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Insulated Miniskirts – Another Failure of Marketing to Women

By
Dr LateBloomer
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Everyone who reads my blather has recognized by now that I am a pretty no-nonsense kind of woman, right? I shop the discount racks, I buy on sale, and I even have no qualms about wearing men’s long johns – especially if they are merino wool and half price. (Score!!!) And yes, I am old school and still call them long johns and not “base layers”.

So you’d think that “Big Marketing” would have figured out my tastes by now, right?

Let me tell you about what came across my newsfeed this morning. I’m not going to include a link or a photo, because I don’t want abominations like this to be encouraged or perpetuated.

The Situation

Social media showed me an ad from some outfit with “Backcountry” in their name – so far so good – but the item they were showing me was – get this – an “Insulated Miniskirt”. 

Yes, there apparently IS such a beast. For a premium price, one can even get one that is down-insulated. Let’s reiterate that – A down-insulated MINISKIRT! They marketed that to ME. Not only have I never worn a miniskirt in my life and at my age am not going to start now, but if I want to keep my hindquarters and ladybits warm, a miniskirt is not even in the top 20 logical choices.

I could launch into a tangent rant about the stupidity of female fashion, but instead I want to talk about marketing to women – because it carries over into the firearms and outdoors industry.

The Question

What kinds of algorithms and thought processes were going on behind the scenes that had the end-result of that showing up in my newsfeed? Who, at what outdoors company said – “Hey we want to draw in more women to our outdoor technical clothing – let’s try MINISKIRTS!” ? Because women don’t need comfortable technical outdoors wear that actually fits them and serves the sport or activity that they are actually doing – no, they need miniskirts instead?

The marketing of this product then apparently consisted of “Look, there’s a woman – let’s wave the miniskirt in front of her, and watch her come running!”. (They did get my click though and therefore I’ll probably have to block them from my feed from now on.)

The Issue

This is akin to the “Pink it and Shrink it” mentality of the firearms industry a few years ago. This assumption that female humans are a single homogenous block who have a Pavlovian response to anything pink or “fashionable” is a persistent problem in the outdoor marketing world.

Things are slowly getting better, but abominations marketed to women, just because they are women, still exist. A certain stretchy atrocity masquerading as a “holster” comes to mind.

Women’s camo – when you can actually find some that doesn’t require you to pawn one of your children – has pink zipper pulls. Ummmm, because turkeys can’t see pink??

The outdoors industry is still a bit “size-ist” when it comes to marketing to women as well. Women make-up half the population of the world, and most of us are not a size 5. Indeed, most of us who have the disposable income to support an outdoors habit are middle-aged and have the middle-age spread to prove it.

By way of example, one particular company I interacted with last year carries men’s sizes for the large-waisted, but had nothing in women’s sizes which would fit me so that I could evaluate it. I am a 16-18, and their line runs small. So that company lost an opportunity. A recent search of their website looks like they may be learning that lesson and expanding their size range now.

Don’t get me wrong – the situation is exponentially better than it was ten years ago when I was getting started. Things HAVE improved, but we women are still a growing outdoor and hunting market. We have our own money and will stand in line for excellent products that fit us and meet our needs.  Meet those needs and market to us appropriately and you will win… but insulated miniskirts are not the way to do it.

Sky Penis 2: Leave it to The Marines

By
Keith Finch
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My Leatherneck brethren are up to sky shenanigans again.

From Military.com

A West Coast Marine Corps training squadron is investigating a pair of flight patterns flown over a lake in California on Tuesday that resemble male genitalia.

Marine officials confirmed that a T-34C aircraft with Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 “flew an irregular flight pattern over the Salton Sea that resembled a phallic image.” The two-seat, low-wing turboprop aircraft is used by the Navy and Marine Corps to train new pilots.

The T-34 are trainer prop plane series. Unlike the first Sky Penis this one was done by flight path and not with visible exhaust. Does anyone really expect military personnel not to draw dicks at this point? C’mon. It is known.

