The last of my M3GI guns:
- Troy Defense Lamb Carbine
- Burris Optics 332 Prismatic Scope
- Magpul 40 round Pmag (because reloading is stupid)
SHOOOOOT HEEEERRRRRR
Strategic political action vs tactical political action
On Facebook, there is a discussion of some upcoming ballot initiatives in Washington State. The initiatives are I-591 and I-594. 591 is Pro-Gun and limits the state’s ability to confiscate firearms, and 594 is anti-gun, and sets up a draconian background check law that would make Bloomberg proud. There are some complaints that NRA isn’t getting involved, because a lot of gun owners tend to view NRA as this giant, monolithic organization with nearly unlimited resources. Of course it’s not, but it seems that whenever there is a local gun rights battle at the state level and NRA doesn’t get involved, people are quick to scream “where is the NRA?”
The truth of the matter is that some battles are better left to state level organizations. When you’re talking about gun rights, there are two board sorts of fights, the strategic level stuff, such as national legislation and Supreme Court cases. Victories or losses at the strategic level strongly influence the fights at the tactical level; state wide initiatives, state and local elections, that sort of thing. For example, Heller and McDonald, both big strategic wins paved the way for tactical wins in Illinois, DC, etc.
NRA’s role at the state level is dependent on a multitude of factors. First, ILA employs lobbyists for each state, but those state level lobbyists are usually assigned to more than one state. For example a lobbyist could be responsible for state legislation in Indiana, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The lobbyist in WA is probably responsible for California and Oregon as well (talk about a rough gig).
The second factor for NRA’s effective at the local level is dependent entirely on the volunteer network, which is run by Election Volunteer Coordinators. EVCs are the backbone of NRA in local fights, because they’re the volunteers on the ground that actually get people together to make phone calls, do door knocks, and distribute political information. If you don’t have good EVCs on the ground, you don’t win.
A third weapon in the NRA’s bag are contractors, usually called Campaign Field Reps. I was a CFR for NRA in Washington State in 2010. CFR’s primarily responsibility is Get Out the Vote activities. They’ll organize phone banks, distribute literature, organize door knocks, etc. They’re limited in scope to only representing the campaigns that NRA has endorsed in their area. A good CFR can have a huge impact on an election or initiative.
Speaking of initiatives, those represent an interesting problem. Fighting for or against a ballot initiative is like trying to win an election. It’s all about boots on the ground, traditional GOTV (get out the vote) activities. It’s different from fighting a piece of legislation, because a lobbyist fighting for or against legislation has a pretty good idea of where the votes are going to come from. To win an election or fight a ballot initiative, you have to make sure that your base, the people who are motivated on your topic are 1) aware of the issue and 2) motivated to vote.
Washington is a special case for gun rights; while the state west of the Cascades trends blue/liberal, there is a strong gun owning community in what is a democrat stronghold. East of the mountains, the political landscape is largely conservative. But that conservative population frequently feels disenfranchised, because many of them have bought into the narrative that they can’t outvote King/Pierce Counties. That’s sort of true – with average voter turnout numbers, they can’t. But if the east-range area were to have, say 80% voter turnout and the King/Pierce area were to have its regular turnout, Washington would be a red state.
Which is why GOTV activities are so important. It’s really not about winning people’s hearts and minds. This is ground level tactical stuff: 1) find the people who would vote for you, 2) make sure they do. That’s it. That’s how you defeat or win a ballot initiative. One of the best examples how to do this in Washington was put on a couple of years ago by Cosco, who successfully had a ballot initiative go through to allow for liquor sales by private companies. It took a ton of legwork and a ton of money, but they got it done.
If you want to defeat a ballot initiative, or get a ballot initiative passed, the question isn’t “where is the NRA.” The question you should be asking is “how can I set up a phone bank?” Get a skype account, get a list of gun club members or something, and start calling people. No one is stopping you from doing that. Local elections and ballot initiatives are tactical fights, and they’re won and lost at the grassroots level.
HK VP9 for M3GI
My handgun choice for M3GI went around a few different tracks. I really wanted to run an all Beretta rig, with the same PX4 that I shot at Bianchi, coupled up with an ARX and a 1301. Unfortunately that wasn’t able to come together, and then Troy graciously hooked me up with the sweet Lamb carbine I’ll be using. So what to do for a handgun? Well well well, how about the HK VP9?
