Category Archives: Training

Crusader, Training, Weapons

Ogre’s new Kalash

33 Comments

I put an AK-47 on Layaway today.  I’m going to need it come Spring Time!  I’ve been looking at buying one for some time now, but hadn’t found one that I really liked.    Well, I found one.

The Kalash

This was built by Cugir in Romania, then rebuilt by M&M LLC. It’s been around the block.  Typical WASR10, with some rails and TAPCO stock and trigger, with a Hogue pistol grip.  It actually feels really good.

Crusader is going to be offering an AK Focus course for 2012.  So pretty much I need this, so it’s a justifiable expense.  A required expenditure.   Also, this gun is going to be the test mule for Crusader’s AK work.  What can we do to the AK that gives any actual, tangible benefit… what is going to be worth spending money on, and what’s not.   I don’t want to sell anyone on something that’s not going to help…  If it’s not, we’re not going to offer it.

Now, I have some planned work for it.

BattleComp.  Lightning Bolt.  Ambi-Safety.  Slipstream ST-2 Treatment.  Serious Dehorning.  Cerakote finish.

My last Kalash I got was a Vector Arms under-folder from FBMG back when they were in their salad days.  It was a great AK… very good stuff.  But there were things I didn’t like about it… Sharp edges, thin finish… it wasn’t perfect, but it was very good for an AK.  At the time, it was the best AK I had ever owned, and I have had several.  It’s a shame that Vector Arms went belly up.  If Crusader does get into the Kalash Building Business…  this means Utah is going to get a good in State AK again.

Training

I whip my hair back and forth

10 Comments

Will Smith has a little girl… She has a song out by that title.  I think too many shooters have that song stuck in their heads.
Search and Assessment means look around you for threats… Not jerk your melon around like your in a pop dance number.  Fight and train alike… So take a moment and actually look around you – or don’t do it at all.  Because not only do you look retarded, your building a harmful training scar.

Crusader, Training

Working on 2012 Crusader Training

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For the 2012 Crusader Weaponry Training Schedule, I am thinking I want to break up the general “Tactical Carbine” courses.  What do you guys think about having platform focused classes?  AR, AK, Lever, and Bolt. Other platforms could come to the AR or AK course depending on the similarities.  (This also means I need a good AK and we’ll have to develop a Crusader Kalash Package)

We’re also going to go into greater focus on the Shotgun.  More work on actual slug accuracy, and use of them for barrier penetration. Advanced Shotgunning.

I’m also thinking about offering Force on Force, Patrol Techniques, Assault and Ambush. Mounted and Dismounted.  Firing from Vehicles, Moving and Stationary.   We will also use Guest Instructors.  These classes will have some more stringent requirements, meaning that we will only let in students that mean certain requirements.  Citizens of US or strong Allied Nations, clean background.   We are not going to train anyone if we have any doubt about their character or intent.

 

Training

Serious problems at MagPul

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So Travis Haley leaves MagPul… and now Chris Costa is jumping ship?
MagPul is in serious trouble now because when you have to two biggest rock stars in the industry that makes your products look cool and sets them apart from everything else, and then you don’t have those guys anymore.  What do you have?  You have a company that makes makes AR accessories… just like a whole bunch of other companies… CMMG, Mako, Tango Down… too many to list.  So what is going to set them apart now?

And what guys are going to have the balls to stand up and take Costa’s place in MagPul’s training?  I know one guy.  That’s it.  And he’s running his own company.   I know there are going to be a couple huge egos that are going to want to try to step up for this… I have two names written down that I’m not going to say.  Huge egos, decent trainers, sure.  But they are not the rock stars that Travis and Chris are and I seriously doubt they are going to be able to pull off what MagPul has done in the past.

I think MagPul is on its way out like a lot of other good companies.  Because it’s not the product that makes the company – it’s the people.  And MagPul isn’t going to find people like Travis and Chris.  They were the faces of MagPul.

