Gun Nuts

We shipped our ammo to M3GI. We’re sharing a shotgun. But we still have so much stuff that it’s ridiculous. There’s an entire suitcase that has nothing in it but our soft gun cases that we’ll be using on the range. Plus clothes for a week, all the guns, lights, and lasers.

The last of my M3GI guns:

• Troy Defense Lamb Carbine
• Burris Optics 332 Prismatic Scope
• Magpul 40 round Pmag (because reloading is stupid)

SHOOOOOT HEEEERRRRRR

On Facebook, there is a discussion of some upcoming ballot initiatives in Washington State. The initiatives are I-591 and I-594. 591 is Pro-Gun and limits the state’s ability to confiscate firearms, and 594 is anti-gun, and sets up a draconian background check law that would make Bloomberg proud. There are some complaints that NRA isn’t getting involved, because a lot of gun owners tend to view NRA as this giant, monolithic organization with nearly unlimited resources. Of course it’s not, but it seems that whenever there is a local gun rights battle at the state level and NRA doesn’t get involved, people are quick to scream “where is the NRA?”

My handgun choice for M3GI went around a few different tracks. I really wanted to run an all Beretta rig, with the same PX4 that I shot at Bianchi, coupled up with an ARX and a 1301. Unfortunately that wasn’t able to come together, and then Troy graciously hooked me up with the sweet Lamb carbine I’ll be using. So what to do for a handgun? Well well well, how about the HK VP9?

At least according to wikipedia, they don’t. I was doing some research, and in the article about Navy Recruit training, it mentioned that the marksmanship training that naval recruits receive consists of training on the M9 and a Mossberg 500, but not the M16. Initially, my reaction was surprise, but as I spent some time thinking it actually made a lot of sense. Of course, if there are any recent graduates of Navy boot camp that did train with the M16 in boot camp, please let me know in the comments.

Two more photos behind the jump.

I laughed pretty hard at all of these.

This set up, along with a Surefire wrist light and a 20 round mag are my keys to achieving something other than mediocrity at M3GI this year. Well, and a shotgun that holds more than 7 rounds.

Getting guns ready for Crimson Trace M3GI is always an interesting prospect. Ideally, I’d be able to set everything up with a light and a laser, but that’s not always feasible. Some guns lack the rail space for both, or in the case of my VP9 it’s impossible to find a holster that fits. However, sometimes I get creative with mounts:

On the days of August 2nd and 3rd, 2014; I attended EAG Tactical’s Basic Carbine Class at Echo Valley Training Center in West Virginia.  Presented as a “Two Day, Low to Moderate Intensity class with the emphasis on the basics of marksmanship and manipulation,” made my non tactical, cake eating ears perk up and I decided to go as “slick” as possible with regards to gear choices.  More on that later.  The class had military veterans, law enforcement, federal employees, and active duty military attending.

MAUMEE, Ohio (August 8, 2014) — The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation has contracted with the World Shooting and Recreational Complex (WSRC) to hold its National Team Championships at the Sparta, Illinois facility through 2017. Ben Berka, SSSF President and Executive Director, and Art Ashbrook, WSRC Executive Director, signed the agreement recently to formalize the three-year extension of the foundation’s relationship with the complex.

Well well well, look what we have here. A brand new Walther CCP. I guess I should probably take it to the range, right?

As I was going for a run through on the lovely Sioux Falls river trail the other day, I had a random encounter with a bum. From 5 yards away and down-wind, I could smell the booze on him. He made aggressive eye contact with me as I ran past, so I immediately went into condition black, drew my Bren Ten from Hill People Gear Chest bag, and blasted him out of his socks.

One of the questions I’m most frequently asked is what I use for EDC, or Every Day Carry by folks looking for advice on concealed carry and self defense. While a serviceable firearm is certainly a priority for EDC, it’s not the only tool I keep handy. The EDC item I use more than any other, thankfully, is a flashlight. The flashlight is a magnificently useful little tool and ready access to one has made life easier or helped solve a major problem on more than one occasion.

Got a new toy for M3GI…

One of the coolest matches of the year is right around the corner, and I’m excited to get the chance to head out and shoot the Crimson Trace M3GI again. It’s basically the only 3-gun match I shoot each year, and I like to use it as an opportunity to test guns and gear that I’d use in an actual self-defense situation. This year I’ll be shooting my Troy Defense Lamb Carbine, my Remington 870 Magpul FDE, and (probably) the HK VP9.

At last weekend’s Area 3 Championship, I spent the entire match shooting Federal American Eagle 124 grain 9mm ammo. Federal has been a great supporter of the blog and GunUp the Magazine, and provided the ammo for us to use for testing and evaluation. I shot the entire match with this ammo, and I wanted to make a brief post about it, because it was excellent.

Plain shooting videos can be kind of boring sometimes. I watch a lot of video game videos where they play the game and have commentary over the top of it, so I wanted to give it a try with shooting videos. Instead of just watching me shoot, this gives us a chance to get inside the shooter’s head, and hopefully laugh a little bit.

To comply with the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) which allows retired cops to carry concealed legally across the nation, LAPD instituted a qualification course for granting CCW to their retired personnel. The course is fired at a B-27 target at a distance of 7 yards, there is no time limit.