(February 2006 Quips) – Defense Training International

1 Feb 06

FN/SAW

I had the opportunity to shoot a SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) last week. I’ve handled them before at the factory in SC where they are produced, but this was the first time I’ve actually operated a copy.

The weapon gets mixed reviews from the front, but there is a lot to like! It is light (for a GPMG). Barrel changes are nearly as fast and convenient as with the FG42. Much easier and requiring less exposure than with the M60, and the barrel comes with a handle, so no asbestos glove is necessary. The gun fires from both a disintegrating belt or from an M-16 magazine.
Of course, the 223 round is not what we would like it to be, but the gun itself has a lot going for it.

When in Vietnam, I discovered the M60 to be unsatisfactory. I had two copies assigned to my platoon (G Co, 2/7), and their crews were suburb, maintaining them constantly. Even then, we couldn’t keep them running. I never depended on them! I sincerely hope this new gun does better, and, when it does, I hope we can get it in a heavier caliber. In the interim, my impression remains positive!

/John

2 Feb 06

SAW comments, from friends in the system:

“At twenty pounds, the SAW is too heavy for a “light” (223) GPMG, particularly when used in urban fighting where one must climb up the outside of buildings and jump in and an out of windows and over walls.

Additionally, the SAW’s continuous and vexatious maintenance issues are reminding us all of the old, M60! Regular users are unhappy with the SAW. For example, the plastic feed drum, that link ammunition comes in, never stays secure. It falls off regularly. The Marine Corps is anxious to replace the SAW. I don’t think it will be in our system much longer.

Regarding heavier calibers, the superb FN/240G medium (308) GPMG (that replaced the M60 over ten years ago) really shines. Wonderfully reliable. Everyone loves it. We need a bunch more of them!”

Comment: Maybe a new family of reliable small arms will ultimately emerge from the current, confused state of affairs. We need useable and reliable rifles, pistols, and GMPGs, in calibers with range, penetration, and terminal effect that are genuinely suitable to modern military challenges. At present, we are far from where we need to be, in all three categories, and we are impatient with the agonizingly slow pace of forward progress (and we all should be!). The next great, world conflagration is going to be upon us sooner than most think, and we dare not enter it with inferior small arms.

/John

6 Feb 06

As we train beginning students in the Art of keeping and bearing arms for serious purposes, usually for the first time in their lives, I frequently need to be reminded that the philosophical overlay is more important than actual psycho-motor skills.

The act of bearing arms requires of the bearer a genuine, individual commitment to personal responsibility, personal righteousness, personal self-control, and personal nobility, virtues seldom emphasized in our glib culture, often devoted only to shallow self-indulgence and self-consumption.

The experience is similar to going to boot camp, where all the whinny, juvenile, selfish, childish nonsense swimming around in your head is progressively slapped out of you; where you learn to take your responsibility to yourself, your nation, and your family’s name seriously!

Bearing arms is similar to having an advanced degree in a deadly martial art. You’re safer in the company of a martial arts master than in that of naive grasseater who couldn’t beat his way out of a paper bag. The master has the ability to cripple or kill an attacker, nearly without effort, but mature judgement and a firm, moral foundation stays his swift hand.

Naive grasseaters are dupes of the false doctrine of “learned helplessness,” now considered a virtue in many segments of our upside-down culture, particularly by autocratic politicians seeking support from these shallow, defenseless, dependant, perpetual victims.

Grasseaters will not stand and fight! But, inside most is a warrior trying to get out. Our job is to bring him forth, while we still can!

/John

7 Feb 06

At a recent Pistol Course in CA, one of my LEO students used a Beretta 92F, equipped with a laser pointer, mounted on the right grip panel. Not being a laser fan, I’ve not had much experience with this particular brand, but it immediately struck me that the laser source should be on the left side of the pistol, where the trigger finger is out of its way (at least for right-handers).

Putting it on the right side means that the laser beam is blocked, and thus useless, when the index finger is in high register, tempting the shooter to place his finger on the trigger before his sights are on target.

This system, at least on the Beretta, did not gain many fans that day!

/John

8 Feb 06

DD139, the Destroyer, USS Ward, December 1941:

On patrol at the mouth of Pearl Harbor in the early morning of 7 Dec 1941, the crew aboard the ageing Destroyer, USS Ward (built in 1918 and named after James H Ward, a famous Civil War seaman) spotted the conning tower and periscope of a midget, Japanese submarine. With a crew of only two, the sub was cleverly trailing a US surface ship, the Antares, into the harbor in an effort to avoid anti-submarine netting.

Ward’s crew was made up mostly of reservists, and its young captain, William W Outerbridge, had just taken command a week previously. However, he did not hesitate to go after the enemy ship. Heading toward the sub at full speed, the Ward fired two, five-inch shells, from two separate turrets, as soon as the sub was in range. The first missed, but the second struck the Japanese ship low on the conning tower, blowing part of it away and almost certainly killing its captain. The sub began to list and sink, and the Ward dropped a pattern of four depth charges when it reached the area where the sub was last seen, as per standard procedure.

