swat magazine 2004.03
DESCRIPTION
SWAT Magazine March, 2004TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 2004
EXECUTIVE PROTECTION—TEXAS-STYLE
WEAPONS, TACTICS & TRAINING FOR THE REAL WORLD
51
07
4
®
SWEEPSTAKES!SWEEPSTAKES!
FAVORITE REVOLVERS
➧ ARMALITE AR-10➧ CENTURY INTERNATIONAL G3➧ DPMS PANTHER➧ DSA FAL SA-58 CARBINE➧ SPRINGFIELD SOCOM 16
1-800-694-5263
HydraStorm™ by BlackHawk® is now the fastest grow-ing hydration company in the world. Designed by operators
for operators and built to BlackHawk’s® rigid standards, this gearcan stand up to the rugged conditions and abuse encountered in today’smilitary and LE missions. New this year is a line of packs for extreme out-door enthusiasts as well as our state of the art Gas Mask Adaptor Kit™,a totally sealed system and the only protective mask hydration system
tested and used in OC/CS/CN environments.
THE WORLD’S FINESTHYDRATION SYSTEMS!THE WORLD’S FINESTHYDRATION SYSTEMS!
I.V.S.TM BACKPREDATORTM TEMPESTTM
ON !
OFF !
StormLokTM
The Cure for the drip!
StormLokTM
This one willnot leak!
HydraStorm™ 4850 Brookside Court
Norfolk, VA 23502-2052 U.S.A.
(757) 436-3101 (757) 436-3088 FAX WWW.HYDRASTORM.COM
HARD EARTHHARD EARTH
The HydraStormTM Gas MaskAdapter Kit fits US and Nato issuegas masks. The rugged fittings are super-durable andwill interface with HydraStormTM and other systemsalready in the field!
The HydraStormTM Gas MaskAdapter Kit fits US and Nato issuegas masks. The rugged fittings are super-durable andwill interface with HydraStormTM and other systemsalready in the field!
TURBINETM
1-800-694-5263© BlackHawk Industries, Inc. 2002 HY02
Check out these features: molded InterCooler VentingSystem™ channels air over your back, keeping you cooler,StormLok™ on-off valve that totally prevents leaking, DeltaBite Valve™ that orients properly and allowsproper flow of lots of liquid.NyTaneon™ nylon backed reser-voirs with internal baffles, screw-on drink tube for easy cleaning;the list goes on and makesHydraStorm™ the only choicefor the dedicated professional.
Check out these features: molded InterCooler VentingSystem™ channels air over your back, keeping you cooler,StormLok™ on-off valve that totally prevents leaking, DeltaBite Valve™ that orients properly and allowsproper flow of lots of liquid.NyTaneon™ nylon backed reser-voirs with internal baffles, screw-on drink tube for easy cleaning;the list goes on and makesHydraStorm™ the only choicefor the dedicated professional.
www.swatmag.com
LIN
EU
P
52THE AMERICAN RIFLEMANA Dying Breed?BY STEVE LEE
56SPRINGFIELD SOCOMAnother American Classic?BY ASHLEY EMERSON
60ARMALITE AR-10A4CARBINEVersatile And PowerfulBY ROB PINCUS
64THE OLD, NEW KID ON THE BLOCKGSE-AR15 Match Carbines And RiflesBY RUSS ADLER
50WIN A
D&L SPORTSCQB CARBINE!
4 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004
44DSA’S SA58CARBINEPowerful, Compact, ReliableBY DENNY HANSEN
47DPMS .308PANTHERA .308 AR-Type RifleBY STEVE MALLOY
22THE BEST OFCLINT SMITHBY MARTY HAYES
APRIL SWEEPSTAKES!
CO
LUM
NS
DEPA
RTM
EN
TS
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 5www.swatmag.com
S.W.A.T.® (ISSN# 1062-2365) Volume 23, Number 3, April 2004. Published monthly, except February, July and November by Group One Enterprises, Inc. 5011North Ocean Blvd., Suite 5, Ocean Ridge, FL 33435. Copyright 2003 by Group One Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Nothing herein may be reproduced inwhole or in part without written permission of the publisher. Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, photographs, etc., if they are to bereturned, and Group One Enterprises, Inc. assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. All letters sent to S.W.A.T. will be treated as unconditionallyassigned for publication and copyright purposes and are subject to S.W.A.T.’s right to edit and comment editorially. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: For sub-scription customer service, call (800) 673-4595. A one-year subscription is $26.95 (9 issues). Foreign subscriptions add $15.00 U.S. funds. Back issues are $8each, postage and taxes included. (California and Ohio add applicable sales tax.) These prices represent S.W.A.T.’s standard subscription rate and should not beconfused with special subscription offers sometimes advertised. Change of address: Allow six weeks advance notice and send in both your old and new address-es. ATTN POSTMASTER: Send change of address to: S.W.A.T. Magazine, PO Box 16207, North Hollywood, CA 91615. Periodicals postage is paid at BoyntonBeach, FL and additional mailing offices. S.W.A.T. is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by Group One Enterprises, Inc. Printed in the USA.
6BRIEFING ROOMYour Civic DutyBY DENNY HANSEN
12UP CLOSE AND PERSONALTactical InnovationBY JEFF GONZALES
28STREET SMARTSThe Old Ball GameBY BRENT WHEAT
42ENEMY AT THE GATEWho Should Fight The War On Terror?BY RICHARD W. STEVENS
98TRAINING AND TACTICSGambling With TacticsBY LOUIS AWERBUCK
8MAIL ROOMLetters from Our Readers
16LAWFUL CARRYMaxpedition Thermite VersipackBY FLINT HANSEN
32LONG GUNSPros And Cons Of The AK-47BY LEROY THOMPSON
38THE SKUNK WORKSLaserblaster Marksmanship Training DeviceBY EUGENE NIELSEN
88CUTTING EDGENew Line Of Tactical Folders From M.O.D.BY EUGENE NIELSEN
90OFFBEATSmall Gauge ShotgunsBY STEVE MALLOY
93TRAINING CALENDAR
94GEAR LOCKERNew Products And Accessories
97ADVERTISERS’ INFO
72MY FAVORITEREVOLVERSBY LEROY THOMPSON
76EXECUTIVEPROTECTION—TEXAS-STYLEStrategic Weapon Academy Of Texas Executive Protection CourseBY STEVE MOSES
80CENTURYINTERNATIONAL’SG3 RIFLERobust And ReliableBY PAUL G. MARKEL
83SURVIVAL SYSTEMSTRAINING, INC.Combat Aircraft Passenger EgressBY CHRIS ADAMS
86BRENNEKE SLUGSA Hundred Years And Still Going StrongBY LOUISAWERBUCK
68STREET ANDVEHICLE TACTICSSelf-Defense SituationsAround VehiclesBY JOE TORRE
76
ON THE COVER: Louis Awerbuck, S.W.A.T. TacticalConsultant and Director of Yavapai Firearms Academy,with DSA’s FAL SA-58 Carbine.
6 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004
THE
TEAMPUBLISHER
Richard J. Lucibella
EDITORDenny Hansen
PRODUCTION DIRECTORKathleen Allard
ART DIRECTORBetty Wendt
COPY EDITORDennis Bateman
CIRCULATION DIRECTORRichard Convertito
FINANCE DIRECTORLouis J. Paffumi
LAW ENFORCEMENT CONSULTANTBrent Wheat
TACTICAL CONSULTANTLouis Awerbuck
TRAINING CONSULTANTRob Pincus
CONTRIBUTING STAFFR.K. Campbell , Ashley C. Emerson
David Fortier, Jeff GonzalesFlint Hansen, Steve Malloy
Tiger McKee, Eitan Meyr Eugene Nielsen, Patrick A. Rogers Clint Smith, Richard W. Stevens
Leroy Thompson
WEBSITE TECHNOLOGYJustin Guyett
ADVERTISING SALESphone: 800-665-SWAT
email: [email protected]
SUBSCRIPTIONS INFORMATIONR.J. Swircz
800-673-4595
SWATMAG.COM
DCeforthetraautexpforemrel
EDITORIALINFORMATIONFor editorial submissions, pressreleases or questions, contact theeditor at:3025 N. Valley View Dr., Prescott Valley, AZ 86314 or by email at:[email protected]
BRIEFING ROOMYOUR CIVIC DUTY
Although it seems to me like we just had a Presidential election, votingday will be upon us before we realize it.
Are you, your spouse and like-minded friends registered to vote? Castingyour ballot is the only way we can make sure the politicians we agree withthe most get into office. If you are registered, do you know the beliefs andvoting records of those who will appear on the ballot? Did they want to takemore taxes out of your paycheck? Did they consider the wishes of their con-stituents? Now is the time to check out their record. Take the time to do so.
To those readers who take the time to perform their civic duty and vote, Iapplaud you. To those who say their vote doesn’t matter and do not takepart in an election, please don’t bother whining if things don’t go the wayyou would like them to. Your free and secret vote is a precious right, and itis your duty to exercise it.
Those of us over the age of forty have seen many of our rights trampledon and, in some jurisdictions, completely taken away. What can you do—what will you do—in the coming year to ensure future generations will havethe same freedoms we enjoy today? Here are a few tips.
Take a young person shooting. In many schools today, students are onlytaught the negative side of gun ownership. Teach them that the shootingsports can not only be fun, but that shooting can be done safely and respon-sibly. Local 4-H Clubs, Boy Scouts and other such organizations are fre-quently short on qualified volunteers and will often welcome the help ofinterested individuals. Contact the National Rifle Association and find out ifthey need someone in your area to help out with the acclaimed Eddie Eagleprogram.
