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S.W.A.T. December 2007 - McKeesport Police Department

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MAXIMIZE YOUR TRAINING TIME!<br />

KIMBER<br />

8400<br />

ADVANCED<br />

TACTICAL RIFLE<br />

SETTING A NEW STANDARD?<br />

THREE CIRCLE<br />

RESPONSE THEORY<br />

SELF-DEFENSE at<br />

variouS raNgES<br />

CUSTOM GUNSMITHS<br />

jOIN fORCES<br />

Nighthawk’S 10-8 Duty piStoL<br />

SIG’S<br />

P-220<br />

COMbAT<br />

jOINT COMbAT<br />

PISTOL CANdIdATE<br />

STORM MOUNTAIN<br />

CARbINE II<br />

miNDSEt, iNStructioN<br />

aND gEar<br />

THIRd TIME’S<br />

A CHARM!<br />

gLock armorEr’S courSE<br />

bAd HAbITS?<br />

oNE ExpErt’S<br />

coNtrovErSiaL opiNioN<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong><br />

51074<br />

®


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PB-M4/4-M9/2-LE<br />

U S A


Putting<br />

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Taurus SA/DA Trigger System<br />

Ambidextrous decock/safety levers<br />

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Match Grade heavy 5 1 /4” barrel<br />

Fast-cycling 18.5 lb. Recoil Spring<br />

Stainless Steel Guide Rod<br />

Ambidextrous indexed Memory Pads TM<br />

Aggressive Checkered Grip<br />

Picatinny Rail System<br />

Introducing the new Taurus 24/7 OSS— the most advanced firearm in the<br />

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LINEUP<br />

28 INSIGHT<br />

TECHNOLOGY’S SSL-1<br />

80-Lumen Tactical Light for<br />

Pros and Private Citizens<br />

BY SCOTT OLdHAM<br />

50<br />

CSM GEAR OTN<br />

HELMET LIGHT BRACKET<br />

Own The Night<br />

BY PATRICK A. ROGERS<br />

5 BAd HABITS?<br />

One Trainer’s Opinion<br />

BY ROB PINCUS<br />

58<br />

66<br />

ON THE COVER<br />

Pinal County, Arizona, Deputy Sheriff<br />

Chris Lapre takes aim with the Kimber<br />

Model 8400 Advanced Tactical Rifle.<br />

Photo: Denny Hansen<br />

KIMBER MOdEL 8 00<br />

AdVANCEd TACTICAL RIFLE<br />

Setting A New Standard?<br />

BY dENNY HANSEN<br />

BE A GOOd STUdENT<br />

Maximize Your Training Time<br />

BY TIGER McKEE<br />

28<br />

S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


72<br />

78<br />

82<br />

86<br />

92<br />

98<br />

SIG’S P-220 COMBAT<br />

Joint Combat Pistol Entry<br />

BY LEROY THOMPSON<br />

SECONd LOOK AT A<br />

FIRST CLASS RIFLE<br />

ArmaLite AR-10A4CS<br />

BY TOdd BURGREEN<br />

GLOCK ARMORER’S<br />

COURSE<br />

Third Time’s a Charm<br />

BY ERICK GELHAUS<br />

NIGHTHAWK CUSTOM’S<br />

10-8 dUTY PISTOL<br />

Dependable, Accurate<br />

BY MICK WILLIAMS<br />

STORM MOUNTAIN CARBINE II<br />

Mindset, Instruction and Gear<br />

BY TOdd BURGREEN<br />

THREE-CIRCLE RESPONSE THEORY<br />

Options For Meeting An Attack At Various Ranges<br />

BY MICHAEL TAN<br />

S.W.A.T. ® (ISSN# 1062-2365) Volume 26, Number 12, <strong>December</strong> <strong>2007</strong>. Published monthly by Group One<br />

Enterprises, Inc. 5011 North Ocean Blvd., Suite 5, Ocean Ridge, FL 33435. Copyright <strong>2007</strong> by Group One<br />

Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Nothing herein may be reproduced in whole or in part without written<br />

permission of the publisher. Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, photographs, etc., if<br />

they are to be returned, and Group One Enterprises, Inc. assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material.<br />

All letters sent to S.W.A.T. will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes<br />

and are subject to S.W.A.T.’s right to edit and comment editorially. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: For<br />

subscription customer service, call (800) 673-4595.A one-year subscription is $34.95 (12 issues). Canadian<br />

subscribers, add $15 U.S. funds. All other countries, add $25. Back issues are $8 each, postage and taxes<br />

included. (California and Ohio add applicable sales tax.) These prices represent S.W.A.T.’s standard subscription<br />

rate and should not be confused with special subscription offers sometimes advertised. Change of address:<br />

Allow six weeks advance notice and send in both your old and new addresses. ATTN POSTMASTER:<br />

Send change of address to: S.W.A.T. Magazine, P.O. Box 17113, Anaheim, CA 92817. Periodicals postage<br />

is paid at Boynton Beach, FL and additional mailing offices. S.W.A.T. is registered in the U.S. Patent and<br />

Trademark Office by Group One Enterprises, Inc. Printed in the USA.<br />

COLUMNS<br />

DEPARTMENTS<br />

6<br />

BRIEFING ROOM<br />

A Time For Giving<br />

BY DENNY HANSEN<br />

12<br />

AGAINST ALL OddS<br />

Build Your Own Survival Kit<br />

BY JEFF RANDALL<br />

20<br />

FRONTLINE dEBRIEFS<br />

Risk Management<br />

BY SCOTT REITZ<br />

3<br />

ENEMY AT THE GATE<br />

Canary In The Coal Mine<br />

Of American Liberty<br />

BY STEWART RHODES<br />

0<br />

STREET SMARTS<br />

Confined Spaces<br />

BY BRENT T. WHEAT<br />

11<br />

TRAINING ANd TACTICS<br />

The Photograph<br />

BY LOUIS AWERBUCK<br />

8<br />

MAIL ROOM<br />

Letters From Our Readers<br />

2<br />

LAWFUL CARRY<br />

Safariland 6304 ALS Tactical Holster<br />

BY FLINT HANSEN<br />

LONG GUNS<br />

Insight Technology Integrated<br />

Sighting Module-Visible<br />

BY LEROY THOMPSON<br />

106<br />

OFFBEAT<br />

Absolutely, Positively Safe<br />

Dry-Fire Training<br />

BY JEFF RANDALL<br />

108<br />

THE CUTTING EdGE<br />

Spyderco Endura and On/Scene<br />

Tactical’s Speed Dialer<br />

BY JOHN SHIRLEY<br />

110<br />

GEAR LOCKER<br />

New Products And Accessories<br />

113<br />

AdVERTISERS’ INFO<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 5


THE<br />

TEAM<br />

EdITORIAL<br />

INFORMATION<br />

For editorial submissions,<br />

press releases or questions,<br />

contact the editor at:<br />

3025 N. Valley View Dr.,<br />

Prescott Valley, AZ 86314<br />

or by email at:<br />

editor@swatmag.com<br />

PUBLISHER<br />

Richard J. Lucibella<br />

EdITOR<br />

Denny Hansen<br />

PROdUCTION dIRECTOR<br />

Kathleen Allard<br />

ART dIRECTOR<br />

Betty Shonts<br />

TACTICAL CONSULTANT<br />

Louis Awerbuck<br />

LAW ENFORCEMENT CONSULTANT<br />

Brent Wheat<br />

TRAINING CONSULTANT<br />

Rob Pincus<br />

FIREARMS dESIGN ANd<br />

TESTING CONSULTANT<br />

Ashley Emerson, MN<br />

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER<br />

Jeff Randall<br />

CONTRIBUTING STAFF<br />

Erick Gelhaus, Flint Hansen,<br />

Steve Malloy, Tiger McKee, Eitan Meyr,<br />

Eugene Nielsen, Scott Reitz,<br />

Stewart Rhodes, Patrick A. Rogers,<br />

Clint Smith, Leroy Thompson,<br />

Claire Wolfe, James Yeager<br />

CIRCULATION dIRECTOR<br />

Richard Convertito<br />

FINANCE dIRECTOR<br />

Joel Marcus, CPA<br />

WEBSITE TECHNOLOGY<br />

Justin Guyett<br />

AdVERTISING dIRECTOR<br />

Bob Cole<br />

360-665-0542 / 800-665-7928<br />

bob@swatmag.com<br />

SWATMAG.COM<br />

BRIEFING ROOM<br />

A TIME FOR GIVING<br />

As this issue reaches you, Christmas is just<br />

around the corner.<br />

Shoppers will be scurrying around trying<br />

to find just the right gift for loved ones<br />

and friends, bright lights will adorn homes,<br />

children’s eyes will be wide with wonder and<br />

anticipation—and telemarketers from charities<br />

you have never heard of will be calling as you<br />

sit down to your evening meal.<br />

There are some charities, however, that deserve<br />

a hard second look.<br />

TOYS FOR TOTS<br />

Toys For Tots, the U.S. Marine Corps’ premier<br />

community action program and one of the<br />

nation’s flagship Christmas charitable causes,<br />

is dedicated to “delivering a message of hope<br />

and bringing the joy of Christmas” to America’s<br />

needy children. The Toys For Tots program<br />

reached a record 7.6 million needy children in<br />

2006.<br />

Quantico Tactical Supply has joined the<br />

Toys For Tots campaign as a National Corporate<br />

sponsor. During the month of <strong>December</strong>,<br />

Quantico Tactical Supply (QTS) and participating<br />

manufacturers will donate 5% of sales to<br />

the Toys For Tots campaign. Customers spending<br />

$75 or more during the month of <strong>December</strong><br />

will receive a free commemorative T-shirt to<br />

recognize their support. Additionally, each of<br />

QTS’ six retail locations will be drop-off locations<br />

for toy donations, and customers will be<br />

able to make direct cash donations to Toys For<br />

Tots. For more information, call (800) 589-2715<br />

or visit www.quanticotactical.com.<br />

LOUdER THAN WORdS<br />

In the September issue, we reported on the<br />

charitable organization Louder Than Words<br />

holding a raffle to benefit AmericanSnipers.<br />

org (another very worthwhile charity). By the<br />

time you read this, the custom pistol built for<br />

the raffle will be completed. The drawing will<br />

take place in February at the SHOT Show in<br />

Las Vegas (winner need not be present to win).<br />

Folks can read all about it at www.louderthan-<br />

words.us. Go to “LTW Projects” and look for a<br />

reference to LTW #4. Tickets are only $10 and<br />

can be purchased at www.pistolraffle.com.<br />

Americansnipers.org is helping our deployed<br />

snipers daily in a big way—here’s a great way<br />

for everybody to help and maybe win a one-ofa-kind<br />

custom 1911 and a boatload of high-end<br />

accessories! At the time the article was written,<br />

the custom package was still not fully formed.<br />

Here is an updated list of contributors to the<br />

package:<br />

Bar-Sto Precision Machine<br />

Black Hills Ammunition<br />

Brownells<br />

Center Mass, Inc.<br />

Chris Reeve Knives<br />

Dakota Ammo<br />

Dawson Precision<br />

Evolution Gun Works<br />

FNH-USA<br />

IDPA<br />

Ionbond Coatings<br />

Leupold<br />

Matt Burkett<br />

Metaloy Industries, Inc.<br />

NRA<br />

Nossar Gun Leather<br />

S.W.A.T. Magazine<br />

Safariland<br />

Safe Direction<br />

Springfield Armory<br />

Starlight Cases<br />

Strike Tactical<br />

Trijicon<br />

Tripp Research<br />

USPSA<br />

VZ Grips<br />

Wilson Combat<br />

From all of us at S.W.A.T., we wish you a<br />

truly happy and safe holiday season.<br />

Until next time, stay low and watch your<br />

back.<br />

dISCLAIMER Certain products represented in this magazine may be subject to prohibitions, restrictions or special<br />

licensing for sale, possession or interstate transport. If this annoys you, Get Involved...support the Bill of Rights...all of<br />

them! In the meantime, check with local and federal authorities regarding legality of purchase, possession and transport. The<br />

information described and portrayed in this magazine is based upon personal experience of the author, under specific conditions<br />

and circumstances. Due to time and space constraints, the entire author’s experience may not be reported or otherwise verified.<br />

Nothing in these pages should be construed to substitute for a manufacturer’s manual or for professional firearms training. This<br />

magazine, its officers, agents and employees accept no responsibility for any liability, injuries or damages arising from any person’s<br />

attempt to rely upon the information contained herein. Responsible shooters always seek formal training. S.W.A.T. Magazine, its<br />

Publisher, staff and employees assume no responsibility for the opinions expressed in any Letters to the Editor and do not vouch for<br />

the accuracy of any facts contained in such Letters. This Section of the magazine is made available for the purpose of stimulating<br />

an exchange of ideas and information among its Readers.<br />

6 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


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• Smallest footprint available, Mil-Spec & under 11oz.<br />

• Co-witness with iron sights<br />

• Day or Night, Active or Passive capability


MAIL ROOM<br />

SUBCOMPACT SHOOTOUT<br />

I have some comments on Duane<br />

Thomas’ article “Subcompact Shootout”<br />

(S.W.A.T., September <strong>2007</strong>):<br />

1. Glad to see it. It is too hot down here<br />

in Florida for a coat ten months out of<br />

the year, and not too many can pull off<br />

packing a .45 under a T-shirt. If I see a<br />

kid with a sweatshirt with the hood up<br />

in August I fi gure he’s about to rob the<br />

store I’m in, and anyone with a vest on<br />

just got back from his fi rst IDPA match.<br />

Fanny pack? Nice for a long car trip, but<br />

you never see any around town.<br />

2. Found the same thing with the<br />

“FBI load” years ago—too much recoil<br />

to maintain a consistent grip on an<br />

Airweight J-frame. Lighter weight hollow<br />

points allow you to maintain a good<br />

grip and also speed-load better.<br />

3. I don’t carry a Kahr because I tried<br />

one several years ago and it was so small<br />

that my thumbs kept interfering with<br />

the slidelock. Also, I’ve found that autos<br />

don’t carry as well in deep concealment<br />

as a small revolver. With cargo shorts and<br />

a T-shirt I can have two S&W 642s, one<br />

in a pocket holster and one with a hipgrip<br />

and Tyler T-grip in the waistband,<br />

along with a speedloader, knife, etc.<br />

Thanks,<br />

M. Howard, Florida<br />

Thank you for providing feedback and<br />

sharing your thoughts and techniques.<br />

ENEMY AT THE GATE<br />

The column “Enemy At The Gate” is<br />

one of the primary reasons I have continued<br />

to read S.W.A.T. for over four<br />

years. I always considered it proof that<br />

you guys are “plugged in.” Like you, I<br />

will miss Claire Wolfe—that girl has a<br />

salty enthusiasm that is second to none.<br />

While Stewart Rhodes may not be well<br />

known or widely published, he comes<br />

with solid credentials and a good attitude.<br />

I just read his fi rst article—I think<br />

he’ll do fi ne.<br />

J. Krapu, Minnesota<br />

A sincere “thank you” for taking the time<br />

to write and share your thoughts with us.<br />

Giving credit where it is due, the column<br />

was the idea of Publisher Rich Lucibella and<br />

was one of the fi rst things he instituted when<br />

he bought S.W.A.T. six years ago. As editor,<br />

I’ve seen the “director’s cut” of Stewart’s<br />

fi rst four columns, and I think you will be<br />

very pleased with what he has in store for<br />

readers.<br />

Denny Hansen<br />

S.W.A.T. IS FOR<br />

EVERYONE<br />

Your magazine is one of a kind. I<br />

subscribe to many gun magazines, but<br />

S.W.A.T. fi ts my needs the best. Tiger<br />

McKee, one of your Contributing Staff,<br />

introduced me to the magazine. The articles<br />

are for anyone who is a serious gun<br />

enthusiast. I am not in law enforcement<br />

or the military, but the material in your<br />

articles, no matter if they are written<br />

about rifl es, pistols or just testing clothing,<br />

is of great interest to me. I have sub-<br />

8 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


MAIL ROOM<br />

scribed, so keep up the high quality of<br />

this magazine.<br />

T. Kelly, Alabama<br />

Thanks for the kind words. We do, in fact,<br />

try to make each issue as applicable to as<br />

many people as possible. One of our missions<br />

at S.W.A.T. is to rebuild the bridge between<br />

law enforcement and private citizens that the<br />

anti-gun community has tried to burn down<br />

with catchphrases like assault weapons, copkiller<br />

bullets, etc. In short, to establish a dialogue<br />

between the “cop on the beat” and the<br />

“man on the street.”<br />

PROPER RIFLE BREAK-IN<br />

I have heard and read that for the<br />

utmost in accuracy, a new rifle should<br />

be thoroughly cleaned after every ten<br />

rounds for the first 100 or so rounds. Is<br />

this necessary for every rifle or just precision<br />

rifles? I have a new Bushmaster<br />

AR-15 that I plan on using as a defensive<br />

rifle and want to do things the right way<br />

from the start. Should anything else be<br />

broken in?<br />

B. Sparrow, Texas<br />

With the introduction of the K9 pistol in<br />

1995, Kahr Arms created the ultra compact<br />

major caliber pistol market. Since then many have<br />

tried but none has succeeded in delivering a pistol as<br />

compact and reliable as the Kahr pistols. With the<br />

introduction of the P45, Kahr continues this tradition of<br />

delivering unrivaled Concealed Carry Weapons.<br />

The Kahr P45 has the combination of features which<br />

make it the best Concealed Carry .45 ACP caliber pistol<br />

in the market. It has the ideal combination of stopping<br />

power and shooting comfort, and is smaller, slimmer<br />

and lighter than competitive brands. Its smooth<br />

double action trigger reduces flinch, improving shot<br />

Whether or not to “break-in” a barrel is<br />

likely to get as many responses as which is<br />

the “best” firearm. Some believe it is absolutely<br />

necessary, while others believe it is a<br />

total waste of time. For what it’s worth, the<br />

following is what I personally do:<br />

When I test a precision rifle such as the<br />

Kimber Advanced Tactical reviewed in this<br />

issue, I clean the barrel after every shot for<br />

the first ten rounds. The procedure I use is<br />

to run a patch with Pro-Shot copper solvent<br />

down the bore, let it sit for a couple of minutes,<br />

and then follow with fresh patches until<br />

the patch comes out white. On precision rifles<br />

only, I try to clean the bore at least every<br />

50 shots after that. For an AR-type rifle used<br />

for defense, I do not bother with a break-in<br />

period, as I don’t feel much is gained from the<br />

somewhat laborious procedure.<br />

Although I have not seen it endorsed<br />

elsewhere, when I fire a new semiautomatic<br />

firearm (including an AR-type rifle or a new<br />

carrier/bolt assembly), I run it bone dry for<br />

the first 10 rounds to obtain the most metal-<br />

to-metal contact as possible to knock off any<br />

high points left in the manufacturing process.<br />

After that I run it properly lubricated.<br />

Denny Hansen<br />

® KAHR ARMS: P. O. Box 220, Blauvelt, NY 10913<br />

Sales Support & Service: 508-795-3919<br />

Websites: www.kahr.com / www.kahrshop.com<br />

Made with Pride<br />

in the U.S.A.<br />

KP4543<br />

p l a c e m e n t ,<br />

and is safer.<br />

In stressful situations,<br />

fine motor control<br />

is impaired contributing<br />

to the possibility<br />

of accidental discharges<br />

with traditional single action triggers found on many<br />

autos and revolvers. The P45's natural point of aim and<br />

low felt recoil make it an ideal gun to shoot and carry.<br />

Go to your nearest retailer and ask for the P45.<br />

RIFLE FINISH<br />

Recently S.W.A.T. had an article about<br />

the TAPCO stock for the Ruger Mini-<br />

14 (“Offbeat: Tapco Mini-14 Stock,”<br />

S.W.A.T., September <strong>2007</strong>). The rifle<br />

shown had a dark earth coating on it.<br />

Is that a Duracoat finish? Who did the<br />

work? It was very nice.<br />

T. Sims, Florida<br />

The coating is Brownells Baking Lacquer<br />

in OD color and was applied over a blue finish<br />

rifle. It’s easy to apply, and I did the work<br />

myself.<br />

Denny Hansen<br />

Mini-14 has a Brownells<br />

Baking Lacquer in OD.<br />

Why buy a BLOCK<br />

when you can<br />

own a Kahr?<br />

Preferred Choice of<br />

Undercover Armed<br />

Professionals<br />

10 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


AGAINST ALL ODDS<br />

Self-made survival kits should include a fixedblade<br />

knife to allow the user greater potential for<br />

success when building shelters and fires.<br />

BUILd YOUR OWN<br />

SURVIVAL KIT<br />

» BY JEFF RANDALL<br />

When you receive this issue of<br />

S.W.A.T. and begin to thumb<br />

through the pages, my partner,<br />

Mike Perrin, and I will be in the<br />

middle of the Amazon jungle teaching<br />

a jungle survival skills class. Once the<br />

ferry boat drops our team off and leaves<br />

us 100 miles from any civilization, we’re<br />

on our own with no way of getting out<br />

except to live off the jungle, then build<br />

rafts and fl oat ourselves to the Amazon<br />

to hitch a ride back to civilization.<br />

The only thing the participants will<br />

have with them (except the clothes on<br />

their backs) is a small backpack that will<br />

contain their passport, machete, compass,<br />

water bottle, pocket knife, mosquito<br />

net, rain poncho, personal fi rst<br />

aid kit and fl ashlight. There will be no<br />

commercial food, no sat phones and no<br />

As the author and the Peruvian military have demonstrated many times, a<br />

small backpack with essential tools is more than enough for a person to<br />

survive indefinitely in the wilderness.<br />

12 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


FN M240 7.62x51MM NATO MEDIUM MACHINE GUN<br />

Your FNP autoloading pistol is built in the same American factory, to<br />

the same high IS09001 standard of quality the <strong>Department</strong> of Defense<br />

demands for their machine guns. FN provides 70% of the small arms<br />

used by the U.S. Military Forces around the globe. FN is the name you<br />

can trust. JUST LIKE THEY DO.<br />

THE FN FNP IS AVAILABLE IN 40 S&W AND 9MM<br />

- FN FNP-40 DA/SA AUTOLOADING PISTOL SHOWN -<br />

Every FN FNP comes with:<br />

• Hammer-forged barrel<br />

• Stainless steel slide<br />

• Ambidextrous decocking levers<br />

• Interchangeable rear grip<br />

• Three high-capacity magazines and a hard case<br />

(Limited-capacity magazines supplied where required by law.)<br />

FNH USA • P.O. BOX 697 • McLEAN, VA 22101 USA • (703) 288-1292 © FNH USA, LLC., a subsidiary of FN Herstal, S.A. <strong>2007</strong>.<br />

Top photo courtesy U.S. <strong>Department</strong> of Defense


AGAINST ALL ODDS<br />

helicopter evacuation should someone<br />

get bitten by a poisonous snake, break a<br />

leg, or decide they want to go home. So,<br />

having the right skills, the right mindset,<br />

and the right kit will be the keys to<br />

the survival and learning experiences.<br />

Since this class has the participants going<br />

into a remote area of Peru and living<br />

for a week with bare-bones essentials, I<br />

thought this would be an appropriate<br />

time to discuss survival kits.<br />

Over the past year or so, Against All<br />

Odds has covered several commercially<br />

available survival kits, with most of these<br />

being geared toward specific scenarios<br />

or individuals such as hunters, vehicle<br />

survival and small pocket kits that can<br />

be carried every day by a businessman.<br />

For the newcomer to “survival” who’s<br />

Jungle man gathers<br />

cordage from bark of<br />

sapling to make rope.<br />

looking to gear up for that just-in-case<br />

scenario, this can become overwhelming,<br />

since there are so many variations<br />

available on the market. What’s worse is<br />

that many times an uninformed person<br />

will buy a kit that’s not really suited to<br />

their environment or lifestyle, and think<br />

they’re now protected simply because<br />

they bought something labeled “survival.”<br />

Before you get yourself all wound<br />

up trying to buy the perfect kit, why not<br />

experiment and make your own?<br />

A kit can range in size from an Altoid<br />

tin stuffed with basic essentials to large<br />

backpacks with tents and a food supply.<br />

And while any kit should be built for the<br />

area you operate in, I suggest that every<br />

kit cover the following survival requirements:<br />

fire, shelter, water, navigation,<br />

signaling and first aid. Most of the necessary<br />

tools can be found at your local<br />

Wal-Mart. As a basic reference, I’ll break<br />

down what I typically carry in my travel<br />

kit:<br />

FIRE<br />

A small Ferrocerium rod, a Bic lighter,<br />

a couple of alcohol prep pads and a few<br />

military Trixoane heat tabs will get a fire<br />

going in any location—no matter the<br />

weather condition.<br />

SHELTER<br />

Fifty feet of 550 cord (para-cord), a<br />

military grade, full-length poncho and<br />

a space blanket. I’ve spent many nights<br />

sleeping comfortably under a poncho<br />

wrapped in a space blanket. Ponchos<br />

also work well for taking away immediate<br />

chill or hypothermic conditions.<br />

Simply spread a few embers or hot rocks<br />

from your campfire onto a clean spot<br />

on the ground, then huddle over them<br />

with your poncho and the rising heat<br />

will warm you quickly. With just a poncho<br />

and a space blanket, you can properly<br />

shelter yourself in any climate from<br />

temperate to tropical. Couple these tools<br />

with other techniques such as simple debris<br />

shelters, elevated sleeping platforms<br />

built from the wilds, or fire beds, and<br />

you can handle much colder climates.<br />

Simply put, military grade ponchos are<br />

worth their weight in gold in the wilds.<br />

Not only do they make good shelters,<br />

but they also make good stretchers for<br />

hauling out injured victims.<br />

WATER<br />

For water procurement, I carry a<br />

one-quart collapsible water bladder. I<br />

like these better than hard canteens or<br />

Nalgene bottles for kits because they<br />

take up little room for storage and they<br />

can also be blown up and used as an<br />

emergency floatation device if needed.<br />

Cheaper containers that I sometimes<br />

carry include Ziploc bags and condoms.<br />

A condom packs up small and will expand<br />

to many times its size. When first<br />

unwrapped, they’re somewhat difficult<br />

to get water into, but once they stretch a<br />

little and get some water weight in them,<br />

they will just keep expanding. One note<br />

on condom use: If you ever have to use<br />

one as an emergency canteen, use a sock<br />

1 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


FN M240 7.62x51MM NATO MEDIUM MACHINE GUN<br />

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Every FN FNP comes with:<br />

• Hammer-forged barrel<br />

• Stainless steel slide<br />

• Ambidextrous decocking levers<br />

• Interchangeable rear grip<br />

• Three high-capacity magazines and a hard case<br />

(Limited-capacity magazines supplied where required by law.)<br />

FNH USA • P.O. BOX 697 • McLEAN, VA 22101 USA • (703) 288-1292 © FNH USA, LLC., a subsidiary of FN Herstal, S.A. <strong>2007</strong>.<br />

Top photo courtesy U.S. <strong>Department</strong> of Defense


AGAINST ALL ODDS<br />

as a protective wrapper to keep it from<br />

rupturing easily.<br />

For survival water purification, I carry<br />

a chemical purifying agent. Several<br />

variations of this are available, such as<br />

Polar Pure and Potable Aqua, and while<br />

it’s not the best for killing all waterborne<br />

bugs, it stores easily and works well in<br />

an emergency.<br />

NAVIGATION / SIGNALING<br />

For navigation and signaling, buy a<br />

good baseplate compass with mirror<br />

sighting capabilities. Not only are these<br />

more accurate for navigation, but the<br />

mirror also makes an excellent signaling<br />

device using the finger “peace sign”<br />

method described in most survival manuals.<br />

I also include a good Write In The<br />

Rain notepad and pen because any time<br />

you attempt to self-rescue by navigating<br />

in unfamiliar territory, you should<br />

always record your bearings, distance<br />

and travel times in case you have to return<br />

to where you started. Ranger beads<br />

are a great way to record distance. Buy<br />

a set, practice with them and keep them<br />

in your kit. They’re cheap, lightweight<br />

and can be attached to your clothing<br />

and provide you with a relatively<br />

easy way to measure distance traveled.<br />

A good flashlight with spare bulb<br />

and batteries is a must in any survival<br />

kit—just be sure to keep the batteries<br />

rotated. Another thing I include in my<br />

kit is several large pieces of reflective<br />

tape such as those found in the automotive<br />

section at Wal-Mart. I don’t know<br />

of any commercial kits that include<br />

this as a tool, but for marking camps<br />

or key points that you may need to return<br />

to, it’s an excellent tool. By taping<br />

two small pieces back to back and then<br />

hanging them by a string/cord/vine in<br />

the open, you have a bright 360-degree<br />

16 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


FN M240 7.62x51MM NATO MEDIUM MACHINE GUN<br />

Your FNP autoloading pistol is built in the same American factory, to<br />

the same high IS09001 standard of quality the <strong>Department</strong> of Defense<br />

demands for their machine guns. FN provides 70% of the small arms<br />

used by the U.S. Military Forces around the globe. FN is the name you<br />

can trust. JUST LIKE THEY DO.<br />

THE FN FNP IS AVAILABLE IN 40 S&W AND 9MM<br />

- FN FNP-40 DA/SA AUTOLOADING PISTOL SHOWN -<br />

Every FN FNP comes with:<br />

• Hammer-forged barrel<br />

• Stainless steel slide<br />

• Ambidextrous decocking levers<br />

• Interchangeable rear grip<br />

• Three high-capacity magazines and a hard case<br />

(Limited-capacity magazines supplied where required by law.)<br />

FNH USA • P.O. BOX 697 • McLEAN, VA 22101 USA • (703) 288-1292 © FNH USA, LLC., a subsidiary of FN Herstal, S.A. <strong>2007</strong>.<br />