Naturally, the Ward’s captain immediately reported the incident, but it was Sunday morning, and no one at Naval headquarters wanted to spoil everyone’s weekend plans with an alert. Two hours later, the Japanese aerial attack began! The officer in charge at headquarters was skeptical of Outerbridge’s report and wanted “confirmation” before sounding the alarm. Two hours later, he got it! Those two hours of inaction sealed the fate of Battleship Row.

The “Ward Incident” was disputed for decades, until the sunken remains of the Japanese submarine in question were finally discovered on the ocean floor in 2004, confirming the story as originally told by Captain Outerbridge and his crew.

After being struck by Kamikaze near Leyte in late 1944, three years to the day after firing the opening shots of WWII, the critically damaged Ward was abandoned and sunk. One of the many, heroic “Tin Can” destroyers of WWII, the Ward went to the bottom a champion of the Conflict.

Comment: An unapologetic warrior, Outerbridge saw his duty and did it, without hesitation and without apology. He didn’t pretend not to see the submarine and didn’t say, “Do you think it is okay if we do this?” He was a Buckaroo, that is to say, a real American. Had those back at headquarters been infected with the same attitude, history would have been considerably different!

“Consider the blundering, anarchic system of the United States, the stupidity of its lawmakers, the violent reaction, the slowness of its ability to change. Twenty-five key men destroyed would make the Soviet Union stagger, but we could lose our entire Congress, our President, and our General Staff, and nothing much would happen. We would go right on. In fact, we might be better for it…”

John Steinbeck

/John

9 Feb 06

Today was the first day of the SHOT Show in Las Vegas,NV. We got through the law-enforcement section. Some observations:

Stinger, Taser’s competition was on display. Similar device, but with an important difference. A hit from a Taser will deliver a pre-set, five-second ride to the recipient. The user can manually abort the ride sooner than five seconds, but, for best results, such shortening of the ride is not recommended. The stinger only delivers electricity to the recipient so long as the trigger is held down, and it automatically shuts off after four seconds in any event. Time will tell which approach is best, but, from what I know, my preference is for Taser’s system. A prematurely shortened ride may create more problems than it solves!

Bill Wilson has introduced a small, polymer-framed, concealable 9mm pistol, about the size of a Kahr 9. It’s called the APD. It uses the gas-retarded blowback system of the old H&K P 7 and comes apart the same way. Trigger is seven pounds, and the reset is deep and mushy. Self-decocking, this will make a nice, small carry gun. On the downside, it has a two-position, manual safety lever, which I would just leave in the “off” position, and it has no external slide-lock lever, so the slide can be locked to the rear only with the insertion of an empty magazine. The gas system will heat up, but polymer will not transmit the heat as readily of did H&K’s steel frame.

Action Target is now making an ingenious device, called the “Breach Door.” This training edifice allows officers to breach the same door multiple times, and it resets in seconds. Resistance of the door can be adjusted so that it can be kicked open, or it may require an impact device, and/or a shot-lock. It can even be used with explosive entry. Breaching doors can thus be practiced time and time and time again, by the same team, with little time required for reset. Something every SWAT team should have!

Kimber had on display its new KPD, a polymer-framed duty/concealment pistol, designed to compete directly with the G19/23, the SIG 229, and the S&W M&P. It has an eight-pound trigger with a deep, mushy reset. It is slim and features adjustable grip sizes, something that all manufacturers of service pistols are going to be forced into. It is slim and easy to handle. On the negative side, it has a magazine safety, and the magazine safety shares the same problem with that of the Ruger’s pistols. With the magazine removed, the trigger functions normally, dropping the hammer, but the gun is prevented from firing. Magazine safeties on S&W pistols simply make the trigger go slack, which is sensory input to the shooter that the magazine has become unlocked or is not inserted at all. Either way, the shooter instantly knows what to do to correct the problem and get his pistol running. With the Ruger, and now the KPD, the magazine safety, when activated, will still allow both trigger and hammer to function normally. It simply blocks the firing pin! Upon hearing a “click,” instead of a “bang,” the shooter knows little, because the pistol has told him little. Chamber might be empty. Might be a dud round. Magazine may be unlocked. To me, this is a source of needless confusion. It’s a deal-buster!

Remington’s 40XS sniper rifle in 338 Lapua was on display. Wonderful 1500m gun! In conjunction with DPMS, Remington is also marketing the XM110/SASS autoloading sniper system, featuring an upscaled AR-15 in 308 caliber. Remington’s shotguns are now available with the Knoxx buffered stock. Really takes the unpleasantness out of shooting a 12ga shotgun! They also had their 7615 223 pump rifle. It’s basically a 20ga 870 in 223 caliber. Controls are all in the same place.

