 1-5 for disassembly as noted above.

2. After you pull it out, stick it in the other side.  (Don't take that step out of context.)

3. Reverse the disassembly steps to reassemble.  You can do all this faster than it takes to read these instructions.

I would keep the handle on the left, though as an AK guy I don’t mind it on the right side at all.  I've seen a few guys who have modified their AKs for charging handles on both sides; I always thought this looked like fun but it's not something I'd spend the money on.  With the Storm I'd do it in a heartbeat.  The hardest part is going to Beretta's website and ordering one.  I found it on their site without even looking for it (they call it a cocking handle by the way, and as of this writing it's only $19).  While you're at it, you can ask them why they don't offer higher capacity .45 magazines...I'm sure they've never seen that comment before.

  

 

 

 

 

Double charging handles - looks kinda funny but it gives you options.

 

Reassembly

Reassembly is easy and fast.  With practice I think it could be done quick enough to make the Storm a viable concealed carry option for response to an active shooter event.

I rarely carry an Uzi, but when I do I remove the barrel and stow it in a laptop bag (SBRs are illegal in WA, so I must retain the 16 inch barrel).  Retrieving the gun from the bag, reinstalling the barrel, and tightening down the barrel nut can be done very quickly.  Particularly with TSD’s RMR UZI top cover, you have a much better weapon platform than a pistol and it can be in service almost by the time you've gotten behind cover. 

  Suarez International Instructor John Chambers demonstrates deploying the Uzi from a laptop bag.

 

Is reassembling the Storm as easy as screwing in the barrel of an Uzi?  No, it takes a bit more dexterity than that.  Under stress, especially on the move, it would be easy to drop and misplace the disassembly latch.  In terms of fast and easy reassembly, the Uzi wins without contest.

But in terms of actually carrying it around all day…at roughly three pounds lighter than the Uzi…there's no question I’d rather carry the Storm.  Three pounds may not sound like a lot, but that strap on the laptop bag does start to wear on your shoulder after awhile.

 

Lighter than the Uzi and fits in a briefcase.  Awesome.

The Storm above has obviously had the barrel cut.  Less obvious is that the stock has also been shortened. The upper is roughly 16", the lower is 17.5", assembled it is 23.5" long. With the accessories it is just over 6 lbs.  The barrel is 11.25".  Chronograph tests revealed a roughly 20% decrease in velocity after being chopped, but still much higher than the average 4" pistol barrel.

The Storm's overall length is 29.7" (without the buttstock spacer).  A 30 inch rifle is a little big to pack around in a non-descript way.  (The Storm is actually just a shade longer than the FS2000, though lighter and less bulky.)

 

Broken apart, the upper and lower of the Storm are almost 21 and 19 inches respectively.  Unless they're modified that's too long to fit in a laptop bag, but with proper foam packing they could certainly work in a small gym bag.  Slide the halves together, insert the disassembly latch, load the mag, and run the charging handle...BANG.  You're in business. 

 

Responding to an active shooter event falls into two categories, reactive or proactive.  In a reactive scenario, the problem is up close and personal, and you have little or no time to think.  You either run for cover, or you draw quickly from concealment and deal with the problem as best you can.  A proactive scenario scenario means you have time, at least a few seconds, to decide how you should respond...run away, sit there like a fecklessly wondering WHY...or take out the b*stard who is shooting people.  (If given the opportunity, I know which choice I will make.)  

In the proactive scenario, the Storm will give you a better tool than a pistol.  If it is carried broken down, it will require fast assembly.    The concern here is the potential to lose the disassembly latch.  It would be easy to drop and lose this piece while assembling under stress.  Keeping an extra on hand, perhaps even attached to the gun in some fashion, is good insurance.

 

Here's another look at the disassembly latch.  Ridiculous 8 round 45 magazine looking forlorn in the corner. 

 

Rail options

Beretta offers a top rail for optics, a removable tri-rail allowing for attachments on both sides and the bottom, and a retractable rail under the barrel.  To extend this rail you simply push in the sling attachment and pull out the rail.  I like the retractable rail option, and though I doubt it would take a lot of punishment I would probably use it to attach a light.

Personally I'm not a fan of hanging lots of stuff on my guns; I like to keep it as light and snag-free as possible.  But if you like rail options, the Storm has easy buttons.

 This gun came with a Burris SpeedDot.  It is...okay.  There are much better options. I would go with an RMR instead.

 

Shooting it

We went to an outdoor range the day after Christmas.  It was cold, really cold, but it was clear and bright.  Good for what we intended.  We didn’t have long and just came out to function check it and make sure the thing was zeroed.

Dad took his first shot, aiming at a small black bullseye at 25 yards.  Neither of us could tell where the bullet hit…until I looked through the spotting scope.  Dead center of the bullseye, we just couldn’t see it.  Yep, it was zeroed. 

We did some more shooting. Nothing technical and no measurements so I can’t tell you what the spread was, but it was plenty accurate enough and very consistent. 

Sights

I’ve seen some complaints about the plastic peep sights on the Storm.  I’d prefer steel but honestly I didn’t have a problem with them.  (At least on a bright clear day.  I need to run the Storm in less light.)  I shot mostly using the wider aperture (labeled “SR” for “short range”…you can guess the smaller aperture was labeled “LR”) and found they were decent and worked well enough at the ranges we shot at.  They fold down for use with the red dot, a nice feature.

The Burris SpeedDot was okay. It was certainly faster than acquiring the sight picture with the “irons."  And while we could certainly hit the target with decent accuracy, we didn't get the same consistency as with the peep sight.  I zeroed them to the point they were “close enough” but I didn’t get them to a point I was happy with.  The adjustment knobs felt cheap and did not inspire any confidence.  Does it work?  Yes.  But for the kind of consistent accuracy and confidence I want in this weapon -- you should be able to hit eyeballs with a dot at room distance -- I wouldn’t count on this optic.  The Storm is plenty accurate, and it needs a dot that's up to the task.  I would choose a Trijicon RMR.

 

Trigger

The trigger could be better.  The trigger and hammer are both polymer, and while time has proven that they are durable, it's definitely not a satisfying trigger to run.  The gun itself is clearly accurate and a better trigger would help the shooter take advantage of that.  I’m told the Sierra Papa trigger/hammer upgrade is a worthwhile investment and plan on trying it.  The SP trigger is aluminum and the hammer is steel, and I'm certain they give a much crisper feel. 

 

Mag Changes and Malfunction Clearing

The range didn’t allow for any movement drills, so all our shooting was stationary.  I did some snap shots, shooting more for speed than accuracy.  No problem at 25 yards.  The Storm almost points itself.

I also did some speed shooting with mag changes.  This wasn't so easy thanks to the short 45 mags, and the fact that my fingers were really cold by that time didn’t help.  If this were my gun I would spend a lot more time working mag changes.

Dad also had some old, crappy 45 ammo…I actually regret that we put that stuff through the gun at all.  However, it provided a great opportunity to clear malfunctions, because much of it wouldn’t fire.  Running that bolt to get a fresh round in couldn’t be easier.  We only ran it with charging handle on the left side…I wish I’d thought to change it over to the right.

