SixFerShur 2nd Day
The first day of SixFerShur sold out faster than I expected. My host, The Complete Combatant, has kindly offered to host a second class on the following Sunday. If you weren’t able to register for Saturday, now you still have a chance to learn how to spin your wheels.
Sunday, May 5, Dahlonega, Georgia – Home Range of The Complete Combatant
https://www.shootingclasses.com/thecompletecombatant/course/?courseId=4493
One Day – $199 plus $20 Range fee
Important: Although a few exercises will be shot with small (J Frame ish) revolvers, this is NOT a J Frame course. You will need a full size (K frame or equivalent) revolver to attend. Shooting 300 rounds in a day through an Airweight J Frame only teaches one thing; how to flinch.
I was asked if a Ruger SP101 would be workable for the course. My answer is:
“If you can shoot 300 rounds through it in a day without developing a flinch, that’s the object of the exercise.”
Please be sure you can do that. What I want to avoid is teaching someone how to massively flinch.
https://www.shootingclasses.com/thecompletecombatant/course/?courseId=4493
SixFerShur
I will be conducting the 2024 Revolver Operator Course this May in North Georgia.
May 4, Dahlonega, Georgia – Home Range of The Complete Combatant
One Day – $199 plus $20 Range fee
Important: Although a few exercises will be shot with small (J Frame ish) revolvers, this is NOT a J Frame course. You will need a full size (K frame or equivalent) revolver to attend. Shooting 300 rounds in a day through an Airweight J Frame only teaches one thing; how to flinch.
https://www.shootingclasses.com/thecompletecombatant/course/?courseId=4493
The Pence Drill is one of the two keystone drills of the Revolver Operator Course.
Fair attribution: I liberated the SixFerShur title from Tamara Keel’s blog post because it’s hilarious.
https://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2024/03/narrow-focus-cartridge.html
That’s probably what I’ll call the class from now on because “Revolver Operator Course” sounds so mundane by comparison.
Competition, Practice, Training, and Testing – Redux
#mindsetmonday
In this case, I am using Redux not to mean “Redux is an open-source JavaScript library for managing and centralizing application state” but rather “redux describes things that have been brought back—metaphorically, that is.”
Ten years ago, I wrote this post about Competition, Practice, Training, and Testing, https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2014/09/29/competition-practice-training-and-testing/
The subject has reared its ugly head once again, so I’m revisiting it. For personal reasons, I stopped competing for a number of years but recently rejoined IDPA and got back into it. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to shoot a thoroughly enjoyable and challenging match at my gun club. It featured a variety of start positions, had scenarios in which required or allowed shooting on the move, reloading on the move, shooting either with the Support Hand or Primary Hand, and various other skills. While many of these skills are not entry level skills, they are skills that someone who is an Intermediate or Advanced shooter should be at least capable of, if not proficient at.
Here’s a video of the entire match from the shooter’s (mine) perspective.
What did the match cost me? About 40 minutes’ drive, $10 entry fee, two boxes of ammo, and three hours of my time on the range. I also had the opportunity to hang out with friends and people who are on my same sheet of music. It’s also an ego investment, good or bad. That’s a pretty good value for the experience I received. It was a good investment with, to me at least, a high Return On Investment.
Many years in the real estate industry taught me the value of ROI. I submit that shooting in competition may have a much higher ROI, in addition to being fairly accessible, than is generally acknowledged by the training community.
I’m very rusty, as is obvious in the video, but it was a really good TEST for me. One of my benchmarks is how well I can hit the mini-poppers, and I’m pleased that I hit them all with one shot. The skill of being able to transition to a precision target quickly and make the hit is something that every Intermediate and Advanced shooter should be capable of, on demand.
Afterward, I shot the IDPA 5×5 Classifier on my own to get a benchmark of where my skills are at. They’re pretty sad (Sharpshooter) compared to where they used to be (4 gun Master) but at least I have a solid and repeatable measure of my marksmanship skills. My plan for the year is to shoot the 5×5 every month and shoot the full Classifier once a quarter.
I’m looking forward to improving this year. The VP9SK is a great pistol that I really enjoy shooting. The Assassin mentioned that he’s confining himself to one pistol, his Pizza gun, for six months and I’ll probably do the same with the VP9SK.