Remington “Technology Division” showed the R1 Eyeball. A softball-sized ball, containing a video camera, can be thrown into a danger area. It automatically rights itself and pans the area. A remote TV monitor can then be consulted to reveal what the ball sees. I can see many uses for this!

Beretta had the PX4 pistol, in four versions, the “C,” “D,” “F,” and “G.” The one to get is the “C” version, for “Constant Action.” This is a rotary-barrel, polymer-framed pistol. Nice size, and it features adjustable grip sizes. The “F” and “G” versions have manual decocking levers and thus will not sell well. The “D” version’s trigger is heavy, but the pistol features a “double-drop” on a recalcitrant round. The “C” version features a seven-pound trigger, deep, but distinct, reset, but no double-drop. The “C” version will sell well, again competing directly with Glock, SIG, and S&W. They needn’t bother with the other three!

Beretta is also now making a 223 rifle designed to compete directly with the AR-15. It’s profile is similar to that of the AR-15, but far from exact. It is called the RX4, and it features a collapsible stock, ambidextrous controls, and it takes AR-15 magazines. This is a nice, light rifle and will do well.

Blackhawk’s wonderful Serpa holster now has a level III, duty sibling. The lever three version features the button release on the right side and a thumb release on the left side. Fast, slim, easy to learn to use, and secure, this holster is ideal for uniformed, duty carry.
More tomorrow…

/John

10 Feb 06

Second day at the SHOT Show:

Friends at the Glock booth indicated that Glock’s long-awaited 223 rifle will not be with us any time soon. Most pistol manufacturers, including Glock, are now focusing on the new Pentagon Pistol Contract, the particulars of which are still not clear, although we know the new pistol will be in 45ACP caliber.

Kel-Tec’s new PF9 nine-millimeter pistol is small, light, and extremely flat! Nice hide-out gun. Brian Hoffner is making the “Secret Carry” holster to accommodate it and also Kel-Tec’s 380Auto. Nearly invisible as Brian was wearing it.

Friends at Cor-Bon tell me their best seller is still 115gr, 9mm, conventional hollow-point. Powerball is ten-percent more expensive, and DPX is fifty-percent more expensive, but both are surging in popularity. I carry DPX.

Detonics had their small, Combat Master, which I carry, on display. Joining the line is the Service Master, a commander-sized 1911. Wonderful carry gun! I’ll have a copy soon. Their five-inch 1911 is called the 9-11-01.

The Taurus “24/7″ is basically a G19/23 with the addition of a manual safety. Trigger is two-stage and similar to Glock’s, inasmuch as the reset is short and crisp. The Taurus folks were gracious and helpful. I didn’t shoot it, of course, but the 24/7 felt good. If I carried one, I’d leave the manual safety in the “off” position.

I didn’t handle FN’s new plastic pistol, but I’ll get my hands on a copy tomorrow.

I lost count of companies marketing AR-15s. I particularly like DSA’s and RRA’s versions. I’ll handle S&W’s version tomorrow. The standard for 223 rifles is the AR-15. It works fine, but gas-piston guns like Robinson Arms’ existing RA-96 and their new XCR, Beretta’s new RX4, SIG’s 551, and others will all probably work better. Lots of interest, in and out of police channels, to drive this market. SIG’s 551 is a wonderful 223, but thus far is imported only into police channels.

Two choices in 308 are SA’s M-14 platform and DSA’s FAL. Both were on display. I own both, but my preference is the FAL. DSA’s customer service is next to none!

More tomorrow…

/John

12 Feb 06

SHOT Show ended today. Here are notes from days three and four:

Kimber has abandoned the external extractor on their line of 1911s. All pistols on display at the Show had internal extractors. They indicated that the change is permanent.

SIG’s marvelous 223 rifle, the 551, until now only imported for police use, has a new version entering general commerce in August. It is called the 556. It is basically a 551, with a retractable, AR-15-style stock, and, instead of accepting SIG’s wonderful plastic magazines, it accepts AR-15 magazines. Nice gun, but I wish it took the original SIG magazine.

S&W’s new AR-15, called the M&P-15 is well done indeed! Everything is pretty standard. As always, I like the plain-vanilla version best.

Beretta had their new 223 rifle on display too, as I indicated earlier. However, it has no flash suppressor, and, of course, like all 223s, it needs one. Also, its cross-bolt, manual safety makes it difficult for use by left-handers.

FN’s plastic pistol, the FNP, comes in both a self-decocking and a manually-decoking version. It has an eight-pound trigger with a deep reset. I wouldn’t call the reset “crisp,” but it is not as mushy as that of Kimber’s KPD. It has an exposed hammer and, thank Heaven, no magazine safety! Available in 40S&W and 9mm. Nice pistol!

Rock river Arms had on display its new upscaled AR-15 in 308. Called the LAR-10, it happily accepts FAL magazines. DPMS has something similar, called the Commando 308, but it uses a proprietary magazine, available only from DPMS. Out later this year, both use the original Stoner gas impingement system and will compete directly with SA’s M1-A and DSA’s FAL.

