My work Pistol and how its is set up for me.

     My work pistol is a Glock 17.  Like it or not, like the caliber or not, that is what we shoot unless the client shoots something specific or the mood strikes me.  Although having always had Glocks as my work pistols I prefer them.  It is just what I am used to.  They have always served me well.  (I have to admit though I have always wanted a STI 2011) 

     I recently had my gun worked on by a friend ("Ski", Not "Ski" in College Station) and I asked him not to mess with the trigger.  I have a 3.5 lbs connector and other than that I really didn't want to mess with the trigger.  I have witnessed guns that were over worked and became dangerous when holstering or slightly touching the trigger.  I can deal with the trigger with training. 

     I had the grip stimpled with a dot typed configuration.  I prefer this over the other patterns or designs.  I have held pistols that had huge cuts into them and your hand was left raw after shooting.  I did not see an advantage when shooting these plus it just sucked to shoot.

     As a lefty it can be awkward to get to the mag release so I installed an extended mag release.  I think this one may be Glock Miester but I have had it for years so I am not certain. 

     I have an extended slide release to assit when locking the slide to the rear or if I am shooting Other Strong Hand "OSH" I can send the slide forward with my thumb.

     Inside I have a standard guide rod spring however my guide rod is steel thus adding weight to the front end.  There is a significant weight difference however the main difference may be in my head.   I think it helps me shoot therefore it must.   Right?????

     As far as sights go I shoot Ameri Glo Defoor Tactical sights on my guns.  I recently tried a different set for a day and went right back.  I was trying to get a cleaner sight picture at 25 yards and found these other sights to be too slow.  Great for bulls eye shooting.  Although I shoot a lot of bulls I am not a bulls eye shooter and went right back to my Defoor sights.  They are flat black allowing me to use the blades without distraction.  The front sight is thin enough for me to really aim at the X ring and not just the bulls eye however the rear sight is wide enough for faster sight acquisition as in combat or CQB type shooting.  Plus.  The price is unbeatable. 

     My buddy took my entire gun apart and polished all the parts to the point you could almost shave in them.  If he saw rubbing anywhere he polished it.  He gun had a recognisably smoother feel.  The whole gun just felt smooth especially the trigger.  I don't think he did any magic to it, he simply polished it up thus allowing all the parts to slide or glide over one another.  It felt great. 

     So just like the carbine.  Set your gun up for you.  For the fight or the way you shoot.  If the gun is for carry I would suggest not over working the trigger or making it to light and a set of night sights or something that you can use as a refernce point in the dark.  Remember you should hold yourself to 100% round accountability and sending one off early and striking the wrong target is unacceptable.  

     Die Well    The DAV

    

   

My Newest M4 and how I have it set up.

     First I will get off my ass and start writing more.  I have some great ideas for posts and have been working with some good dudes having learned some new "kung fu"!!!!!!!  More mindset and training tips but good stuff none the less.  

So I will start at the back and work forward:

     Buttstock:  I shoot the Troy Battle AX.  I absolutely love it.  Fits my body type and dimensions perfect.  Mine is the original one with the metal butt plate which people say is heavy.  I find that it seems to balance the gun out.  I will try the light weight version next time but for now I am good to go.  Plus makes on hell of a weapon if you needed to do some striking.

     Sling: Vtac two point adjustable.  I use the straps to attach to the gun.  No clips or quick detaches for me.  There is a Vtac LUSA on the front rail.

     Grip:  I like the Ergo grips.  They are smaller and allow me to have a better handle on the gun.  I stimple mine to give it a grippy feel.  They can be a little slippery feeling if not.  See photo below.

    
     The lower and trigger:  both JP Enterprises.  I have used them for the past few guns and right now they are working awesome for me.  The trigger isn't any lighter but when it moves it breaks and the reset is so minimal that the gun practically resets it's self during recoil. 

     My flip up iron sights: are Troy Industries

     Optic: EO Tech.   Mine has a 1 MOA dot and has Night Vision capability.  It also comes with a quick detach lever and riser.  The riser is huge for me because it allows the dot to be higher above my flashlight which is mounted on top of my rail.  The 1 MOA dot is perfect for making accurate shots a distance.

    
     Barrel: Krieger 14.5" with a 1/7 twist.   This barrel shoots very nice groups.

     Rail:  15' Troy TRX Extreme rail.  I absolutely love these rails.  Mine is super long to allow my forward hand to get out as far as possible and it is thin allowing my hand to wrap around it and have positive control of the gun.  You can really drive this thing.  I have shot these for a couple of years since Kyle and JD (when we worked together) first got them turned on to the rail.  Have been shooting them ever since.  There is a newer version out but I haven't gotten one yet. 

     Break; PWS.   This thing works well.  I had to play around with a few different ones because my rail is longer than my barrel.  It took me a few trys to find one that would get the gas out of the tube.  Only issue with mine is I get a lot of carbon on my light. 