Snub Dry Practice Training Aids
#wheelgunwednesday
All discharges of a firearm by LAPD officers must be reported to the LAPD Force Investigation Division. Each discharge is thoroughly investigated, adjudicated by the Board of Police Commissioners (BOPC) for LAPD policy compliance, and a public report posted on the BOPC webpage.
https://www.lapdonline.org/police-commission/categorical-use-of-force
Of particular interest are the off-duty discharges. These usually involve one of two situations. First, situations of self-defense similar to what would be encountered by any non-sworn person who owns a firearm for personal protection. Or, second, Unintentional Discharges due to administrative gunhandling such as: placing or removing the firearm in a storage location, cleaning the firearm, or dry practice “to improve accuracy.” In one rare instance, both situations were involved; a firearm was discharged while being retrieved during a ‘tactical situation.’
In adjudicating Unintentional Discharges cases, the LAPD BOPC subdivides them into two categories.
A. Unintentional Discharge
The definitions for an Unintentional Discharge, both Accidental and Negligent, are as follows:
Accidental Discharge: The unintentional discharge of a firearm as a result of an accident such as a firearm malfunction or other mechanical failure, not the result of operator error.
Negligent Discharge: Finding where it was determined that the unintentional discharge of a firearm resulted from operator error, such as the violation of firearm safety rules.
Administrative Disapproval – Negligent Discharge. Finding where it was determined that the unintentional discharge of a firearm resulted from operator error, such as the violation of a firearm safety rule (Los Angeles Police Department Manual, Volume 3, Section 792.05).
From 2005 to 2023, five Unintentional Discharges of five shot revolvers, which are authorized for backup and off-duty carry, occurred. All five were adjudicated as Negligent Discharges and received Administrative Disapproval. Negligent Discharges are one category of Negative Outcomes https://store.payloadz.com/details/2617872-ebooks-true-crime-serious-mistakes-gunowners-make.html and we obviously want to avoid them.
Four of the five involved preparation for dry practice. The cause of all four was the same. Not all five rounds were ejected from the cylinder when the revolver was unloaded. One round remained in the cylinder when the other four ejected. At some point during the dry practice, a loud noise occurred when a click was expected. That universal cause reinforces my concept of how to prepare for dry practice with a revolver.
https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2020/08/21/dry-practice-safety-part-ii/
Since that article was posted, Zeta6 and I teamed up to create the SafeSnap Training Disc.
https://zetasix.com/product-category/safesnap
I now keep a SafeSnap Disc in my storage box, along with an empty HKS speedloader, to make my dry practice even safer. Although I don’t carry an HKS, I find it’s the easiest of all speedloaders to put ammunition in.
I rotate the revolver so the muzzle is pointing straight up, eject the live rounds from the snub, place them in the speedloader, and then put the SnapSafe in the revolver. Holding the revolver completely vertical is an important aspect of ejecting the live ammunition. Holding it at angle and catching the rounds in the palm of the other hand is a dangerous technique and is “cruisin’ for a bruisin’.” Sooner or later, doing that will bite you in the ass; hard.
This procedure makes the possibility of having a Negligent Discharge during dry practice fairly remote. I also have a Zeta6 K-PAK2 https://zetasix.com/product/k-pak2/ with dummy rounds for reloading practice in the box. It is set up with a Retention Ring https://retentionring.com/ to mimic my EDC reload.
All the live ammunition stays in the box and the box gets closed while I’m practicing. When I’m finished practicing, I rigidly follow the post-practice safety protocols described in the above linked article.
Dry practice is a key component of learning how to shoot well. When doing it, we want to avoid having the Negative Outcome of “causing damage to equipment or injury to personnel,” which was a graded aspect required to pass the Special Forces Weapons Qualification Course that has stuck with me for the past 44 years. Having the right training aids and following safety protocols in a disciplined manner is how we can avoid those Negative Outcomes.
FTC Note: I have a relationship with Zeta6 and Retention Ring but receive no compensation for mentioning their products.
Shooting Practice for a Criminal Encounter
The second installment of my Shooting Illustrated series about organizing your shooting practice is now online.
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/shooting-practice-for-a-criminal-encounter
I always include more photos with my article submissions than can be used. After this paragraph in the article, I included what is possibly my favorite shooting photo of all time.
Shooters often blast an entire box of ammunition at the target without checking and then marking it consistently. This is one of the worst mistakes that can be made when practicing for marksmanship development and self-defense.
