Jamie Jackson

Impressive video Refleks! Looks to have been an awesome day!

Thank you for posting this SGS! And Good on ya for getting out and doing the work! It sounds like a solid class, especially for a one day class. Training such as this, and especially in the rain, teaches you a lot about yourself and your gear, things you will never learn on a dry square controlled range. Many props to your instructor for running a "Hot Range"! Life is a "Hot Range" and as responsible armed adults we need to learn to work in such an environment. I look forward to further reports along your journey SGS.

Good info Bud. I had posted a bit about my experience with the SCCY CPX-1 in another thread. I was quite pleasantly surprised with my SCCY's reliability and "shootability", especially for such an inexpensive and light weight handgun. I actually like it's revolver-like trigger system, and being hammer fired, it's second strike capability, especially for a novice shooter, or a non-dedicate shooter as it relates to training to "run the gun". I paid $200.00 for mine as well. If I run across another at that price I'll probably grab it up.

The shortened intervals wouldn't bother me in any way. When I lived in MS prior to moving up to TN our permits served this point. I was surprised about my TN permit not serving in the same manner.

Just another vote for Mike at Law Enforcement Sales. I just met Mike last week at his shop where I dropped off a couple of Smith revolvers for some work... it appears I already knew him from His "other" job LOL. Great guy and what an awesome shop! Mike should be able to get that Nagant set up just like you want it.

I got some Federal 9mm HST 147 gr +P last week...but I was recovering from knee surgery and had to wait until yesterday morning to try it out in the SCCY. I only ran 2 mags (20 rounds) of the HST as my range time was limited. The SCCY fed the 2 mags without issue. The surprising thing was it grouped 3 rounds into a small cloverleaf at 15 yards. This particular gun shoots about 6" high with the 147's at 15 yards (for me). Needless to say I'm pleased with the grouping as my shooting abilities are mediocre at best. I would prefer non-plus P ammo though. The +P HST is obviously manageable, but would be abusive to such a light gun over time. But the SCCY seems to be a pretty solid little gun for it's price point thus far. Just a FWIW and FYI.

Here's a couple of pics of my current Waist or Fanny pack. I had my little SCCY in it on my recent range trip.

I know a few Paramedics and others that carry in Belly Bands and Smart carry holsters in certain NPE environments. I've used a Belly Band for such a role (niche) for many years...sometimes we don't have much choice. I also have used fanny packs for certain circumstances for over 25 years. When I first started using fanny packs in the early 90's there were an everyday seen and worn type item in the general populace...then for a decade or so they were decried by the Tacticool crowd as a "shoot me first...get you kelled on 'da streets" piece of kit...but they are becoming more ubiquitous yet again. I never stopped having one with loaded with a Glock 26 sized gun, 2 spare mags, small OC spray, a TQ, a Surefire flashlight and a BOK. I drag it in and out of my vehicle, but primarily use it for long drives or as a "grab and go" bag/tool...but I will still have my normal EDC guns & gear on as well. Like above, I find it a convenient niche tool. I also find it a necessity to learn how to run the fanny pack one handed, with either hand, as situations will dictate. I have a small carabiner attached to the pull and that makes it markedly easier to open with either hand. Many years back, Andy Stanford of Options for Personal Security (OPS) had a good video out demonstrating use of the fanny pack in the counter-carjacking role. I couldn't locate that particular vid, but can hopefully post one below from my old training partner Paul Gomez (RIP Brother). Paul was one of the most analytical thinkers to ever grace the self defense industry and he is missed.

Anytime Good Sir. It's still out there, but the availability is sporadic and the prices henceforth have risen to meet the diminished supply vs demand. I personally like having several spam cans of ammo set aside for the long haul. I keep my shooting rotation ammo in loose in 50 cal cans. If you can catch it in stock, places like SG Ammo usually have 7.62x54r surplus and makes like Red Army and Brown Bear for $0.40-$0.60 round which is a competitive price (imho) these days.

Ronald, I have used a screwdriver and hammer before. There's a good bit of space surrounding the ammo. A Kbar works great too! I have an extra opener I'll gladly mail you & you can mail it back at your convenience. Just shoot me a PM if interested. Unfortunately Spam cans of surplus 7.62x54 R aren't nearly as plentiful as they were.

Powder and Primers were the main reason I did business with Wideners. And their customer service during those times was excellent. That's a shame. But such is life in this day and time. Regulated to death...