Recoil

Given that Goodspeed(TPF) has experience will all calibers of the Storm, I’ll quote him on recoil:

I have to say that the 9mm Storm shoots the softest followed by the .45 which "pushes" more than it "hits" you. I think I enjoy shooting the .45 the most just because of how it recoils. The .40 has the snappiest recoil of the 3, especially when shooting loads such as the Cor-Bon 135gr loading (which works very well on Deer). Now keep in mind, this is relatively speaking, of course. Compared to a 30-30, the .40 is a pussycat.

Overall Impressions

Comparing the Storm and the Uzi - I still enjoy shooting the Uzi more, both for fast shots as well as more carefully aimed shots.  Part of that may be the caliber difference; the heavy Uzi soaks up all the 9mm recoil, and while the 45 Storm has very tame recoil, it does jump a bit.  Mostly I think it's the trigger.  The Uzi trigger won’t win any prizes but still feels better to me than the Storm.  I will say this, however: shooting in the temperatures we were, the polymer stock and rubber cheek piece of the Beretta Storm is much more comfortable than the cold steel of the Uzi’s folding stock.  That may be an important consideration in your area of operations.

My overall impression is that Storm is very accurate and easy to shoot.  It’s very handy, quick on target, and easy to clear malfunctions.  I would have liked to shoot it more, but didn’t want to shoot up all of Dad’s ammo.  Besides, I was cold and feeling soft right after Christmas.

What I find most interesting about the Storm is how it handles.  I’ll discuss that in Part Three.   

Snow Storm (The Beretta CX4)

Part One

I had planned on driving, despite the winter road conditions.  I like driving through wintry mountain passes, even if it isn't the wisest thing to do...it provides a little bit of adventure, and I enjoy the solitude.  Plus, I wanted to do some vehicle training with my FS2000, and this is more easily accomplished where I was headed. 

As it happened, nature didn't agree to my plan.  All the mountain passes were closed, so I bought a last minute ticket from Seattle to Boise and counted myself lucky that I got to see my family for Christmas.  Long story (and flight, by way of Oakland) short, I made it home. 

Unfortunately it was more trouble than it was worth for me to fly with the FS2000...but I got to do a bit of training with something new (for me anyway).  My brother got Dad a Beretta CX4 Storm for Christmas…

Guns like the Storm, Uzi, MP5, pretty much any Pistol Caliber Carbine/Submachine Gun (PCC/SMG - I'll use the term PCC because it's more descriptive) never aroused much interest for me.  Sure, I had shot them and thought they were fun, but it was just not a platform that I thought I had a use for.  I never was and never will be on a SWAT team, kicking down doors and clearing houses.  Between my pistols, rifles, and shotguns, I figured I pretty much had every likely situation covered.

At some point however, I began to see wisdom in the use of a PCC – carrying/using in a vehicle, concealed in a lap top bag to respond to active shooter events, and most particularly for home defense. 

Much has been written about the benefits of PCCs. Here is a quick summary of why the PCC excels for close contact fighting indoors, and why in my opinion, it’s the best overall weapon for home defense:

• Muzzle blast - Whether you stick with the stock configuration of a 16 inch barrel, or shorten the barrel length after getting your SBR approval (which you should do if your state allows that), the muzzle blast from a PCC just doesn’t compare to a rifle/shotgun.  "Tame" is an understatement.  I'll trade the devastation of a shotgun blast for retaining my  night vision in the fight.

 

• Noise - It's inconvenient to lose your hearing during a fight.  Firing a rifle/shotgun indoors is something best avoided if you can help it.  If your hearing isn't important, so be it...but the ability for you and your family to hear and communicate over the roar of shotgun fire might come in handy.  If you don't have the opportunity to compare the sound of shotgun/rifle/PCC/pistols indoors, shoot them side-by-side outdoors.  It's not at all the same but it will give you some idea.  In class I've found that PCCs seem tame even next to suppressed AKs. 

• Ease of use - In my opinion, a PCC is easier to shoot than any other platform, pistols included.  This is especially true for other family members.  The Storm in particular is a very light weapon.  It's handy and compact, soft shooting and very gentle to handle.  As much as I appreciate the therapeutic properties of the rough edges of an AK, not everyone in my family does.  Easier on the hands and body is a shooting and fighting benefit for most people.  I would not hand my mom a Remington 870 if I could help it.  But a Berretta Storm?  You bet.  I'd give it to her, get a beer, and watch the fun.

• Recoil - Virtually non-existent when compared to shotguns and many rifles.  Easier to get multiple rounds on target.  Low recoil also helps with...

• Accuracy - The low recoil in conjunction with the additional points of contact on the stock make the PCC a very accurate platform.  In terms of accuracy, anything you can do with a pistol, you can do easier with a PCC.  The strength of the pistol is its small size and concealability, which is not an issue with a bedside gun.  Accuracy indoors is also easier than a rifle in my opinion, given the points mentioned above.

• Fun - This is a serious consideration in my opinion.  Something that's fun to shoot will get more training time, and more training time equals more proficiency.  Maybe you prefer shooting a 12 gauge 870 to a PCC...but does your wife?  Your kids? 

This reasoning led me to start researching PCCs.  I had fired a Beretta Storm in the past, and I did like it, but it wasn’t a platform I took very seriously.  It seemed to me to be something of a novelty – a nice gun, but not something to put a lot of confidence in. 

I decided instead to purchase and train with the Uzi, and when I saw that Suarez International offered an SMG class, I signed up immediately.  (And I’m very happy I did, it was a groundbreaking event!)

The Uzi didn’t agree with me at first.  The controls are laid out well, and while the gun is very intuitive to some, handling the Uzi just didn’t come naturally to me.  There was a short period when I actually regretted buying it, but I was determined to learn a new platform and just kept practicing, a little every day.  Then one day everything seemed to change.  What at first seemed like a very heavy gun suddenly felt very lively in my hands.  Handy, quick on target, murderously easy to point shoot.  Mag changes that seemed awkward were now as smooth as with other platforms.  Shoulder transfers, transitions to pistol…no problem.  Going into the December 2012 SMG class, I was confident with the weapon and had a grand time shooting it.  It was a pleasure watching some of the other instructors who were vastly more experienced with it, and learning and sharing ideas with different instructors and students was one of the highlights of the training year.

After learning and becoming confident with the weapon, I came to really love the Uzi.  It’s solid, tough, reliable, and easy to shoot.  It’s also easy to shoot A LOT - I found that in some drills I fired almost double the number of rounds that I would with an AK.  I had brought extra ammo for the class, but found I had used well over half my total round count after day one! 

Coming home, the Uzi was promoted to my bedside gun.

 

But this article was supposed to be about the Beretta CX4 Storm…

Having come to deeply appreciate the Uzi, when I learned that Dad had a Storm on the way, I was excited to pick it up again and give it another try.  Only having a few days with the family, I picked it up and handled it at every opportunity. 

