Range Regimen: Defensive Carbine

With all the negative media regarding the AR-15, I thought it would be appropriate to suggest a range regimen for practicing with America’s most popular rifle.  The Vice President has now publicly advocated shotguns as a stronger choice for self-defense applications than the AR-15 on at least two separate occasions, but my wife would strongly disagree with his sentiments.  Specifically, 12 gauge shotguns tend to be heavier at the front of the gun than an AR.  This equates to increased fatigue for a smaller-framed (and let’s face it, even a larger-framed) person who is forced to sight down the gun for any length of time.  A good adjustable stock alleviates this problem somewhat with a shotgun, but makes a carbine exponentially lighter and livelier in the hands.  When comparing the penetration and recoil characteristics of buckshot and a good expanding .223/5.56mm round, the AR-15 often becomes the better choice for those who live close to neighbors or who have large families that won’t necessarily all be huddled together in one room when something goes bump in the night.

That being said, with the current ammunition shortage and the ever-increasing price of what is available, I have found a CMMG .22 caliber conversion unit to be a great training aid.  It allows me to use a few rounds of .22LR to practice sight acquisition, trigger control, and follow-through without the expense of full-power ammunition.  However, I do recommend that you shoot a few rounds of full-power .223 through your gun before leaving the range, to reinforce the shooting you have done with the conversion unit with full recoil.

This range regimen is designed to be executed while envisioning a home-defense scenario, where you have ensconced in your safe-room in response to armed intruders.  The required equipment is as follows:

AR-15 or other defensive carbine (.22 Conversion Unit optional but recommended)

50 rounds of ammunition

Eye and Ear Protection

Silhouette Target (B-27, IDPA or similar)

Dot Torture Target (available as part of the Haley Strategic Target Pack or on Gunloads.com)

Warm-Up: Shooting for Groups (7 yards, 5 rounds, silhouette target)

Shooting for groups allows you to verify your zero, as well as getting you acclimated to the trigger.  Start out with some dry practice to check for follow-through of your shots.  When you are satisfied, load your rifle and proceed.  Aim for high center mass and note the altered impact of your rounds when using a .22 versus a full-power round.

Snap Shooting (7 yards, 10 rounds, silhouette target)

This drill is designed to work on your presentation.  Start from low ready, which means the rifle is mounted to your shoulder, but the barrel is held at a downward position.  At the buzz of your timer or your training partner’s command, snap the rifle onto target, acquire a flash sight picture on the target’s high center of mass, and press off a single round.  Make sure you follow-through with each shot and engage the safety before returning to low ready.  The tendency is to snap the rifle back to low ready as quickly as you brought it up to the target.  This would start to build a habit of not following through with your shots and is to be avoided.

Dot Torture (5 yards, 20 rounds, dot torture target)

This drill focuses on target transitioning and trigger control.  From the low ready, upon command engage the top row from the left, the next row from the right, and continue the pattern until finished.

Controlled Pair (5 yards, 10 rounds, silhouette target)

The controlled pair is one of the basic skills of the carbine.  To perform is appropriately, both shots should be made with a separate sight picture (as opposed to a hammer pair, made with one sight picture).  Practicing a controlled pair allows you to verify your trigger control, sight alignment, and follow-through and is often range-friendly for those using strictly regulated indoor range facilities.  Focus your shots on the target’s head for verification of your shot placement.

Close-Range Engagement (2 yards, 5 rounds)

Rarely do we practice with the carbine at so close a range, but in order to realistically practice defense in the home, we are forced to do so.  Picture the intruder bursting through your bedroom doorway and rushing you with a knife.  Sight offset will come into play at this range, requiring you to aim a couple of inches higher than you want the bullets to impact.  Focus on achieving hits on the target’s high center mass and if your range allows it, use hammer pairs or a non-standard response (random shot string) to get the job done.

Stay safe out there, and remember if the government doesn’t want you to have it, you probably should have two!

Mitch

Modern Minuteman: YOU are the First Responder‏

I was listening to Glenn Beck’s radio program the other day and he came to the conclusion that the modern use of the term “First Responder” in relation to emergency services is an outgrowth of the progressive movement in America.  I completely agree with that assertion.  Folks, we have to take accountability for becoming our own First Responders.  That is what being a Modern Minuteman is all about, as I have outlined in prior posts.  We are the people who have decided to step up and be the first to respond to those in need.  That may mean using a fire extinguisher, administering first aid, or stopping a lethal threat in defense of others. 