You can definitely use the slide release Dave. That sucker is tiny and crammed into a small gun to start with...but it's "doable". Mine has the manual safety fwiw. I default to an overhand slingshot method as that was how I initially trained. After 10 of thousands of reps it's just ingrained in me. But I did intentionally use the slide release several times when running my Sccy the other day. I always carry a second magazine. Not so much because I fantasize about taking on the Isis hoards ...but as a malfunction clearance tool... and simply because magazines are usually the failure component culprit in a semiauto...low probability issue...but I train to keep the gun running and the extra mag is a link in that chain.

I went to the range this morning and ran 150 rounds through my G17 (new sights), about 50 rounds through my 9mm Shield (pocket carry) and about 150-160 rounds through my 9mm Sccy. Dave is right on the weight difference of course. The Sccy weighs in at 15 oz, my 9mm Shield around 20 oz. Those are unloaded weights. The Sccy has a double stack 10 round magazine and therefore a significantly thicker grip.The Sccy's grip is more akin to a Glock 26 vs the thinness of the Shield. I find the transition from the Shield's trigger (mine is smooth and easy with a positive reset right out of the box) to the Sccy's is like the difference between shooting a striker fired semiauto and revolver. I even use the same rolling trigger technique I would use on my J Frame Smith. You can even “stage” the Sccy trigger like you can a DAO revolver. I don’t know the dimensions because I haven’t measured it…but the Sccy has a short enough grip that I pinched the crap out of my right palm a couple of times doing mags changes while running a few drills. It’s no big deal as I’ve done similar with my Shield a time or two. The Sccy, (possibly?) seems to be settling in or breaking in somewhat. I’ve only put about 400 rounds through it so far…but the feeding of SD ammo seems to be markedly improving. I ran one 10 mags of Pow’R Ball through it (already knew that it feed reliably) but I also ran a mag of each of the following with no issues: Black Hills 124 gr +P Gold Dot Winchester Ranger 147 gr +P HP Remington 147 gr Golden Saber HP Winchester (White Box) 147 gr HP Speer Gold Dot 124 gr HP standard velocity ( I have some 147 gr HST coming today I plan to try on my next range session) The rest of the rounds were handloaded PC 130 & 155 gr RN I normally practice with. If you replicate this please have extra Bandaids with you… It’s a very light pistol with a few sharp edges that are noticeable when running the +P loads… As a Rule of Thumb, I don’t carry any handgun for defensive purposes until I have between 750-1000 through them to “prove” their reliability to me. I don’t plan to forego my Shield nor my Glocks… but I am pleasantly surprised with my $200.00 investment thus far.

I wish them the best and I'm glad to hear they are relocating as well. I actually picked up a SCCY from a friend last year. It's really a pretty solid little gun for a "budget" end of the spectrum, subjectively it's very shootable. The sights are solid on mine and offer a good sight picture. The trigger is, of course, markedly different from the Glocks I've been shooting for years (decades)...much akin to a revolver trigger, long full release to reset, but smooth and not heavy at all. Best of all the SCCY has a decent handfilling ergonomic grip. Worst of all mine is a picky eater! It runs fmj fine, loves 147 gr 9mm, but has had FTF with several defensive carry loads. I'm got it loaded with Pow'R Ball by Corbon...it likes that load. I wouldn't particularly want one for an EDC...but at it's price point it's not bad.

Thanks for the pics and Nice work...both the holster and speed strip carrier. I'm a "visual learner", so that helps. I hope you'll keep us posted on the evolution and development.

Would you be so kind as to post a pic of the speed strip pouch once you make it? My 640 is a second gun and carried non-dominate side the majority of the time (occasionally I carry it as a primary in the appendix position), so I carry my speed strip in the "watch pocket" of my jeans. But I've considered a dedicated belt mounted strip pouch. btw...How do you carry your moon clips? Any issues with fragility of the moon clips? I obviously don't own a moon clip fed revolver but one is on my wish list.

Very nice pair you got there! and "gooder" is a fine word, and very appropriate! I do love me some wheelguns! I happen to have a 686 I picked up in 1986 and a 640 (my daily pocket pistol) I've carried since 1992. They are both great shooting guns and should allow you to handle most any situation you'd run across. I have Barami Hip grips with a Tyler T-piece on my 640. This setup gives me variable carry options. How do you carry reloads? Speed strips? Speed loaders? Belt slide? Combination?