One thing that quickly became apparent was that the Storm seemed much more intuitive than the Uzi.  Weapons are individual things, so perhaps this is only my experience, but in my opinion the Storm is an easier, more approachable and user-friendly gun than the Uzi (and I say that as a big fan of the Israeli 9mm!)

I will share more detailed impressions in Part 2, but in short I was very impressed with the weapon.  Light, handy, and much tougher than I originally gave it credit for.

The Storm’s size and weight make it an excellent vehicle weapon.  This one would be even better with a shorter Vertical Forward Grip (VFG), or better yet, in my opinion, no VFG at all.

The barrel goes outside the window just a bit holding it in the normal shouldered position.  SBR this thing and you could probably keep the whole thing inside the cab.

Modifying to a pistol grip, even a full length barrel doesn’t go outside the truck cab.  This technique can be used in any situation where retention is an issue.

Light weight and easy handling aren’t just for vehicles and indoors.

The Beretta CX4 Storm is an excellent example of a gun that combines all the qualities one is looking for in a PCC.  In Part Two I will discuss some of the notable features of this fine weapon.

How to stop a threat.....or when bullets really matter

By Brian Brzowski, MD, FACS.  Suarez International Tactical Medicine Instructor

 

Guys (and gals), with all the discussion on magazine capacity and the lethality of assault rifles, we need to revisit the fact that shot placement is one of the most critical elements of ending a violent encounter.  While a firm believer that all American citizens have a Constitutional Right to magazines of whatever capacity they choose and to calibers and firearm construction of their liking, we may soon see a time when we are permitted fewer rounds of a lower ballistic effect.  It becomes paramount that we understand where our bullets need to go in order to have their intended effect.

First, we need to recall that it is well-established that the body has enormous capacity (albeit with great individual variability) to function after sustaining tremendous damage.  Reference my comments in these WT forums and previous documentation on the Miami FBI Firefight involving determined criminals and how long one can continue to fight despite receiving lethal, center of mass hits.  Likewise, it is understood that there are fight-ending anatomic areas in the body that we can target with our shots.  Our techniques need to be designed to direct fire into these regions, especially if we find ourselves forced to use smaller capacity magazines. 

I am intentionally excluding the harder to hit areas such as the hands/forearms/etc that can render an adversary functionally incapable of operating a weapon, and the less-motivated attacker who may voluntarily call off the fight from a painful or frightening injury to the genitals/face/etc.  For our purposes, we're only going to consider the body parts that shut off the electrical control of the body (nervous system) or rapidly and nearly instantly deprive the muscular and nervous systems of sufficient oxygen to operate (major blood vessels and heart).

Most are familiar with Central Nervous System shots that are popular with snipers.  The area targeted is the brainstem: 

 

Relatively speaking, this a small target, but it is literally the “light switch” of the body.  Significant damage to the brainstem will most reliably immediately end all purposeful actions on the part of the bad guy.  This area does meet our criteria to target.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Injury to other areas of the central nervous system such as the larger cerebrum does not consistently end the attack and shouldn’t be one of our primary targets.  The thicker skull in this area does a good job of protecting the brain, and there are many reports of bullets simply bouncing off the bone and causing no significant injury. 

 

      

 

 Interestingly, I personally cared for a gentleman who was stabbed in the head with a large fixed blade knife.  We removed the knife in the OR and discharged him home the following day with no permanent deficit whatsoever.  His xray closely resembled this one:

 

 

The spinal column outside the skull is vulnerable to injury from gunshots but represents a narrow target that does receive some protection from a boney cage.  Furthermore, disruption of the spinal cord will only affect the function of body parts at and below the level of injury making targeting this region ineffective as an immediate fight-stopper.

Pelvic shots as man-stoppers are controversial in many circles, and understandably the pelvis does not qualify as an area we should primarily target for reasons discussed elsewhere.  A BG wearing body armor is the exception.

This leaves us with the anatomic area that presents the largest target and has a high degree of immediate impact on our adversary to target with our shots:  the heart and great vessels.

 

 

The heart is a pump that circulates blood through the great vessels.  The great vessels are those large conduits carrying blood to and away from the heart and are comprised of the aorta, the vena cava, and the pulmonary artery and veins (see the blue and red structures in the illustration).  Oxygenated blood flows from the heart through the great vessels and supplies the body with the circulation needed to maintain function. Our central nervous system is exceedingly dependent on this oxygen-rich blood and can only work for precious seconds without it.  Interruption of this process by damaging the pump (heart) or disconnecting the pipes (great vessels) is a fight-ender and worthy of making our primary target. 

 

 

 

 

However, it is important to recognize where these important structures are, so let’s look at the surface anatomy.  

 

As one can see, the heart and great vessels are located rather high in the chest.  In fact, contrary to popular understanding, the traditionally taught “center of mass” does NOT include the heart and great vessels. 

 

 

 

 

 

If one compares the surface anatomy image above to the traditional target below, you can see that the center 10x ring only includes the lower portion of the heart at the very apex of the ring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For these reasons mentioned, I have transitioned to more anatomically-appropriate targets in my Tactical Medicine classes.  If you come train with me, you will see targets such as these sold by LE Targets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly, presently I use high-capacity  magazines.  From point shooting distances, I will continue to “zipper” the BG.  From greater distances, the RMR sitting atop the slide will help me direct my shots into the high chest and cranio-ocular region, leaving the pelvis available as another option if the situation dictates such a tactic. 

As always, we must remember that shots on the BG are bad for him and good for you.  However, when we have precious few rounds to expend, as with a pocket pistol or with future legislation possibly limiting the capacity of our magazines, keep in mind the priorities for targeting.

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.   

FNH FS2000 BLACK CARBINE PACKAGE - WITH FIVE MAGAZINES

MSRP: $2,779.99

OneSource Price: $1,965.00

You Save: $814.99 (29 %)

IN STOCK NOW!!

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.

 

Building Trigger Finger Discipline

"Keep your finger off the trigger until you've made a conscious decision to shoot." 

Most of you know this rule.  Simple, right?  It's certainly a simple concept, and it's easy to have good trigger finger discipline in an air-conditioned square range. (I should hope so - working the trigger is mostly all you're doing!) 

But maintaining trigger finger discipline on command…without fail…during stressful situations is harder than most people realize.  It doesn't matter how great a shooter you are – there are plenty of excellent marksmen whose trigger discipline goes in the toilet the moment they are exposed to more stressful situations. 

Imagine participating in a rifle class.  You will be learning new skills and moving in ways that may be unfamiliar to you.  You may be turning and running in different directions, performing actions where your muzzle will not always be pointed downrange.  Dropping to the deck into prone, shooting, jumping up, and running 20 yards before dropping down to do it again – these are athletic activities that tax your ability to maintain discipline and focus.  There is also the increased stress of performing unfamiliar drills during live fire.  And remember that you're surrounded by other people of varying skill levels doing exactly the same thing.  If it's so simple, why do many people have their fingers on the trigger when they don't intend to?

Every skill we practice incorporates trigger finger discipline: drawing from the holster and pointing toward the target; getting up from one firing position to move to another; magazine changes; training with partners in class.  Real situations where the stress of danger can degrade our fine motor skills: a family member inadvertently crosses your firing path, moving through crowds, holstering the pistol after the adrenal dump of a gun fight.  Each of these situations involves your finger going on or off the trigger at the appropriate time.  Perhaps that’s an obvious point, but do you know that you have this skill mastered?