All being a first responder comes down to is making a decision in advance to be willing to act when no one else is.  I don’t mean waiting to see if someone else acts first, and then stepping in if necessary.  Rather, we need to be the first to step forward, the first to render aid, the first to respond no matter what the need is.  Make the decision now.  Get training in the areas you need to improve, and equip yourself.  Keep a first aid kit in your vehicle.  Notice where fire extinguishers are located.  If a disaster hits, get out and help your neighbors recover from it.  Carry your gun wherever legal. 

You don’t have to formally join your local volunteer fire department, become and EMT, or go to police academy to be a first responder.  Those are all great ways to serve your community and I highly recommend doing so if you can.  I personally am a member of my local CERT team, but that doesn’t make me a first responder.  My mindset does.  We cannot afford to rely on someone else to take care of our needs in the best of times, let alone when the chips are down and someone is in dire need of help.  Be a first responder within your community, because it is your responsibility to do so.
 
Mitch

Modern Minuteman: How to Use a Fire Extinguisher

Last week I was pleasantly surprised to see Brett over at ArtofManliness.com post an article about the proper use of a fire extinguisher.  I compared his article to the draft I had written up, and found his to be more comprehensive and better written.  Now you may be asking yourself why a self-defense blog is discussing the proper use of a fire extinguisher, and that is a fair question.  The answer is that you are far more likely to need to know how to use an extinguisher than you are a firearm or knife in defense of your life.  Yes, lethal attacks happen every day and are stopped by an armed citizen, but many times more fires are put out by a fast-thinking citizen than you realize.

Even the police and armed security guards are more likely to need an extinguisher than their firearm in the course of a normal day.  Take a moment to locate the fire extinguishers near you.  If you are in a public space, they are clearly marked.  If you are at home, you should have one in your kitchen and one in your garage at a minimum.  If you don’t have one located in those places, they are not expensive insurance against the loss of your entire home if you respond quickly enough.

Get over to ArtofManliness.com now and read Brett’s article here.

Mitch

The Importance of Structured Range Sessions

The current ammo shortage coupled with the average cost per round highlights the need for structured training while at the range.  No longer can many of us afford to plink with a couple hundred rounds of even the normally reasonably priced 9mm.  I recently made some acquisitions that allow me to conduct the vast majority of my training with .22-caliber understudies of my primary firearms.  Even the lowly .22 LR has become scarce where I live, and acquiring some has since become my top ammunition acquisition priority.  When I switched to training with .22′s I discovered I was able to make a significant improvement in my shooting skills.  Unfortunately, the side effect of that was a vast increase in the number of rounds I tend to shoot in a session.  Transitioning to training with a .22 caused me to shoot far more rounds than I normally would have, despite having a planned list of drills I intended to shoot.

Sadly, those days may have passed us by, at least for the foreseeable future.  That means it’s time for us to begin rationing our training ammunition to make the most of each round.  Right now, staring in the face of additional gun legislation is not the time for gun owners to go to ground.  Instead, we should be practicing our skills, training harder than ever before, and introducing as many people as possible to the joys of firearms use.  Make sure you get out and practice your skills as much as possible given the current state of ammunition availability.  Make the most of every pull of the trigger by making sure you go to the range with a specific set of goals in mind. 

For those of us who devise regimented training sessions for our range time, I have developed a form to lay out our training drills and track feedback on each drill.  Eventually I am going to find out a way to post it to the site.  In the meantime, if you would like a copy please feel free to contact me and I will email you a copy.  If you need some range regimens, I happen to have several posted on this blog including round counts for each drill.  Feel free to use them as a template to train specific areas of your defensive skill set and if you come up with a good set of drills let me know and I will share them here.

Now is not the time to let your skills get rusty.  Keep practicing!

 

Mitch

Knowing the Threat: Could You Pull the Trigger?

