Cruel Hand Luke

Everyone should have some Dynamicly Adaptive Disruptively cool videos in their library Bro..... ;)  :devil:   Seriously...That is a great deal.....get some ....they'll never be any cheaper than that.....

RGF-1: RIFLE GUNFIGHTING I November 14-15 , 2015 Price: $350 CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE INSTRUCTOR: RANDY HARRIS Rifle confrontations worldwide rarely exceed 25 yards. Rather than a long range marksman's weapon, our research shows the rifle will most likely be used just outside the reach of more conventional weapons, as well as within these closer intervals of confrontation. This course will take the student quickly through the basics and impart the techniques necessary to deploy the Tactical Rifle, Civilian Carbine, or Submachine gun in a close interval emergency. This course is highly recommended for civilian defenders, military personnel, or police operators (we make no distinction in the material presented). CLASS AND RANGE DETAILS DURATION: 2 days TIME: 9:00AM to 5:00PM Central AMMUNITION: Approximately 500 rounds (Minimum) and 50 rounds of pistol ammunition. RANGE & GEAR REQUIREMENTS: Rifle (any action or caliber suitable for use within 50 yards), all weapons must be equipped with a sling, also bring a pistol with at least (2) magazines, a belt, holster, magazine pouches, rifle ammo pouches, and ear & eye protection (knee and elbow pads are strongly suggested). Also Helpful Bring spare clothing appropriate for the weather, including a hat, sunscreen, and bug repellent. Plan to bring lunch, snacks, and water (min 1 gallon per person) for the entire day unless driving to lunch is a viable option from the range location. Bring allergy medication (if needed), a chair (if you prefer), note taking supplies, and a boo boo kit (band aids, gauze pads, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment and tape). You may wish to bring pads such as knee pads, elbow pads, and gloves if the class lends itself to that. Fro more info and to register...http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/151114-rifle-gunfighting1-chattanooga-tn.aspx#.Vgq3_PlViko

This one is going to be moved to Nov 14-15. 

JUST ABOUT A MONTH TO GO.....

Really? Wow never would have guessed that.....not only are you preaching to the choir you are preaching to the arch bishop. By mentioning folks playing it as a game I was referring to those who ONLY play gun games and do not actually carry guns in a serious manner on a regular basis....and there are plenty of those people shooting Idpa......and USPSA for that matter. No one with more than 4 IQ points thinks IDPA is "real" or is "training" but some of us (including some founding members) think it still should represent real life a bit more than it presently does. Will it ever be real? Not unless there is a medic standing by...in fact it will never even be as real as competently run scripted force on force evolutions but those are impossible to make objectively scored contests out of. And in the end if it is scored it needs to be "fair" and everyone experience the same test in order to declare a winner and the numerical placement of runners up......but it would add a little more realism if the penalties for misses,hits on bystanders and hits outside the high thoraxic and head were higher than they presently are.....

Coming at this as a serious gun carrier first, trainer second and gamer third I am glad to see it. If a hit in the abdomen is scored as only a half second lower than a round in the aorta then we are really not being very realistic with our scoring. We know that rounds in the area from diaphragm to neck are going to get best results with pistol bullets....everything else to the body is really a crap shoot as far as effectiveness. The target HAS already been changed once when they moved the minus 0 circle up a couple of inches. It used to be lower. So I think it is a good idea.And I would personally like to see misses more like 5 seconds (in the real world which idpa is supposed to replicate if you shoot it you buy it) and see hit on non threats at 10 seconds (or more) but I fear a lot of folks who just play it as a game and don't care about how it can be more realistic will not like it.

Just a little over a week to go!

I'll be there. I shoot Friday AM and Sat PM. I'm going to get there probably around 3 pm on Thursday. 

Wow...that change in verbiage certainly made that confusing for the average person.....And if you're confused....call Chattanooga PD and they'll clear it up for you....wow.....

Getting closer every day........

Not to be over simplistic but if they had not seen the knife clipped in pocket then there would not have even been any contact with the officers IN THE FIRST PLACE.    Treating everywhere like a non permissive environment (especially when it IS an NPE) and keeping things concealed that might draw peoples' attention solves a lot of problems. While your knife clipped in pocket is certainly "legal" out on the street it also draws attention that you might not want and not all negative attention is from bad guys...sometimes it is from the authorities.........  