The only problem with the VP9 for three-gun is the capacity. It’s a 15 round gun, and I ran a 15 round gun last year (Sig P229). I didn’t like having to reload in the dark, so to fix that problem I added a sweet Taylor Freelance +5 basepad to the VP9. I also put a laser on it, which will solve the other problem I had last year: no really good night shooting device on the Sig. The sights are also different, instead of the night sights that come with the gun, they’re now 10-8 Performance brass bead front sight with a black rear sight. While I’m losing the “night visibility” of the other sights, I’ll have enough light on my body that I should be able to see them just fine. And also, that’s what the laser is for. White light to see the target, red laser to hose it.
I do like the VP9, and I think for the price point it’s a competitive choice with a Glock 19 or an M&P for a daily carry/duty gun. I do hope they’ll make a long-slide version sooner than later, because having a 4.5 or even a 5 inch version of the gun would probably go a long way towards taming the kind of bouncy recoil characteristics. But back to the point at hand, I’m genuinely excited this year for M3GI, mostly because our gear is so much better set up for the match than it was last year.
Navy recruits don’t train with the M16
At least according to wikipedia, they don’t. I was doing some research, and in the article about Navy Recruit training, it mentioned that the marksmanship training that naval recruits receive consists of training on the M9 and a Mossberg 500, but not the M16. Initially, my reaction was surprise, but as I spent some time thinking it actually made a lot of sense. Of course, if there are any recent graduates of Navy boot camp that did train with the M16 in boot camp, please let me know in the comments.
But, to the point of the article, it does actually make sense to not bother training recruits in boot camp on the M16, because most sailors are never, ever going to need to be able to use an M16. And so, the small percentage of the Navy that does need to be able to use M16s can probably get training later in their career field. Boot camp probably isn’t the best place for it, because in boot camp they’re trying to jam as much information into your tiny little (likely) teenage head as possible, so why waste a sailor’s time with something they’re likely to never need. Hell, I’d probably need three weeks alone just trying to figure out how to tie that neckerchief correctly.
Obviously different branches of the service have different marksmanship standards, and of course the Marines as an institution genuinely care about rifle marksmanship. As recent conflicts have shown, it makes sense for people in non-combat MOS in the Army, Marines, and even the Air Force to be familiar with the M16 when they’re deployed. But for dudes that are going to spend their entire career sitting on the inside of a tin can looking at a radar screen? Probably not. Do they still call destroyers tin cans? Or is that no longer the turn of phrase?
This really is just an observational post; when most people think of the military they tend to think of the sexy jobs; infantry, artillery, fighter pilots and boarding teams. They don’t often think that the vast majority of people in the military are in non-combat positions – cooks and accountants, radar operations, machinists, just regular jobs that happen to have a bit more risk than you’d encounter in the civilian community.
Photo of the day: HK VP9 with Crimson Trace Railmaster
This set up, along with a Surefire wrist light and a 20 round mag are my keys to achieving something other than mediocrity at M3GI this year. Well, and a shotgun that holds more than 7 rounds.
Thinking outside the box
Getting guns ready for Crimson Trace M3GI is always an interesting prospect. Ideally, I’d be able to set everything up with a light and a laser, but that’s not always feasible. Some guns lack the rail space for both, or in the case of my VP9 it’s impossible to find a holster that fits. However, sometimes I get creative with mounts:
That’s a Crimson Trace Railmaster Pro mounted upside down on a Warne 45 degree off-set mount. If it looks derpy to you, don’t feel bad. It looks derpy to me. The problem with the 930 SPX is that there’s no forward rail space on the handguard, so I couldn’t slap the light/laser combo on further down the gun. I obviously couldn’t mount it on the top of the rail without obstructing the sights. I have a different mount for a traditional flashlight that goes on the magazine tube…but the tube is too thick for the mount.
So out comes the Warne 45 mount, and on goes the Railmaster. Now, I should note that I haven’t shot it yet, and I’ve certainly not used it in low/no light. So I don’t know how well it’s actually going to work. One of the things that happens a lot is a light set-up seems perfectly reasonable during the day, but then when you use it at night you suddenly get a ton of light bounce and can’t see anything. That’s a very real concern with this set-up.