 

Two Trigger Problems

1. Trigger on too soon – i.e. going to the trigger before you intend to (before you have made a conscious decision).  The most obvious example is when drawing the pistol from the holster – the finger goes to the trigger before the gun is oriented towards the target.  Generally this is a beginner problem.

Keep the finger at the natural limit of extension on your draw

2. Trigger off too late – i.e. keeping the finger on the trigger when you shouldn't.  Again the obvious example is holstering the pistol.  This is why we stress holstering reluctantly (slowly) as well as looking to ensure nothing is blocking the mouth of the holster (you can also see that your finger is off the trigger).  There are many other examples – more experienced shooters will run into this one when learning new skills and/or exposed to stress.  In this case, the rule is “Make a conscious decision to get your finger off the trigger when you don't intend to shoot." This should be easy, but we see enough examples in class…so again I ask: if it's so easy why doesn't everyone do it??? 

Look briefly to ensure your holster and trigger are clear

Regardless of our experience level, from time to time we should focus simply on this one basic skill.  Isolate it – break it apart from a compound skill such as drawing and practice it for repetitions just like you would a punch or a trigger pull or a draw stroke. 

Did I mention you need to practice this one even more with your off-hand?  If you can sign your name equally well with both left and right, you get a pass…but, for the majority of us, our off-hand trigger finger is “developmentally disabled."

Actually I take the signature thing back...many of you will have equally poor signatures with both hands.  Just practice it already!

 

Position

Your finger should be in one of two places.  On-trigger is obvious.  

Off-trigger is the one that can be problematic…it should be at the natural limit of extension and nowhere else.  Too many people allow it to float somewhere in space.  Yes, it may be off the trigger, but if you haven’t made a conscious decision to both remove your finger from the trigger and place it exactly where you intend it to go, it's not good enough.   

Resting on the trigger guard isn't good enough.
 

 

Dry Practice Safety

When you practice dry at home, put the ammo in another room.  Check your pistol, rifle, and every training mag you are using to verify they are unloaded.  Verbally stating “clear” for each gun and magazine is a good idea, it may seem silly but it's cheap insurance.  Even better, have someone else verify everything is clear as well.  Hopefully your significant other is cool with that. 

 

General Advice

Most of the drills are very simple.  But that's good because we’re trying to isolate a fundamental skill, and beginners have to start somewhere.  Work them until you have it cold.  Do double or triple the reps on your off-hand side until it starts to catch up.  Even one minute a day will benefit you (and everyone else that you train with).

More advanced folks will always benefit from fundamental practice...particularly on the off-hand side.  Advanced people can also make these more challenging both mentally and physically.  Incorporate trigger discipline drills with conscious breathing practice: trigger-off, slowly inhale for 15 seconds, trigger-on, exhale for 15 seconds.  Obviously with the breathing it makes this slow and deliberate practice, which is worthwhile even for advanced gunfighters.  Or practice trigger discipline for one minute each side while balancing on one leg.  Want a workout at the same time? Hold the other leg straight out.  Yeah it looks silly…really silly.  But you're in the privacy of your own home.

An advanced person may already have mastered trigger discipline, but it’s a simple thing you can add to many other skills you should be practicing.  Maximize your time!

 

Simple Training Drills

 

1. Hold the pistol or rifle towards a target, either pointed in or in close contact position.  Make a conscious decision to place the finger at the natural limit of extension.  Then make a conscious decision to place the finger on the trigger.  Do it slowly and deliberately.  Do it fast.  Do it slow and deliberately again.  Repeat 10, 20, or 100 times, whatever you need.  If you're right-handed, do triple the repetitions with your left. 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Hold the gun in close contact position.  As you extend toward the target, consciously decide to go on-trigger (should be on-trigger by the time you reach full extension).  As you pull the gun back to close contact position, consciously decide to go off-trigger (should be off-trigger by the time the pistol is in close contact position). 

 

3. Same drill as #2 but start in Sul position.  You get the idea.  Do it with both pistol and rifle, both left and right sides.

 

4. Start with the rifle in high ready, off-trigger.  Point in, on-trigger.  Back to high ready, off-trigger.  Rinse repeat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. In kneeling position with a rifle, point in to your target, on-trigger.  Imagine you need to look at your partner on your right…if your cheek leaves your stock, you go off-trigger.  Look left, point in, look right, point in…etc.  Do it from other shooting positions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If your cheek comes off the stock, your finger goes off the trigger

 

6. Practice your mag changes, with emphasis on what your trigger finger is doing.  Do it left and right.  This is easy to do or easy to screw up, depending on where your mag release is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the SIG 556, it's easy.  With an AK it's possible to screw it up, so be aware.

 

A Little Harder...

We're still isolating the trigger finger skill, but now we're incorporating some physical and mental stress.  The more repetitions the better, because as you get tired you get more distracted, and it becomes harder to maintain good trigger discipline. 

1. Start with the rifle in patrol ready, finger off-trigger.  Drop into kneeling position, finger on-trigger. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. With the rifle in high ready, off-trigger.  Drop to the squatting position, on-trigger.  Squatting is uncomfortable for you?  Hmmm.  Unless you've got an injury that precludes this position, shut up and practice it.  Out of 20 times, did you get the trigger right every time?  If so, great!  If not...hmm, more practice!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Start with the rifle in patrol ready, off-trigger.  Drop to prone position, go on-trigger once your sights are lined up.  Go off-trigger before you get up.  Do this one 20 times each side.  Do it slow, do it fast.  See if you ever catch yourself on-trigger as you get up or drop down.  Have a partner watch you, or better yet, video tape yourself. 

4. Do some kettlebell swings, pushups, sprints, whatever.  Then do any of the above drills both left and right.

 

5. Have a training partner give you different commands: kneel, prone, get cover behind that tree, change mags, whatever.   Any time you take a firing position, go on-trigger.  Any time you're moving or otherwise not "shooting" (remember, we're dry for this drill), go off-trigger.  Every time your partner catches you with your finger on the trigger when it shouldn't be, you owe him a beer.

 

The rifle is a physical weapon, so even good shooters will benefit from this practice.  These are particularly useful for those preparing for a rifle class. 

Our goal is to make this skill automatic.  To do that, we must be deliberate, both in our conscious decision to get the finger on the trigger, and also to get it off.

You should become so good at this skill that it is very obvious to everyone, fellow students and instructors alike, that your trigger finger is always where it is supposed to be.  Your fellow students will appreciate it, feel safer, and may be inspired to master it as well.  Your instructors will be able to tell at a glance that you've got this one right, and can focus more attention on other things that will make you a more dangerous fighter. 

To repeat the rule, "Keep your finger off the trigger until you've made a conscious decision to shoot."  It takes conscious, disciplined practice to make this skill stick.  If we intend to be skilled gunfighters, we must practice and seek training.  If we are to be safe students and training partners, trigger finger discipline must be mastered.  