Training

That Cold Steel Guy needs to Retire

34 Comments

Lynn Thompson needs to be stopped.  I don’t know if there is a Board of Directors there that can force Lynn out – but that’s just what needs to happen.  He’s wrecking Cold Steel.  When he does stuff like this, it just makes you want to kinda not ever get or carry anything else from Cold Steel.

http://blog.lynncthompson.com/2011/08/glock.html

That’s some amazingly bad stuff.  Multiple cameras and a lot of production money went into making that.  Wow.  Walking fire… Searching fire… yeah that stuff is for fighting in the jungles of Vietnam.  Not self defense in a western country.  This is just so bad that I have no words.

Training, Uncategorized

The Gun Dudes and Goatees

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I think the Gun Dudes are just awesome… But they don’t have Goatees.  It’s a well known fact that Goatees make a man shoot better.  At the MAG-40 Class, Carl was trying to grow one out.  But he started too late so he only had a Proto-Goatee.  Which wasn’t enough to help him.  We hope he continues to grow it out.  He’d had out-shot Gail if he had a full power Goat going on.

Check out the latest Gun Dudes Podcast here:
http://www.gundudes.com/Home_Page_ETY8.html
What’s awesome about this one, is that they have a great interview with Joe Chetwood, aka “Gundoc”, and the head honcho of CRUSADER WEAPONRY. These guys are having too much fun, you can hear it. Listen to this show, you wont be disappointed!

Training

MAG-40 Photos

2 Comments
Part of the class. Couldn't get them all in one photo.
Massad Ayoob doing his thing.
My qualification target, 298 out of 300.

 

Mas's lectures were always captivating.
A pair of Gun Dudes
Shaw of Japan, aka Gunfighter Cast. Fantastic shooting.
Gundoc's target. Great shooting for Crusader's Gunsmith.

 

Mas teaches the legal matters better than anyone else in the business.
Bring sack lunches... you eat during the lectures.
Upon request, I actually signed a Kindle. Yes, I'm still geeking out about that.
A Graduation I actually attended!
Training

The MAG-40 class.

10 Comments

This class was hosted by THE GUN DUDES, with special guest THE GUNFIGHTER CAST.  Meeting these guys in person was fantastic.  And of course learning from Massad Ayoob was absolutely amazing. Their links are now on the right side over there under the A List Links.  The class was held at a confidential law enforcement training range.  A beautiful range, that was a great venue for the training course.

There are a lot of great shooting schools out there.  I’ve been to a bunch of them, and all can help you be a better shooter.  But the way of the gun demands more than just being a good shooter.  Because if you are ignorant, you might win a gunfight, and then spend the rest of your life in prison.  Let me be clear about this, the MAG-40 class was the most important class I’ve ever taken.  Half of it was shooting.  Half of it was legal lectures and videos.   In the course, you will take a lot of notes.  Technology is great, and Gundoc and I used our HTC Sensation smart phones for note taking.  At the end of the course, there is a test.  I’d suggest bringing a notepad and pen, and then after the class, each nite, transfer what you wrote to your computer so you are going over everything twice at least.  The note taking is heavy and justifiably so… the info flow was heavy.  Heavy in volume and significance.  I can’t stress this enough, this was the most important class I’ve ever taken.  Also, as a bonus, when you graduate, should you be involved in a defensive shooting, Mas will serve as an expert witness should you be prosecuted. That could be worth it’s weight in gold one day.  Everyone who takes the art of the gun seriously, or carries one daily by choice or career… you need to take this class.

The shooting is straight forward Old School stuff, with some modern stuff thrown in to keep it up to date.  Mas is big on the Classics and makes sure you try it out.  Weaver, Chapman, Isosceles.  You fire 6 rounds in each course of fire… each stage.  So you are only loading 6 per mag.  You can very easily bring a Revolver to the MAG-40 class and do very well with it.  In fact, if I take another one, and I’d love to, I’ll bring a revolver. Accuracy over speed is stressed.  Over all the shooting portion was great, and I enjoyed it.  The Qualifier had me shooting a 298 out of 300.  I posted a number of class photos on my Facebook page, so if you want to see them, then by all means, check them out there.