I talked with the folks at Kahr, and their M1 Carbine has been vastly improved. Used with Cor-Bon DPX ammunition, this rifle is poised for a real renaissance. Their KP45 pistol in 45ACP is shipping, and its size and flatness makes it attractive for concealed carry.

Friend and old-time colleague, Jimmy Cirillo, as on hand to show me his new “Cirillo Pistol Sight.” Big front dot, and the rear sight is half a circle. In the view of the shooter, the front sight ball floats in the center of the “cup.” Unlike the case with conventional pistol sights, there are no right angles. I’ll have a set to try shortly. Jimmy is a legend and the grand old man of our profession. Still feisty as ever!

CZ has purchased Dan Wesson Arms and had both company’s guns on display. CZ has made real inroads among American pistol competition shooters, but little penetration of the serious gun market. The Dan Wesson line might help.

Crimson Trace has a big display, as did Lasermax. As was pointed out, laser pointers are useful when a conventional sight picture is precluded, such as when a officer is using a shield and pistol at the same time or is using a pistol with a large, silencer can. When you purchase the Crimson Trace, you get no-additional-cost batteries for life. Nice touch!

Woolrich is now aggressively competing with 511 for the tactical clothing market. Their shirts and trouser are nicely done. I’ll be trying a set out soon!

Tim Wegner, president of Bladetech and maker of an extensive and wonderful line of ky-dex holsters, tells me that there is currently a big demand for tactical holsters for the M9 as well as AR-15 magazine holders. Most going to military customers.

The “Photon” is the best of all key-chain lights. Bright, but it can be ramped up and down, and it has a replaceable battery.

It is great to see such a wide array of well made guns and accessories from which the American consumer can choose. The entire industry is healthy and optimistic.

The 2007 SHOT Show will be in Orlando, FL. Back in Las Vegas in 2008.

/John

12 Feb 06

Shooting incident involving a student and state trooper:

“One of my fellow Troopers received a disturbance call yesterday while I was busy handling an accident. A moment later, the operator came back asked for other cars to assist, as the disturbance suspect, who did not speak English, had assaulted several people with an axe. He was reported to have retreated to the bottom floor of a multi-story, apartment building. En route, I was further advised that he also had a large, German Shepherd that was known by the neighbors to be dangerous.

We ultimately went to the door and announced our presence, but we received no response. A local indicated to us that the suspect was indeed hiding downstairs. I began walking around to the back. I heard a noise and sidestepped behind a tree. I could just make out a shadow. I turned on my flashlight and, using the Harries’ Technique, sure enough saw the suspect, crouched along a wall, holding a German Shepherd by the collar.

I commanded, ‘Police! Don’t move!’ The dog began growling, and the man began to scream, in Ukrainian. He held the collar but allowed the dog to advance in my direction. It became clear to me that he was giving commands to the dog. Before another word could come out of my mouth, he pushed the dog in my direction and let him go, screaming to it as it ran toward me.

Range was thirty-five feet. I picked up the dog in my front sight. I vividly remember seeing the hammer start back (SIG228, 9mm), as I silently said to myself, ‘This is going to happen!’ I began pressing the trigger as I tracked the target, and waited for the recoil. When the shot broke, the dog let out a yelp and spun around. I knew I had hit it. It began to gag as it wobbled back to the suspect.

We took the suspect into custody without further incident. The destruction of his dog took the fight right out of him! He was not seriously hurt. My guys and I were okay too.

A subsequent examination of the scene revealed that I had shot the dog at a distance of ten feet. The single bullet struck the animal near the ear and continued into the neck and chest. It did not exit. The dog was DRT.

I subsequently unwound and replayed the whole thing over and over in my mind. What an advantage I had by simply paying attention to details. Had I not heard the noise by the door, I may have walked right into an ambush. Sights work! I clearly remember seeing my front sight and tracking the moving target. I also remember confidently thinking that there was no possibility of me missing. Of course, I didn’t!”

Comment: Decisiveness, personal competence, and determination work too. My friend is a professional gunman who knows what he is about! Lesser men would not have up to the challenge, but Bill was. Neither the dog nor the suspect were a match for him. Good show, Bud!

/John

19 Feb 06

From an LEO friend in CO:

“Had an ND today. One of our officers decided to clear her shotgun while waiting for her relief. She cycled the slide, put the manual safety “on,” voided the magazine tube, pointed the weapon in the general direction of the clearing barrel, pushed the manual safety “off,” and pressed the trigger. The resulting discharge made a nice buckshot pattern in the side of the clearing barrel!
The astonished officer was not hurt, but there was property damage, and a good deal of embarrassment.

Of course, she got the steps mixed up.”

