Thursday : October 15 : 2009
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By just a narrow margin of 26 match points, Jim Bodkin managed to edge out Tony Phan in the Limited-10 division to take the Infinity USPSA Area 4 Championship. This is the second year in a row Bodkin has won the title.
Hot off winning the Open division national title, Max Michel of Team Sig put on a clinic at the Infinity USPSA Area 4 Championships winning nine of the 11 stages and crushing his nearest competitor by 95 points for the win. It is the seventh time Michel has won the Area 4 Open title.
Voices From the Field
In this installment, active firearms trainer and author Paul Markel explains another hazard to shooters. This hazard appears during range training as well as operationally. It's a word to the wise.
Fumbled Gun: Drop It!
"A local serviceman was killed today after being shot during a training accident." That was the lead off by the talking head on the evening news. Based upon that statement you would assume that the person in question was negligently shot by another serviceman. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. I watched the television report via the Internet and nowhere in the story were the hard facts about the situation reported.
However, I am in possession of the facts of the case as the man who died was a member of the parent command of the unit I serve. The instructor cadre, of which I am a part, was briefed on the incident by the command's safety officer.
What occurred on that fateful day follows. The serviceman was shooting a pistol qualifications course. During one of the stages shooters are required to shift the gun from their dominant shooting hand over to their non-dominant or support hand. This was where things went wrong.
The man lost control of his pistol, how or why doesn't really matter. It's an imperfect world and stuff happens. Rather than letting the pistol fall to the ground he reached out to grab it. The M9 service pistol was in single-action trigger mode (safety off) as he had just fired two rounds.
When the shooter grabbed the pistol it was inverted with the muzzle pointing back toward his chest. One of his thumbs found its way into the triggerguard and the weapon fired. A single full metal jacketed 9mm round passed through the center of his chest cutting a vital artery. He died on the range.
The knee-jerk reaction from some of the safety officers was that this would not have happened if there had been more dry fire or holster training. That just doesn't wash. You don't practice the proper way to drop a pistol with dry fire.
Two main factors caused this tragedy to occur. First and foremost is human nature. You've been catching objects since you were in kindergarten or earlier. If something starts to accidentally fall, you reach out and grab it. Everyone does this. We're pre-wired to do it.
The second factor is that, although there was a lengthy briefing prior to commencing live fire, nowhere in the safety brief did the Range Safety Officer ever discuss what to do if you last control or fumbled with your pistol. Couple that with the fact that military personnel are generally ridiculed and often punished for dropping a weapon and you have a recipe for disaster.
Whether you are an individual shooter, trainer, or range safety officer you must understand and address the dropped/fumbled gun possibility. The issue isn't such a big deal with long guns but when dealing with handguns it is definitely a situation that must be spoken to.
It is really as simple as this, if you fumble your gun, let it go. All modern firearms have passive safeties to prevent 'drop firing'. If your pistol is too pretty or too fragile to be dropped you shouldn't have it our on the range. Bottom line, we don't catch fumbled pistols. Drop it!
Paul Markel is a former United States Marine and Peace Officer. He has been writing professionally for more than fifteen years and is currently a full-time Small Arms and Tactics Instructor for the U.S. Military.
Fumbled Gun: Drop It!
"A local serviceman was killed today after being shot during a training accident." That was the lead off by the talking head on the evening news. Based upon that statement you would assume that the person in question was negligently shot by another serviceman. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. I watched the television report via the Internet and nowhere in the story were the hard facts about the situation reported.
However, I am in possession of the facts of the case as the man who died was a member of the parent command of the unit I serve. The instructor cadre, of which I am a part, was briefed on the incident by the command's safety officer.
What occurred on that fateful day follows. The serviceman was shooting a pistol qualifications course. During one of the stages shooters are required to shift the gun from their dominant shooting hand over to their non-dominant or support hand. This was where things went wrong.
The man lost control of his pistol, how or why doesn't really matter. It's an imperfect world and stuff happens. Rather than letting the pistol fall to the ground he reached out to grab it. The M9 service pistol was in single-action trigger mode (safety off) as he had just fired two rounds.
When the shooter grabbed the pistol it was inverted with the muzzle pointing back toward his chest. One of his thumbs found its way into the triggerguard and the weapon fired. A single full metal jacketed 9mm round passed through the center of his chest cutting a vital artery. He died on the range.
The knee-jerk reaction from some of the safety officers was that this would not have happened if there had been more dry fire or holster training. That just doesn't wash. You don't practice the proper way to drop a pistol with dry fire.