 

 

Training, Weapons

The Glock 23 in School

14 Comments

The MAG-40 class is a subject unto its self.  And will be.  My thoughts at the moment are about the Glock 23 .40 caliber pistol that is on my hip right now, and was with me through the course.  Riding of course, in my Sharkhide rig from Adams Holsters, which was asked about all the time through the course.  Sharp looking rig, good rig, and it worked great through the class.

I will make this point as clear as I can.  The Crusader Modified Glock 23 RTF2 performed flawlessly. It shot point of aim, point of impact when I did my job right.  The gun was digesting some horrid ammunition.  I did what I had sworn that I would never do… I used steel cased ammo for the class.  500 rounds of Tulammo, 180 grains.  Let me tell you, this stuff is complete crap.  I could feel the differences in pressure from one shot to the next.  Some rounds felt like 10mm loads, others felt like they were damn near squibs. But it was cheap. 14 bucks a box, so I snagged it.  I am impressed with the Glock in that it shot all of that very well.  I had zero malfunctions of any sort.  Period.

I do believe that my groups could have been better with some better ammo, but I can’t make any excuses.  Just before the course, Gundoc gave my Glock a Trigger Job, which caused me some stumble at first – all the sudden I had a different trigger than I was used to!  But I quickly adapted to the new pull and I was well pleased with the result.  The same weight, but it was crisper and there is no over-travel.  Very nice.  Using this combination, I shot a 298 out of 300.  I’ll take that. I’ll happily take that.  I wanted 300.  I wanted it bad.  But the shots I dropped, high and left, were not the fault of the gun or the ammunition.  Those were my mistakes and I’ll own those.

I’ve taken other guns to other courses and sometimes I come away unhappy with the gun or pleased, depending on things.  I was less than satisfied with Beretta and CZ in some shoots… HK and SIG has pleased me… and now this Glock has pleased me a great deal.  I am very confident with this pistol and I am more and more impressed with it.

I think I’d like to change up the Warren Tacticals.  I like the straight 8 configuration, but I wish the front sight had a white ring around the tritium insert.  There was a couple instances where I lost the front sight post…. totally my fault, but I think some more visibility would have been a help.

Other pistols in the course I observed had some issues.  I observed a couple XD’s with light primer strikes, and one that had a trigger return spring that failed and the shooter, Gail Pepin, had to change to another weapon.  Kimber’s had some issues after the first day… one just didn’t want to run.  Others had failures to eject.  S&W M&P’s ran gun, only a couple failures to feed a couple times.  I saw no failures with any of the Glocks on the range.  Now, my Glock did give me some trouble with failing to lock back on an empty mag.  Reason being, Gundoc also gave me an extended slide release and my Ogreish thumb kept riding it.  This didn’t slow me down though and my mag changes were just fine.  It’s easy to count 6 Shots when you only load 6 rounds n the magazine every time.

The solid reputation for accuracy and reliability of Glock handguns is well earned.

If I was going to take the MAG-40 class again, I think I would bring a 4″ revolver.

 

Training

Learning from a master.

14 Comments

In the training class with Massad Ayoob, I am impressed with just what a Pioneer he has been.  He will use a phrase that he coined back in the 80’s…. And I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve heard it since by other trainers. To help his lectures, he will show old videos… No one before him was talking about this stuff… And everyone since has taken from it.  
It was Mas that did the pioneering work on what happens when one is in a stress situation…. He actually put science behind it.  I studied his book when I was a much younger and faster person, and I have heard all this since from others… But its all stuff that Mas pioneered first.   A very remarkable man. 
I’d dare say that Massad Ayoob is right up there with Jeff Cooper in Trainer Icons.