While it may be difficult to the viewpoints of a hard-core anti-gunner, youcan make a huge impact on those who are sitting on the fence. Offer to takethem with you on a trip to the range and show them why you enjoy shoot-ing. This is not the time to impress them with the recoil and muzzle blastfrom your .699 Magnum Super Blaster. An informal plinking session with a.22 rifle or pistol is the ideal tool for such an outing.
If your acquaintances enjoy their time on the range, invite them over fordinner and a viewing of Innocents Betrayed. This powerful film makes thecase for firearms ownership by showing the effects of gun control—sub-servience and frequently genocide. The film is available in both VHS andDVD formats from www.jpfo.org. At a cost of only $29.95, it may be the bestfirearms-related purchase you make all year.
Until next time, stay low and watch your back.
www.swatmag.com
ISCLAIMERrtain products represented in this magazine may be subject to prohibitions, restrictions or special licensing sale, possession or interstate transport. If this annoys you, Get Involved...support the Bill of Rights...all ofm! In the meantime, check with local and federal authorities regarding legality of purchase, possession andnsport. The information described and portrayed in this magazine is based upon personal experience of thehor, under specific conditions and circumstances. Due to time and space constraints, the entire author’serience may not be reported or otherwise verified. Nothing in these pages should be construed to substitute
a manufacturer’s manual or for professional firearms training. This magazine, its officers, agents andployees accept no responsibility for any liability, injuries or damages arising from any person’s attempt toy upon the information contained herein. Responsible shooters always seek formal training.
THE ARTICLE NAME
HOW CLOSE IS TOO CLOSE
Dear S.W.A.T.,I am looking for a copy of Sgt. Dennis
Tueller ’s article “How Close is TooClose” from the 1983 article in SurvivalWeapons and Tactics magazine. I needthe article for a citation in a paper I amwriting, so I need all the particulars(page number, volume, etc.). I wouldappreciate any help you could give me.M. Atkinson, email
That article appeared in the March 1983issue of S.W.A.T. (volume 2, Number 1) onpage 22. Unfortunately, we don’t have
copies of the magazine that far back.For those unfamiliar with Dennis Tueller,
he is generally credited for researching andestablishing the “21-foot rule” when con-fronted by an assailant with a knife.
For an update on the 21-foot rule, youmay want to take a look at the articleKNIFE ATTACK! Rethinking The Twenty-One Foot Rule By Scott Reitz that appearedin the March issue.
GUU-5/P RIFLE?Dear S.W.A.T.,
I just checked out the Novemberissue of S.W.A.T. and read the article byMr. Patrick Rogers on M4 carbine buttstocks. In one picture, a SSgt Dean, aU.S.A.F. Para-Rescue specialist, wasshown firing a GUU-5/P carbine. Yourreaders (both military and law enforce-ment) might ask, “What is a GUU-5/P?”
In 1966 Colt was producing the M16rifle. The Army used the XM-16E1 rifleand later the M16A1 rifle. As you know,Colt produced the Commando seriesweapon at this time, but in smallernumbers.
The U.S. Army & U.S. Navy procuredthe Colt Model 609 and it was designat-
ed the XM-177E1. The U.S.A.F. pro-cured the Colt Model 610 and it wasdesignated the GAU-5/A. The differ-ence was that it had no forward assist.
Later Colt improved on the designand delivered the Model 629, designat-ed by the Army as the XM-177E2. TheU.S.A.F. received the Model 630 and itbecame the GAU-5A/A. Again thismodel did not have the forward assist.
These “commandos” were usedthroughout the 70s and into the 80s.The Army pulled all of them from theinfantry units, where they ended up inthe 1st & 2nd Ranger Battalions. (3rd Bnand Regt were not activated until 1984).The Special Forces Groups ended upgetting their share too. Then the M16A2came along with its new rifling and M-855/M-856 round. Thus these remain-ing weapons were pulled from theArmy inventory. The USAF continuedto use their GAU-5/A and GAU-5A/Acommandos up until 1995 (for SOCOMunits) others under ACC, AMC,PACAF, and USAFE still have them!
Beginning in early 1990s the U.S.A.F.started replacing the barrels on theirGAU-5/A and GAU-5A/A comman-dos. They installed an M4 barrel and all
MAIL ROOM
8 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
L E U P O L D® M A R K 4®.
T H E F I R S T T O R E S P O N D
T O T H E F I R S T R E S P O N D E R S .
NEW LEUPOLD MARK 43-9X36MM MR/T M3
NEWLEUPOLD MARK 44.5-14X50MM LR/T M1
WITH ILLUMINATED RETICLE
The new Leupold® Mark 4® 3-9x36mm MR/T™ M3, mid-range tactical scope, designed atthe request of the U.S. Military for use in Afghanistan and refined with your input, is now available to all first responders. With eye relief optimized for AR-style weapons, finger-adjustable, knurled windage and elevation dials, and a bright, clear sight picture in all light conditions, it’s ideally suited for mid-range engagements.
Three new models of Leupold Mark 4 LR/T™ M1 Illuminated reticle riflescopes are alsoavailable, for extremely precise shooting at the longest distances, in the worst light conditions.The 4.5-14x50mm, 6.5-20x50mm, and 8.5-25x50mm LR/T™ M1 each give you outstandingbrightness and edge-to-edge sharpness for superior low-light capability, and finger-adjustable, knurled windage and elevation dials, which can be zeroed after sighting in.Based on your input, we’ve also illuminated theentire Leupold Mil Dot reticle from post to post, for maximum utility. First respondersknow their Leupold will perform as needed, when needed. After all, we build them like our lives are onthe line, because we know yours is.
For more information on Leupold tactical optics, call 1-800-929-4949 or visit www.leupold.com.
NEW FULLYILLUMINATED
MIL DOT RETICLE(AVAILABLE ON SELECTED MODELS)
© 2004 Leupold & Stevens, Inc.
MAIL ROOM
the models I have seen or fired had anM16A1 flash suppressor, not theM16A2/M4 version. The U.S.A.F. gavethis an “in-house” designation of GUU-5/P. This is the model shown in Mr.Rogers’ photo. The GUU-5/P is not aseparate carbine created by Colt. I haveseen some that have M16 and M16A1lower receivers.
There is a book out now titled NoneBraver about a U.S.A.F. Para-Rescueunit in Afghanistan. In there are somephotos of PJs with GAU-5/A or GAU-5A/A lower receivers that have M4upper receivers.
So a GUU-5/P is a carbine that mayhave any type of lower receiver, an M4barrel, original M16 rear sight, frontsight post and no forward assist.
I hope this clears the fog and cast outconfusion for any of your readers.C. Hazell, email
Thanks for the good info. We’re sureS.W.A.T. readers appreciate it.
OCTOBER SWEEPS WINNER
Dear S.W.A.T.,This is too awesome! I’ve wanted one
of these “bad boys” since they wereintroduced. I want to thank S.W.A.T.Magazine for choosing me as the win-ner of the Bushmaster Modular Carbineand the Insight M6. You definitely havea subscriber for life.Staton Spiller
Congratulations! The rest of the “pack-age” is now up to you: buy ammo, practiceregularly and seek further training from aqualified instructor.
STREET SURVIVALDear S.W.A.T.,
I am writing to thank you. I’ve beenreading S.W.A.T. for several years nowand truly enjoy getting every edition.As it has been stated many timesbefore, your team of professionalskeeps me and everyone else who readsyour publication safe as we go aboutour lives.
I am Canadian security officer who isresponsible for a large, diverse proper-ty. Given my position and our lack ofyour Second Amendment, I do notcarry any form of firearm on duty. For-tunately, it has never been an issue.
I truly appreciate your columns, such
as Street Smarts, as they do wonders fordissipating the “trigger-happy-yank”image, replacing it with one of profes-sionalism, clear-headed thinking andless than lethal resolutions to violentand potentially devastating situations.Your columns are both relevant andhelpful to someone who doesn’t carry afirearm.
I would like to see an article high-lighting street patrol survival. I under-stand that most of the S.W.A.T. staff areveteran police officers and trainers. Ihave found out in my (seeminglyminor) three years in the field that themore you pick up from veterans, theless skin you lose yourself.
Thank you for your dedication tosafety.Sincerely,A. Lillie, London, Ontario, Canada
Thank you for the kind words. We willcontinue to run articles on safety/sur-vival—both for peace officers and those citi-zens who do not carry a badge. One exam-ple is the article Street And VehicleTactics: Self-Defense Situations AroundVehicles found in this issue.
10 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
Model 99-1Law Enforcement Agencies world-wide areadopting the power of Barrett’s Model 99-1 forthose special tactical requirements when noth-ing less can accomplish the job. For hardenedbarricade penetration, for fire suppression during an entry, positive vehicle immobilization,or explosive ordnance disposal — nothingworks like the .50 BMG round. That’s whyBarrett’s Model 99-1 tactical rifle is now standardissue equipment for Special Weapons Teams indepartments across the nation.
If you have a scenario tonight that absolutelydemands a .50, you’d better have one in your armory today. The Barrett Model 99-1 in .50 BMG.
Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc.P.O. Box 1077, Dept S1 • Murfreesboro, TN USA 37133-1077
Phone: 615-896-2938 • Fax: 615-896-7313E-mail: [email protected] • www.barrettrifles.com
Extended optics rail mounts night vision, laser or
optical sighting systems
29-inch, fluted match grade barrel, airgauged for precision accuracy – 46.4" overall length
Two chamber muzzle brake reduces felt recoil to equal
a 12-gauge slug gun
Special Applications Scoped Rifle (SASR)
Barrett M33 Ball
82A1M M82A1 99 99-1 95
The BlackHawk® patented S.T.R.I.K.E. will accept all MOLLEcompatible pouches/pockets. The S.T.R.I.K.E. GEN-4 was a col-laborated effort between BlackHawk’s® Research andDevelopment Team and numerous Elite Special WarfareUnits. Whether you’re an Infantryman on the front line or a
SpecWar Operator deep inside enemy territory this is the only system you will need. The STRIKEGEN-4 system pouches/pockets are compatible with the SPEAR, AIRSAVE, MOLLE, FSBE, RAV, and the INTERCEPTOR.