Comment: Exhaustion, combined with distraction, nearly always precedes NDs. A solid procedure is the only thing that will prevent accidents under such circumstances. This officer had practiced until she got it right. She neglected to practice until she couldn’t get it wrong!

/John

9 Feb 06

“Sterile Carry:”

Vicki, Steve Camp, Tom Burris, Les Leturno, and I, once again worked with our Marines in CA last week. We did two, two-day Military Pistol Courses. Most of our students will deploy overseas shotrly. All used the M9 (Beretta 92F) pistol.

The “sterile carry” was the big issue this time. Most of our students indicated that they had been taught to carry the holstered M9 with a round chambered, but with the two-stage decocking lever (which they called the “safety”) in the down (“sterile”) position. Amazingly, even after the pistol is drawn, they indicated their instruction had been to leave the decocker down until an instant before they intended to fire. When asked, they indicated that they were only allowed to carry “off safe” (with the decocking lever up) in combat zones. Apparently, their lives are less valuable in garrison!

When I asked if any had ever been through practice sessions where they were trained to push the lever up during the draw, all responded that no such training had ever been provided. In fact, most indicated that they had never been allowed to draw and fire the pistol from a holster in the first place.

When the decocking lever on these pistols is down, the hammer is always fully forward, because pushing the lever down automatically decocks the weapon. Also, when the decocking lever is down, the trigger is disconnected, and the weapon is thus “sterile.” Accordingly, pushing the decocking lever down effectively sterilizes, as well as decocks, the pistol. When carried this way, the decocking lever must be pushed up as the weapon is being drawn from the holster, so that the shooter will be able to shoot when the weapon comes on target. Because of the design and location of the decocking lever, most people find pushing it up during the draw clumsy, dubious, and difficult to master (even after a great deal of practice). Under stress, it is prone to failure. Not surprisingly, veteran gunmen carry this autoloader with the decocking lever up.

When the decocking lever is up, the pistol is “enabled.” However, there is an additional passive firing-pin lock, interconnected with the trigger, that continues to block the firing pin until the trigger is pulled all the way and held to the rear. This insures that the weapon will not fire unless the trigger is held all the way to the rear during the entire forward hammer arc. It is a “passive” safety device that functions automatically, without conscious input from the shooter. Thus, when the hammer is fully forward, a live round is chambered, and the decocking lever is up, the weapon is every bit as safe as a double-action revolver in the same condition. Carrying the pistol with the decocker down doesn’t make it one bit “safer.”

The point is this: After years of experience training police officers, I have found precious few who can reliably push the decocking lever up as they are drawing the weapon and bringing it on target. Even people who claim they can do it, when put to the test, can’t do it. I am aware that the “sterile carry” provides some protection for the Marine when someone is trying to forcefully disarm him and use his own weapon against him, but the trade-off is a chronically inhibited, slow, and shaky weapon presentation, and is, in my opinion, not worth it.

Like a fire extinguisher, a pistol is an item of emergency, life-saving equipment. It is critical that users and carriers of pistols be able to bring them to bear on the problem quickly, deftly, and with a minimum of encumbrances. Fortunately, we were able to persuade our students to abandon the sterile carry and carry the M9 “enabled,” as do most professional gunmen. One Gy/Sgt commented, “I’m just going to carry it this way (enabled) from now on, and, if the Range Nazis don’t like it, they can write me up!”

/John

20 Feb 06

Comment on sterile carry, from a CWO in Country:

“We are required to carry unloaded pistols here. No round in the chamber and no magazine in the weapon, even though we’re all drawing combat pay. Our ‘leaders’ don’t want any of us to shoot at all, under any circumstances. They figure it is less expensive to bury us than it is to train us.”

Comment: We go to war, and “garrison” breaks out! How is it that the American Public is supposed to take this war seriously, when so many of our military leaders obviously don’t?

/John

22 Feb 06

Sage comments from a friend and student in the Philippines on the subject of the true goal of training:

“At the moment of truth, the ancient Filipino warrior entered ‘Dakip-Diwa.’ It is similar, of course, to the Chinese ‘Mushin,’ or ‘pure mind.’ Dakip-Diwa literally means ‘to seize the spirit.’ The warrior no longer just sees himself facing opponents. Rather, he comprehends only the concept of combat itself: angles of attack, scenarios of engagement, and, of course, personal and final victory. Dakip-diwa thus eliminates fears that cause hesitation. Not many of even my own countrymen know this currently. This is reflective of the liberalization of Philippine society, thanks mainly to Western influences, no disrespect intended.

Clashes here, on all levels, tend to be bloody. From street fights to military operations against insurgents, pernicious contacts are savage and final. We are extreme as a people. Extreme in friendship and hospitality on one hand. Extreme in ferociousness in combat on the other.

With the foregoing in mind, folklore regarding the 45ACP pistol cartridge is mostly that. The real reason for the poor reputation of the 38S&W pistol (used by American Troopers during the Spanish-American War and progenitor to the 38Spl) and, in later years, the 223 rifle, is substantially due to poor marksmanship, born of panic, rather than inadequate terminal ballistics of the cartridges in question, although the latter is still a significant factor.