Guns fire one way...someone or something pulls the trigger. If no one or no thing pulls the trigger then they do not go off. It is pretty simple.   I have carried pretty much daily (unless I'm so sick I don't leave the house) for the last 20 years and have yet to have a gun spontaneously go off no matter what kind of holster it was in or where it was oriented. So in a minimum of 7000 days of carrying loaded guns on my person and spent the last decade teaching classes all over the country with people carrying loaded guns on their person and I have yet to see a single "spontaneous discharge" where a gun "went off" in the holster for no reason. I have seen "negligent discharges" occur while people were handling guns but never saw one go off while it was secured in a holster.     You know whose guns just spontaneously go off in holsters? NOBODY's. You know whose go off when holstering ? People who holster with finger on trigger and people who shove the gun unto a holster that has shirt tail or the edge of the holster itself (in the case of the ultra worn broken down old leather holsters or ultra cheap nylon holsters) or some other obstruction inside the holster that contacts the trigger are the people who have guns go off while holstering. That is what causes guns to go off in holsters ....something (or someone) pulls the trigger as the gun is inserted.    How do we make sure it does not go off while holstering? Use a holster that does not collapse when the gun comes out.  Keep your finger clear of the trigger guard and slowly and carefully insert the pistol after making sure that there are no obstructions (clothing, jacket toggles or drawstrings, keys, etc) that can come in contact with the trigger. Once it is in the holster don't touch it and simply go about your business. As long as the trigger does not get pressed it cannot go off.    Only you will be able to decide whether appendix carry is right for you. If it is then rock on. If it is not...then rock on. It doesn't effect anyone else how YOU carry YOUR gun (as long as you do it safely) so choose what works and go forth and be armed. 

Reminder....this one is getting closer every day!

Suarez International  RGF-1: RIFLE GUNFIGHTING I OCTOBER 3-4, 2015 Price: $350 CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE INSTRUCTOR: RANDY HARRIS Rifle confrontations worldwide rarely exceed 25 yards. Rather than a long range marksman's weapon, our research shows the rifle will most likely be used just outside the reach of more conventional weapons, as well as within these closer intervals of confrontation. This course will take the student quickly through the basics and impart the techniques necessary to deploy the Tactical Rifle, Civilian Carbine, or Submachine gun in a close interval emergency. This course is highly recommended for civilian defenders, military personnel, or police operators (we make no distinction in the material presented). CLASS AND RANGE DETAILS DURATION: 2 days TIME: 9:00AM to 5:00PM Central AMMUNITION: Approximately 500 rounds (Minimum) and 50 rounds of pistol ammunition. RANGE & GEAR REQUIREMENTS: Rifle (any action or caliber suitable for use within 50 yards), all weapons must be equipped with a sling, also bring a pistol with at least (2) magazines, a belt, holster, magazine pouches, rifle ammo pouches, and ear & eye protection (knee and elbow pads are strongly suggested). Also Helpful Bring spare clothing appropriate for the weather, including a hat, sunscreen, and bug repellent. Plan to bring lunch, snacks, and water (min 1 gallon per person) for the entire day unless driving to lunch is a viable option from the range location. Bring allergy medication (if needed), a chair (if you prefer), note taking supplies, and a boo boo kit (band aids, gauze pads, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment and tape). You may wish to bring pads such as knee pads, elbow pads, and gloves if the class lends itself to that. Fro more info and to register.....http://www.suarezinternationalstore....x#.VdS8b_lViko

Just a quick reminder that the last weekend in Oct is getting closer everyday. It is never to early to start planning......

Usually they will EITHER suppress flash OR suppress recoil, but not do both well.   I've shot standard "slant break " AKM Muzzle device , Phantom,  Type 84 (Tapco) , M16 style (Tapco) , Manticore Arms NightShroud (for 24mm thread AK74 and AK 100 series) , Vortex, and Liberty Phoenix .  They all work to one degree or another (except the slant break ) . If you have a 24mm thread (AK74 or AK100 series) then the Manticore is the way to go. VERY short and works well. If you have a standard AK 47/AKM14x1LH thread then the Phoenix is probably the best flash hider other than the vortex and it does not "sing" like the vortex does but it is just a tiny bit longer.   My "go to" AK has a Phoenix flashhider on it. 

