It's all in the grip

For years I had the standard thumbs forward grip that I was taught by watching Rob Leatham VHS tapes from back in the 90's.  I definitely had better control and was faster in reacquiring my front site and target and felt pretty good about the way I shot my handguns.  Fast forward to this past year and I noticed a slight modification to this grip that was being used by Chris Costa of Magpul Dymanics and Bob Vogel from the Panteao IDPA DVD.  It's hard teaching an old dog new tricks but I thought, let me give it a try.  All I can saw is wow, what a difference.  It has taken my pistol shooting to the next level.  Recoil control is simply amazing.  Give it a try yourself and see what happens.  I highly recommend both the Panteao DVD and the Magpul Dynamics DVD for the exact technique and instruction on this slightly modified grip.  Give me your feedback!

Jack Bauer, cup and saucer?

We all know and love Jack Bauer, the infamous badass from the Fox Television series "24".  He was always bucking the system, breaking the rules and civil rights all in the name of justice.  For someone as hardcore as Jack was and for as long as the show was on (8 years), one would think they would at least get a technical consultant to get things right.  Am I the only one who is bothered by little details like this?  It ultimately takes me out of the show when a hardened operator like Jack handles his Sig or HK handgun like a beginner who's only reference to handling guns is Charlies Angels.  So here is my shout out to any producer who is either in production or is starting a production and cares even a little bit about being authentic, hire a professional to train your actors.  They will make your film better and the actors will take their training with them going forward on all future projects.  Heck, even Tom Cruise isn't above getting trained to get it right.  Just my two cents...

 

Travis Haley Adaptive Carbine

Guys, I bought this DVD right when it came out and I think it's another great training tool to go along with Magpul's Dynamic Carbine series.  Check out the trailer here and then pick it up directly from Panteao Productions web site, link is on the right column.

Art of the Precision Rifle

I'm sure you have been looking forward to this as much as I have.  Here is the HD trailer for the new Magpul Dynamics Art of the Precision Rifle, due out in October on DVD and Blu Ray!

The Perfect Sling

Slings are like holsters, every shooter has a box full of ones they ended up not using or not liking, for whatever reason.  I have basic two point slings, with padding and without.  I have a basic single point sling from Condor which is ok but not as adaptable as my Viking tactics two point quick adjustable sling.  I was looking at all these slings and decided that I wanted to combine the best of the ones I had so...I combined the padded strap from my Viking Tactics sling with my new Magpul MS2 single to two point sling hardware and presto, the perfect sling, for me at least.  I wanted one that I could use with my AR and my shotgun that would be strong, comfortable and adaptable and I think I will be happy with the results.  I have a Carbine class coming up so this sling will be put to the test very soon.  I will be sure to give a full report ;)

Sonny Crockett and Miami Vice

It's funny how things plant themselves deep in your mind when you are a kid.  Case in point, Miami Vice and Sonny Crockett.  Miami Vice hit the airwaves in 1984.  I was 12 years old and it had a huge impact on me.  Sure the cars, styles and music were cool and groundbreaking but that wasn't what drew me into the show.  It was the grunge, the realistic dialogue and the way the characters handled themselves.  I learned an awful lot about life on the street, whether my parents wanted me to or not.  It was the first time that I saw characters that looked like they really knew what they were doing when handling guns, clearing rooms and taking down bad guys.  It was eye opening to see that on a weekly basis.  It was also the first time that I thought about how tactics and training give the cops an advantage over the criminals.  Don Johnson as Sonny Crockett was my personal hero.  He was a good man and a great cop and I emulated him as much as any 12 year old kid could do.

