Something of interest from Rich Grassi

[tombogan03884]

http://www.thetacticalwire.com/

In recent months, I've had more call to test and evaluate firearms for various publications. This results in trying to find better ways to actually evaluate the connection between gun and user and how the gun fits the user in terms of envelope (size/mass), handling ability and user attainable accuracy.

The result is shooting for groups sizes and doing various drills to see how well controlled the new gun can be. The drills involve targets because no matter if it rates high in CDI or if it's Cool Guy Stuff - if a user can't run it fast with a great degree of accuracy, it lacks utility in the defense context.

Those protocols keep one from working doors, corners, halls and stairwells. You also lack practice in observation-avoidance-escape tactics. The range rut, while fun, doesn't help with keeping personal skills sharp - except for shooting. Shooting is a small percentage of fighting or avoiding fights.

This week for example, I'm supposed to be with friends at Gunsite. I couldn't make this pilgrimage as there were family commitments (in which I find a particular joy these days). I may not know the order of battle, but Gunsite is Disneyland for people like us, according to Mentor M. Ayoob. I'm sure they'll get to exercise some skills that have lain dormant for a while.

The picture is of "robochicken," the TRAC unit by Northern Lights Tactical (http://www.northernlightstactical.com/TRACS.html). The unit takes targets, preferably three-dimensional ones, across the range very quickly. Due to the photo size, you may not see the "knife" in the machine's cable "hand." The 3-D target is a box style target, something you can fabricate or order from Action Target (http://www.actiontarget.com/spt_pt_3d.html). Putting a cap and t-shirt on him keeps convenient aiming points away and make it more real.

If you engage our friend with deadly force, you will likely have to explain your actions just like you would on the street. Working those skills are as important as clearing stoppages.

Can't afford the shipping charges for a "robochicken" of your own? You can make the box target, small one (headbox) atop of a larger box (body). Cut a hole vertically through the two boxes so a line can run top-to-bottom. Blow up a softball size balloon and make it hang ¼ way down the inside of the body box and you have a cardiac complex. Shoot a quick drill, see if it got hit.

Or use the string and balloon approach to hold the target up. You can make it require a head strike to break the support at the top of the target, making it fall. If it does, practice your post-shooting procedure.

This is just one alternative target arrangement. Want to work some precision with speed drills? Put up a clean backer. At the center, put a 4 x 7 card. Atop that, place a 3x5 and atop that a business card. Work up and down the line, pairs as quickly as you can hit. If you can make six hits at five yards in 5 seconds 90% of the time, clean up the targets, put up fresh ones and move back to 7 yards. Once you're at 100% 90% of the time within five seconds, either move back or cut the time to 3.5 seconds.

Add the draw in there. Getting good? Place a mandatory slide-lock reload in there after round three. Cut that down to a complete run with draw and reload.

Keep shifting to different targets to sharpen different skills.