All NEW website www.blackhawkindustries.com
BLACKHAWK INDUSTRIES, INC.4850 Brookside Court, Norfolk, VA 23502 U.S.A.(757) 436-3101 • (800)694-5263FAX (757) 436-3088 • FAX (888) 830-2013
See your dealer or call for our FREE catalog!
1-800-694-5263
S.T.R.I.KE. PRODUCTS INCLUDE:Plate Carriers • Chest Harnesses • Assault VestsWeb Gear Harnesses • Tactical Drop Leg PlatformsHydraStorm™ Hydration Pouches • Utility PouchesStrobe Pouches • Pop Flare Pouches • Frag PouchesShot Shell Pouches • Medical Pouches • MBITIR RadioPouches • Rapid Deployment System Cases • M-4/M-16/M-14/SMG/AK-47 Mag Pouches …AND MORE
S.T.R.I.KE. PRODUCTS INCLUDE:Plate Carriers • Chest Harnesses • Assault VestsWeb Gear Harnesses • Tactical Drop Leg PlatformsHydraStorm™ Hydration Pouches • Utility PouchesStrobe Pouches • Pop Flare Pouches • Frag PouchesShot Shell Pouches • Medical Pouches • MBITIR RadioPouches • Rapid Deployment System Cases • M-4/M-16/M-14/SMG/AK-47 Mag Pouches …AND MORE
All NEW website www.blackhawkindustries.com©BlackHawk Industries, Inc. ST
RIK
E01
THE ARTICLE NAME
Can we afford to become complacentand rely on our past successfuldeeds to forestall any adversity we
may face in the future? Given the currentglobal situation we have been forced torethink several major doctrines of com-bat.
As the face of future combat remainsunclear, progress towards new conceptsand theories must be developed, testedand then put into service. The downsideto this is that most organizations whichbenefit from the advances of combat, i.e.military or law enforcement, tend to alsohave difficulties encouraging freethinkers. It is a delicate balance betweenmilitary muscle and independentthought. Is it so hard to accept tacticalinnovation? Or maybe the questionshould be where would we be without it?Where would we be without the repeat-ing rifle, aircraft carriers or personal bodyarmor? All of these items were outsidethe boundaries of current thinking, butproved to be priceless in their applica-tion. While the need for growth and
change clearly exists, it must be balancedwith sound leadership and education—but it is not an excuse to abandon triedand proven techniques.
No amount of planning, drilling or theuse of standard tactics and procedurescan prepare a unit for all eventualities. Acompetent unit knows when standardprocedures are best and when innovationand ingenuity must be employed. It isdifficult to clearly define when thisoccurs. However, if the unit is a compe-tent team that knows and understandsstandard procedures well, it will quicklyknow when these procedures do notapply. Due to the uncertainty of combat ithas become necessary to think outside ofthe box and the solution rests with educa-tion. While training focuses on the perfec-tion of techniques or procedures, educa-tion focuses on mental flexibility, toanticipate and plan accordingly. Trainingteaches how to place the round peg in theround hole, but education teaches how tofit the round peg into the square hole.
For the most part, nurturing this indi-
vidual thought can be difficult. Thedemands of teamwork tend to inhibitindependent action. For most members ofthe military and law enforcement, dailylife is so hectic that finding time just to sitdown can be extremely difficult—letalone finding time for critical thought ona particular subject. However, fightingand thinking need to be complementa-ry—not adversarial.
The trick is in creating an environmentwhere the individual can be trained torecognize the unexpected. In this envi-ronment, individuals flex the musclesthey need to think their way out of theproblem. Another dilemma can manifestitself if a member develops an innovationand proposes a change. This can beviewed as challenging the accepted wis-dom. Looking deeper into this issue, thismay not be a bad thing. The innovativeconcept may have come along becausethere was a legitimate need, oftentimes itrequires a tragedy to occur before thesenew concepts can be accepted or evengiven their due share.
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
TACTICAL INNOVATIONBY JEFF GONZALES
12 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
Tactical Accessory Systems
1300 B-3 Industrial Hwy, Southampton, PA 18966
TEL: (215) 322-9227 24 hr FAX: (215) 322-9223
Email: [email protected]
Combat-Tested HandguardSystems and Accessories
for the AR15 and M16.First Samco introduces its NEW popular priced M44 handguard
system for the AR15/M16 series of rifles and carbines. The M44 isa unique FOUR SIDED Picatinny rail system that is an integral
part of the handguard that offers unlimited mounting optionsand no gunsmithing or fitting.
A complete line of accessories from First Samco including vertical grips, bi–podadapter, and flashlight mounts are available. Weaver or Picatinny accessories
will mount easily and quickly on the M44 system. Life Time Warranty.
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
To make matters more confusing, evenif the tactics or procedures are successful,new ideas tend to be frowned on—whichmakes perfect sense. Why fix it if it isn'tbroken? Of course, it worked in the past,but what guarantees will we have it willwork in the future? As the criminal andterrorist elements evolve so too must ourthinking and training. To fail to keepevaluating and changing when necessaryonly helps the bad guys do their job bet-ter. Without tactical innovation, methodsof combat become predictable and even-tually vulnerable.
The burden for keeping this concept incheck falls on the shoulders of the leadersand commanders. It is incumbent onthem to encourage freethinking whenand where appropriate. When leadershave adequate confidence in themselvesand their team to encourage subordinatesto seek out improvements and revisions,the organization benefits as a whole. Theleader will be able to identify the individ-uals who can discharge their tasks withthe utmost professionalism yet still havethe time and motivation to think con-structively about what they are doingand how they can do it better. In the end,the leader will foster the ability for the
individual to learn the time for thoughtand the time for action. It develops soundjudgment so the member can determinewhich time is appropriate for whichactivity.
I would be remiss if I did not againstress that currently effective methodsshould not be capriciously neglected orabandoned. In fact, trained responsescontribute to conformity and conformityincreases overall effectiveness, which isnecessary for any successfully coordinat-ed tactic. However, complete conformitycan stifle independent thought and thetotally dependable can become the easilypredictable. Good training will producequick and instinctive actions, but theunexpected may require more than pre-conditioned responses. The unplanned,which for some reason seems to go handin hand with combat, can rapidly erodeany positive gain in overall objectives. Itis for this reason that an environmentwhere creative thought and ingenuity onan individual level can make the differ-ence when an individual is capable ofthinking on his feet and making sounddecisions that support the overall objec-tive—even if those decisions fall outsidethe scope of the trained response. The
well trained response can be extremelyeffective and every effort should be madeto ensure the unit has developed its train-ing to its maximum potential. At thispoint, when faced with an unplannedevent that does not fit into the trainingdoctrine, the individual or individualscan feel confident making decisions thatmay not have been covered in training.
As the saying goes, "Most well laidplans rarely survive the first contact withthe enemy," but that should only empha-size the importance of conditionedresponses. After the fact, taking time toevaluate performance often is what leadsto changes in doctrine. History shows ustactical innovation has been crucial toshaping and preserving the world we livein. Our leaders and commanders are bet-ter able to tap into the motivation forimprovement and preparation withintheir subordinates. Each conflict brings tolight the effectiveness of current methods,which are reinforced to upcoming mem-bers, but at the same time they have iden-tified chinks in the armor.
It is a delicate balance between con-formity and individuality, but tacticalinnovation is critical to staying one stepahead of our adversaries. �
14 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
16 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
THE ARTICLE NAME
For the most part, I prefer to pack ahandgun and extra equipment ingear specifically designed for what
I’m carrying—and carry it concealed.There are times, however, when I
compromise and carry in “fanny pack”rigs in the open. One example is whenI’m at the local lake. Fishing whilewearing a jacket or vest in the summercan be as much of a giveaway that oneis armed as carrying in the open. Afanny pack is ideal for such occasions.
One such product that I recently hadthe opportunity to test is the ThermiteVersipack manufactured by Maxpedi-tion Hard-Use Gear. While the Ther-mite Versipack is not purpose-built tocarry a handgun it can be used for thatobjective.
The Thermite is constructed of 1000Denier ballistic nylon fabric, making itboth water and abrasion resistant, sewn
together with a high tensile strengthnylon thread.
On the exterior of the pack, the Ther-mite has a flap that secures with aquick-detach buckle. On this flap is asmall zippered pouch, which can beused to hold a small wallet, creditcards, cash etc. Integral tool scabbardson both sides of the pack can be used tohold a Leatherman-type tool, flashlight,pistol magazine, knife, etc. The pouchesare adjustable using hook and loopmaterial.
At the top of the pack is a heavy-dutyzipper that allows access to a pocket,which runs the length of the pack. Thispocket would be ideal for maps, docu-ments, plane tickets, etc. Instead of aregular zipper pull-tab, a para-cordloop is used to open this pocket.
Releasing the QD buckle reveals themain compartment and another zip-
pered pouch. The zippered pouch canbe used to hold a PDA, cell phone orsimilar sized tools.
The Thermite’s main compartmentmeasures 8 x4.75 inches. A strap at thebottom of the pouch attaches to the QDbuckle and can be pulled tight to com-press the entire main pouch if sodesired. The pocket is roomy enough tohold a short-barreled revolver or amedium-sized semi-auto. One caveat isin order here: the inside of the maincompartment has a water resistantcover made of light nylon that can beclosed over the contents with a draw-string. This may cause the hammer of arevolver or pistol to snag while beingwithdrawn. If the Thermite is used tocarry a handgun, one with a “hammer-less” design would be recommended.
