Sunday, November 25, 2012

Squeak, squeak, squeak....SSP Expert

That was the sound of me squeaking by and shooting Expert in SSP at today's IDPA classifier.

120 is the minimum score (smaller number is better score) to make the cut, I shot a 119.99.

What's more amazing is that I shot was is now my best classifier with a gun I had never shot before this morning in 20-30 degrees of weather...I wonder what I can do with the gun in warm weather?


As my P30S is no longer IDPA complaint, I wanted a similar gun that I could shoot at a match without question.

I lucked into a P30LS in LEM that had all ready had a Gray Guns trigger job and the Heinie sights that I prefer. The pistol was received on Wednesday night and with all the Holiday and other activities I didn't get a chance to shoot the pistol until arriving at the range this morning. I got to shoot 20rds on the plate rack and the rest was all on the classifier.

Top: HK P30LS - Light LEM -Bottom HK P30S w/ Leupold Delta Point


For me it was a great end to the 2012 IDPA season, I went in to 2012 wanting to make Expert, but I planned on doing it in the Custom Defense Pistol (CDP) division, never thought in a million years I'd be doing with a P30LS in LEM in SSP.

As stated, this was our last IDPA match for 2012.

Much thanks goes out to those that helped us at BHPC with successful 2012 IDPA Season.

Back to the drawing board for stages to shoot in 2013!!!

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Bowie HK P30S w/ Delta Point Update

Well we were off to a rough start. The original Delta Point died before I had it fully zeroed it. Leupold replaced it without question.

I installed the replacement unit and set to sighting it in and had some strange trigger issues that I have attributed to the altered slide geometry regarding the firing pin block channel and the "heavy" firing pin block spring. It seems that there was to much tension on the inner workings of the gun and the firing mechanism was binding and the gun would intermittently not go bang. I happened to have a "light" firing pin block spring on hand and tried that as a quick fix and lo and behold my problems went away.

Previously before the original dot died, I had ran the gun in a couple of matches with tape over the emitter and used the back up iron sights. This time I was able to compete with the sight active and I was floored by my level of improvement in almost all areas. The one issue I'm having is picking up the dot during my initial press out for the first shot on target, this just requires more dry practice of mounting the gun and building "muscle memory" ( I hate the term, only because there's always going to be the one guy that says "muscles have memories") in order to replicate proper draw stroke and apply it correctly. In order to do this I need to get the gun a little more up and my head a little more down....

Like Dave Bowie as seen in this picture.



This optic really does wonders with my eye dominance issues by bringing target and sighting into one focal plane*2. So instead of having to look at the target, look at the front sight, look at the rear sight, look at the target etc. I just look at the target and place, in my case the triangle on the target and press the trigger. One little oddity is that to get the optic zeroed, I have the windage almost all the way to the left, I attribute this to my severely dominant left eye.

I have a Glock 17, 2nd Generation on it's way to Bowie for him to work his magic on with some of the same things I had done to the P30. Not sure if I'm going to stick with the Delta Point or go with a Trijicon RMR, Dave currently prefers the Delta Point due to the fact that it keeps zero better than the RMR but the RMR is supposed to be more rugged....Suarez has been doing a lot of work with the RMRs in the last couple of years as well as some others, currently Hilton Yam of 10-8 (their blog is now Modern Service Weapons) has a test going on now with several RMRs and the results are not that impressive but he has been in contact with Trijicon and they are to be improving the RMR to make it more rugged.

I am now on my fourth RMR since starting the project at the end of August.  The first three have failed as follows:
  • Adjustable intensity RMR07 died after 1185 rounds, with the dot turning on/off intermittently. Thanks to painted witness marks, it was easy to see that the windage adjustment screw was also rotating 2-3 clicks every 50 rounds or so.
  • An automatic intensity RMR02 suddenly lost zero after only 625 rounds. The external elevation adjustments had not moved, but the point of impact shifted down about 24″ at 15 yards.
  • A second automatic intensity RMR02 (below) lost zero after about 750 rounds in the first day of a class.  It was off by about 6″ at 15 yards.




Dave has said the same regarding Leupold and the Delta Point and ongoing improvements. Not sure which way I want to go. Good news is that I have some time to think about it as my gun won't be ready till near summer of 2013 so I have some time to evaluate the Delta Point some more before making a decision. Maybe by then we'll see some real progress from either maker, but currently I'm pretty happy with this package.


HK P30S with Leupold Delta Point 7.5MOA Triangle Reticle




Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Cornered Cat Blog

Kind of surprised this didn't start until now, Kathy Jackson of Cornered Cat fame now has a blog running here:   Scratching Post

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Waterloo, IA- BHPC IDPA Match 9-29-12

Greetings!

Our September IDPA match will be held on Saturday the 29th, this is not our typical match date so please mark your calendars accordingly.

We have seven stages planned with a minimum round count of 81. This is going to be an interesting match. We'll be doing a stage based on this robbery attempt and a "drop gun" stage where the shooter will be starting with a snub-nose revolver as a back up gun. On top of that we'll be shooting Ken Hackathorn's Three-Second Head Shot Standards and several other stages.

I am pleased to announce that we are now an official IDPA affiliated club and are now listed on the IDPA website.

We are planning a Halloween themed match for October, the BHPC MONSTER MASH-UP!!!  not just your typical "Zombie match", plan on staking Vampires, mowing down a three headed monster and all kinds of other ghoulish stuff, and yes there will be some zombies that need killin'

This is not an IDPA match and we are inviting all our USPSA shooters to bring the open guns, limited guns and what have ya'. In order to keep things a little more even, we will stick to a 10rd limit and only two mags on the belt. Expect more information on this match near the end of September.

Times for the September Match (9-29-12) are as follows:
Match times are as follows:
Setup: 07:00/07:30
Sign in: 08:30
New shooter orientation: 09:00
Safety brief - stage walk through: 09:30
Shooting starts: 10:00

If you can come out for set-up we'd appreciate the help. I will be following up with CVPR to see if it is possible to get some set up done Friday evening.

Also, as we are now IDPA affiliated, we plan on holding the classifier for our November match and will probably have a steel side match to liven things up a bit. Pending on weather, November will probably be our last shoot for the 2012 IDPA season.

Be sure to "Like" us on Facebook and check out the BHPC Section of the Illinois/Iowa Practical Shooters Forum

Hope to see you at the remaining matches!

Regards,

JD

Friday, September 14, 2012

I've Decided on the .308

Over the last year + I've been shopping around for a .308 / 7.62X51 rifle, I really really wanted an AR10 built in similar fashion to my Noveske is set up, but by lo and behold after putting together my final build sheet of parts / features etc. I was up to around $1800 to re-equip a DPMS or Armalite AR10A. $3500 if I wanted someone to build the gun from scratch with a better barrel and trigger group. After seeing the writing on the wall I'm just going to start the ball rolling on acquiring a SCAR-17S, the few items I'll want to add I can do over time.



















I really hate it when...

I'm trying to research a gun and all I get are a bunch of nit-wits talking about Call of Duty.



Sunday, August 19, 2012

Blackhawk Pistol Club's August IDPA Match / 8-26-12: Waterloo, IA

GREETINGS!