This weekend while at the range I realized I was missing something in my visualizations of a lethal threat.  What I was missing was variety.  When I pull the trigger I visualize a middle-aged heavily-tattooed drug addict or a mid-20′s crazed terrorist of Middle Eastern descent.  Unfortunately, the threats we encounter in life do not fit such neat stereotypes.  I think the tragedy at Sandy Hook is a good example of what I am referring to.  In that case, the dirt bag was young and someone who no doubt was known to many of his mother’s co-workers who ultimately became his victims.

That realization started a soul-searching within myself.  Could I shoot someone whom I have known for many years?  We know that statistically many types of violent crimes (rape, for instance) are perpetrated by people who were known to their victims.  Incidentally, I listened to episode 204 of the HandgunWorld podcast titled, “Gunfighting by CR Williams.”  In that podcast, CR discussed a thread post over at Warriortalk.com titled, “Could You Shoot the Cheerleader?” 

The discussion between CR and Ben on the podcast was along the same lines I had previously been thinking.  In short, it is important to consider that you may find yourself in a position where your life or the lives of others are threatened by someone you know.  That person could be a close personal friend, a co-worker, a casual acquaintance, a neighbor, or Heaven forbid a relative.

Pulling the trigger when you know the person behind your sights can be especially hard if you’ve never considered the possibility.

If you are an Armed Citizen, you should have already come to grips with the reality that when the time comes for you to defend your life or the lives of others, your actions may result in the threat to losing their life.  We all know that using a firearm is using lethal force regardless of the body part targeted.  Serious students of self-defense do not train to strictly target arms or legs to make “disabling shots.”  Shooting someone in the leg could very well strike the femoral artery and cause the threat to bleed out extremely quickly.  Instead, we train to shoot to maximize effectiveness, which most often means we train to hit center mass.  We also train to target whatever a threat presents to us, with the full knowledge that any use of lethal force is exactly that: lethal.

Once we accept that our action may cause the death of those who wish to do us harm, it becomes necessary to accept that we may know that threat personally.  Think about that the next time you are at the range and plan for such an incident.  Such a thought should prove difficult to cope with, but doing so ahead of time is the key.  It very well may save your life if you find yourself in a lethal encounter.

Mitch

Modern Minuteman: Planning to Better Yourself in 2013

The new year is here, which means it’s time to take a look at developing a plan to better ourselves in 2013.  Learning new skills and practicing new ways to apply our existing skills is a big part of what being a Modern Minuteman is all about.  We also are always striving to become more self-reliant.  Figuring out how to set appropriate goals for the next year and then tracking my progress toward those goals is always a challenge for me, but when I heard Jack Spirko promoting his 13 in 2013 Challenge, I knew that I had found a good way to do exactly that.

The idea behind 13skills.com is to promote the learning of new skills among the modern survivalist community.  The heart of the site is a fairly comprehensive list of skill categories.  When you create a profile on the site you are asked to pick 13 different categories and are given the opportunity to elaborate on your selections under each category, further defining the skills you aim to learn.

I will not go into each of my skills in this post, but will highlight some of them and explain why I chose to focus on learning those skills:

Self-Defense: Because not every fight is a gunfight, I have chosen to take more Krav Maga instruction.  Krav Maga is the best choice in martial arts for real world self-defense applications available where I live.

Knots: The knowledge of a variety of knots is a skill that I had as a younger man and sadly have since lost.  By setting this goal I hope to regain that knowledge.  I want to learn the tying and proper use of ten different knots and hitches.

Welding: This is one of those skills I have always wanted to learn and have never gotten around to pursuing.

Fitness: Again, not every fight is a gun fight.  I would also like to graduate to a smaller pair of blue jeans.

Foraging: If you know what to look for, nature provides plenty of wild edible and medicinal plants, especially in a temperate climate such as mine.  I’ve never developed much knowledge of local edibles and figure it’s time to do so.

These are just a snapshot of the kinds of skills we should be looking to further our knowledge in.  As a Modern Minuteman, we should try to have at least a working knowledge of first aid, as well as a basic skill set in empty-handed self-defense and firearms use.  Make sure to get some training with your pistol, rifle, or shotgun this year.  Take some empty-hand self-defense instruction, work on your fitness levels, and stock up some extra food and water in your pantries for those rainy (or snowy, or icy) days.  However, being a Modern Minuteman doesn’t stop there.  Take some time to think about where your skill set is lacking and make an effort to develop those areas.  After all, a Minuteman isn’t just someone who can save the day during the big emergencies.  They should be able to save the day during those common smaller everyday emergencies too.