     Flashlight:  Inforce WML.  It has a 125 lumen's which is plenty.  This thing is BADASS.  It has a small push button allowing you to turn it on.  It can also strobe which is nice.   The version I have also has a lever that allows it to be IR only.   Under NODs it will light up a room like crazy.  I will get some more pics of it up. 

     I am a lefty which makes it tough to live in a right handed dominated society.  I put ambi safeties on my guns and have the left side cut off and flattened.  This allows me to get a high grip.  I also had a Troy ambi mag release put in.  I like the Troy because it is low profile and doesn't catch on my kit or hit accidentally. 

     Look slick, no fuss, no BS all over my gun.  As stream lined as possible.  I learned this when I taught with Kyle Defoor a few years ago and how he runs the most minimal setup possible and lightest he can.  That's great advise and I have tried to stay close to that. 

     I recently heard someone say that a good thing and a bad thing about the M4 is that there are so many options on the market.  It is cool we have an unlimited amount of "STUFF" to pick from however it then becomes whats the coolest or newest contest.  Not to mention we are all different and you need to make the gun for you.   The parts on my gun are the ones that work for me and my shooting.  You need to find what fits you and what you do the most and GO Big.  Don't just run out and buy something because some dude (like me) wrote about it or some jackass at your range thinks it is super cool.  Do your homework and try different set ups.  It is a gun and may help you save your life or someone else's.  Take it serious and put together a rifle that is ready for whatever you may encounter whether it be on the battlefield or in a gunfight throughout your house with home invaders.   Your weapon should be an extension of your body when the shooting begins and it needs to be setup accordingly. 

     A few thanks  

     Troy Industries:  I have met Steve and Molly Troy several times and they were always nice and are trying to put out quality products.  Plus Steve was an active LE guy while running Troy for years and that's pretty awesome. 
  
     JP Enterprises: I really like there lowers and triggers.  They work really well for me.

     Inforce:  This light is BADASS.  Try to get your hands on one.

     VTac

     EO Tech:  It's my personal choice but I like them. 

     Ergo Grip:  Same thing right.  They work for me.

     JD and Kyle Defoor:  These two dudes really pushed me with the carbine to make me the shooter and instructor I am today. 

     Big thanks to JOHN at Shooters Supply in Fayetteville, NC.  John builds my guns and those of a lot of serious dudes.  He build them with pride and when I break my stuff (which is all them time) he puts up with my shit talking and fixes them as fast as he can.  Thanks JOHN

   

Modern Fighting Carbine Stance

      Time for everyone to get out of the 80's and the mindset of shooting MP5's or subguns in terms of the stance when shooting modern weapons.  Our military has been shooting M16's for years and almost all units are running some version of the M4 at this point.  Many of the forward thinking LE Agencies have already switched over to the M4 platform and the rest of the reluctant or closed minded shotgun toting agencies are making the switch now.  As this transformation takes place you can not simply shoot a new gun.  You have to change how you shoot one to take full advantage of the weapon system.  With that being said:

An Aggressive Fighting Carbine Stance

     As I see it, the OLD and outdated stance is, feet squared off as if your toes are on a line and leaning forward at the waist, buttstock collapsed and forward hand on the mag well or on a gangster grip.  This is not a shooting position I recommend and it will seriously effect your ability to RUN the gun.

     The stance I recommend is not one I made up and the principles of the position are not ones I invented.  I learned them from others who have influenced my shooting.  Although every one's shooting stance is unique to them, there are certain principles that can not be violated.
     The shooter needs to put himself in an aggressive shooting position similar to his fighting stance although you may be a bit more bladed due to shooting a carbine.  I recommend the shooter place his feet at about 45% bladed and shoulder width apart.  If your feet are bladed you have one foot towards the rear. This will help support you from front to back.  You need your feet about shoulder width apart so you are stable from side to side.  The shooter needs to have his weight on the balls of his feet as if his heels are slightly or almost elevated off the ground.  I suggest bending the front knee and getting it out over your front toes.  Doing this will help the shooter get his weight forward to help with managing recoil.  If a shooter wishes he can rock his hips forward slightly further getting his weight forward. This is hard to explain in words but was shown to me by "Paul T" who is one of the best shooters I know and takes shooting more serious than anyone.  Having your lower body in such an aggressive position will allow your upper body to be in a more neutral position rather than leaning over too far at the waist which causes muscle tension and will smoke your back after a long day of shooting or in kit.

