Just came back from a training session with d90king.

[macnamara]

Well I just came back from a great and I mean great training session with d90king.

I'd seen several threads on here about training, etc and decided I wanted to do more with my firearms than just plink, so I saw d90's thread here:

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=40610

I posted and soon made contact with d90 and we spoke on the phone and arranged to meet today at a range local to him.

All in all, we were at the range for about 2 1/2 - 3 hours, but it felt like 20 minutes it was so much fun.

d90 is a fantastic tutor. He broke me down and we started at the basics. I brought along my Glock 22 and we trained on that almost exclusively. His training method really makes you think about what you are doing and why, which to me as a new shooter is invaluable.

I came away from the session learning LOTS. I am basically new to owning firearms and even newer to firing them. d90 started me off with the fundamentals. We started with safety and the 4 golden rules. Then we moved on to posture (something that I have leaned that I need to work on), sight alignment and most importantly for me, trigger press. d90 used a good method to get me to try and stop anticipating the round going off. Saying a word, mentally while pressing the trigger. We used the word "Presses" and it actually really helped me not anticipate the "bang".

We worked on dry fires and also a ball and dummy drill, a drill where I aimed the gun and d90 pulled the trigger for me and dot torture tests. He taught me to aim, something I hadn't really known how to do before today. "Aiming the gun and not the gun aiming you" as I like to think of it. All drills were performed at close range, about 3 yards. Perfect for me to see where my point of aim, point of impact is (sadly lacking with the G22).

What was nice, is that d90 didn't treat me like an idiot, but didn't get over complicated either. He has a nice balance on things and that also helps you pick stuff up. It was excellent having one on one time with such a proficient instructor. At one point another M4C member was there (sorry, I forget your screen name) and he helped with the aim while someone pulls the trigger drill (sure it has a name but I don't know it).

d90, i did some empty shell on the front sight dry fires, just as a test with my Glock 22 and my Kimber Royal II.

Glock; 4 out of 5 fell.
Kimber; 1 out of 5.

I learned from today that I need to either ditch or replace my Glock 22. The trigger is just plain nasty and is affecting my accuracy. d90 let me shoot some of his very nice 1911s (sorry d90, I forget the makes) and his HKP30. My groupings were far better with ANY gun other than my Glock 22.

Next time we meet up, I intend to buy a M&P9 and I'll bring the Kimber so I can use that just in case.

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Here's my shooting prowess before meeting d90. 5 rounds at 5 yards taking my time and really trying.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3301/4584694600_809f089ff9_o.jpg

Here is the Dot Torture sheet that we did today as our last drill.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1437/4592407713_de8b640ffc_b.jpg

As you can see, not amazing, but I actually managed to group some shots, which for me is a great improvement.

I hope anyone out there who is contemplating making it to one of these training sessions really does make the effort as it's well worth your time.

Thanks again, d90king. I'm really looking forward to the next session.

[Jay Cunningham]

Good to see you guys out there - that's why these groups got started.

[Littlelebowski]

Speaking from experience: ditch the 1911 for a while and work exclusively with the Glock. You will find it makes you a better all around shooter.

[subzero]

I learned from today that I need to either ditch or replace my Glock 22.

Careful with that! Don't use hardware to solve a software problem. I've learned over the last few years that the sweet sweet trigger of a 1911 is a crutch. A very nice crutch, but a crutch nonetheless. Due to its design it can mask many innate trigger control problems. It has short travel, clean break, very little creep, little to no overtravel and the trigger travels in a straight track front to rear.

The Glock, on the other hand, exposes trigger control problems. The Glock trigger pivots, has a bunch of creep and some overtravel, a very nearly two stage feel and can have a mushy break.

So if you're not pulling the trigger straight to the rear, the Glock will expose that. A 1911 can hide it. Especially if the 1911 has a very light pull weight and the Glock still has it's stock 7-8 pound trigger.

[Shawn.L]

these kinds of storys make me smile ear to ear :)

great stuff.

keep up the work and practice what you learned today.

one piece of caution. Dont try to fix a software problem with hardware. Plenty of guys shoot GLOCK's increadibly well. Its not the GLOCK, or the trigger, its you. Practice dry fire and get to learn that trigger in your finger. The GLOCK is actually a very learnable trigger and has one of the best resets out of the box going. Now stepping into a 9mm so you can shoot more....... that I can dig.

take it FWIW, I shoot a 1911 :D

[Shawn.L]

nice. we where all 3 posting that same peice of advice at the same time :)

[macnamara]

Cheers guys.

My Glock is an old Police trade in, and so not possibly the best condition it's ever been in. Both d90 and the other M4C member commented on the shittyness / grittyness of the trigger.

The 1911 trigger today was nice, as is the one on my Kimber, but I was shooting pretty consistently with the HKP30 which has what seems, a comparable trigger to my Glock.

However, I don't want to be seen to be hiding behind a hardware problem. I'll probably end up keeping the Glock, but not for the indended purpose (carry piece), and that's more what I meant by ditching it. As you can see from the pics I posted, although still a long way to go, what I learned today has already improved my shooting.

I do however want to try a different firearm in a different calibre. I wasn't going to go with the 1911 to replace the Glock. I had just mentioned the 1911 as that is my other firearm.

I had planned on picking up a M&P9 after trying one out at the shop today. I prefer the fit of it in my hand compared to the Glock's bulkiness, and 9mm is just a more economic option for me right now (partly why I don;t want to run a 1911).

Like I said, I'm still learning and there's a lot of that still to do.

[d90king]

Sorry, missed this thread and posted in the other.:eek:

First off like I mention in the other thread, macnamara showed up with an excellent attitude and willingness to learn which to me is a make or break it...

What he is referring to about the Glock has nothing to do with hiding behind equipment. It really did have a God awful trigger. It was a PTI and had seen better days. It seemed to be breaking at around 10+ pounds and was really gritty. Could it be fixed? Sure, but I also think he would be served with a pistol that hadn't already been shot to shit in a caliber that saves him a few bucks to train with and a pistol he knows from day one. My preference would be either a G17 or 19 or a M&P Pro I just think plastic pistols are best suited in 9mm. That is simply my opinion and nothing more.

As far as his shooting he did an excellent job on paying attention to the areas we were focusing on and not getting distracted or off track.
His marksmanship improved dramatically as the day progressed and he left on a great note.

I look forward to getting together again and continuing where we left off.

Keep in mind I am not an instructor nor do I consider myself a great teacher of any magnitude. I simply do what I can to work with new shooters and my hope is to get them to a level were they can attend a class by a top tier instructor and feel more comfortable upon arrival.

[macnamara]

...It really did have a God awful trigger...

Turns out I had a New York trigger in the thing. This has now been addressed and removed. Just wanted to keep you guys abreast of what was going on.