Top photo courtesy U.S. <strong>Department</strong> of Defense


AGAINST ALL ODDS<br />

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marker when lit up with a flashlight.<br />

Lastly, don’t forget a good water-resistant<br />

watch that can stand up to the<br />

elements. My preference is a watch<br />

with analog movement (hands) instead<br />

of digital, since it can be used for gross<br />

navigation should you lose your compass.<br />

FIRST AID<br />

For first aid, I usually go with a commercial<br />

kit, such as those made by Adventure<br />

Medical Kits, and expand on<br />

it depending on the requirements. My<br />

add-ons typically include an emergency<br />

dental kit (also from Adventure Medical),<br />

3M Disposable skin stapler and<br />

small roll of Duct tape for wound closure,<br />

Providone Iodine solution concentrate<br />

10% for wound disinfectant, Vet-Wrap<br />

(human version is called Co-Flex), an<br />

Epi-Pen (carried for trip members who<br />

may have allergic reactions), SAM Splint,<br />

Oral rehydration salts, Oral glucose tabs<br />

and gel, and a Sawyers Extractor. I top<br />

all of this off with any prescription meds<br />

that I might need and, depending on the<br />

trip and location, I usually carry a small<br />

bottle of injectable 1% Lidocaine local<br />

anesthetic along with several diabetes<br />

needles and syringes. Although I’m not<br />

“licensed” to use injectables, they have<br />

come in handy many times for removing<br />

deeply embedded thorns and making<br />

wound cleaning easier on the patient.<br />

KNIFE<br />

The last and most important item of<br />

any wilderness survival kit is a knife. I<br />

typically carry two: one a multi-tool or<br />

Swiss Army-style knife and the other a<br />

fixed blade that can be used for heavier<br />

work like long-term shelter building,<br />

splitting kindling or spear work. In all<br />

honesty, the multi-tool sees ten times<br />

more work than the fixed blade, but the<br />

larger knife gives the survivalist a lot of<br />

insurance. If I had to choose between the<br />

two for survival, the fixed blade would<br />

win.<br />

FOOD<br />

The one thing I didn’t mention in<br />

the survival basics is food. This was on<br />

purpose, because food is the least priority<br />

for any survival kit. With that said,<br />

I usually pack a small fishing kit, extra<br />

18 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


Building a raft with nothing but a knife shows that a good<br />

survival kit will give the user all the tools to improvise<br />

just about anything needed to support life in the wilds. In<br />

the wilderness, if you don’t have it, you make it.<br />

hooks, bait corn and a compact gill net<br />

(packs to about the size of your fist).<br />

With these combinations I can catch or<br />

trap just about anything that’s edible. If<br />

you want to add on to the food section<br />

even more, then find a cooking pot that<br />

will double as a storage device for your<br />

whole survival kit. A simple cooking<br />

pot in the wilds greatly expands your<br />

nourishment capabilities by making<br />

soups and broths.<br />

In summary, if you decide to build<br />

(rather than buy) a survival kit, then<br />

construct it to suit your needs and your<br />

environment. Just because I carry a particular<br />

item or brand doesn’t mean it<br />

will work for your environment or situation.<br />

If you build around the basics—<br />

fire, shelter, water, navigation, signaling<br />

and first aid—you will greatly increase<br />

your chances of surviving just about<br />

any scenario that might occur. §<br />

[Jeff Randall has worked and traveled in<br />

China, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore,<br />

Switzerland, and nearly every Latin<br />

American country. He is the co-author of<br />

the book Adventure Travel in the Third<br />

World and is also an accomplished photographer.<br />

He considers the Amazon jungle his<br />

second home. He can be contacted through<br />

www.jungletraining.com]<br />

SOURCES:<br />

Adventure Medical Kits<br />

Survival Suppliers<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

P.O. Box 1860<br />

Los Gatos, CA 95031<br />

(888) 748-1608<br />

www.survivalsuppliers.com<br />

AGAINST ALL ODDS<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 19<br />

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Brigade Quartermasters<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

P.O. Box 100001<br />

1025 Cobb International Dr. NW, Ste.<br />

100<br />

Kennesaw, GA 30156-9217<br />

(800) 338-4327<br />

www.actiongear.com<br />

Sawyers Extractor<br />

Moontrail Back Country Equipment<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

5407 Bandera Rd. #117<br />

San Antonio, TX 78238<br />

(800) 569-8411<br />

www.moontrail.com<br />

Write In The Rain Notepad & Pen<br />

J. L. Darling Corp.<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

2614 Pacific Hwy. E<br />

Tacoma, WA 98424<br />

(253) 922-5000<br />

www.writeintherain.com<br />

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FRONTLINE DEBRIEFS<br />

The term “Risk Management” is<br />

synonymous with what the United<br />

States Navy calls “Preventative<br />

Maintenance.” It specifi cally refers to the<br />

concept that it is far better to prevent a<br />

mishap or catastrophic failure than it is<br />

to address one in the immediacy of the<br />

moment when it could have been prevented<br />

in the fi rst place. Enter the domain<br />

of police work.<br />

The most serious event ever facing an<br />

offi cer is not the reports, not the public<br />

contacts, and not the run-of-the-mill<br />

calls for service. The most serious event<br />

is the application of deadly force. This<br />

singular event can, in and of itself, ruin<br />

a department’s reputation, bankrupt a<br />

city, destroy careers and prove to be devastating<br />

in unimaginable ways.<br />

I testify as an expert witness in defense<br />

of offi cers in both Federal and<br />

Superior court throughout the U.S.<br />

When I accept these cases, it entails<br />

far more than a cursory review of the<br />

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events that transpired. I have to conduct<br />

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and un-redacted statements of all the<br />

participants, the witnesses and the opposing<br />

so-called “experts” (of which<br />

there are very few real ones). There are<br />

forensic and toxicology reports, depositions,<br />

autopsy reports, evidence reports,<br />

background histories of participants,<br />

crime scene analysis, measurements and<br />

photographs, transcripts of taped interviews<br />

and on and on to review in detail.<br />

I myself must undergo depositions by<br />

the opposition, not to mention the direct<br />

and then the cross and then the redirect<br />

and then the re-cross-examinations<br />

on the witness stand. In Federal cases I<br />

must submit highly detailed written reports<br />

and any briefs necessary in order<br />

to make sense of what occurred during<br />

the shooting. Ultimately, I must relate<br />

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overview of what transpired in the fi eld,<br />

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I am proud to say that, of all the hundreds<br />

of offi cers I have taught through the<br />

years who have been involved in shootings,<br />

not a single one has, to my personal<br />

knowledge, ever been involved in a bad<br />

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cer has survived the incident, which is<br />

the key element in any shooting). These<br />

are not, by the way, fi ctional shootings or<br />

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These are documented shootings that do<br />

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Deadly force application goes well<br />

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20 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


FRONTLINE DEBRIEFS<br />

articulable facts of the case as the officer<br />

views the event. I do not teach just<br />

shooting techniques—or just tactics or<br />

just weaponry—but rather the entire<br />

professional package that will ultimately<br />

be put to the test in the field.<br />

There is a marked and distinct difference<br />

between a shooting class and a<br />

deadly force class. Standard qualification<br />

does not prepare one adequately<br />

for the events that unfold in the field.<br />

It can’t. There is a reason that I teach in<br />

the manner and format that I do. I know<br />

what can happen when shootings take a<br />

turn for the worse. It isn’t just about the<br />

officer surviving, but rather prevailing<br />

and doing so in sterling fashion, with<br />

the ability to articulate what it was that<br />

caused him to apply deadly force in the<br />

first place. The manner in which one<br />

explains one’s actions is equally, if not<br />

more important than, the actions themselves<br />

in some cases. It takes real world<br />

experience in the courts and the judicial<br />

system, as well as on the streets, to teach<br />

this properly.<br />

If an officer-involved shooting is clean<br />

and above board, then there is no need<br />

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for my services in this area. In this instance<br />

we can easily delete those two<br />

lines and it won’t make any difference.<br />

When, however, the shooting is mired in<br />

confusion, negative publicity and controversy,<br />

then and only then do I come<br />

into play. As I go through the shooting,<br />

I am struck by the salient fact that, had<br />

the officer received realistic training,<br />

had he learned from someone who knew<br />

precisely what would occur during and<br />

after the shooting, had he known what<br />

would be expected of him from within<br />

the judicial system prior to the event,<br />

then the shooting would be far, far easier<br />

to resolve among all parties concerned.<br />

A department that views deadly force<br />

training as too expensive, too consumptive<br />

of man-hours, and too remote a<br />

possibility of occurring is seriously<br />

myopic. None of us have crystal balls<br />

or soothsayers on retention who can<br />

predict when a shooting will occur on a<br />

department. If such were the case, then<br />

we would simply train the parties to be<br />

involved, get them up to speed and let<br />

things take their course. Due to the unpredictable<br />

nature of these events, it be-<br />

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hooves a department to prevent bad or<br />

marginal shootings by receiving proper<br />

training in the first place.<br />

Just the paperwork alone for these<br />

cases runs into the tens of thousands of<br />

dollars. Add to all of this the expense of<br />

the requisite experts, attorneys and the<br />

sheer man-hours necessary to prepare<br />

and present a case, and the bill becomes<br />

staggering. I would venture to say that<br />

an average case can run from $500,000<br />

to $2,000,000 to defend. A fraction of<br />

this funding spent on deadly force risk<br />

management training may have easily<br />

averted such expenditures. Many of the<br />

departments that I have taught have experienced<br />

shootings that turned out for<br />

the better due to such training, and they<br />

have told me so in no uncertain terms.<br />

An ounce of prevention is worth a<br />

pound of cure, and the concept of risk<br />

management as it regards deadly force<br />

training is no exception to this rule. §<br />

[Scott Reitz is a 30-year veteran of the Los Angeles<br />

<strong>Police</strong> <strong>Department</strong> and the director of the<br />

highly acclaimed International Tactical Training<br />

Seminars. Course information and schedules are<br />

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or by email at itts@gte.net.]<br />

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22 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM<br />

QTS-swathalf.indd 1 9/27/07 8:43:30 AM


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Belt attachment<br />

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cers want what the military<br />

uses, and private citizens<br />

want what law enforcement<br />

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wanted a .38 revolver because<br />

“that’s what the cops use.” This is<br />

not only the case with fi rearms, but<br />

other gear as well. A prime example<br />

is drop-leg (thigh) holsters.<br />

Don’t get me wrong, there is<br />

a need for thigh holsters, but it is<br />

primarily to position what is normally<br />

the secondary gun (the pistol)<br />

where body armor/load bearing<br />

gear is not in the way. Still, I see<br />

some students—who are about as<br />

likely to need a thigh holster as I<br />

will be going to work for NASA—<br />

show up to classes with thigh holsters.<br />

Recently I received a holster<br />

from Safariland—the Model 6304<br />

ALS Tactical Holster—for test and<br />

evaluation. The 6304 is a Level II<br />

Plus security holster and is available<br />

for most popular service<br />

pistols. Mine was ordered to fi t<br />

a 1911 Government Model. The<br />

body of the holster is constructed<br />

with thermal-molded Safari-Laminate,<br />

safeguarding the gun and<br />

the molded sight track, and features<br />

soft Safari-Suede, which<br />

provides additional protection for<br />

the sight and fi nish of the gun. The<br />

body of the holster is attached to<br />

the leg panel—also made from<br />

Safari-Laminate—with three large<br />

Allen-head screws.<br />

As the name implies, the 6304<br />

features Safariland’s ALS (Automatic<br />

Locking System). The 6304<br />

24 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


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26 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM<br />

231.22845 SWAT Dec07.indd 1 8/15/07 2:44:15 PM<br />

has two retention devices. The fi rst, the<br />

locking hood, is released by pushing the<br />

thumb tab straight down and then pushing<br />

it forward, rotating the hood away<br />

from the pistol. This motion takes some<br />

practice to get used to, but after a short<br />

time becomes very instinctive. Since I<br />

don’t know who may read this article, I<br />

will not describe how to disable the second<br />

retention device. Suffi ce to say that<br />

with practice it is quick to use and very<br />

secure. To the front and side of the rotating<br />

hood is a shield to help protect the<br />

gun.<br />

There is a tension screw on the outside<br />

of the holster so the user can adjust<br />

for how much force he wants to apply<br />

to draw the pistol. The belt hanger is capable<br />

of fi tting any size belt. The hanger<br />

strap uses the same three screws that<br />

attach the body of the holster to the leg<br />

panel. Enough adjustment is built into<br />

the belt hanger that it can be worn down<br />

around the knee or almost as high as a<br />

standard duty holster. The two elastic<br />

leg straps are approximately 1 ½ inches<br />

wide and attach with quick-release<br />

buckles. Both leg straps can be used or<br />

removed as needed.<br />

If there is a downside to this holster,<br />

it’s that if an operator is used to a holster<br />

with less security and switches to using<br />

this holster without taking the time to<br />

practice with it—and is faced with a high<br />

stress situation—they might not be able<br />

to draw as quickly as they need. In the<br />

instructions that come with the holster,<br />

Safariland cautions not to use the 6304<br />

on duty until a draw can be completed<br />

in less than two seconds. This, however,<br />

is a training issue and no fault of the holster,<br />

and becomes a non-issue if the end<br />

user trains and practices with it.<br />

If you are one of the people who needs<br />

a quality thigh holster, it would be hard<br />

to go wrong with Safariland’s Model<br />

6304 ALS Tactical Holster. Suggested retail<br />

for the 6304 is $192.00. §<br />

SOURCE:<br />

Safariland<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

3120 E. Mission Blvd.<br />

Ontario, CA 91761<br />

(800) 347-1200<br />

www.safariland.com


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Insight<br />

Technology’s<br />

SSL-1<br />

80-Lumen Tactical Light<br />

For Pros And Citizens<br />

» BY SCOTT OLDHAM<br />

The most crucial (and often the most difficult) part of the lethal force engagement sequence is<br />

identifying the target.<br />

The hostile may be obscured by<br />

their purposeful use of cover or<br />

may be only partially visible due<br />

to some type of concealment.<br />

In this regard, the most likely concealment<br />

is darkness. Whether you are a<br />

police officer searching for a suspect, a<br />

soldier or Marine storming a bunker or a<br />

homeowner checking on something that<br />

has gone bump in the night, darkness is<br />

not your friend when it comes to target<br />

identification. As such, the use of an illumination<br />

tool to assist in first locating<br />

and then identifying a target is not only<br />

prudent, but mandatory.<br />

There are many tried and true methods<br />

for using a handheld light source in<br />

combination with a firearm; however,<br />

all of these techniques, to one degree<br />

or another, have problems associated<br />

with their use. The major problem they<br />

share is that both hands will be filled<br />

Insight Technology’s SSL-1 is a small<br />

but intense light source capable of<br />

being mounted on a duty weapon for<br />

full-time use.<br />

with either a firearm or a flashlight, and<br />

so tasks such as opening doors or using<br />

your non-dominant hand for other purposes<br />

become quite difficult. Enter the<br />

firearm-mounted light.<br />

This concept is not new. In fact, some<br />

drawings exist that prove this concept<br />

was thought of near the turn of the 20th<br />

century—over 100 years ago. What is<br />

relatively new, however, is that the use<br />

of a light affixed to a firearm has now be-<br />

28 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


come commonplace among a myriad of<br />

different end users. Once the mounted<br />

light was seen only in high-end tactical<br />

units or with elite military organizations,<br />

but now the firearm-mounted white<br />

light source is commonplace among<br />

street level patrol officers, detectives and<br />

armed citizens.<br />

While not the first to offer the modern<br />

incarnation of a pistol- or rifle-mounted<br />

white light, Insight Technologies was the<br />

first to offer a very convenient mounting<br />

platform that allowed for quick-on/off<br />

usage. Developed as a follow-on design<br />

to the original UTL (Universal Tactical<br />

Light) that they designed and built for<br />

the Heckler & Koch USP pistol, Insight<br />

introduced the M3. It was this light—<br />

originally made to fit the then-new<br />

third generation Glock pistols, which<br />

introduced the universal rail on the<br />

dust cover—that has taken the firearms<br />

world by storm. The M3 offered officers<br />

and armed citizens a light that was capable<br />

of being rapidly mounted with a<br />

simple slide of the hand, turning a standard<br />

carry pistol into both a day and<br />

night fighter. The M3 light, which is still<br />

made by Insight, made each issue pistol<br />

into something that was a long soughtafter<br />

dream. Compact, light and most<br />

importantly inexpensive, the unit was<br />

an instant hit.<br />

What was not a hit, however, was<br />

that the M3 was never intended to see<br />

major combat and was not designed for<br />

constant use, so problems quickly arose.<br />

Insight took note and, in order to rectify<br />

those problems, introduced the X-series<br />

lights in the form of the M3X and M6X<br />

(light/laser combo). Both of these are<br />

incandescent bulb lights that offer 125<br />

peak lumens. Each features the same<br />

slide-lock interface and other advantages<br />

of the M3, but both are significantly<br />

more robust.<br />

However, realizing that the incandescent<br />

bulbs—which are used in both series<br />

of lights—were the major weak spot<br />

of the system, Insight set about to incorporate<br />

LED technology into their newest<br />

unit while at the same time preserving<br />

the best aspects of the company’s earlier<br />

designs.<br />

What began originally as a co-operative<br />

venture with another leading tactical<br />

company has lead Insight to introduce<br />

the solid state light, or SSL-1. The<br />

SSL-1 is an 80-lumen tactical light that<br />

has been designed to use Insight’s Slide-<br />

Lock technology so that it can be mounted,<br />

or dismounted, on any pistol using<br />

either the Glock style universal rail or<br />

the milspec standard M1913 Picatinny<br />

rail.<br />

The unit is 1.4 inches high with a<br />

width of 1.6 inches and a length of 3.4<br />

inches, making it extremely close to the<br />

dimensions of the original M3 light. It<br />

will, in fact, fit in holsters designed to fit<br />

the M3.<br />

The SSL-1 is a six-volt light that is<br />

Type III anodized and weighs less than<br />

four ounces complete with batteries. The<br />

Insight Technology’s SSL-1<br />

offers 80 lumens of light in a<br />

compact package that can be<br />

carried unobtrusively on the<br />

forward mounting rail of most<br />

modern duty pistols.<br />

unit uses two independent switches that<br />

offer either momentary or constant-on<br />

functions. Both of the switches, which<br />

are located at the rear of the unit, are independent<br />

of each other. As such, they<br />

offer redundant functioning should either<br />

one malfunction.<br />

The SSL-1 was tested in a variety of<br />

different scenarios using several different<br />

firearms, including a Glock 17,<br />

Kimber Warrior and Smith & Wesson<br />

M&P 9mm. With each of the firearms,<br />

the unit affixed itself in a normal manner<br />

with no surprises, and functioned well<br />

despite hundreds of rounds expended<br />

downrange. Use of the SSL-1 was intuitive,<br />

as most who participated in the<br />

testing of the unit had used this style<br />

of light before. The 80 lumens, which is<br />

projected in a tight central beam with a<br />

very large corona, was found to be very<br />

useful in searching buildings and other<br />

dark areas that routinely confront police<br />

officers during their normal tours<br />

of duty. Officers and armed citizens<br />

who tried this weapon light especially<br />

praised the switches. All involved in the<br />

test felt the switches were easy to access<br />

and sure in operation—something that<br />

cannot be said for some other like-styled<br />

products on the market. While only two<br />

of the SSL-1 units were tested, functioning<br />

for both was flawless, with sure and<br />

positive activation of the light.<br />

While having a weapon-mounted<br />

light always at hand is an invaluable<br />

feature, the need for a second, handheld<br />

light source is not alleviated. While<br />

the weapon will always have a light attached,<br />

it is imperative that the second<br />

light source always be close at hand for<br />

duties where it would be inappropriate<br />

to point a loaded weapon.<br />

Much has been made about the “quick<br />

on, quick off” feature of this and other<br />

similar lights. While this is a valuable<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 29


INSIGHT SSL-1<br />

feature for some (such as homeowners<br />

who wish to affix the white light to a daily<br />

carry pistol before they lie down for<br />

the night), for others it has a tendency to<br />

be misused. The time for either quick on<br />

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user, especially police officers who often<br />

take suspects at gunpoint and then need<br />

to go “hands on” with them to finish the<br />

arrest. Should an officer carry the light<br />

separate from the pistol—only affixing<br />

the light when needed—there exist two<br />

major safety concerns.<br />

First, while the unit is mounted to the<br />

weapon it is not possible, in most cases,<br />

to re-holster the gun. This presents a<br />

huge dilemma when it does become necessary<br />

to lay hands on the suspect. What<br />

will you now do with a pistol that you<br />

cannot re-holster? The solution to this<br />

problem is either to immediately remove<br />

the light and re-holster the weapon or<br />

keep the weapon out while at the same<br />

time engaging the suspect with only the<br />

one free hand. Neither is particularly advantageous—or<br />

smart.<br />

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that have recently been much improved.<br />

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30 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM<br />

561-912.indd 1 10/22/07 1:00:49 PM<br />

561-912


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cers use a security holster while on duty.<br />

The ALS series of holsters is a significant<br />

step forward for those who must carry a<br />

holstered weapon on a daily basis.<br />

Offered first for the Glock series pistols—which<br />

will quickly be joined by<br />

others—the ALS is offered in several finishes<br />

and performed exceedingly well<br />

during tests. The ALS locks the weapon<br />

into the holster immediately upon being<br />

placed there without the officer having<br />

to manually operate any lever, hood or<br />

snap. Once locked, the weapon with the<br />

light attached is secure and will remain<br />

holstered under extreme situations until<br />

the integral locking bar is disengaged.<br />

While it will not be discussed in detail<br />

in an open publication, suffice it to say<br />

that the ALS lock is very quick to release<br />

while at the same time offering unparalleled<br />

weapons retention. The ALS, in<br />

most versions, also features a hood that<br />

may be rotated to the rear, covering the<br />

weapon and offering even more retention<br />

against loss or snatch. The light-capable<br />

ALS will accept most of the common pistol-mounted<br />

lights, including the SSL-1.<br />

As with many other products, the tactical<br />

light continues to improve and see<br />

more uses. The companies involved in<br />

their manufacture will continue to refine<br />

their products from lessons learned on<br />

the mean streets and in combat around<br />

the world. Insight Technology has crafted<br />

a logical follow-on to their original M3<br />

light, which set the stage for many other<br />

offerings that have since come down the<br />

pike. The SSL-1 offers the durability of<br />

an LED light source in a proven package<br />

that makes it extremely useable for officers,<br />

soldiers and private citizens who<br />

may find themselves in harm’s way. §<br />

SOURCES:<br />

Insight Technology<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

9 Akira Way<br />

Londonderry, NH 03053<br />

(877) 744-4802<br />

www.insightlights.com<br />

Safariland<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

3120 East Mission Blvd.<br />

Ontario, CA 91761<br />

(800) 347-1200<br />

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32 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