 

Man in Odessa TX Fires Gun Repeatedly Into the Air… Goes to Jail Because That’s Stupid

By
Keith Finch
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It’s done in the Middle East to celebrate everything. It’s shown in movies all the time. You still can’t do it in real life. Don’t

From OAOA

An affidavit detailed a 32-year-old man was arrested after he reportedly discharged a firearm three times in West Odessa.

Epifanio Flotte was charged Saturday evening with deadly conduct discharge a firearm, a third-degree felony.

The Ector County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area of 820 N. Webber Ave. at 9:20 p.m. Saturday, the affidavit stated. Flotte admitted in the affidavit to discharging the firearm twice in the air in the general direction of the residence of 820 N. Webber Ave. and once into the ground.

New Equipment Coming to the US Army for New Fitness Tests

By
Keith Finch
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The United States Army has been trying to update their fitness test and standards for many years now. The new test is rapidly rolling down the pipeline and with it comes new equipment.

Military.com has the story.

60 battalions are receiving the new equipment as an expanded BETA test of the standards. The Army needs to check injury rates and other complications live across a wide portion of the force.

Completion of this larger test will give the Army the data it needs to finalize pass/fail requirements.

Seattle’s ‘Safe Storage Law’ Stands for Now

By
Keith Finch
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Judge dismisses NRA lawsuit over Seattle’s new gun-storage law last Friday. In King County, Judge Barbara Linde dismissed the suit on technical grounds for now citing the law has yet to take effect.

In short the legislation mandates a firearm that is not directly controlled and carried must be secured. The NRA contended this violates a home owner’s 2A rights within the domain of their property. But the court cited the NRA’s own encouragement of safe and proper storage as part of the dismissal.

For now ‘Safe Storage’ mandates will be the law of the land in the Emerald City.

Full Seattle Times story here.

Consider the Crossbow

By
Dr LateBloomer
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I never believed I would hear myself say that I was an archery hunter. This was just not on the radar for me up until a couple years ago. Picking up firearms skills later in life was a big enough accomplishment, but archery? 

I’ll fess up to using a crossbow. It used to be that crossbows could only lawfully be used for hunting by the disabled, but increasingly state game agencies are allowing the use of crossbows by regular hunters during archery season. This was my personal impetus for giving bow season a try. My state legalized the use of crossbows about three years ago and I immediately got myself into an introductory class offered at a local outdoors store. 

Familiarity of Platform

Although a crossbow throws an arrow or “bolt” rather than a bullet, the mechanics at the back end of the crossbow would be familiar to any rifle hunter. There is a stock, a scope, a safety, and a trigger. This is what drew me in – at least half of the contraption was stuff I already knew. That made it less intimidating for me. True archery skills can take months or years to polish, but crossbow fundamentals can be learned in a few days if you already have rifle skills.

History of Crossbows

Some purists in archery circles may protest that crossbows are not “traditional”. This may be true. Though crossbows are relatively new on the hunting scene in the U.S. there is archeological evidence for crossbows dating back to the 6th century BC in China.

Types of Crossbows

There are two basic designs for crossbows – recurve and compound – with some variations of each expanding the choices. These basically mirror the differences between handheld recurve and compound bows.

There is some new terminology to learn when talking about crossbows, too. Terms like “cam” and “draw weight” were complete unknowns to me before I took my class. But I took the time to learn the terms so that I could shop intelligently. Barnett Crossbows has a nice glossary on their site, with explanations.

Shopping Around

It’s important  to find an archery shop that you can trust and which can do repairs and maintenance of your crossbow if you need it. Don’t buy just anything sitting on the shelf at the big box store. If you wouldn’t buy a gun that way, then don’t buy a crossbow that way. Ask around for a shop that archers recommend.

When I went crossbow shopping three or so years ago, I settled on a Ten Point brand compound crossbow – because I’m a buy once/cry once kind of gal. You are going to spend some money for a good quality crossbow, so don’t think that archery season will necessarily be a “cheaper” option than rifle.  In fact, while trying to be budget-friendly with my own purchase I actually sold a Colt AR done in Muddy Girl that I was not using, and put that money toward my new crossbow.

