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Thread: Times change, do you?

  1. #11
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    I haven't changed very much at all. I've been lucky enough to train under instructors who don't pay a whole lot of attention to the latest and greatest aftermarktet crapola.

    None of my instructors are "on the flow". I.E. they don't get free products from a company and then tell the class YOU HAVE TO HAVE THIS PRODUCT.

    I never went though the 3 point sling fad. I'm not wrapped up in the single point fad either. Most of the time my instructors have been down to earth and recommended methods and gear that fit our role.... not the role of a tac team or special forces team.

    I've made minor changes, but I've never really had to wander from a basic, reliable carbine with a two point sling, good ammo, and a light or two.

  2. #12
    ToddG Guest
    Over the past 2-3 years?

    I won't even touch on the carbine stuff. Pretty much, everything.

    Pistol:
    • totally reversed my opinion & technique in terms of where/how I put tension on the gun for recoil management
    • spent a lot of time playing with different reload methods, specifically in terms of where I put the gun during a reload
    • focused on speeding up the beginning of my draw so I could spend more time getting things right at the end of my draw
    • completely changed how I scan after shooting (thanks Simon G.) and how I status check after scanning (thanks F2S)
    • Two years ago I was telling my friend Chris G. he was literally the single dumbest guy I knew for wearing a striker-fired gun in an appendix holster. Two months ago I was wearing a striker-fired gun in an appendix holster.

  3. #13
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    Changes

    Quote Originally Posted by Failure2Stop View Post
    I had a spark after sifting through numerous old posts on a recent topic here. It really dawned on me how fast things can change, either to an individual or as collective/institutional knowledge.

    So how are the rest of you doing? Where have you trained? What have you learned? What have you changed? How has your knowledge changed your gear or your interaction with it? What are your goals and how do you intend on reaching them and setting new goals?
    I agree with FMF Doc. I am a medic in the Army. I joined at 18 in 1987. There have been changes over the last twenty years but those changes were incremental and slow. Since the invasion of Iraq tactics, techniques, and tips (TTPs) have changed drastically. For nearly 20 years I wore a simple LBE with two canteens and ammo pouches. Now my kits can be configured over a 1000 different ways. I started out with a brand new M16A1 then turned that in for a brand new M16A2. I carried a M9 in Germany and finally graduated to dual carry (M4 and M9). After years of Iron Sights I was issued a M68 and learned to use that to great effect. Medics aren't always asssigned to line units so I had a period of time serving in clinics and hospitals. During that time (roughly four years) equipment, uniforms, and weapon philosophy changed drastically. There was a time when a soldier would get issued a duffel bag and a rucksack full of gear. Now a soldier can expect to get three duffels and rucksack full of gear. Medical training philosophy has also changed. Medics are now taught at the institution level to fight until they can safely treat/evac the wounded. Tourniquets are now the first choice for bleeding control and there are many more tools in the old aidbag that didn't exist just ten years ago. Every soldier gets a set of NVGs now. I remember when only Track Commanders got the NVGs. I guess the biggest change I have seen is the synchronisity of civilian security/LEO AR-15 and pistol TTPs with those of the military. I warmly embrace any change or TTP that will bring my soldiers and myself home alive and in one piece.

  4. #14
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    My training is in a constant state of evolution, and a life long journey in the pursuit of (even though I will never achieve it) excellence. I see training as adding additional skills, or a refinement of those skills, and or gear. I'm not a "true believer" of anyone's particular camp or methodology. I firmly do not believe in "The Way" approach to training, which a lot of shooting academies and trainers, appear to be doing. It's probably why I gravitate towards real world military trainers. I try to stick with the practical, and build on efficiency, as it applies to me. My goal is to hopefully, develop a good set of tools in the "toolbox" to fall back on, if the situation ever arises. My carbine skills are pretty decent and I've had quite a few pistol classes over the years, but have inadvertently subordinated my pistol skills, to my carbine training. I need to balance out my overall training and include more pistol training with different instructors so I'm not trapped in one particular school of thought. I currently try to balance out a range session, with both carbine and pistol shooting. I also need to get back into martial arts and include some combat first aid training. Unarmed combat is a skill we very seldom address or practice. I'm not really into fads per se, but if a practical/efficient technique surfaces during training or someone who I may come across during range play, or a piece of kit that is more efficient than what I'm currently using, then I am all for it.
    For God and the soldier we adore, In time of danger, not before! The danger passed, and all things righted, God is forgotten and the soldier slighted." - Rudyard Kipling

  5. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by rharris2163 View Post
    but have inadvertently subordinated my pistol skills, to my carbine training.
    SAME HERE!

  6. #16
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    I don't have time to make a meaningful post, but I'm going to make this a stuck thread, at least temporarily, as I feel it has some outstanding content.
    Employee of colonialshooting.com

  7. #17
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    I've learned that the single most important skill for a student is critical thinking about the skills and techniques a trainer teaches, and the drills used to teach them:

    1. What is my mission? The primary possibilities are military, police and private citizen, with endless possible variations within each group.