On Killing (or not killing)

                                                             

 

A recent thread on a state gun forum I frequent brought this to my mind. The poster had put up a video clip of Gabe from his Force on Force DVD.  The particular part that got the most comments was Gabe saying that as part of your mindset you had to be willing to kill. Of course this brought out the usual responses of being ready to “stop the threat”, not kill. I did not immediately jump on those people. Why? Because that is how I used to think as well. I think using the following couple of experiences from my days as a LEO, you will be able to see why I made the transformation in my thinking from the pc “shoot to stop” to my current mindset of being willing (under justified circumstances) to kill.

We will start with the man with a knife. It was a normal day, which meant I was chasing someone. I did that a lot, drugs, B&E, warrants, robbery, mostly drugs though. I don’t remember exactly what I was chasing this youth for, but as I gained on him, I gave him a shove which sent him face forward into the ground. Well sort of like in the Johnny Cash song, he went down but came up with a knife.  Fortunately for me, as he went down, I had stopped and drawn my Sig 226. Of course I had also planted myself in a good Weaver just like I had learned in the academy and stood and ordered him to drop the knife. Yes, he was well within 21 feet.  For not the first or last time, God was on my side and after a few seconds that seemed like minutes he dropped the knife.  A recurring theme here is that yes, my tactics weren’t the best although I did act as trained, beyond that I did not shoot him, because I didn’t want to kill him. (More about that later.)  Backup arrived, we took him into custody, and the shift went on.  The scenario, and whether I did the right thing by not shooting, nagged at me though.

Another incident that really got me thinking started out with a call of, man with a gun, officer needs assistance. It was wintertime so I sped to the scene as fast as I could on the snow covered roads. (Which was a little faster then I should have been going.) The address was familiar to me as I had been there a number of times for domestic calls before. As I made the 90 degree right turn onto the side road, I slid into the ditch, but somehow hit hard enough to bounce out and end up pretty much in front of the scene.  Upon exiting the cruiser I located the officer I was there to assist standing about 5 feet in front of the all too familiar suspect. The officer was standing in the open, his pistol drawn and pointed at the suspect who was holding a double barrel shotgun in what we would call low ready, pointed in the general direction of the officer. In my infinite wisdom, I run up and stood next to the officer drawing my own sidearm and pointing in on the suspect. What ensued were a couple of minutes of me talking to the suspect and trying to convince him to lay the gun down. I remember starting to squeeze through the long double action pull of the Sig 9mm when he finally put down the shotgun. Again, bad tactics? Yes, but more than that.

So what do these two incidents have in common with each other besides the obvious tactical issues? If you said an unwillingness to kill on my part, you would be correct. The reason for this could be multifaceted, but mostly came down to two things. First, the constant drumbeat from the department and my trainers of liability, and by extension shoot to stop the threat. The other thing has to do with the certain moral and ethical viewpoints that we individually hold. Some might say, what is the problem, both situations worked out okay. Yes, they did, but not because of what I did right, but more because of luck or God’s blessings. Surely the department was happy with the outcome. Let’s face it; shootings are nothing but problems as far as they are concerned. In both cases it would have been easy to justify taking the shot, and these days I would. What changed? My mindset.

It became evident to me, that to not display the hesitation that could easily get you killed, you have to yourself be willing to kill. Is killing the threat your ultimate goal? No, it is not, but you have to come to grips with the realization that stopping the threat as quickly as possible may very well result in that threats death. You are responsible for defending your life, or more importantly the life of your loved ones. Don’t let someone else slow you down by casing you to constantly be worried about lawyers or legal outcomes. These things need to be thought of ahead of time but have no bearing on that moment of decision when you have to make YOUR life or death choice.

The other problem to tackle may be tougher. If you were brought up as I was, in the church and led to believe the good guys never shoot first, it can be hard to come to grips to what I am advocating here. For me it came down to remembering that the fifth commandment is “Thou shall not murder”, not “Though shall not kill”.  It also may take some reminding to yourself that you indeed are fighting the righteous fight and were put into this position by the other guy, not because you chose to be there. So get over your hesitation, train hard, and remember, you may have to kill to win the fight.

Michael Swisher

Suarez International Staff Instructor

 

FIELD RIFLE POSITIONS - STANDING

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you can avoid taking a crucial shot from standing, do so.  It is the least accurate position.  Nonetheless, it should be the most trained for that very reason, and because when the shot must be taken right now, as in the snap shot, the standing will be the only one you can use fast enough. And by fast enough I am not referring to a CQB shooting but rather a shot at someone 100 yards away.

The goal here is not recoil control, or tight arc of target traverse, but rather seeking as much stability as possible for the shot under a self-imposed time interval. If you have time, you generally have other things you can do.  The support hand does not grasp the handguard...it cradles it, allowing for as much bone support as possible.

Here is a perfect Standing Offhand Position by Suarez Staff Instructor Eric Pfleger.  Eric is shown taking shots at 1000 yards on an IPSC steel silohuette.  He did this at a Guerrilla Sniper class not just once, but a number of times in succession.  Notice his position - relaxed, bone support emphasized. 

If there is time, using support for the standing is recommended.  This can range from a vertical support to a shooting partner, or even a shooting stick as the African hunters used.

 

IN STEEL WE LEARN THE TRUTH

Force on force training has brought the defensive shooting world, kicking and screaming, into a modern age.  This renaissance of training development has never been seen before and I attribute it to several things.  One is the proliferation of Concealed Carry around the world, and second is the willingness of some instructors to step away from the traditional world of the shooting range and involve themselves in force on force training. 

The same thing happened about a decade ago with the martial arts world when the Gracie family challenged any and all martial artists to a no-holds barred match that morphed into what we now know as UFC.  All manner of sacred cows died in that cage-like ring, as  fighting notions held
to be true for centuries and never challenged were quickly proven false, as their proponents lapsed into unconsciousness on the ground with a tight Brazilian arm around their necks.

Force on force has done something the very same thing in the world of defensive shooting. Once the cat was out of the bag, so to speak, no one who experienced it would ever look at training the same way again. 

Yet every few years the lessons of the past begin to be forgotten anew.  You can see it in the discussions on the various internet forums.  It begins as a more pronounced focus on the minutia of range drills and of shooting groups, as well as discussions of mechanical points of which trigger works best at this game or that game with regards to the use of the pistol.  That would be fine if everyone simply admitted that they had no interest in defensive shooting and rather, that their
focus was on winning gun games. Or on using firearms training to feel good about themselves. But that is not the case. This type of thinking is put forth as the way to win a street fight.

I see this phenomena every few years because American shooters are two things: Exclusively hardware focused instead of software focused, and they are also lazy and soft and would rather marvel at a tight group from a new gun than on a stellar performance against an uncooperative
opponent in a force on force session. If that is you, you can get upset with me and complain to the editor, or you can read further and see how you can not only change that, but become a better “gun” fighter as well.  

It is very empowering to go to the range with special “shooting clothes”, special hat and sunglasses, and practice the "hammers" taught at that seminar you attended...just like your favorite gun guru does everyday of his life. It makes you feel good about yourself, and that is the object of the exercise after all, no?