I chose a model that has the added feature of a built-in integral crank mechanism with which to cock the bow, rather than using the traditional cocking method of brute force or a rope cocker.  I am short statured and short armed, so I opted for that little extra weight at the back in exchange for the ability to cock the crossbow even when I’m seventy years old.

Accessories

Just as with any other new undertaking there are all sorts of “extras” that you can buy but that aren’t really essential to get started. I found that the essentials for me were extra arrows, a target bag, a laser range finder, some lubricant, and a case. The range finder was an essential for me, because I’m poor at estimating distance. Knowing the shot distance is important for aiming using the scope reticle, and also critical for making an ethical shot.

Archery hunting takes a bit more preparation and planning, because the shot opportunities are closer-range than for rifle hunting. Many archers feel that an ethical shot with a crossbow should be within about 40 yards in order to have the power for a killing shot. Some crossbows are more powerful than others though, and the technology is advancing. Just don’t assume that you’ll be able to take rifle-distance shots with a crossbow. Closer range shots mean getting physically closer to your game, and that can be where the actual challenge lies.

But that doesn’t mean that your choice of game is limited. As long as your crossbow has the power and you have the will, everything from hogs to elk can be literally on the table. 

Mostly it’s about committing to taking the plunge on something new. Then practice, practice, practice. So don’t let being intimidated by a traditional bow stop you from trying out archery season. Give crossbow a try. It might be the transition bridge you’ve been looking for.

A GIRL & A GUN DIRECTOR: I’M TAKING THE WORD ‘MOM’ BACK FROM MOMS DEMAND ACTION

By
A Girl and a Gun
-

CHICAGO — Speaking to the 2018 Gun Rights Policy Conference, A Girl & A Gun Women’s Shooting League (AG & AG) Executive Director Robyn Sandoval declared that she is “taking the word ‘Mom’ back” from Moms Demand Action. Sandoval, whose youngest child is battling brain cancer, described the qualities of a mother as a fighter and protector.

In her speech, Sandoval emphasized the need to initiate conversations with others in order to advocate for gun rights. She explained four archetypes of people and how to tailor advocacy messages to them in order to encourage their engagement and understanding. According to Sandoval, “Even the strongest most-fervent antigunner fits into one these categories, and by listening, you can usually craft a no into a yes.” She inspired the audience to educate people to embrace the best tools and practices for their families’ safety.

Following is the script of Sandoval’s speech:

Hi, my name is Robyn Sandoval. My title is Executive Director of A Girl & A Gun Women’s Shooting League. Last year I spoke to this Conference about the great work that A Girl & A Gun is doing to provide quality training and certification programs for women. This year I’d like to talk with you about another title of mine, which is the title of Mom. This title is far more personal and is also the lens through which I view the world. I have two incredible sons and a daughter, who is my hero. She is smart, funny, and beautiful, and at eight years old, she is the woman I want to be when I grow up. She is confident, wise, and strong, and has taught me what it means to be a fighter.

It’s been three years since she was diagnosed with brain cancer. When doctors tell you that your baby has cancer, you go to war. You arm yourself with knowledge, raise an army of support, surrounding yourself with experts with the best tools and practices. She has lost her vision completely over the past three years, so we have a new lifestyle with new routines and habits. I had the fighter mindset that I was going to face it head-on and do whatever I could to keep her safe. Many of you relate to that mindset because it’s the same that we have as gun owners. Arming ourselves with tools and knowledge to keep our families safe.

And that’s why I’m taking the word Mom back. Moms Demand Action has taken that word from me, and I want it back. They’ve taken lots of words from us, like “common sense” and “safe space.” Those are our words and I’m reclaiming them.

