Pat_Rogers
05-08-07, 09:13
EAG conducted a Carbine Operators Course aboard MCB Quantico May05-07. While always a pleasure to teach here, this class may have been the best Carbine Operators class at Quantico in the 5 years we have been doing this. 24 rock solid shooters with minimal gun problems, all hands switched on and great WX.
Much of the hard work in getting this (and other guest instructor classes) on line goes to the hard working Quantico Shooting Club President, John Murphy. John is apparently tireless and has a true and clear understanding as to how to bring all of the disciplines, sports and personalities together to make for a great experience.
We ran this class on R305 as Range 1 is undergoing rehab. This was a blessing in disguise as R305 is better suited to our style of training.
The class included 14 mil, a fed and Freddie Blish Tom Sziede from Aimpoint. Freddie and Tom provided information, advice and other data to the class relative to the Aimpoint line, as well loaner sights for the class.
I have an M4 Aimpoint, and I like it. That line gets more switched on as time goes by.
The Marines were a mix of Range staff, Doctrine writers and Precision Weapons Shop wizards (OK, one Engineer as well), providing a balanced and interesting crew. Their guns were a mix of M16A4’s (known as “muskets”, and for good reason) as well as M4’s.
There is a lot of heartburn ongoing due to a recent MCG article by a team shooter singing the praises of high power rifle and the quest for the Distinguished Rifle Badge as a basic for fighting. Having had the author in class I’ll state that he is clearly a great shooter, but lacking the skill sets necessary to understand that placing yellow glasses on your face does not a Grunt make.
Sights were primarily Aimpoints and RCO’s, with on AK shooter running irons after his rail loosened and made his EOTech useless. He is a solid shooter and can run irons, optics, AK or AR equally well.
The only gun problem of note happened within 10 minutes of ENDEX when a buffer detent let fly and stopped that gun cold. Kudos to the Gunny for getting it back up and running again.
Ammo problems were low, but ran the gamut from primers so deeply recessed that the firing pin was ineffective to case separations and crimped case necks, preventing chambering, and a primer seated backwards. No ammo (gun, optic, car and so on) is perfect. Deal with it.
We had the usual run of mag problems- mags not dropping free (minor) feed lips spreading (major). Note that we are seeing the hk mag springs weakening, and (as usual with hk) there are no spare springs from them. I am not aware of any commercial aftermarket springs either.
Hint- if your magazine has “BAD” scratched across the baseplate or written in Sharpie across the side, consider this to be a clue and use another mag instead…..
Thanks to Mike Hueser for his hard work and for keeping me on track. Kudos to Viking Tactics, CamelBak, Larue Tactical and Eagle Industries, EOTech and S&B for their continued support.
We are looking forward to next year at Quantico.
Much of the hard work in getting this (and other guest instructor classes) on line goes to the hard working Quantico Shooting Club President, John Murphy. John is apparently tireless and has a true and clear understanding as to how to bring all of the disciplines, sports and personalities together to make for a great experience.
We ran this class on R305 as Range 1 is undergoing rehab. This was a blessing in disguise as R305 is better suited to our style of training.
The class included 14 mil, a fed and Freddie Blish Tom Sziede from Aimpoint. Freddie and Tom provided information, advice and other data to the class relative to the Aimpoint line, as well loaner sights for the class.
I have an M4 Aimpoint, and I like it. That line gets more switched on as time goes by.
The Marines were a mix of Range staff, Doctrine writers and Precision Weapons Shop wizards (OK, one Engineer as well), providing a balanced and interesting crew. Their guns were a mix of M16A4’s (known as “muskets”, and for good reason) as well as M4’s.
There is a lot of heartburn ongoing due to a recent MCG article by a team shooter singing the praises of high power rifle and the quest for the Distinguished Rifle Badge as a basic for fighting. Having had the author in class I’ll state that he is clearly a great shooter, but lacking the skill sets necessary to understand that placing yellow glasses on your face does not a Grunt make.
Sights were primarily Aimpoints and RCO’s, with on AK shooter running irons after his rail loosened and made his EOTech useless. He is a solid shooter and can run irons, optics, AK or AR equally well.
The only gun problem of note happened within 10 minutes of ENDEX when a buffer detent let fly and stopped that gun cold. Kudos to the Gunny for getting it back up and running again.
Ammo problems were low, but ran the gamut from primers so deeply recessed that the firing pin was ineffective to case separations and crimped case necks, preventing chambering, and a primer seated backwards. No ammo (gun, optic, car and so on) is perfect. Deal with it.
We had the usual run of mag problems- mags not dropping free (minor) feed lips spreading (major). Note that we are seeing the hk mag springs weakening, and (as usual with hk) there are no spare springs from them. I am not aware of any commercial aftermarket springs either.
Hint- if your magazine has “BAD” scratched across the baseplate or written in Sharpie across the side, consider this to be a clue and use another mag instead…..
Thanks to Mike Hueser for his hard work and for keeping me on track. Kudos to Viking Tactics, CamelBak, Larue Tactical and Eagle Industries, EOTech and S&B for their continued support.
We are looking forward to next year at Quantico.