I’ll find out for sure once I get to Oregon next week! Here are the guns and light/laser combos the team will be running at M3GI:
- Surefire Wrist Lights
- HK VP9 with Crimson Trace Red Railmaster laser
- S&W M&P with red Lasergrip
- MuttAR-15 with Railmaster Pro Green, Leupold 1×4 optic
- Troy Defense Lamb Carbine with Railmaster Pro Green, Burris 332 optic
- Mossberg 930 SPX with extended tube and Railmaster Pro
I’ll also bring along my trusty Winchester 1300 as a back-up gun for the SPX should something go wrong, but I don’t plan on using it in the match. This really is the only 3-gun match I shoot each year, and it’s one of the best events in the shooting sports. Crimson Trace gets great range staff, sets up great stages, and generally runs an absolutely top notch event.
EAG Basic Carbine Class Review/AAR, Aug 02-3 2014 (Pat Rogers)
On the days of August 2nd and 3rd, 2014; I attended EAG Tactical’s Basic Carbine Class at Echo Valley Training Center in West Virginia. Presented as a “Two Day, Low to Moderate Intensity class with the emphasis on the basics of marksmanship and manipulation,” made my non tactical, cake eating ears perk up and I decided to go as “slick” as possible with regards to gear choices. More on that later. The class had military veterans, law enforcement, federal employees, and active duty military attending.
Fog dissipating from the range as we convoyed in. Weather was excellent for both days.
Gear and weapons choices:
- My truly excellent S&W M&P15R 5.45 16″ carbine lubed generously with Fireclean
- Kytex AR15 magazine carriers
- My (unused for this class but I try to always have a pistol on me if possible) Gen4 Glock 17
- Plenty of Soviet surplus 5.45x39mm ammo from the 70’s!
- No specialized clothing and/or chest rigs.
Training Day One (TD1):
One thing that immediately stands out about my EAG class experience is the level of professionalism involved. That means class starts on time, a course schedule with room for evolving with the shooters is adhered to, attention is paid to students’ health and well being during the training evolution, targets are inspected by the instructor after each string of fire, and most importantly; a safe training evolution occurs. Constant, short lectures with real life examples of WHY? are given. Pat makes sure that you understand WHY? before DOING.
We received a very good and humorous safety brief along with an individual carbine inspection by Pat. When inspecting our carbines, he didn’t engage in brand name snobbery (“that brand will get you killed on the street, son!”) but rather just checked for any immediate problems that would impede training. He also inspected personal gear selection with an eye for safety and student welfare (hydration, knee pads for the gravel, etc).
A fifty yard zeroing exercise was then confirmed. I shot well except with a bit of vertical stringing I couldn’t explain but blamed on myself until I physically inspected my carbine towards the end of the day. Happily, fellow student Martina had the right tool to tighten up my LaRue Aimpoint Micro mount (which has never gotten loose in six years before this) and my groups tightened up noticeably. This was my bust and I should have checked it a long time ago. I’m buying one of those Combat Optic Tools ASAP……
We then moved onto offset and optics choices. Nothing was really preached as gospel (Pat is open to new pieces of gear and techniques) but hard won lessons are imparted for your benefit. This is not an NRA High Power class but rather a class oriented on “how to fight with a carbine.” Therefore, all training is conducted from the fifty yard line to the three yard line. An outstanding class (with hilarious examples from the real world as usual) was taught on that crucial two inches or so of sight offset on the AR-15 rifle. Single shot, hammer pair, controlled pair, Mozambique/Failure to Stop, and NSR (Non Standard Response; seven rounds rapid fire to the center mass) drills were taught and drilled over and over again. We also learned the basic firing stances:
- Standing. Don’t overthink this! You need to negate recoil by getting into a basic fighting stance but you don’t need to over exaggerate this (crouching way too far forward, sticking your ass out).
- Kneeling (a few variations were taught). The basic kneeling or as Pat calls it, the Monica, and the familiar to me as taught by the USMC; the kneeling with elbow support.
- Prone; two variants were taught with the emphasis of using what works best for you. Using the magazine as a monopod is strongly encouraged. I saw some students using a magwell hold in the prone, I myself did not do so.
Malfunction clearance was taught and in a safe manner. We actually drilled the different types of malfunction clearances and a few times, by the numbers. Shit happens and you should know how to deal with it. Multiple target engagement was taught with an emphasis on hitting each target as quickly as possible and then delivering more shots as needed AKA the “Box Drill.” This drill was thrown as us quite a bit.
Learning points for me from TD1:
- The sight offset really kicks in at about fifteen yards. Example: you’re shooting from the fifty yard line to the three yard line and your shots are all exactly where they should be until you start shooting at fifteen yards and in at which point they’re too low. That’s the time you need to start aiming roughly two inches higher.