To me a Mom is having the fighter mindset. I’m not afraid to have hard conversations… topics and situations may be scary, but I don’t bury my head in the sand. I can’t avoid talking with my daughter’s oncologists about her health, and I don’t shy away from talking with school administrators about my children’s safety, either. We need real solutions to hard problems, both actual and perceived, and I’m proud to be one of those leaders who are stepping forward.

Being a mom is not only how I advocate for gun rights, it’s also how I instruct. When I’m on the range, I use my mom voice. This tone ensures that there is a safe firing line and everyone is following the safety rules. Nothing bad will happen on my watch. At the same time, the mom voice is the cheerleader voice, the welcoming voice, the encouraging and supportive voice, understanding someone’s fear and celebrating in their victories. The mom voice is also the one that gets people to the range in the first place.

Having conversations with nongunners, antigunners, and even progunners that do not frequent the range — men and women — is also what I do. I connect with them, hear their stories, and share my experiences. At A Girl & A Gun, we’ve recognized that there are four archetypes of people. Even the strongest most-fervent antigunner fits into one these categories, and by listening, you can usually craft a no into a yes.

The Superstar. Superstars want to jump in and have fun! They are searching for badassery. To them, this may be having the most expensive shotgun, tagging the biggest buck, burning down a 3-gun stage in the fastest time, or doing something impressive, like being the only chick in a training class of Special Ops guys. The Superstar may be spontaneous, so don’t overload them with info and plans. Flattery will get you everywhere, so extend an invitation when there’s an opportunity for your Superstar to shine. For the nongunner or antigunner, focus the conversation on fun, competition, opportunity, excitement, and aspects they will think are cool.

The Inquisitor. This person will ask a million questions to have answers for any possible scenario because they need to have a plan. They need to know the whys, hows, and what-ifs. Credentials are important to them, so make sure they know your training background and if you don’t have the title or training behind you, bring in some big guns that do or you won’t get very far with an Inquisitor. Inquisitors love checklists. On our website, AGirlandAGun.org we have checklists for many different scenarios…what to take if you’re going to the range, what to take if you’re going to a match, what to take if you’re taking a newbie to the range, etc. They are very cautious about learning from someone or doing something that could be wrong.

The Know-It-All. This person needs to be the smartest guy in the room. He or she won’t believe that you may understand a skill or issue better than they do; and may find your knowledge threatening. To win over a Know-It-All, you have to go geek. They love research and development, logic, and most of all, self-mastery, so give them opportunities to feel smart. They can be won over with facts, but not right away. They may need a class (or two or three) before they ever pull a trigger.

Social Butterfly. Social Butterflies need collaboration and teamwork, and they need to feel like what they’re doing is making a difference. Social Butterflies love that they are securing a legacy for their children through their 2nd Amendment rights, and they enjoy supporting nonprofits and important programs like FASTER in schools. They love fostering a community of like-minded people that are working to arm, educate, and inspire people.

Over the past eight years, A Girl & A Gun has brought thousands of people into shooting. There is a yes hidden in every no, whether its budget, time, lack of understanding, or another obstacle that can be addressed. Having hard conversations — and changing nos to yeses — first starts with listening. You have to know who you’re talking to. You will waste your time trying to teach MILs and MOA to a Superstar; save that info for the Know-It-All and just get the Superstar pinging steel and feeling empowered. Don’t rush the Inquisitor to the range; give him a plan to make him feel successful.

It’s catering your message to your audience so that you can have the biggest effect. It’s using your mom voice (both as instructor and cheerleader) to help people embrace the best tools and practices for their families’ safety.

It’s taking the word Mom back… and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa and Guardian… so that together we can secure our gun rights for future generations.

Thank you.

Video can be found on the Second Amendment Foundation Facebook page beginning at 24:12.

About A Girl & A Gun

A Girl & A Gun (AG & AG) is a membership organization whose events have been successful stepping stones for thousands of women into the shooting community and fostered their love of shooting with caring and qualified instructors to coach them. AG & AG breaks barriers for women and girls in the area of self-defense and in pistol, rifle, and shotgun shooting sports by welcoming beginners to learn the basics of safe and accurate shooting and providing experienced shooters with advanced-level opportunities. The club has more than 5,500 members in 48 states and hosts recurring Girl’s Nights Out at more than 180 ranges throughout the nation. Learn more at AGirlandAGun.org.

