Great Blog Post About USPSA

On May 5, 2011 By Tom LindsayIn USPSA

Here’s a great blog post on USPSA shooting at The Truth About Guns:

A Good Encounter

On May 4, 2011July 26, 2012 By Tom LindsayIn Uncategorized1 Comment

My 14 year old son and I were at the movies last fall, standing in the lobby, waiting for our show. I can’t remember exactly how we got on the subject, but we got around to discussing full auto weapons. As the bill-paying adult of the group, I thought that maybe a rifle that shot 3 round bursts would be just as fun as full auto. My son then asked if a gun with 3 round bursts still fell under a Class 3 license.

I said I didn’t know, and as quick as that, out of the corner of my eye up walks a tall uniformed police officer, and said “Say what?”

“Excuse me?” I answered.

“My ears perked up when I heard ‘Class 3’.”

Having nothing to hide, I told him what we were talking about, and he cleared it up for us.

First, a “Class 3 license” refers to the dealer who sells automatic weapons. The owner doesn’t have to have such a license, but still has to go through a lot of paperwork. Yes, 3 round bursts require a Class 3 dealer license. Yes, the Acworth, Georgia, police department issues M4’s and he shoots his at least once a month. They practice out to 100 yards, but mostly closer than that. He said their use of the M4 in most cases would be as suppressing fire, in a hostage standoff or other situation. He didn’t really see the point of a civilian owning a full auto gun. It wasn’t from a Second Amendment point of view, it’s just that tactically it wouldn’t make sense.

Ah, but it would be a lot of fun.

“Well, yeah, there is that. I guess your specs are a little wider than mine.”

We chatted a little while longer, and my son even got involved. But after a while our movie was seating, and we said thanks, and went in.

More than the information we got about the NFA and the weapons of the local police, it was great to talk to him. For one thing, it was definitely a teachable moment for my son. We’ve talked about it many times since, and he has a very good view of the police.

Now, whenever we are at the movies, and that policeman is there, I make it a point to say hello. I suppose if I ever get that full auto, I’ll tell him about it. Maybe we’ll get an invite to come shoot.

Practice for Competition, Part 3 – USPSA

On May 3, 2011 By Tom LindsayIn Training, USPSA

Photo by P. Erhardt, courtesy of USPSA

Last time I talked about how to practice for GSSF competition. Today I’m covering how to practice for a USPSA match.

There are some differences between GSSF and USPSA that add to what we need to practice. However, everything we did to get ready for GSSF will apply to USPSA. Here are the extra things we need to practice, in what I see as the order of their importance to our success in the sport:

* In USPSA the shooter reloads when the ammo runs out, or as the course of fire dictates. In GSSF there are no reloads.
* In USPSA the shooter moves between targets. In GSSF the shooter is stationary.
* In USPSA the shooter starts each stage from a draw, or with the gun on a table or other surface. GSSF starts from low ready
* In USPSA each stage is different. GSSF uses the same three stages for just about all matches.

RELOADS

To me, one of the biggest things I can do for USPSA matches is practice reloads until they are smooth and almost reflexive. The difference between a good reload and a bad reload can be a few seconds. A terrible reload – dropping the magazine, for instance – can add not just time, but can also be a big demoralizer.

So, with an unloaded gun and unloaded magazines, put one magazine in your gun, and the rest in the mag pouches on your gun belt. Then, practice reloads. From a shooting position, first bring the gun up to eye level, and in a little. Drop the mag from the gun, and at the same time, grab a mag from your belt and bring it up to the gun, and insert it smoothly.

Repeat these as many times as you need until you are comfortable. I find that 10 or 15 minutes is about right for me.

Variation: start with the slide locked back to simulate an empty gun reload, and at the end of the reload, drop the slide. For me, the best way I have found is to start the gun back to the shooting position, grab the top of the slide with my off hand, and push with the gun hand while pushing the slide back with the off hand. Yes, there are other ways, and I leave it to the reader to find the way that works best for you. I admit, I’ve changed the way I release a locked slide several times in my life, so I can’t tell you any one way is best.