The BHPC IDPA monthly match for August is SUNDAY the 26th @ CVPR on Rt 63 between Waterloo and Hudson just west of the John Deere Implement.

Any updates on this match will be posted on the iliowapracticalShooters forum and our Facebook page.

We're looking to do SEVEN stages with a round count between 75-100 (bring more)

Match Fee is $15.00, $12 for BHPC Members. FIRST TIME BHPC Shooters shoot free! Tell your friends! We had 24 shooters at our last match and a couple new faces. I’d love to see match attendance around 30 before the end of the season.

Match times are as follows:
Setup: 07:00/07:30
Sign in: 08:30
New Shooter Orientation: 09:00
Safety brief - stage walk through: 09:30
Shooting starts: 10:00

ALSO MAKE SURE TO BRING WATER and hydrate before the match, the weather has gotten a little cooler, but it’s looking to be in the mid 80s on match day.


If you are able to be there early for set up, any and all help is appreciated! No really, we really could use the help, we’re not going to be too prop intensive this match but many hands still makes light work.

Hope to see you there!

Regards, JD

Monday, August 13, 2012

From Pistol-Training.com : Competition Pros and Cons


Competition: Pros and Cons

 

Some points of interest from the article and comments:

So, you need to be honest with yourself about your motivation. Are you there to supplement your training or are you there to compete for the sake of competition? Both are perfectly valid choices, obviously. But the answer to that question is going to have an impact on what you practice. Time you spend working on competition-oriented skills is time you could have used to work on defense-oriented skills.

Another potential snare of competition shooting for the defense-minded shooter is equipment selection. When you go to a match, it’s hard to look at the guys with their tricked out race gear when you’re wearing a Glock 27 in an IWB holster under a sweatshirt (which is exactly how I shot my first USPSA match in the mid-90s). The temptation to compromise a little here and a little there can be strong. First you switch to a G34… because, hey, it’s basically the same gun, right? But it’s not. Seeing how you can shoot with a G34 isn’t the same as seeing what you can do with a much smaller, greater recoiling G27. Then you switch to a faster holster. Now you’re practicing to draw a different way and perhaps from a different location on your body. We said earlier that people will focus more on the definitely-game this weekend than the maybe-fight in the future. So where will your focus be, on your CCW gear or your game gear? On the other hand, if you’re going to run your “real” gear you cannot use it as an excuse or a crutch. You’re making a decision and that’s 100% on you. Don’t try to convince yourself you would have beat the World Champion if only your holster was a little faster or your sight radius a little longer.
 From the comments section.
Stealing a quote from Soutnarc’s forum; “You can’t go as deep training as in a race or a fight. If you don’t compete it’s easy to convince yourself you’re going hard. You’re not.” Mark Twight
I do find that I have to be careful to not let bad habits get into my tactical toolbox, like standing in a doorway port at an IPSC match and just blazing away at targets to get max speed on the string of fire, or running balls-to-the-wall down a hallway at an IDPA match instead of moving as I would in real life.
I almost never win a local match, but I do well, and with IDPA I very often get “most accurate” at the match running a G19 with a NY1 trigger from an IWB holster under a T-shirt, instead of the “concealed carry” guns other guys are running, like a tricked G34 in a Blace Tech holster under a ‘shoot-me” vest.

 It's all about what you're there to get from it and being up front with yourself about it too.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Update: Bowie Tactical P30S w/ Delta Point

Ran the Bowie Tactical / HK  P30S again @IDPA today in Ames, IA with the emitter taped over to get better acquainted with the irons, I could have shot Open Div. in USPSA today, but want to get better with the more familiar sights before really diving into the red dot...well that and I just felt like shooting with the guys in Ames.

I'm having trouble tracking the front sight, need to paint it and may possibly have a tritium vial installed in it. On a good note I was running some hotter ammunition and did not have any failures of any sort. Previously I was having some random failure to feed issues. Not sure if was from the refinished slide which seems to be a little tighter than pre-coating or if the added mass of the Deltapoint had anything to do with it, all I know was that I had no issues while running Winchester Ranger T NATO ammo today. After a couple hundred more I'll try some standard velocity 124gr FMJ and some 115gr FMJ and see what kind of results I have.

On a P30 only note, the slim slide stop lever assy. I installed has fixed my failure to lock open on empty issue.

Had some decent Bill Drill runs @ 10 (4.13), 7(3.53), and 5 yards(2.42), was down 2 for the stage, forget n which strings but think I dropped 1ea on the closer targets.


Head shots with the irons took a little more work. Still need to get to the in-door range and properly sight in the Delta Point.

Overall I'm pretty happy with the gun, I'm still shooting the 1911 better, but it will take some time to get used to something different.

On another topic, Suarez International is holding some Red Dot Equipped Pistol specific training classes,

in October, unfortunately I won't be able to partake this time around but will be looking for these offerings in the future.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Monday, August 6, 2012

Pistol-Training.Com Springfield Custome Report #3 is out.

Springfield/Warren 9mm 1911 Endurance Test: Report #3

6-Aug-12 – 10:25 by ToddG
6,609 rounds 3 stoppage 0 malfunctions 0 parts breakages
2 mag deadlined
For contrast:

Glock 17 gen4 Endurance Test: Week Three

8-Apr-11 – 11:18 by ToddG
5,424 rounds 5 stoppages
(+1 w/non-LCI extractor)
0 malfunctions 0 parts breakages


P30 Thursday: Week Three

21-May-09 – 23:59 by ToddG 4,700 rounds
0 stoppages, 0 malfunctions, 0 parts breakages


HK45 Endurance Test: Week Three

27-Apr-10 – 01:00 by ToddG
3,659 rounds
0 stoppages 0 malfunctions 0 parts breakages



M&P Monday: Week Three

12-May-08 – 22:07 by ToddG 5,058 rounds
0 stoppages, 0 malfunctions, 0 parts breakages






Turning in good round counts, if you're following this series of tests, one thing to take serious note of are the issues related to magazines, two magazines dead lined. Finding the "right" magazine for your 1911 can be a breeze or a nightmare depending on multiple variables. If there is any singular issue to be held against the 1911s of today, it's the magazine issue. You shouldn't have to play mix and match on guns and mags to get a working combination. With .45 caliber guns it's not too bad but the "other" calibers seem to be a little harder, not sure about 10mm and .38 Super, but 9mm and .40 can be a real pain in the rear.

Friday, July 27, 2012

UN Gun Treaty a No-Go....For Now

In case you're still being bombarded by the events in Co...


U.N. member states have failed to reach agreement on a new treaty to regulate the multibillion-dollar global arms trade.  Some diplomats and treaty supporters blamed the United States for triggering the unraveling of the month-long negotiating conference.

Hopes had been raised that agreement could be reached on a revised treaty text that closed some key loopholes by Friday's deadline for action. But the United States announced Friday morning that it needed more time to consider the proposed treaty -- and Russia and China then also asked for more time. A bipartisan group of 51 U.S. senators on Thursday had threatened to oppose the global treaty regulating international weapons trade if it falls short in protecting the constitutional right to bear arms.

Read more HERE

I'm not too crazy about the "need more time" unless it was followed up with a wink and a "finger gun", or maybe just the finger...