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ENEMY AT THE GATE<br />

CANARY IN THE COAL MINE<br />

OF AMERICAN LIBERTY<br />

BY STEWART RHODES<br />

Prior to the American Revolution,<br />

the British legal system morphed<br />

into a perverse tool of injustice<br />

and oppression in support of usurping<br />

power rather than a safeguard to liberty.<br />

Our current legal system is well along<br />

the same path.<br />

A case in point is that of Arkansas<br />

Militia commander Wayne Fincher, convicted<br />

in federal court for the “offenses”<br />

of possession of a homemade machine<br />

gun and an unregistered short-barreled<br />

shotgun. [See http://www.arkansasmilitia.com/.]<br />

USURPING POWER<br />

NEVER GRANTED<br />

Nowhere in Article I, Section 8 of<br />

the Constitution is there enumerated a<br />

power to regulate or prohibit the keep-<br />

ing and bearing of arms. Where does<br />

Congress “fi nd” this power? While the<br />

1934 National Firearms Act was originally<br />

justifi ed under the power to tax,<br />

the real growth of federal power came<br />

in Wickard v. Filburn (1942), where the<br />

The Court thus created<br />

a federal police power<br />

out of thin air, turning<br />

the Tenth Amendment<br />

on its head.<br />

New Deal Court “found” that Congress’<br />

power to regulate commerce between<br />

the states reached even a farmer growing<br />

wheat for his own consumption, because<br />

such had an indirect “impact” on com-<br />

merce. The Court thus created a federal<br />

police power out of thin air, turning the<br />

Tenth Amendment on its head.<br />

FLEETING STEPS<br />

TOWARD SANITY<br />

Surprisingly, the Court shifted back<br />

toward the Founders’ intent with United<br />

States v. Lopez (1995) and United States<br />

v. Morrison (2000), reading back into the<br />

Constitution some limits on the power<br />

to regulate commerce. Following Morrison,<br />

the Ninth Circuit ruled, in United<br />

States v. Stewart (2003), that it was unconstitutional<br />

for Congress to regulate<br />

the mere possession of homemade machine<br />

guns, which are not for sale and<br />

have not moved in commerce.<br />

This was very good news to Fincher,<br />

who planned to argue that his own en-<br />

34 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


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ENEMY AT THE GATE<br />

tirely intrastate manufacture and possession<br />

of machine guns, for non-commercial<br />

militia purposes only, was also<br />

not reachable by federal law.<br />

DRUG WARRIORS: UNWITTING<br />

ALLIES OF FEDERAL GUN LAWS<br />

But then came Gonzales v. Raich<br />

(2005), involving a cancer patient growing<br />

marijuana in her own backyard, for<br />

her own consumption as medical marijuana,<br />

not for sale. Suddenly, the drug<br />

warriors on the right, including Justice<br />

Scalia, were positively in love with<br />

Wickard’s expansive, socialistic reading<br />

of the commerce clause. The leftists on<br />

the Court were happy to agree, and, over<br />

the dissents of Thomas, O’Connor, and<br />

Rehnquist, the steps toward sanity of<br />

Lopez and Morrison were erased. Once<br />

again Congress can effectively legislate<br />

on any activity, including home manufacture<br />

of firearms.<br />

After Raich, Bush Administration<br />

lawyers wasted no time in appealing the<br />

Stewart decision to the Supreme Court,<br />

which vacated Stewart and remanded<br />

back to the Ninth Circuit “for further<br />

consideration” in light of Raich, to the<br />

glee of the anti-gunners.<br />

Thus, the Raich decision has had a<br />

direct impact on our gun rights, reversing<br />

the Ninth Circuit’s decision, which<br />

had been in favor of Stewart (the manufacturer<br />

of the Maadi-Griffin .50-caliber<br />

rifle kits) and stripping Fincher of a potentially<br />

iron-clad constitutional law defense.<br />

ALL THAT REMAINS IS A<br />

SECOND AMENDMENT<br />

DEFENSE<br />

Now that so-called conservatives had<br />

joined hands with the big government<br />

leftists, Fincher had to fall back on the<br />

Second Amendment. In U.S. v. Miller<br />

(1939), the Supreme Court held that, because<br />

no evidence was presented in the<br />

trial that a short-barreled shotgun was<br />

a weapon useful to a militia, the Court<br />

would decline to rule that its possession<br />

was protected by the Second Amendment.<br />

Fincher very reasonably inferred<br />

that if a weapon was useful to a militia,<br />

it was protected, and that the Miller<br />

Court had constructed a constitutional<br />

test, turning on a fact question, which<br />

would be presented to the fact finder in<br />

any future trial. Setting aside the broader<br />

power of the jury to judge the law as<br />

well as the facts, Fincher should at least<br />

have been able to present evidence to<br />

the jury, as fact finder, regarding the fact<br />

In U.S. v. Miller (1939), the<br />

Supreme Court held that,<br />

because no evidence was<br />

presented in the trial that a<br />

short-barreled shotgun was<br />

a weapon useful to a militia,<br />

the Court would decline to<br />

rule that its possession was<br />

protected by the Second<br />

Amendment.<br />

question of the militia utility of a Browning<br />

Model 1919 machine gun and a short<br />

barreled pump shotgun.<br />

Additionally, the federal statute itself<br />

contains an exception, at 18 U.S.C.§ 922<br />

(o)(2)(A), for those who possess machine<br />

36 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


ENEMY AT THE GATE<br />

tirely intrastate manufacture and possession<br />

of machine guns, for non-commercial<br />

militia purposes only, was also<br />

not reachable by federal law.<br />

DRUG WARRIORS: UNWITTING<br />

ALLIES OF FEDERAL GUN LAWS<br />

But then came Gonzales v. Raich<br />

(2005), involving a cancer patient growing<br />

marijuana in her own backyard, for<br />

her own consumption as medical marijuana,<br />

not for sale. Suddenly, the drug<br />

warriors on the right, including Justice<br />

Scalia, were positively in love with<br />

Wickard’s expansive, socialistic reading<br />

of the commerce clause. The leftists on<br />

the Court were happy to agree, and, over<br />

the dissents of Thomas, O’Connor, and<br />

Rehnquist, the steps toward sanity of<br />

Lopez and Morrison were erased. Once<br />

again Congress can effectively legislate<br />

on any activity, including home manufacture<br />

of firearms.<br />

After Raich, Bush Administration<br />

lawyers wasted no time in appealing the<br />

Stewart decision to the Supreme Court,<br />

which vacated Stewart and remanded<br />

back to the Ninth Circuit “for further<br />

consideration” in light of Raich, to the<br />

glee of the anti-gunners.<br />

Thus, the Raich decision has had a<br />

direct impact on our gun rights, reversing<br />

the Ninth Circuit’s decision, which<br />

had been in favor of Stewart (the manufacturer<br />

of the Maadi-Griffin .50-caliber<br />

rifle kits) and stripping Fincher of a potentially<br />

iron-clad constitutional law defense.<br />

ALL THAT REMAINS IS A<br />

SECOND AMENDMENT<br />

DEFENSE<br />

Now that so-called conservatives had<br />

joined hands with the big government<br />

leftists, Fincher had to fall back on the<br />

Second Amendment. In U.S. v. Miller<br />

(1939), the Supreme Court held that, because<br />

no evidence was presented in the<br />

trial that a short-barreled shotgun was<br />

a weapon useful to a militia, the Court<br />

would decline to rule that its possession<br />

was protected by the Second Amendment.<br />

Fincher very reasonably inferred<br />

that if a weapon was useful to a militia,<br />

it was protected, and that the Miller<br />

Court had constructed a constitutional<br />

test, turning on a fact question, which<br />

would be presented to the fact finder in<br />

any future trial. Setting aside the broader<br />

power of the jury to judge the law as<br />

well as the facts, Fincher should at least<br />

have been able to present evidence to<br />

the jury, as fact finder, regarding the fact<br />

In U.S. v. Miller (1939), the<br />

Supreme Court held that,<br />

because no evidence was<br />

presented in the trial that a<br />

short-barreled shotgun was<br />

a weapon useful to a militia,<br />

the Court would decline to<br />

rule that its possession was<br />

protected by the Second<br />

Amendment.<br />

question of the militia utility of a Browning<br />

Model 1919 machine gun and a short<br />

barreled pump shotgun.<br />

Additionally, the federal statute itself<br />

contains an exception, at 18 U.S.C.§ 922<br />

(o)(2)(A), for those who possess machine<br />

36 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


ENEMY AT THE GATE<br />

guns under the authority of a state, or<br />

political subdivision thereof, and there<br />

was a very real fact question of whether<br />

the militia Fincher had started was sanctioned<br />

by the State of Arkansas, because<br />

Fincher had received a nod of approval<br />

from his County Sheriff, and also because<br />

Fincher had notified the governor<br />

and the state attorney general of his activities.<br />

Whether Fincher had the blessings<br />

of the state of Arkansas, and therefore<br />

fell within the statutory exception,<br />

was an additional fact question for the<br />

jury to determine.<br />

GAGGING THE DEFENSE<br />

AND USURPING THE<br />

POWER OF THE JURY<br />

Fincher was not allowed, however, to<br />

present his evidence to the jury on that<br />

key fact question of state approval. Nor<br />

was Fincher allowed to even mention<br />

the Second Amendment, the word “militia”<br />

or the Miller decision to the jury, and<br />

was not allowed to present the relevant<br />

fact evidence on the military utility of<br />

these arms.<br />

The federal judge ordered the jury<br />

out of the courtroom, previewed all<br />

of Fincher’s testimony, and then forbade<br />

Fincher from presenting any of it<br />

to the jury, barring Fincher’s entire defense,<br />

including the evidence regarding<br />

the two key fact questions. Instead, the<br />

This was a sham of<br />

a trial, with the jury<br />

intentionally transformed<br />

into an ignorant rubber<br />

stamp for a willful judge,<br />

who took on the roles of<br />

prosecutor, fact finder<br />

and judge to ensure<br />

conviction.<br />

judge ruled on those questions himself,<br />

in chambers, and kept the jury entirely<br />

ignorant of them. His jury instructions<br />

did not even mention the statutory exception<br />

for possession of machine guns<br />

under state authority, and he falsely instructed<br />

the jury that it must convict if<br />

it found that Fincher knowingly had the<br />

arms—which Fincher never denied.<br />

This was a sham of a trial, with the<br />

jury intentionally transformed into an<br />

ignorant rubber stamp for a willful<br />

judge, who took on the roles of prosecutor,<br />

fact finder and judge to ensure conviction.<br />

And all with the eager participation<br />

of government lawyers who argued<br />

that we have no individual right to<br />

bear arms! And we are supposed to feel<br />

more secure in our rights because there<br />

is a Republican in the White House? It<br />

may as well have been Sarah Brady and<br />

Morris Dees prosecuting Fincher during<br />

the Administration of President Hillary<br />

Clinton. The outcome was no different.<br />

Lest you think that what happened<br />

to Fincher cannot happen to you, just<br />

reflect on how arbitrary, confusing, and<br />

complex the federal gun laws are, especially<br />

as applied by the BATF. See JPFO’s<br />

recent film, The Gang, for details (www.<br />

jpfo.org) ... and pray you don’t find<br />

yourself in Fincher’s shoes. §<br />

38 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


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STREET SMARTS<br />

Iwas recently reminded of an incident<br />

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We were searching for a wanted felon<br />

at his residence. After an extensive interior<br />

search, the only thing left was the attic.<br />

Showing a serious lack of good sense<br />

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the rickety ladder.<br />

Slowly poking my head into the attic<br />

opening, waving pistol and fl ashlight<br />

around in dramatic fashion, I also reminded<br />

my co-workers not to point their<br />

weapons at the hole where Yours Truly<br />

was standing. Within seconds I realized<br />

that perhaps I should have sent one of<br />

the rookies into the breach.<br />

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roof was less than four feet from<br />

Part of the L-3 EO/IR GROUP<br />

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the garage ceiling at the highest point.<br />

There were dozens of shirts hanging<br />

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freeze...no, um, don’t....freeze...”<br />

I vowed that day to pay more attention<br />

to confi ned-space tactics.<br />

Working in confi ned spaces is an unpleasant<br />

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What are we talking about in the fi rst<br />

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40 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


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STREET SMARTS<br />

were located after one of them accidentally<br />

put his foot through the ceiling. Call<br />

it a “clue.”<br />

Our SWAT team assembled while negotiators<br />

tried to talk to the suspects.<br />

They weren’t speaking, so we closed off<br />

the vents and pumped several thousand<br />

cubic feet of OC gas into the attic. Surprisingly,<br />

the men still didn’t surrender,<br />

and we were unsure if perhaps they<br />

hadn’t already succumbed to the heat.<br />

It turns out the men had buried themselves<br />

under loose insulation and were<br />

taken into custody without a fight. The<br />

team, however, didn’t fare as well, as<br />

several of the officers went down due to<br />

heat exhaustion and dehydration.<br />

There were many good lessons to learn<br />

from that exercise.<br />

First and foremost, there need to be a<br />

plan and personnel in place if someone<br />

gets into trouble. In the dynamic environment<br />

of an incident, it’s impossible<br />

to understand all the safety issues before<br />

sending people into a potentially dangerous<br />

space.<br />

Therefore, you need at least an ad-hoc<br />

emergency response plan. There could<br />

be dangerous gases, high or low temperatures,<br />

exposed electrical lines, sharp<br />

metal edges, biological hazards such as<br />

bird droppings or the possibility of becoming<br />

stuck in a tight space. Now, add a<br />

potentially dangerous person to the mix<br />

and you can see why entering a confined<br />

space is such a dicey proposition.<br />

At minimum, there should be one person<br />

standing by to assist for every person<br />

who enters the confined space. If two officers<br />

must enter a hot attic, there should<br />

be at least two officers downstairs, ready<br />

to rescue their friends if things go badly.<br />

The person entering the space should<br />

strip down to essentials. Lose all that<br />

neat—but potentially entangling—gear<br />

hanging all over your body. Like cavers,<br />

take at least two light sources, since your<br />

primary light may fail at the worst possible<br />

time.<br />

Take it slowly, because there are too<br />

many places to search simultaneously. For<br />

once, I’d suggest an unhurried entrance,<br />

even though this flies in the face of the<br />

“fatal funnel” concept. I believe that,<br />

while there is a chance of being shot, there<br />

is a greater likelihood of falling, knocking<br />

yourself unconscious or otherwise<br />

doing serious damage to yourself. Then<br />

you’re in no position to protect yourself.<br />

If you find the object of your search,<br />

what do you do? Since they will probably<br />

be restricted themselves and likely<br />

lying down, order them to show their<br />

hands. You then need to figure out an<br />

exit plan. Backup is handy if available at<br />

this point.<br />

Obviously we can’t handcuff the bad<br />

guy in a confined space unless we plan<br />

on lifting him out. The best plan is to<br />

crawl out backward first, so that you can<br />

keep an eye on the suspect without being<br />

within arms’ reach. You must also<br />

communicate with the support team that<br />

people will be coming out shortly. Don’t<br />

surprise them!<br />

When selecting personnel to enter a<br />

confined space, make sure they are ready<br />

for the challenge. If there is a battle, they<br />

will have to solve the crisis by themselves.<br />

Moreover, if there is a lethal confrontation<br />

in such a space, only one person<br />

will come out. You definitely want a<br />

meat-eater handling that problem.<br />

Or an expendable rookie. §<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

42 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


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LONG GUNS<br />

One problem faced by law enforcement<br />

and military users of<br />

combat optics and illuminators<br />

is that a carbine can become cluttered<br />

rather quickly. As a result, compact sighting<br />

and illumination devices are very<br />

desirable; ones that effectively combine<br />

functions are even more desirable.<br />

Insight Technology has a well-established<br />

reputation for developing white<br />

light illuminators, visible laser illuminators,<br />

infrared illuminators and thermal<br />

sights. Insight has also been in the<br />

forefront of development of illuminators<br />

with combined functions for the military.<br />

The best known of these has probably<br />

been the LAM-1000 developed for<br />

use with the Mark 23 SOCOM offensive<br />

pistol. This compact device combines<br />

IR illuminator, IR aiming laser, visible<br />

white light illuminator and visible aiming<br />

laser in a 4.5”x1.6”x2” package and<br />

weighs only fi ve ounces with batteries<br />

installed.<br />

It is logical, therefore, that Insight<br />

Technology would develop an integrated<br />

system for the M4 and other<br />

carbines. Designated the ISM-IR (Integrated<br />

Sighting Module-IR), this device<br />

combines a red dot 1X optical sight with<br />

a visible aiming laser and an IR aiming<br />

laser, both co-aligned with the red dot.<br />

The ISM-IR also incorporates an IR illuminator.<br />

I had a chance recently to shoot<br />

with the ISM-IR in a darkened shooting<br />

house and was extremely impressed.<br />

The ISM-IR was easy to use and was<br />

light enough that the carbine remained<br />

very lively with it mounted. A couple of<br />

runs through scenarios in the darkened<br />

ISM-V is compact and light<br />

enough to permit/afford quick<br />

engagement offhand.<br />

INSIGHT TECHNOLOGY<br />

INTEGRATED SIGHTING MODULE-VISIBLE<br />

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shooting house convinced me that this<br />

is a very useful piece of equipment. It is<br />

also a very expensive one.<br />

Unlike some manufacturers who do<br />

government contracts, however, Insight<br />

Technology does not lose track of the<br />

value of the civilian market. As a result,<br />

they also introduced the ISM-V (Integrated<br />

Sighting Module-Visible) for the<br />

civilian market and for law enforcement<br />

users who do not really need the IR capability.<br />

As soon as possible, I acquired<br />

an ISM-V for testing and mounted it on<br />

a Stag Arms-15M2T.<br />

The ISM-V combines the red dot sight<br />

with a visible aiming laser that is coaligned<br />

with the red dot. The red dot has<br />

18 variable brightness settings, some of<br />

which are compatible with night vision<br />

equipment. As a result, law enforcement<br />

44 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


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agencies that may occasionally use night<br />

vision equipment can purchase the ISM-<br />

V at a fraction of the cost of the ISM-IR.<br />

In fact, larger agencies could acquire the<br />

ISM-IR for special tactical units and the<br />

ISM-V for patrol units. The availability<br />

of an array of brightness settings is important<br />

in a red dot sight, since different<br />

brightness levels will work better in varying<br />

light conditions. One 3-volt 123A lithium<br />

battery powers both the red dot and<br />

the visible laser. The unit is waterproof<br />

to three feet for up to an hour. This isn’t<br />

combat swimmer water resistance, but it<br />

should suffice for use in rain or snow.<br />

Another very positive feature of the<br />

ISM-V is that it is well designed to allow<br />

use of iron sights through it, should one<br />

so desire. If one carries a spare battery<br />

and replaces the installed battery if the<br />

ISM-V’s status indicator LED starts to<br />

flash, it is unlikely that backup sights will<br />

be required with the ISM-V. I still like the<br />

capability, though, and I discovered that<br />

the flip-up ARMS #40 sight on the Stag<br />

Arms carbine works perfectly with the<br />

ISM-V.<br />

On any optical sight with more than<br />

one control, I always try to see where it<br />

rates on the KISS scale. The ISM-V rates<br />

pretty well. A “+” and a “-” intensity pads<br />

atop the ISM-V are used to turn the red<br />

dot on (by pressing both pads simultaneously),<br />

off (also by pressing both pads<br />

simultaneously), or to adjust for brightness.<br />

That’s nice and straightforward. A<br />

mode selector switch on the back of the<br />

ISM-V allows selection of four modes-<br />

”O” for off, “P” for program, which is not<br />

currently used, “RD” for the red dot, and<br />

“VA” for the visible aiming laser. The red<br />

dot may be activated in either the RD or<br />

VA position. The visible aiming laser may<br />

be activated in the VA mode by depressing<br />

the laser activation button on the side<br />

of the ISM-V. The ISM-V is well designed<br />

so the laser is not inadvertently activated.<br />

This is important to protect eyesight, but<br />

also to not telegraph one’s position with<br />

a laser that can be followed back to the<br />

carbine. I worked with the controls for<br />

a few minutes before taking the carbine<br />

with the ISM-V mounted to the range<br />

and became fairly confident with it.<br />

I don’t consider red dot sights optimum<br />

for longer ranges. I usually view<br />

a red dot sight as most effective at CQC<br />

46 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


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ranges out to 300 yards max. I also find<br />

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yards with a red dot as I can with a chevron<br />

or a crosshair. On the other hand,<br />

at point blank to 50 yards, I find that I<br />

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I wanted to see if the laser was indeed<br />

co-aligned with my now-zeroed red<br />

dot, so the other night I took the Stag<br />

carbine without magazine and checked<br />

above: ISM-V’s controls-red dot<br />

intensity buttons on the top and<br />

laser pressure button on the left.<br />

left: ISM-V allows easy use of<br />

BUIS in conjunction with the front<br />

post through the lens.<br />

the chamber twice to be sure it was unloaded.<br />

Then I went into my darkened<br />

downstairs and tried sighting down a<br />

dimly lit hall. The red dot was virtually<br />

superimposed on the laser’s red dot. I<br />

also tried operating the controls in low<br />

light and had little difficulty.<br />

I really, really like the ISM-V. It is only<br />

5”x2.6”x3.3” and weighs only nine ounces.<br />

Without hanging a laser on my handguard,<br />

I get a laser combined with my<br />

red dot and I don’t have to zero the laser<br />

independently-it’s all good! §<br />

SOURCE:<br />

Insight Technology<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

9 Akira Way<br />

Londonderry, NH 03053<br />

(877) 744-4802<br />

www.insighttechnology.com<br />

48 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


OTN may not be for<br />

everyone. However,<br />

if your mission<br />

requirements are such<br />

that a high volume of<br />

white light/IR needs to<br />

be used, the OTN may<br />

be the solution to your<br />

problem.<br />

CSM Gear<br />

OTN Helmet Light Bracket<br />

» BY PATRICK A. ROGERS<br />

SureFire G2 light in this OTN has the<br />

Z29 click switch—a must, and not<br />

optional for those using this light. The<br />

bracket has slots to allow a certain<br />

amount of latitude in mounting.<br />

Additional slots will fi t other helmets.<br />

Right now it will fi t the legacy PASGT,<br />

the Marine Corps “Lightweight” helmet<br />

and the gold standard, the MICH.<br />

Own<br />

The<br />

Night<br />

The need for white light in tactical situations remains high, and as<br />

this long war will be with us until one side or the other gives up or is<br />

exterminated, that need will likely increase.<br />

Weapon-mounted white lights<br />

have been with us in common<br />

use for at least 25 years, and<br />

are used to acquire, identify and fi nally<br />

service hostile targets. They do an excellent<br />

job at what they are designed to do,<br />

but are less useful in doing post-hit site<br />

exploitation, casualty care and a myriad<br />

of other chores.<br />

Handheld lights have been with us for<br />

as long as the battery has been transportable,<br />

and they are useful for most of the<br />

common tasks that one may need white<br />

light for, ranging from dropped keys to<br />

fi eld level trauma management. And<br />

while handheld lights have their use in<br />

the tactical arena, it requires a second<br />

hand to manipulate the light. That second<br />

hand may be much more useful on<br />

the gun as you go about your business<br />

of killing bad guys before they kill you<br />

or yours.<br />

Hands-free lights have been around<br />

since men dug holes in the earth searching<br />

for gold, coal or those who were<br />

trapped while searching for the above.<br />

While the original hands-free (helmetmounted)<br />

lights were candles in front of<br />

50 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


a reflector, current offerings such as the<br />

Petzl offer LED lights on a head strap,<br />

putting that form of light on the heads of<br />

hobbyists and professionals alike.<br />

From the mil side of the house, the Petzl-type<br />

light was always a mixed blessing.<br />

It had an elastic band that could be<br />

placed directly on your head, a soft cover<br />

or even a helmet. It could be dismounted<br />

from its band and affixed to the helmet<br />

via screws. The center-mounted light<br />

was fine for admin uses, but interfered<br />

with NV mounts and devices—something<br />

common on the mil side right now,<br />

and for evermore.<br />

SureFire brought out its hands-free,<br />

helmet-mounted light over a year ago.<br />

However, some found fault with the<br />

lack of a disable switch (now fortunately<br />

rectified) and possible durability issues<br />

with the helmet mount. The light coming<br />

on accidentally can be merely frustrating<br />

in certain circumstances. In other<br />

circumstances, it can be a career ender<br />

and a mission failure indicator. I’m glad<br />

that SureFire saw the light (pun intended)<br />

and added a disable switch.<br />

The SureFire helmet light was designed<br />

as a close-in, low-power LED<br />

light for specific purposes. Some found<br />

that the low light output was too limiting<br />

under some conditions, but understand<br />

that no one piece of gear will fit<br />

everyone’s requirements. The result was<br />

a great number of people going back to<br />

what they did before—field expedient<br />

engineering, making mounts from zip<br />

ties, 550 cord, Velcro, hose clamps and<br />

the like.<br />

As with all ad hockrey, some was useful<br />

and a lot was less so. Having something<br />

sitting on the shelf may prove that<br />

it can be done. Running it for real will<br />

prove that it can work. There is a difference.<br />

Mike McMillan, a retired Special Amphibious<br />

Reconnaissance Corpsman<br />

(SARC) and owner of CSM Gear, stated<br />

that he took note of the feedback from<br />

real guys concerning this issue, and decided<br />

to do something about it.<br />

Doc Mac sought out the advice of<br />

many in the community, and with their<br />

assistance knocked out a prototype. That<br />

prototype morphed into what Mike calls<br />

OTN (Own the Night), a bracket that ac-<br />

cepts a mount holding the light of your<br />

choice.<br />

The OTN is a precisely bent and drilled<br />

piece of 6061-T6A aluminum that will fit<br />

on any ballistic helmet currently used<br />

by our military—the legacy PASGT, the<br />

“Lightweight” Marine Corps helmet, or<br />

the gold standard, the MICH using existing<br />

bolt holes.<br />

Attached to this bracket is a three-inch<br />

Mil Std 1913 Rail, upon which an aluminum<br />

mount is clamped. This mount is<br />

made to hold a specific size light. A se-<br />

ries of mounts are available to accommodate<br />

the more common handheld lights<br />

that are in use right now, and the one<br />

now on my helmet will accommodate a<br />

one-inch diameter body. Therefore, I am<br />

using the ubiquitous SureFire G2 light<br />

with this system.<br />

The 1913 (commonly called Picatinny)<br />

rail has a positive and negative adjustment<br />

range to allow the light to be<br />

moved in that plane. Additionally, the<br />

light clamp can be moved fore and aft<br />

in order to adjust the light in the lateral<br />

plane. Understand that these are fine<br />

adjustments and meant to resolve minor<br />

movement of the beam to achieve a<br />

rough boresight with your eyes. Gross<br />

adjustment is made by moving your<br />

head. Think shaking your head “yes”<br />

and “no” and you’ll get the drift. Engineers<br />

wanted a more sophisticated<br />

mount with a wide range of adjustment,<br />

complete with knobs, screws and the<br />

like, but Mike wisely ignored their counsel.<br />

There is a time and place for complicated<br />

adjustments—and it isn’t on your<br />

combat helmet.<br />

The bracket/mount weighs 3.375<br />

ounces, and a G2 light with batteries<br />

weighs approximately 4.125 ounces,<br />

bringing the total weight in at under half<br />

a pound.<br />

The OTN mount is available for both<br />

the left (more common) side of the helmet<br />

as well as the right side. The right<br />

side bracket is essentially a mirror image<br />

OTN from the side. While the standard mounts are on the left side, mirror-image<br />

mounts will soon be available for those needing the light on the right side.<br />

of the left, and was done to permit the<br />

user to interface with the several commonly<br />

used helmet cams that are currently<br />

on the market. Most video camera<br />

systems utilize the left side of the helmet<br />

for the lens (such as the ATS Helmet Cam<br />

system that I am currently using).<br />

An initial look at the bracket with<br />

light mounted on a MICH was that this<br />

was an item waiting to be snagged on<br />

something—and that may be right, but<br />

as with all gear, we need to see where<br />

it will fit within the operational context.<br />

Twin helmet-mounted lights were<br />

very cool when the Imperial Marines<br />

were searching for the bad guys in<br />

Aliens, but that is not what these are for.<br />

A more likely scenario is after a hit<br />

while searching the dead, searching the<br />

living, treating friendly casualties and<br />

recovering sensitive site exploitation<br />

material. That is, the immediate fight is<br />

over, and your priorities have shifted to<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 51


include some or all of the above. Another<br />

use would of course be trauma management.<br />

Back to the snagging of the light. A<br />

fact of life is that anything you wear or<br />

carry is likely to be snagged or caught on<br />

something. The light would not necessarily<br />

be mounted on a two-klick movement<br />

to the crisis site (there would be no<br />

reason to). The light could be kept in a<br />

pouch or pocket until you were on site<br />

and prepared to make entry.<br />

The question that has to be asked is<br />

this: “Do you need a more powerful/reliable<br />

light source than is currently available?”<br />

If the answer is yes, consider this<br />

to be an answer.<br />

How does it work? I’ve had it for a<br />

few months now, and it works well. She<br />

Who Must Be Obeyed is probably tired<br />

of seeing me move around the house<br />

with a MICH, OTN and camera on every<br />

evening, but it is another way to get familiar<br />

with the gear. The best way to find<br />

out how to work something is to actually<br />

use it. Doing it in the casa can identify<br />

potential problems before they become<br />

real ones downrange.<br />

The helmet is not noticeably out of<br />

balance—it does not make me feel as<br />

though my head is twisted to one side.<br />

This is, of course, subjective. My opinion<br />

may be colored by the fact that by 1978<br />

I had already made over 2,000 free-fall<br />

parachute jumps, many of which involved<br />

carrying a Nikon F on my helmet.<br />

My head and neck may be more<br />

than a little out of whack, but they are<br />

also more sensitive to some things.<br />

I replaced the standard momentary<br />

switch on the SureFire G2 light with a<br />

Z59 click switch to make functioning<br />

more positive, but twisting the tail cap<br />

until you achieve brightness is also a viable,<br />

albeit slower method of turning the<br />

light on or off.<br />

Directing light is a snap, because all<br />

you need to do is look at what you want<br />

illuminated. It doesn’t get much easier<br />

than that.<br />

While this unit is not meant to be used<br />

as a shooting aid, it will do a fine job of<br />

illuminating areas very quickly, and permitting<br />

you to acquire, identify and if<br />

necessary process a threat. It may not be<br />

useful if you are working alone or conducting<br />

a “soft” entry, where you switch<br />

lights on and off constantly, but it is extremely<br />

useful for what it is designed to<br />

do on the helmets of those who will be<br />

shooting bearded men in the face.<br />

Mike McMillan is a real-deal guy who<br />

makes great stuff. If a brighter helmetmounted<br />

light is in your game plan, you<br />

need to give the OTN a try.<br />

The search for perfect gear is<br />

neverending. §<br />

[Pat Rogers is a retired Chief Warrant Officer<br />

of Marines and a retired NYPD Sergeant.<br />

Pat is the owner of E.A.G. Inc., which provides<br />

services to various governmental organizations.<br />

He can be reached at eag@10-8consulting.com]<br />

SOURCES:<br />

CSM Tactical<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

P.O. Box 892241<br />

Temecula, CA 92589<br />

www.csmgear.com<br />

SureFire, LLC<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

18300 Mount Baldy Circle<br />

Fountain Valley, CA 92708<br />

(800) 828-8809<br />

www.surefire.com<br />

Muskrat-SWAT.qxp:Layout 1 6/6/07 2:01 PM Page 1<br />

CSM HELMET LIGHT BRACKET<br />

“Suspect with a gun!” could be the most dangerous call you’ll ever<br />

receive. It’s one of the reasons the speaker and omni-directional<br />

microphone on the EarPro EP210 are encased in aluminum and<br />

acoustically tuned for the human voice. The cables are shielded to<br />

reduce radio and magnetic interference, then wrapped in Kevlar ® to<br />

resist flex fatigue. Transmission and reception is crystal clear. Ambient<br />

noise is discernable. You’ll know what the hell’s coming at you.<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 53


Three shooters are<br />

reholstering, but still have<br />

their attention focused<br />

downrange. Second<br />

shooter from left is<br />

reholstering and preparing<br />

to walk off the fi ring line.<br />

The practice of relaxing<br />

after a string of fi re is<br />

purely administrative and<br />

should not be tolerated on<br />

a training range.<br />

One Trainer’s Opinion<br />

» BY ROB PINCUS<br />

BAD<br />

HABITS?<br />

Back in the mid-1970s, the United States had a mandatory top speed limit of 55 miles-per-hour (mph).<br />