SOURCE ARTICLE: https://www.agirlandagun.org/a-girl-a-gun-director-im-taking-the-word-mom-back-from-moms-demand-action/

The World of Adjustable Braces

By
Travis Pike
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The pistol brace has changed the way the world looks at AR/AK and other rifle style pistols, as well as SMG lites like the CZ Scorpion and SIG MPX. These guns are a little clumsy until you attach a brace. The original SB15 brace was a humble piece of plastic, but the concept has evolved into cleaner looking braces that are smaller, lighter, and more functional. This has lead to the advent of adjustable braces. Much like adjustable stocks an adjustable brace can change its length to accommodate a greater array of shooters. There are currently three big names in the pistol brace industry, and we’ve gathered a sample from each manufacturer.

The SBA3

The SBA3 comes from SB Tactical, the designer of the original pistol brace. The SBA3 looks a lot like an M4 style stock but is a conventional pistol brace. The brace has 5 points of adjustment and is complete with a QD sling swivel. It does function with a standard M4 style carbine tube. The fact that are tons of different tubes out there and they are super common and affordable. The use of a carbine tube on an adjustable brace does make it easy to swap the brace between different guns.

The SBA3 is super comfortable and very easy to use. It straps over the arm with a velcro strap, and the soft rubber design makes it comfortable when wrapped around the forearm. Should it find its way to your shoulder its comfortable with varying recoil levels. In all my shooting and experimenting I’ve found it best used on a AR 15 pistol. The SBA3 is natural for the AR 15 platform, and complete the pistol’s look and feel.

The SBA3 is one of the most AR style adjustable braces and is very well made, robust and easy to use. It’s a little difficult changing position with the brace. It tends to jump when pulled, but it isn’t too much trouble. The SBA3 is indeed not the cheapest of the adjustable braces, but it does include the carbine tube, and it is quite well made. It has a permanent home on my 80 lower AR pistol build.

The Gear Head Works Tailhook Mod 2

The original Gear Head Works brace was super simple, and very small, and made sense on a lot of lighter recoiling guns. Guns like the Scorpion were natural fits for the original Tailhook. The Tailhook Mod 2 goes in the opposite direction. This is a reliable and robust brace, easily the most robust of the adjustable braces. It comes with its own proprietary four position tube. The use of an exclusive tube does eliminate any issues with constructive intent revolving around pistol braces with carbine tubes. Adjusting it is very smooth, and it’s easy to pick and choose the right distance for your particular arm.

The Tailhook Mod 2’s beefy design does make it perfect for heavy weapons, including heavy recoiling armaments. As the beefiest of the adjustable braces, this is the ideal go-to for AR pistols in larger calibers, as well as firearms like the Galil pistol, or the Mossberg Shockwave. The big beefy nature helps counteract the heavier weight of these guns. The brace functions a lot different than the SB tactical variants. Instead of strapping over your arm your arms sits in it the brace. If it touches the shoulder, the Mod 2 disperses recoil rather well due to it robust and full design.

This allows it to balance much better as the weight pulls the weapon against the brace, steadying it by design. The Tailhook Mod 2 is the most expensive of the adjustable braces, but I think it’s worth the extra money for heavier weapons.

The Shockwave Blade 2.0

The Shockwave Blade 2.0 is the newest of the adjustable braces in my collection. The original Shockwave blade can claim the fact it was the first adjustable system. However, it was a bit more complicated than the new Blade 2.0 design. Instead of a screw and a dimple, the Blade 2.0 uses a lever that allows the shooter to adjust the brace. This little switch is a bit of a pain to press in with my massive sausage fingers fully, but it works.

