Thinking Man's Corner

Article by: William G.

While I am not on the training junket that I got burnt out of about a decade or so again, I still train. Sometimes it is in a tactically oriented semi-private outlaw old school style IPSC match, sometimes it is on my own testing various theories’ or other’s courses of fire, and sometimes it is in one-on-one shoot off’s with little to no rules but to see who has best tactics, technique, I’m at the range at least a full week out of the month. Does that count toward my “shooting at least 3,000 rounds a month” to have an opinion on pistol mounted optics? You may care, I am too busy figuring out realistic and relevant techniques and tactics for an actual street officer to be able to go home to his family at the end of the shift, being an actual peace officer myself, but I digress.

I recently attended a Pistol Mounted Instructor Development course taught by the Alabama Tactical Officer’s Association. I had not yet used my Shadow Systems XR920 with optic in an optic specific class, though I had used it in several regular classes. My gun worked without cleaning, or adding extra lubricant for approximately 1500 rounds. That is no surprise, as my Shadows have been reliable. Same with the Holosun 507c I had on it, nothing to report other than it worked like it was supposed to. It did confirm that the 7TS series shells from Safariland are my last choice for a duty holster. 6000 series are still ok. Streamlight makes an affordable, durable light, with easy switching (on the TLR7A), but I still like my X300U/T with the DG switches. (Make sure you custom order your Safariland 6000 series WITH the DG switch cutout.)

My swim buddy was the head of a state agency, who also has done some pretty high speed, and dangerous work all over the world. Don’t let that country twang and cheshire cat grin fool you, he is the real deal. I haven’t figure out how someone can be good friend’s with me, and get such an important position, but he really did earn it by his own abilities and his actions. I like shooting with “his excellency” (I will refer to him by this because it is true, and because I do not want to put his business out there for everyone) because he pushes me. I don’t want to look bad in front of him due to friendly rivalry. He will hold me accountable if I mess up, and he will offer honest opinions on what I could change to be better, all while throwing out the jokes that only team guys are use to. He was shooting a G45 with direct mount SRO, and a Glock Performance trigger. I like that trigger, but forgot how much. At 80 yards I could not hit the 8″ circle with my gun, but I could with his. It is as simple as that trigger.

The not so simple part is you get all sorts of opinions on it. Depending on who you talk to at Glock, it is not for LE use, full stop, end of story. Or, it is fine for highly trained officers. Then you have the NIJ saying it is too light. Well, it’s a personal choice, and I wouldn’t just put it in every one’s holster, but I think anything that enhances already owned performance, and allows you to go to the next level should be considered. May just be me, but I keep going back to that pesky little blurb that says something about if the force is justified the means of which that force was delivered or the implements used to achieve the justified force are of no consequence. But what do I know?

It was a good class, and if you are a sworn peace officer, I encourage you to join ATOA/GTOA, and take advantage of some of their classes. They are pretty good. I enjoyed it , and learned.

Later in the week my partner in the previous class taught a concealed carry class, that I have been meaning to take from him for the last 3-4 years. For that class, I shot a Springfield LW Ronin Commander in 9mm, out of a Milt Sparks Criterion IWB under a closed front, untucked shirt. The gun was cleaned and lubed, and then had about 200 rounds through it before the class. Ammo was a mix of 1980’s lead reloads that I like because they help present the ambiance of the OK Corral, steel cased Magtech, generic Federal ball, some unknown variations of old G-men contract overrun with brass cased Ranger Talons, and a mag or so of G9 Defense before I came to my senses and realized I was shooting my carry ammo. I shot around 300-400 rounds in that class. The 1911 design worked like I am used to them working, without a hiccup or malfunction. There was a lot of retention shooting, and odd angles. Multiple targets, and movement. The gun never stuttered, though I may have once or twice, like when I put a permanent powder burn on my shirt tail because it didn’t get the shirt out of the way fast enough. This stuff happens in training, and you press through, even if you ruin some clothes. Wear some you don’t mind getting torn up. You are there to learn and hone a specific life saving skill, not to look like tactical GQ, or get a pic for the gram.

In the concealed carry class, my mind has not been fully changed about two things, but I am in the process of running the change through my mental super computer. Once I am satisfied with the probabilities and odds, I can declare my final decision. These are things his excellency and I do differently. I shoot from a high, super extended elbow (but compressed gun) and angled, locked wrist retention position that I fused together between techniques I learned from Mario Martinez, CJ Caracci, Kelly McCann, and Craig Douglas. It is a specialized technique, especially when integrated with “port orientation.” His Excellency likes to brace the magazine on the rib cage, as an anchor, making sure the cover garment is out of the way. He has his reasons, and I have mine. They are both valid. What works for you isn’t stupid (most of the time), as long as it has been pressure tested, it works for real, and you are willing to bet your life or the life of someone you care on that technique.