I recently picked a set of the Ameriglo Hackathorn sights for my Glock 26, replacing the XS Big Dot sights I had on it. I'm impressed by them. Easy to install of course. Very fast for my aging eyes to pick up, and they have a flat ledge on the front of the rear sight that aids in one hand malfunction clearance drills. The narrow front post with the bright orange dot really draws my eye to it, yet there is plenty of room in the rear notch for precise shooting. The orange dot has a tritium insert as well. I'm considering purchasing a pair for my S&W Shield. My only concern is that by looking at Ameriglo's website, the rear sight for the Shield seems to lack the serrations. That's not a deal breaker or anything, but I do like the serrations. Anyone else running these? http://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/sights/sight-sets/hackathorn-night-sight-sets-for-glock--prod70540.aspx http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2016/10/18/review-ameriglo-hackathorn-glock-night-sights/

I enjoyed this series as well. It's a bonus that it has a local setting. Good recommendation Billybob.

And for this they taught us to "Duck & Cover"? Good Grief!

Thank you Mark. They certainly should save some money. I have some hand warmers and o2 absorbers, so I'll give both a try the next time I put up some jars of dehydrated food. I'll make sure to post back with my observations. A penny saved and all that.

As I mentioned earlier, I've never tried the handwarmers in lieu of dedicated o2 absorbers. How well have they worked for you Mark? I'm definitely open to options...

I'm happy to share any first hand experiences JAB. I encourage everyone to be as food self sufficient as possible. I know our food storage and preps have helped us through more than one tough stretch of life. I do have some items stored in one gallon Mylar bags and I've toyed with making "mountain House"-like meals. Of course being a mixture of home dehydrated and store bought dehydrated foods. Freeze dried foods will have a much longer shelf life done this way, and will generally require less water to rehydrate and eat. It's hard to beat the quality, taste, and ease of preparation of the single or family serving Mountain bags... But if you want to make short-term homemade "meals", say for a weekend camping trip, that's certainly a doable thing. I'll attach a link or two on it. But storing any type of quality protein (meat) for any length of time, is best done, imho, using freeze dried products...in this context. An option is to purchase a #10 can and repackage it. This site has some good info regarding preparing "backpacking" meals: http://www.backpackingchef.com/ http://www.backpackingchef.com/backpacking-recipes.html The majority of the one gallon bags I have stored include a variety of foods ... dehydrated already cooked beans, rice, and even coffee. I keep these in a relatively large plastic tote for carrying along in a quick leaving home scenario. But I also keep some Mountain House and Wise packets in the tote that I've purchased in online sales. If/when you try some of the "meals" linked, please give us some feedback. Gotta coffee up and get to work.

There isn't any particular brand I use Jab. I have purchased from Sorbent Systems and Ready Made Resources in the past. But I haven't purchased any in about 4-5 years. My last purchase was for several hundred of the 500 cc sized. I opened them and re-vac sealed them into 100 count bags. I had my vac seal bags cut and ready to go before opening and repackaging...so they only have exposure to the air for about 10 minutes...this apparently didn't effect their efficacy in any way. For use in my jars, generally foods I've dehydrated in my Excalibur unit...I fill my jars, have lids & rings at the ready...open the o2 absorbers, remove and toss the appropriate number (for the jar size) into the jars, place their lids on and re-vac seal the bag of absorbers. I've repeated this process several times and always get a solid and distinctive "plink" when the lids seal. As regards Mylar. I purchase purpose made for food storage Mylar bags for use in lining food grade plastic buckets. I place the bags into the buckets first, fill them with the desired food items...rice, beans. pasta, whole red winter wheat, instant mashed potatoes in vac sealed bags, seasonings, etc...sometimes a combination of items so that one 5 gallon bucket with Mylar bag contains a weeks supply of meal preparations for 2 people. Other buckets single type food items. These are my "Long Term" buckets and I'll toss in 5-6 500cc absorbers, press out all of the air I can and I use an aluminum level and a dedicated electric iron to seal the Mylar bags. I generally wait several hours to insure the vac seal takes, then place the bucket lids back on. The oxygen depleted vac sealed bags are what preserves the food...the buckets reduce the likelihood of bag puncture, rodent nibbling, and made storage and movement easier. There's lots of YT videos on the method. I'm working a long stretch just now, but I'll either add links or start a thread on this my next days off. I've read of hand warmers being recommended before, but I have never tried them. I'm confident with my current system and components. I'll also address my experiences with one gallon sized bags and single meals when I have more time...Sorry, gotta go make money to pay the bills.

It's great info Sidecarist. I wouldn't have thought of preheating or pre-softening lids myself..so you've saved me some frustration I'm certain. LOL. I've never had an "original thought" in my life I'm sure. I read about the o2 absorbers on Frugal's Forum many years ago.