Thursday, July 26, 2012

TDI Active Shooter Training AAR

For a review of TDI's Active Shooter Training see:

A Review Of The Active Killer-Shooter Course at TDI

 

This class is also on the short list for me and the Mrs.As with anything taught @ TDI, I'm sure this class will be fantastic. Much thanks to John for posting this review

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Bowie Tactical HK P30S w/ Leupold Delta Point

The P30S should be on it's way back from Bowie tomorrow.

He put up this pic.































Have been on the hunt for a new holster for it and have been in contact with Garrett Industries regarding one of their tuck-able IWB holsters.

Really looking forward to getting this out and seeing how she runs.


Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Excuse this pooh eating grin on my face...

Three range trips and almost 2,300 rounds into the test and it’s fair to say that some sacred cows are in danger of becoming hamburger. Stoppages? None. Break-in? Not necessary. Ammo sensitivity? Three different FMJ-style rounds and two different JHPs without a problem have gone down the pipe. Magazine issues? Three different brands of magazines fed, fired, extracted, and ejected without hesitation. Expectations? Blown away.
In fact, it’s only fair to mention that by this round count during their respective tests both the Glock 17 and even my beloved HK P30 both experienced problems. They were resolved, sure, but no one expected them to have problems in the first place. Some diehard 1911 aficionados were warning me that no one — even the Springfield Armory Custom Shop — could make a 9mm 1911 that would run well out of the box.
They can. I have the box to prove it.

More here:
 Springfield/Warren 9mm 1911 Endurance Test: Report #1




While I won't say that I'm surprised about the pistol itself in going close to 2300rds with no issue, I am a little taken aback at the mag issues with Tripp and Wilson.

Have had the idea of a 9mm 1911 kicking around my head for some time now, as well as a Springfield Custom, might have to get me one of those next year or so...

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Waterloo, IA - Black Hawk Pistol Club July IDPA Match




The IDPA monthly match for June is Sunday the 22nd @ the Cedar Valley Pistol Range (CVPR) on Rt 63 between Waterloo and Hudson just west of the John Deere Implement.
As mentioned previously, any updates/changes to this match will be posted at the  iliowa practical shooters forum (sign up is free) and our Facebook page.

We're looking to do five stages with a round count between 75-100 (bring more).

For a look at the rough drafts of the stages, see HERE.


Match Fee is $15.00, $12 for BHPC members, first time shooters shoot free!.

Match times are as follows:
Setup: 07:00/07:30
Sign in: 08:30
New Shooter Orientation: 09:00
Safety brief - stage walk through: 09:30
Shooting starts: 10:00



ALSO MAKE SURE TO BRING WATER and hydrate before the match.

If you are able to be there early for set up, any and all help is appreciated!

Hope to see you there!

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Another Agency Banning the Serpa

From Pistol-Training.com
Last week, the National Park Service banned the use of SERPA-style holsters by any of its more than 2,000 law enforcement personnel. It will come as no surprise to pistol-training.com readers that among the reasons listed was the propensity for accidental discharges, citing multiple instances at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center where such accidents led to property damage and/or injury.

Another issue listed in the NPS memo was the danger of debris getting into the holster mechanism thereby making it impossible to draw the gun. Especially given the incredibly wide range of environmental conditions under which NPS Park Rangers must operate across the country it is easy to understand this very real concern. (for a demonstration of this problem in a realistic training environment, see this video featuring Craig “SouthNarc” Douglas and the late Paul Gomez… note the language of the video may be NSFW)


See more details here:

Yet More SERPA Ban


Monday, July 2, 2012

That Darn Poll Again....

Please people, PLEASE let that USA Today poll FROM 2007! die in your in-box. Don't forward it, don't post the link on your favorite gun forum where it's been posted 300 times since SCOTUS was hearing Heller vs. DC...

For those that are unaware of what poll I'm talking about, here's the link...BUT PLEASE, I BEG YOU DO NOT FORWARD THIS LINK TO ANYONE!!!!!



I would be unable to live with myself if I knew that I was enabling this annoying trend to continue.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/quickquestion/2007/november/popup5895.htm





  See guys? It's OK....I think we got this one covered, we've got bigger @%&#^* problems to be worrying about right now.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

June BHPC IDPA Results

Match Over All
  1. Jesse W.     108.02    SSP
  2. Rod D.        126.33    ESP
  3. JD               129.72    CDP
  4. Dean C.       137.99    ESP
  5. Mike T.       139.29    SSP
  6. Greg C.       148.33    ESP
  7. Jeff C.         163.73   ESP
  8. Mike K.       153.45    SSP
  9. Eric K.         162.8    SSP
  10. Brian H.      174.15    SSP
  11. K V.             175.45    SSP
  12. Mike C.       194.12    SSP
  13. Kurt G         197.42    SSP
  14. Dean W.       203.27    CDP
  15. Melvin S.     217.59    SSP
  16. William K.   238.01    SSP
  17. Eric R          251.83    SSP
  18. Richard H.   256.96    SSP

Average Score
176.58


Points Down        
Brian H.     29 SSP <-- With a freak'n Glock 26!!!
Dean C.     35 ESP
JD              35CDP
Jesse W.    38
Rod D.        48
Mike K.        48
Mike C.        50
Jeff C.        53
Mike T.        53
Kurt G        55
K V.         57
Greg C.        71
Dean W.        77
Eric K.        78
Melvin S.    82
William K.    92
Eric R        130
Richard H.    169

Average Points Down
67

Will link to the full break downs later tonight. Good job every body for a safe and fun match.


***Final scores can be viewed HERE **

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Your Gun is a POS...

That's just the flat out truth.

I don't care what brand or brands you have, someone out there doesn't like it and thinks it's a piece of crap.

Learn to deal with it and don't act like someone kicked your dog when they don't like your gun.

If you come across a gunsmith or an instructor that doesn't like your flavor of Kool-aid, big flopping whoop. It's OK for them to not like your gun, before you get all puffed out and flustered over the affair, it might do you well to ask why they don't like your gun. You might be surprised about what you learn.

Sometimes you may just want to smile and nod, but at other times it may just shed enough light on some unknown issues and make you rethink your choice of firearm.

I don't like Taurus and Kimber

David Bowie doesn't like HKs and Springfield XDs. I have both and one of my HKs is at his place right now pending work and while he may talk smack about my HKs while we're on the line @ TDI, I'm still shooting pretty well with it and it works well for me, despite being "over priced Euro-Trash" and I'm cool with that.

Grant Cunningham doesn't like 1911s, and some people on a 1911 forum about flipped their lid and were amazed that he'd taint his customer base etc.and that they would consider not sending him revolvers for work. That wouldn't stop from from sending him a revolver for tuning (Oh how I wish he was accepting work, I'd send him my Colt Detective Special in a heart beat) what do I care if one of the best revolver smiths around doesn't like 1911s?

Rob Pincus and James Yaeger share his sentiments.

Your gun sucks.

Deal with it.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Blackhawk! Serpa: Just Say No!!!!

