ModernServiceWeapons

At the request of fellow MSW contributor Doug, I am updating an old 10-8 Forums thread regarding malfunctions in 1911s.  If you are a 1911 shooter, it is absolutely critical that you understand the types of malfunctions that you will get, as none of them will go away with hope, good intentions, more cleaning, or more lube.  Remember that we are discussing malfunctions or stoppages, and the more specific one can be, the more intelligent the analysis that can follow. Merely indicating that “the gun had a jam” offers no information at all. 

Vertical stovepipe.

“Don’t go swimming after you just ate a meal”, “You’ll get sick if you go outside with wet hair” and of course, “shooting competition will get you killed!” (from the Tactical Bible..)

Axioms to live by..or maybe we need to use critical thinking to get past what easily could be described as sacred mumbo jumbo.  Why?  In this four part series I’m going to present an argument on why competition is good for the tactical soul.

I’ve shot competitively in action pistol (United States Practical Shooting Association or USPSA) for the past three years.  I’m also a law enforcement officer and my current assignment is a firearms and tactical trainer.  I had my reservations about competing or rather my ego had reservations.  Note:  Cops hate to look bad shooting in front of..well..everybody.  I was one of them, so I thought about shooting a match for a long time.

One sunny day, in a tactical class from a very well known former Delta g

Hilton and I recently both wrote articles regarding the current popularity of custom machined slides on service weapons. Hilton reviewed the Innovative Gunfighter Solutions modified M&P Slide and I wrote about whether or not we needed the fancy work to begin with. Both of us agree that the extra serrations do add some utility. The added traction to aid in one handed (and some two handed) manipulation of the pistol is not lost upon us. However, we still got hate in the comments here and on Facebook about how important it is to have that added ability to rack the slide should one of your hands become otherwise occupied or incapacitated.

Both Hilton and I have put a lot of thought into one handed pistol manipulations. Heck, Hilton designed an entire line of pistol sights with it in mind. Since collaborating on the 10-8 Pistol Test #1 with Hilton, one handed manipula

Many people who regularly carry a concealed handgun in street clothing find it necessary to take the weapon off and put it back on as part of their routine.  Some IWB and OWB holsters accommodate that rather well with snap closures (when used with a

One of the concepts I embraced many years ago was the idea that shooters aim into a larger area on any given target than what they need.  Although, the phrase “Aim Small, Miss Small” is a bit cliche, it applies to high speed marksmanship.  A shooter who accepts what many are taught in the academy of “Center the sights in the middle of Center Mass and you’ll do OK” are setting themselves up for nothing short of disaster when stress enters into the equation.  When you accept a broad target area, it tends to also give the shooter a corona of inaccuracy that is emotionally comforting to them as Linus was about his blanket.

The concept of spot shooting does many things for us in dynamic shooting.  First, it does embrace the notion that if I pick a specific spot on my target, and drive the sights aggressively to that spot, that if I have a trigger control error on the way out, or if my sights don’t stop precisely where I want the round to go, that the shot will still be a good one.   It will m

IGFS slide mounted on 10-8 textured frame with prototype FDE mag well.

A few months ago, John Garron, the honcho over at Innovative Gunfighter Solutions (IGFS), reached out to me to ask if I would be interested in reviewing their work.  Wanting to keep my finger on the pulse of the M&P world, I requested he lend me a modified M&P slide that I could mount on one of my pistols for review.  I received one of their full house packages finished in nickel boron, with S&W factory parts and sights installed.  

Before we start, I will be up front and point out that I do have a business partnership with ATEi, as they do the machining for the M&P and Glock packages I build.  ATEi was the first outfit to put serrations on the top of the slide expressly for the purpose of enhancing manipulations.  Custom 1911s have had various textures applied to the tops of the slides for years, but it was always f

Force on Force is some of the most important training out there in my opinion.  For those who carry a gun for defense or for work, it is the closest thing to the real thing going if done correctly.  It also vets what we think will work in square range drills, against what happens against the living and breathing who shoot back.

Some tips to make your FoF training successful-

Avoid “paintball wars”.  We know.  Extended, protracted gunfights are fun in training.  But, for several reasons they should be avoided.  Cost of ammo (Simunitions) is a big factor.  At nearly a dollar a round, we can be smarter with our scenarios.

Make most of the scenarios win-able.  I didn’t say easy, I said win-able.   If you burn down your students at each chance, if for nothing more than the opportunity to put some ringworm marks on your coworkers for sticking you with a call they should have taken last night, well, you probably aren’t teaching many lessons.  (except maybe they shoul

M&P Base Pads From L: 10-8 original style, Arredondo, Speed Shooters Specialties, Taylor Freelance, 10-8 XTC, Taran Tactical

We released the 10-8 Performance M&P magazine well earlier this week, and I am very excited that it has been so well received.  We are almost sold out of the first run of parts, and the accompanying XTC base pads already sold out.  With the release of this product has already come further discussion about the litany of aftermarket base pads and if/why they are or are not compatible.  I thought it would be worthwhile to discuss here.