Since that time, we’ve learned<br />

a few things about improving<br />

highway safety and the safety of<br />

our vehicles and, of course, we’ve dramatically<br />

improved the effi ciency and<br />

cleanliness of the internal combustion<br />

engine. A lot of things have changed<br />

since that time in the world of fi rearms<br />

and tactical training as well.<br />

Progressive training principles and the<br />

study of what really happens during lethal<br />

critical incidents have dramatically<br />

improved the effi ciency and capabilities<br />

of shooters as well as our gear. Unfortunately,<br />

we still see a lot of gun handling<br />

that is based on what might have made<br />

sense or been a dramatic improvement<br />

three decades ago, but are not the most<br />

effi cient choices today. There is also still<br />

a lot of administrative gun handling seen<br />

on today’s training ranges. It’s time to<br />

take a hard look at some range practices<br />

that some people might still consider appropriate,<br />

some just accept, some don’t<br />

notice, but that many instructors and<br />

students are starting to move away from<br />

or restrict entirely.<br />

I know that this article will raise the<br />

hackles of many shooters, but I also<br />

know that more and more often I have<br />

other instructors and students who are<br />

glad to hear that at the Valhalla Training<br />

Center and many other ranges around<br />

the world, there are people who are<br />

willing to critically examine dogma to<br />

develop the best doctrines possible. If<br />

you insist on driving 55 mph on an interstate<br />

with a 75 mph speed limit, you<br />

could be a danger to yourself and others.<br />

In today’s tactical training environment,<br />

there is no passing lane, so let’s get everyone<br />

up to speed.<br />

“TACTICAL” RELOADS<br />

Years ago, I started forbidding “topping-off”<br />

on any range that I was running.<br />

The so-called “tactical” reload is<br />

just another version of topping off if<br />

you’re not in a real or simulated critical<br />

incident. The fact is that this and several<br />

other bad range habits, many glamorized<br />

by competition shooters or preached by<br />

instructors who have largely missed or<br />

ignored the last 20 years of reality-based<br />

training initiatives, should be understood<br />

in the context that they are meant<br />

for and not repeated constantly on ranges<br />

purporting to be conducting tactical<br />

training.<br />

Back when dinosaurs roamed the<br />

earth, I’ve been told that some instructors<br />

on certain ranges made students<br />

feel bad if they let their gun run dry. In<br />

a world of techniques based on competition<br />

or mechanical shooting skills that<br />

overemphasize precision marksmanship<br />

over speed and effi ciency, that might<br />

make sense. Teaching shooting as an<br />

isolated mechanical skill and not as a<br />

defensive skill that may need to be used<br />

in a dynamic chaotic environment keeps<br />

some techniques from being recognized<br />

as ineffi cient or extremely limited in application.<br />

In the real world that armed professionals<br />

and those serious about self-defense<br />

are training for, the vast majority<br />

of critical incidents that require more<br />

rounds than your gun holds will result<br />

in a slide lock situation. This is bad.<br />

It’s even worse if you’ve been denying<br />

yourself the opportunity to recognize<br />

slide lock during dynamic training and<br />

practice a reload under those conditions<br />

54 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


as often as possible. If someone else has<br />

been denying that opportunity with<br />

instruction to the contrary, it’s almost<br />

criminal. Because the term “tactical” has<br />

already been applied to what is arguably<br />

a strategic endeavor (topping off before<br />

rejoining the fi ght), we call this a Critical<br />

Incident Reload.<br />

And, of course, progress has brought<br />

us to a point where many shooters interested<br />

in defensive issues are using fi rearms<br />

with a capacity noticeably greater<br />

than seven or eight rounds. These high<br />

capacity guns are less likely to need reloading<br />

during a typical incident and<br />

the magazines that they use are much<br />

harder to hold in the ways typically suggested<br />

for a textbook “tactical” reload.<br />

I am not saying that students shouldn’t<br />

be introduced to the concept of the topping-off<br />

reload, but it should not be the<br />

student’s primary method of reloading.<br />

In fact, I think it should only be used in<br />

context during force-on-force or live-fi re<br />

scenario training. The concept is simple:<br />

If you’ve been shooting and there is<br />

a lull in the action, you don’t need to<br />

move, you don’t need to communicate<br />

with someone and you don’t need to<br />

do something else. You do need to have<br />

a fully loaded gun. Eject the partially<br />

empty magazine and insert the new one.<br />

If you happen to retain the partial mag<br />

or pick it up off the ground, don’t put<br />

it where you keep your full mags. Proceed.<br />

PRESS CHECKS<br />

Next on the “what not to do” list: Press<br />

Checks. This includes any technique by<br />

any name that suggests you take the fi rearm<br />

partially out of battery to confi rm<br />

the presence of a round in the chamber.<br />

Many modern defensive/duty pistols<br />

actually have reliable loaded chamber<br />

indicators. (XD and the M&P are two<br />

examples that jump to mind.) Those<br />

should suffi ce for those of you who do<br />

it “just to be sure” before you holster<br />

at the next stage of the local Defensive<br />

Pistol Shooting Club Match. For the rest<br />

of us, think about the most likely reason<br />

that the gun will not have a round in the<br />

chamber if you have racked the slide<br />

fully back and it has gone fully into battery?<br />

Most readers of S.W.A.T. Magazine<br />

will have come to the quick conclusion<br />

that there must not be a properly loaded<br />

and working magazine seated properly<br />

in the gun. This used to be much more<br />

common with typical gun designs of the<br />

leaded-fuel era that had fl at base plates<br />

that recessed into the grip. It is much less<br />

likely today.<br />

If you still want to do some type of<br />

check, try this: pull on the magazine and<br />

see if it is seated after you rack the slide<br />

in an administrative environment (more<br />

on that later). If it is seated and you later<br />

fi nd that no round was in the gun, something<br />

is drastically wrong. If this happens<br />

more than once, especially if you<br />

don’t fi nd the magazine to be the culprit,<br />

take the gun to a gunsmith—quickly.<br />

Pincus has seen many students cover<br />

themselves and/or induce malfunctions<br />

while trying to verify that the chamber<br />

of their pistol was loaded on a tactical<br />

training range. This is an administrative<br />

maneuver that would never be appropriate<br />

during a dynamic critical incident<br />

and shouldn’t be encouraged in a tactical<br />

training environment.<br />

Furthermore, using the same logic explained<br />

above for topping off, why cheat<br />

yourself out of the learning opportunity<br />

on a square range of fi nding out that you<br />

aren’t seating the magazine properly<br />

during your reloads (with the added bonus<br />

of a non-staged malfunction drill)?<br />

I used the word “administrative” a few<br />

lines ago—this “technique” is only practiced<br />

in an administrative setting—that<br />

is your fi rst clue that it has no place on<br />

a tactical training range. No one would<br />

suggest doing a press check after a slide<br />

lock reload in the midst of a string of fi re,<br />

let alone in a real or simulated critical incident.<br />

Before the emails start: No, this is not<br />

just a “Rob wants to complain about<br />

something” issue. I have seen many,<br />

many more students on ranges induce<br />

malfunctions and/or cover themselves<br />

with the muzzle while performing press<br />

checks than I have ever seen fi nding<br />

an empty chamber. This practice is the<br />

equivalent of running to your basement<br />

and looking for puddles after you fl ush<br />

your toilet. It is at best a waste of time,<br />

and at worst it leads to a negligent discharge<br />

with injuries. If your gun is working,<br />

trust it to work until it fails—that is<br />

part of what your training time should<br />

be about.<br />

Lastly, (again to stave off emails),<br />

make sure that your pistol really is<br />

loaded before going on duty, on patrol,<br />

or out in public with the intent of using<br />

it for self-defense or the defense of others.<br />

Competition Shooters: you deserve<br />

to lose the stage if you didn’t load your<br />

gun properly.<br />

“I’M OUT”<br />

The third thing that I am going to address<br />

is the use of the phrase “I’m out”<br />

with a slide-locked gun that still has an<br />

empty magazine in it in your hand. This<br />

is often accompanied by a somewhat vacant<br />

look over the right or left shoulder<br />

at the instructor running the line. The advanced<br />

version of this maneuver is done<br />

by ejecting the empty magazine into the<br />

weak hand prior to using the phrase.<br />

Now, I will assume that no one has ever<br />

actually taught anyone else to do this, but<br />

it does seem to happen a lot—and it is a<br />

close cousin of the automatic “unload &<br />

show clear” business from competition<br />

fi elds. Some competitors actually look<br />

like they think the clock is still running<br />

until they pop that mag and lock the gun<br />

open to show the safety offi cer how fast<br />

they can make their gun less dangerous.<br />

Stop. Please.<br />

Any time you are on a tactical training<br />

range and the pistol locks open, follow<br />

your procedure for a critical incident reload.<br />

This should be something like pulling<br />

the weak hand off the gun, ejecting<br />

the empty mag as the gun comes back to<br />

the ready position, reaching for a fresh<br />

mag with the weak hand, etc. If you fi nd<br />

that there is no magazine, simply come<br />

back up to the pistol, pretend to insert a<br />

magazine and rack the slide.<br />

For those of you who carry an extra<br />

magazine, how much more likely is it<br />

that you’re going to have slide lock and<br />

an extra magazine than that you would<br />

have no extra mags left and an instructor<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 55


BAD HABITS<br />

standing over your shoulder? A huge part<br />

of tactical weapons handling effi ciency is<br />

consistency in practicing your mechanical<br />

skills—get as much practice as you can.<br />

For those of you who don’t carry extra<br />

mags, picture how intimidating a person<br />

with a locked open gun saying “I’m out”<br />

is. At least standing in the ready position<br />

or moving to cover with a gun that is in<br />

battery is a plausible threat that might<br />

prevent your enemy from taking pot shots<br />

from behind cover or get him to give up<br />

altogether.<br />

SPEED HOLSTERING<br />

The last topic I’ll address in this article<br />

is holstering while walking off the line.<br />

Again: Please Stop. If the gun is loaded,<br />

this is dangerous. If the gun isn’t loaded,<br />

it is inconsistent bad practice. The procedure<br />

when you are working from the<br />

holster is this: Recognize a threat, draw<br />

and fi re, come back to the ready, assess<br />

the environment, re-holster, then relax.<br />

Your body posture shouldn’t change from<br />

string of fi re until after you have re-holstered<br />

the weapon. Until that time, you<br />

should still consider yourself in a critical<br />

incident and be as ready for dealing with<br />

a threat as possible. The practice of relaxing<br />

after a string of fi re is purely administrative<br />

and should not be tolerated on a<br />

training range.<br />

Armies used to stand in tightly knit<br />

groups and meet on open fi elds of battle<br />

exchanging volleys of fi re. <strong>Police</strong> offi cers<br />

used to catch the ejected brass from their<br />

revolvers on the range during training<br />

and put it in their pockets to make cleanup<br />

easier at the end of the day.<br />

Everything we do on a tactical training<br />

range should be critically examined<br />

and subject to improvement, revision or<br />

eradication. If you do any of the things I<br />

discussed in this article, especially if you<br />

teach or allow some of them, I think you<br />

owe it to yourself and your students to<br />

re-examine the practicality of those techniques<br />

and re-dedicate yourself to maximizing<br />

effi ciency and reality in your tactical<br />

weapons handling. They may just be<br />

bad habits, but some bad habits can get<br />

you killed. §<br />

[Rob Pincus is the Director of Operations at<br />

the world-renowned Valhalla Training Center,<br />

www.valhallatraining.com.]<br />

56 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


Actual images shown. A full comparison video of Gen III and<br />

SuperVision can be viewed at www.xenonics.com


The name Kimber needs no introduction.<br />

Probably best known to S.W.A.T.<br />

readers for their superb 1911type<br />

pistols and LifeAct<br />

less-lethal protection devices, they<br />

also manufacture high-quality hunting<br />

rifl es and shotguns. Kimber is<br />

now also manufacturing precision<br />

tactical rifl es.<br />

Last January at the SHOT Show,<br />

Kimber introduced three new rifl es intended<br />

primarily for (but not restricted<br />

to) law enforcement, all chambered<br />

for the ubiquitous .308 Winchester<br />

cartridge: the Model 84M LPT (Light<br />

<strong>Police</strong> Tactical), the Tactical and the<br />

Model 8400 Advanced Tactical Rifl e<br />

(ATR). I was recently able to test the<br />

ATR, and I came away from the evaluation<br />

impressed.<br />

The Model 8400 ATR is based on<br />

Kimber’s heavy-duty 8400 action and<br />

comes with an oversized, smooth bolt<br />

handle and knob, full-length Mausertype<br />

claw extractor, and Model 70type<br />

three-position safety. Capacity is<br />

fi ve rounds.<br />

The 24-inch bull barrel has a match<br />

chamber. The barreled action is glass<br />

Hansen shooting Kimber 8400<br />

Advanced Tactical Rifl e.<br />

bedded in a McMillan A-5 black/<br />

gray/green marble pattern stock. The<br />

McMillan stock is adjustable for length<br />

of pull, drop at comb and drop at heel.<br />

The stock has four fl ush-fi tting sling<br />

swivels—two on the bottom and two<br />

on the left side—and one sling stud at<br />

the front of the stock for mounting a<br />

bipod.<br />

Metal parts on the ATR are fi nished<br />

in KimPro II—which is very resistant<br />

to the elements and is self-lubricating—in<br />

the popular Dark Earth color.<br />

The rifl e comes shipped in a premium<br />

Hardigg Storm hard case.<br />

Available as an option, Kimber has<br />

put together a kit for the ATR that includes<br />

a Leupold Mark 4 3.5-10X40mm<br />

LR/T scope in Dark Earth color with<br />

matching rings, torque wrench, Versa-<br />

Pod bipod, sling with QD swivels,<br />

Otis cleaning kit and sniper logbook.<br />

The Leupold scope features the illuminated<br />

Tactical Milling Reticle<br />

(TMR), which allows for precision<br />

shots in low-light conditions. It is a<br />

very good reticle for range estimation,<br />

making it a great scope from<br />

Kimber Model 840<br />

Advanced Tactical Rifl e<br />

58 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


0<br />

Setting A New Standard?<br />

» BY DENNY HANSEN<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 59


KIMBER 8400<br />

McMillan stock is adjustable for height and length of pull. Bolt handle is large and smooth to facilitate easy operation.<br />

the tactical arena to the hunting field.<br />

The Otis Professional Rifle Cleaning<br />

System packs a lot into a small pouch that<br />

is MOLLE compatible. Along with the<br />

previously mentioned torque wrench,<br />

the Otis kit includes everything that one<br />

would need—from cotton swabs to a<br />

brass scraper tool—to maintain the ATR<br />

in the field.<br />

Every good shot begins with a stable<br />

position, and the Keng’s Versa-Pod supplied<br />

with the optional kit allows just<br />

that—stability. A very rugged bipod, it<br />

incorporates a quick detach feature.<br />

The sniper logbook that comes in<br />

the kit is one of the best I have seen. It<br />

contains pages for recording zeros in<br />

100-yard increments up to 1,000 yards,<br />

right: Versa-Pod bipod<br />

is both rugged and<br />

quick detach.<br />

below: Kimber 8400<br />

Advanced Tactical Rifle.<br />

60 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong><br />

i.e. 0-100, 100-200, etc. Wind charts,<br />

ranging charts, angle shooting (slope<br />

dope), shooting through different types<br />

of glass—if it’s useful to the precision<br />

marksman, it’s in the logbook.<br />

FIELD EVALUATION<br />

I took five different .308 match offer-<br />

ings I had on hand with me to shoot in<br />

the rifle: loads from Black Hills, Federal<br />

(.308 M and Gold Medal) Samson/IMI<br />

and Winchester. All were loaded with<br />

168-grain match bullets.<br />

Most of my “rifle” practice is actually<br />

with a carbine and takes place at CQB<br />

distances. I don’t consider myself an ex-<br />

SWATMAG.COM


KIMBER 8400<br />

pert rifleman, as I have been in the presence<br />

of those who can perform superbly<br />

at distances I have a hard time seeing.<br />

On the day I fired the 8400 ATR, however,<br />

the planets must have been in perfect<br />

alignment, the gods were smiling down<br />

and I must have had the proper dosages<br />

of caffeine and nicotine.<br />

I have never bothered with breaking<br />

in a barrel on a carbine intended for defensive<br />

purposes. As long as it’s shooting<br />

minute-of-bad guy, I’m happy. A<br />

precision rifle is another story.<br />

The ATR was cleaned after every shot<br />

for the first ten rounds. The procedure<br />

I use is to run a patch soaked with Pro<br />

Shot copper remover down the bore—<br />

from the breach end, of course—and<br />

then run a fresh patch down the bore<br />

until no fouling can be observed.<br />

Once break-in was complete, and<br />

to give each brand of ammo the best<br />

possible chance of performing to its<br />

potential, the rifle was allowed to cool<br />

between each string of fire and then<br />

cleaned before progressing to the next<br />

load. Furthermore, ten-round groups<br />

were fired for “score” instead of the<br />

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62 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


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KIMBER 8400<br />

Rifle with complete kit.<br />

SPECIFICATIONS,<br />

KIMBER MODEL 8400 ADVANCED TACTICAL<br />

Manufacturer Kimber Mfg., Inc.<br />

Model Model 8400 Advanced Tactical<br />

Type Bolt-action<br />

Caliber .308 Winchester<br />

Overall Length Adjustable<br />

Weight 9 lbs., 13 oz.<br />

Capacity 5<br />

Barrel Length 24” bull barrel<br />

Twist Rate 1:12<br />

Stock Adjustable McMillan A-5<br />

Finish (action and barrel) Desert tan KimPro II<br />

Finish (stock) Desert camo<br />

Swivel studs 5: 1 standard type, 4 flush fit<br />

MSRP Rifle $2,497.00; Kit (no rifle) $2,575.00<br />

standard three- or five-round groups<br />

at 100 yards. All loads were fired from<br />

prone with the Versa-Pod bipod.<br />

The first load fired was the Samson/IMI<br />

offering, turning in a 1.25-inch<br />

group. “OK,” I thought, “almost minuteof-angle.”<br />

Next up was the Winchester<br />

load, which put ten rounds into 1.12inches—things<br />

were looking up. The<br />

Federal 308M load has long been the<br />

standard of the industry, and it showed<br />

why by shooting it through the Kimber<br />

with a group that measured a mere .06inch.<br />

The Black Hills offering was very<br />

close, measuring .07-inch. The last—and<br />

worst—of the five loads, somewhat surprisingly,<br />

was shot with Federal Gold<br />

Medal, measuring 1.5-inches.<br />

While performing the ritual of cleaning<br />

the rifle after the last 100-yard session, I<br />

wondered what the ATR was capable of<br />

when the barrel heated up during a long<br />

string of fire at a greater distance.<br />

Picking up a box of Federal 308M, I<br />

walked back and lasered the target at<br />

200 yards. I fired the entire 20 rounds as<br />

fast as I could acquire the target, press<br />

the trigger and perform three reloads.<br />

The result was a 20-round group that<br />

measured 1.60 inches. While I was hopeful<br />

of simply doubling the group shot at<br />

100 yards (0.12), this is still under minute-of-angle!<br />

Possibly one of the aforementioned<br />

aligned planets had shifted<br />

slightly....<br />

To avoid this article coming off as<br />

a “gun rag puff piece,” I tried to find<br />

something, anything, I didn’t like about<br />

the Kimber Model 8400 Advanced Tactical<br />

Rifle. Sorry, I couldn’t. OK, maybe<br />

it’s a bit on the heavy side, but most true<br />

precision rifles are. Additionally, most<br />

law enforcement marksmen aren’t likely<br />

to be doing a lot of humping through the<br />

woods with it.<br />

If you have a use for a precision rifle,<br />

Kimber’s Model 8400 Advanced Tactical<br />

Rifle is worth a long, hard look. §<br />

SOURCES:<br />

Kimber Mfg., Inc.<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

One Lawton Street<br />

Yonkers, NY 10705<br />

(800) 880-2418<br />

www.kimberamerica.com<br />

Black Hills Ammunition<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

P.O. Box 3090<br />

Rapid City, SD 57709-3090<br />

(605) 348-5150<br />

www.black-hills.com<br />

Hardigg Storm Cases<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

147 North Main Street South<br />

Deerfield, MA 01373<br />

(800) 542-7344<br />

www.stormcase.com<br />

Keng’s Firearms Specialty, Inc.<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

875 Wharton Drive, SW<br />

Atlanta, GA 30336<br />

(404) 691-7611<br />

www.versapod.com<br />

Leupold & Stevens, Inc.<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

P.O. Box 688<br />

Beaverton, OR 97075-0688<br />

(503) 526-1400<br />

www.leupold.com<br />

Otis Products, Inc.<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

Laura Street<br />

PO Box 582<br />

Lyons Falls, NY 13368<br />

(800) 684-7486<br />

www.otisgun.com<br />

64 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


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Be A Good Stude<br />

Bob is late for class, missing the opening lecture.<br />

As everyone gears up, you can<br />

tell by watching that Bob isn’t<br />

familiar with his firearm. “I just<br />

got this baby,” he says nervously, “and<br />

haven’t had a chance to shoot it, so I’m<br />

glad we’re starting out with marksmanship<br />

drills.” Bob borrowed reloaded<br />

ammo from a hometown buddy. The<br />

Although more expensive,<br />

private tutorials are your<br />

best value for time and<br />

money spent. Class<br />

progresses at your rate,<br />

with plenty of time to fine-<br />

problem is the rounds won’t feed into<br />

Bob’s weapon. “Frank said these worked<br />

great in his gun,” Bob explains in his<br />

defense. Feeling sorry for Bob, another<br />

student loans him ammo so he can continue.<br />

His first shot from 25 yards hits<br />

the ground ten feet in front of the target.<br />

“I might have jerked the trigger on that<br />

Initially any instructor will do for your<br />

training needs, but eventually as<br />

you develop your skills, you need to<br />

seek out a true teacher. Clint Smith,<br />

director of Thunder Ranch, is one of<br />

the best teachers out there.<br />

» BY TIGER McKEE<br />

one,” he says, chuckling. Bob is “that<br />

guy”—the one that instructor and students<br />

alike hate to see in a class.<br />

Like any martial art, learning to fight<br />

with firearms requires studying under<br />

knowledgeable instructors. This takes<br />

time and money, and to get the greatest<br />

return on your investment, you need to<br />

focus on three areas—preparation for<br />

the class, participation during the class<br />

and post-class follow through. Attention<br />

to these issues will ensure you get the<br />

maximum return on your investment,<br />

and you don’t end up being “Bob.”<br />

SELECTING YOUR CLASS<br />

Preparation includes selecting your<br />

class, making travel plans, and acquiring<br />

the necessary equipment. Choosing<br />

a class, the type and level of instruction,<br />

is where people may make their first<br />

mistake. Your anticipated use of your<br />

firearm and current abilities should dictate<br />

the class you attend. If you want to<br />

tune 66 your S.W.A.T. skills and » DECEMBER tactics. <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


nt<br />

study fighting, don’t attend a competitive<br />

shooting class. Competitions have<br />

rules and regulations and you are racing<br />

a timer. Fights are nasty, ugly and there<br />

are no rules.<br />

Be careful not to overestimate your<br />

current abilities. Just because you’ve<br />

been “shootin’ all your life” doesn’t mean<br />

you’ve been doing it correctly. If you’ve<br />

never had any formal training, I highly<br />

recommend a basic course covering<br />

safety, the fundamentals of marksmanship<br />

and manipulation techniques such<br />

as loading and unloading your weapon.<br />

You’ll be surprised at what you learn.<br />

Most defensive instruction is based on<br />

you knowing these fundamentals, and<br />

without them you’ll start out behind,<br />

quickly become frustrated and won’t<br />

benefit from the instruction. If you’ve<br />

attended a level one class, that doesn’t<br />

necessarily mean you are ready for the<br />

next instructional level. If you had a hard<br />

time with level one, or haven’t practiced<br />

the material, you might consider attending<br />

the same class again.<br />

Choosing an instructor or school is<br />

important for both beginners and experienced<br />

students. For the first-timer,<br />

the training should be a gratifying experience<br />

and get you started in the right<br />

direction. For the “gun-school-junkie,”<br />

the instruction should fit the fighting<br />

doctrine you are developing. The armed<br />

professional may be seeking specialized<br />

training. There are a lot of people offering<br />

instruction with vast differences<br />

between ability and the doctrines they<br />

promote. A great source of info on instructors<br />

and schools is this magazine,<br />

and most firearm forums on the Internet<br />

have areas specifically devoted to training.<br />

After choosing a school, contact them<br />

to discuss your current skill level and<br />

what you are looking for in instruction.<br />

You may want to ask about private instruction.<br />

Since you are the only student,<br />

private tutorials normally contain a wider<br />

variety of drills and more dynamic<br />

exercises as compared to a group class.<br />

You have the undivided attention of the<br />

Your training gear should reflect what<br />

you expect to have with you should<br />

trouble develop. This will differ<br />

according to whether you are a private<br />

citizen training for self-defense or<br />

security or law enforcement/military<br />

training for combative situations.<br />

instructor—the perfect student-teacher<br />

ratio—and class progresses at your<br />

learning rate, focusing on fine-tuning<br />

your skills. Although private instruction<br />

is more expensive, this is your best<br />

value.<br />

Get detailed information on the registration<br />

process. Most schools require applications,<br />

copies of CCW permits and<br />

such, and payment or deposits. Send in<br />

all the required paperwork. Don’t just<br />

shove a check into an envelope and mail<br />

it in, even if you have been to the same<br />

school 12 times before. After a week or<br />

so, confirm your registration.<br />

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS<br />

Now it’s time to make travel arrangements.<br />

Wait until the last minute to book<br />

flights, hotels or rental cars and you<br />

may discover a jazz festival the same<br />

weekend as your class, with everything<br />

booked solid. If your plans include fly-<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 67