- Mitch

A Pair of Tragedies; Don’t Be a Victim

I’ve held off writing about the tragic shooting in Colorado in an effort to show respect for the victims and their families.  I think a few short words with respect to avoiding and preventing similar catastrophes in the future is the best tribute I can pay to the dead and wounded of the Colorado theater shooting.  Before continuing, I want to make something clear.  The words written here are in no way meant to be taken as a criticism of those men and women who protected their loved ones by shielding them with their bodies or by ushering them out of the theater and away from danger. 

A short time after the Aurora shooting, we heard of yet another shooting in a Sikh temple.  This is another terrible tragedy.  I have studied Sikhism and respect their beliefs and way of life.  I recognize the value of some of their teachings, while others are not compatible with my Christian beliefs.  One of their key teachings is that of Ahimsa, which translates as “active prevention of violence.”  Sikhs believe, as do I, that the individual is the weapon and it is our individual role to fight evil wherever we find it.  Unlike other Eastern pacifist religions, Sikhism teaches that we that we should not seek a fight, but that it is the role of the believer to be ready to counter violence wherever we find it. 

I believe that the solution to countering violence is to call on more people to take up the mantle of sheepdog instead of sheep.  In Sikhism, baptized male members actually take the surname Singh, which means lion.  Females take the surname Kaur, or lioness.  This is to serve as a reminder that they are to fiercely defend the helpless.  We should seek to adopt the same mindset.  Decide now that should you find yourself in a lethal encounter, you will act decisively to protect their families.  This means different things depending on the situation, but physically shielding your loved ones and escorting them away from danger are, in fact, two valid courses of action.

One of the most frequent comments by the CCW crowd regarding the theater in which the shooting took place is that if one armed citizen was present in the crowd things may have turned out differently.  While I agree with those who have made that observation, I think it’s important to keep in mind that the active shooter in that scenario surrendered at the first sign of a threat to his own person.  On the other side of the argument, the shooter was wearing body armor and a helmet, requiring that any responding armed citizen have the presence of mind to aim for exposed body parts, such as the leg or groin, rather than shooting ineffectively at the murderer’s chest. 

Yes the theater posted the premises with anti-gun signs, and the Sikh worshipers in their temple saw no need for weapons in a place of worship. I believe both mindsets are wrong.  We need to be armed and mentally prepared to defend ourselves wherever we are most vulnerable.  While a movie theater seems like a relatively innocuous place to be, I believe that any time there is a large crowd there is a risk of a lethal threat.  Likewise, our houses of worship are historically vulnerable places.  How many church shootings have taken place over recent years?  How many massacres happened at churches, temples, and cathedrals across the world over the centuries?  It’s time for our religious leaders to stop pretending that a house of worship is no place for armed citizens.

Now is the time to speak to your pastors and priests on this topic.  Don’t wait until something has happened.  It is also time to prepare yourself to counter a lethal threat in a crowded environment.  That means it’s time to train.  Do you carry a flashlight with you?  Compact, powerful lights are abundantly available and reasonably priced.  Ask yourself this; if you were in that theater or temple and were unarmed, could you have charged the shooter and dispatched them with a knife or defeated them in a physical attack?  Incorporate elements of the theater and Sikh temple shooting into your training and learn to counter the threats and obstacles faced at each.  Train yourself mentally and decide how to react to each scenario.  Develop specific scenarios based on places you frequent and train yourself to notice exits wherever you are.  Become proficient in some basic hand to hand, if you carry a knife learn to use it, understand how to incorporate movement into your shooting and understand how to find a good angle to make a shot in a crowd and let the bystanders know you’re the good guy.  In short, learn to shoot, move, and communicate.  Lastly, make sure that you’re in good physical shape.  We can’t defeat those who wish to do us harm if we can’t get in the fight in the first place.

Wherever you are, whatever you do, please be prepared for the worst and pray for the best.  While you’re at it, pray for the families of the victims of the Colorado and Sikh Temple shootings.

-Mitch