     I later learned that Jeff Cooper himself had trained Don Johnson and that all the members of the cast had proper training and tactics with their issued weapons.  The famous 10mm Bren Ten that Crockett carried is still a very, very cool gun and I hope to find one up some day and make it mine.  Michael Mann, the creator of this show is always striving for authenticity and Miami Vice always felt real to me where other shows at that time seemed fake and contrived.  Sure the later seasons got a little crazy but the first three years are really great television and even in the last two years, the things I loved about the show were still there.  My 8 year old son is now a big fan of the show and thinks Crockett and Tubbs are cool as ever.  Since that show went off the air, I am always looking for that same level of realism and authenticity in the movies and shows that display military or law enforcement tactics.  I rarely find those on the same level of Miami Vice.  Make sure to check out those old episodes, Hulu and the Centric Channel carries them now.  I plan on talking about more movies and shows that are good and bad in this department in the future so stay tuned...

Who is this guy?

     I just wanted to take a few minutes to tell my story as a shooter.  My father was not a shooter or a hunter but our family back in Texas is very much into it, more on that later.  He got me involved in Scouting  and that was where I fired my first shot in a bolt action single shot .22 short rifle at Camp Mack in Lancaster PA. I was hitting the 10 ring and fell in love with the feeling of putting my shots exactly where I wanted them.  I was very proud of getting Rifle and Shotgun merit badge and being recognized as the best shot in camp.  I am a firm believer in early success paving the way for whatever you undertake in life.
     I was on my way and soon there after I was spending time with my cousin Ed in Texas where I got my first opportunity to fire some "real" guns including .243, .270 and .308 bolt action hunting rifles, the famous M1 Garand, the very first civilian AR-15 model and even a real sketchy KG99 9mm.  I was in heaven.  I was only 13 but he treated me like an adult and saw that I had a healthy respect for firearms and safety.  A year later I was visiting my other cousin Craig in Iowa and had the chance to shoot my first real handgun, a stainless steel Smith and Wesson Model 29 .44 magnum with a 6 inch barrel.  It was awesome and I still find myself drooling over them in the case at my local shop.
     When I turned 21, the floodgates opened and I started shooting a lot with my buddy JV who had also just turned 21.  We went shooting every chance we had and started buying up guns at a rapid pace.  My first purchase was a Tangfolio TA99 that was basically a CZ-75 clone in 9mm.  It reminded me a little of Don Johnson's Bren Ten from Miami Vice (more on that later) but had some chronic ejection port issues which led me to trade it in for a used nickel plated Taurus PT99 9mm which was beautiful and shot like a dream.  I later traded that for a Beretta 92FS 9mm for no reason other than I wanted a new gun and a new Beretta at that ;)
     We would hit up Target World in Chalfont and the crazy wild west show that was the free outdoor range at French Creek State Park (too many stories from that place).  There JV and I would shoot everything.  I ended up getting a nice cheap (at the time 75 bucks!) Chinese SKS and a real sweet Beretta 1201FP autoloading 12 gauge that (believe it or not) was awesome for knocking down clays with.  I call this time the golden age.  It was before the Brady Bill bullshit and ammo was cheap and plentiful.  I took a defensive pistol shooting course from the Personal Protection Institute that was instructed by none other than Walt Rauch.  I learned a LOT from that class.  That in combination with a great book by Mas Ayoob called Stressfire and I was starting to get a real understanding on the tactics required for realistic defense.
     So in 95 I got married and was so in debt that I had to sell off all my guns (worst regret of my life) and didn't return fully to the world of shooting until this past year.  I have a lot of catching up to do but have come a long way in a short time.  I joined a local club and shoot a few days a week consistently.  I have been reading a lot and watching some great DVD's from Panteao and Magpul that have really improved my weapons manipulation skills and overall technique.  I plan on taking more training classes and expect to move up the ranks in IDPA and 3 gun.  Right now I only have 3 guns, a Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm, Daniel Defense M4V5 and a Mossberg 590A1 12GA and I love them all.  I hope to add a long range rifle and a 1911 sometime soon.  I don't really plan on getting into the whole online review thing too much.  Sootch and NutNFancy have that angle covered.  I just want to share my thoughts and experiences and hopefully expose more people to the world of shooting and defensive tactics.
     So keep checking in, I hope to have a new update every day and I hope to see you at the range!