    2. Does this skill or technique make sense for my mission?

    3. Do the drills employed help me learn the skill or technique?

    Skills and techniques that don't support your mission, or drills that don't help you learn the skills and techniques you do need, may be cool. But they do have a cost in terms of time that could be better spent on other skills, techniques or drills.

    Much the same goes for equipment, as several here have touched on.

    For example, I tried a Redi-Mag for a 2-day class this weekend with InSights Training Center. People who have to carry the carbine around their necks all day have legitimate reasons not to like the device due to its added weight and because you have to manipulate the gun differently. On the other hand, people who have to carry carbines around all day also usually wear spare mags on their belts or chest rigs.

    For those of us who don't carry carbines and spare mags all day, the Redi-Mag makes a lot of sense. If you have the gun, you have a reload. I had to learn new ways of handling both speed and tactical reloads, and some slight changes to malfunction drills, but those tradeoffs make sense for my "mission" as a private citizen.

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by modern_pirate View Post
    I've learned that "advanced" is just a mastery of the basics.
    Very true. I've found that everything you do in addition to regular square range shooting doubles your groups (or more). Start moving, doulbe the group. Low light on the move, double it again. Stress? Double it again if not more. That's why the fundamentals of grips, stance, sight alignment and trigger control mean so much.

    Quote Originally Posted by rob_s View Post
    I know I'd be happiest in the gun business, but only if I didn't have to rely on it to eat.
    Quite so.

    Quote Originally Posted by rob_s View Post
    Finally, even though I am still training with it and mucking around with it, I've come to the conclusion that carbine is a waste of time for 99% of us. It's enjoyable because it's flashy and easy (or at least easier) and there's more to do in terms of bolt-ons and support gear, but the carbine is not my primary. For virtually everyone outside the military they should be focusing on the handgun, and their carry handgun at that. Practicing with a 5" 1911 and carrying a S&W snubbie isn't much better than wasting a lot of time with the carbine. This isn't to say that the carbine is totally useless, or that one shouldn't train with it, but I see a trend where people spend 90% of their training time and dollars on carbine ant 10% on handgun, when IMHO that ratio should be inverted.
    That, to me, is one of the biggest misconceptions out there. So many places seem so focused on the carbine because it's neat and easy to shoot. But pistol is so much more applicable to daily life for the vast majority of us. It's also harder to shoot, so less fun. I wonder what guys really learn when I see classes with 1000+ rounds of carbine fired and <200 of pistol. My carbines don't get shot nearly as much now as they used to, and I'm thinking that's a good thing. I can focus on pistol trigger control and work carbine reloads and manipulations dry at home, save ammo and still become a better shooter.
    Principles matter.

  9. #19
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    Random thoughts:

    Choosing a doctrine
    During my short time as a shooter, I've trained with an assload of instructors. The result? A mishmash of techniques and not much to show for it.

    My approach thus far has been to learn everything and simply use what I want. Unfortunately, constantly learning various techniques means that I can do it all, but nothing at a high level. Everything just becomes a blur, and what tends to happen is I end up doing whatever the last instructor I was exposed to taught.

    Sometimes I think I would be better off just choosing a system and training exclusively with that instructor/school.

    Choosing a platform
    I started out with a Glock 17 for 2 years, then moved on to the 1911 for 3 years, and am now 6 months into the Sig 229.

    I feel like my time with the 1911 somewhat retarded my progress as a shooter, because let's face it, the 1911 will turn just about anyone into a stud. I was able to disregard the fundamentals for a few years, and am now paying the price with the Sig.

    Obviously, I can only imagine where I'd be if I had just stuck with the Glock.

    Physical fitness
    Weight training, or at the very least, regular PT is extremely important. The bigger and stronger you are, the better you can shoot. I would say that routine pushups, situps, pullups, and running improved my shooting more than anything else. I still need to do weight training to improve shooting speed.

    Gear
    I used to run the high-speed gear, but no more. These days, it's all about my performance with my carry equipment. And since I don't carry a rifle in real life, I rarely shoot my ARs and carbine training has become mostly academic for me. My rifle configuration has stayed pretty much the same. Support hand has moved further out, and I changed my light from 4 o'clock to 9. Not very many pieces of flair on my guns. Pistol-wise, I prefer to shoot a stock gun with night sights.

    Short-term goals
    Improve 229 draw, reload, and split times.
    Work with a handheld flashlight more.
    Go to the gym regularly.

  10. #20
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    "50% of what you are going to learn here will be proven wrong in next 10 years. The problem is that we don't know which 50%" - attributed to a dean of a big school addressing new class. Pretty much applies to everything in life...

    Quote Originally Posted by subzero View Post
    So many places seem so focused on the carbine because it's neat and easy to shoot.
    I actually have had hard time getting into a reputable pistol class this year. Carbine has not been a problem - feels like supply is larger here. Actually, this appears to have been a pattern for a few years. My round count ratio is 4:1 pistol to carbine, but most of pistol shooting done by myself, while almost all carbine shooting is done in classes.
    Last edited by YVK; 06-30-09 at 10:08.

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