BE A GOOD STUDENT<br />

All your gear forms a chain, and you<br />

can’t afford any weak links. Invest in<br />

quality gear from the beginning. Floppy<br />

holsters and thin dress belts won’t cut<br />

it. Many companies make magazines:<br />

buy quality mags and test them for<br />

function before attending class.<br />

Electronic earmuffs are affordable and<br />

a valuable training aid.<br />

ing, check the airline’s policies for flying<br />

with firearms when booking a flight. Buy<br />

and ship your ammunition in advance,<br />

with time to confirm its arrival prior to<br />

the class. If you are driving, check each<br />

state you’ll pass through for their laws<br />

on transporting firearms. Remember,<br />

ignorance of the law is no excuse. Once<br />

you arrive, make a test run to see how<br />

long it takes to get to the actual range itself<br />

with time to spare.<br />

PHYSICAL CONDITIONING<br />

Use the time between registration and<br />

the class to physically prepare yourself.<br />

Hammering away at “bad guys” for<br />

a few days is physically and mentally<br />

demanding, especially if you sit behind<br />

a desk 40 hours a week. Replace your<br />

weapon with a dumbbell and, with arms<br />

extended, come up from a ready position,<br />

keeping it pointed on target. In the<br />

evenings, go for brisk walks. Find a few<br />

simple stretching positions and develop<br />

some flexibility. If you have physical<br />

limitations, inform the instructor in advance.<br />

I’ve spent entire classes correcting<br />

students only to have them tell me<br />

at the end of a course that they couldn’t<br />

do what I was asking because they were<br />

recovering from recent surgery or have<br />

problems from previous injuries. Training<br />

is about learning new skills and<br />

discovering your limitations as an individual.<br />

Once you recognize a weakness,<br />

there are ways to compensate for it.<br />

EQUIPMENT PREP<br />

Every class I’ve ever attended had an<br />

equipment list, which is sent to all students<br />

well before the course begins. A<br />

major source of frustration as an instructor<br />

is students showing up without the<br />

proper gear. Items are on the list for a<br />

reason, so do the instructor and yourself<br />

a favor and bring them. Start gathering<br />

your gear at least a week before the class.<br />

A small kit with athletic tape, band-aids,<br />

sunscreen and that type of stuff is always<br />

good. I highly recommend taking<br />

clothing appropriate for any weather<br />

conditions that may occur. With the low<br />

cost of surplus Gore-Tex suits, everyone<br />

should have a set. Before packing, set<br />

your gear out on the floor and double<br />

check the list to make sure you haven’t<br />

missed something.<br />

Part of training is about evaluating<br />

your equipment and discovering its advantages<br />

and disadvantages, but don’t<br />

go to class with new or untested firearms.<br />

Check your weapon, ammunition<br />

and magazines for function prior to the<br />

class. Anything that can break should<br />

have a spare. Having to clear malfunctions<br />

with every shot will affect your<br />

learning. Waiting in the dark while the<br />

rest of the class is clearing a building, because<br />

your only flashlight died, will be<br />

boring.<br />

If possible, bring an exact duplicate<br />

of the firearm you are training with to<br />

class, so if one breaks you can continue<br />

to train. A loaner gun from an instructor<br />

or another student, if not the same<br />

type you have been using, will put you<br />

behind the power curve—not where you<br />

want to be.<br />

If you’re a regular guy or gal training<br />

to defend your family, don’t show up for<br />

class decked out in yards of Velcro and<br />

black tactical gear. When you’re attacked<br />

in a dark parking lot, you won’t have<br />

that tactical vest and thigh-rig holster. If<br />

you are a member of a SWAT team, the<br />

military or run security, then train with<br />

the gear you normally operate with.<br />

You won’t likely be clearing corners in<br />

Baghdad slicked out in shorts and tennis<br />

shoes with mags stuffed in your back<br />

pockets. During class, don’t hesitate to<br />

ask other students about their gear. This<br />

is an opportunity to get opinions from<br />

people who are employing the equipment<br />

under actual field conditions. Just<br />

remember that they may not be able to<br />

tell you exactly where that field experience<br />

was acquired, so don’t pry.<br />

DURING CLASS<br />

After all the proper preparation,<br />

don’t blow it during the actual course!<br />

On the range, stay focused and don’t<br />

let your mind wander. If you’re thinking<br />

about car payments, you’ll miss the<br />

range command, and while everyone<br />

else is backing up and shooting, you’ll<br />

be standing still. Shut your mouth, open<br />

your ears and pay attention. Electronic<br />

earmuffs allow you to clearly hear range<br />

68 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


BE A GOOD STUDENT<br />

commands. They protect your ears better<br />

than plugs, are affordable and recommended.<br />

If your muffs have directional<br />

microphones, turn them to the rear. The<br />

target won’t talk to you, but your instructor<br />

will.<br />

You came to class to learn, not to just<br />

do things the way you’ve always done<br />

them. Some of the techniques will be<br />

new or different. I ask students to work<br />

with new techniques or tactics during<br />

the class, then after giving them a chance,<br />

they can make an educated choice.<br />

Please don’t cop-out with “This is how<br />

I’ve always done it and I can’t change<br />

it now.” You can do anything if you<br />

put your mind to it, which means slow<br />

down and focus on what the instructor is<br />

asking. After all, it may be a better technique<br />

or tactic, and if lives depend on<br />

your performance, wouldn’t you want<br />

to be as good as possible? And don’t get<br />

caught up comparing your performance<br />

to other students. What they can do on<br />

the range won’t matter in your fight.<br />

When the instructor offers corrections<br />

during a drill, it’s not the time to<br />

get into a lengthy debate. Hold your<br />

questions until a break and then get<br />

clarification. After all, it’s your class,<br />

and you shouldn’t leave with any<br />

questions unanswered. Other students<br />

will also have questions, however,<br />

so don’t hog all the instructor’s time.<br />

Please don’t take unnecessary risks or<br />

participate in anything unsafe. Everyone<br />

on the range, including you, is a safety<br />

officer. If you see someone pointing a<br />

muzzle in an unsafe direction, or anything<br />

else dangerous, you need to correct<br />

it immediately. Firearms are weapons,<br />

weapons are dangerous and there is no<br />

room for neglect or error. There are plenty<br />

of ways to induce stress into training<br />

without increasing risk, and personally I<br />

don’t want to become comfortable with<br />

something like bullets coming at me.<br />

POST CLASS FOLLOW<br />

THROUGH<br />

After class is when the real work begins.<br />

Training and practicing are two different<br />

things. Training is the introduction<br />

of new techniques and the reason you<br />

attend class. Practice is when you actually<br />

learn and refine your skills through<br />

repetition. If you don’t practice, your<br />

skills will deteriorate. A little work will<br />

maintain your abilities, but improvement<br />

takes regular practice. Practice is<br />

also the time to experiment with new or<br />

modified gear.<br />

For your initial training, an instructor<br />

will serve the purpose, but to continue<br />

developing your skills, eventually you<br />

will want to seek out a true teacher. An<br />

Before class is the time to sort out<br />

and make sure you have the proper<br />

gear, plus any spare equipment you<br />

may need. A simple first aid kit,<br />

extra lights and batteries, elbow/<br />

knee pads, and a basic cleaning kit<br />

are helpful. Color coded small bags<br />

separate everything and allow quick<br />

access. Best to do this when the<br />

wife is out.<br />

instructor demonstrates and shows you<br />

how to do specific tasks. A teacher goes<br />

into detail on techniques and tactical<br />

theories, explaining how and why you<br />

do something a certain way, when and<br />

where to do it, and options if that technique<br />

or tactic won’t work. Scott Reitz,<br />

Louis Awerbuck, and Clint Smith are<br />

a few of the great teachers I’ve studied<br />

under.<br />

When you decide to invest in training,<br />

you are entering into a contract. For<br />

the school to do its part, you have hold<br />

up your end of the deal. You can book a<br />

class with the best teacher in the world,<br />

but if you’re not prepared physically,<br />

mentally and with the right equipment,<br />

you’re wasting both parties’ time. You<br />

can always make more money and buy<br />

more ammo and gear, but time is a precious<br />

commodity. Spend it wisely. §<br />

[Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms<br />

Academy and author of The Book of<br />

Two Guns. www.shootrite.org, (256) 582-<br />

4777.]<br />

70 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


P-220 Combat comes with<br />

eight-round and ten-round<br />

magazines.<br />

72 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


» BY LEROY THOMPSON<br />

SIGARMS already has some real advantages in<br />

offering a handgun that meets the specifi cations<br />

for the Joint Combat Pistol (JCP).<br />

First, Naval Special Warfare personnel are already<br />

familiar with the P-226, since it has been used<br />

quite a bit by the SEALs. Other military personnel<br />

are familiar with the SIG P-228—military designation<br />

M11—since it has been issued on a limited basis as<br />

well. Secondly, the P-220 already meets many of the JCP<br />

specifi cations. It has taken only relatively minor modifi -<br />

cations to create what appears to be a real player should<br />

the Trials resume and result in the adoption of a new .45<br />

ACP pistol, even if only on a limited basis for special operations<br />

personnel.<br />

SIG’s JCP entry, the P-220 Combat, is actually offered<br />

in four formats. A standard double-action/single-action<br />

(DA/SA) model with hammer drop safety is offered with<br />

standard barrel and with threaded barrel that extends .6<br />

inches from the slide. Designated the “TB” model (for<br />

Threaded Barrel), this version would fi t the specifi ca-<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 73


SIGARMS P220 COMBAT<br />

SPECIFICATIONS,<br />

SIGARMS P220 COMBAT<br />

Manufacturer SIGARMS<br />

Model P-220 Combat<br />

Caliber .45 ACP<br />

Trigger Pull (DA/SA) 10.0 and 4.5 pounds<br />

Overall Length 7.70 inches<br />

Overall Height 5.50 inches<br />

Overall Width 1.50 inches<br />

Weight 31.2 ounces<br />

Barrel Length 4.40 inches<br />

Sight Radius 6.60 inches<br />

Sights SIGLITE® Night Sights<br />

Capacity 8- and 10-round magazines<br />

Grips Polymer, Flat Dark Earth<br />

Finish Nitron/Flat Dark Earth<br />

MSRP $1,067.00<br />

CA Compliant Yes<br />

MA Compliant No<br />

tion that requires an optional suppressor<br />

kit. These same two barrel options are<br />

offered with SIG’s DAK trigger P-220<br />

Combat models. The one I have for testing<br />

has the standard barrel and the DA/<br />

SA trigger.<br />

As with other pistols designed for the<br />

JCP Trails, the P-220 Combat comes in<br />

“Flat Dark Earth” color. This includes<br />

Flat Dark Earth Polymer grips and<br />

Nitron®/Flat Dark Earth on metal. The<br />

combo is actually quite handsome and<br />

blends well with typical ground and<br />

ground cover. To give an idea, when<br />

Nitron parts and Flat Dark Earth<br />

parts have contrasting colors.<br />

I was trying to photograph the P-220<br />

Combat after test fi ring it, I found it diffi<br />

cult to use a fallen tree, the ground, or<br />

leaves as background because it blended<br />

too well for a good photo. Internal parts<br />

are phosphorus coated. The barrel is<br />

hard chromed, then fi nished in Nitron.<br />

Overall, SIGARMS has incorporated a<br />

good durability package.<br />

While the P-220 Combat is a full-sized<br />

battle pistol, it is compact enough that<br />

an operator can carry it concealed when<br />

working in indigenous clothing—an<br />

important consideration in the War on<br />

Terror. Overall length with the standard<br />

barrel is 7.7 inches; 8.3 inches in TB version.<br />

Weight is 31.2 ounces. Barrel length<br />

is still 4.4 inches or 5 inches on the TB<br />

model. I think the P-220 Combat will get<br />

high marks with operators since it will<br />

conceal well or carry comfortably as a<br />

backup weapon.<br />

Among the special features to meet<br />

JCP specifi cations is an M1913 Picatinny<br />

rail with three cross slots. A lanyard pin,<br />

which offers enough room for easy attachment<br />

of a lanyard, is incorporated<br />

into the grip. This is a more important<br />

distinction than it might seem upon initial<br />

reading, since I have encountered<br />

nominal lanyard attachment points that<br />

were virtually impossible to use effectively.<br />

To meet the JCP requirement for<br />

self-illuminated night sights, the P-220<br />

Combat incorporates SIGLITE sights.<br />

Those for the TB version are higher, to<br />

allow target acquisition with a suppressor<br />

mounted. JCP specs call for an<br />

eight-round magazine capacity with a<br />

ten-round magazine available; hence,<br />

the P-220 Combat is furnished with an<br />

eight-round magazine plus a ten-round<br />

magazine with an extension. Specs call<br />

for the JCP to have a double-action trigger<br />

pull between eight and ten pounds<br />

and a single-action pull between four<br />

and six pounds. The P-220 Combat is<br />

rated at ten pounds DA and 4.5 pounds<br />

SA, so it falls within the guidelines. I<br />

should note that, as with most SIG SA/<br />

DA pistols I’ve used, trigger pull is fairly<br />

crisp, though it does stack a bit on DA.<br />

SIG P-220 pistols are well known for<br />

reliability. In fact, I had a friend in the<br />

St. Louis FBI offi ce who carried a P-220<br />

for years. When it seemed as if every automatic<br />

pistol in the offi ce was being returned<br />

to Quantico because of problems,<br />

he retained his P-220. I have also had a P-<br />

220 for ten years or more and have fi red<br />

at least 2,500-3,000 rounds through it. I<br />

cannot remember a single malfunction.<br />

My point is that the P-220 is known for<br />

reliability, and no internal changes were<br />

made to the P-220 Combat. As a result,<br />

there should be few problems meeting<br />

JCP standards for reliability.<br />

When testing the Para-Ordnance Nite-<br />

Tac intended for the JCP Trials (THE<br />

CONTENDER: Para-Ordnance Military<br />

Nite-Tac, June <strong>2007</strong> S.W.A.T.), I found<br />

74 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


THE ARTICLE NAME<br />

P-220 Combat handles quite well<br />

and allows quick engagement of<br />

multiple targets.<br />

that Insight Technology and SureFire illuminators<br />

would not readily slide onto<br />

the rails. I decided to try these same illuminators<br />

on the P-220 Combat rail. Once<br />

again, I found the fit very tight, to the extent<br />

that I was afraid of breaking the illuminators.<br />

As with the Para-Ordnance,<br />

I found that the Streamlight TLR-1 and<br />

TLR-2 could be attached readily. The<br />

difference is that the Streamlight illuminators<br />

allow their rails to be pushed<br />

apart for attachment then tightened via<br />

a screw. It is my understanding that the<br />

Insight Technology M6X—which also<br />

uses a screw—works on these JCP rails,<br />

but I have not had a chance to try one.<br />

Once I had the Streamlight TLR-2 attached<br />

to the P-220 Combat, I tried manipulating<br />

the controls with either hand<br />

and found that I could switch the illuminator<br />

on and off easily.<br />

To range test the P-220 Combat, I took<br />

along various loads, including Sellier &<br />

Bellot 230-grain FMC, Black Hills 230grain<br />

JHP, CorBon 230-grain JHP, and<br />

CorBon 185-grain DPX. I started off at<br />

25 yards to check accuracy. I found the<br />

same problem with the P-220 Combat<br />

that I find with virtually every .45 ACP<br />

handgun I receive from any factory—especially<br />

with night sights. With 230grain<br />

FMC ammo, the P-220 Combat<br />

was shooting almost 8-10 inches low.<br />

By the way, this problem is not just with<br />

me, because I have tested guns with two<br />

or three other shooters along and they<br />

shot as low or lower. Since lighter, faster<br />

ammo will usually shoot even lower, I<br />

can’t imagine for what load manufacturers<br />

regulate their .45 ACP pistols.<br />

Groups were also a bit left, but that can<br />

be corrected with a rear sight pusher.<br />

Accuracy was good with all loads. My<br />

friend Tim Mullin shot the best group at<br />

25 yards with CorBon’s DPX (three shots<br />

into about two inches), though it was, of<br />

course, very low.<br />

I didn’t take along my older P-220 for<br />

comparison, but the grips on the P-220<br />

Combat feel a bit thicker. Still, the gun<br />

feels good in the hands. I wanted to try it<br />

for various drills, so put up a Blackheart<br />

terrorist target at 15 yards and using<br />

Black Hills 230-grain JHP ammo fired<br />

a triple tap with the first round double<br />

action and the subsequent rounds single<br />

action. I had to aim at the top of the<br />

“Tango’s” head to get three hits in the<br />

chin area, but all three were grouped into<br />

about an inch and a half. Transition from<br />

DA to SA was smooth. I must admit that<br />

I’ve done a lot of shooting with SIG DA/<br />

SA pistols, so I am used to switching<br />

trigger pulls after the first shot. On the<br />

other hand, for the last couple of years<br />

most of my SIG shooting has been with a<br />

DAK trigger P-226R.<br />

I set up another Blackheart terrorist<br />

target at 15 yards and fired two double<br />

taps center of mass, first DA, second<br />

SA, each time. Once again, I purposely<br />

aimed high, but the shots were wellplaced.<br />

I followed up with a “zipper”<br />

of three shots moving from the chest to<br />

the upper chest to the head. The first was<br />

fired DA and the subsequent two SA. All<br />

shots were good hits, but I had more<br />

trouble than usual with this drill due to<br />

the need to mentally calculate how high<br />

to hold as I fired.<br />

We put over 200 rounds through the<br />

P-220 Combat, and it was utterly reliable.<br />

I found it very fast handling for engaging<br />

multiple plates and pepper poppers<br />

at ranges between 10 and 35 yards. I<br />

also did some shooting on flipper plates<br />

at seven yards, but did not do as well as<br />

I usually do because I had to estimate<br />

how high to hold. As part of the reliability<br />

testing, I fired rounds with the pistol<br />

held sideways “Gangsta” style and upside<br />

down. I also fired two or three mags<br />

with my support hand only. The P-220<br />

Combat performed without hesitation.<br />

Overall, the shooting tests went well. To<br />

be honest, I would have been surprised<br />

if a SIG P-220 was not reliable and accurate.<br />

The problem with shooting high<br />

was annoying, but I will order a couple<br />

of lower front sights from SIGARMS and<br />

solve it with a sight pusher in a few minutes.<br />

I fired some strings using the eightround<br />

magazine and some using the<br />

ten-round magazine. The spring on the<br />

latter was quite stiff and, to get the tenth<br />

round in, I had to use a Glock loader<br />

76 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


P-220 Combat ready for use in tactical<br />

role with ten-round magazine in place<br />

and Streamlight TLR-1 mounted.<br />

to push it down. I’ve left the magazine<br />

fully loaded to compress the spring a<br />

bit. The extended part of the ten-round<br />

magazine has a polymer girdle and a<br />

slam pad. Since I normally shoot with<br />

the butt resting on the palm of my support<br />

hand, I did have to adjust my grip<br />

somewhat when shooting with the extended<br />

magazine.<br />

I came into testing this pistol liking<br />

SIG P-220s, liking accessory rails, liking<br />

night sights, liking lanyard rings and<br />

liking extension magazines. Basically,<br />

therefore, I was in a what’s-not-to-like<br />

situation. I have to admit I think the<br />

“Flat Dark Earth” coloration has a lot of<br />

CDI Factor and I like that, too. If a new<br />

military pistol is selected from the Joint<br />

Combat Pistol Trials, I think the P-220<br />

Combat will definitely be in the running.<br />

§<br />

SOURCES:<br />

SIGARMS, Inc.<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

18 Industrial Drive<br />

Exeter, NH 03833<br />

(603) 772-2302<br />

www.sigarms.com<br />

Blackheart International, L.L.C.<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

P.O. Box 9<br />

112 North Wood Street<br />

Philippi, WV 26416<br />

(877) 244-8166<br />

www.bhigear.com<br />

Black Hills Ammunition<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

P.O. Box 3090<br />

Rapid City, SD 57709-3090<br />

(605) 348-5150<br />

www.black-hills.com<br />

CorBon<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

1311 Industry Rd.<br />

Sturgis, SD 57785<br />

(800) 626-7266<br />

www.corbon.com<br />

THE ARTICLE NAME<br />

Sellier & Bellot USA Inc.<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

P.O. Box 7307<br />

Shawnee Mission, KS 66207-0307<br />

(800) 960-2422<br />

www.sb-usa.com<br />

Streamlight, Inc.<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

30 Eagleville Rd.<br />

Eagleville, PA 19403<br />

(610) 631-0600<br />

www.streamlight-flashlights.com<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 77


Second<br />

Look At A<br />

First Class<br />

Rifl e<br />

ArmaLite AR-10<br />

We all enjoy articles on the newest rifl e, handgun or accessory.<br />

This article will discuss a rifl e purchased<br />

in the previous century, so<br />

please bear with me.<br />

A truly versatile rifl e is one that continues<br />

to transform itself, satisfying multiple<br />

roles with equal aplomb. Put another<br />

way, if one owned three identical<br />

rifl es, each would be confi gured differently<br />

to satisfy various roles. I have such<br />

a rifl e in the form of an ArmaLite AR-10<br />

chambered in .308 Winchester (7.62mm<br />

NATO). I did not appreciate this until I<br />

noticed the accessories acquired for the<br />

AR-10 over the years. I share my story<br />

hoping to stimulate readers to re-evaluate<br />

their needs and how to best satisfy<br />

these needs.<br />

The offi cial nomenclature for the<br />

ArmaLite discussed in this article is AR-<br />

10A4CS. I purchased the rifl e ten years<br />

ago. It has a 16-inch stainless match barrel<br />

with a muzzle brake. The rifl e is a<br />

“fl at top” and came with green furniture.<br />

One key factor in its continuing use is its<br />

phenomenal accuracy. I truly stumbled<br />

into a screamer. Various ammunition of<br />

different makes regularly produce fi veshot<br />

5/8-inch to 3/4-inch groups at 100<br />

yards. In my experience, sub-MOA rifl es<br />

are rare creatures. ArmaLite rifl es have a<br />

solid reputation for accuracy, but this rifl<br />

e’s performance is on the extreme side.<br />

I fi rst used the AR-10A4CS as a hunting<br />

rifl e. It seemed a waste not to employ<br />

it for something more than an entertaining,<br />

albeit bet-winning, target rifl e. The<br />

AR-10 clearly shows its assault rifl e lineage<br />

as designed by Eugene Stoner in the<br />

late 1950s. The combination of a proven<br />

design with the .308 cartridge produces<br />

a near perfect hunting rifl e. While not<br />

light at over ten pounds empty, the rifl e<br />

carries with ease and great balance in the<br />

roughest terrain. This should not come<br />

as a surprise, considering its origin as an<br />

infantry weapon.<br />

I mounted a Leupold Vari-X-III 1.75-<br />

6X to complement the AR-10’s hunting<br />

potential. A low power setting for quick<br />

target acquisition in thick terrain, a turn<br />

of the knob to 6X for an unexpected long<br />

shot or having to pick out a shooting lane<br />

through timber. A shot past 250 yards is<br />

a rarity. The fl at-top receiver maximizes<br />

78 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


A4CS<br />

» BY TODD BURGREEN » PHOTOS BY KEITH KILMER<br />

the natural pointing characteristics of<br />

the scoped AR-10, and the Picatinny rail<br />

allows for one of the sturdiest scope-torifl<br />

e connections on the market. Proper<br />

scope positioning for optimum eye relief<br />

is made easier as well.<br />

A muzzle brake on a .308 is not a necessity.<br />

At fi rst I considered having it<br />

removed. I then realized recoil is not<br />

the only function of a brake. The brake<br />

minimizes muzzle rise, allowing for<br />

fast follow-up shots—important no<br />

matter what role the AR-10 is fulfi lling.<br />

An interesting sidenote for the muzzle<br />

brake—ArmaLite calls it a recoil check<br />

device—is that it diffuses the blast signature,<br />

making it diffi cult to pinpoint one’s<br />

fi ring position. Anecdotally, when I fi red<br />

upon a group of deer 40 yards away,<br />

some of the animals ran toward me, and<br />

an unseen band of does broke cover<br />

from a different position and almost ran<br />

me over. ArmaLite engineers have done<br />

a good job designing the brake relative<br />

to the shooter, as muzzle blast is directed<br />

forward and to the sides of the shooter,<br />

but this is not good for anyone standing<br />

beside the rifl e.<br />

I decided I needed a CQB rifl e after<br />

a few years using the AR-10A4CS as<br />

a hunting rifl e. I changed out the front<br />

handguards with ArmaLite’s Alostyr<br />

handguards, which feature four-sided<br />

Picatinny rails for mounting different accessories.<br />

The Alostyr system comes in<br />

two pieces and is easily installed with-<br />

Leupold CQ/T mounted<br />

with A.R.M.S. throw<br />

lever along with other<br />

optics used during<br />

transformations of the<br />

AR-10A4CS.<br />

out gunsmithing. I mounted an Alostyr<br />

forward pistol grip and GG&G offset<br />

light mount with an X3 PentagonLight<br />

and attached to it to the forearm rails. I<br />

installed Alostyr fl ip up front and rear<br />

sights.<br />

For the main optic I chose a Leupold<br />

Mk4 CQ/T scope. The Leupold CQ/<br />

T sight is unique in what it offers. Its<br />

etched circle and dot reticle is always<br />

available in case Mr. Murphy decides to<br />

deep six your batteries. The reticle can<br />

be illuminated with different brightness<br />

settings for low light conditions. The<br />

Leupold Mark4 CQ/Ts circle and dot<br />

reticle aids in both range estimation and<br />

quick target engagement. At 100 yards,<br />

set at 3X, the CQ/T’s circle reticle mea-<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 79


ARMALITE AR-10A4CS<br />

Magpul stock with cheek piece<br />

and length of pull adjusted for<br />

my individual preference. Bottom<br />

of hook-style buttstock can be<br />

removed, exposing Picatinny rails<br />

for mounting of a monopod.<br />

Leupold Mk4 3.5-10X40mm LR/T<br />

scope with target-style windage and<br />

elevation turrets. Warne Tactical<br />

rings were used to mount the scope<br />

to the AR-10A4CS’s Picatinny rail.<br />

Alostyr Quadrail<br />

with GG&G offset<br />

light mount, forward<br />

pistol grip, bipod, and<br />

PentagonLight X3.<br />

Note muzzle brake’s<br />

double baffle design.<br />

sures six inches in diameter. Another key<br />

feature is the CQ/T’s 1-3X magnification<br />

range. Most close quarter sights offer no<br />

magnification capability. It is nice to be<br />

able to take advantage of the .308’s ballistic<br />

advantage with 3X magnification.<br />

Finishing off the Leupold Mk4 CQ/T<br />

package is an optional A.R.M.S. throw<br />

lever mount that allows for quick on/off<br />

of the sight with repeatable zero.<br />

One word of caution is due with the<br />

ArmaLite AR-10. The user must diligently<br />

field check all 20-round magazines<br />

before committing them to use. There<br />

are several generations of AR-10 magazine<br />

designs on the market. Even “new”<br />

mags need to be checked for reliability.<br />

On a positive note, once I have verified a<br />

magazine as working, I have not encountered<br />

any problems. Another quirk is<br />

that magazines need to be downloaded a<br />

minimum of one round to allow for reliable<br />

loading and feeding. A fully loaded<br />

20-round magazine is difficult to seat in<br />

the rifle with the bolt closed, and even<br />

with the bolt open the magazine’s spring<br />

tension is such that the bolt does not<br />

close properly 100% of the time. I have<br />

had no such issues with the ten-round<br />

magazines.<br />

In the role of a precision rifle, not<br />

fully taking advantage of the ArmaLite<br />

AR-10’s gilt-edged accuracy has always<br />

caused me consternation. Sub-MOA<br />

rifles are not common—despite such reports<br />

on the Internet—and here was one<br />

in a semiautomatic platform. The AR-<br />

10A4CS transformed easily into a precision<br />

rifle. I mounted a Leupold Mk4<br />

3.5-10X40mm LR/T scope with TMR<br />

reticle to take full advantage of the AR-<br />

10’s accuracy. The premium high-powered<br />

Leupold scope draws many comments<br />

from the uninitiated upon seeing<br />

it placed on the short barrel AR-10A4CS.<br />

I used Warne Tactical rings to mount the<br />

LR/T.<br />

Next, I installed an ArmaLite National<br />

Match Two-Stage trigger. Trigger control<br />

is a vital component to accurate shooting,<br />

especially at extended ranges, where<br />

any variable is magnified and affects<br />

shot placement. A good trigger is often<br />

overlooked in the accuracy equation.<br />

The ArmaLite trigger is a two-stage type,<br />

needing four pounds of pressure to fire.<br />

Another modification used in the AR-<br />

80 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


10’s transformation is the Magpul Precision<br />

Rifle Stock. The stock is adjustable for<br />

length of pull and comb height, plus offers<br />

a rail on the bottom of the stock for a<br />

monopod attachment. The Magpul stock<br />

is designed for prone shooting with a<br />

hook-style buttstock. This allows a shooter<br />

to “crawl” into the scope and hook his<br />

offhand around it for a more steady hold.<br />

I added a stud attachment on the quad<br />

rail for the Harris bipod.<br />

I left the forward pistol grip in place<br />

to aid in toting the hefty AR-10 around,<br />

along with the GG&G mount and PentagonLight<br />

tactical illumination device.<br />

A tactical light will always be of use, and<br />

the intense 135-lumen X3 PentagonLight,<br />

combined with the Leupold optics, allows<br />

for target acquisition out to 135 yards in<br />

the darkest of conditions.<br />

The basic M16 design is hard to improve<br />

upon when it comes to reliably<br />

launching accurate bullets downrange.<br />

ArmaLite guarantees the AR-10A4CS to<br />

shoot 1.5-2.0 MOA with the standard barrel<br />

and quality ammunition—better can<br />

be expected. ArmaLite makes a strong<br />

statement with its accuracy guarantee.<br />

As alluded to in the beginning of this article,<br />

Hornady 168-gr. TAP, Federal 168-gr.<br />

Match, Black Hills 168 and 175-gr. Match,<br />

and 180-gr. Accubond Black Hills Gold<br />

hunting loads all produce outstanding accuracy.<br />

In fact, no ammunition, including<br />

full metal jacket surplus ammunition, has<br />

generated greater than 2.5 MOA accuracy<br />

levels.<br />

The short 16-inch barrel sacrifices approximately<br />

150-200 feet-per-second (fps)<br />

compared to 24-inch tubes. The handiness<br />

gained from the short barrel outweighs<br />

the velocity lost, in my opinion. Barrel<br />

length has nothing to do with intrinsic accuracy.<br />

How many times have you read,<br />

“…the short barrel will limit effectiveness<br />

to 300 yards”? A short barrel only gives<br />

up velocity when compared to longer barrels.<br />

Less velocity translates into longer<br />

time of flight, which exposes the bullet to<br />

more gravitational and wind forces, especially<br />

with targets past 350 yards. All of<br />

this puts more emphasis on range finding<br />

and wind doping. No doubt that a .308<br />

with 2,500 fps muzzle velocity puts more<br />

of a premium on shooter skill than a .300<br />

Win. Mag. or .338 Lapua in terms of rang-<br />

continued on page 104<br />

ARMALITE AR-10A4CS<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 81


When you clean the breech face, hold<br />

the slide so the muzzle end is down.<br />

This way any debris and fl uid can fall<br />

away from the breech face.<br />

Part of the reasoning behind this<br />

was that, if the instructors had a<br />

better understanding of how the<br />

weapon worked, it would be easier for<br />

them to instruct it. The time spent in this<br />

class, when compared to previous versions,<br />

was far more worthwhile.<br />

Dennis Tueller, formerly of the Salt<br />

Lake City <strong>Police</strong> <strong>Department</strong>, was the instructor.<br />