While many folks won’t need it whilewalking around, a detachable thigh
LAWFUL CARRY
MAXPEDITIONTHERMITE VERSIPACK
BY FLINT HANSEN
During the evaluation, a Kimber Compactwas carried in the main compartment ofthe Thermite pack.
THE SCHOOL FOR
BODYGUARDS
ESI
24 years as a Training AcademyThinking about putting your military or
police experience to use as a professional bodyguard?
Since 1980, ESI, Executive Security International has
offered 2000 hours of peer reviewed certification
programs in Executive Protection and Protective
Intelligence & Investigation.
www.esi-lifeforce.com
Toll Free 800-874-0888
For Information
Send $15 for ESI’s 48-Page Color Catalog
ESI
2128 Railroad Avenue, Dept. SW
Rifle, Colorado 81650
www.esi-lifeforce.com
Call Toll Free 800-874-0888
write us at:ESI
2128 Railroad Avenue, Dept. SWRifle, Colorado 81650
18 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004
LAWFUL CARRY
www.swatmag.com
strap is included with the Thermite. How-ever, the really cool feature of this strap isthat it can also be attached to the waistbelt, converting the Thermite from a waist-carried pack into a shoulder-slung bag,increasing its versatility. Both the belt strapand detachable thigh strap are made fromquality nylon webbing.
Besides being used to tote a handgun,possible uses for the Thermite Versipackinclude an emergency first aid kit or asmall bug-out bag to be kept in the familycar or patrol unit. The numerous pocketsare capable of carrying some energy bars,extra ammunition, or simply extra diapersfor the little one. Its uses are limited onlyby your imagination.
During the evaluation, I carried theThermite in both waist and shoulder-slungmodes. I did not wear it with the thighstrap. Inside the main compartment Iswitched off between a Kimber Compactand a Taurus Model 450 (.45 Colt) revolver.I also used it to carry extra AR-15 maga-zines on a trip to the range. The main com-partment held four, thirty-round maga-zines with Magpuls perfectly.
The Maxpedition Thermite Versipack isa well-made piece of gear that adds flexi-bility to carrying the load. The Thermite isavailable in black, olive drab, khaki, wood-land camo and the desert camo pattern Ireceived for evaluation. Suggested retailprice is $39.99. �
SOURCE:Maxpedition Hard-Use GearDept. S.W.A.T.23206 S. Normandie Ave., Unit 2Torrance, CA 90502(310) 784-0731www.maxpedition.com
Four, 30-round magazines—complete withMagpuls—fit perfectly in the main com-partment of the Thermite Versipack.
Name
Address
City/State/Zip Phone#
Payment Enclosed Charge My: VISA MasterCard
Bill Me Discover American Express
Credit Card # Exp.
SignatureMail to: S.W.A.T. P.O. Box 16207, North Hollywood, CA 91615-9473
MONEY BACK ON UNMAILED ISSUES IF NOT SATISFIED! Foreign add $15 per year, U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank. YOUR FIRST ISSUE WILL ARRIVE IN 6
TO 8 WEEKS. Where applicable, sales tax is included in stated price. *Cover price: $4.99.BEQ00
( )
Start or extend my one year/9 issue S.W.A.T. subscription foronly $26.95 & I’ll save 40% off the newsstand price
Sign me up for two years/18 issues of S.W.A.T. for only$49.95 to save even more
Maximum savings: Sign me up for three years/27 issues ofS.W.A.T. for only $69.99
Subscribe and save 40% off thenewsstand price — only $26.95*for a full year (9 issues)! Saveeven more by subscribing for twoyears — 18 issues for $49.95*
*off the annual cover price
STILL THE SAMELOW PRICE!
MORE PAGES! ACTION!MORE
3 EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE!• SUBSCRIBE ONLINE AT SWATMAG.COM
• CALL TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-673-4595• MAIL THE POSTAGE-PAID CARD
NOW!
MORE S.W.A.T.SAME LOW SUBSCRIBER PRICE!S.W.A.T. continues to expand and upgrade without sacrificing any of the quality you'vecome to expect from the finest firearms publication on the newsstand. Subscribe nowand every action-packed issue will be deliveredto your doorstep AND you'll still save 40% offthe newsstand price. Future issues of S.W.A.T.will continue to bring its readers the finest in:
• Firearms and Accessories T&Es - no puff pieces!• Training and Tactics for Personal Defense• Armed and Unarmed Combat• Specialized Unit Exclusives• First Responder Issues• Second Amendment and Bill of Rights Issues
20 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
THE ARTICLE NAME
“Are we winning or losing theGlobal War on Terror?” askedDefense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld in an October 16, 2003 memoto his top advisors. “Are we capturing,killing or deterring and dissuadingmore terrorists every day than the[enemy is] recruiting, training anddeploying against us?”
To use think-tank language, we arewatching a monumental paradigm shift.Mr. Rumsfeld’s memo posed manyother excellent questions about strate-gy and organizational changes to meetthe challenge. These questions all arisebecause the world has never seen globalterrorism before.
TWENTIETH CENTURYWARFARE MODELS
Let’s ask a different question: whoshould fight the war on terror? Theanswer depends upon what kind ofwar it is, and how the combatantsoperate. Some key elements to considerare: (1) objectives, (2) the commandand control model, (3) tools andweapons, (4) human resources, and (5)energizing ideology.
In the World War II example, theobjectives involved acquiring territoryand exerting government power overit. On both sides, the command andcontrol model was top-down, with mil-itary personnel and conventional mili-tary weapons deployed to achievestrategic positioning. On one side theideology was aggressive (to acquire),on the other, basically defensive (todrive out and defeat the aggressors).
The World War II model did notapply well in Vietnam. The U.S.attempted to use World War II com-mand and control techniques to deployconventional war resources with a basi-cally interventionist ideology. Theopposition had both a regular militaryand a relatively independent guerrillaforce that operated with more localizedcommand and tactical objectives. Itsideology was both politically aggres-sive and emotionally defensive. For the
most part, the war was still betweentwo centralized government structures,and both sides aimed mainly to kill theother’s combatants, not innocent civil-ians.
When the hometown support for theU.S. forces waned, then the ideologyenergizing the Vietnam War evaporat-ed. The powerful military tools that theU.S. possessed were either not used, orwere the wrong types to actually stopthe Viet Cong guerrillas. Had Hanoibeen conquered, its government over-thrown and its military realigned, theneven the guerillas might have given upthe fight. But Hanoi was not con-quered—and the U.S. pulled out.
NEW CENTURY, NEWENEMY, NEW WARFAREGlobal Terrorism in the 21st Century
differs greatly from the World War IIand Vietnam examples. The terroristenemy is not a government, does nothave a military per se, and usesweapons designed to kill civilians. Theterrorist ideology is extreme; it aimsnot only to drive out Western influencefrom the Middle East but to retaliateagainst Western ideas everywhere.
It seems today that the terroristmovement is decentralized, and thatthere is no top-down command andcontrol. There appears to be no terrorist“capital” to destroy, no territory toacquire, no troops to kill or capture inlarge units. And the terrorists appear tobe routinely willing to conduct suicideattacks on purely civilian targets.
The old paradigm, of a centralizedgovernment deploying a top-downmilitary fighting machine againstanother of the same type, does notapply to the global terrorism problem.
THE LOCAL POLICE PARADIGM
There is another paradigm for fight-ing “bad guys,” however, using thepolice agencies. Police organizations,unlike the national military, are lesscentralized, top-down controlled, and
rigidly goal-directed. Police agenciesidentify criminals by receiving tips,using undercover agents and byobserving suspicious behavior.Although they receive intelligencesometimes from distant sources, policeagencies react to situations at a locallevel. Police agencies usually applylower technology weapons and thedirect application of manpower to cap-ture (not kill) specifically targeted sus-pects.
Unsurprisingly, local FBI agents—using police techniques—had learnedabout suspicious pilot-training activi-ties of some of the terrorists before theSeptember 11, 2001 attack. The policemodel works effectively to find andneutralize small targets in local areas.Typically, military units are trained to“kill people and break things” and notdesigned to operate as police.
The police model might be betterthan the military model for respondingto a decentralized enemy, by gatheringlocal intelligence and locating terrorist“cells.” In fact, the FBI and other policeagencies have been doing exactly that.
The police model is worrisome, how-ever, because if we expect the police tosolve the whole problem, then it is dif-ficult to limit police powers. In thename of fighting terrorism, police pow-ers can turn a formerly free society intoa prison. Indeed, even prisons experi-ence lots of crime and abuse of power,so the police model is not the singlebest answer.
MOBILIZE THE POTENTIAL VICTIMS
So who else might be helpful at com-bating terrorism? Perhaps the potentialvictims—the citizens—could help. The20th Century world’s solution to vio-lence problems was to disarm the vic-tims and to concentrate power intogovernment agencies. The downsideresults: some 170 million innocentskilled by the powerful governmentsthat disarmed them.
ENEMY AT THE GATE
SHOULD FIGHT THE WAR ON
TERROR?BY RICHARD W. STEVENS
WHO
continued on page 91
22 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
I've known Clint Smith for manyyears, although I had never seen himteach until recently. I was aware of his
curriculum through secondhandreports from various students, col-leagues and my own wife who hastaken several classes with him and hisstaff over the years. When I found outSmith was teaching two classes in near-by Oregon, I jumped at the opportunityto drop in and observe.