Sadly, along with several others, it was cut for space reasons. The photo is of a target that was left up at my gun club years ago. Every time I look at it, I literally Laugh Out Loud. I call it the ‘goober target.’
That is not the way to learn how to shoot to hit anything. Another photo that was cut shows how to mark your target with masking tape every few shots.
As mentioned in the article, checking and marking your target regularly will help you improve your marksmanship. Blasting away and creating a goober target will not.
Here is the Pump target. No one can say you’re practicing to shoot unarmed people if you have a representation of a gun on your target.
It’s getting to be a wild world out there; be ready.
Fundamentals and Training Aids (Part 1)
#fridayfundamentals
Revisiting the series about the Fundamentals of Pistol Shooting https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2021/11/05/fundamentals-of-pistol-shooting-part-1/ brings to mind the subject of training aids. Training aids are other pieces of equipment you will find useful for marksmanship and gunhandling practice. Your pistol shouldn’t be your only practice tool. There are a wide variety of readily available and inexpensive training aids.
An Inert pistol replica is the most valuable training aid you can own. Having a replica of your real gun is the best but it’s not absolutely necessary. This picture shows a small portion of my collection of inert pistols. No trainer worth his or her salt lacks at least one inert pistol for demonstration purposes.
The rubber 1911 is the first training aid I ever acquired. I carried it on field exercises when I was a 90mm M67 Recoilless Rifle Gunner in the Army and didn’t want to clean two weapons every time I came back from the field. I’ve had it for 50 years now.
The orange and blue camo inert pistol was purchased from WalMart for less than $10. If no replica of your personal pistol is readily available, at least there’s something that can be used. It also makes a satisfying pew-pew noise when the trigger is pressed.
A SIRT Pistol is a useful option but expensive. Only three models are available; Glock 17, S&W M&P, and a generic subcompact model that reportedly only fits a holster for a Springfield XD-S.
An inert pistol can be used in a variety of ways. Among other things:
- Draw practice, especially for those who are reluctant to practice with their real pistol at home.
- Checking the solidity of your grip by having a partner hold the front of the slide and try to move it around.
- Practice getting your pistol out of its safe storage location quickly.
- Introducing others to holding a pistol without intimidating them.
- Doing demonstrations without endangering others.
There are also a number of other training aids that can improve your shooting.
How to use these other training aids will be covered in future installments of this series.
Tactical Professor books (all PDF)
https://store.payloadz.com/results/337896-tactical-professor
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly – December 2023
Rather than my usual boring rants about Serious Mistakes, Negative Outcomes, and excruciatingly detailed analyses of Armed Citizen incidents, I’ve decided to do something different for 2024.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is an iconic movie in American cinema and arguably the best of the ‘Spaghetti Westerns.’ A new feature in 2024 for my Patreon page is a monthly post based on this theme; the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. It will feature a Good incident by an armed citizen, a Bad incident resulting in a Negative Outcome, and a stupid and unbelievable Ugly happening.
My Patrons get first look at it on the last day of each month. The following month I’ll unlock the Patreon post on the last Monday and link it here for my blog Followers. Today’s the day to unlock the December 2023 edition.
My hope is to make it both educational and entertaining. I’m very excited about the idea and hope you enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed researching and writing it. The movie soundtrack is outstanding so a snippet from the soundtrack will be part of each month’s post also.
https://www.patreon.com/posts/good-bad-and-95600517
Enjoy!
The GBU isn’t drawn from The Armed Citizen column of the official NRA Journals but the December edition of The Armed Citizen is attached. Rather than an obsessive interest in ‘the worst case scenario,’ it shows what the vast majority of Defensive Gun Uses really look like.
Organizing Your Shooting Practice – I
Start the new year off right with this easy to shoot, easy to practice drill.
The NRA online website Shooting Illustrated has published the first of my series of articles about using the framework of State Level CCW Qualification Courses as marksmanship drills. The series is geared toward the new gunowner audience but even experienced shooters can gain something from it.
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/organizing-your-shooting-practice/
The philosophy behind the series is to give new gunowners at least a small idea of what they can do to gain some degree of proficiency with their guns. While “Do the work” has become a mantra in the training community in the 21st Century; what trainers mean by that is simply unrealistic in the context of most people’s busy lives. The goal of the Organizing Your Practice series is ‘Do Something.’ As my late colleague Paul Gomez said, “Shoot Yor Guns.”