The Point Blank Truth: Blackhawk SERPA Holster Warning: I know that cost is always an issue in gear selection so I try to consider all factors before transitioning from "harsh criticisms" to out-right trashing.  There are few things that I believe all consumers in the shooting community should avoid like the fucking plague ; one being the Blackhawk SERPA holster (BotachTactical.com being another) ....
~Insert gratuitous amount of Serpa Failures / List of Trainers and Establishments prohibiting use of the Serpa here~

....In the end, even if you are one who is of the mind that proper training can overcome the ND/trigger finger issue, the fact remains that the holster can easily be broken and rendered inoperable in several ways.  That alone is reason enough for me to shit-can it.


Just passing this along. Nothing I can really add or subtract other than to say that there is rumor going round that Blackawk is working on redesigning the Serpa...

Re: 3-Gun Match - Boone, Iowa June 23rd

Update re: Boone, IA 3 Gun Matc:

The 3-gun match will be this coming Saturday, starting at 9 a.m..

Pistol match:  These stages will be standard defensive pistol stages.  There will be 3-4 stages, with at least one of them involving shooting from inside a car.  No blind stages this time, they take too long for a 3-gun.  There will be movement and some activated targets.  Bring 60-80 rounds of ammo.  We do pretty much follow IDPA rules.

Shotgun:  18-20 rounds will be needed, so bring a box of shells.  Keep the shot size to 7 1/4 or smaller. 

Rifle:  50 rounds should get you through this course, you will start with the rifle, and will transition towards the end to a handgun.  There will be a .22 division.

Guns, Guns, and More Gosh Darn Guns: 3-Gun Match - Boone, Iowa June 23rd: There's going to be a 3-Gun match @ the Boone Sportsman's Club on Saturday, June 23rd. The final details have not been posted yet but I will...

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Waterloo, IA Black Hawk Pistol Club's June IDPA Match




The IDPA monthly match for June is SATURDAY the 30th @ the Cedar Valley Pistol Range (CVPR) on Rt 63 between Waterloo and Hudson just west of the John Deere Implement.
As mentioned previously, any updates/changes to this match will be posted at the  iliowa practical shooters forum (sign up is free) and our Facebook page.

We're looking to do six stages with a round count between 85-100.

Match Fee is $15.00, $12 for BHPC Members.

Match times are as follows:
Setup: 07:00/07:30
Sign in: 08:30
New Shooter Orientation: 09:00
Safety brief - stage walk through: 09:30
Shooting starts: 10:00

IDPA Tips of the month:
Only two magazines may be worn on the belt, additional magazines may be carried on your person, but should you use them, you will receive a 3 second penalty PER magazine used.

Regarding cover garments, they need to conceal your pistol and magazines with your arms raised straight out at your shoulders. This also means that you gear needs to not be visible. Hunting vests etc. that are a majority mesh material are a no go if we can see your equipment under the vest. Mesh vents are OK provided we can not see your pistol and reloads etc.

ALSO MAKE SURE TO BRING WATER and hydrate before the match.

If you are able to be there early for set up, any and all help is appreciated!

Hope to see you there!

Saturday, June 16, 2012

PT1911 #3: Have I Ever Told You...

That I'm not overly fond of PT1911 as a result of seeing a lot of them with less than ideal quality behind them?

Here's some quick pictures of Taurus PT1911 #3, this is a different gun belonging to a different shooting buddy.


We were talking about the other two I was looking at and my friend not being much of a 1911 guy hasn't shot his much and asked if I would be willing to do a side by side comparison of this gun next to some of mine, just to see what a difference in cost gets you get.

He was not impressed with his Taurus.

Batterting of frame, not sure what's causing this as this area of the frame can not be  struck by hammer with firing pin stop in place. The joint where the ejector meets the frame looks pretty nasty as well.

Smile


Friday, June 8, 2012

2012 MO State IDPA "Back Stoppers" Match...

Getting ready to shoot the match tomorrow.

 Holy crap! LOTS of targets with hard cover!


Thursday, June 7, 2012

Update: Semi-Auto, AR-Like .308s

In an update to THIS post, there are two more options that I've been looking at over the last couple of days.

The DPMS "Recon" .308


And the Armalite AR10A
Difference between the Armalite AR10 and 10A is that the 10A will accept PMags etc.

Between the two guns, I like how the "Recon" comes equipped from the factory, but it only carries a 3 year warranty while the Armalite has a Limited Lifetime warranty. Guess which warranty I favor?

I'm wondering what kind of deal I can snag one of the Armalites, if I can find a dealer willing to order me one for cost, I think I'll get one and just outfit as desired.


Another rifle that hit the market this year that I was looking at with a sideways glance was the Bushmaster .308 MOE, but that's a ONE year...and 10 day...thanks guys, that's just super considerate of you warranty...I've been kind of sour with Bushmaster over their mishandling of the ACR.


Looking at all the variables, I'll probably be spending my money with Armalite as I just can't justify the cost of a LWRC, LMT, etc. If I was looking to attend a carbine class or get into 3-gun with this rifle it might be a different story, but for some occasional plinking, maybe a hog hunt here and there in the future, I think the Armalite 16" with some upgrades will do just fine.

If Colt would get off their arse and get some SP901s out that might still be a contender, but it's been well over a year since they were released @ the 2011 Shot Show and no one's getting them yet. There are AR10As and DPMS "Recon" models all ready in the hands of users. Colt, I'd really like to buy one, but a gun in the hand beats one on order.

 The FN Scar 17S is still of interest as well. The only draw back is the proprietary magazine.


3-Gun Match - Boone, Iowa June 23rd

There's going to be a 3-Gun match @ the Boone Sportsman's Club on Saturday, June 23rd. The final details have not been posted yet but I will post them here once they're available.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Update on the PT1911s....


Or more appropriately why I don't like Taurus Products.

Both guns have been gutted, cleaned, reassembled and have passed the basic operational checks.

Some things of note on the guns, is that as I expected, the overall fit and finish were pretty rough, overall the aluminum framed .45ACP model wasn't too bad in that department. I guess my biggest grip on that is the fitment of the thumb safety, it's not done to well and appears to be scraping the frame, I can't guarantee that as I don't know the history of the gun. The grip panels on the gun as I received it were trapping the thumb safety stop lever on the right side when the grip screws were properly tightened down and made engaging / disengaging the safety harder/mushy from the drag on the panel. I had an extra pair of Mi-Tac grip panels laying around and replaced them for the user until he can replace them with something else.

Both guns have full length guide rods of the two piece variety, but thread together near the rear end of the rod and offer no ability to unscrew from outside the the gun like most typical two-piece guide rods. Why manufacturers insist on including these in builds is beyond me. They are a pain to deal with in some applications, come apart while firing in other applications, or add more tools for field stripping.

Mag catches / release in both guns were of the extended type, and a common issue I see in a lot of guns with extended mag releases is that the internal surface of the mag catch is not blended to the contours of the mag well with the magazine release pressed in which can result in the mag release trapping the magazine in place when pressed down hard.

While I had the guns apart I used some Flitz on the trigger bows and the Series 80 firing pin components and that cleaned up the trigger a pretty good amount, it's definitely more crisp than it was originally.

Colt Series 80 Firing Pin Mechanism













The only other issue I really saw with the .45 was that the extractor showed signs of "clocking" but after poking and prodding on it a little it may not be an issue.