He also likes to use two hands to draw from a closed front concealment garment. I use my off hand to hold someone back, strike, or block. Years of close in protection work ingrained in me to use one hand to access my gun. I would be a quarter second faster if I used my off hand to clear the garment, but I would lose the ability to strike, creating a time gap to get to my gun, to hold back the person I am protecting from walking into a knife or bullet, or to block a strike. Does that quarter second mean anything. Maybe, but what? That is what I have to ponder.

My friend makes use of the high compressed center chest/Air Marshal ready. As I have penned before, I do not like this one little bit. I understand the theory behind it, but I cannot jump on the band wagon with it as a go to “ready position.” However, he teaches it in specified contexts of particular situations with a known backstop, in close shooting, and a few other situations. I can understand, and go with that under certain circumstances.

When I go to classes, and hear certain techniques, I often shut off mentally for that block. That is not a good thing, and as hard as I try to keep an open mind, most of the time, I file it away as something I would not do, but will go along with the drills for the class. When it is someone I am friend’s with, and respect, that seems to allow me to lower my guard, and give more thought to the matter. Funny how that works. We ask student’s to keep an open mind, but sometimes we, specifically me, do not do the same when we are students. It may be worse with the instructors among us. Human ego is a thing. It is something we have to try to divest ourselves of. One of my hopes with this blog is to keep people from making the many mistakes I have over the decades. When I mess up, or have a change of opinion, I will admit to it, and try to grow and learn. Doctrine over Dogma. People often decry that Col. Jeff Cooper was dogmatic. I have yet to find a person that KNEW him that thought the same. Some might have met him, but none of them saying he was dogmatic slept in his guest room, or ate many meals with him, or talked for hours on end by his fireplace with him. I did all those things. What I know about Jeff Cooper is that doctrine was his baby, but he was far from dogmatic about anything; and even in his 80’s he was still interested in learning. That is a goal we should all have. )

Another scenario that my friend put the students in for the class was a chaotic scene with multiple no shoots, and a moving robot in front of the targets. I have done similar scenarios, and been exposed to them in training. The first person to have a Rule 2 drill in a class I took was the late, great Louis Awerbuck (of whom the name of this blog “thinking man’s corner” is a nod to, along with Jeff Cooper’s “Cooper’s Corner.”) Louis had the mirage target system, and you can still find his book on targets and training for sale, it is called “Hit or Myth.” Randy Cain, a master coach uses the same targets, and is still training, for now; so get in a Cumberland Tactics class if you want some of the best training in the world today, literally.

Back to the scenario: multiple no shoot mannequins in front of a plate rack (that is what the range he was teaching on had, and he made use of it), and a moving target with a mannequin that was remote controlled. The shooter could only move for a certain distance laterally, which simulated the width of a room where people were crowded into, and the “bad guys” were using them as shields. You had to knock all the plates down, and couldn’t hit a no shoot. Just as a clear shot was about to be made, the robot would sabotage your perfect shot, it was absolutely fantastic. He forced you to move, get the right angle for the shot, and held you accountable for every round. While a plate rack may not be the most realistic target array, the plates were the size of a head, and it is what he had. The mark of a good instructor is using what is available and tailoring the training experience to benefit the students in a way they are usually not exposed.

Something I realized I was doing in the drill is counter to what I have done in the past. One is using the Air Marshal “ready.” I normally revert to the guard position or low ready in most situations, and can only think it was because we had practiced the Air Marshal position in the class. There was no reason for me to do that, and once I realized I was doing it, I changed my tactics.

The other thing I realized I was doing in that scenario was violating Rule 2. The way it was set up, there was no way you could not cover a no shoot target, as the angles were so tight to get the shot, and the robot would rush in front of you, which you would see coming from your peripheral vision, and move the muzzle only to cover another no shoot. When I set this sort of drill up, I have done so with many less no shoots, and purposely built in enough room to go over or under the no shoot on the way to the bad guy. This was a mistake on my part, which will be remedied in the future scenarios I build. Sometimes, there is chaos, and instead of being dogmatic, we should adhere to doctrine. As the Colonel said, the beauty of his 4 rules was that you had to break at least 2 to have a serious problem. So, Rule 3 is still the Golden Rule (Keep you finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target, and you are ready to fire; for those in the back.)

There had been much ado about no law in Georgia allowing a peace officer to cover someone with his muzzle unless he was about to use deadly force. I have been one of the ones that has pushed that hard. Have I held felons at gun point with the muzzle pointed at them, and not shot them? Yes, I have, many times. When the conundrum came to my attention, I was on board with being extra cautious about Rule 2, due to the skill level of most officers with the limited training time they have had. However, I believe that I should ease up on my hard line. No, I am not advocating covering everything with the muzzle, I am advocating for being as safe as possible under duress, still protecting people’s civil rights, and only shooting as a last resort. If pointing the gun at a deadly force threat that has not yet tripped condition red, makes them cease their hostilities or surrender, then I am all for preserving that life. If covering a hostage or bystander is needed to stop a deadly force threat, I am all for that too, with my finger OFF the trigger until my muzzle settles on the deadly force threat.