Each of the monthly sessions can be accomplished by going to an indoor range for an hour, buying one box of ammunition, and getting in a short but meaningful practice session. If a shooter doesn’t even shoot the whole Session of the article; that’s okay. At least they know what it’s like when the gun goes off and what the sound of gunfire and the feel of recoil are like. The majority of adults are visual learners. For them, there’s also a YouTube Short about the session at https://youtu.be/AV4HSnAj_rw?si=pSbB0lNG5jILyrmM.
The purpose of the video isn’t really to provide a guide to the session. It’s mostly to show what real shooting looks like as opposed to the foolishness that is usually seen on TV and movies. Although Jennifer Garner frequently looked great on Alias, the shooting was always utterly ridiculous.
As a guide for staying on task at the range, I created an Aide-mémoire (Cheat Sheet) that can be folded up and brought along in a pocket.
If you would like to download the Cheat Sheet and/or cool Upper and Middle Target Sheets, they’re attached.
Attachments
- MCOLES Cheat Sheet
- Upper Target Sheet
- Middle Target Sheet
Since gear is always of interest, the demonstration for this article was done with a Taurus 856 .38 Special snub nose revolver and Blazer ammunition. The laser wasn’t used during the shooting. Reloads were done using the Zeta6 K-Pak2 Speedloader https://zetasix.com/product/k-pak2/ equipped with a Retention ring https://retentionring.com/ .
Very Good Shooting and Enjoy!
Downrange Incident During Home Invasion
From the Armed Citizen http://graphics.nra.org/ac/ac-138.html this month.
Authorities say a man opened fire on a suspected burglar who attacked his wife at their home
Deputies said [the intruder] encountered a 74-year-old woman inside the residence and ‘began to struggle with her physically.’ Her husband heard her screams and saw her struggling with Jackson. The man then retrieved his firearm and shot Jackson in the right shoulder.
This is what I call a ‘downrange incident.’ I.e., there’s an innocent party downrange and in close proximity to the attacker. Incidents where close range precision is required are more common than is realized.
A downrange drill is part of all my private sessions above the beginner level. The shooter has only one round in the pistol. Two IDPA targets downrange with one placed directly to the side of the -0 zone. The shooter can advance to any distance they feel they can make a -0 hit, either head or body, on the first shot without hitting the hostage. Even experienced shooters tend to get somewhere within Social Space (4-12 feet).
It doesn’t have to be an IDPA match scenario
but practicing the ‘downrange shot’ occasionally is worthwhile.
The Cost of Killing Redux
#fridayfundamentals
I’ve written about the Cost of Killing several times. https://thetacticalprofessor.net/2016/07/24/the-cost-of-killing/ Even to someone who is involved but not the shooter, it’s incredibly hard on people.
Here’s yet another sad example.
I-Team: St. Louis family demands answers after double homicide case went from murder to self-defense
Note that the story begins with “Eric and Arron Smith were gunned down following a domestic violence incident,” as if they were innocent victims of a senseless shooting.
A précis of the incident is that a violent domestic abuser and his violent brother, Eric and Arron Smith, were shot and killed in self-defense by the victim’s sister’s boyfriend. The sister had stashed the abuser’s pistol in her purse when the rescue party arrived. The abuser’s brother arrived with his own pistol, beat one of the party with it, and gunpointed the rescuers. At that point, the victim’s sister took the abuser’s pistol out of her purse and gave it to her boyfriend. The boyfriend then shot and killed both the abuser and his gunpointing brother. The boyfriend was arrested, charged with Murder, and placed in Jail with no bond.
The prosecutor subsequently hid evidence from the shooter’s defense attorney. When this was uncovered by a Grand Jury and judge, the charges were reduced to Manslaughter, and the shooter was released on bond. Fourteen months later, shortly before trial, all charges were dropped.
The saddest part of the entire affair is that a few days before the trial was to begin, the sister who gave the gun to her boyfriend to protect the rescuers committed suicide. The shooter’s defense attorney didn’t want to speculate why she did that.
“We don’t know what occurred that led her to take her own life.”
Having been a party to the killing of two men she knew and then having to recount all the details in court is a good guess as to why.
“We weren’t trying to start any problems, we were just trying to help my sister,” she told the POlice.
RIP Kaylee Castro
tacticalprofessor 
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