In our Muslim-dominated South, tales abound about insane warriors with shaved heads and bound limbs (in order to control bleeding and minimize pain) wearing vials of ‘magic oil’ around their necks (renders them immune to bullets). This talk reached young, inexperienced troops who comprised the bulk of our armed force responsible for quelling numerous insurgencies of the ’70s. Imagine being in their shoes! Fresh from (inadequate) training, under shaky leadership, you’re in the middle of some forsaken bush and are suddenly charged by a screaming, bolo-wielding maniac! The experience understandably shook recruits, and they missed their shots while rebels connected with stabs and hacks. Thus, the ‘legend,’ first arising from tales told by American soldiers at the beginning of the last century, was, once again, resurrected.

Conversely, under surefooted and inspired leadership, and when employing sound tactics, heavy calibers, and eminent personal competence, experienced troops engaged these same fanatics and got good hits, the ‘invincible’ insurgents were speedily neutralized. Timely, well-placed shots convincingly and satisfyingly solved this ‘problem.’

There are surely inadequate calibers and, even in adequate calibers, poor manifestations thereof, and I therefore encourage everyone to carry and train with powerful arms and ammunition. However, there is no adequate technological substitute for personal competence and unwavering determination. Incompetent, confused, and uninspired soldiers will always perform poorly, no matter what they’re equipped with.

These are truths, precisely because they’ve stood the tests of time and successfully resisted countless attempted revisions. We’d all do well to apply them to our individual circumstances.”

Comment: Soldiers who have spent most of their “training” time in “Sensitively,” “Sexual Harassment Awareness,” and “Suicide Prevention” classes, and precious little time handling loaded weapons on hot ranges, will understandably perform poorly when faced with the foregoing. Trainers and leaders need to be long on inspiration and short on PC fluff! We need to be turning out hard, harmful, dangerous, serious, competent, determined heavy hitters. We can’t have too many. Right now, we have far too few!

/John

22 Feb 06

Excellent analysis of our Practical Test from a recent student at a Basic/Intermediate Defensive Handgun Course:

“I wanted to share an interesting insight with you. The most profound point of learning for me came when I took five tries to pass the Test. Each try was exponentially more difficult than the one before it. This was because I knew I had the skills and background (I passed on the second try a year ago) to pass without much effort. Failing two, three, and four times in a row contradicted that knowledge and forced me to dig deep within myself to hit with all seven shots.

Requiring a perfect score as opposed to, say, six out of seven shots, amounts to much more than the mere difference of a single miss. It’s the difference between night and day! A perfect performance, and a NOT-perfect performance. It invites in all those voices that you taught us to push aside. I had to put all your teaching from the previous two days into practice in order to see the target clearly and press the trigger without a care for when the explosion might occur. Your words came rushing back, and I was faced with a choice: I had to ignore the clutter or give into the many loser thoughts in my head, such as: ‘Wouldn’t it be devastating if I didn’t pass this when my brother and dad did?’, and ‘I can see myself standing here in the dark, still trying to hit the target and still failing,’ and ‘Theoretically, it could take me one hundred tries to pass this test,’ and ‘That time, I did everything right but still missed. This is so unfair!’ and ‘Those other guys, including an old man, actually passed before me. If the boy now passes, I’ll be the only one left,’ and ‘Maybe I’m fundamentally flawed…’

Having failed the first four times gave me the opportunity for a much greater victory. It was far more gratifying than when I passed on the first attempt the previous year. And, I was appreciative when you leaned over before my fifth try and told me (almost in confidence), ‘Just hit the first one, and you WILL get the rest.'”

Lesson: Proficiency tests should (1) always be short, (2) always be in public, and (3) always require a perfect score. “Good enough” never is!

/John

22 Feb 06

Sage comments from a friend and student in the Philippines on the subject of the true goal of training:

In our Muslim-dominated South, tales abound about insane warriors with shaved heads and bound limbs (in order to control bleeding and minimize pain) wearing vials of magic oil around their necks (renders them immune to bullets). This talk reached young, inexperienced troops who comprised the bulk of our armed force responsible for quelling numerous insurgencies of the ’70s. Imagine being in their shoes! Fresh from (inadequate) training, under shaky leadership, you’re in the middle of some forsaken bush and are suddenly charged by a screaming, bolo-wielding maniac! The experience understandably shook recruits, and they missed their shots while rebels connected with stabs and hacks. Thus, the ‘legend,’ first arising from tales told by American soldiers at the beginning of the last century, was, once again, resurrected.

These are truths, precisely because they’ve stood the tests of time and successfully resisted countless attempted revisions. We’d all do well to apply them to our individual circumstances.”

Here! Here!

/John

23 Feb 06

Cop Killer at Work!