Now for an added layer of complexity. Years ago Leo H. (the other author of this blog) was the lead instructor in a firearms instructor class I was in. He was teaching multiple target transitions. He advocated pinning the trigger to the rear after the target was neutralized, and resetting and firing once the sights were settled on the next target. His theory behind it was that, if the trigger was pinned to the rear with great force, and the shooter was trained not to fire until on target, that during transitions, it was the safest and fastest way to do it. He would rather have them pin it than reset and prep it. I was in disagreement with him, but see his point. He, like my friend teaching the concealed carry class, has decades of real world experience in very violent and volatile locations. They have both taught internationally, and the vast majority will never know who they are or what they have done as they are not on the open enrolment circuit, and are not self promoters. For those lucky few that do get to train with them, or those like them, I would recommend giving a lot more thought to their methods, lest it take you 15 years or more to see that they may have some type of valid point. I would say that goes for the majority of instructors, and at least think hard about why you disagree with a method, and talk about it; even if you still disagree – try to see it from their point, you may find you need it one day.

It was a good class, with a Tier 1 instructor, and it made me think, and reevaluate. That is a bigger part of training than gaining new skills, at least at this length in the game for some people. Keep an open mind, and it is easier to do that if you have above average respect for the instructor’s theory and practices.

As a side note, over the weekend, I took that 1911 to the range. Shot another mag, and went to clean it. One of the ejector legs had sheared off, and it was held in by the rear one when the slide was held on. Ah, the genius of Brother John Moses Browning. Know what happens with a modern plastic gun shears an ejector? It’s not good. With the 1911, I had no idea it was broken, and the gun didn’t either, just keep working. I cleaned it, and then shot another couple of mags with no malfunctions. Of course I have already ordered a new one, but the fact remains that a lot can break on a 1911, and it will still work. Not a knock on the plastic fantastics, just the facts, Ma’am. Just the facts. The 1911 is like the essential American Soul: hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted; or something like that. You do you.

Next was on to me teaching an adverse light shooting program for a group of agencies. I went back to the Shadow with Holosun, and a TLR7A for this one (and a Surefire Tactician for the handheld work). One thing I already knew was reinforced. If a non-shooter is forced to carry an optic, and they are mediocre with irons, and are not given the right instruction, the optic is detrimental to their survivability. Throw in flashlight usage, tight time frames, and complex shooting solutions, and what should take 3 seconds takes 8 or 9……….

Also, giving an officer a gun that is too big for their hand, and adding mass at the rear of the slide, with mass at the front of the frame, gives us the same results my friend with the Acro had, except in the case it was too many moving parts, and poor technique. I worked on this officer’s draw and grip, but only had limited time. I sincerely pray they remember what they learned, and get some better in service in the future. We add all these tools to help, and sometimes they overwhelm. If I had to choose either a WML or PMO, it would be a WML every time, even for me.

Speaking of lights, too bright is a thing, as too dim is a thing. We now have to consider both the lumens for brightness, and candella for throw and penetration. We have to look at where we operate, and what revelations appear on the street. I recently consulted with a decent size agency of around 500 or so. They had switched from a 1000 lumen light to a 500 lumen light. Multiple 20+ yard shootings at night, in urban environments have proved the 500 lumen light to not have enough reach. Currently they are looking at a 700 lumen model with a deeper throw. Do your research. Talk to as many agencies as you can. Ask what lighting conditions, weather conditions, terrain, cover, and other conditions were present; and how their issu lights/optics worked? Now look at your AO and see if any of it applies. Think through as many practical situations that are probable for you.

Don’t neglect hand held light practice. You never know when the WML will fail, fly off, have the batteries die, or you forgot to clean the carbon off the lense.

Last thought since it is well after midnight, and I have to be up in four hours. I want my shoulder fired guns as light as possible. I am talking about a shotgun or carbine. Simple, as snag free as possible, and lightweight. I have recently been stripping things off my carbine and shotgun. Ditched the spare mag on the carbine, and side saddle off the 870. Removed the VFG and magnifier on the carbine, and gone to a lighter optic (I am still not a fan of the LPVO for ME and my circumstances.) By lightening the carbine, with a standard dot sight, I can hold into a 8″ circle, prone at 300 yards. That is a LONG shot for a peace officer. I can still ID a threat at 100 yards without magnification. If you can’t, find the lightest magnifier you can. Or, if the conditions are not in my favor, I just seek cover and identify myself. Generally, you will figure out if they are a threat or not pretty soon…….Do I still carry spare rounds? Yes, just in a different configuration. Which we may get into in a later article. It is about playing the odds as to what is probable. Even in Katrina and Atlanta, we were not in Kabul. Judicious use of force, within the law, with high accountability of accuracy standards and reasonable decisions is the key. The lighter my long arm is, the longer I can deploy it, the surer my shot, and one less distraction. Just food for thought, but not so much that it weighs you down.

Thank you for reading though my rambling thoughts. If I don’t put pen to paper, so to speak, I will forget I had the thought. If my ramblings make you think, or help anyone not make mistakes I have made, then all the better. Thank you again for taking the time to listen to a broken old man that saw a few things a long time ago.