Dennis’ name should be on the<br />

familiar side, as he taught at the Ameri-<br />

Repeat after me: “This is a drain hole,<br />

not a lube point!” Drain hole allows<br />

crud and debris to escape from the<br />

fi ring pin channel.<br />

Tueller addressing the differences between the standard<br />

and maritime spring cups. The Power Point presentation<br />

was well done and appropriately used throughout the class.<br />

My department recently hosted a Glock armorer’s course so<br />

that we could send several of our instructors through it.<br />

can Pistol Institute (API—Gunsite) and<br />

Thunder Ranch. He also developed the<br />

drill, later named after him, which is<br />

used to demonstrate the speed at which<br />

one’s opponent can close distance.<br />

Throughout the course Dennis compared<br />

armorers—from any entity—to<br />

parachute riggers. It is an appropriate<br />

analogy, because when we need these<br />

tools, we need them now and at 100%.<br />

The parachute rigger’s motto, “I will be<br />

GLOCK<br />

ARMOR<br />

THIRD TIME’S<br />

sure, always!” would be a good way to<br />

express this.<br />

Dennis began to address safety by<br />

covering the standard rules. He presented<br />

a set of four safety rules re-written by<br />

Glock before reinforcing them with the<br />

original set as put forth by Jeff Cooper.<br />

Tueller used the term Risk Management<br />

instead of Safety during this time. It took<br />

a bit of time for my brain to wrap itself<br />

around the terminology, but eventually<br />

it sunk in. Now I am fi nding that I prefer<br />

the wording he used. To help make his<br />

point, Dennis told a joke ending with the<br />

punch line, “Ezz gun, of course ezz not<br />

safe!”<br />

No doubt due to Tueller’s tenure at<br />

API, there was a tremendous number of<br />

positive references throughout the class<br />

to the Modern Technique of the Pistol<br />

and the late Colonel Jeff Cooper, USMC<br />

(Retired).<br />

Dennis introduced a few new or relatively<br />

unknown Glock products. He<br />

went through three of their non-fi ring<br />

training weapons. The Model 17T is a<br />

82 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


ER’S COURSE<br />

A CHARM<br />

Simunition FX marking cartridge platform<br />

and has a blue “Inert” frame. There<br />

is a modifi ed re-assembly procedure for<br />

it. The other two both have red frames.<br />

The Model 22P has a solid barrel and allows<br />

all functions except for chambering<br />

a round. The Model 17R has a springloaded,<br />

self-resetting trigger for addressing<br />

trigger manipulations. It does<br />

not have a fi ring pin cut on the breech<br />

face—even if a round is chambered, the<br />

pistol cannot be fi red.<br />

Then he introduced the Model 21SF—<br />

a slimmed-down version of the Model<br />

21 double-stacked .45 ACP pistol. My<br />

view of this pistol is “...uh, ok ...” though<br />

that is based on minimal handling and<br />

no live fi re. It is a large framed pistol and<br />

the “SF” modifi cation did not change<br />

the frame’s feel to me. A Model 21 with<br />

an after-market grip reduction, such<br />

as those done by Robar or Arizona Response<br />

Systems, feels signifi cantly more<br />

user-friendly to my hands than does the<br />

new Model 21SF.<br />

The end result—functioning weapons<br />

» BY ERICK GELHAUS<br />

that enable the good guys to stop the<br />

bad guys—was emphasized throughout<br />

this class.<br />

Tueller specifi cally recommended that<br />

we look at two areas when working on<br />

Glocks. The fi rst is the fi ring pin channel<br />

in the slide. He has frequently found<br />

lubrication—which is a NO-GO—there.<br />

He noted that some seem to think the<br />

drain hole is to be used to lubricate the<br />

interior of the slide; it is not. Located on<br />

the bottom on the slide, rearward of the<br />

breech face, the hole is there to allow<br />

crud and debris to migrate out of the fi ring<br />

pin channel without binding the fi ring<br />

pin.<br />

A peer from southern California and I<br />

discussed this issue. He told me that on<br />

more than one occasion he disassembled<br />

Glock slides and found the fi ring pin<br />

channel fi lled with grease, lubricant and<br />

crud. We will come back to this subject.<br />

Another area needing attention is the<br />

connector hook. This hook is located<br />

near the right rear corner of the frame<br />

and above the right rear frame rail. The<br />

Deputy Henry Boustany<br />

shooting his Glock 22<br />

after the Vickers release<br />

was installed.<br />

hook rides against a machined surface<br />

on the inside of the slide. Insure that<br />

there is a light coat of lube on the connector<br />

hook.<br />

The presence of peening inside the<br />

slide on both the Model 22 and Model<br />

23 .40SW caliber pistols was mentioned.<br />

The cause has been identifi ed as being an<br />

issue with the design, or confi guration,<br />

of the locking block. Current production<br />

versions of the Model 22 and Model 23<br />

have re-designed locking blocks to address<br />

this. Interestingly, I am pretty sure<br />

I can recall a discussion of the peening<br />

issue in these pages in the mid-1990s.<br />

Dennis reviewed the differences<br />

between the standard and maritime<br />

(underwater) spring cups. Regardless<br />

of one’s actual need for the maritime<br />

spring cups, their availability is limited<br />

in no small part due to our excessively<br />

litigious society.<br />

Someone in the room may have pointed<br />

out that if an armorer course was<br />

needed for Glock pistols, then maybe,<br />

just maybe, the term “Glock Perfection”<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 83


GLOCK ARMORER’S COURSE<br />

wasn’t entirely true. The factory armorer’s<br />

manual has not been updated or<br />

re-written since 2002. We were told that<br />

a new edition of the manual is due out<br />

later this year. I am concerned this indicates<br />

that—somewhere along the line—<br />

feedback and issues from the end users<br />

are not making it into the system.<br />

Glock now has factory recommendations<br />

as to when parts should be changed<br />

out for preventive maintenance. All of<br />

these recommendations will be in the<br />

VICKERS TACTICAL<br />

GLOCK MAGAZINE RELEASE<br />

Larry Vickers is probably best known for his work on 1911s, followed by<br />

his consulting with Heckler & Koch. He has also been identified as being<br />

responsible for elements of the U.S. military beginning to utilize Glock pistols.<br />

He recently entered into the realm of Glock work with a new magazine release<br />

for the 9mm and .40 S&W size frame pistols.<br />

The production of the Vickers mag release was announced about a week before<br />

the armorer’s class we hosted. Thanks to Jeff Cahill of TangoDown, we were able<br />

to get our hands on two of them for the class.<br />

The Vickers release is 0.060” longer than the stock release but is shorter than an<br />

extended release, making it a functional compromise between the two. The edges<br />

around the face of the release are beveled.<br />

No fitting of any kind was required. This<br />

piece needed no more work or effort to install<br />

or remove than it did to replace the<br />

stock magazine release. It is made from the<br />

same material as the factory stock magazine<br />

release.<br />

We installed one of these in a co-worker’s,<br />

Deputy Henry Boustany’s, duty pistol, a<br />

Model 22. Over several weeks, we fired several<br />

hundred rounds through the weapon,<br />

doing numerous magazine changes. After<br />

six weeks and several range sessions, he is recommending it. Henry noted the<br />

reloading process now feels much smoother with the Vickers release installed. He<br />

did not notice the “size” of the release until he went to change a magazine. At that<br />

point, he said the reload “just happened.” Not having to change his master grip<br />

at all in order to perform a reload was also a big plus to him.<br />

As a left-hander, I have had a difficult time shooting pistols, including Glocks,<br />

with extended magazine releases. This is<br />

because of a tendency on my part to unintentionally<br />

depress those extended releases,<br />

while shooting, with the bottom portion of<br />

my middle finger. For me, the result is the<br />

magazine being dumped when I don’t intend<br />

it to. This did not happen when shooting<br />

the Glock that we installed the Vickers<br />

release in. I found that this release allowed<br />

me to easily manipulate the magazine release<br />

with my trigger finger.<br />

If I owned and carried a Glock with a<br />

9mm size frame, I would install this magazine<br />

release in it.<br />

Vickers release is longer than the<br />

original factory release. Note that<br />

the edges are beveled.<br />

Length of the release does not<br />

interfere with either a left-hand<br />

holster or the grip of a left-hand<br />

shooter.<br />

Vickers and TangoDown indicated that if there is enough interest, a version to<br />

fit the larger framed Model 20/Model 21 pistols may be produced.<br />

Tango Down LLC is selling the Vickers magazine release directly for $15.95. §<br />

new manual. Two of them are: replacement<br />

of the captured recoil spring at<br />

3,000 rounds and replacement of the coil<br />

spring connecting the trigger bar to the<br />

trigger mechanism housing at 10,000<br />

rounds.<br />

For many years the entire “tool kit”<br />

handed out at the Glock armorer course<br />

was a punch. Glock has realized that<br />

this is less than sufficient. In response,<br />

they are selling a complete tool kit for<br />

approximately $200. The components<br />

include re-designed tools for replacing<br />

both the front and rear sights, along with<br />

pliers and a reamer for various holes.<br />

Going back several years, there have<br />

been debates on the design of the Glock<br />

magazines. Tueller paid sufficient attention<br />

to the mag/mag spring issue. He<br />

explained that the original design—metal<br />

lining on three of the four sides—was<br />

due to the original Austrian Army request<br />

and their need to retain the magazine<br />

in part due to terrain and climate.<br />

The current magazines, with the metal<br />

lining on all four sides, came about due<br />

to requests from the U.S. market.<br />

He addressed that the swelling of<br />

Glock magazines comes from their being<br />

loaded with ammunition. Again, due to<br />

the original Austrian Army request, the<br />

magazines were designed to do this.<br />

Recently one firearms publication erroneously<br />

had an article saying that Glock<br />

magazines became swollen when they<br />

got wet.<br />

Reloads, specifically multiple speed<br />

loads, were discussed. Dennis opined<br />

that if one needed to conduct multiple<br />

speed reloads in a single fight, they were<br />

either in a very target-rich environment<br />

or just plain were not hitting much of<br />

anything.<br />

A final note on magazines, regardless<br />

of what weapon system is involved. If<br />

any magazine is having problems, it is<br />

prudent to replace it rather than repair it.<br />

I am not a fan of Glock pistols; never<br />

have been. I work in an agency that issues<br />

a Glock Model 22, but allows the<br />

carry of other pistols—I carry something<br />

else. Frame size versus hand size was<br />

the first consideration; initial caliber offering<br />

was the second; and finally, I am<br />

not a fan of how Glock has inappropriately—in<br />

my personal view—addressed<br />

their “issues” previously. The first con-<br />

84 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


cern now has a few after-market gunsmith<br />

fixes; the second has been covered<br />

by improved 9mm loadings and a wider<br />

variety of calibers offered; the third?<br />

Well, I was surprised, even encouraged.<br />

For several years now, the phenomena<br />

of Glock “kabooms” have been known<br />

about and discussed. It seems the blame<br />

was placed solely on reloaded or remanufactured<br />

ammunition being used for a<br />

considerable period of time.<br />

Tueller addressed this as being, in his<br />

view, at least partially due to tolerance<br />

stacking. It isn’t just the specific round<br />

or a fouled chamber or a dirty barrel or<br />

being slightly out of battery; but rather,<br />

generally, an unfortunate combination<br />

of several factors coming together at the<br />

same time.<br />

It was the most honest answer I’ve<br />

heard from Glock to date, even if it is a<br />

few years too late.<br />

There continues to be concern about<br />

reliability and weapon-mounted lights<br />

on the Model 22. Back six or seven years<br />

ago, DEA and others noticed failures<br />

to feed in Model 22s when there was a<br />

weapon-mounted light attached. Apparently,<br />

this also occurred with the Model<br />

23s, though to a lesser degree. These failures<br />

were traced to a combination of the<br />

polymer frame flexing and the strength<br />

of the magazine spring in terms of being<br />

able to feed the next round.<br />

The identified fix was to replace the<br />

magazine spring in the affected weapons.<br />

For a Model 22, you replaced a tencoil<br />

spring with an eleven-coil version,<br />

while a Model 23 would go from a ninecoil<br />

spring to a ten-coil spring.<br />

The last time I went through this<br />

course, well after the issue was widely<br />

known about, there was still a significant<br />

degree of evasion by the instructor. That<br />

was not the case during this class.<br />

Tueller also mentioned that the user’s<br />

choice of ammunition could be related<br />

to the problem. He had not seen any issues<br />

with agencies that used the original<br />

.40 S&W load (180-grain bullet traveling<br />

around 950 feet per second), but he noted<br />

it appeared when lighter and faster<br />

loads were used.<br />

About two years ago, one large southern<br />

California metropolitan law enforcement<br />

agency began having issues with<br />

some Model 21s (the large frame .45 ACP<br />

pistol). For them, the Model 21 was an<br />

authorized rather than an issued pistol.<br />

These issues included light firing pin<br />

hits and/or failures to fire.<br />

Dennis addressed this with the class.<br />

He told us some of the officers there initially<br />

believed they needed to lubricate<br />

all of the parts and areas on the Model<br />

21 like they had to on their previously<br />

issued double stack 9mm pistols. By lubricating<br />

the firing pin channel and regularly<br />

spraying it down with an aerosol<br />

solvent, they created a paste that greatly<br />

slowed down the travel of the firing pin.<br />

Additionally, there were issues with<br />

trigger bars and machining of the slides<br />

in a very limited number of pistols—all<br />

identified by serial number. Replacing<br />

the trigger bars and swapping out the affected<br />

slides have fixed all of the issues.<br />

That agency again has the Model 21 in<br />

use and is considering the purchase of<br />

Model 22s for a duty weapon.<br />

All too often, a Power Point program<br />

becomes a crutch rather than a true teaching<br />

aid for an instructor. Throughout the<br />

day, Glock’s Power Point was displayed<br />

on the classroom screen. It was appropriate<br />

for the class and was well used.<br />

According to Tueller, the Power Point<br />

used in the class is just one portion of an<br />

armorer CD now being sold by Glock<br />

to graduates of the armorer class. After<br />

a back and forth between their training<br />

and legal divisions, the CD will be available<br />

for $20.<br />

All in all, my third time through the<br />

Glock armorer’s class was a bit closer<br />

to being a charm. The emphasis on the<br />

realities of the street was encouraging.<br />

I can definitely recommend the current<br />

version of the class. §<br />

SOURCE:<br />

Glock Training Division<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

P.O. Box 1254<br />

Smyrna, GA 30081<br />

(707) 432-1202<br />

www.glocktraining.com<br />

TangoDown<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

1588 Arrow Highway, Unit F<br />

La Verne, CA 91750-5334<br />

(909) 392-4757<br />

www.tangodown.com<br />

GLOCK ARMORER’S COURSE<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 85


NIGHTHAWK CUSTO<br />

10-8DU NIGHTHAWK CUSTO<br />

10-8DU » BY MICK WILLIAMS<br />

10-8 Consulting’s three<br />

principals—Tim Lau,<br />

Ben Lenett, and Hilton<br />

Yam—are law enforcement<br />

professionals who have<br />

extensive experience carrying<br />

1911-based guns on duty.<br />

The guys at 10-8 knew that, while<br />

the 1911 is a great gun for duty use,<br />

many out of the box 1911s need to<br />

be tuned by a gunsmith for maximum<br />

reliability. When they speak of reliability,<br />

they want the gun to function with<br />

all duty loads, be as accurate from the<br />

first round to the 30,000th round, and be<br />

able to withstand open duty and tactical<br />

carry.<br />

There were certain features that for<br />

many people would fall in the category<br />

of “wants,” but 10-8 felt were needed<br />

on a professional-use gun. As the guys<br />

looked at the 1911s on the market, they<br />

didn’t see the right combination of features,<br />

function and price point for a duty<br />

pistol.<br />

As a result, 10-8 Consulting went to<br />

Nighthawk Custom to build a pistol<br />

86 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


M’S<br />

TY PISTOL<br />

to their specifications. As Hilton Yam<br />

(a custom gunsmith himself) said, “We<br />

kept seeing their guns pop up in the right<br />

places.” As they examined the various<br />

Nighthawk guns, they were sufficiently<br />

impressed with the workmanship<br />

and ideas expressed in the guns. While<br />

Nighthawk is a relatively new custom<br />

shop, its gunsmiths have over 50 years<br />

of combined experience, so 10-8 felt very<br />

Surefire X200 weaponlight<br />

equipped with DG switch on<br />

the NightHawk pistol.<br />

(Photo: 10-8 Performance)<br />

DEPENDAbLE, ACCURATE<br />

comfortable having Nighthawk Custom<br />

build their gun.<br />

Nighthawk uses forged frames and<br />

tunes each part to the gun.<br />

Mechanically speaking, the 10-8 pistol<br />

for the most part stays true to John<br />

Browning’s original design of a steel<br />

frame, five-inch barrel gun, with all the<br />

parts being properly fitted. They use a<br />

standard length guide rod and hand fit<br />

above: While properly fitted, this bushing<br />

can still be removed by hand for fieldstripping.<br />

(Photo: 10-8 Performance)<br />

below: 10-8 Performance rear sight:<br />

deep U-notch and 40 lpi serrations<br />

offer good sight picture, while high<br />

profile eases one-handed malfunction<br />

clearance. (Photo: 10-8 Performance)<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 87


NIGHTHAWK 10-8<br />

above: 10-8’s mainspring housing is from<br />

Guncrafter Industries, with recessed<br />

lanyard loop.<br />

below: Officer Chris Scott runs 10-8<br />

pistol. Note the grime on the gun—we<br />

ran the gun without cleaning until we<br />

were filthy from handling it.<br />

the extractor. Nighthawk uses no MIM<br />

parts in the gun. Unique to the frame<br />

is the front strap, which is dished out<br />

and flattened right underneath the trigger<br />

guard and before the checking begins.<br />

This feels very comfortable for the<br />

shooter’s middle finger and gives a reference<br />

for the grip. Also, and probably<br />

more important, the flat spot mates perfectly<br />

with the Surefire DG switch option<br />

for their weapon-mounted lights. This is<br />

the preferred switching option by many,<br />

if not most, serious users, and this design<br />

complements the comfort of the DG<br />

switch.<br />

The frame comes with the Dawson<br />

Precision Light Rail, an effective way to<br />

attach a weapon light to the pistol. The<br />

Dawson Precision Light Rail is a lightweight<br />

alternative to a full 1913 spec rail<br />

that has been proven in the field by a<br />

variety of users. The Dawson rail gave<br />

the 10-8 guys a couple of functions they<br />

wanted in the pistol. First, it can be used<br />

with many holsters that are designed for<br />

standard dustcover-equipped 1911s with<br />

little or no modifications, which makes<br />

it easier to use holsters already in service.<br />

Second, the 10-8 guys feel that pistol<br />

lights are an important part of your<br />

lowlight toolbox and believed the gun<br />

needed to come ready for a pistol light.<br />

The test pistol came with a Dawson<br />

rail adapter for the Surefire X200. While<br />

88 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


the Dawson rail-equipped gun can fi t in<br />

many holsters without a light, the combo<br />

of pistol and light requires specifi c<br />

holsters, i.e., you need to order a 1911<br />

equipped with a Dawson rail with an<br />

X200 light, etc. The X200 on the 10-8 pistol<br />

worked very well, as expected, and<br />

the combination of a Dawson Light Rail<br />

and an X200 is probably the lightest and<br />

most streamlined option for mounting a<br />

light to the 1911 platform.<br />

The 10-8 pistol is built with the concept<br />

in mind that duty pistols are not<br />

built just to shoot on sunny days on the<br />

range, but built to shoot in rain, mud<br />

and with gloves on. The grips on the<br />

pistol are VZ Diamondback linen Micarta.<br />

The VZ grips are textured and work<br />

well with gloves on or when wet. The<br />

grips are not as abrasive as to be uncomfortable<br />

without gloves or to damage<br />

clothing.<br />

The front strap has 25 lines-per-inch<br />

(lpi) checkering and the fl at mainspring<br />

housing has 20 lpi checkering, giving<br />

the shooter 360-degree purchase<br />

on the gun. The mainspring housing is<br />

Guncrafter Industries’ fl at mainspring<br />

housing with recessed lanyard loop.<br />

This is for those jobs with lanyard requirements<br />

(maritime, mounted units,<br />

bikes, etc), and the GI product in combo<br />

with a Gemtech TRL lanyard is the<br />

only way to go for these assignments.<br />

One shooter, upon picking up the pistol,<br />

exclaimed, “Wow, grippy....” While<br />

I’m not sure if that is proper syntax,<br />

I think this was the reaction 10-8 and<br />

Nighthawk wanted. The grip was easy<br />

to use with gloves on, but did not cut<br />

or bite the hand without gloves. While<br />

the gun has a lot of textured surfaces,<br />

the gun was completely dehorned and<br />

was comfortable to carry and handle.<br />

The gun comes with front and rear<br />

cocking serrations on the fi tted slide.<br />

While some don’t like the front cocking<br />

serrations, they are very useful when<br />

press checking a gun, especially with<br />

a weapon light, while wearing gloves.<br />

The forged slide stop is fi tted to the slide<br />

with a fl at edge for positive contact. The<br />

magazine release is extended and textured<br />

for easy use, but not oversized to<br />

the extent that it is obtrusive.<br />

The trigger on the 10-8 is a design developed<br />

by Hilton Yam and Larry Vick-<br />

IS IT TIGHT? MOACKS IT.<br />

MOTHER M<br />

OF ALL<br />

CARRIER C<br />

KEY<br />

STAKERS S<br />

FOR<br />

AR-15<br />

RIFLES<br />

NIGHTHAWK 10-8<br />

• Stakes screws 2x each positively.<br />

• Scraper for cleaning boat tail.<br />

• Gas tube clamp pulls stuck tube without damage.<br />

• Carrier bore scraper removes carbon buildup.<br />

• Easy, goof-proof operation.<br />

ALSO AVAILABLE:<br />

Pocket MOACKS, $80.<br />

.223 to 5.56 Chamber Reamer -<br />

cuts neck, freebore & leade only, $245<br />

www.M-GunS.COM<br />

PAYPAL funds to metalmaster@m-guns.com or<br />

Make checks payable to Michiguns and mail to:<br />

M.G., PO Box 42, Three Rivers, MI 49093<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 89


NIGHTHAWK 10-8<br />

10-8 mated up with the excellent<br />

Surefire X200 weaponlight.<br />

(Photo: 10-8 Performance)<br />

ers. They wanted a “bombproof” duty<br />

use trigger that was lightweight and<br />

adjustable for the gunsmith. The solid<br />

bow and shoe are designed for maximum<br />

strength, but light enough for the<br />

trigger to be in the four- to five-pound<br />

pull range. The overtravel screw is permanently<br />

set so that it does not walk<br />

out after a high round count. We only<br />

put a little under 1,000 rounds through<br />

the sample gun, so we can’t say for sure<br />

about the long-term durability of the<br />

trigger; we can say that it didn’t change<br />

from the first shot to the last. The trigger<br />

was crisp with little slack and a nice reset.<br />

The solid construction of the trigger<br />

is evident immediately in the feel of the<br />

trigger.<br />

Between the trigger and the hand fitting<br />

of parts, the gun was far more accurate<br />

than I was. Everyone who shot<br />

the gun was more than happy with the<br />

accuracy of the 10-8 pistol. Some would<br />

argue about how much mechanical accuracy<br />

is needed in a duty pistol. We<br />

know that we want as accurate a gun as<br />

possible. We also know that as a gun is<br />

built tighter for more accuracy, it affects<br />

reliability and longevity. While this may<br />

not be a big deal for a competitive shooter,<br />

for a street officer, a highly accurate<br />

pistol that craps out at the wrong time is<br />

worse than a moderately accurate pistol<br />

that works all the time. Nighthawk had<br />

to strike a balance between reliability<br />

and accuracy for the 10-8 gun, and it appears<br />

that they did.<br />

On a related note, 10-8 wanted the gun<br />

to be readily field serviceable. The gun<br />

was easily disassembled for basic maintenance<br />

without the use of a bushing<br />

wrench, and the grips use slotted screws<br />

for easy removal with any multi-tool.<br />

The sights on the 10-8 pistol were designed<br />

by Hilton Yam and are available<br />

from 10-8 Performance. The rear sight<br />

is 4140 bar stock steel and the front is a<br />

tritium with serrations. The rear sight<br />

is a U-notch for quick acquisition of the<br />

front sight. Hilton purposely left the rear<br />

sight without any tritium to reduce clutter<br />

during sighting, based on his experi-<br />

ence as a shooter and instructor that tritium<br />

on the rear sight would slow down<br />

shooters in daylight shooting. The sight<br />

has 40 lpi texturing on the face to reduce<br />

glare.<br />

The rear sight is not a “no snag” or<br />

low profile; as a matter of design, it is<br />

high profile and snag. Hilton designed<br />

the rear sight to be used as a catch point<br />

for use during one-handed malfunction<br />

clearance. Hilton wanted the leading<br />

edge of the sight to have a profile that<br />

would catch on holsters, the lips of ballistic<br />

shields, heels of boots, etc during<br />

malfunctions. This was also the reason<br />

the rear is hardened bar stock, to survive<br />

this type of use. I used the sight on Kydex<br />

holsters and the heel of boots during<br />

malfunction drills, and it held up well<br />

during them. The sides and edges on the<br />

rear sight are beveled and smooth. The<br />

sights take a little getting used to, but after<br />

a few rounds downrange, users liked<br />

them. They were quick at close range, yet<br />

still good for distance precision shots.<br />

What would I change on the 10-8 gun?<br />

90 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


The gun comes with two ACT magazines;<br />

at the price point of the gun, we<br />

would prefer three magazines. Three<br />

magazines are the bare minimum for<br />

duty use, and this is a duty gun. ACT<br />

magazines are not my preferred magazines,<br />

though Nighthawk does stand behind<br />

them with a lifetime warranty.<br />

Second, a duty gun would be well<br />

served to have an ambidextrous safety.<br />

Just like the logic of the 10-8 sight, onehanded<br />

manipulation, especially after<br />

weak-side transitions, is a reality for users.<br />

Even from a qualification standpoint,<br />

many agencies have weak-side stages<br />

of fire and the ambi safety is necessary.<br />

While the ambi safety is an optional<br />

upgrade, I feel it should be a standard<br />

item.<br />

Suggested retail on the 10-8 pistol is<br />

$2,495.00. While certainly not cheap, the<br />

gun has many features and the craftsmanship<br />

is outstanding. The 10-8 pistol<br />

functions very well and is an accurate<br />

duty gun straight out of the box. §<br />

10-8 pistol is based on the notion<br />

that a full-size 1911 makes a great<br />

duty gun. (Photo: 10-8 Performance)<br />

SOURCES:<br />

Nighthawk Custom<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

1306 W. Trimble<br />

Berryville, AR 72616<br />

(877) 268-4867<br />

www.nighthawkcustom.com<br />

10-8 Performance<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

318 Indian Trace, #104<br />

Weston, FL 33326<br />

e-mail: sales@10-8Performance.com<br />

www.10-8performance.com<br />

Guncrafter Industries<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

171 Madison 1510<br />

Huntsville, AR 72740<br />

(479) 665-2466<br />

www.guncrafterindustries.com<br />

SureFire, LLC<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

18300 Mount Baldy Circle<br />

Fountain Valley, CA 92708<br />

(800) 828-8809<br />

www.surefire.com<br />

NIGHTHAWK 10-8<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 91


Proper techniques<br />

for door entry and<br />

room clearing were<br />

introduced.<br />

Storm M<br />

Mindset,<br />

Instruction<br />

and Gear<br />

» BY TODD BURGREEN<br />

92 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


ountain Carbine II<br />

“What,” you say, “another training article?” (But isn’t that why you read S.W.A.T. in the first place?)<br />

This article strives to cover not only<br />

the training received, but also the<br />

weapons and gear that I put to the<br />

test, and my theories on training and<br />

equipment.<br />

• The setting: Storm Mountain Training<br />

Center, Elk Garden, West Virginia<br />

• The course: Carbine II, three days<br />

• The man: Rod Ryan, Storm Mountain<br />

VP Operations and lead instructor<br />

• The carbine: Sabre Defence Massad<br />

Ayoob Professional Model AR<br />

The entire gun industry feeds off and<br />

in turn caters to the appeal of the “newest”<br />

introduction. This is not solely<br />

negative, as it drives weapon system development.<br />

For example, a good friend,<br />

C.R. Newlin, who attended Carbine II<br />

with me, brought along a Patriot Ordnance<br />

Factory piston-operated AR with<br />

a nine-inch barrel that ran flawlessly. I<br />

took a Sabre Defence Massad Ayoob Professional<br />

Model AR.<br />

The Sabre Defence Massad Ayoob Pro-<br />

fessional Model AR has a 16-inch barrel<br />

with Sabre Tactical Gill muzzle brake,<br />

removable carry handle, ambidextrous<br />

safety, match trigger, six position collapsible<br />

stock, Ergo grip, and Trijicon<br />

insert in the forged front sight. Included<br />

with the Professional Model AR are a<br />

Wilderness Tactical Giles sling, two 20round<br />

and two 30-round magazines,<br />

Signature Tactical case with removable<br />

rifle and pistol pouches, ground mat,<br />

and Otis cleaning kit. The idea is to have<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 93