The checkering on both guns, which is machine cut was not very nice with the lower edge of the checkering extending down to the very bottom of the gun and made for some sharp edges.

That pretty much sums it up for the .45, the 9mm variant which was stainless over stainless is a different story.

RIP Paul Gomez...

Paul Gomez, of Gomez Training Intl was reportedly found deceased Sunday or Monday

At this time there have been no details released as to cause of death.

Paul was very well known and held in high regard by many in the training community and will be surely missed.

Photo Editing Credited to Tom Jones



Please pray for Paul's family and friends.


Edited to add @ 6-5-12 3:20 CST

It's been said that Paul passed from diabetes related issues.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Two PT1911s to Play With....

A friend of mine has dropped off two PT1911s (.45ACP and 9mm) to be played with, while I'm particularly fond of hating on Taurus, I'm kind of interested in diddling with these two. Initially all I can say is that these are the most squishy 1911 triggers I've ever felt in my life.

More to follow...

Sunday, May 27, 2012

BHPC May IDPA Match Results

By Division:

JD    CDP    164.35
Dean W    CDP    232.98

Jesse W.    SSP    145.96
Richard G.    SSP    150.8
Michael K.    SSP    188.98
Bryan B.    SSP    190.89
Brad E.    SSP    191.53
Kurt G.    SSP    199.78
Victor C.    SSP    228.73
Mike C.    SSP    232.64

Scott R.    ESP    126.69
Jon F.    ESP    140.85
Jeff C.    ESP    169.82
Rod D.    ESP    162.22
Dean C.    ESP    176.89
Greg C.    ESP    174.85
Gene H.    ESP    197.16
Hakkon R.    ESP    211.01


Match Overall:

Scott R.    126.69
Jon F.    140.85
Jesse W.    145.96
Richard G.    150.8
Rod D.    162.22
JD    164.35
Jeff C.    169.82
Greg C.    174.85
Dean C.    176.89
Michael K.    188.98
Bryan B.    190.89
Brad E.    191.53
Gene H.    197.16
Kurt G.    199.78
Hakkon R.    211.01
Victor C.    228.73
Mike C.    232.64
Dean W    232.98

Average Score: 182.56



Points Down:

CDP    JD    34
SSP    Kurt G.    35
ESP    Scott R.    44
ESP    Jon F.    60
SSP    Richard G.    62
SSP    Mike C.    64
ESP    Rod D.    64
ESP    Jeff C.    66
SSP    Brad E.    68
SSP    Jesse W.    72
SSP    Michael K.    72
SSP    Victor C.    78
ESP    Gene H.    89
ESP    Dean C.    90
CDP    Dean W    94
ESP    Hakkon R.    95
ESP    Greg C.    105
SSP    Bryan B.    110

Average Points Down: 72.3

Division Winners       
SSP    Jesse W.   
ESP    Scott R   
CDP    JD   

 Division Most-Accurate       
SSP    Kurt G   
ESP    Scott R   
CDP    JD   

The full break down of stage by stage info will be sent via email to those I have email addressed for here shortly.

We had a total of 18 shooters and six stages, thanks to all who helped set up and tear down.

Hope to be out tomorrow for USPSA, but not sure if I'm going to make it.

Good shootn' all!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

BHPC May 27th IDPA Match Update

We will be shooting six stages with a total round count of 90. See link below for more details


Guns, Guns, and More Gosh Darn Guns: Waterloo, IA - Black Hawk Pistol Club IDPA May Mat...: Our IDPA monthly match for May is on the 27th @ CVPR   on Rt 63 between Waterloo and Hudson just west of the John Deere Implement...

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Getting Ready To Go Glock....

So about two years ago, I bought my wife a 4th Gen Glock 19 as she wanted something smaller, lighter, and higher capacity than her 1911. While @ TDI for Handguns I-III she discovered that the 4th Gen G19, even in it's "smallest" configuration was still to large for her. One of the instructors let her borrow a Bowie Tactical Concepts Signature Series Limited Edition Glock 19 (#11 of 50) and she really, really liked it. She decided that during our return to TDI for Partner Tactics that she would drop off her G19 for Dave to do his magic on.

While there I got to shoot some of David's other work, including the S&W M&P 9mm that may have been the cover gun for the 2011Custom Combat Handguns magazine....I know I'm a geek but that makes me kind of giddy...

I also got to shoot a Glock 17 that had been Bowie'd, no optic, no grip reduction but did have the grip texturing, good sights and probably the one of the best Glock triggers I've felt.

I've always been big on the wife and I having the same platform for carry, not to mention it will make the 33rd magazines in the glove box work for both of us...so I'm going to be going Glock.

I'm currently seeking a 3rd Generation Glock 17 to send in to Bowie for work, I'll detail the work later when I complete the work order.


Oh yeah, my HKP30S is still in Ohio awaiting some upgrades as well.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Waterloo, IA - Black Hawk Pistol Club IDPA May Match

Our IDPA monthly match for May is on the 27th @ CVPR  on Rt 63 between Waterloo and Hudson just west of the John Deere Implement.

As mentioned previously, any updates/changes to this match will be posted at the iliowa practical shooters forum (sign up is free) and our Facebook page.

Match Fee is $15.00

Match times are as follows:
Setup: 07:00/07:30
Sign in: 08:30
New Shooter Orientation: 09:00
Safety brief - stage walk through: 09:30
Shooting starts: 10:00

We had 25 shooters at our season opener, looking forward to seeing more of you this month! I'm still working on the stage details, we're sharing stage "foot prints" with the USPSA stages being shot at the BHPC Memorial Day match (more info on that can be found @ the Iliowa forum mentioned above.

If you are able to be there early for set up, any and all help is appreciated!

Three Days of Partner Tactics Training @ TDI...

We're home from Ohio and have lots of notes and other information to process, the AAR will be posted later this month.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

On the Topic of Gun Games and Training....

...And the differences between the two:

USPSA Close Quarters Standards....15, 21 & 30 feet? Close Quarters?

"Training" Close Quarters (skip to 4:30)



Not knocking USPSA, I just got my member packet in the mail, just stating why we need to keep things in perspective between the two.

Friday, May 4, 2012

AAR: Suarez Intl. Point Shooting Progressions - April 21-22 w/ Roger Phillips and Greg Nichols


Suarez Intl. Point Shooting Progressions
April 21-22, 2012
Big Springs Range – Searsboro, Iowa
Roger Phillips and Greg Nichols

~Preface~
First and foremost, I will say that I am writing this with the intent to post it at multiple venues and that some comments may be made to certain groups of individuals and not the member base of any one particular forum etc. Also, please excuse any typos or errors, while I usually go through great lengths to use proper spelling and grammar, I've been writing most of this with my 4 month old daughter on my lap and it's been kind of hard to type...


It seems that whenever I see a review of a Suarez Intl. Course posted outside of Warrior Talk, Gabe Suarez’s forum and meeting place for his students, customers, and colleagues; that some will take to condemning the organization for elements of Gabe’s past.

I do not care about Gabe’s past, it was in the past and that is it. If you have some beef about Suarez as an individual, I would ask that you not air your issues where this class review is being discussed as it’s not really about Gabe Suarez.