One piece of advice – make sure your gun is in great working order before you go to a match. In one USPSA match I watched a Master class shooter spend several stages watching the magazine drop out of his 1911 every time he fired a shot. It turns out he had changed the magazine catch spring in his gun the night before, trying to fine tune his gun. He had even practiced reloads, and was confident it would work. But, he didn’t factor in the shock of recoil. He finally had to curl his off hand under the grip just to complete the match.

MOVING BETWEEN TARGETS

Sorry, but the best way to practice this by doing wind sprints, almost like in football practice. Good general physical condition is the best way to be prepared for moving, and I don’t pretend to be any expert here. I generally limber up (remember Rule 3 from Zombieland) and then spend ten or fifteen minutes dashing around the back yard. I usually do this without my gun, but I think the neighbors wouldn’t mind either way.

Be sure to practice starts and stops, and work on controlling your breathing during the stops so you don’t upset your target picture.

DRAWING

Don’t over-do the drawing practice. After all, we only draw once in each stage. It’s like golfers I know who spend their whole practice session hitting drivers, when they are only going to use the driver 14 times in a round of golf, versus maybe 40 or 50 putts. So, still put your time in practice starting from low ready, as we did practicing for GSSF. That’s because every time you move from one target to another with your gun lowered, your next shot is from low ready. This is going to happen a lot more in every stage.

To practice drawing, start with an unloaded gun, and start slow and smooth. Bring the gun up into your sight, then push toward the target,as we did when starting from low ready, so you avoid the oscillation when the sights are on target. Work up to full speed over 2 or 3 minutes, then draw for 3 to 5 minutes more.

PUT IT TOGETHER

Now, use your imagination. This can be done inside or outside. First, use some painters tape to tape some of the 1/3 size USPSA targets from GlockFAQ to walls or trees. (Or, since it works for Navy SEALs, use 3×5 index cards.) Then, start with the gun in your holster with an empty magazine, and run a stage. Go from target to target, counting shots, and changing magazines as you go. Be sure to keep your muzzle down range and your finger off the trigger as you move. When your stage is through, unload and show clear, reholster, then pick up your mags, and do it again.

I would love to hear your USPSA practice regimen!

Preparedness Tested

On May 2, 2011September 11, 2014 By Tom LindsayIn Family, Safety, Training

Sunday evening, my wife and I were watching a movie on TV. I was making my usual observations about gun handling. Kudos to the sound people for not inserting some kind of cocking or safety clicking noise when Gerard Butler drew his Glock, since they don’t have external safeties, and don’t need to be cocked. Gerard Butler’s trigger discipline left a lot to be desired, though, especially since he was supposed to be playing an ex-cop.

Then I decided to check my Twitter feed, and my threat level went from Yellow to Orange about as quickly as it takes you to read this. My timeline was full of people telling me to switch to CNN, because President Obama was going to announce that Osama bin Laden had been killed. You all probably saw the same thing I did, as we waited an hour for the President to confirm.

About five minutes into the wait my daughter texted us from her dorm room. After a couple of exchanges, my wife asked her if she was all right, using a specific series of words, and my daughter responded she was okay, using her affirmative code word.

Each member of my family has a specific question that the others may ask, and we have a positive code word to show that we are okay and not being coerced, and we have a negative code work. The negative code word is actually a positive word that can be used without anyone else being alerted, but it tells the others that they are being help against their will or being forced to do something they wouldn’t otherwise do.

Am I paranoid to do this? I don’t think so. The world is a dangerous place, and our lives take us places where we might not always have family members available for support. If we get the chance to communicate, a call for help might just make things worse.

My wife told me later that as soon as I put down my Blackberry and changed to CNN, she thought from the look on my face that there might be something going on that would require me to drive to my daughter’s dorm and bring her home. Yes, there are scenarios where that is my plan. That’s why I keep my car gassed and my things ready. I pray I won’t ever have to do it.

But we have a plan, and sometimes it gets tested.