THE ARTICLE NAME<br />

above: Range activities such as<br />

shooting while advancing were<br />

practiced repeatedly.<br />

right: Night fire proved interesting and<br />

reinforced the importance of repetition<br />

and equipment familiarity. The qualification<br />

drills were the basis for the training<br />

evolution.<br />

everything needed right off the shelf.<br />

Storm Mountain is a great place to<br />

refresh or remedy any training deficiencies.<br />

Storm Mountain opened in 1996<br />

and has continuously expanded its facilities,<br />

courses and instructor staff. Storm<br />

Mountain features 11 ranges, two shoot<br />

houses, rappel tower, field training area,<br />

busses, helicopter hull and automobiles<br />

for use during training. Rod Ryan has<br />

credentials that lend legitimacy to his<br />

training methods. Part of Rod’s biography<br />

reads, “Rod has spent more than 20<br />

years combined, active and reserve, in<br />

the U.S. military, where he served as an<br />

operator and then NCOIC of all sniper<br />

elements at the brigade level in a light<br />

infantry division. While employed as<br />

a police officer with the Metropolitan<br />

<strong>Police</strong> <strong>Department</strong>, Washington, D.C.,<br />

he served in patrol, training and SWAT<br />

assignments. As an instructor with the<br />

U.S. State <strong>Department</strong> ATAP (Anti-Terrorism<br />

Assistance Program) and as a<br />

civilian consultant, he has trained thousands<br />

of law enforcement, military, and<br />

private special operations personnel,<br />

both in the United States and overseas.”<br />

Storm Mountain also utilizes other<br />

instructors with similarly impressive resumes.<br />

One must guard against attending<br />

a facility that is operated by someone<br />

who has only attended another school’s<br />

courses—it happens.<br />

Just as important as his credentials and<br />

background, Ryan is a dynamic instructor.<br />

This is apparent both in the classroom<br />

and on the range, in the way he encourages<br />

or points out flaws in a student’s<br />

method, readily mixing anecdotes into<br />

his instruction. I personally like to hear<br />

examples of why certain things are done<br />

the way they are. Ryan is all business<br />

and puts up with no nonsense or unsafe<br />

gun handling. Storm Mountain philosophy<br />

stresses the importance of mindset.<br />

Ryan constantly emphasizes that an aggressive<br />

mindset, supported by solid<br />

training, is the key to surviving hostile<br />

encounters. Maxims such as “shoot until<br />

the target is down” and “move forward<br />

to engage” illustrate this.<br />

Carbine II began with a morning<br />

briefing concisely laying out what was<br />

to happen over the next three days. The<br />

13-person class was an even mixture of<br />

military, law enforcement and private<br />

94 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


citizens. Carbine II is the preparatory<br />

course for CQB at Storm Mountain. The<br />

Carbine II curriculum covered instruction<br />

on shooting while moving, magazine<br />

changes, transition to pistol, night<br />

fire, moving targets, proper door entry<br />

techniques, and exposure to the shoot<br />

house. The proper way to press check a<br />

carbine, malfunction clearing techniques,<br />

and weapon manipulation methods<br />

in confined spaces are examples of the<br />

many valuable nuggets of information<br />

offered during Carbine II. The course did<br />

not return to the classroom after the first<br />

morning’s brief. Instead the class was instructed<br />

on the range, with no shortage<br />

of rounds sent downrange.<br />

The AR-15 platform dominated, with<br />

most manufacturers represented. Sidearms<br />

were required for the transition<br />

drills, with Glocks in the majority, and<br />

Berettas, Sigs, H&Ks and 1911s filling in<br />

the rest. BlackHawk tactical gear in the<br />

form of vests, chest rigs, belt and thigh<br />

holsters, drop pouches, and magazine<br />

pouches predominated. I mounted an<br />

ATN Ultra Digital reflex sight on my Sabre<br />

Defence Professional Model AR. All<br />

rifles had some variant of red dot sight.<br />

I came to appreciate the ATN’s ruggedness<br />

and ease of use. The different reticle<br />

patterns and brightness settings allowed<br />

me to choose the optimum set up.<br />

When attending training courses,<br />

make it a habit to observe the different<br />

equipment brought and how it performs.<br />

Instructor feedback is always important<br />

regarding this as well. Instructors see a<br />

vast amount of different gear due to the<br />

volume of individuals passing through a<br />

facility.<br />

Weapons were sighted in at 25 yards<br />

and then the work started. Ryan’s highspeed<br />

tempo induces an element of stress.<br />

Stress as a training aid is wholeheartedly<br />

embraced at Storm Mountain. Any stress<br />

imposed during training pales in comparison<br />

to that experienced in the real<br />

world. Three different relays were utilized,<br />

with one shooting, one reloading<br />

magazines and one reviewing mistakes<br />

or suggesting tweaks in methods.<br />

The class was quickly introduced to<br />

the qualification drill that would serve<br />

as the proficiency measuring stick.<br />

Qualification consisted of timed fire first,<br />

with two rounds from the carbine at low<br />

STORM MOUNTAIN CARBINE II<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 95


STORM MOUNTAIN CARBINE II<br />

ready into a silhouette target placed seven<br />

yards downrange, then six rounds in<br />

target from low ready, followed by two<br />

rounds from the carbine, reload, two<br />

more rounds and finally two rounds<br />

from the carbine and transition to the<br />

sidearm with two rounds fired at a steel<br />

popper target. The timer helped induce<br />

stress, along with providing a means to<br />

Sabre Defence Massad Ayoob Professional Model<br />

AR shown with items included with its purchase.<br />

ATN Ultra Digital reflex sight stood up to the<br />

challenge.<br />

quantify progress. The qualification drill<br />

was practiced repeatedly and served as<br />

the base of all instruction. The target’s<br />

close proximity emphasized speed and<br />

smoothness. The Sabre Gill-brake on my<br />

AR came into its own during the quick<br />

shooting, especially the six-round qualification<br />

portion.<br />

Ryan’s instruction technique is flex-<br />

GEAR UNDER FIRE<br />

I came<br />

away from Storm Mountain with a better appreciation of my equipment<br />

and my own training needs. The BlackHawk items performed as promised<br />

and stood up to the constant use and abuse. I put more rounds downrange,<br />

changed magazines, and drew from my BlackHawk Serpa thigh rig more in three<br />

days than I would normally do in three months. The Brownells’ 30-round magazines<br />

operated without any issues. Not all of my magazines—admittedly acquired<br />

ad hoc over the years—were as worry free. The Black Hills Ammunition I used<br />

performed reliably as usual.<br />

The Sabre Defence Massad Ayoob Professional AR-15 worked flawlessly. I put<br />

over 1,100 rounds through it over the three-day course without a malfunction and<br />

while neglecting to clean it. There are a plethora of AR-15 manufacturers. I challenge<br />

any of them to submit their rifle to over 1,100 rounds over three days without<br />

cleaning. Based on this hands-on experience, the Sabre Defence AR-15 deserves to<br />

be rated in the top tier of AR manufactures. Sabre Defence manufactures its own<br />

barrels, uppers, and lowers in house to ensure its tight tolerance controls are met.<br />

Another example of the Sabre Defence commitment to quality is the metal used in<br />

its AR barrels. The same chrome-moly vanadium alloy used in its .50-caliber barrels<br />

supplied to the U.S. government is employed in the AR. This may be overkill<br />

for a carbine, but it lasts longer than the barrel material found in other AR barrels.<br />

Additionally, all Sabre Defence barrels are heat-treated to relieve stress. This<br />

ensures that a barrel stays consistent when it heats up during long strings of fire,<br />

translating into a stable point of impact no matter if it is the first round fired or the<br />

100th.<br />

Subjecting your gear to this type of hard use is one of the ways to judge if you<br />

can rely on that gear when you need it most. The gear I had at Storm Mountain can<br />

go in harm’s way with me anytime. §<br />

ible, allowing for analysis of a class’<br />

strengths and weaknesses. For example,<br />

my Carbine II class needed extra work<br />

on magazine changes. Did we rigidly<br />

stay on the range, ignoring this need?<br />

No. Ryan moved the class off the range,<br />

verified no ammunition was present and<br />

proceeded with an intense hour of drills<br />

specifically concentrating on carbine<br />

magazine changes.<br />

A word must be given to the shoot<br />

house we visited. It is 1,300 square feet<br />

with multiple rooms, including furniture.<br />

The structure is equipped with<br />

closed-circuit TV monitoring equipment,<br />

including audio. Students could<br />

review themselves via recording. Students<br />

awaiting their turn could monitor<br />

other students’ progress and methods<br />

via a bank of monitor screens. This<br />

allowed maximum instruction, with<br />

everyone benefiting from each other’s<br />

experience. It was quickly evident that<br />

footwork and weapon manipulation are<br />

premium skills.<br />

Carbine II is not an adventure vacation<br />

destination. Ryan constantly emphasizes<br />

aggressiveness and how important<br />

mindset is to survive hostile<br />

encounters. Ryan is ingenious in how<br />

he applies stress as a training aid. For<br />

example, during the mover target, he<br />

would purposely cause malfunctions<br />

with your carbine or jostle you around to<br />

increase adrenaline and stress. The degradation<br />

of fine motor skills while under<br />

stress is quickly evident. The importance<br />

of solid, simple techniques of reloading,<br />

clearing drills and firing is driven home.<br />

There is no way I can fully impart my<br />

experience at Storm Mountain’s Carbine<br />

II course. I came away with a much<br />

clearer understanding of my strengths<br />

and, more importantly, my weaknesses.<br />

My ideas on firearms, equipment and<br />

gear were validated. This is priceless<br />

knowledge, and I plan on returning to<br />

Storm Mountain for future courses. §<br />

SOURCES:<br />

Storm Mountain, Inc.<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

Rt. 1 Box 60<br />

Elk Garden, WV 26717<br />

(304) 446-5526<br />

www.stormmountain.com<br />

96 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


American Technologies<br />

Network Corporation<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

20 S. Linden Ave., Suite 1B<br />

S. San Francisco, CA 94080<br />

(800) 910-2862<br />

www.atncorp.com<br />

BlackHawk Products Group<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

6160 Commander Parkway<br />

Norfolk, VA 23502<br />

(757) 436-3101<br />

www.blackhawk.com<br />

Black Hills Ammunition<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

P.O. Box 3090<br />

Rapid City, SD 57709-3090<br />

(605) 348-5150<br />

www.black-hills.com<br />

Brownells Inc.<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

200 South Front Street<br />

Montezuma, IA 50171<br />

(800) 741-0015<br />

www.brownells.com<br />

Patriot Ordnance Factory<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

23623 N. 67th Ave.<br />

Glendale, AZ 85310<br />

(623) 561-9572<br />

www.pof-usa.com<br />

Sabre Defence Industries, LLC<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

450 Allied Drive<br />

Nashville, TN 37211<br />

(615) 333-0077<br />

www.sabredefence.com<br />

Stonewall Arms<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

2438 Valley Ave.<br />

Winchester, VA 22601<br />

(540) 535-2190<br />

www.stonewallarms.com<br />

Wilderness Tactical Products, L.L.C.<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

Wilderness Plaza, 1608 W. Hatcher Rd.<br />

Phoenix, AZ 85021<br />

(800) 775-5650<br />

www.thewilderness.com<br />

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subscriptions@swatmag.com for answers to your questions.<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 97


THREE-CIRC<br />

It’s dusk. You’re in the grocery store parking lot with your children and spouse, loading your<br />

trunk as the children are clambering into the car. » BY MICHAEL TAN<br />

Abeat-up car with three suspicious-looking<br />

men drives down<br />

your row and stops behind you<br />

and your car. They’re not looking for a<br />

parking space.<br />

Two of them hop out, each with a hand<br />

in his pocket, while the other remains<br />

behind the wheel, engine still running.<br />

The fi rst of the two is walking closer.<br />

“Hey, man ...”<br />

Now what?<br />

In this article, we’re going to examine<br />

your options for meeting an attack at<br />

various ranges.<br />

YOUR OPTIONS<br />

People who take an interest in armed<br />

and unarmed self-defense come to the<br />

problem with a number of options.<br />

1. You may carry a handgun.<br />

2. You may have at least one folding<br />

knife on your person.<br />

3. You may be trained and skilled in<br />

some unarmed martial arts system.<br />

4. Perhaps you have theater experience<br />

and have some canned ruses at the<br />

ready.<br />

5. You may be in good physical shape,<br />

able to run miles at a good clip.<br />

6. And what about pepper spray?<br />

7. And your telescoping baton?<br />

8. And your electro-zapper, which<br />

you’ve never gotten up the nerve to try<br />

on yourself (though you came thiiiiis<br />

close to convincing your brother-in-law<br />

to let you try it on him)?<br />

9. And what about a quick prayer for<br />

Divine deliverance?<br />

I’ve just listed nine possible options<br />

for dealing with an armed confrontation.<br />

That’s too many to process. When<br />

you’re staring at a gun muzzle rammed<br />

into your gut, you don’t need a multiplechoice<br />

test.<br />

WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM?<br />

The matter is further complicated by<br />

having too many variations. Depending<br />

on the specifi cs of the problem facing<br />

you, the “right” answer may be different.<br />

For instance, in the parking lot ex-<br />

98 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


LE<br />

Now what?<br />

ample above, if the fi rst bad guy is three<br />

feet away and pulls out a gun, there’s<br />

one response that’s probably “best.” On<br />

the other hand, if we were to tweak two<br />

variables—let’s say you are alone, without<br />

family, and the bad guy is menacing<br />

but empty-handed—there’s another response<br />

that’s probably “best.”<br />

Who knows what will happen, should<br />

these hypothetical scenarios ever become<br />

reality for you? Louis Awerbuck<br />

is fond of reminding students that the<br />

outcome of a fi ght is 95% dependent<br />

on things outside of your control, no<br />

matter how cool your tools are and<br />

no matter how honed your skills are.<br />

This is not to say that it’s pointless to<br />

prepare and train. It’s just a reminder<br />

that you had better be right with God<br />

if you get into a fi ght, even if you can<br />

RESPONSE<br />

THEORY<br />

OPTIONS FOR<br />

MEETING AN<br />

ATTACK AT<br />

VARIOUS RANGES<br />

shoot and move with the best of them.<br />

We’re going to limit ourselves to examining<br />

the following variations of the<br />

problem: Your mobility, your range to<br />

the bad guy and the immediate nature<br />

of the threat. Mobility refers to your<br />

ability to put physical distance between<br />

yourself and the confrontation. It may be<br />

hindered by environmental factors: Are<br />

you with children? Are you in a narrow<br />

hallway, blocked in? Are the bad guys<br />

aggressively charging? These and other<br />

factors may prevent you from being mobile<br />

and increasing the distance between<br />

you and the confrontation. Range to the<br />

bad guy refers to the distance between<br />

you and the bad guy. It could be six<br />

inches or it could be 26 yards, but it’s<br />

not likely to remain static throughout<br />

the confrontation! Finally, the immediate<br />

nature of the threat refers to how the<br />

bad guy is intending harm—is he empty-handed,<br />

or is he wielding a knife or a<br />

gun? Whatever you see or don’t see in<br />

the bad guy’s hands, assume that he has<br />

something.<br />

Dividing the problem into distances is<br />

the easiest way to get a handle on it. I<br />

propose that the following three circles<br />

or zones be used to defi ne the problem.<br />

THE INNER CIRCLE:<br />

GRAPPLING DISTANCE<br />

Let’s start with the closest distance—<br />

grappling distance. We’ll call this the<br />

Inner Circle. At this range, the bad guy<br />

has his hands on you or can take a step<br />

and be on you. This is arm’s length plus<br />

one step.<br />

In some ways this is the worst case,<br />

but it is also a simple case. Look at the<br />

nine options listed above. At this range,<br />

there are only two things that make<br />

sense as default responses. Remembering<br />

that you don’t know how the bad<br />

guy is armed, stop reading for a minute<br />

and decide what you would default to at<br />

this range. Your gun? Your knife?<br />

Here’s my answer: The default response<br />

at this range should be to run—<br />

get away! If the bad guy is attacking<br />

with empty hands or a knife, this may be<br />

the preferred response.<br />

However, this may not be possible if<br />

the mobility factor is limiting you (e.g.,<br />

you’re with your two toddlers, or you’re<br />

physically blocked in). Alternately, the<br />

default response at this range should be<br />

to close the distance and go to hand-tohand<br />

combatives. By combatives, I’m<br />

talking about fending off blows and<br />

knives, disarming the bad guy, kicking,<br />

striking, stomping, etc. If the bad guy<br />

has a ranged weapon (i.e., a gun), this<br />

response may be preferable to running.<br />

Surprised? Let’s run through the problems<br />

with the other options:<br />

• Problem with employing your gun<br />

at this range: you cannot get it out fast<br />

enough. If you don’t believe me, get a<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 99


THE ARTICLE NAME<br />

above: Three circles: Inner Circle is red,<br />

Middle Circle is blue, Outer Circle is<br />

green.<br />

left: Scrambling to survive in the Middle<br />

Circle.<br />

left below: Shooting from the retention<br />

position will be necessary at bad breath<br />

distance.<br />

plastic gun, put the gun in its concealed<br />

position, and have an unarmed buddy<br />

initiate an attack on you with a rubber<br />

knife at this distance. I’ll bet he can get in<br />

five “cuts” across your vital areas before<br />

you get the gun on target.<br />

• Problem with employing your knife<br />

at this range: Ah, yes, the knife option.<br />

You’ve probably read that at this distance,<br />

a knife can do more damage than<br />

a gun. That may or may not be true, but<br />

it assumes many things. First, it assumes<br />

you’ve managed to get your folding<br />

knife deployed. That’s a big if. Secondly,<br />

it assumes that it is better to have only<br />

one hand free to defend against a bad<br />

guy. However, every instructor I’ve seen<br />

teaches two-handed methods for disarming/defending<br />

against an attacking gun<br />

or attacking knife. Planning on attempting<br />

a disarm against your armed attacker?<br />

You need two empty hands. You can’t<br />

do it with just one hand while the other is<br />

holding your knife. To top it off, nobody<br />

I’m aware of says that knife-on-knife is a<br />

100 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


good thing. You often end up with two<br />

losers in a knife-on-knife fight.<br />

• What about pepper spray? At this<br />

distance you may as well spray yourself<br />

in the face!<br />

• How about the ASP baton? You<br />

still have to deploy it, and the bad<br />

guy is only one or two quick steps<br />

from getting inside the radius of your<br />

swing.<br />

• And the TASER? What if the bad<br />

guy has a knife or screwdriver? Unless<br />

you can shoot a TASER out of your<br />

forehead (now there’s a piece of tactical<br />

gear that would sell!), we’re back<br />

to the one-handed problem discussed<br />

above with knives.<br />

Now, of the nine options we listed<br />

at the beginning of the article, they all<br />

have their place, and can even succeed<br />

in some confrontations. I’m not saying<br />

they can’t or won’t work. But personally,<br />

I’m most interested in the solution<br />

that I can more reliably default to<br />

without having to do a full cost-benefits<br />

analysis when I’m thrown into a<br />

real-life confrontation.<br />

Of the two responses I listed for a<br />

confrontation at this range, neither<br />

is pleasant to imagine if you’re faced<br />

with a gun or a knife. Ultimately,<br />

you’ll have to decide which route you<br />

personally want to take as your default<br />

response.<br />

The goal at this range is to survive,<br />

overcome and, if possible, break away<br />

to a more distant zone. This may involve<br />

a shove-off or neck strike followed<br />

by immediate movement. It<br />

may involve retention shooting. Avoid<br />

the mistake of primarily defaulting to<br />

a gun or knife at this range.<br />

I’m indebted to a class with Louis<br />

Awerbuck for convincing me of the<br />

right way to think about the grappling<br />

distance problem. Awerbuck sums it<br />

up this way: “At this range, it’s a fistfight.”<br />

Now let’s increase the distance to<br />

the bad guy.<br />

THE OUTER CIRCLE:<br />

SHOOTING DISTANCE<br />

I’m going to skip the Middle Circle<br />

for now and discuss the Outer Circle.<br />

This is “shooting distance.” We’re talking<br />

about the range at which you have<br />

THREE-CIRCLE RESPONSE THEORY<br />

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SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 101


THREE-CIRCLE RESPONSE THEORY<br />

enough time to deploy your gun and<br />

use it without being overrun, stabbed or<br />

grabbed by the bad guy.<br />

How far out is the Outer Circle? 21<br />

feet? Well, this is where it gets a little<br />

murky. If you gradually increase the distance<br />

between you and the bad guy, at<br />

a certain point, you finally have the bad<br />

guy far enough away that you could (a)<br />

mentally respond (recognize the bad guy<br />

as a lethal threat), (b) complete a drawstroke<br />

from concealment, and (c) fire a<br />

round onto target without being overrun.<br />

You might think that the distance<br />

we’re talking about is simple—just add<br />

up the time it takes to perform (a) + (b) +<br />

(c), right? Wrong.<br />

You should be moving as this happens.<br />

Depending on the variables limiting<br />

your mobility, you may or may<br />

not be moving laterally or backward.<br />

Furthermore, the bad guy may also be<br />

moving. We can’t come up with a hard<br />

number for the start of the Outer Circle.<br />

It’s determined by the specific environmental<br />

factors of a given confrontation,<br />

your personal drawstroke speed from<br />

your method of concealment, and the<br />

dynamics of the confrontation. Having<br />

explained that, it is still useful to time<br />

yourself responding to a visual cue and<br />

drawing, which will give you an idea of<br />

where your Outer Circle may start. The<br />

bottom line is, this zone starts at a distance<br />

that is pretty far from the bad guy.<br />

If the confrontation starts with you in<br />

the Outer Circle, then you have time to<br />

deploy and use your gun. In the parking<br />

lot example that we started with, if the<br />

bad guys are on the other side of their<br />

car when they pull out a knife, you might<br />

be starting in the Outer Circle, given that<br />

they must circumnavigate their car before<br />

they can get to you.<br />

What are your options in the Outer<br />

Circle? I would suggest that your default<br />

response should be to deploy your gun<br />

at this range, but let’s examine the other<br />

options.<br />

Running is a good option here, if your<br />

mobility is not compromised. A knife, an<br />

ASP, martial arts, and pepper spray are<br />

not the best options. You need a ranged<br />

weapon at this distance. A TASER could<br />

work, but what if you miss? What if<br />

there are three bad guys?<br />

If you “go to guns” at this range, you<br />

Louis Awerbuck demonstrating one of many simple disarms.<br />

still need to be moving off the line of attack<br />

and moving to cover. If the bad guy<br />

has a gun, you don’t want to stand still<br />

for him. If the bad guy has a knife, he can<br />

charge you. Though you may start the<br />

confrontation at this distance, the bad<br />

guy can flip you from the Outer Circle to<br />

the Inner Circle in 1.5 seconds. Footwork<br />

is still essential in the Outer Circle. Practice<br />

accordingly!<br />

THE MIDDLE CIRCLE:<br />

A TRANSITION ZONE<br />

Between Grappling Distance and<br />

Shooting Distance is a no man’s land—a<br />

transitional zone. In this zone, you can<br />

be stabbed or grabbed or shot as you go<br />

for your gun (or blade, or spray, or baton,<br />

etc.), but you’re also too far from the bad<br />

guy to get your hands on him. We can’t<br />

define the distance in an exact number of<br />

feet, but if the bad guy is pointing a gun<br />

at you, and you are three steps away,<br />

you’re probably in the Middle Circle.<br />

In this middle zone, you have to make<br />

a choice. You have to decide to either a)<br />

commit yourself to get into the Inner<br />

Circle, or b) commit yourself to attempt<br />

to get to the Outer Circle. Let’s be clear<br />

about this. In the split second in which<br />

you make the decision, there is no way to<br />

know the right answer. You may decide<br />

to close the distance, trip, and accidentally<br />

impale yourself on the bad guy’s<br />

knife. You may decide to run left, mak-<br />

ing distance, and end up walking right<br />

into his bullet. There are no guarantees.<br />

However, if you stand and dither, you’re<br />

giving the bad guy the opportunity to<br />

take the initiative, and that is something<br />

you don’t want to do. If he has a gun,<br />

he will have a harder time shooting you<br />

if you are moving. Commit yourself and<br />

execute. Get out of the Middle Circle.<br />

In the Middle Circle, closing the distance<br />

and charging the bad guy are arguably<br />

easier to do. Once you get into the<br />

Inner Circle, you’re not necessarily going<br />

to have an easy time of it, but getting<br />

into the Inner Circle is probably easier<br />

than getting to the Outer Circle.<br />

To get to the Outer Circle, the goal is<br />

to make more distance. Footwork is very<br />

important here. If you can move laterally<br />

off of the line of attack, try that. Due to<br />

mobility restrictions (a wall, your wife,<br />

etc.), you may not be able to go that way.<br />

In all likelihood, if the bad guy is charging,<br />

you are probably going to get hit or<br />

cut while you are in the Middle Circle.<br />

If you decide to attempt to get to the<br />

Outer Circle, go for your gun while you<br />

move, even though you can be grabbed<br />

or stabbed in the process. If you make<br />

distance and get to the Outer Circle,<br />

great! You’ll also have your gun in hand.<br />

If you fail to get to the Outer Circle and<br />

you are overrun in the Inner Circle, this<br />

is where shooting from retention comes<br />

in.<br />

102 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


Shooting from retention is not something<br />

that you should default to at the<br />

start of a conflict when in the grappling<br />

range. Rather, it is something that you<br />

resort to when a situation deteriorates:<br />

namely, you’ve managed to get to your<br />

gun, but in spite of your footwork you<br />

get overrun by the bad guy(s). Shooting<br />

from retention may also be your first<br />

move to disengage and move out of the<br />

Inner Circle.<br />

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER<br />

Let’s summarize the theory and the<br />

recommended default responses. If the<br />

fight starts in the Inner Circle, get away<br />

or go hand-to-hand. If the fight starts in<br />

the Middle Circle, move! Either close the<br />

distance and get to the Inner Circle, or<br />

make distance and get to the Outer Circle<br />

while going for your gun. If the fight<br />

starts in the Outer Circle, move and go<br />

for your gun.<br />

In setting forth this three-circle theory,<br />

I’m not claiming originality. I’ve been<br />

blessed to have trained under some of<br />

the current luminaries of the training<br />

world, and I’ve also spent lots of time<br />

trying to read and digest the wisdom<br />

of those trainers. I heartily point you to<br />

men such as Clint Smith, Louis Awerbuck<br />

and Jeff Gonzales.<br />

Stay one step ahead in the chess game<br />

of deadly confrontations by planning<br />

your first move in advance. §<br />

SOURCES:<br />

Thunder Ranch<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

96747 Hwy 140 East<br />

Lakeview, OR 97630<br />

(541) 947-2060<br />

www.thunderranchinc.com<br />

Yavapai Firearms Academy, Ltd.<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

P.O. Box 27290<br />

Prescott, AZ 86312<br />

(928) 772-8262<br />

www.yfainc.com<br />

Trident Concepts<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

P.O. Box 11955<br />

Prescott, AZ 86304-1955<br />

(928) 925-7038<br />

www.tridentconcepts.com<br />

THREE-CIRCLE RESPONSE THEORY<br />

swatmag.com<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 103


ARMALITE AR-10A4CS, continued from page 81<br />

This is what a sub-MOA rifle looks like,<br />

along with some equipment needed<br />

for it to perform to its full capability—<br />

BlackHawk drag bag, premium<br />

ammunition, and first-class optics.<br />

ing and wind doping. It is a time of<br />

flight issue.<br />

The AR-10A4CS is highly accurate<br />

on targets out to 600 yards when combined<br />

with the Leupold Mk4 scope using<br />

the Tactical Milling Reticle (TMR).<br />

My shooting ability holds it back past<br />

these ranges. The rifle and ammunition,<br />

whether it is Hornady, Federal, or Black<br />

Hills, repeatedly demonstrated sub-<br />

MOA accuracy at 600 yards. If a miss occurs,<br />

the blame rests on me and not the<br />

equipment.<br />

It is rare to find a rifle that can perform<br />

multiple roles so well that the<br />

user does not feel something has been<br />

compromised for utility’s sake. The ArmaLite<br />

AR-10A4CS is no compromise<br />

candidate. It serves as a benchmark in all<br />

three roles I have used it for. I am glad I<br />

finally woke to realize the gem residing<br />

in my gunsafe. §<br />

SOURCES:<br />

ArmaLite, Inc.<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

P.O. Box 299<br />

Geneseo, IL 61254<br />

(800) 336-0184<br />

www.armalite.com<br />

A.R.M.S., Inc.<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

230 W. Center St.<br />

West Bridgewater, MA 02379<br />

(508) 584-7816<br />

www.armsmounts.com<br />

Black Hills Ammunition<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

P.O. Box 3090<br />

Rapid City, SD 57709-3090<br />

(605) 348-5150<br />

www.black-hills.com<br />

Federal Cartridge Company<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

900 Ehlen Drive<br />

Anoka, MN 55303-7503<br />

(800) 322-2342<br />

www.federalcartridge.com<br />

GG&G<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

3602 E. 42nd Stravenue<br />

Tucson, AZ 85713<br />

(800) 380-2540<br />

www.gggaz.com<br />

Hornady Mfg. Co.<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

Box 1848<br />

Grand Island, NE 68802-1848<br />

(800) 338-3220<br />

www.hornady.com<br />

Leupold & Stevens, Inc.<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

P.O. Box 688<br />

Beaverton, OR 97075-0688<br />

(503) 526-1400<br />

www.leupold.com<br />

Magpul Industries Corp.<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

400 Young Court<br />

Erie, CO 80516-8440<br />

(877) 462-4785<br />

www.magpul.com<br />

PentagonLight<br />

151 Mitchell Avenue<br />

South San Francisco, CA 94080<br />

(650) 877-1555<br />

www.pentagonlight.com<br />

Warne Scope Mounts<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

9500 SW Tualatin Rd.<br />

Tualatin, OR 97062<br />

(800) 683-5590<br />

www.warnescopemounts.com<br />

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104 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