Clint Smith is, of course, one of themost recognizable names in thefirearms training world. He has been aprofessional firearms trainer for morethan thirty years, which gives him alongevity unsurpassed by most peoplein the industry. After talking with himabout his background it seems like hewas destined to make his life aroundfirearms. Both his father and brotherwere cops, exposing Clint early to theworld of the gun. A day after he gradu-ated from high school, Clint enrolled inthe Marine Corps, volunteering for theinfantry. Vietnam was going hot andheavy at the time. According to the
Corps, Clint had a gift for languages, sohe was sent to language school beforeshipping out to Southeast Asia. Therehe spent most of his time working withthe Vietnamese Popular Forces (akin toour civilian militia of the AmericanRevolution). Clint also saw his share ofcombat, although he doesn't talk aboutit much, culminating when he foundhimself on the wrong end of a 7.62 x 39projectile. As they say, been there, donethat, got the bullet hole.
After coming back to the States, heentered police work (what other choicedid he have, with his dad and brotherboth cops?) and quickly found himselfassigned as department firearmsinstructor. That was 1974, and sincethen he has been a full-time firearmsinstructor, with close to three decadesworth of experience. In 1980, after hehad taken several courses at the Ameri-can Pistol Institute (now known as theGunsite Academy), Col. Cooper offeredClint a full-time job as Operations Man-ager. He then spent the next three yearsteaching there, helping build the repu-
tation of what I consider to be the pre-mier private gun school in the world.
In 1983, Clint left API to start his owntraveling school—International Train-ing Consultants. During 1986 heworked for H&K full-time, helpingdevelop their training division that con-tinues to be one of the most successfullaw enforcement training companies.Clint started Thunder Ranch in 1993.His vast experience and consistent ded-ication make him one of the mostknowledgeable trainers in the business.So, now that we know a little moreabout Clint Smith, just what is the "Bestof Clint Smith"?
Many people who have taken Clint'sclasses feel his opening lecture, which isfull of memorable quotes, is the bestthing he does. When I attended this lec-ture, my scribbling hand was kept busy,writing down one liners such as"Wolves travel in packs," "The rifle'sprimary job is to generate violence,""Just because you shot him doesn'tmean the fight is over, it just means thatyou have had your turn," and lastly,
BY MARTY HAYES
Students step to the right while shooting—a skillstressed by Clint Smith.
above: "If it ain't rainin’, you ain't trainin’,"is one of our mottos here in the PacificNorthWet (sic). With students looking onin full rain gear, Smith demonstratesreloading the AR-15.
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 23www.swatmag.com
"People shoot you because they can seeyou, and they see you because you letthem." What I found most interestingfrom an instructor ’s standpoint wasClint's absolute command presence inthe classroom. Looking like a collegeprofessor in his wool vest (completewith buffalo head nickel buttons),safari shirt and khaki Dockers, he keptthe class spellbound for three hours ofrapid-fire lecture. In fact, I think of thegroup of twenty, I was the only one toask any questions, and these were sim-ply clarifying questions so I could getthis article correct.
I asked Clint what he believes hedoes the best. He immediatelyanswered his "urban rifle" program,which he started teaching in 1983 andhas become his most popular class. Thecrux of his program is teaching rifletechniques, and how to fight with therifle inside what most people call pistoldistances. In fact, most training acade-mies and private trainers have benefit-ed by this curriculum, and most haveborrowed components of it for their
Smith demonstratesmoving backwardswhile using AR-15,at his ThunderRanch facility.
In 2005, Thunder Ranch will move to Oregon. Over the next year anda half, Clint and his wife Heidi will be winding down their involve-ment with their very successful Texas-based operation and moving
to Southeastern Oregon, just a couple hours North of Reno, Nevada.Why close down what many consider the most successful trainingschool in the country, to downsize and move to rural Oregon?"Because I can," replies Smith.
It seems like both Clint and his shooter/instructor wife Heidi missthe day-to-day interaction with the students, which has suffered as thesuccess of Thunder Ranch has consumed more and more of their timemanaging the business affairs of the company. This will change, saysClint, as the couple plans on offering training only to small groupsand classes, while keeping the prices for the training comparable towhat Thunder Ranch now offers. Sometimes small is better, and itsounds like Clint will once again be blazing a new trail for shootingschools. �
SharpCurves
Call for a Free Catalog!(866) 852-7262
SharpAheadCurves
www.Karambit .comP
hoto
by
She
lby
Cha
n
24 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004
THE BEST OF CLINT SMITH
oCisb
Sboc
atcmowikacocioawamwa.hbaftwacp
www.swatmag.com
wn training classes—myself included.lint is quick to point out that he didn't
nvent most of what he teaches, butimply arranged it into a cohesive,uilding-block type of program.I must respectfully disagree with Mr.
mith’s self-assessment. I alreadyelieved I knew what his best was, andbserving these two classes did nothange my mind.
After decades of static range drillsnd marksmanship principles beingaught to hundreds of thousands ofops and private citizens, Clint got usoving on the range. His "getting out
f the hole" drills and concepts—theillingness to get the shooters mov-
ng—has saved at least one life that Inow of. I am referring to our owncademy where we started teaching theoncept in the mid-nineties after one ofur instructors attended one of Clint’slasses. Shortly after we started teach-ng shooting while moving in a retreatr lateral direction, one of our students, Canadian law enforcement officer,as attacked by a knife-wielding
ssailant. Paul was trapped in an apart-ent building hallway, with only back-ards movement possible. As the
ssailant closed in on him, Paul fired his40 caliber Beretta and retreated as head been taught. Finally, with Paul'sack against the end of the hall, thessailant fell at Paul's feet. Chalk one upor the good guys. Paul later told mehat what he employed on the streetas what he learned at our academy,
nd it saved him. What Paul was taughtame straight out of the Clint Smithlaybook, for which both Paul and I are
Except for the Buffalo head nickel but-tons, one might think they were watchinga college professor waxing philosophic.
THE BEST OF CLINT SMITH
Students start from holster, about three yards from target, stepback using the shuffle step method to create distance while get-ting hits, and continue to move back and shoot, ending upabout ten yards from target, with plenty of good hits.
grateful. There is no greater gratification for a firearmsinstructor than to know that something you taught saveda life. Clint should be feeling pretty good about this, as itis a rare training curriculum these days that does not havesome aspect of this type of training in it. To me, that is"The Best of Clint Smith." �
Can't get good hits while moving? Deputy Erichsen tapes hishits after a lateral movement drill—each hit a demonstrationof perfect technique.
26 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
THE ARTICLE NAME
Today we are going to discuss adelicate subject that is near anddear to all men: the family jewels,
also known as gonads, testes or TheDangling Beauties.
Why in the hell would a tactical mag-azine the stature of S.W.A.T. discuss arelatively minor organ that is onlyextant in a little less than half the popu-lation? Because in many fights, thegroin is one place that a punch, knee oroccasionally even teeth will home inlike a Tomahawk Cruise Missile tryingto find Saddam’s bedroom. Unfortu-nately, a cruise missile sometimes doesless damage than a well-placed knee tothe nuts.
This came up during a recent dinner-time bull session among a bunch ofcops. Talk turned to funny war storiesand, of course, there is nothing morehumorous to men than another man
being injured in the private region. Sit-ting back and listening to the yarns fly, Irealized how frequently the junction ofleg and torso becomes a primary targetfor assault, yet is often poorly protectedfor such a high-value location.
I think the primary reason for this issimple. While we can practice punchingother areas of the body, we can’t prac-tice striking and defending the groinwithout doing serious damage. At thevery least, there is going to be a lot ofvomiting and cursing if we try. Thus,training to protect the area is somethingwe all think about, but seldom rehearse.
Thinking back on fellow officersinjured in the line of duty, I can person-ally remember several who were nearlytaken out of a fight by a smack to “thejunk.” It goes without saying that thearea is a favorite target of women, butthere are also many men who will take
a cheap shot because it is such a simplebut devastating blow.
In one typical case, a co-worker wasspeaking to a seventy-five-year-oldman to find out why he had threateneddrugstore employees with his canewhen the senile man suddenly explod-ed, tackling the officer in a flurry ofpunches. As they went to floor, the oldman grabbed my friend’s testicles sohard that my buddy is still experienc-ing health problems four years later.
There are several strategies to consid-er when protecting the crown jewels.First and foremost is to always bladeyour body when dealing with people.This is something that should be secondnature whenever talking to anyone whomight conceivably become unfriendly.
By placing your strong-side foot tothe rear and slightly turning yourpelvis, you are not only protecting your
STREET SMARTS
THE OLD BALL GAMEBY BRENT T. WHEAT
28 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
STREET SMARTS
groin but also putting yourself in thebasic fighting stance. This position istaught in every shooting school, martialarts and law enforcement academy, buttoo many people still forget to bladeuntil it is too late. Even in this position,your groin is still accessible to a kick orpunch, but the blow will be greatlydeflected and less painful.
If you are struggling with a womanthere is nearly a one-hundred percentlikelihood that she will reflexively tryto use a knee against your most tenderpersonal region. When grappling with afemale, I always try to turn my pelvisas much away from the front as beergut and physiology will allow.
A few years ago while working nightshift I experimented with wearing acatcher ’s cup. The cup was effectiveand did deflect an errant kick early onemorning in a bar parking lot, but thediscomfort over eight hours made thewhole thing more trouble than it wasworth. There were also logistical diffi-culties after drinking a couple of softdrinks and one or two cups of coffee. Ifyou are frequently in a situation wherebad things regularly fly toward yourgroin, a protective cup is worthwhile,
but there are serious comfort sacrificesto be made. I don’t wear one now.
Think beforehand about situationswhere you are especially vulnerable.One such circumstance is while tryingto force an irate suspect into the back-seat of a police car. As you try variousmethods of hurling the recalcitrantcriminal into the car, the suspect’s feetare aimed precisely at your groin andeven an alcohol-soaked brain can takeadvantage of a target of opportunity.During the struggle, don’t forget todefend your friends downstairs.
There are various methods taught bymarital-arts instructors to recover froma shot to the twins. One technique thatseems to work is to stand on the balls(no pun intended) of the feet whilerocking gently and breathing deeply.Hunching over and jettisoning yourlunch also appears to help.