The Shockwave Blade 2.0 doesn’t wrap around the arm like the other adjustable braces. Instead, it merely braces against the forearm or bicep. The Shockwave Blade 2.0 is the lightest and smallest of the braces on this list. The blade moniker appropriate. If it makes its way to your shoulder, it certainly feels like a blade with higher powered weapons. I love this brace on PCCs and SMG lites. With these guns, it’s perfectly balanced due to its lightweight and thin design.

Toss on a side folding brace adapter and the gun itself shrinks to a tiny platform, and due to the Shockwave Blade’s design, it will be thin and tight. This ends up making the gun very small with the brace folded. The Shockwave Blade 2.0 is the most affordable of the adjustable braces, and its best for a lower recoiling platform.

Adjustable Braces are the Future

I love capitalism and competition and seeing the rise of the pistol braces from a variety of companies has spurned innovation and driven the designs forward. The surge of adjustable braces is a Pandora’s box for future competition in the brace realm. You can’t close the box, especially when you have great adjustable braces like the three listed above.

South Africa is Contemplating Removing Self Defense as a Valid Reason for Gun Ownership

By
Keith Finch
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Self-defence, the protection of another person or the protection of property will no longer be valid reasons for owning a firearm, and guns will have to be handed in. -The Citizen, South Africa.

The United States Constitution has proven to be solid, in not immutable, protection for our right to keep and bear arms. For the protection of ourselves and our communities we can and many of us are armed.

In South Africa, contemplation over the Firearm Control Act is reaching a more fevered pitch as rumors are starting to form. While nothing formal is in writing the speculation is that South Africa wants to remove protection from the list of valid reasons for ownership.

With the stroke of a pen the human right of self defense may become much more difficult in the currently tense African nation.

The draft bill, released by Gun Owners South Africa (Gosa), follows a June Constitutional Court finding, which stated gun ownership was not a fundamental right under the Bill of Rights.

“It is a privilege regulated by law, under the Firearms Control Act,” Justice Johan Froneman wrote at the time. -From The Citizen, South Africa story.

Fight Like You Train.

By
Mike Westra
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Train like you fight. When I was younger I never put much though into that phrase.  I was an avid hunter so taking a life did not seem like it would be an issue.  I was a good shot with a firearm and never had issues qualifying.  Shooting came pretty easy to me, so I did not feel I needed to do anything more.  This November marks 17 years since my training outlook changed.

BACKGROUND

It was a cold dark November night, dispatch received a 9-1-1 call ” A man broke into the house and is killing everyone inside.  They are all dying”.  Several officers responded and I was closer than most. My foot pushed the accelerator to the floor.  I remember seeing the speedometer pass 100.  It seemed like it took forever to get there.  When I arrived I saw a single wide mobile home surrounded by lots of trees, a grey car parked in the driveway with two occupants, and another Sheriff’s Deputy.  There were no lights on in the trailer.

POOR RECEPTION

We had an analog radio system back then and depending on where you were in the County you had really bad reception.  This was one of those places.  Our back-up communication was Nextel, which had worse reception than our radios.  I made my way over to the other Deputy who had taken cover behind a large tree.  When asked for a sit rep they responded ” I went to the door, a guy opened up the door and raised a shotgun, I bailed off the porch and took cover here.”

BROKEN EQUIPMENT

Other officers started arriving, the Deputy I was with went to the cruiser to call the guy out with the P.A system.  It did not work.  The PA was too quiet, I barely heard it and I was only 30 feet away.

PLAN B

The deputy grabbed the AR-15 and returned to the cover of the tree.  While attempting to load the rifle the rounds kept ejecting or getting jammed up against side of the chamber.  Our attention was on the malfunctioning rifle when a State Trooper pulled into the driveway and ordered the guy out of the house.

DISTRACTION

He came out of the house and proceeded down the stairs,  I was still distracted by the failing rifle and neglected to see him raise a knife.  I heard an officer yell ” Drop the knife, Police”.  As I looked up I saw him with knife in hand make a dead run towards the other deputy and myself.  Only 20 feet away panic set in as I unholstered my Glock 22, put that front sight square in the center of his chest.  I immediately went into deer hunter mode.  Telling myself I had to get one good clean shot.  Slowly pulling the trigger back just like I would if I were taking a deer on opening day.