Notice the similarities of "JD's" and "Matt's" stances. Both are in aggressive fighting stances ready to shoot-N-move and under the watching eye of "Paul T".  Yes "Matt's" hair is real.  Gotta hate just a little.  Haha

     As far as how to hold the carbine the shooter MUST extend the buttstock all the way out.  Don't forget, it is a rifle.  The shooter needs to try to get a high pistol grip as he can.  I always tell guys to have the longest rail they can have on their gun or are allowed to by there unit or agency.  This will allow the shooter to get their front hand out on the rail as far as possible.  When holding the rail with the your front hand, get your thumb over the top of the rail.  This will help you have a positive grip of the gun and having a thumb over the top or the bore axis will allow you to achieve more recoil management and drive the gun.  Having your hand out as far as you can will allow you to drive the gun from target to target or person to person faster.  "Just like driving a car, you drive a rifle from the front" JD. 

Notice my front hand or "OSH" out as far on the rail as possible.  This allows me to have better control of the weapon.

     For those who want to stand square to the target due to facing their plates towards the target I can understand that however you CAN NOT count on the enemies marksmanship to save your life.  You need to trust in YOUR marksmanship and putting yourself in the best position possible to make the shot and end the engagement quicker. 

     If you are not shooting this stance give it a try.  You will find the benefits to be great and you will be much more lethal.

     Die Well
     The DAV

Exceeding Yearly Goals

     So one of my goals for the year was to shoot over a 650 on the 700 point pistol aggregate.  I thought this was a reasonable goal for me and one I should reach with some work.  More mental management than pistol fundamentals but something I would have to work toward.  I have been shooting just below this for months. 

     I had taken the past few weeks off of my training to relax and not burn myself out.  Yes I have shot but no real training.  This morning I thought I would shoot the 700 to get a baseline for the year.  Not having trained I wasnt trying to set a record.  Simply shoot the test.  As I did, I never shot a clean string however never got wrapped around a single shot or string. 

     The end result was the highest score I have shot to date and I have exceeded my goal for the year.  I am pumped and now I am ready to put the 700 behind me for a few months and concentrate on all the other skills I need to work on: draw times, split times, shooting on the move, etc.  I want to really work on my footwork while shooting on the move because lets face it.  We aren't going to be standing still in an engagement.

As you can see, nothing clean, just semi consistent

     Be posting some new stuff soon on a few pieces of my new kit and a few items I saw at SHOT.

     Die Well
     DAV

Shoot more guns

     I was hosting a few guys at a facility I work with and had a few pistols out for them to shoot and some ammo.  Nothing big.  A meet and greet and a little shooting.  Afterwards I decided there was no reason not to shoot what was left.  Plus its easier to throw an empty box away than to put a full box back in the safe.  Laid out was a VERY stock Glock 17, M9 and a Sig P226.  As well as 150 rounds of 9mm.

     I decided to shoot 50 rounds with each pistol and see how I could group them and how the weapons felt.  I will admit to ALL that I shoot and prefer the Glock over anything else and because of that I do not put the time in to the other guns as I should.  Like everyone else my ego gets in the way and I shoot what I am comfortable with and shoot well.  ( I will have to brag on my friend Kyle Defoor and say that is one of the things I admire about him is he is willing and does shoot different guns during courses and on test. He is willing to put his ego aside to do it.  That is a big deal)  The targets had been set up by someone else and they were at 15 yards so I left them.  My group sizes were decent for 15 yards putting all 50 rounds in a hole a few inches round.  NOT THE POINT OF THE POST

M9, Sig P226 and Glock 17

     The Glock shot as any stock 17 would however I was pleasantly surprised at the accuracy of the M9.  Everyone complains about this gun and although it isn't my GO TO gun it shot accurately and I was extremely pleased with how it performed.  I definitely need plenty of reps with the double action and that tiny MAG release but was overall impressed.  I am going to make an effort to shoot it more often and during more classes.  Specifically my ARMY courses.  The Sig P226 on the other hand did not perform as well as I would have liked although to be fair I do not shoot Sig's very often and this wasn't a real test of the gun.  Really it just didn't "feel" as comfortable in my hands as the others.  So it was a "feel" thing and although you can't hang data on that, it matters to me because I am the one shooting and I want the weapon to feel as if it is an extension of my body.  I did however find the SIG shot about an 1 1/2 inches lower than the site blades were aimed.  I hear that some Sig's are sited in for the dots but that is not how I shoot.  I shoot blades.  I will have to gather some date from some high speed Navy guys to get the word.

     So the take away I got from this and really just proved a point I already knew was if you execute the basic fundamentals of marksmanship whether pistol or rifle you can make accurate shots.  Yes, you may shoot better with one gun but with reps and proper training we can all shoot well with any weapon.  So I want to challenge everyone to shoot multiple guns this year and train outside of your own comfort zone.  Put down that favorite gun because it is the one you beat your buddies with and be willing to be humbled by learning new skills.  Believe me.  There is always someone out there who can kick your ass at something.  I training to be that guy who does it to you.  haha    

      I will be at SHOT so I hope to see you everyone there.
      Die well.
      David