- The basics matter. A lot. Without knowing your zero and holds for various distances, what good is your expensive kit? With Pat’s training, a new carbine shooter shooting next to me was looking like a rock start on the target and drill times. However, said new shooter brought….a positive attitude.
Training Day Two (TD2):
We started with a quick confirmation as zero. Pat teaches that “your zero is a living thing; check it often.” The MEU/SOC and Mod Navy drills were taught, ran for familiarization and then time. Drills were broken up with shooting on the move and Pat did his best to make sure that students didn’t overthink shooting on the move (SOM).
Don’t:
- Try to time your shots when you’re landing on one foot specifically
- Don’t game SOM by stopping to shoot during advancing to the target or waiting to shoot once you’re stopped and cannot advance anymore
Do:
- Take the shot when it appears. The shot you have may not be the best sight picture you will get but you have a finite amount of time and this isn’t an NRA High Power class but a class on “how to fight with your rifle.”
- Remember that offset; it’s always there and waiting to strike.
- This relates to taking the shot when it appears but know what’s acceptable and what is not. The longer you take to make a shot, the less time you have.
Tactical reloads were taught and WHY? and WHEN? to do so was elucidated on. As with every EAG lesson, it was hammered home firmly with multiple dry and live repetitions. The day ended with scored and timed iterations of the MEU/SOC and Mod Navy qualifications. During TD2, a former EAG student texted me; asking me to say hello to Pat for him (Pat trained said buddy while said buddy was in Force Recon and pat was training Force Recon Marines as civilian contractor) and giving me good natured shit about my upcoming performance on the MEU/SOC qual. Naturally, I did worse than I should have; forgetting to flip the safety off until I pressed the trigger. Pat admonished me that I knew better afterwards and I did make the qualifying time but not to the best of my ability. Learning occurred.
The S&W 5.45x39mm AR15 shooting Soviet military surplus ammo shot amazingly well as usual, note the two shots in one hole
Pat making sure that SOM drills are conducted safely
Gear learning points:
- $7 Walmart kneepads suck but nowhere near as much as no knee pads.
- A Magpul CTR will impact your quick detach sling loop on a Daniel Defense sling mount and cause the quick detach to….quickly detach and to make carbine embrace gravity. I removed about a quarter inch of plastic from the CTR and PROBLEM SOLVED PROBLEM STAYING SOLVED (Please note that the comparable Noveske unit is thin enough that this isn’t a problem with it)
- Everyone always says that lube choice doesn’t matter, just run it wet. Well, try that with 5.45x39mm Soviet surplus ammo. The corrosive salts in the primers make you quickly realize that all weapons lubes are not created equal and despite hot water rinses at the end of each training day, weapons lube choice can matter. So far, Fireclean or Slip2000 EWL work best for me.
- Elbow pads. Apparently, I need to find out what these are and get a pair as I left the class on TD2 with blood literally running down both arms from my elbows.
- Mag carriers. Problematic when used a lot. Good for one-two mag changes but you run out of belt space. I need a chest rig….
- The Safariland GLS is the OWB (Outside Waist Band) holster with retention to have and it impressed everyone who got a demonstration of its innovative retention design. I will be reviewing this holster on its own soon.
Gratuitous “filthy rifle” pictures. The rifle was not cleaned between training days. Weapon ran flawlessly as usual.
Class logistics
The training venue is excellent. There was not one aspect of the Echo Valley Training Center that impeded training. However, the location is remote. Bring your food and plenty of snacks. This being an EAG class, Camelbak sponsorship was there and very generously provided Camelbak Elixir in the form of all you could drink from a ten gallon container and full retail sized tubes of the tablets. I really can’t say enough about this stuff nor the support. Being a former infantry Marine who remembers the days of canteens and then getting screamed at for daring to buy and use a Camelbak when they first came out; the notion of a tablet of energy drink (with or without caffeine or “energy” as Camelbak calls it) that you simply drop into your Camelbak and it self mixes and doesn’t turn your Camelbak into a self aware bacteria experiment truly amazed me. I went home with two tubes pressed upon me by the generous Martine (who also shot very well during the class) and promptly bought more. “No mixing at all,” yeah I can get used to that. Truly, an amazing product. I need to get a Camelbak suitable for training use now…… Of course, Pat calls this stuff “Camelcrack” and it is like crack that keeps the students going.
Be on time. Have your magazines loaded if possible. Have ammo. Don’t slow down the rest of the class. Have your range fees in the correct amount, ready for collection. Do everyone a favor and be ready to help out with targets and take your trash home if possible at the end of the day as this is a remote location and trash has to be separated and burned.
