Doc's firearms thread

[Docwagon 856]

Good deal on a polymer Sig:

 

http://www.firearmsforsale.com/combo/sig-sp2022mag/

 

3 mags is a huge plus.  It looks like Sig is running a special though authorized dealers right now.  I'm half tempted to pick up a new one, but I'm still too in love with my P220 to cheat just yet.

[Jason 1,245]

Are you doing all this practice for a competition? Or just personal goals?

[Docwagon 856]

Are you doing all this practice for a competition? Or just personal goals?

 

To keep my ass alive.

 

Since our last in the line of duty death last September, we've had 30 police officers involved in police actions shootings, 8 of whom were shot themselves.

[Jason 1,245]

To keep my ass alive.

Since our last in the line of duty death last September, we've had 30 police officers involved in police actions shootings, 8 of whom were shot themselves.

Wow. Well it that case keep practicing and stay safe.

[Drifter 851]

 

Since our last in the line of duty death last September, we've had 30 police officers involved in police actions shootings, 8 of whom were shot themselves.

 

Is that just out of your precinct or is that the whole county/area? That seems like a lot

[Docwagon 856]

Is that just out of your precinct or is that the whole county/area? That seems like a lot

 

County wide, and it is a lot.  To clarify, that doesn't mean 30 separate incidents.  If two officers return fire in the same incident, that's counted as two officers involved, but that's still a big increase over the last few years.  Gunfire deaths are up nationwide this year for law enforcement, and our county seems to be accelerating faster than average.  Our homicide rate is way up over last year, too, despite national trends down.  I think we're on pace for about 160-170 homicides this year if the pace stays the same.

 

I don't have an assigned district. Most of the special investigation units such as Homicide & Robbery office are countywide.  General detectives are assigned to individual districts.

 

My worry isn't so much a hot scene.  I'm usually last one there.  Uniformed patrol will be on the scene before me 99% of the time.  I serve warrants, though, and not everything qualifies for SWAT, even with major felonies.  My bigger worry is ambush.  My car is unmarked, but its pretty obvious its a police car if anyone really looks.  I'm plain clothes, but not UC, so when I'm eating lunch and the like my radio is still talking on my belt, so even if you can't see my badge, gun, etc, again its pretty obvious I'm a cop.  Those last two assholes who ambushed and murdered cops eating lunch were even from Indiana.

 

The faster I can get out of the holster and on target, the better my chances of surviving an ambush.  If I can get under a second, I can pull and fire quick enough to interrupt most people's draw stroke.

 

The basic theory is the OODA loop.  Observe, Orient, Decide, Act.  You have to Observe the threat, as you can't react to something you are unaware of.  You have to Orient yourself to this new information (go from "I'm eating lunch" to "i'm about to be in a gun fight").  You have to Decide what to do (take cover, draw, rush him, whatever) and then Act.

 

The bad guy has the drop on you, because he's already through OOD the moment he starts his attack.  Situational awareness, reading people around you, etc. may allow you to catch him earlier in the cycle, but in the worst case he's at "A" while you're on the first "O".  Shedding time on the "A" can get you back in the fight.

[Docwagon 856]

Day 5:

Cold draw was 2.02

 

At the end of my 10 , I was routinely drawing in the 1.62-1.68 range very smoothly.

 

30 minutes deliberate practice

 

Still in the 1.62-1.68 range, but the final two dipped into 1.45 (both #9 and #10).

 

Came home at the end of shift and did a cold draw at 1.92.

 

I did about 10 minutes of reloading drills and am very happy with the speed and smoothness of my reloads.  I'm using snap caps, so I can't really recreate the feel of the gun going dry.  I'm sort of cheating in other words, where as in the real world I'm not likely to realize my gun is empty until I see the slide lock back or pull the trigger and realize its not going bang.  However knowing I'm going to reload I can get the new magazine in the gun as the one leaving the gun is hitting the floor.  I started practicing over my bed so I didn't have to keep bending down to pick up the mags and realized that was MUCH smarter and I got a lot more reps in with less down time.