Two main factors caused this tragedy to occur. First and foremost is human nature. You've been catching objects since you were in kindergarten or earlier. If something starts to accidentally fall, you reach out and grab it. Everyone does this. We're pre-wired to do it.
The second factor is that, although there was a lengthy briefing prior to commencing live fire, nowhere in the safety brief did the Range Safety Officer ever discuss what to do if you last control or fumbled with your pistol. Couple that with the fact that military personnel are generally ridiculed and often punished for dropping a weapon and you have a recipe for disaster.
Whether you are an individual shooter, trainer, or range safety officer you must understand and address the dropped/fumbled gun possibility. The issue isn't such a big deal with long guns but when dealing with handguns it is definitely a situation that must be spoken to.
It is really as simple as this, if you fumble your gun, let it go. All modern firearms have passive safeties to prevent 'drop firing'. If your pistol is too pretty or too fragile to be dropped you shouldn't have it our on the range. Bottom line, we don't catch fumbled pistols. Drop it!
Paul Markel is a former United States Marine and Peace Officer. He has been writing professionally for more than fifteen years and is currently a full-time Small Arms and Tactics Instructor for the U.S. Military.
Around the Water Cooler: The Lunatics are Back
by Rich Grassi
The AP ran a story on Wednesday entitled "New Assault Weapon Ban Urged: Meant to prevent guns from reaching Mexican drug cartels."
The Binational Task Force on the United States-Mexican Border issued a statement announcing this brainstorm. The group consists of political retreads such as an appointee who ran DEA and Customs and Border Protection in the past. The story said that "U.S. and Mexican officials" allege that the drug cartels "frequently use assault rifles, which are banned in Mexico but easily purchased in the United States."
Readers of this wire know that statement to be baseless and without foundation. Drug cartels use the M2 machine gun, a U.S. weapon currently only available in arms sales between the U.S. Government and the government of Mexico! They also use a submarine - I guess that came from a gun show in Galveston.
In case the scoundrels acquire reading skills, they should try this on:
1. Assault rifles are select fire rifles currently only available for transfer between citizens who are photographed, finger printed, pass a background check and submit $200 to the U.S. Treasury to cover the transfer tax. They are not easily purchased in the United States.
2. Assault rifles are banned in Mexico as many other types of guns are - but the drug gangs bribe Mexican officials and get guns. They kill Mexican soldiers and take their guns. They buy guns - real assault rifles - from China and other foreign ports.
3. Gun bans and other silly government regulation is of no force and has no effect on rates of violent crime. That's as true now as it always has been.
You want an end to the drug violence in Mexico? Have tough drug laws and enforce them. Want the U.S. to help? Insist the U.S. button the border up - so guns, like the cheap, easily obtainable single shot hunting guns don't migrate south and so that drugs can't migrate north.
Oh, seize that submarine just in case they try to bring the dope in underwater.
The AP ran a story on Wednesday entitled "New Assault Weapon Ban Urged: Meant to prevent guns from reaching Mexican drug cartels."
The Binational Task Force on the United States-Mexican Border issued a statement announcing this brainstorm. The group consists of political retreads such as an appointee who ran DEA and Customs and Border Protection in the past. The story said that "U.S. and Mexican officials" allege that the drug cartels "frequently use assault rifles, which are banned in Mexico but easily purchased in the United States."
Readers of this wire know that statement to be baseless and without foundation. Drug cartels use the M2 machine gun, a U.S. weapon currently only available in arms sales between the U.S. Government and the government of Mexico! They also use a submarine - I guess that came from a gun show in Galveston.
In case the scoundrels acquire reading skills, they should try this on:
1. Assault rifles are select fire rifles currently only available for transfer between citizens who are photographed, finger printed, pass a background check and submit $200 to the U.S. Treasury to cover the transfer tax. They are not easily purchased in the United States.
2. Assault rifles are banned in Mexico as many other types of guns are - but the drug gangs bribe Mexican officials and get guns. They kill Mexican soldiers and take their guns. They buy guns - real assault rifles - from China and other foreign ports.
3. Gun bans and other silly government regulation is of no force and has no effect on rates of violent crime. That's as true now as it always has been.
You want an end to the drug violence in Mexico? Have tough drug laws and enforce them. Want the U.S. to help? Insist the U.S. button the border up - so guns, like the cheap, easily obtainable single shot hunting guns don't migrate south and so that drugs can't migrate north.
Oh, seize that submarine just in case they try to bring the dope in underwater.