Democratic NY State Senator David Paterson has proposed a bill that would compel police officers using gunfire when defending themselves and innocent third parties to “shoot to wound,” rather than shooting in a way that will produce fatal wounds. His bill would, in fact, manufacture a new crime: a new, second-degree manslaughter felony that would be reserved specifically for officers who “use more force than the minimal amount necessary.” No word on who determines what is “necessary.”

Amazing that this twit can actually get elected by people who are presumably literate! This is a blatant appeal to the felon vote, part of the current “War on Decency,” waged by Marxist politicians who would disarm us all, including police.

Only in NY!

/John

24 Feb 06

Ammunition info from a friend in SA:

“My students were all shooting Glocks. Ammunition was factory-reloaded 9mm, made by a local, domestic manufacturer. Bullets are not ‘jacketed,’ but rather are ‘copper washed.’ The copper layer is extremely thin. They use a Berdan primer that is sealed in place via blue paint. Power charge is wimpy, and it barely cycles the pistols. Yes, I know it is trash, by your standards, but it is all we can get here.

By day two, stoppages were rampant. When we pulled the Glocks apart, we found the insides coated with dirty, copper residue. Accumulations were so think, it looked as if someone had squirted copper-based lubricant into the pistols. Blue primer sealant had also transferred onto the guns. Breach faces were all solid ‘blue.’

With constant cleaning, we could keep guns running, but excessive maintenance, of course, cuts into training time. Amazingly, this is the best ammunition we’re been able to use for some time. Up until now, we’ve only had lead reloads, which are even worse!”

Comment: Copper-washed bullets are bad news! They are little better than lead straight-bullets. Well-made, authoritative, clean ammunition, with jacketed bullets saves valuable training time. Wasted time and ruined guns is a severe penalty for saving a paltry few bucks on ammunition. I know good ammunition is expensive, but time is even more expensive. We don’t know how good we have it here!

/John

25 Feb 06

I am here in Memphis, TN at Tom Given’s wonderful, annual POLITE SOCIETY event. I shoot the course tomorrow, but there are classes on retention and disarms, as well as Airsoft exercises, into all of which I will fully immerse myself tomorrow.

Today, I attended lectures. The first was mine, where I attempted to tie together the Fetterman Massacre (1866, near Sheridan, WY), the Little Big Horn Battle (1876), Isandhlwana (1879, South Africa) and Balangiga (Island of Samar, Philippines, 1901), suggesting that the real culprits, in all four disasters, were character flaws: arrogance and personal vanity.

Skip Gochenour talked with us about cases of self-defense in which he has been personally involved. Some important points:

“True” vindicators, like the ever-popular “SODDI” (Some Other Dude Done it) or the “TODDI” (That Other Dude Done it) defense are seldom involved, as facts are usually not in dispute.
Once you suggest that you shot someone by accident, thereafter “justification” will be unavailable to you, as you’ve already admitted justification is irrelevant.

In fact, once you’re charged with a crime, the first casualty is the truth. Truth becomes irrelevant. Prosecutors care only about convictions. Thus, anything you can do to delay the decision to charge you is usually in your best interest. The truth will usually not set you free, but a lie will definitely lock you up!

“Mandatory Retreat” laws are designed to punish all who would take a stand, or “sustain engagement.” Fortunately, public sentiment and policy is currently going the other way on this issue, in most states.

Character witnesses are important. Be a good person, so you’ll always have plenty!

Home invaders are particularly dangerous. Don’t let them get control. Especially, don’t let them tie you up. The time to take a stand is when you still have options.

What is sometimes incorrectly labeled as “excessive force,” is often simply “excessively repeated applications of less-than-adequate force.” Force, when applied, must be designed and intended to end the fight quickly with a single application, or there is no point.

John Hearne presented his excellent synopsis of the famous Newhall Shooting that took place in California in 1970. Four CA State Troopers were murdered in the same event, all within a few minutes. Many tactical errors were identified, but the real point is that neither the four officers involved, nor the entire CHP for that matter, were in any way prepared for a serious fight. They learned the hard way!

Claude Werner, who teaches with Bill Rogers, reminded us that John Boyd’s OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) Loop has been replaced in many government agencies, and even some military circles, with the TWIIBAR (Think Wishfully, Ignore Intelligence, Blunder Ahead, Repeat) Loop!

We were also reminded that, with individual gun maintenance, use more solvent, less oil. Many light primer hits with the M9, and other pistols, are directly traceable to firing-pin channels clogged with oily, greasy, grit. Firing-pin channels need to be clean and dry!
More tomorrow!

/John

27 Feb 06

New contact in Iraq:

Cpt Jim Newton is rotating home next week. Jim, we all thank you for taking on this responsibility. Our new contact in Iraq is:

S/Sgt Chad A Huffman
Support Co, MP Plt
MWSS 374
Unit 41730
FPO-AP 96426-1730

huffmanca@acemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil

Please keep the supplies going over. These men need our continuous, manifested support, since they’re not getting much from politicians or the media these days!