The Pistol class is being rescheduled, but there is still time to get signed up for the Saturday AK class....class size will be small so you will essentially be getting a "semi private " class on the AK platform from the people that brought the AK platform to prominence in the training industry..... 

I spent last week in the mountains of Ellijay Georgia at the Rogers Shooting School (http://www.rogersshootingschool.com/). For those not familiar with the school it is owned and run by Bill Rogers, former FBI agent, inventor ( Safariland  duty holster ALS and SLS and GLS locks, Wilson/Rogers 1911 mags, Rogers Super Stock, etc) and world class shooter who won a metric ton of matches in the 80s and 90s and beyond. In fact I was recently flipping through an old issue of Soldier of Fortune from 1986 looking at an article about the SOF 3 Gun Match and lo and behold but who was 2nd over all? Bill Rogers....yep...that Bill Rogers.    The class normally runs a week starting on Sunday evening and finishing up on Friday afternoon. The class normally runs $1200 for the week and 2500 rounds of ammo. This is quite an investment in time , money , and ammo for most people. But the deal of the century might be the way I did it . I took it as  the 3 day Rogers Reactive Steel Course offered through my friend Ronnie Dodd's company Dodd and Associates (http://www.doddtraining.com/). This class runs Wednesday night through Saturday afternoon . Ronnie is also the chief instructor at Rogers and that is how he is able to offer the 3 day class using the Rogers facilities and the Rogers assistant instructors. During the class I stayed in the Rogers Lodge ( $75 for the class) and Bill Rogers himself made an appearance at the class so it was pretty much as close to the 5 day class experience as the 3 day class could be. Of course there is no free lunch, (well....actually lunch is included in the class) and you cannot fit 5 days into 3 so you will get 4 runs on the test instead of the normal 6 and you will only shoot 1500 rounds for the class instead of the normal 2500 and no Thursday night low light shoot like in the 5 day class.    At Rogers they teach what they call Reactive Shooting. That is shooting within human reaction time. It takes someone .25 of a second to observe and a .25 to respond if there is no other decision making involved. So a simple "see it , point the gun at it and shoot it" would be a half second. The target system used at the school consists of 8" plates that appear and disappear in very short time increments. They range in distance from 7 yards to 9 yards to 10 yards to 15 to 19 yards. One of the first drills we shoot is a shot in one half second at a 7 yard target. We then shoot 2 targets in 1 second, and then 3 targets in 1.5 seconds. The drills don't get any easier either. The practice is all geared toward the test which you shoot each day to determine your score and class ranking.     Each person shoots about 500 rounds per day. This can seem daunting to some , especially guys shooting heavier caliber guns. Guys who show up with .45s often switch to 9mm in short order. One gentleman in our class shot his 1911 .45 on day one and promptly switched to his 9mm 1911 for the rest of the class. Of course some Mil and LE units that come to class with bigger caliber duty weapons (think SEALs, Delta, Marine Recon and FBI HRT, etc). You see Rogers is not the typical "Firearm safety class" it is a doctorate level test of marksmanship. You either sink or swim . You either acclimate to the speed of the targets and force yourself to see the sights and make the hits or you miss a lot and watch plates disappear. The targets do not care that you are shooting with 2 hands or with one or with your strong or your weak hand. The time frames are all the same. After all, the bad guys won't take it easy on you if you are injured and having to shoot with one hand......   There is not much downtime in the class. You are either loading magazines, shooting drills, hydrating, watching the instructors demonstrate drills, or eating lunch. Even during lunch the target system runs so that if you choose to you can hurry up and eat lunch and then get some dry practice in. And every little bit helps while preparing for the test. The instructors are there always offering constructive suggestions, and offering encouragement. And as opposed to some other schools, all the instructors can shoot at a high level. They have to in order to demonstrate the drills.    At the end of each day you shoot the test. It is an 9 stage 125 round course of fire. The first stage is 3 rounds on 3 different targets from the extended low ready position in 1.5 seconds. The 2nd is from the ready engaging 4 plates in near to far order in 2 seconds. And it just gets more difficult from there.  Number 8 can cause nightmares as it is 23 plates in 3 waves all shot weak handed with 2 weak hand only reloads thrown in....all in 23 seconds. Not exactly for the faint of heart. There is a reason that not many people clean the test. In fact only 4 people have ever shot the test with a perfect 125. Bill Rogers, Rob Leatham, Manny Bragg and Gabe White have shot a perfect 125. As mentioned earlier your scores count toward what  certificate you graduate with. Score less than 70 on the test and you do not pass.  Pass the test with 70 points and you get a Basic Certificate. Pass with a 90 and you get an Intermediate certificate. Pass with 110 or more and you graduate Advanced. They say less than 5% pass at the Advanced level and only those 4 guys have ever cleaned it.    Some of my peers in the shooting and training industry who have already been had been waiting for a long time for me to finally make the pilgrimage to Rogers. Unfortunately  classes at Rogers usually fill up and they are not always offered when I am free. I stay busy between my day job, teaching and match shooting. So when the opportunity  hit to do the  the 3 day class in between teaching my own classes and shooting matches I was glad to finally get to attend this class. As to my performance? Well I didn't do as well as I would have liked, but then again, only 4 guys ever have. I ended up graduating Advanced with a 115 score and the coveted red pin for the Top Shooter in the class.    If you get the chance to go to the full 5 day class that would be great, but if time, and money are an issue then take a serious look at the three day class run through Dodd and Associates. You'll be glad you did. 