But that will not help you one bit in a gunfight. If you haven't done force on force, or you don't train the lessons of force of force, going to the range, and going through these shooting rituals is like sitting in your AMC Pacer with a copy of Ferrari Annual and pretending you are driving the
real thing. Silly at best and tragic at worst. 

But what if I told you that you could have that Ferrari and all it would cost you was a different outlook, an open mind, and a little time? 

Primarily, your focus has to change from seeking empowerment, to seeking true fighting skill. That and an open mind to accept that maybe what you have been training is not the be-all, end-all of
gunfighting skills.  And finally a little time to unlearn and relearn. Relearn skills for reality.

Training for reality is not like a "martial artist" showing up to "demonstrate" in a splendidly pressed
uniform and doing some classical ancient sword kata against unseen enemies with technical perfection.  Nor is it the expert hitting the bag with gymnastic like precision while wearing the
fashionable “fighting clothes”.  

Most gun school training is exactly like that isn’t it.  Totally ego-focused and designed to make the participant feel good about himself.  You can train for ego (to feel good about how good you are), or you can train to win the fight (by training to really fight well) - but you can't do both.  Schools seem not to be in the business of teaching anyone to really fight, they are in the business of “empowering” people or teaching people to "feel good" about themselves.

The main reason why more gun guys don't actually train to win the fight, by fighting, is the same reason so many martial arts schools don't do any actual full contact fighting in order to train their students to win hand to hand fights.  After a full-contact fight, both sides look like they were mugged. Training like this is humbling, because everyone gets hit, but it will get you far more ready for the real thing on the street, than hours of empowerment by hitting a heavy bag.

All these guys really know how to do is to shoot well against a piece of cardboard in an artificial time limit.  One might ask if those skills do not offer some benefit on the street, and therefore are worth pursuing? I say a definite negative. When guys that have spend extensive time training for the range (not to mention extensive amounts of money and ammunition) come to our "training
venue", they suddenly realize that a gunfight is not like the shooting range.  As a result many of them do worse than a novice there for the first time since they are so married to their range
protocols that it takes them much more time to unlearn and finally let go of "the useless" and accept what they actually need to do to prevail.

Shocking isn’t it?

In the old world of the sword, there was a saying - In Ferro Veritas, or In Steel We Learn the Truth. Meaning that when it counts, all the theory and bluster is irrelevant.  It will come down to whether you can show it or you cannot.

The results, the “Truth” if you will of what we see in the force on force crucible is that the majority of shooting training, done with the idea of “self defense” is virtually worthless in a real street fight.  In Steel We Learn The Truth.

 

Book Of Five Rings - Modern Application

Miyamoto Musashi is thought of in many circles as one of the best swordsmen to have ever lived.  In actuality, there have been many other men both before and after who have killed many more men in combat than Musashi’s humble score of 60.  But undocumented knowledge does not outlive
the one who possesses it.  Nonetheless, what Musashi did, that perhaps his colleagues of the sword failed to do, was to document his findings in the form of a book – Go Rin No Sho, or as we know it,
The Book Of Five Rings.

Read literally, it is a simple book intended for a young swordsman in ancient Japan.  Yet, there
is a great deal of “between the lines” information for one who reads it with a warrior’s eye.  The amount of operational information the book yields is equal to volumes several times it size.  It captures an old warrior’s perceptions of the world, and of what he thought was important for warriors to know.  It is important to know that Musashi was writing at an advanced age and for him, there would not be any more battles.  A warrior in his prime might be expected to hold something back lest his enemies get hold of his methods.  Additionally, Musashi intended the volume for his son, thus the key points which he mentions as important take on an even
more serious tone as they are intended to perhaps save the life of one important to the writer.

Much of the book is specific to combat in old Japan, yet old Musashi has much to teach our 21st Century men-at-arms.  We wear Glocks now instead of katana, but fighting is fighting regardless of the history, and the lessons of Musashi still apply today. 

Musashi divides his book into parts.  Namely Ground, Water, Fire, Wind, and Void.  A full  discussion of the modern applications of Musashi’s work would take a great deal more space than is
permissible in a magazine article, so we are keeping to the most poignant lessons.

Ground Book

Musashi writes, “Know the smallest things and the biggest things, the shallowest and the deepest things. As if it were a straight road mapped out on the ground”.  The entire Ground book is intended to teach planning.

In my youth as I first began the study of the martial arts, I learned that those who are destined to win, study first, then fight.  Those destined to lose, fight first and then study why they lost.  Outcomes in combat cannot be predicted, yet we can certainly “stack the deck” in our favor as much
as possible. 

We can train ourselves so that we have a realistic understanding of our capabilities and skills. 
We can study the dynamics of conflict so that we have a basic understanding of how combat develops and unfolds.  It is important to do this with 21st Century focus since men do not fight the same way to day as they did back in ancient Japan.  

Musashi compares the way of the warrior to the way of the carpenter.  The carpenter plans
everything out with great specificity. We must do the same.  How many of you readers have a plan in the event of a violent home invasion?  How about an attempted car jacking, or other violent assault?  If you are a family man, have you made plans with your family in case of one of these events?  Don’t be like the deer in the headlights frozen by the savagery of the world.  Be prepared.  Be like the carpenter who plans everything as much as he can.  In other words, avoid leaving anything to chance.

Water Book

Musashi’s second book is titled the Water Book.  “Water adopts the shape of its receptacle, it
is sometimes a trickle and sometimes a wild sea.  Water has a clear blue color.  By the clarity, things of the Ichi school are shown in this book”. 

One of the most difficult things to teach is adaptability.  The wise fighter knows how to pick what fits.  His goal is to hit his adversary, not to execute a certain technique. Adaptability, knowing what
fits in each confrontation, whether at the outset, or in mid-fight is essential.  This ability to become a tactical chameleon will only come from exposure to various fight systems.  Witness how poorly narrowly trained fighters do in mixed martial arts, or UFC fights. It is the fighters who have trained in all conceivable methods, from ground grappling to kick boxing, and all ranges in between that do well.  And that is only for a combat sport in the controlled environment of a ring/cage, where there are no weapons and no reinforcements standing in the wings ready to kick your skull in at the first opportunity.  Study everything, absorb what is useful, and do not limit yourself to any one system.  

Fire Book

“This book is about fighting.  The spirit of fire is fierce, whether the fire be small or big: and so it is with battles.”  

I once saw a very well trained “martial artist” get his rear end handed to him by an untrained yet much fiercer street thug who had no concern over getting killed, much less beaten up.  Its not enough to be in great physical shape, nor to be trained by all the masters of the day.  If you lack a warrior’s ferocity, you will be wasting your time. 

This doesn’t mean that you have to live like Musashi, never washing lest you let down your guard, living in a cave, etc.  What it means is that getting your mind right in terms of the fight is essentially important above all else.  Musashi writes, “The way of the warrior is the resolute acceptance of death”.  We must understand that the ancient Japanese warriors had a fatalistic approach to
things.  They trained to die, whereas the European warriors did not.  Nevertheless, both had this resolute acceptance of the worst case situation. That is not say that we seek this out, but we must “make friends” with the idea so that in the midst of the fight we are not distracted by thoughts of self-preservation.  We will certainly preserve our lives, but we will do so in strength, not by having a wandering attention.  The resolute acceptance of death allows a purity of focus in combat that is remarkable.