 

If anyone's interested, I'll post up how I do my reloads.

[Docwagon 856]

Day 6:

 

Cold draw was 1.66 seconds.

End of warm up session was 1.57 seconds.

 

Practice.

Not much difference after session.  1.56 best time.

[JsinOwl 644]

How do you time yourself?

[Docwagon 856]

How do you time yourself?

 

IPSC timer if I can get my hands on one at the range, IPSC timer app on my smartphone at home or when I can't.

 

It beeps randomly somewhere between 2 seconds and 8 seconds after you hit "start".  This is adjustable, its just how I have mine set.  It then shows you when each shot went off and the "split" (time between shots).

 

The timer app is sensitive enough that you can calibrate it to hear the hammer fall, and it counts that as a "shot". 

 

I like the real timer better because you can snap it to your belt and because it will keep things in memory.  With the timer app I have to bend down to start it, then write the time down before doing it again.  At home its no big deal, I just set it on the dresser next to me.

 

Here's the app:

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.stimer&hl=en

[Docwagon 856]

I felt like today was a really good day of practice.  I was able to maintain concentration, really focus on where my flaws are, and then worked on those components.  I did a lot of just pulling the gun out of the holster, as I noticed that as I tried to speed up I was reversing my hand's motion and pushing down.  Ideally, I want to continue upward momentum at all times, but I was pushing back down briefly when I undid the retention strap.  I don't HAVE to push down to deactivate it, I should be breaking the thumb snap as I sweep up, but if I miss it means I can't get the gun out until I reverse and try again, so I was overcompensating.

 

I'm also really concentrating on being smooth instead of being fast.  "Smooth is fast" is what the instructors always say, work on being smooth, and fast will come.  When I try to push my arm as fast as it'll go, I slow myself down and become inconsistent.

 

Today's results:

 

Cold draw:

1.60 seconds

1.62

1.67

1.58

1.58

 

30 minutes deliberate practice

 

1.48 seconds

1.58

1.45

1.39 (!!!!)

1.46

 

This is the first time I'm consistently been in the 1.4X second range and the first time I dipped below 1.40 seconds.

[JsinOwl 644]

Do the other cops you know work at their craft like you?

[Docwagon 856]

Do the other cops you know work at their craft like you?

 

Very few.  I run into the same people over and over at the range on open training days.  The vast majority take the mandatory training days and nothing else.  SWAT guys train a lot, as you'd expect, but they get extra training on the clock.

 

Some guys excel in other areas and put a lot of time and training into being good at it.  Some of the cybercrimes guys spend a butt ton of time to be good at what they do, and I can barely Facebook.  One of the guys in our office is an expert on strangulation, he attends seminars around the country, etc, to be as knowledgeable as possible on that aspect.  Many people find a niche and specialize in that.

[Docwagon 856]

6-25-14

 

Cold draw:

 

1.49 Seconds

1.45

1.57

1.59

1.55

 

30 minutes deliberate practice

 

1.49 Seconds

1.45

1.40

1.38 (!!!)

1.50

 

I did a few more draws and they got slower and slower as my shoulder was tired and I was getting sloppy.  I took about 5 minutes and did a few more draws.  I hit 1.30, but didn't count it as I would have missed hard left if I'd been live firing.  1.37 was the best I could do with a little rest, I hit it twice before calling it a day.

[Docwagon 856]

6-26-14

 

Cold draw:

 

1.50

1.41

1.41

1.72 (bobbled the retention strap)

1.41

 

30 minutes deliberate practice

 

1.30 (!!!)

1.54

1.41

1.48

1.50

 

My consistency has improved greatly, I feel a lot smoother and I'm picking up the front sight faster.  I couldn't break 1.40 after the practice session, I felt tired.  I took a few minutes rest and pulled a 1.33, but couldn't do any better.  Trying to push faster hurt my times.  I'm consistently under 1.50 now, though.