Be ready for Uncle Pat’s bags o’ goodies. Apparently, EAG Tactical has strong relationships with much of the shooting industry and therefore, each and every student got a bag of gear from LaRue Tactical and one from Bravo Company along with PMAGs from Magpul. As an accounting of Pat’s personality; I witnessed Pat attempt to help out one small town cop with extra magazines (many kudos from me for ponying up your hard earned pay to travel to Virginia in order to get training your department doesn’t offer nor pay for!).
Free goodies!
The instructor:
Biography here. Pat is a Vietnam combat vet, retired Marine Chief Warrant Officer, and a retired NYPD Sergeant. I do realize that much of the online gun forum community believes that you need at least SOF or better yet, Tier One experience to teach marksmanship but I assure you, Uncle Pat does the job quite well. Pat imbues his class with an infectious positive energy coupled with personal stories illustrating the point he is trying to make sans “let me tell you about my own awesomeness.” Humble and side splittingly hilarious, Pat never has a bad word for anyone, be they student or fellow instructors in the training industry. His skills as an actual diagnostician are unparalleled, to wit:
I’m shooting a string from the kneeling. I was sloppy about it and could have done better. As I was recovering to the standing, Pat asked me “how did that feel.” My answer: “Sloppy.” Him: “yup, you could have done better.”
That is how EAG classes go. If you mess up after having been instructed like say, not keeping your weapon topped off with ammo; you get humorously chided but not castigated. Points are driven home using real world examples and one on one instruction and diagnosis occur continuously throughout the day. Targets are personally inspected by Pat. He also “walks the walk” and demonstrates each drill as a matter of course. You will be held accountable according to your level of skill. If you are a basic skill level carbine shooter, Pat will make sure your fundamentals are being practiced and you understand HOW? to shoot that drill better. If you’re more advanced in your skillset; your groups better be tight and you’d better make the par time or you will be reminded that you can do better and given a tip on what you might have done wrong.
My bottom line:
I wish I’d taken training from EAG years ago. The positive energy Pat exudes along with his (literally for you Archer fans) generations of experience training civilians, military, and law enforcement makes it impossible not to take an EAG class and not come away a better shooter. Strongly recommended. I’ll be at the very next EAG Carbine Operator’s course in October.
Pictures of the author at the class
SSSF Extends Agreement with World Shooting and Recreational Complex to Host Nationals Through 2017
MAUMEE, Ohio (August 8, 2014) — The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation has contracted with the World Shooting and Recreational Complex (WSRC) to hold its National Team Championships at the Sparta, Illinois facility through 2017. Ben Berka, SSSF President and Executive Director, and Art Ashbrook, WSRC Executive Director, signed the agreement recently to formalize the three-year extension of the foundation’s relationship with the complex.
“We are pleased to call Sparta ‘Home of the SSSF National Championships’ and look forward to meeting our SSSF extended family there each year during the second full week of July,” said Berka. “The Illinois Department of Natural Resources staff at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex are great to work with and are committed to working together with the SSSF to accommodate our growth, both in numbers of participants and in the diversity of events we are offering.”
WSRA’s Ashbrook echoed those sentiments. “The World Shooting and Recreational Complex and the IDNR are extremely pleased by the commitment of the SSSF to hold its National Championships here for the next three years, and hopefully for the next 100,” said Ashbrook. “We think we work very well together, serving the community and young shooters alike.”
More than 10,000 people came to Sparta for the 2014 Scholastic Clay Target Program National Team Championship and Scholastic Pistol Program Junior/Senior National Championship at the WSRC in July, including approximately 2500 shooters, plus coaches, family members, and other supporters.
The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) is responsible for all aspects of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Pistol Program (SPP) across the United States. SCTP and SPP are youth development programs in which adult coaches and volunteers use shooting sports to teach and to demonstrate sportsmanship, responsibility, honesty, ethics, integrity, teamwork, and other positive life skills.
SCTP was developed as a program of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) until the SSSF was created in 2007 to operate the SCTP. In 2012, SSSF created the SPP and became the managing foundation of both programs.
For more information about SSSF, visit www.sssfonline.org. To learn more about the World Shooting and Recreational Complex, see www.dnr.illinois.gov/recreation/wsrc.
Photo of the day: Walther CCP
Well well well, look what we have here. A brand new Walther CCP. I guess I should probably take it to the range, right?