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Blade-Tech builds the<br />

training barrel for many<br />

popular pistols.<br />

Every once in awhile, a product comes along so simple and effective that it leaves you scratching<br />

your head and saying, “Now, why didn’t I think of that?”<br />

that go inside the factory barrel. These<br />

are less than desirable because they often<br />

alter the shape of the weapon to the<br />

point where it cannot successfully be<br />

used in its respective holster. Some even<br />

prevent vital weapon functions. Blade-<br />

Tech’s barrel seems to solve these problems<br />

in a reliable and effective product<br />

that’s very cost effective.<br />

Having spent a considerable time<br />

overseas training with foreign military<br />

and police, I was not surprised when<br />

Blade-Tech informed me that the training<br />

barrel was born out of the experience<br />

of some law enforcement trainers operating<br />

overseas. Due to the lack of weapon<br />

handling experience of the students,<br />

there were many safety violations, as<br />

106 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


well as poor tactical skills. After using<br />

various safety products, such as onepiece<br />

molded guns, the trainers became<br />

frustrated with the limitations of the existing<br />

devices and eventually patented<br />

this training barrel now in production<br />

with Blade-Tech. I guess the old adage<br />

about necessity being the mother of invention<br />

still rings true these days.<br />

The firearms trainers I’ve spoken with<br />

who currently use the barrel are thrilled<br />

with it. The barrel is brightly colored<br />

and extends out past the end of the slide.<br />

With one glance down the firing line, or<br />

one quick inspection of every officer’s<br />

weapon in the shoothouse, instructors<br />

can instantly be assured that no one<br />

could possibly have a live round in their<br />

weapon. Students appreciate the fact<br />

that they can safely train with their own<br />

weapon and current carry gear.<br />

Incidentally, other uses of the barrel<br />

have been discovered. Sporting-goods<br />

stores are now able to safely display<br />

their semiautomatic handguns in the<br />

cases, allowing customers to handle and<br />

fully operate the handgun with no fear<br />

of the weapon discharging. Take the<br />

tragic event that occurred in a Midwest<br />

sporting-goods store inside a mall a few<br />

years ago: A man walked into the store<br />

and requested to see a weapon. As he accepted<br />

the weapon from the salesman,<br />

he took out of his pocket a single round<br />

above: Training officer using early<br />

prototype of Glock training barrel<br />

during training class.<br />

left above: With many shooters in<br />

class, training barrel is totally safe<br />

way to teach major portion of pistol<br />

techniques.<br />

left below: Training Barrel was invented<br />

by law enforcement agents who<br />

needed an absolutely safe method of<br />

training foreign police units overseas.<br />

that he had brought with him, inserted it<br />

into the barrel and promptly took his life<br />

right there at the counter. While one can<br />

only protect a person from himself for<br />

so long, this new product from Blade-<br />

Tech would certainly prove its worth in<br />

sporting-goods stores and gun shows<br />

around the country. Users have also told<br />

us that TSA loves the training barrel because<br />

they can readily see that the gun is<br />

non-functional when a passenger checks<br />

their weapon at the airport.<br />

The training barrel is currently in use<br />

by government and private training<br />

schools and, as of this writing, is available<br />

for most Glocks, Smith & Wesson’s<br />

new M&P pistol, several SIG-Sauer models<br />

and many 1911 models, including<br />

Kimber and Para-Ordnance. Blade-Tech<br />

says they are currently designing new<br />

models that will be in production soon.<br />

All in all, Blade-Tech has come up with<br />

an exciting new product that will hopefully<br />

encourage safe handgun training<br />

habits while maintaining a sense of realism.<br />

§<br />

SOURCE:<br />

Blade-Tech Industries<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T<br />

2506 104th Street Court South<br />

Building H<br />

Lakewood, WA 98499<br />

(877) 331-5793<br />

www.blade-tech.com<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 107


THE CUTTING EDGE<br />

As hand grasps<br />

Spyderco Endura …<br />

SPYDERCO ENDURA AND<br />

ON/SCENE TACTICAL’S SPEED DIALER<br />

… Wave engages<br />

and blade opens.<br />

» BY JOHN SHIRLEY<br />

Soldiers need knives for the<br />

same reasons anyone needs<br />

them—to cut things.<br />

During my recent deployment to<br />

Afghanistan, there were boxes<br />

and MREs to open, and 550 cord,<br />

zip ties, mortar round “tootsie rolls,”<br />

sand bags fi lled with dirt (and rocks) and<br />

endless things to cut. Sometimes things<br />

need to be cut quickly to prevent injury<br />

or death.<br />

Civilians rarely face such demands,<br />

but a soldier does not have this luxury.<br />

A knife carried in an instantly accessible<br />

manner, even when wearing protective<br />

gear, is essential.<br />

My fi rst conception of the ideal fi eld<br />

knife for the soldier was a small fi xed<br />

108 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


Dialer sheath<br />

mounted on IBA.<br />

blade, with a blade length between two<br />

and a half and four inches. Anything<br />

shorter might not be enough knife. Anything<br />

longer would be unnecessarily<br />

heavy and long, and would violate the<br />

four-inch blade rule some barracks mandate.<br />

Storage is also more complicated.<br />

My hypothetical knife would have quick<br />

access and be inexpensive. (“Joe” will<br />

most likely break or lose the knife eventually.)<br />

After I deployed for combat I refined<br />

my ideas. Knife carry on body armor<br />

is common, but soldiers carry so many<br />

pouches of equipment that it is difficult<br />

to find a convenient place to attach even<br />

a four-inch blade. Some commanders order<br />

their troops not to carry large knives<br />

because of “public relations” problems.<br />

I tried several folding knives after I<br />

arrived, eventually returning to a desert<br />

version of my favorite Spyderco Native,<br />

which offers a terrific balance of size,<br />

weight, ergonomics, cutting ability, and<br />

price. I was still looking for an efficient<br />

system for a vest-mounted knife, and<br />

with my discovery of On/Scene Tactical’s<br />

Speed Dialer, I believed I might<br />

have found the optimal combination.<br />

Spyderco makes some of my favorite<br />

folding knives, the two most popular being<br />

the Endura and smaller Delica. These<br />

knives have constantly evolved over the<br />

years, and offer some of the best values<br />

in the market. Spyderco began offering<br />

these knives with the Emerson “Wave”<br />

feature in 2006.<br />

The Wave is designed to make a folding<br />

knife self-opening. This is accomplished<br />

by building in a hook meant<br />

to snag the pocket seam as the knife is<br />

drawn. I’m still not sure of the need for<br />

this feature on a pocketknife, but combined<br />

with the Speed Dialer—a sheath<br />

designed to accomplish opening—I believed<br />

I might have found the ideal vest<br />

carry combination for military or LE personnel.<br />

The Endura has a four-inch flatground<br />

blade. It features twin liners for<br />

strength inside the textured, lightweight<br />

blue-gray fiberglass-reinforced nylon<br />

handles, which blend in nicely with current<br />

ACU colors. The pocket clip can<br />

be mounted on either side and can be<br />

configured for blade tip-up or tip-down<br />

carry. The front lock positively engages<br />

when the knife is opened.<br />

With a little practice, the Wave is easy<br />

to use, and the draw becomes instinctive.<br />

From the pocket, my Wave opens incredibly<br />

quickly. Unfortunately, the grip required<br />

to draw and open the knife from<br />

the pocket also requires a shift to gain a<br />

firm grasp on the handle. For the hook to<br />

catch the pocket seam during the draw,<br />

the Endura must be drawn forcefully<br />

out and down. Because of the need to<br />

shift hand position before hard use, and<br />

especially the need to draw away from<br />

the body, I do not feel the Wave offers<br />

any defensive advantage over folders<br />

without the Wave. The situation when<br />

mounted on my Interceptor Body Armor<br />

(IBA) is entirely different.<br />

The Speed Dialer is a small Kydex<br />

sheath with two rivets through which<br />

a chain or cord is typically threaded for<br />

neck carry. At the bottom of the sheath<br />

is a knot of 550 cord around which the<br />

Endura’s hook is inserted. The sheath is<br />

lightweight, but strong, and I zip-tied<br />

it high on the left side of my vest. I am<br />

right handed, so I could reach up with<br />

my dominant hand and easily access<br />

the Endura. Figuring out how to snap<br />

the knife in took a few tries, but quickly<br />

became instinctive, and the Endura was<br />

held securely in place.<br />

From this mount, the Endura deploys<br />

as quickly as any fixed blade, with the<br />

drawing motion leaving the hand positioned<br />

in front of the body, ready for<br />

action. The Endura is not a small knife,<br />

but folded, it still occupies less room and<br />

looks more innocuous than virtually any<br />

fixed blade.<br />

I highly recommend the Endura/<br />

Speed Dialer for those preparing to deploy<br />

to a combat zone. If you know a<br />

serviceman leaving for one of these areas,<br />

this knife and sheath make a great<br />

gift. The versatility of this folding knife<br />

allows it to be carried in the pocket when<br />

not “geared up,” and on the armor when<br />

in “battle rattle.” Troops will not find<br />

any piece of equipment they will use<br />

more. §<br />

SOURCES:<br />

On/Scene Tactical<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

3940 Suffolk Dr, RR#2<br />

Harrow, Ontario, Canada<br />

N0R 1G0<br />

(519) 738-6693<br />

www.onscenetactical.com<br />

Spyderco Inc.<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T.<br />

820 Spyderco Way<br />

Golden, CO 80403-8053<br />

(800) 525-7770<br />

www.spyderco.com<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 109


SUREFIRE TACTICAL KNIFE<br />

Designed with the needs of law enforcement and military<br />

personnel in mind, the new SureFire L.E.O. . (Law Enforcement<br />

Offi cer) folder is a rugged, titanium-framed edged weapon<br />

that truly qualifi es as a “tactical” knife. It features a lockable,<br />

drop-point blade made from strong CPM S30V stainless steel<br />

and a low-profi le fl excuff cutter that snaps neatly into the<br />

knife’s frame when not in use. There’s also a fl athead screwdriver<br />

ground into the back of the blade. This blade, coated<br />

with glass and silicone carbide abrasive to keep corrosive sub-<br />

GEARLOCKER<br />

»NEW PRODUCTS AND ACCESSORIES<br />

TACTICAL FLASHLIGHT<br />

HOLDER<br />

Elzetta Design, LLC introduces its<br />

new ZFH1500 Flashlight Holder for AR-<br />

15 rifl es, developed for law enforcement<br />

and incorporating unique features for<br />

tactical situations. Simply sliding one’s<br />

hand forward to the front sling swivel,<br />

which depresses the switch, for example,<br />

activates fl ashlights with push-button<br />

tailcap switches. Alternately, the fl ashlight<br />

may be adjusted forward so that<br />

the push-button switch is protected from<br />

the sling swivel, while the skeletonized<br />

profi le of the product allows easy access<br />

to the switch and rotating tailcap. Made<br />

in the USA from glass-fi lled nylon, it is<br />

available in black, dark earth, and olive<br />

drab green. Optional Picatinny rails are<br />

available to mount to the device for even<br />

more fl exibility in mounting options.<br />

Suggested retail is $29.95. The Picatinny<br />

rails have an MSRP of $12.95. For more<br />

information, contact Elzetta Design,<br />

LLC, Dept. S.W.A.T., P.O. Box 54364,<br />

Lexington, KY 40555, (859) 707-7471,<br />

www.Elzetta.com.<br />

PRO EARS<br />

DIMENSION PLUS SERIES<br />

RidgeLine, Inc. is proud to introduce<br />

their new Dimension Plus and Predator<br />

Plus Sports Series. The Dimension Plus<br />

Series is the most sophisticated electronic<br />

hearing protection and amplifi<br />

cation system ever offered. The new<br />

PLUS series builds on the tremendous<br />

advancements of the Dimension Series,<br />

the only products that offer the world’s<br />

only DLSC technology, which protects<br />

the user from hearing damaging noise<br />

levels yet simultaneously<br />

allows the<br />

user to hear<br />

other softer,<br />

less audible<br />

sounds withoutinterruption.<br />

The new<br />

PLUS models<br />

also offer<br />

stances from adhering to it, can be opened quickly two different<br />

ways by pushing out on the protruding thumb stud, or by<br />

pressing down on the integral fi nger guard with the index fi nger.<br />

The L.E.O. also features a reversible titanium pocket clip.<br />

The L.E.O. is just over 8.5 inches long open and slightly over<br />

5 inches long when closed and weighs less than six ounces.<br />

MSRP is $425. For more information, contact SureFire, LLC,<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T., 18300 Mount Baldy Circle, Fountain Valley, CA<br />

92708, (800) 828-8809, www.surefi re.com.<br />

the new ProForm Leather ear seals<br />

and ProTen padded headband. The<br />

ProForm Seals are not only the most comfortable<br />

ever made for muff-style headsets,<br />

but also conform more completely<br />

around the ears, even while wearing<br />

glasses, for the tightest noise elimination<br />

seal possible. For more information,<br />

contact RidgeLine, Inc., Dept. S.W.A.T.,<br />

101 RidgeLine Dr., Westcliffe, CO 81252,<br />

(719) 783-4161, www.pro-ears.com.<br />

LASER DEVICES, INC.<br />

ELECTRONIC DOUBLE TAP<br />

SWITCH<br />

Laser Devices, Inc. (LDI), manufacturer<br />

of state-of-the-art visible and infrared<br />

aiming lasers, handheld and weaponmounted<br />

tactical lights and small arms<br />

training systems, is pleased to announce<br />

the release of its new Electronic Double<br />

Tap Switch (EDTS) end cap. The EDTS<br />

has a remote cable port to allow quick<br />

and easy replacement of a broken or<br />

worn out remote cable assembly as well<br />

as a local activation switch located on the<br />

side of the end cap housing. The EDTS<br />

provides the following functionality:<br />

Momentary, Continuous ON, Dimmer<br />

Mode, Positive OFF. EDTS works with<br />

110 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong><br />

SWATMAG.COM


OPERATOR OP-6 lights equipped with<br />

an incandescent high-pressure Xenon<br />

lamp or with the blindingly bright 125-lumen<br />

high fl ux LED head. The EDTS end<br />

cap is interchangeable with any existing<br />

OP-6 end cap and is sold separately or<br />

prepackaged with the OP-6 tactical light.<br />

For more information, contact Laser<br />

Devices, Inc., Dept. S.W.A.T., 2 Harris<br />

Court, Suite A-4, Monterey, CA 93940,<br />

(800) 235-2162, www.laserdevices.com.<br />

3-IN-1 PATROL BAG<br />

5.11 Tactical works closely with law<br />

enforcement specialists to create mission-specifi<br />

c bags that increase effi -<br />

ciency. The new 3-in-1 Patrol bag offers<br />

a completely updated design for patrol,<br />

range and travel. Constructed of 600denier<br />

textured polyester, the bag measures<br />

19” x 13.5” x 6.25”. There’s space<br />

for daily essentials in the roomy exterior<br />

pockets with YKK® zippers, and a large,<br />

diagonal slash to secure the bag to your<br />

front passenger seat. Inside is a MOLLE/<br />

ALICE-compatible webbing panel with a<br />

light grey interior to help you fi nd things<br />

fast. Also, check out 5.11’s brand new<br />

Side Trip bag (16.5” x 12.5” x 5.5”). Made<br />

of 1,000-denier textured nylon, its compact,<br />

slightly cushioned design includes<br />

a hidden pocket to attach a holster and<br />

end pockets for water bottles and other<br />

gear. The 3-in-1 Patrol retails for $69.99;<br />

the Side Trip is $89.99. For more information,<br />

see your local dealer or contact<br />

5.11 Inc., Dept. S.W.A.T., 4300 Spyres<br />

Way, Modesto, CA 95356, (866) 451-1726,<br />

www.511tactical.com.<br />

CARBON FIBER<br />

CLEANING RODS<br />

Gunslick has released a collection of<br />

carbon fi ber cleaning rods designed specifi<br />

cally to eliminate particle<br />

pickup and potential damage<br />

to your gun. By adding these<br />

rods to a full line of gun care<br />

products, Gunslick continues<br />

to provide the best cleaning<br />

supplies for serious shooters.<br />

The 36-inch, one-piece carbon<br />

fi ber cleaning rods are extremely<br />

strong and straight. The<br />

soft grip handle is ergonomically<br />

designed for comfort and<br />

prolonged cleaning, utilizing<br />

double ball bearings to ensure<br />

years of smooth rotation and<br />

use. Suggested retail is $32.95.<br />

For more information, contact<br />

Onalaska Operations, Dept.<br />

S.W.A.T., N5549 County Trunk<br />

Z, Onalaska, WI 54650, (800)<br />

635-7656, www.gunslick.com.<br />

BEWARE OF THE DOG<br />

MadDog Rams use a patented design<br />

of Dynamic Energizing Technology that<br />

allows their rams to be lighter, smaller,<br />

faster and more effi cient and effective<br />

than any other rams out there. Its weight<br />

is only 29 pounds and it’s only 25 1/2inches<br />

long, making it the ideal tool in<br />

any type of situation. Don’t be put off<br />

by its light weight and size—it packs a<br />

heavy punch. Our Ram is designed to be<br />

balanced, easy to store, has dual striking<br />

faces, is ambidextrous, has a compact<br />

design, can be used to set other tools<br />

and puts far less fatigue on any size of<br />

breacher. For more information, contact<br />

MadDog Mfg., Dept. S.W.A.T., 2125 Los<br />

Lentes Road NE, Los Lunas, NM 87031,<br />

(505) 907-3267.<br />

TACTICAL GRILLING APRON<br />

Using only the best materials, Tactical<br />

Grilling products are built to perform<br />

and built to last. Combine the Tactical<br />

Grilling Apron (TGA) Tactical Beer<br />

(Beverage) Shingle (TBS) and the Tactical<br />

Spatula Sheath (TSS) for the ultimate<br />

grilling experience. With all the necessities<br />

mounted, Tactical Grillers can accomplish<br />

the task at hand in comfort and<br />

style. Plus, the modular webbing on the<br />

TGA is MOLLE/PALS compatible. Add<br />

a MOLLE compatible holster for upcoming<br />

range days. 40MM grenade pouches<br />

work perfectly for spices. Or, grab some<br />

utility pouches to hold your tools when<br />

you work on the truck. The modularity of<br />

Tactical Grilling products allows you to<br />

tailor your capabilities<br />

to the mission<br />

at hand. With products<br />

in Afghanistan,<br />

Iraq and here in<br />

the U.S., the apron<br />

is in use by active-duty<br />

military,<br />

special operations,<br />

law enforcement,<br />

and PMCs, Tactical Grilling is ready for<br />

your barbeque battlefi eld, whether it be<br />

in-theatre or in the backyard. For more<br />

information contact Tactical Grilling,<br />

Dept. S.W.A.T., Waconia, MN 55387,<br />

www.TacticalGrilling.com.<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 111


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Either book available for $20 each at<br />

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The fi rst 100 pages of DOMESTIC ENEMIES may be read at:<br />

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112 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


ADVERTISER’SINDEX<br />

ADVERTISER WEBSITE PAGE ADVERTISER WEBSITE PAGE<br />

A.R.M.S. www.armsmounts.com<br />

Advanced Technology www.atigunstocks.com<br />

American Cop Magazine www.americancopmagazine.com<br />

American Technologies www.atncorp.com<br />

American Watch Company www.specialopswatch.com<br />

AR15.com www.AR15.com<br />

Benelli USA www.benelliusa.com<br />

Black Hills Ammunition www.black-hills.com<br />

BlackHawk Industries www.blackhawk.com<br />

Blade-Tech www.blade-tech.com<br />

Bravo Company USA, Inc www.bravocompanyusa.com<br />

Bravo Company USA, Inc www.bravocompanyusa.com<br />

Brownells, Inc www.brownells.com<br />

Bushmaster Firearms, Inc www.bushmaster.com<br />

C Products LLC www.cproductsllc.com<br />

Cactus Tactical Supply www.cactustactical.com<br />

Cavalry Arms www.cavalryarms.com<br />

Cheaper Than Dirt www.CheaperThanDirt.com<br />

Command Arms Accessories www.commandarms.com<br />

Crimson Trace Lasers www.crimsontrace.com<br />

Delray Shooting Center www.shootingcenters.com<br />

DPMS www.dpmsinc.com<br />

DropZone Tactical www.dropzonetactical.com<br />

Eagle Industries www.eagleindustries.com<br />

EnemiesForeignAndDomestic www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com<br />

Eotech www.eotech-inc.com<br />

ESI, Inc www.esi-lifeforce.com<br />

European American Armory www.eaacorp.com<br />

FN Herstal www.fnhusa.com<br />

FN Herstal www.fnhusa.com<br />

G&R Tactical www.grtactical.com<br />

GG&G www.gggaz.com<br />

GhillieSuits.com www.GhillieSuits.com<br />

Global Tactical www.globaltactical.com<br />

Going Loud Tactical Outfitters www.goingloud.com<br />

Hornady www.hornadyle.com<br />

Insight Technology, Inc. www.insighttechgear.com<br />

Jungle Toy www.jungletoy.com<br />

Kahr Arms www.kahr.com<br />

39<br />

48<br />

105<br />

34<br />

23<br />

81<br />

31<br />

20<br />

36<br />

101<br />

Cvr.3<br />

18<br />

26<br />

46<br />

56<br />

112<br />

89<br />

30<br />

47<br />

16<br />

112<br />

43<br />

112<br />

Cvr.2<br />

112<br />

40<br />

71<br />

75<br />

13,15<br />

17,19<br />

52<br />

38<br />

97<br />

112<br />

103<br />

25<br />

7<br />

101<br />

10<br />

LA <strong>Police</strong> Gear www.lapolicegear.com<br />

Langlois Custom Rifleleather www.shottist.com<br />

LaRue Tactical www.laruetactical.com<br />

M4Carbine, LLC www.M4Carbine.net<br />

Master of Concealment.com www.masterofconcealment.com<br />

Maxsell www.maxsell.com<br />

Mesa Tactical www.mesatactical.com/swat<br />

Michiguns LTD www.m-guns.com<br />

Millett Sights www.millettsights.com<br />

Northern Lights Tactical www.northernlightstactical.com<br />

One Stop Knife Shop www.OneStopKnifeShop.com<br />

Operation Parts www.operationparts.com<br />

OpsGear www.opsgear.com<br />

Paladin Press www.paladin-press.com<br />

Point Blank Body Armor www.pointblankarmor.com<br />

Quantico Tactical Supply www.quanticotactical.com<br />

Quantico Tactical Supply www.quanticotactical.com<br />

Rock River Arms www.rockriverarms.com<br />

Rogue Elite www.rogueelite.net<br />

SKD Tactical, Inc www.skdtac.com<br />

SLR-15 www.slr15.com<br />

Specter Gear Inc www.spectergear.com<br />

Springfield Armory www.springfieldarmory.com<br />

SRT Supply www.srtsupply.com<br />

Streichers www.streichers.com<br />

Summit Ammo www.summitammunition.com<br />

Super Vision www.xenonics.com<br />

Surefire www.surefire.com<br />

Surefire www.surefiresuppressors.com<br />

Surefire [Ear Pro] www.surefire.com/earpro<br />

Swingin’ Dick’s Place www.swinginrichard.com<br />

Tactical Response www.tacticalresponsegear.com<br />

Taurus International www.taurustactical.com<br />

Tops Knives www.topsknives.com<br />

Valhalla Training Center www.valhallatraining.com<br />

Vision Net International www.visionnetweb.com<br />

Wilderness Tactical Products www.thewilderness.com<br />

Wilson Combat www.wilsoncombat.com<br />

XS Sight Systems www.XSsights.com<br />

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> 113<br />

9,11<br />

112<br />

Cvr.4<br />

52<br />

61<br />

112<br />

95<br />

89<br />

62<br />

89<br />

91<br />

95<br />

32<br />

41<br />

27<br />

22,42<br />

63<br />

26<br />

46<br />

56<br />

32<br />

65<br />

49<br />

97<br />

33<br />

112<br />

57<br />

21<br />

45<br />

53<br />

103<br />

8<br />

3<br />

85<br />

37<br />

18<br />

81<br />

69<br />

101


TRAINING AND TACTICS<br />

Pay attention young man<br />

And I’ll tell you the ode<br />

Of the battle-weary soldier<br />

And the Pale Horse that he rode<br />

And when it’s all over<br />

When the telling is done<br />

Maybe you’ll understand<br />

That killing isn’t fun<br />

Yes, you do the job<br />

And you have to win<br />

But there are none who do battle<br />

And return home without sin<br />

He engaged the enemy<br />

And fi red with pride<br />

But when he’s alone at night<br />

There’s nowhere to hide<br />

Tossing and turning<br />

Between the bedposts<br />

His only companions<br />

The bullet-riddled ghosts<br />

When he was young<br />

Hale and hearty<br />

Life was a game<br />

Just an endless party<br />

Then the years rolled by<br />

On golden wings<br />

Whatever happened<br />

To the innocent things?<br />

Heed these words, young man<br />

While your guns are still cool<br />

Or you’ll die in despair<br />

A lonely old fool<br />

Listen to the advice<br />

Of parents too soon long dead<br />

They had all the right answers<br />

To puzzles in your young head<br />

Then the bell tolled<br />

To ship out to war<br />

And even though he was well trained<br />

He hadn’t a clue what was in store<br />

THE PHOTOGRAPH<br />

BY LOUIS AWERBUCK<br />

In boot camp they told him<br />

To go by the book<br />

Then the bullets started fl ying<br />

And he got his fi rst true look<br />

Gone was the young man<br />

So full of dash and dare<br />

When incoming rounds<br />

Started puncturing the air<br />

He put on the face<br />

Of a soldier so brave<br />

A terrifi ed young man<br />

Barely old enough to shave<br />

But somehow he made it<br />

Through the fi ght and the day<br />

He killed his fi rst man<br />

Now the Piper he must pay<br />

While those who surrounded him<br />

Looked like they showed grief<br />

Every one to a man<br />

Was fi lled with relief<br />

For it wasn’t the battle<br />

That stilled their young laughter<br />

It was his anguish they witnessed<br />

In the scene that came after<br />

It was him or the enemy<br />

So he shot fi rst<br />

Riddling the man’s torso<br />

With a machinegun burst<br />

He fell to the ground<br />

With a look of surprise<br />

The light quickly fading<br />

From the dead soldier’s eyes<br />

[Louis Awerbuck is Director of the internationally acclaimed Yavapai Firearms Academy.<br />

Course information and schedules are available at their website at www.yfainc.com]<br />

Approaching him slowly<br />

As if in a dream<br />

He knelt down beside him<br />

Stifl ing a silent scream<br />

He removed the helmet<br />

To see the enemy’s face<br />

Seeing only a youth like himself<br />

Gone to a better place<br />

In all the noise of battle<br />

He couldn’t hear a sound<br />

When the photo fell out<br />

And drifted to the ground<br />

Beautiful she was<br />

And laden with child<br />

Enough to break his silence<br />

With a primal scream so wild<br />

He never laughed again<br />

After that tormented day<br />

Gone was his adolescence<br />

Of wine, women, and play<br />

Now he’d become a man<br />

Setting out on life’s bloody path<br />

That nothing could wash clean<br />

No shower, no bath<br />

So pay attention, young man<br />

Don’t get to enjoy killing too much<br />

Don’t romanticize old men’s stories<br />

Of forgotten wars and blood and such<br />

Don’t look forward<br />

To the fi rst notch on your gun<br />

Take it from one who’s been there<br />

And whose last ride is nearly done<br />

You’re still young and happy<br />

With a chance for many years<br />

All he has left are the ghosts<br />

And empty nights fi lled with dry tears<br />

I told you it was an ode<br />

So open your ears while you can<br />

It’s about an old Pale Rider<br />

And I was that young man §<br />

114 S.W.A.T. » DECEMBER <strong>2007</strong> SWATMAG.COM


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Magpul<br />

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