I did not take this course because of Gabe Suarez, I enrolled in this class mainly because of Roger Phillips. I’ve been reading Roger’s writings for years at DefensiveCarry.com and have always found his pieces, well written, technically and tactically proficient, valid and quite informational. To this day, every time I shoot a shot looking for maximum accuracy (yes that does mean using sights), I do so using information that I obtained from Roger and his writings.

I have wanted to take this course for years, particularly under the instruction of Roger, for many reasons I was never able to make it to this class until this month, I have taken a few training classes with other instructors but I've still wanted to take this class.

The final straw driving me to this class was when I was attending a course at the Tactical Defense Institute of Ohio (TDI) one of the instructors, Greg Elfritz made mention of a study on movement and other factors and how they altered the results of modeled gun fights using AirSoft Force on Force training. Near the end of this study, the following can be found.

"This clearly identifies a need for additional training and highlights the critical importance of making yourself a moving target during a gunfight. If highly trained shooters hit their opponents’ torsos with only eleven percent of rounds fired, imagine how much worse the average street thug with no training and minimal experience will perform under similar conditions!"

"I’ll simply say that we as trainers need to do some more work. We need to find a better solution to allow our students to hit their targets with a greater percentage of rounds during the stressful, fast-evolving nature of a gunfight. Whatever that solution is, be it training in point shooting techniques, an enhanced sighted shooting curriculum, or stress-inoculating scenario-based training, it is our collective responsibility as trainers to find it."

While some of the material from the Point Shooting Progressions Course, hereafter referred to as PSP had been covered in those classes other classes, PSP is just the class to fill the gaps referenced above from Greg’s article and I highly recommend it. I have no qualms referring friends, family, and my own students to Suarez International (SI) and after reading this after action review (AAR) in its entirety, neither should you. 


~Day 1~
The class was hosted by Suarez Intl. Staff Instructor, Greg Nichols. While Roger did a majority of teaching the course, Greg did his fair share of giving feedback to the students and word is that he is doing quite well inside the SI Organization. I have a feeling I'll be seeing more of him in the future and have some friends and prior students looking to take the Defensive Pistol Skills Class with Greg this June. I will be eagerly awaiting more feedback from this class.

It will surprise a lot of readers to learn that this class, which is often thought of as the “must have” of point shooting classes did not start off with a sacrifice along the lines of sights being sawed off from pistols and thrown into the trash, after all the paper work was filled out, mags were loaded, eyes and ears in place; we started with…

…An exercise in accurate shooting. That’s right, the first shots in POINT SHOOTING CLASS were shot using our sights in a “One hole drill” where the goal is to try and shoot five (5) shots into as tight a group as possible with a single hole being the desired result. Range was only about three (3) yards and the “target” was a small piece of blue tape no bigger than the fingernail of my little finger. This is just to see if anyone is having any issues regarding the fundamentals of shooting a pistol.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Pearls of Wisdom From The Greatest Generation Part 1






Pearls of Wisdom From The Greatest Generation Part 1


-Select quotes from “Shooting to Live” –


Fairbairn and Sykes


I am utterly amazed that I have not read this piece before now, I’ve seen it mentioned many times over, have seen it available when shopping for other books but have never pulled the trigger on it so to speak until know. The following is just a list of quotes from the book that jumped out at me for a variety of reasons.

“It must not be inferred on that account that we in any way decry the sport of target shooting. On the contrary, we admire the high degree of skill for which it calls and which we personally cannot emulate.”

“Target shooting has its place and we have no quarrel with it. There probably will quarrel, however, when we go on to say that beyond helping to teach care in the handling of fire-arm, target shooting is of no value whatever whatever in learning the use of the pistol as a weapon of combat. The two things are as different from each other as chalk from cheese, and what has been learned from target shooting is best unlearned if proficiency is desired in the use of the pistol under actual fighting conditions.”


Now don't get me wrong here, my reason for quoting this piece of text is not to bash competition shooting in general, during the time when this work was being written USPSA and IDPA were non-existent. Bull's-eye was the pistol sport of the day,  but that being said we still need to reflect on the matter of USPSA and IDPA as well as what commonly passes for training as related to the carrying of arms in this country.

I think we all need a little reminder every now and then that USPSA and IDPA are no substitute for attending proper training when it comes to fighting with a handgun. This is should also reinforce the known that the basic marksmanship class that many take to meet training requirements is just not good enough. I'm very happy to see the widely available training. I think Fairbairn and Sykes would be pleased with the many programs available today.

“…you may find that you have to shoot from some awkward position, not necessarily even while on your feet. There is no exaggeration in this analysis of fighting conditions. Here we have a set of circumstances which in every respect are absolutely different from those encountered in target shooting. Do they not call for absolutely different methods of training?"

Weaver, Iso, Modern Iso, whatever your favorite flavor is, if you sudenly find yourself going for your gun, and incorporate any kind of movement, you're not going to be in your favorite stance. One of the things that I do like about IDPA etc. is that some match directors like to get some unorthodox shooting "positions" in there. 

"To answer this question, we much consider the essential points which emerge from our analysis. They appear to be three in number, and we should set them out in the following order: -

1: Extreme speed, both in drawing and firing
2: Instinctive, as opposed to deliberate aim.
3: Practice under circumstances which approximate as nearly as possible to actual fighting conditions.

Instinctive aiming, the second essential, is an entirely logical consequence to the extreme speed to which we attach so much importance. That is so for the simple reason that there is no time for any of the customary aids to accuracy. If reliance on those aids has become habitual, so much the worse for you if you are shooting to live. There is no time, for instance, to put yourself into some special stance to align the sights of the pistol, and any attempt to do so places you at the mercy of quicker opponent."
 This will be touched on a little more in depth in my review of the Point Shooting Progressions Course I recently attended but some things covered therein and some things seen as something that needs to be addressed in training regarding to close range encounters. Again on the training aspect, I hope this information reaches those that think they're NRA Basic Pistol Course is all they need in terms of firearms training. Don't get me wrong, the Basic Course is fine for teaching fundamentals etc. but it's incredibly lacking in regards to defensive use of the pistol.

"We cannot claim that the system produces nail-driving marksmanship, but that is not what we look for. We want the ability to hit with extreme speed man-sized targets at very short ranges under the difficult circumstances which have been outlined all ready. Nail-driving marksmanship will not cope with such conditions."
I can't say I agree or disagree on this. Again, in the PSP course we worked on a lot of things that I had done in other training classes, such as the Langdon Tactical Inc, Advanced Tactical Pistol Course, some drills / exercises were almost identical expect that we were using sighted fire in one and "point shooting" in another. I would say that I had more accurate hits in the Langdon class, but more hits in the PSP class, and they were not what I would call inaccurate. While we did a LOT of moving in the Langdon class, we did FASTER moving in the PSP course but the lack of waiting for perfect sight alignment / sight picture allowed for a lot more shots on target resulting in more hits, and while they weren't all in the "down zero"

There's a saying attributed to Bill Jordan:

"Speed is fine, accuracy is final."

Where this falls into play...at this moment I'm not quite sure what the correct balance of speed vs. accuracy is. I've been trying to improve my ratio of both speed and accuracy and as of right now I think I have to go with getting good hits and with more time and practice the speed will improve.