Wind Book

“In strategy you must know the Ways of other schools, so I have written about various other traditions of strategy in this the Wind Book.” 

Musashi focused much of his study on the ways of his adversaries.  This concept is not limited
to Musashi, as commentators as geographically and culturally diverse as Clausewitz and Sun Tsu have written like admonishments.  In terms of us today, who are our adversaries?  Gang members, organized criminals, cult-oriented terrorists? 

Learn who they are.  Learn how they operate, how they dress, what they do.  You won’t be facing a fencer from another sword school, or an “exponent” of a boxing school who will  announce themselves and bow like it was some Hollywood flick.  The opponents you face today will come by surprise, and kill you without a second thought or any doubt that they themselves are doing what is right.

“Some of the world's strategists are concerned only with sword fencing, and limit their training to flourishing the long sword and carriage of the body. But is dexterity alone sufficient to win? This is not the essence of the Way.”

Without the ever present thought that the study is of life and death, and the result of losing is your death or that of your loved ones, it is NOT a “martial” art.

“In my doctrine, I dislike preconceived, narrow spirit. You must study this well.”  The lesson is
clear.  Do not be limited in your studies.  If you study Tae Kwon Do, add Wing Chun and Brazilian Ju Jitsu to the mix to be come less "narrowly focused".  If you focus on unarmed fighting, learn the knife and the gun. If you are a gun man, study JKD. Narrow mindedness kills.

“Anyway, cutting down the enemy is the Way of strategy, and there is no need for many refinements of it.” 

I’ve seen some martial arts teachers try to romanticize or beautify combat.  I think that those of us who have been-there-done-that know this is a foolish thing.  Combat has an ugliness, a reality, and a finality about it that cuts through all the dogma, doctrine, style disputes, and all the miscellaneous clap-trap that clogs our collective combative consciousness and professional journals. It is simple, violent and animalistic.  Understanding and accepting this is an important part of development.  

Book of the Void

Musashi writes, “To attain the Way of strategy as a warrior you must study fully other martial arts and not deviate even a little from the Way of the warrior. With your spirit settled, accumulate practice day by day, and hour by hour. Polish the twofold spirit heart and mind, and sharpen the
twofold gaze perception and sight. When your spirit is not in the least clouded, when the clouds of bewilderment clear away, there is the true void”.

This passage typifies the Book of the Void.  As I read it for today’s fighter there are two aspects to this, one mental (Musashi calls it “spiritual”), and the other one technical.

Mental - was once asked after a particularly violent gunfight if I was scared during the event.  I answered truthfully that I had not been.  I qualified my answer by adding that I was not scared because I was particularly brave, nor was it because I was particularly stupid.  Rather, I was not scared because I was too busy winning the fight to think about it either way.   I had trained myself to fight as well as I could, and had a firm understanding of the rules of engagement as they existed
at the time.  Additionally, I had a fall back plan for any after-action eventuality that I might have faced.  Thus I had a focused “spirit”.

I am no longer involved directly in “the business”, and now focus on teaching others.  One of the
principles that I try to hammer into my students is the concept of Purity of Focus.  I believe this purity of focus is indicative of the spiritual void that Musashi writes of.

Technical -  A few years ago I wrote a piece for Black Belt titled Enough is Enough discussing how having too many ways, or too many techniques was not an asset but a liability. A technique that either is not natural or too complicated will not physically memorized. If it is not physically memorized, it will never be used in a fight.

This concept of physical memorization and subconscious programming is not new. The Japanese sword master Yagyu Tajima No Kami wrote: Learning and knowledge are meant to be forgotten, and it is only when this is realized, that you feel perfectly comfortable. The body will move as if automatically, without conscious effort on the part of the swordsman himself.  All of the training is there, but the mind is utterly unconscious of it.” 

Yagyu was, of course, writing about swordsmanship, but the concept is just as valid for modern combatives. 

Although The Book Of Five Rings was written many centuries ago, the study of personal combat, when boiled down to its essentials has remained surprisingly unchanged. Musashi’s book is one man’s perception of those essential elements as experienced through a lifetime of combat. 
As such, it is essential study for today’s modern warriors.

Fit To Fight

I spoke with a man today who wanted to attend classes, but said he was too old (55!) and out of shape to do anything but “target shoot”, and didn’t think he could take being "banged around". I asked him what he was expecting out of training and he replied, “to be a better shot”.  He also admitted to already being a very good shot to begin with.  

There is a myth prevalent in the shooting community that all the physicality one needs to win a fight is the ability to pull a trigger.  This notion was professed by certain gun gurus who scoffed at, what they called, “the cult of the body”, as they sat on the couch and sipped their sixth scotch of the day.

Listen folks, if all you want to be is a "shooter" you probably don’t need any training at all. Just buy a little bit of ammo and go out and burn it until your accuracy makes you feel warm and fuzzy all over. Or better yet, go to an Olympic shooting coach and have him tune you up to put them all on top of each other at 25 yards.  But don’t for one minute think that alone will help you at all in a real street fight.

If you are interested in winning an actual fight, then read on.  Everything we teach is for fighting,
in other words - killing the other guy before he kills you - and only coincidentally has anything to do with shooting.

I think in many shooters there is a “laziness factor”, and an “ego-gratification factor”. Its easier to go to the range and fire controlled pairs between puffs of the cigarette and bites of the doughnuts. But I ask, how will that “shooter” do against a 25 year old powerlifter that grabs him by the collars and throws him against a brick wall? Or how will his "ticker" handle the alarm reaction when, and if, he is able to get his pistol out and he has to shoot for blood?

One of the preeminent concepts in our Combative Technique is the "complete arsenal". This means that the individual should have developed his physical abilities as far as his age and medical condition will allow. Now that doesn’t mean that you can say, “I am 45, and now I don’t have to do anything anymore because I am old”. 

To the contrary, it means that as much as your true physical condition will allow, you need to keep up with your physicality now more than ever. Sure there are disparity of force issues, and if you have one of those at play, and it is extreme enough, you can shoot anyone you want to.  But the reality of the fight is that you may not get that chance.  Bad guys are not stupid.

Let me put something on the table for your consideration - if you are too out of breath to fight, or too weak to fight, or whatever, you will not do yourself, nor anyone else any good...least of all those for  whom you are responsible.  And before anyone starts reaching back for their canned “can’t” excuses I will bring out two gents as examples of guys who would be more justified than anyone in saying “I can’t”, who had it worse than many reading this, and yet managed the fight.

One was a man nicknamed “Geezer” (a regular at my online forum warriortalk.com until he was reassigned by the Lord a few years ago). This guy had bad legs, walked with a cane, and to top it all off had a pacemaker!  Hardly the young, power lifting stalwart, yet he attended knife training, and multiple force on force classes.  And he did very well I might add. He could not get off the X to, well, save his life. Yet he didn’t fall back on the “target shooter” mentality.  He realized that he needed to
improvise with what he still had left.  He devised and refined a way to use his cane as a distraction.