Forget embarrassment and alwaysseek medical consultation after anymoderate to serious groin hit, even ifthings seem in order afterwards. Thisbecame obvious after witnessing thetribulations of my injured friend. I’mfairly sure that some of the medicaltests he has now been forced to under-
go originated in Nazi Germany.Don’t return the favor if you are hit
in the gonads because most use-of-forcepolicies consider a shot to the groin alethal blow on par with striking some-one on the temple or throat. Unfortu-nately, based upon my indirect observa-tions, a shot to the groin won’t be lethalenough to meet your needs if you are ina true life-or-death struggle. Manyyears ago I watched a large, intoxicatedhulk of a man take a direct and vicioustesticle hit that should have immobi-lized or possibly killed him. He calmlyresponded with, “You shouldn’t havedone that,” and then the fight reallystarted.
Protecting your most prized posses-sions is something that all men learnfrom an early age, but in the heat of bat-tle we often forget. Don’t let an incom-ing knee suddenly remind you of someimportant business south of the border.While it is funny to hear about a buddytaking a shot to the groin, the reality isanything but humorous.
If you do take The Big Hit, just try toremember that your friends are cryingand slapping their knees becausethey’re concerned about you. �
30 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
32 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
THE ARTICLE NAME
iguess I started off with a built-inprejudice against the AK-47 since Ifirst encountered it while running
ambushes in Southeast Asia. If we sawthe distinctive AK upper and bananaclip silhouetted, we assumed we werefacing the VC, NVA, or Pathet Lao.That's why only special ops troops in"Indian Country" ever carried AKs.Using one in most parts of Vietnam wasan invitation to get shot since the dis-tinctive look and sound generally drewfire. And, the distinctive "click clack"sound of an AK-47 safety was guaran-teed to draw fire from any U.S. troopsclose enough to hear it. In my mind, theAK-47 was a bad guy's gun. It's interest-ing how that impression can last deep inone's psyche. More than a quarter cen-tury after I had returned to "the World" Iwas attending a performance of MissSaigon. During one sequence where theNVA characters were dancing aroundon stage, their pith helmets and AK-47ssilhouetted against the lights, I foundmyself squirming and my trigger fingerfeeling an impulse to start shooting.
Though the AK-47 still had that effecton me in the darkened theater, I havegrown to appreciate the AK over theyears. I've trained enough counterin-surgency or special operations forces inareas where the AK-47 was ubiquitousthat I've had to learn to shoot it andmaintain it. I've also worked VIP pro-tection details in areas where insur-gents were using AKs so I had to bequite familiar with its capabilities tocounter it.
Perhaps my greatest appreciation ofAKs came when I was training busi-nesspersons and government personnelwho were deploying to "troubledlands." At one point I taught an aware-ness and survival course which incorpo-rated basic techniques to counter a kid-napper or other attacker. Basically, Itaught a few simple methods to quicklyincapacitate an armed enemy, lever hisor her weapon out of their hands,instinctively find the safety/selector,and turn the gun against its owner.Though we dealt with other standard"National Liberation" weapons such as
the SKS, Czech Skorpion, CZ-52, andMakarov, we spent the most time withAK-47, and the more shooting I didwith the AK, the more I grew to appreci-ate it.
By the beginning of the 21st Century,some 70 million AK-47s had been pro-duced; obviously an enormous numberof soldiers appreciated the AK-47. Byobserving a lot of third world troopsarmed with the AK-47, as well as doinga substantial amount of shooting with itmyself, I've come to some conclusionsabout its strengths and weaknesseswhich I thought might be worth dis-cussing in this column.
The greatest strengths of the AK-47are undoubtedly its toughness and relia-bility. Designed to keep functioning inthe hands of conscript troops and "free-dom fighters" with little or no mainte-nance, the AK-47 will keep shooting inconditions that would render mostother weapons hors de combat. I haveseen captured AK-47s that obviouslyhad been dragged through all mannerof dirt or sand and had never been
LONG GUNS proscons
AK-47
—and—
of the
by leroy thompsonAuthor with Poly Tech AK-47.
X-treme POWER...125 PEAK LUMENS, 1 HOUR RUN TIME
X-treme RELIABILITY...SHOCK SUPPRESSION SYSTEM, WATER TIGHT TO 20 METERS
X-treme COMPATIBILITY... PATENTED SLIDE-LOCK™ OR RAIL-GRABBER INTERFACE
Get the Advantageinsightlights.com • 877.744.4802
Manufactured by the foremost supplier of tactical lasers and illuminators to the U.S. Special Operations Forces.
cleaned. They were filthy, but wheneverwe tested one it fired. Closer to home, Ihad a friend who bought one of the firstsemi-auto Poly Tech AK-47s importedinto the U.S.A. and shot it for years to
the tune of 12,000-15,000 rounds of cor-rosive ammunition without ever clean-ing it, yet every time he pulled the trig-ger it fired. Fortunately for those of uswho like to shoot the AK-47 a lot, rea-
sonably priced non-corrosive ammuni-tion is now available. I normally useCheetah from Zimbabwe.
Three of the AK-47's other strengthscontribute to this reliability. Thechrome-lined barrel helps the rifle standup to a steady diet of corrosive ammu-nition, and the non-adjustable gas sys-tem keeps untrained troops from mess-ing with it—a key element of soldierproofing. Additionally, AK-47 maga-zines are generally made of steel ortough polymer and are designed tostand up to as much abuse as theweapons they feed.
In simplest terms, the strongest pointof the AK-47 is that almost invariablywhen one pulls the trigger it will go off.For U.S. shooters, the ready availabilityof inexpensive ammunition in7.62x39mm is an additional advan-tage—as is the availability of inexpen-sive AK-47s which contain enough U.S.-made parts to be "post-ban" legal.
There are, however, a substantialnumber of negative aspects of the AK-47 as well. Many of these are based onergonomics. For example, many shoot-ers find the stock too short, though itmust be borne in mind that this is a rifle
The AK-47 is especially well suited to guerrilla movements. Shown here are Contrarebels fighting against the Sandinista regime.
34 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
After 93countriesand millionsof troopstested thedesign, DSArefined andimproved it!
SUPERIOR MATERIALS • PRECISION MACHINING• Chambered in .308, .243, and .260 – .300 WSM available Fall of '03• Fourteen models available with a wide variety of options including
stainless steel and DuraCoatTM solid or camo pattern finish
P.O. BOX 370 / BARRINGTON, IL 60011 / TEL: 847-277-7258www.dsarms.com / Email: [email protected] / FAX: 847-277-7259
SA58TM Predator19” barrel with Extreme Duty scope
mount and DuraCoatTM OD green finish
SA58TM
Gray Wolf21” Bull barrelwith free floathandguard,X-Series stock,Versa-Pod andDuraCoatTM
Gray Wolffinish
LONG GUNS
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 35www.swatmag.com
which has seen a great deal of use inAsia where most soldiers are muchsmaller than in the West. In fact, theexport Poly Tech and Norinco AK-47swith which we're familiar have a speciallonger stock than those used domestical-ly. I have used some of the Chinese AKswith the "Asian" stock and that one is,indeed, too short. I don't mind the oneon most I've used, however, and it doeswork well with body armor. Most realshooters prefer the fixed stock to thefolding stock on the AK-47. The underfolder, especially, is not very comfortableand after some use gets rather loose. Theside folder is better, though it is still notespecially comfortable.
One of the greatest ergonomic weak-nesses of the AK is the safety. This safetynot only has a distinctive and loudsound as it operates, but is also poorlydesigned for operation with the shootinghand. It is not particularly well located,either, for operation with the weak hand.Usually, one just lets the trigger guardrest on the hand and wipes it off withthe thumb before moving the finger tothe trigger. On the other hand, consider-ing how often the AK-47 is issued to con-script troops or marginally trained thirdworld soldiers, the fact the safety cannotbe readily flicked off for a fast shot maybe a good thing!
One other weakness is the triggerguard which does not lend itself well totrigger operation wearing heavy gloves.Considering that the Russians, Chinese,and North Koreans, all of whom mayoperate in very cold conditions, haveissued the rifle it seems odd that ahinged trigger guard was never devel-oped.
There is one very good ergonomic fea-ture—the magazine release. The AK'smag release is easily operated witheither hand, though one does have to getused to the method of loading the maga-zine into the mag well by rocking it in.
I normally do not do well with the AK-47's sights, the rear "V" not allowing veryprecise work. I think this is one reasonthe Soviets issued a lot of Dragunovs—sothat units had some long-range capabili-ty. I have had friends who could shootwell at 300 yards with the AK-47, but forme it's a 200-yard rifle. Past that, I justdon't shoot it well. I do, however, like thesight adjustment system which allowsone to zero the rifle by adjusting the frontpost for both elevation and windage.This is a system consistent with the AK'stoughness and with preventing troopsfrom tampering with it.
36 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
LONG GUNS
One of the AK-47's disadvantages isonly apparent if one uses the militaryfull auto version. The wooden hand-guards can overheat on continued fullauto fire and, reportedly, have beenknown to catch fire if enough mags arefired quickly on full auto. The averageinfantryman won't be carrying enoughmags normally for this to be an issue,however.
The AK's sling system may be anadvantage to some and a disadvantageto others. It generally allows only forstandard mounting to carry the rifleslung and does not lend itself to the useof tactical slings, though I have seensome developed for Russian Spetsnaz. Iactually like the simplicity of the AK'ssling since I often find myself befuddledby tactical slings that I can't figure out.