 

One thing this exercise has done is really make me think about my holster.  I carry in a pancake style 3-slot holster with a forward cant.  I'm considering trying a midride open top holster, but I need to test if I can still retain the pistol if someone tries a gun grab.

[Docwagon 856]

Just as a heads up, I'm not going to update this daily now.  I've gotten all the low hanging fruit, so to speak and my improvements are in the hundreths of a second now.  Cold draw was at 1.43 yesterday, and today was my son's birthday so I was busy with him and then work so I didn't get my half hour in.

[Docwagon 856]

Great deal on an AR-15 if anyone is looking to buy:

 

Complete lower for $139:  http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ar-15-05/lowers/psa-ar-15-complete-lower-blackhawk-edition-no-magazine.html

 

Complete bolt carrier group for $89:  http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/5-56-hpt-mpi-m-16-bolt-carrier-group.html

 

Charging handle for $25:  http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ar15-m16-charging-handle.html

 

Complete upper with a rail for $309:  http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ar-15-05/barreled-upper-assemblies/psa-16-m4-premium-quad-rail-without-bcg-or-charging-handle.html

-OR-

Complete upper without rail for $249:  http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ar-15-05/barreled-upper-assemblies/m4-premium-16-cmv-chrome-lined-stripped-upper-without-bcg-or-charging-handle.html

 

The only other thing you need is a rear sight.  A Magul folding rear is about $55 on that sight.  Fixed sights can be had even cheaper.

 

With shipping, you'll still be out the door at under $600 for a good quality build AR.  This is not a build gun where you have to put the springs and levers in yourself.  The "assembly" is of complete components, just like you'd put the rifle back together after cleaning it.

 

Yes, I ordered one.  It's supposed to take a while to ship, so it may be a bit before any review.

[Jason 1,245]

From my local paper. Let me know if it's readable for you.

Here's a article.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/06/30/woman-shot-at-gun-show-doesnt-blame-vendor-says-incident-is-ironic/

[Docwagon 856]

Yup, he got careless.  Don't point guns that are mechanically capable of firing and something you don't intend to destroy.  "Loaded" or "unloaded" is irrelevant, because its too easy to make a mix up.  If it can mechanically fire its a lethal weapon and should be treated as such.

[Docwagon 856]

1.37 was my best draw today.  I took the last three days off, I was out of town 2 days and then resting up.

[Docwagon 856]

The dry fire practice is paying off.  I went to an indoor range today, and while I didn't go for speed (its too tight there and I'm already breaking rules to be shooting from the holster, so I don't want to push it) I did some live fire to see how I'm doing.  This is 50 rounds with each firearm.  It's not a 100% fair comparison, as it doesn't account for speed and followup shots, but it does show accuracy at reasonable speeds:

 

Glock 22 (modified with grip angle adjustment and trigger job):

 

 

Ruger GP100 MC (stock):

 

 

Sig P220 (modified with Trijicon HD sights)

 

 

7 yards.  A mixture of double taps and 2 body/1 head on each target.  50 rounds total per.  .40S&W was factory American Eagle.  .357 and .45 were my own reloads.

[JsinOwl 644]

Looks like if you're packing the Ruger, anyone who messes with you is extra fucked.

[Docwagon 856]

Looks like if you're packing the Ruger, anyone who messes with you is extra fucked.

 

Yeah, it makes me take more time between each shot since its a long trigger pull and that lets me get the sights back more precisely.  Its an accuracy for speed trade off.  The Sig let's me stitch like a sewing machine, I can keep everything in the torso and run it as fast as I can get the gun back down out of recoil.

 

**oh, and all shots were with both eyes open.  I've gotten that down pretty well now, too.**

[JsinOwl 644]

Why do you think you pull left with the Glock?

[Jason 1,245]

**oh, and all shots were with both eyes open. I've gotten that down pretty well now, too.**

Nice. I trained myself to shoot that way with my, granted my targets are animals. Not ppl. Helps you see your surroundings better, that's for sure.