Skill Set: Preparing For Training - Part I
by Tiger McKee
Like any art, learning to fight with firearms requires studying under knowledgeable instructors and teachers, which takes time and money - precious commodities for most of us. To get the greatest return on your investment you need to focus on 3 areas - preparation for the class, participation during the class, and post-class follow through.
Preparation includes selecting your class, making travel plans, and acquiring the necessary equipment. Your anticipated use of your firearm and current abilities should dictate the class you attend. If you're interested in self-defense you don't want to attend a class on competitive shooting.
Choosing an instructor or school is important for both beginner and experienced student. For a new student the training should be a gratifying experience and get you started in the right direction. For the "gun-school-junky" the instruction should fit the fighting doctrine you already have developing. A great source of info on instructors and schools are firearm forums on the Internet and reviews in magazines.
After researching a school, contact them to talk about what you are looking for in instruction. When discussing your training be careful about overestimating your current abilities. The majority of defensive instruction is based on you knowing the fundamentals of marksmanship the basics of how your weapon functions. Without this knowledge you'll start out behind, quickly become frustrated, and won't benefit from the instruction.
Get detailed information on the registration process. Most schools require applications, copies of CCW permits and such, and partial or full payment. Please, send in all the required paperwork. Don't just shove a check into an envelope and mail it in, even if you have been to the same school 12 times before. After a week or so confirm your registration.
Now that you've booked your class it's time to make travel arrangements. Wait until the last minute to book flights, hotels, or rental cars and you may discover a jazz festival the same weekend of your class and everything is booked solid. When booking a flight check the airline's policies for flying with firearms. Normally you'll need more ammo than you can fly with, so buy and ship ammunition in advance, with time to confirm its arrival prior to the class. If you are driving to a course check each state you pass through for their laws on transporting firearms.
Use the time between registration and the class to physically prepare yourself. Fighting "bad guys" for a few days is physically and mentally demanding, especially if you normally sit behind a desk 40 hours a week. Go for long walks, use small dumbbells to exercise your arms, and work on stretching out and developing some flexibility.
Every class I've ever attended had an equipment list. And I can tell you as an instructor a major source of frustration is students showing up without the proper gear. In part II of this series we'll look at gear you'll need to make your training better.
Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy, located in northern Alabama, author of The Book of Two Guns, a staff member of several firearms/tactical publications, and an adjunct instructor for the F.B.I. (256) 582-4777 www.shootrite.org
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Preparation includes selecting your class, making travel plans, and acquiring the necessary equipment. Your anticipated use of your firearm and current abilities should dictate the class you attend. If you're interested in self-defense you don't want to attend a class on competitive shooting.
Choosing an instructor or school is important for both beginner and experienced student. For a new student the training should be a gratifying experience and get you started in the right direction. For the "gun-school-junky" the instruction should fit the fighting doctrine you already have developing. A great source of info on instructors and schools are firearm forums on the Internet and reviews in magazines.
After researching a school, contact them to talk about what you are looking for in instruction. When discussing your training be careful about overestimating your current abilities. The majority of defensive instruction is based on you knowing the fundamentals of marksmanship the basics of how your weapon functions. Without this knowledge you'll start out behind, quickly become frustrated, and won't benefit from the instruction.
Get detailed information on the registration process. Most schools require applications, copies of CCW permits and such, and partial or full payment. Please, send in all the required paperwork. Don't just shove a check into an envelope and mail it in, even if you have been to the same school 12 times before. After a week or so confirm your registration.
Now that you've booked your class it's time to make travel arrangements. Wait until the last minute to book flights, hotels, or rental cars and you may discover a jazz festival the same weekend of your class and everything is booked solid. When booking a flight check the airline's policies for flying with firearms. Normally you'll need more ammo than you can fly with, so buy and ship ammunition in advance, with time to confirm its arrival prior to the class. If you are driving to a course check each state you pass through for their laws on transporting firearms.
Use the time between registration and the class to physically prepare yourself. Fighting "bad guys" for a few days is physically and mentally demanding, especially if you normally sit behind a desk 40 hours a week. Go for long walks, use small dumbbells to exercise your arms, and work on stretching out and developing some flexibility.
Every class I've ever attended had an equipment list. And I can tell you as an instructor a major source of frustration is students showing up without the proper gear. In part II of this series we'll look at gear you'll need to make your training better.
Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy, located in northern Alabama, author of The Book of Two Guns, a staff member of several firearms/tactical publications, and an adjunct instructor for the F.B.I. (256) 582-4777 www.shootrite.org
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