It seemed like time stood still.  I had all the time in the world to line up the shot and squeeze the trigger.  Other officers were yelling ” shoot, shoot, shoot” I never heard a one of them.

WHO DONE IT

Just as the trigger reached the breaking point the suspect dropped to the ground.  I rushed up to him, told him to drop the knife. he replied ” I can’t, I am dead”. In the immediate time frame after the shooting it was unclear who pulled the trigger.  I was not sure if it was me or the other deputy.

LOOKING BACK

trainingSeventeen years later looking back at that night I can say I was completely unprepared mentally.

I am a highly competitive person.  I never took my training seriously.  Qualifying was just a game to me.  Paper targets were just a way to show how good I was with tight shot groups. It was all about me scoring higher than the officer next to me or my squad out performing the other squads. My mindset back then was completely wrong.

I should have visualized the targets as threats.  I should have been mentally engaged in stopping a threat instead of getting a high score.  My shots should have been fast, deliberate and accurate. I got lucky that night.  I got to walk away and take a second chance at life.

BIG MISTAKE

The biggest mistake I made that night was getting complacent and distracted.  When something does not go right I diagnose and fix the problem.  I am a fixer.  In this case there was not time for that.  Once the rifle failed I immediately should have abandoned that idea and worked on the next. We should have just dropped the rifle and went to our handguns.   If I would have done that my gun would have been unholstered, I would have been intently paying attention and engaged in the scene unfolding in front of me.  I would have seen him go for the knife, not have been caught by surprise. I would have realized much faster that I was his target.

Instead I was out in left field. I was no where near the correct part of Coopers Color Code to effectively handle this situation.

CONCLUSION

I prefer the phrase “Fight like you train”. It reminds me that I am training for a fight and my head needs to be in it.  I am not training for a game. I am training to save lives, not just my life but my family’s lives.

It is a big responsibility that deserves my full attention. They say there are no second chances, but seventeen years ago I got one.  If I can instill one thing to those I talk to it is that under stress you will fight how you trained.  Knowing that is your training up to your standards?

The AK Goes Binary: Franklin Armory adds AK BFS III Trigger

By
Keith Finch
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Raytheon Enters the Reflex Sight Game: The ELCAN Spectre 1XL CQS

By
Keith Finch
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Raytheon is unveiling a new addition to their line of ELCAN Spectre optics, a reflex sight. The ELCAN line is most noted for their high durability SpecterDR Dual power optics. Their 1-4x and 1.5-6x models have seen fielding during the Global War on Terror. Line and special operations units of several nations fielded the optics with excellent reports.

With the CQS coming to the line Raytheon is expanding their optical offerings to keep in juncture with current battlefield needs.

From Defense and Technology

Raytheon has unveiled the ELCAN Specter close quarters sight that allows ground troops to more quickly identify targets and make better decisions.

Designed specifically for use in close quarters, the new sight uses large high transmission windows, allowing users to keep both eyes open for increased situational awareness.

I’m excited to see these hit the open market and curious to see the price point. The ELCAN Spectre series have a reputation for ruggedness that paces both the ACOG and Aimpoint sights.

Garand Thumb meets the HK Slap, The Zenith Z5

By
Keith Finch
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We’ve reviewed the Zenith Z5 here at GAT.

Z5 Running at Sentinel Concepts Carbine Course

It’s an awesome MP5 clone.

Mike down the Z5, 9mm carbines, MKE, and this roller delayed classic in his newest video

Sentinel Concepts Essential Carbine Employment AAR: Shoot Your Gun, Part 2

By
Keith Finch
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Day 2

 

Fighting Zero

Safety brief. Grabbed magazines and PPE. Started shooting.

Day 2 opened with a reconfirmation fighting zero. An all too common mistake students make is screwing around with their equipment mid course. Trying a new optic or moving it around kills the rifles confirmed zero and it must be reestablished.