/John

27 Feb 06

Polite Society:

I shot the 2006 PS event yesterday. There were four stages, all live-fire, on Tom Given’s wonderful indoor range in Memphis, TN. All shooting was in low light. Most required the use of a flashlight.

I used my SIG229/DAK in 40S&W carried in a Comp-Tac C-Tac holster, and my Detonics snubby (45ACP) in a Lou Alessi shoulder holster. Ammunition was Cor-Bon DPX in both calibers. All equipment worked just fine. My flashlight was Blackhawk’s Gladius.

In the First Stage, one was required to draw and fire on three paper targets, one handed in once case, with a one-handed reload in another. Range was four to seven meters. Starting positions included both standing and sitting. Targets were line drawings, and the bad guys were carrying Kalashnikovs and wearing black-and-white, stripped shirts. Between the Gladius’ bright light and the stripped shirt, my front sight was hard to find. In “strobe” mode, the front sight was extremely hard to see, as it kept getting lost on the shirt’s stripes!

In the Second Stage, one was required to enter a darkened building and rescue a wounded colleague, who had to be dragged out. Shooting required a flashlight. Targets were dressed mannequins and were reactive. Good, body-midline hits were required, often several.

In the third stage, one was buckled into the seat of a car when there is an armed, car jacking attempt. Targets (two) were close and directly out the right window. In addition, the car-jacking suspects used the doors of another car for cover, and that car’s headlights are shining directly in your face! I elected to go for my Detonics, since going for the waist holster was difficult and slow. It popped into my hand, and I twisted around in an attempt to engage both suspects. The one on the left was no problem. He went right down, but the one of the right required me to shoot one-handed, as I couldn’t get turned far enough while still keeping my pistol in both hands. I thought about undoing the seat belt, but there was no time, and I’m poor at multitasking!

In Stage Four, one started the exercise reclining on a bed. All guns and other weapons were in a nearby night stand. One must get up, retrieve weapons, and then peer into a darkened room, filled with suspects who are mixed in with your own family members. As I rolled out to look into the room, a deafening, concussive shotgun blast, emanating from a suspect in a corner of the room, nearly knocked me over! I recovered and started shooting, but the blast really rebooted my hard disk! I hit a family member, mostly because I forgot she was there. A real gaff! When I gunned down the last bad guy, it was with rounds from my the magazine for my backup Detonics.

I had an ND when shooting the Detonics during this stressful drill. I’m hesitant to even bring the subject up, as the errant round hit twenty feet in front of me, and no one noticed, except me. But, I know the truth! I was fumbling with my flashlight in the Harries Technique, and my finger brushed the trigger. My finger was not where it should have been. Had I done the same thing with the SIG, nothing would have happened, of course, but I am reminded, once more, that, when you carry a 1911, you better have finger discipline down. This stressful incident reminded me that it can happen to anyone. Fortunately, the pistol was under control, and, though it startled me, I recovered and continued. Events like that are useful in reminding one that he may not be the genius he thought he was!

John Hearne ran two, excellent, force-on-force, Airsoft exercises, one involved an ATM. The other involved a self-service gas station.

As one approaches an ATM with the intent of using it, two sleazy, unkempt characters standing nearby exchange glances and then abruptly stop talking. I know the school solution was to simply walk past them and keep going, but I decided to use the machine anyway, calculating that, during a busy day, I’m probably not going to interrupt my schedule because of every sleazy mope I see. Well, both suspects confronted me with guns as soon as I retrieved my cash. I threw it on the ground and invited them to take it, which they did. After scooping it up, they separated. I saw no chance to overpower them during the confrontation.

You pull into a self-service gas station and start filling up. Someone else pulls up on the opposite side, gets out, and ask directions. Simultaneously, a station attendant approaches and asks you how you like your new truck. While all this is happening, a man with a pistol inserted in his waistband and clearly visible, approaches from the rear. Many never saw him until he was within touching distance. When I noticed him and saw his pistol, I immediately disengaged from the other two, commanding them to get away from me and take cover. I then drew and took cover behind my truck, announcing my office and commanding him to stop. He approached no further and obeyed my suggestion that he find something else to do!

Steve Moses presented an excellent class on using a knife to break contact with attackers who have you on the ground or grab you from the rear. Quick, aggressive, and violent action is required!

Bill Aprill presented his excellent weapon disarm and retention class. Bill is a rough bronk, and he teaches an aggressive, heavy-contact style. His class was well received.

The Polite Society Event, like the NTI, is a wonderful, tactical clinic and an opportunity to get together with like-minded friends and colleagues. It is important for all of us to test ourselves now and then, taking our lumps in the process.

Next year, the Polite Society Event will be moved to the expansive Memphis Police Department range complex, so many more people will be able to be accommodated. I’m looking forward to it. Good show, Tom!

/John