ONE week to go on these!

THIS IS COMING UP IN ABOUT 2 WEEKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As of right now there is no particular number of classes you have to teach to maintain your certification. The word is that eventually (probably soon)there will be a 1 class per year requirement. You can cover that by simply assisting another instructor with an NRA class. 

I probably wouldn't have really cut it off......   The issue with wrapping index finger around the trigger guard is that MOST people who do that , whether they recognize it or not, actually tend to pull the muzzle down with that pressure they are applying to the trigger guard and the way they grip the gun is not the same every time. Consistency in results requires consistency in application and if the grip is not the same the gun moves around. If the gun moves around then the results are....Suboptimal.   Once you "cut out" that bad habit I think you will be happy with the results.

We scheduled this one on that particular date so as not to conflict with the Tennessee football home game schedule as some people had requested........

Suarez International CLOSE RANGE GUNFIGHTING October 31 - November 1, 2015 Dayton, Tennessee Price : $350 Instructor: Randy Harris This is our flagship course and goes as far as you can safely go on a square range with live-fire pistols. The dynamic curriculum surpasses the traditional handgun methods commonly taught in most institutions and focuses of the use of the pistol in aggressive close range applications likely in individual civilian street encounters. The class begins with a tune-up of the fundamentals, then we progress quickly to new skills such as Proactive and Reactive Manipulations, Shooting While Moving Off The X, Reality-Based Multiple Hostiles Engagement, 360 degree CQB Movement, Danger-Close Fighting, Bilateral Shooting, 360 degree After Action Assessment Methods, and Integrating the Flashlight and Other Tools into the Firing Platform. This is the life-saving material that is often ignored in many other programs. In two days, you will receive more information than most armed professionals ever get! We must point out that THIS COURSE IS NOT FOR THE NOVICE SHOOTER. If you have not received basic instruction, or have a question about your skill level, please call us first.   DURATION: 2 days TIME: 8:30AM to 4:30PM (EST) AMMUNITION: Approximately 500 rounds (Minimum)   YOU NEED TO BRING: Spare clothing appropriate to the weather. Lunch, snacks and water (minimum of 1 gallon per person) for the entire day. Baseball or other style hat, sun screen, bug repellent, allergy medication (if needed), chair (if you have a problem with sitting on the ground, note taking paper/pen/pencil and a boo boo kit (band aids, gauze pads, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment and tape).   REQUIREMENTS: Modern defensive pistol and a holster specifically made for that pistol and designed to be worn on the belt. Three (3) magazines and magazine pouch, a belt of the same width as the belt loops for the holster and magazine pouches, and range safety gear (eye protection, and ear protection).   For more info and to register ........http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/151031-close-range-gunfighting-dayton-tn.aspx

I'm packing targets and stands right now.....anyone that has an "EZ Up" portable shade might want to bring it.....