When I weigh these pros and cons, Igenerally come down in favor of theAK-47. I have been in situations wheremy "oppos" were armed with it, andI've been in situations where I wasarmed with it. I own three—a Poly TechLegend, a Maadi, and a Hungarianunderfolder. At least once a month Itake one of those to the range and put ahundred rounds or so through it andalways have a good time. However, Ialso generally take along my AR-15. Ishoot the AK-47 at 100 yards and 200yards, while I shoot the AR out to 500yards. Admittedly, I have an ACOG onthe M4 and open sights on the AK-47s.Still, if I had to choose one for combatI'd normally choose the AR, either my16.1-inch LE AR-15 or a real militaryM4. That is, of course, based on theassumption that I would have access tocleaning gear and an armorer. If I foundmyself heading off as an advisor to aguerrilla force when I was going to be inthe field for months without propercleaning gear or an armorer, then theAK-47 would become much moreappealing.
An interesting aspect of the M16/M4or AK-47 debate may well be playingout in Iraq as you read this. I under-stand that many of the armored unitswhich have been or are being deployedto Iraq only have two M4 carbines perfour-man crew. Since the crewmen arebeing used on ground security dutiesand need rifles or carbines for eachtrooper, plans are to issue captured AK-47s to some. I'm sure this will lead to agreat many discussions of the merits ofeach weapon based upon the experi-ences of troops familiar with both. �
38 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
THE ARTICLE NAME
Few of us can get to the range asoften as we would like to. Goodmarksmanship requires a series of
complex motor skills—skills that deteri-orate over time without practice. LaserDevices’ LaserBlaster™ marksmanshiptraining device is a convenient way tomaintain and improve your gun han-dling skills when you’re not at therange. Much as bullet holes providevisual feedback at the range, the laserdot from the LaserBlaster providesvisual feedback during dry-fire train-ing. Benefits include the ability to trainnearly anyplace, reduced ammunitioncosts, increased safety and the ability topractice realistic tactical training scenar-ios that would not be possible withlive-fire training.
The LaserBlaster is a special, patent-ed dry-fire laser transmitter that fitsinside the barrel of the firearm. The
laser is activated by the vibrationcaused by the hammer fall, or release ofthe striker on striker-fired firearms.Each time the firearm is dry-fired, thelaser will remain on for a brief secondto indicate where you hit the target andwill indicate a “tail” if sight alignmentis disturbed when you pull the trigger.
Because of its design, theLaserBlaster allows you to train withyour duty firearm and holster. No mod-ification to the firearm is required. Itworks with any revolver or semi-auto-matic pistol with a barrel length of 2.5inches or greater.
The basic LaserBlaster kit includes alaser module, battery pack and a boresleeve (caliber specified by customer).Bore sleeves are available in9mm/.38/.357, 10mm/.40 caliber, .44and .45 caliber. A Master Set (tested byauthor) is available which includes all
four bore sleeves in the LaserBlaster kit.The sleeves are constructed of plasticand will not harm the bore of thefirearm.
The LaserBlaster laser module fea-tures a Class IIIa 635nm (SPP) laserdiode. The housing is constructed ofbrass. Power output is <5mW—themaximum permitted by law. Beamdiameter is 0.58 cm at twenty-fivemeters.
The LaserBlaster is powered by a spe-cial battery pack available from LaserDevices. Four #377 watch batteries(available at most drug stores) can alsobe employed in lieu of the battery pack;however, you must wrap them beforeuse. (Scotch™ tape works fine for thispurpose.) Battery life is approximately2,000 activations.
Installation of the LaserBlaster is sim-ple and takes less than a minute. No
LASERBLASTERMARKSMANSHIP TRAINING DEVICEBY EUGENE NIELSEN
LaserBlaster installedon a SpringfieldArmory XD-40.
THE SKUNK WORKS
40 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004
THE SKUNK WORKS
disassembly of the firearm is required.You simply screw off the orange boresleeve cap, insert the battery pack intothe laser module, insert the laser moduleinto the bore sleeve, screw on the boresleeve cap, verify that the firearm isunloaded, and then insert theLaserBlaster into the barrel of thefirearm. No alignment is necessary. Onceinserted into the barrel, the LaserBlasterwill be within 0.25 inch at fifty yards. Itried the LaserBlaster with a variety ofpistols and holsters and found no prob-lems with any of them. The LaserBlasterfit and functioned perfectly.
According to the manufacturer, theLaserBlaster is visible for up to thirtymeters in daylight. Range may varydepending on the ambient lighting,reflectivity of the target and the darkadaptation of the eyes, as well as thewavelength, power output and energydensity of the aiming dot. A laser is mosteffective in low or dim light situations,such as at night, indoors or in the shade.
Although no target is needed to seethe laser dot from the LaserBlaster whenpracticing indoors, Laser Devices manu-facturers a special Accur-Aim™ Targetfor daytime laser practice. The patent-pending target features a special reflec-tive finish that provides maximum laservisibility of the laser dot.
I found that the Accur-Aim targetdoes significantly increase the visibilityof the laser dot in bright conditions.Although Laser Devices states that thetarget provides visibility of a laser pointin bright sunlight out to one hundredplus meters, my testing indicates thatthe maximum practical range for theLaserBlaster for training purposes to beapproximately twenty feet in bright sun-light when employed with the Accur-Aim target. Daytime laser viewing glass-
www.swatmag.com
The LaserBlaster Master Set includeslaser module, four bore sleeves(9mm/.38/.357 caliber, 10mm/.40 caliber,.44 caliber, and .45 caliber) two batterypacks and a soft nylon carrying case.
www.swatmag.com
Call
800-442-2406or visit
crimsontrace.com/swat1
Call
800-442-2406or visit
crimsontrace.com/swat1
The typical shooting happens suddenly, at close range, with moving targetsand bad light. With traditional sights,only about 20% of shots hit. WithLasergrips, officers are hitting atover 90%.
What's more, Lasergrips often end the need to shoot by helping de-escalate violent situations. That's why major agencies like Los Angeles County, Las Vegas Metro, Orlando PD and hundreds more have authorized Lasergrips.
Get the facts in our FREE REPORT "Lasers in Law Enforcement".
The typical shooting happens suddenly, at close range, with moving targetsand bad light. With traditional sights,only about 20% of shots hit. WithLasergrips, officers are hitting atover 90%.
What's more, Lasergrips often end the need to shoot by helping de-escalate violent situations. That's why major agencies like Los Angeles County, Las Vegas Metro, Orlando PD and hundreds more have authorized Lasergrips.
Get the facts in our FREE REPORT "Lasers in Law Enforcement".
LE Agencies: Test Lasergrips free for 60-daysLE Agencies: Test Lasergrips free for 60-days
es are also available from Laser Devices. Ihaven’t tested the glasses, so cannot com-ment on how well they work.
It should be noted that the LaserBlasterwill not work with the Beamhit® targetsystem. However, Laser Devices manu-factures a special version of theLaserBlaster for Beamhit that is designedto work with the Beamhit target system.This version, the Beamhit LT-500 InternalLaser Transmitter can be ordered directlyfrom Beamhit.
I found the LaserBlaster to be a greattool to diagnose and correct problemsduring dry-fire practice. If an observer orfirearms trainer isn’t available, a videocamera can be set up to record the train-ing session. The tape can then bereplayed to diagnose your shooting tech-nique.
Poor handgun marksmanship can gen-erally be traced to problems with triggerpress. Although this is most commonlythe result of the shooter jerking the trig-ger or flinching, even a slightly off-centerpressure on the trigger is sufficient tomove the handgun and disturb sightalignment.
If your shots impact to the left whenthe trigger is pulled (or to the right, ifyou’re a left-handed shooter) you may beflinching, jerking or applying pressure tothe side of the trigger instead of straightto the rear. Flinching is a subconsciousreflex caused by the anticipation of recoil.Jerking is caused by trying to fire thehandgun at the precise instant that thesights align with the target.
Shooters who have a problem withjerking will often tighten the large musclein the heel of the hand to keep from jerk-ing the trigger. This is known as heeling.Heeling will cause the shots to impact tothe top right of the target—around thetwo o’clock position—if firing righthanded (or the top left, if firing left hand-ed).
All of these problems can be correctedby applying the correct trigger press. Acorrectly applied trigger press won’timpart any unnecessary movement to thehandgun. The placement of the triggerfinger—with a semiautomatic pistol—should ideally contact the triggerbetween the tip of the finger and the firstjoint. This will allow you to apply a uni-form, steadily increasing pressure on thetrigger without disturbing sight align-ment. If the trigger is pressed properly,you won’t flinch, jerk, or heel as youwon’t know when the handgun will dis-charge (a “surprise” break).
Another area in which the LaserBlaster
42 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004
THE SKUNK WORKS
Carbon Fiber Technology Carbon Fiber Technology for the for the “ARAR” Design, Design,Creates a 4 lb. Center Rifle!Creates a 4 lb. Center Rifle!
www.swatmag.com
The basic LaserBlasterkit includes a boresleeve (caliber speci-fied by customer), battery pack, lasermodule, and boresleeve cap.
shines (no pun intended) is for holsterpresentation and point-shooting skills.Repetitive, frequent practice is the keyto mastery of these skills. The lasermakes this possible. Holster presenta-tion skills are often overlooked aspectsof training, especially related to con-cealed carry. Such practice is essential.The LaserBlaster makes it both safe andpractical.
Training with a laser may enhancemuscle memory at a greater rate thanwould be the case with an identicalamount of repetitive practice without alaser. According to a study conductedby a major law enforcement agency,point-shooting skills without the uti-lization of the laser showed markedimprovement after laser-assisted train-ing.