He would launch the cane at the target and a blink of an eye later, the same target would be  peppered with bullets. He caused me a little concern one day when he launched his cane at a young lad working as his "aggressor" at a force on force class and nearly flattened him. He never complained about being old,  frail, or weak, and would have taken offense at anyone even suggesting such a thing.

Another was a man that wanted to attend an AK class I was teaching.  He advised that he had
"some issues", and sent me a short video of him shooting.  He had only a couple of fingers between both hands and yet was running his 1911 45 very well in the first video.  In the second video, he was working "shoot - reload - shoot" drills with an AK rifle. He wanted to know if he would be OK to come to class.  After I got up from the floor, I called him and said, "Hell Yes!!"

The softest and least physical among you is probably in better physical shape than he is, yet he came to class and tested himself! So as far as I am concerned, excuses are just a substitute for laziness. 

There is a third gent. This man is a good friend of mine, but he rarely trains. He is 7 years younger than I and weighs close to 300 pounds. He is a good man, a family man, and just had his third child and his first heart attack. He can shoot a one hole group with any of his handguns in slow fire, but just walking forward to tape targets  winds him like a set of wind sprints.  He is certainly not in the physical situation the previous other guys were in.  There is no medical reason for him to be as he is.  Heck, with his size, he could be an NFL animal that hardened convicts would cross the street to avoid!

What made him how he is? Self-indulgence, complacency, and lack of discipline. Can he protect anyone? Unless he is able to ambush an attacker without having to physically exert himself, the answer is no.  No matter how good a shot he is.

And even if he were to prevail in the fight, will his body even be able to handle the adrenal dump of a life and death fight??

Does that describes you? Why would you choose that for yourself?? Set down the TV remote, throw out the doughnuts and cigarettes, get your rear-end out on the street and get to training...physical training. Start off slow...BUT START OFF!!

I think the most important issues are as follows:

1). Do something physical...every day.

2). Stay fresh on your exercises.  Don’t push beyond what is reasonable  

3). Variety rules. Run one day, lift weights the next, go for a hike the third day, swim on day four.

4). Cut the smokes, sweets, and the excess beer.

5). Depending on your age and physical conditioning, prioritize Anaerobic, Strength, and Aerobic training as needed.

6). Eat like a Warrior and not like Jabba The Hut.

Remember, the adversary, your enemy, who will administer your "final exam" on the street will not be some out of shape church administrator, or a pimple-faced 90 pound punk.  He will be a capable criminal or terrorist, a warrior for evil who is training right now to kill you and your whole family.

Will you be up to the fight?

TSD Combat Systems 1911

 

We looked at this possibility some time ago, but the variances in what is actually a 1911 made it problematic.  We lacked "production room" and the skilled labor to do this right at the time.  Two things which have been remedied.  

We will be offering three levels of TSD 1911 conversions.  We will offer a full tier one pistol based on the SIG 1911s, as well as a less modified model also based on a SIG 1911.  As well, we will offer the conversion (milling, RMR installation, and suppressor sight installation) on customer slides.  We will not be doing any work on aftermarket slides. We will have a list of 1911 models TSD will accept for work very soon. 

As well, please note the real estate necessary for this. If your slide is equipped with Bomar style sights, or Novak style sights that take up the bulk of the rear real estate of the slide, this system is not compatible. We will install this only on a slide that is equipped with the standard GI sized sights dovetail. We will install the trademark suppressor height sights as well with this system, thereby eliminating the "learning curve" that some experience when moving to a red dot system.  

If you want to bring your 1911 into the modern century, and access the game-changing advantages of the red dot system, now you can have it on your 1911. More information to follow -

Suarez Is Abandoning His Glock?!

Nah....we're not going to do that. But the headline caused you look didn't it? I have been getting that question for the last week. Look...Glock is not the only handgun we work with. Take a look at OST and you will see S&W MPs as well as Glocks. We are adding the SIG line as well, and if the all-or-nothing booger-eating socialist morons can't wrap their heads around that I don't care.



OK...why did we look at the SIG. Well, Suarez is in fact an international company, and
our counter terrorist friends overseas that run SIGs asked about adding an RMR to it. And no, they are not a part of the American Navy....think Europe. Anyway, we assigned our people to it and they did it. And a nice job they did. The good guys now have a pistol they can take suppressed shots at 150 yards with....ooops...I mean meters.





We have been drilling with the SIG pistols for a while now while we did the T&E on it and quite frankly, I see no difference in speed or accuracy. The DA/SA thing is not as big a deal as the detractors would have us believe. There are shortcuts that one can learn, but maybe that is for a video short in the future.





The next time I teach a class, you may see me with a TSD Glock, a SIG P226...or perhaps even an FN. Any gun will do if you will do (a phrase I coined years ago). And an excellent pistol will help you "DO" much better.

SIG, Glock or FN? Same as Omega, Rolex, or Zenith...all good, all quality, and since this is America, the land of want and not need, you can have any of them, or all of
them.

Looking At The Holster

Looking At The Holster

The issue is looking at the holster on the reholstering. I know....I know...we are told its bad its wrong, ect. But why? Let me lay my case out.

1). According to our research, half of all unintended discharges resulting in shooter injury occur during the holstering process.

Sure...sometimes it is due to trigger fingers not being properly indexed, but there have been many times when it has happened due to some sort of obstruction in the holster, or misplacement of the pistol into the holster.

2). If the threat was still a threat, only a stupid idiot would be holstering his pistol. Read that again guys. Please enlighten me if there is any tactical reason to holster the pistol while facing a threat because I cannot think of any.

3). Often the police guys (I was once one) will say they have to holster to handcuff someone. That changes nothing. You do not point a gun at someone and then holster to handcuff. You hold them there, proned out, face down in the dirt, until your back up arrives and he points his gun at the bad guy. Then you holster and go handcuff. So the ability to keep eyes on target before holstering is of dubious necessity.

So, is it a big deal if a shooter looks at his holster briefly prior to holstering his piece?
No, I don't think so.

Now we are not saying to sit there gazing at the kydexial splendor of your holster for hours as you slowly holster, but simply a quick glance to verify everything is as it should be before introducing the pistol into the holster.

I spent 15 years in LE service and I saw many many guys who had been drilled to NOT LOOK at the holster, still do so very briefly when holstering. It is the same principle
we see in other actions under duress. The eyes want to see what the hands are
doing.

So are instructors being foolish to tell the students that "there is no threat in the holster"? That they should keep their eyes downrange while they holster the pistol?

In my never humble and always opinionated opinion, yes. There is nothing wrong with looking at the holster when placing the pistol back into the holster. If there was a threat, your pistol would remain in action. If there is no threat, your safety is better
served by holsering safely.

When you train with S.I. you will be looking at the holster briefly prior to reholstering. Why? Because it makes more sense, cost you nothing tactically, and gives immediate feedback of any clothing/obstruction.

Thoughts?