"In this training system nothing is permitted to interfere with the development of speed. For that reason we have steadily set our faces against competitions or rewards of any kind. The instant that competitions, with the accompanying medals, badges, etc., are introduced, men will try to shoot deliberately, whether consciously or not, and we find our object is being defeated."
 Man, did this one strike home or what? When you look at the history of the Leather Slappers, USPSA, IDPA, or any kind of scored system...it's impossible to refute the above quote. I got in to IDPA for the "practice" aspect of it and to have a better avenue to apply what I've learned in training and I find myself trying to shoot more for score and competition and I know I'm not the only one. At the end of last season I was pretty determined to leave the game aspect of it behind and I will try to hold myself to that and not care where I place.



Sunday, April 29, 2012

HK P30S 9mm & Other Updates

Just a quick update on the P30S. I received my Milt Sparks VM2 for the P30 and have been wearing that pretty much 100% of the time I'm carrying. I am pleased to say that I am not having the issue of de-cocking the gun during the access part of my draw stroke.

I changed out the front and rear sight to a fiber optic front and plain black rear from Dawson Precision and I really like the sights. One thing to note with the P30 is that there isn't much flat, vertical surface to the slide and using a sight pusher can be tricky. I ended up using my 10-8 Armorer Tool as a wedge to keep the slide from canting in the pusher. On a side note, the 10-8 rear sight for the HK45, 45C, P30 and P30L is done and in stock.

I haven't ordered one (10-8 rear) yet, but plan on adding one to the HK45 here in a couple of weeks.

I was kind of worried about my alignment of the sights as the front sight appeared slightly off center, but my initial testing @ 50' from a rest proved the sights to be centered, or at least centered enough for me.

Dawson Precision Fiber Optic Front

Dawson Precision Rear Sight


Five Shots, Rested @ 50 Feet


The gun then went 1200+/- rds of Winchester Ranger NATO @ the Point Shooting Progressions Course I attended in Searsboro, IA with Roger Phillips and Greg Nichols and the sights didn't budge.

An after action review (AAR) of the class is in progress. I apologize for lack of blogging of late but the wife is taking EMT training, which leaves me busy with the kids while she's at class or studying, the IDPA thing, and that pesky thing called a job have been taking their toll on my time for other things.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

STAND, MOVE, OR SEEK COVER…WHAT WORKS IN A GUNFIGHT

This article has been out floating around for a while but the topic came up recently and was a good time to bring this back into circulation.

STAND, MOVE, OR SEEK COVER…WHAT WORKS IN A GUNFIGHT
By: Greg Elefritz

As the full-time training officer and firearms instructor for my police department, I often have the opportunity to attend firearms training sessions from some of the best trainers in the world.  I have noticed that most of these trainers teach students to shoot their firearms while moving, with the premise being that a student is less likely to be struck by incoming fire if he/she is a moving target.  In addition to “shooting on the move”, almost all trainers advocate moving to cover in a gunfight, if said cover is nearby.  These two techniques make seem to be very logical.  Most people would agree that making yourself a moving target and seeking bullet-resistant cover could only help one’s chances of winning a gunfight.  Having an inquisitive mind, however, I’ve always wondered exactly how much of an advantage one could expect to gain over his opponent through the use of movement and cover.

To answer this question, I began an exhaustive search of hundreds of firearm tactics books and countless accounts of police-involved shootings looking for examples where utilizing movement or cover saved a person’s life during a gunfight.  During my search I found many instances where officers and civilians reported that they used cover and/or movement to help them win a firefight.  I also found quite a few articles and books extolling the perceived benefits of cover and movement.  I did not, however, find any concrete scientific evidence describing any quantifiable advantages of using movement or cover in a gunfight.  The question remained: Which is the best tactic to use in a gunfight…remain stationary, move, or seek cover?


Because I couldn’t find the type of information I wanted, I designed a scientific experiment to get my own data.  Besides training law enforcement officers, I also teach firearms skills at the Tactical Defense Institute (TDI), a shooting school in southern Ohio.  John Benner, the owner and chief instructor at TDI was very supportive of the idea of my experiment and was curious what the data might show.  He suggested that the ideal test subjects would be in his soon-to-be–held “final intensive scenario training” (FIST) class.  The students enrolled in this class were highly trained, all having graduated at least six levels (ten days) of TDI’s handgun curriculum.  Most had additional training from other shooting schools as well.  John graciously allowed me to perform my experiment during a segment of the two-day FIST course.


THE EXPERIMENT

The test I conducted was loosely based on some training drills created by Sam Faulkner, an innovative trainer recently retired from the Ohio Peace Officers Training Academy.  The experiment had three phases.  During each phase, one student faced another with a distance of fifteen feet separating them.  Each student was outfitted with safety gear and armed with a .38 caliber revolver loaded with two “Code Eagle” brand marking cartridges.  For those of you unfamiliar with this technology, the marking cartridge is a .38 paintball powered by a special primed plastic case.  It chambers in any .38 revolver without modification and shoots the paint ball at approximately 300 feet per second.  The rounds produce a sharp stinging sensation and a bright smear of red paint on the bodies of the people who are hit.  Obviously it is necessary to wear protective face shields when using these rounds in order to prevent eye injuries.  In prior training exercises I’ve found the Code Eagle rounds to be very valuable in gunfight simulations.  They are reasonably accurate, and produce quite a “pain penalty” to the person who is struck.  Anticipation of even the small amount of pain these projectiles generate causes considerable anxiety for most people.  This anxiety at least partially duplicates the stress reaction one is likely to experience in a gunfight.

 In the first phase of the experiment, shooters were given orders to fire their two rounds at each other as quickly as possible after a surprise start signal was given.  I instructed the students to remain stationary during the simulated gunfight.  Absolutely no movement of the feet was allowed.  Phase two was identical to the first phase, except that students were allowed free movement (forward, backward, or lateral) after I gave the surprise start signal.  In phase three, students started a step away from one of two fifty-five gallon steel drums.  These drums were to simulate cover.  On the start command, students were instructed to move to their steel drum and use it for cover while engaging their respective adversaries.


 THE RESULTS

A total of nineteen students participated in the experiment.  One hundred fourteen rounds were fired, with thirty-eight rounds fired per phase.  I tracked and compared hit percentages during all three phases, differentiating between hits on the torso and the more peripheral hits on the arms and legs.  The data are as follows:

 PHASE                                   HIT RATE                TORSO HITS
#1-STANDING                      85%                             51%
#2- MOVING                         47%                             11%
#3- USING COVER                26%                             6%

LESSONS LEARNED

 The students who participated in my study were as surprised by the results as I was.  We all expected that movement and the use of cover would reduce the hit rates of the rounds fired.  We were astonished, however, at how much difference moving and seeking cover made.  The difference in hit rates between standing and moving cannot be explained away by a lack of skills by the shooters.  Each shooter had extensively practiced shooting on the move, with most being able to hit a twelve-inch steel plate on demand any distance inside of fifty feet while moving.  Similarly, these students are adept at hitting a moving target while standing still.  The critical factor seemed to be the difficulty the shooter experienced in hitting a moving target while moving his own body at the same time.  This clearly identifies a need for additional training and highlights the critical importance of making yourself a moving target during a gunfight.  If highly trained shooters hit their opponents’ torsos with only eleven percent of rounds fired, imagine how much worse the average street thug with no training and minimal experience will perform under similar conditions!