At lunch that day a few of us worked with optics, I threw a zero into the MP5. But if there isn’t going to be a zero opportunity don’t rework your critical equipment until after the course. Take notes on what changes you want made for later.

Iron Cross

Building on the suboptimal position drills of day one, the Iron Cross is a brutal familiarization drill.

It’s an exaggerated expression of “get what you can” and then shoot.

It starts with the normal presentation. Easy.

Followed by firing one handed off the strong side shoulder.

Transition and shoot off the support side with one hand.

Finally you start with the rifle hanging on it’s sling and then fire it off hand from the shoulder. Picking it up and leveraging into position is a vastly different muscle engagement. It’s a possible one though, and gaining the familiarity through some repetitions adds it as option.

Hits need to be effective and accurate, but the point of the drill isn’t to make this something to practice religiously. Instead, it’s to remind you and illustrate to you that if you need to take a shot like this DO IT! You can make it work.

By the way… that was only a quarter of the Iron Cross. Repeat those presentations while facing range right, range left, and up range.

Luckily we did all the facing maneuvers the day prior. It’s like Steve planned it or something… The prior day’s work made understanding and working the Iron Cross both easier and safer.

Shooting and Moving

This is a topic that gets way to much overhype. Shooting on the move is always a challenge and it always will be a challenge since you are becoming a moving platform. Because you are a moving platform your brain, eyes, arms, hands, and feet all have a ton more to do.

Don’t over stress it. When the dot/sight looks right, shoot. Don’t worry about rolling heel to toe or any other variation of overstressed detail. Walk, lock on the rifle as best you can, shoot.

Walking and Shooting Laterally

The secret to moving laterally and shooting sideways is…

Walk laterally, left or right, turn your torso and shoot the target. When the sight looks right take the shot.

Posting

Posting is used after rapid movement. You are not going to shoot and sprint simultaneously. Posting is going through the work of stopping your body and rebuilding a shot.

Working quickly is important, however not as important as actually stopping your movement to take the shot accurately. Shooters running this lateral drill who didn’t stop didn’t hit.

Add to the confusion by making different targets at different spacing the requirement at each stop in the drill and each shooter had a royal time doing it properly. Again, these are illustrative capability drills. Shooting it in perfect sequence was never the goal. Starting and stopping smoothly and transitioning targets smoothly was.

Mad Minute of Barricades

60 Seconds on the clock. One shot on each side of the barricade. Most rounds on target wins. I managed to fire 20 shots a tie for the most rounds fired. But only 14 hits, 7 in the score box making my accuracy middle of the pack.

It’s a rough drill if you need to work on cardio.

Rough but illuminating. It can show you easily where you are over and under emphasizing. Are you sacrificing accuracy for speed for no benefit? Or are you taking to much time and not trusting your sight and rifle mount?

Diagnostic Training

Wrapping up this Sentinel Concepts course with a single thought. Diagnostic training is using ammunition and time efficiently to assess skill deficiencies and correct them. Fire the drills, find the weaknesses, work to correct them, and reassess.

Good training is always worth your time. Steve is running a preseason sale right now too. Save 10% on any course you preregister for any course with code YETI2019 off the Sentinel Concepts Course List.

It’s money well invested folks. Put the next rifle/carbine on hold for a bit and shoot the one you have in hand.

Harris and L3 (Owner of EOTech, Among Many Properties) are Merging

By
Keith Finch
-

A $33.5 billion dollar tech giant. The new L3 Harris Technologies will be a huge influence in the IT and communications portions of the DoD and DoJ.

The new tech merger puts expanded developmental power into the hands of two companies working on FAA security tech, fighter jet communication tech, cell tracking, night vision, and low visibility flight.

In a Sunday announcement, Kubasik said the transaction is intended to create a sixth prime government contractor. The five largest defense contractors — Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics — have dominated the U.S. defense market for years, each of them taking in more than $10 billion a year from the federal government. -From the Washington Post

 

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