<

If you shoot nonreactive (fixed) steel targets regularly where frangible ammunition is not required (it rarely is) or the steel has been shot a great deal (it usually has), you likely have been hit by ricocheting bullet or jacket fragments. My experience suggests one is usually hit from the shots of others, and to a much lesser extent from reactive steel.  (Ricochets also occur in indoor ranges when shooting paper targets, due to walls, floors, and metal objects downrange, or backstop integrity issues). Ricochets can be large, sharp, and travel at sufficient velocity to pierce skin and draw blood, sometimes even through a layer of clothing.  A bullet or jacket fragment can become embedded in an open wound at skin level or deeper, and can cause most types of wounds;

Last week I had the pleasure of attending Mike Pannone’s Covert Carry handgun class down here in sunny south Florida.  Mike’s resume is extremely extensive, and I had been looking forward to training with him for some time.  In an industry overflowing with buzzwords, hype, and self aggrandizement, Mike is a breath of fresh air and the consummate quiet professional.  If you are a serious student of the gun, you need to step away from the guys in the glossy self promoting videos and train with Mike.  Do it.  Now.

Mike takes a professorial approach to teaching, and provides well structured analysis and explanation of everything he teaches.  As he likes to say, he is not just the “good idea guy from out of town,” he has really wrung out every technique to bring you an end product that works.  In particular, I found Mike’s approach to flashlight techniques and one handed shooting/reloading to be very fresh and I took away some material that was extremely valuable.  E

Now comes the “in the white” prototype of the new Apex Tactical Specialties line of bolt handles for the SCAR 16s/17s line of rifles.

The design was a request by some .mil customers who wanted a bolt handle that would clear all the optics they were issued.  Based upon their needs, we developed a couple of versions designed specifically around the EoTech and Elcan.  The above picture was decided as the best compromise for clearing the optics with gloves on, all the while giving positive control of the bolt handle.  Some OpSpec students have been running these bolt handles for the last year in classes and we have over 15,000 rounds to test for wear and issues.

The yet to be named project should be to market around the NRA show, or slightly before.

Stay tuned!

Riflescope, glass or precision optic; there are just as many terms for the tubular magnifiers that sit atop your prized weapons as there are manufacturers and options for these pricey items.  Quite a few have come and gone throughout my locker over the years, but a handful have stayed based on use, repeatability, glass quality and overall ruggedness.  The few hours I had at SHOT this year I was talking with Darryl Bolke about optics and he said I needed to see the new offerings from Bushnell.  Evidently the look on my face made Darryl respond with, “Seriously, you need to believe me on this one.”  Hearing that from a trusted friend, I followed and we met the Director of Military and Law Enforcement Sales, Tom Fuller.  An hour later, with an exchange of business cards, I had arranged for two of their new production scopes to be sent my direction when they came off the line.

Shortly after the meet at SHOT I had a Bushnell Elite, Extended Range Scope (ERS) sitting in my office awaiting mounting to a rifle.  The flavor they sent o

When the mercury drops into the single digits and stays there, things you don’t normally see freeze will freeze.  Fortunately for most of the United States, this is a rare occurrence, though this season seems to be the exception.  For extreme cold conditions, we have to take special precautions to ensure that our equipment functions.  Our friends in the Northern US, or elevation in  the mountain regions simply call this “Tuesday-another day at the office”.

Some tips for keeping your AR running in the extreme cold-

• Use a synthetic lubricant.  And then, use only a light coat.
• Ensure that all operating surfaces are lubricated, but not over lubricated.
• Clean your buffer tube and buffer spring.  If you use a lubricant after cleaning, wipe off all excess.
• Keep the bolt as carbon free as possible.  Carbon build up isn’t a determent to running an AR most of the time.  Carbon provides a porous surface for freezing.
• Clean and wipe down all of your magazines.

Recently, several folks have asked why we cover the 9mm variations of Glocks/M&Ps and seem to ignore the other calibers, specifically the 45. So here are a random collection of thoughts on the Glock 21. When selecting a pistol for duty, it’s really hard not to get mired in a caliber debate. Without digressing too far, it is my strong belief that in service handgun calibers, using modern hollowpoint ammunition, the caliber used is of no real significance. Yes, you could split hairs, but for all intents and purposes handgun calibers are all weak. So if we can agree on that, it doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense to deviate from the 9mm. This caliber offers the following advantages: higher capacity, lower recoil, and reduced costs for training. The lower recoil is a significant advantage even to red blooded American males who aren’t recoil sensitive as it allows for longer training periods with less fatigue and more importantly, significantly reduced probability of wear and tear to your joints and connective tissue over a career o

As this week’s weather pattern drops most of us into the single digits or below for daytime temps, it is easy to bypass training outdoors.