 It is also clear that when students used cover they fared even better than they did while moving.  The hit rates would be far less than reported if several students didn’t break cover and retreat after running out of ammunition during the drill.  Most of the hits occurred when this happened.  Proper use of cover almost eliminated the chance of being hit.


One other critical statistic needs to be noted.  Thirteen percent of the hits across all phases of the experiment struck the hands or guns of the person at which they were fired.  This indicates a strong focus on the threat being directed against the shooter and a lack of attention to the front sight, creating some implications for future training.  These shooters are strongly indoctrinated in the use of their weapon sights for most shooting situations.  Even when shooting fast, they generally utilize a “flash” sight picture when shooting on targets.  Even with extensive practice, very few students reported seeing their sights in this experiment.  Not wanting to bring up the dreaded “point shooting versus sighted fire” debate in this forum, I’ll simply say that we as trainers need to do some more work.  We need to find a better solution to allow our students to hit their targets with a greater percentage of rounds during the stressful, fast-evolving nature of a gunfight.  Whatever that solution is, be it training in point shooting techniques, an enhanced sighted shooting curriculum, or stress-inoculating scenario-based training, it is our collective responsibility as trainers to find it.


It was interesting to note that some of the shooters in the above experiment shot with only one hand despite doing the majority of their training from a two-handed platform.  When asked why they had done this, most were unaware that they had fired one-handed.  Their bodies seemed to be on autopilot, self-selecting what was perceived to be the fastest way to get their guns on target. This fact, combined with the prevalence of hits on the hands or guns of the shooters indicates that we should focus much more of our time training one-hand shooting, hand transitions, and support-hand shooting techniques.  We should also emphasize the importance of carrying secondary weapons in case our primary gun becomes inoperative after taking a bullet.


Overall, this experiment generates more questions than it does answers.  I set two very critical limits in this experiment…a fifteen-foot separation distance and the firing of two rounds per shooter.  I chose the distance because a large percentage of law enforcement officers are killed while facing gunmen at this range or even closer.  For this study, it seemed an appropriate balance between a range that was so close that hits were virtually guaranteed and one that was too far for the Code Eagle projectiles to be effective.  It is likely that the results would be somewhat different if the ranges were altered.  Similarly, firing more or fewer rounds will probably change the results.  Who knows what to expect when variables such as multiple attackers are injected into the equation.  The true value of this experiment may not be the data obtained, but the experience given to the students.  They received a chance to see for themselves what techniques worked and which were not as successful. I do not expect anyone to alter their tactical doctrines or teaching styles as a result of this article.  I only encourage all trainers to examine the tactics they present to their students and be willing to put them to the test in a somewhat more chaotic environment than the traditional “square range”. It is only this type of thorough examination that will promote a greater understanding of tactical issues and, in the process, save our students’ lives.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Waterloo, IA - USPSA @ Blackhawk Pistol Club - April 1st (No joke)

The April BHPC monthly USPSA match is being held on April 1st (normal match day is Easter Sunday). Location is @ The Cedar Valley Pistol Range MAP for details.

Sign in starts @ 8am.
There will be 5 stages (range conditions permitting) with a round count of approximately 100.

**Set up for the match is Saturday, March 31st @ 8AM.** Help with set-up is always appreciated.

If anything changes regarding the match details it will be posted HERE.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

HK P30S Update.

Managed to get some holster work with the HK P30S in today working the plate rack, there was one incidents where on gripping the gun to draw, my thumb did in fact de-cock the pistol. While there is a way to convert the HK45 to a no de-cock model, there is currently NOT a function to do that with a P30S.....

But I'm going to do it any way. A replacement release latch with the de-cocker button shaved off and a nice bevel added to the newly cut edge should work nicely.

Not sure when this is going to happen, but I will probably do this before April or May. Should make a good experiment.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Blackhawk Pistol Club IDPA - 2012 Match Dates.

 All matches will be held @ the Cedar Valley Pistol Range (See MAP for details)

BHPC has it's own discussion forum where additional match info will be posted.
 April 22nd

May 27th

June 30th* (5th Saturday of June)

July 22nd

August 26th

September 29th* (5th Saturday of September)

October 28th (Halloween themed Match)

November 25th


Match times for the season are as follows:
Setup: 07:00/07:30
Sign in: 08:30
New Shooter Orientation: 09:00
Safety brief - stage walk through: 09:30
Shooting starts: 10:00

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Lance Horbach On Iowa and the 2nd Amendment.

Regarding the addition of an Amendment to the Iowa Constitution protecting the right to keep and bear arms:

Rep. Horbach’s Closing Remarks for the 2nd Amendment Debate
Iowa House of Representatives

I am not the public face for Gun Rights in this body.
However, the task at hand today is not only about guns, it’s about freedom, the people of Iowa and the freedoms that make this country great….

DO NOT TAKE THIS TASK LIGHTLY! On a much different scale, we are taking on a similar task to our country’s founders.

Noah Webster – (dictionary Lexicographer) – said this –
“There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters.” Does that describe me? Does that describe you? Are we the master of Iowan’s rights, promising to govern well, but making sure we remain the master of their rights? Or will we relinquish our “power to govern” and trade it for freedom for all?

An American patriot, Patrick Henry made a statement that summed up my position on Iowa’s Constitutional Amendment vote. He said:
“Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense?” Have we reached a point in society where we as legislators look out the windows of this capitol, we see our law abiding constituents, and we deem that they cannot handle the responsibility of the “intended” rights provided by this country’s founders? This issue is not about just guns.

I have the highest respect for our founding Fathers, their ability to speak and write amazes me every time I experience it. (The use of brevity should be a lesson to us). The entire second amendment only encompasses 27 words…
A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.[
With this amendment, the US Constitution was demanding, not asking, demanding Congress, and now due to the McDonald ruling, lawmakers at the state or local levels too, shall NOT infringe upon the right of the people to keep and bear arms.
As I said earlier, Iowan’s are reasonable people. Your law abiding constituents will continue to make the right decisions every day, criminals will not. Do not judge the freedoms we seek today by the acts of those that commit crimes, REMEMBER the second amendment protects the good and offers no protection for evil. The intent of the 2nd amendment was to allow the people to protect themselves from an unknown evil…..the tyranny in government. The exact scenario we find ourselves in today.

The shot you fire today will not come from a gun, yet it has the power to be heard around the world…tyranny in government is our target, and freedom is our prize.
Finally, there is one symbol of this state that stands as a reminder to us EVERY day in the chambers. The Iowa Flag…..Drug through the mud and blood of battles around the world, it stands silent with no wind to open its fold. Hidden within are the words of our state motto:

“Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.”

Above all other issues of extreme importance, our forefathers left us with this one statement…Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain. We have the opportunity today to be the wind that lifts that flag for all to see.

Remember the statement by Noah Webster describing his fear of lawmakers…. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters.” Let this vote be our response…

Mr. Webster, Iowa has no masters!


Bravo Mr. Horbach!