A good quality airsoft gun has a lot to offer as it comes to individual training.  A couple of years ago, I bought a bunch of airsoft stuff for a project known as “MST” that Randy Lee and I have been working on for about 5 years.  It has mainly found a home on a shelf in my closet until recently.  I’ve started using it to grab 10-15 minutes here and there of basic dry fire style practice.  I can do it in my garage.  About all it requires is safety glasses and a cardboard box backstop.

Where airsoft really shines to me is multiple target training.  It has allowed me to work on specific areas of driving the gun between targets aggressively that dry fire just doesn’t allow. I get the same feedback from the process of shooting the airsoft pistol that I do in live fire minus recoil.  And that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Airsoft gu

So we have another SHOT Show under our belt, and I thought I would share some of the products that we were most excited about. This is not intended to be a summary of all the notable introductions at the show, but rather the products that caught our attention at the show. 

So without further ado, above is the latest generational upgrades to Smith & Wesson’s M&P line. For the time being, it will only be offered through the LE purchase program, and most notably it features a PVD (think boron carbide) coating that offers a matte black finish with pretty amazing abrasion resistance. Also, these models will have all the latest upgraded parts, including sear, slide stop, barrel, etc., Many commercial guns have also seen these upgrades, but some are still coming with older parts as well. The LE guns will also come with three magazines and night sights.

Today I am selling the last of my custom 1911s.  You may be surprised to know that I don’t even own one of my own builds, they have all had to go to help fund new projects.  This stainless Colt XSE was completed in the spring of last year, and is the last 1911 build to have come off my bench.  Many fans have mourned that this is the end of an era, and while I am reluctant to use “never,” I have no plans to build any more 1911s in the near future.  That can change, but for the time being I need a break from 1911s as they have ruled my entire existence for far too long.

Here’s the build list:

-Base Gun: Colt XSE Stainless, .45 ACP. Though this was my personal gun, I only   used it for some photo shoots and it only has about 330 rounds through it.

-Slide has ejection port lowered and flared.

-Colt barrel – chamber reamed, throated/polished, with oversized match fit bus

One of my runs at 7 yards, with pullover concealment garment, slide lock reload, Glock 19.

When formulating your range drills, make each shot count.  A simple standard drill that I really like is the 1+1 Reload Drill.  The standard drill is at 7 yards on either a USPSA or IDPA target, but nearly anything will do.  Draw and fire one round, perform a slide lock reload, and fire another round.  With just two rounds expended per repetition, you get a draw, a reload, and a total of two presentations to target.

I also run this same drill with my SIRT, using a timer set with a start/stop par time beep.  Some of my baseline par times are:

-Open top holster/pouches, slide forward reload: 3.0 seconds

-Open top holster/pouches, slide lock reload: 3.5 seconds

-Concealment (pull over garment): 4.0 seconds

You can add .25-.50 for variations w

For many years, the internal extractors in later model SIG P-Series pistols have been somewhat problematic.  The problems have been largely hit and miss, but were evident in some of the X5 pistols, as well as the P220 and others fielding the internal design.  SIG eventually switched out to the short external extractor, and currently to a long external extractor.

My mentor, Bruce Gray at GrayGuns, INC has been working on the problem for several years and has finally come up with a “fix” for the reliability issues with the internal extractor guns.  As can be observed in the video, the new extractor cleans up ejection and extraction, making it consistent and reliable.  The process involves fitting the new extractor to the individual pistol and tuning it for reliability.  The turn around time is about 10 days, and the cost for the modification is $200.

More information can be found at www.grayguns.com.

Ok, so 2014 is in full swing, and it’s time to hit the range for some serious training.  One of my long term goals (“resolution” sounds so lame and fleeting, like those yearly promises to smile more or be nicer to rude people) for this year is to improve my accuracy.  This goal goes hand in hand with actually reducing my annual round count in order to help my damaged elbows heal a bit more as well as just being smarter and more efficient with range time.

It is important to head to the range with a game plan.  It doesn’t need to be an exhaustive ordeal with your exact round count predetermined, but you need to know what you intend to do when you get there.  For the next few weeks, my training cycle will include two accuracy drills.  I am also starting with something new here, where I will note how to scale the drills for your individual skill level or training goal.

VTAC 60 Second Aggregate