With a retail price of $209 for thebasic kit, the LaserBlaster is an afford-able an affordable and effective trainingtool that may enhance your trainingopportunities. Retail price for theAccur-Aim target is $32. Laser Devicesis an ISO 9001:2000 certified manufac-turer that has been manufacturinglasers and tactical lights for over 25years. �
SOURCE:Laser Devices, Inc.Dept. S.W.A.T.2 Harris Court, Suite A-4Monterey, CA 93940(800) 235-2162www.laserdevices.com
44 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
First developed by the Belgian firmFabrique Nationale, the FusilAutomatique Légère (Light Auto-
matic Rifle) has been called manythings. In Austria it was called the Stg.58; in Britain it was the L1A1; Canadacalled it the C1; South Africa called itthe R1; in Germany it went by themoniker G1 (Gewehr 1); in India it wasreferred to as the 1A rifle and in the U.S.it is often referred to simply as the FAL.The list goes on and on, as the FN FALwas adopted by over ninety countriesand manufactured in at least ten. Nomatter what the “official” nomenclaturemay be or in what language, one wordis used universally when describing it—reliable.
The FN FAL was never adopted bythe United States—possibly because ofthe not-invented-here syndrome. Brandnew rifles are, however, available forsale in the U.S., manufactured by DSA.
Like all FAL-type rifles, the SA58 is asemiautomatic rifle, which features afully adjustable gas system and is cham-bered for the battle-proven .308 Win-chester (7.62 NATO) cartridge. While it
is considered by many to be the mostergonomical, full power, battle rifle evermade, it is a bit long in standard trimfor some people. DSA has responded tothis by introducing a carbine-sized ver-sion with a 16.25-inch barrel and inte-gral muzzle brake. Known as the SA58Carbine, I recently received one for eval-uation.
DSA offers the rifles with many finishoptions including standard black, blackwith OD stocks and handguards, andnumerous camouflage patterns finishedin DuraCoat. The test rifle came in atiger stripe pattern. The rifle came com-plete with a sling, operator’s manual,front sight adjustment tool and gas reg-ulator wrench, an Extreme Duty scopemount/top cover and a twenty-roundmagazine. As a side note here, DSArifles utilize “metric” pattern maga-zines, which are in plentiful supply andmore economical than the “inch” pat-tern magazines.
The front sight is a post protected bywings and is adjustable for elevation.The rear sight is an aperture adjustablefor elevation and windage.
Sniper rifles excluded, as a rule I gen-erally don’t prefer optics on a tacticalrifle. The exception are ACOG/reflex-type optics on AR rifles—and then onlyif the rifle has backup iron sights. Myreasoning is that since Murphy is aliveand well something terrible will happento glass just when I need it the most—and I know for a fact that I will not havethe proper size Allen wrench to removea scope in the field. If a scope is mount-ed and back-up iron sights are notimmediately usable, quick detach ringsare the only way to go.
If I chose to use a scope on an FAL,one mount which I might considerwould be the mount/top cover offeredby TAPCO used in conjunction withWarne quick detach steel rings. Thismount fits both metric and inch patternguns, sits very low, has a built in tunnelto allow use of iron sights when a scopeis not installed, and has a built in strip-per clip guide to allow top loadingwhen used without optics. I tried usingthe TAPCO mount/cover so I couldreport on it here, but it sat too low toallow testing with the Tasco scope, with
BY DENNY HANSEN
below: The SA58 Carbine shownwith the supplied Extreme Dutymount, Warne Maxima Series30mm QD rings and a TascoSuper Sniper 10X42 scope.
A muzzle brake isattached to the16.25-inch barrel.
This photo shows the elevation-adjustable front sight and gas regulator.
DSA’S
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 45www.swatmag.com
the ocular end of the scope hitting therear fixed sight. The TAPCO mountwould require a shorter scope or one ofsmaller diameter to work.
Although the majority of my testingwith the SA58 Carbine was performedwith iron sights, I did use the suppliedExtreme Duty mount, Warne MaximaSeries, 30mm QD rings and a TascoSuper Sniper 10X42 scope with mil-dotreticle sent to me from SWFA (Rifle-Scopes.com) to see how good I couldshoot the SA58 with glass. After mount-ing the Tasco scope, I obtained a roughzero using a Bushnell Professional BoreSighter.
Before getting down to serious Shoot-ing, I broke in the new barrel accordingto DSA’s recommendations.
For the first ten shots, using a goodcopper cleaner (I used Shooter’s Choice)clean the barrel after each shot. For thenext ten shots, clean the barrel afterevery two rounds until all ten have beenshot. This is done to ensure the barrel isproperly burnished and the pores creat-ed during the normal manufacturingprocess have been closed.
The only quality ammunition I hadon hand at the time of the test was BlackHills’ 168-gr. hollowpoint Match. Thisload has proven to be a superior per-former in other .308 rifles I have fired.All testing was performed using fieldpositions rather than firing from abench.
Accuracy from the DSA SA58 wasdisappointing. The worst ten-roundgroup during the break-in period meas-ured just under four inches, with onecalled flyer about four inches out of thegroup. After the recommended barrelbreak-in, my best ten-round groupusing the scope measured just over twoand one-half inches fired from prone.Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t stand infront of it and in all fairness the FALisn’t a precision sniper rifle—I was justhoping for better accuracy with a ten-power scope.
With the scope removed and firingfrom prone and sitting, groups ofaround six to eight inches were com-mon at one hundred. I believe this couldbe improved with a more visible frontsight. The issue front sight, for me at
least, is too small to be seen well. As therifle heated up, groups tended to stringvertically.
Accuracy, however, is relative anddepends more on the man running thegun than the firearm itself. Although Ican do pretty well with some firearms,every one I own is probably capable ofbetter accuracy than I am.
Above all else, however, a battle riflemust be reliable and as mentioned inthe beginning of this article the FAL isfamous for being just that.
In two days I fired three hundredrounds through the rifle. The first daythe weather was very pleasant, withtemperatures hovering close to seventydegrees with not a cloud to be seen. Thevery next day it was snowing, the windwas howling and the mercury wasstanding at thirty degrees (you just haveto love Arizona weather). This gave methe chance to test the SA58 underextreme conditions. Not a single mal-function—except for one which wasoperator induced—was experienced. Asexpected, the rifle ran with the gas regu-lator closed down, but it also ran with-
CARBINEP O W E R F U LC O M P A C TR E L I A B L E
left: All fire control devices are well locatedon FAL-type rifles including the magazinerelease… right: ...and the safety.
The bolt release. The aperture rear sight is adjustablefor windage and elevation.
DSA’S SA58 CARBINE
out a hitch with the regulator almostfully open—and this with cartridges socold that one’s tongue would have stuckto them (no, I didn’t try it).
The DSA SA58 is a robust, reliable,battle-proven design. It’s reasonablypriced, made in the USA, and accurateenough to fulfill its role. ‘Nuff said. �
SOURCES:DSA, Inc.Dept. S.W.A.T.P.O. Box 370Barrington, IL 60011(847) 277-7258www.dsarms.com
Black Hills AmmunitionDept. S.W.A.T.P.O. Box 3090Rapid City, SD 57709-3090(605) 348-5150www.black-hills.com
SWFA/RifleScopes.comDept. S.W.A.T.420 Century Way, Suite 100Red Oak, TX 75154(972) 627-7056
TAPCO, Inc.Dept. S.W.A.T.P.O. Box 2408Kennesaw, GA 30156-2048(770) 425-1280www.tapco.com
WARNE Manufacturing CompanyDept. S.W.A.T.9057 SE Jannsen RoadClackamas, OR 97015(503) 657-5590www.warnescopemounts.com
SPECIFICATIONS, SA58 CARBINEModel SA58CCaliber .308 Winchester (7.62 NATO)Type Gas operated semiautomatic, adjustableOverall Length 37.5 inchesWeight (unloaded) 8.35 poundsUpper Receiver 4140 high grade steelLower Receiver Lightweight aluminumBarrel Chrome moly 16.25-inch with integral muzzle brakeSight Radius 22 inchesFront Sight Elevation adjustable postRear Sight Windage adjustable peepFeed Device Detachable 10 or 20-round box magazineStock and Handguard SyntheticFinish Black; OD and black;
numerous DuraCoat camo finishes available.Accessories Included Hard gun case, sling, operator’s manualSuggested Retail $1,395.00 (basic carbine)
46 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 47www.swatmag.com
Big-bore AR type rifles have beenaround for several years and thenumber of manufacturers can be
counted on one hand with fingers leftover. Unlike the AR systems in .223,two main afflictions have plagued theseweapons from the beginning—inconsis-tent accuracy and unreliability. KnightManufacturing and ArmaLite Inc. havedevoted years to refining this product,but high cost has prevented widespreadpopularity.
DPMS, a major manufacturer of ARsin .223, has been kicking around theidea of entering the big-bore market forsome time with their own version of the.308. However, demand for .223 rifleshad kept the .308 on the back burneruntil now. Newly added productioncapability at DPMS has finally openedthe door for production of the newestmember of their line, the Panther .308Long Range Rifle. Randy Luth, Presi-dent of DPMS, told me it has been hard
work and a long time in coming butthey now are pleased to finally unveiltheir entry into the AR big-bore market.They feel confident that customers willbe very pleased with the quality, work-manship, performance and best of all,the affordable value of the new .308Panther. DPMS is the first to offer sucha rifle in this price range. The word“Match” is not mentioned in the name,as this is considered a standard config-uration but it should shoot pretty well.
BY STEVE MALLOY
A .308 AR-TYPE RIFLE
DPMS’s new Panther .308Long Range Rifle in actionwith author. Shown withShadow Leaf camo byMossy Oak, Leupold 6.5-20X50 optic, and Camelbakhydration pack.
48 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
THE ARTICLE NAME
OK, that is my job at S.W.A.T.—to seewhat it can do!
Specifications for DPMS’s new Pan-ther .308 Long Range Rifle begin with alower milled from a solid bar of aircraft
alloy. Uppers are heavy walled, extrud-ed flattops with push-type pivot pinassemblies. Barrels are 24-inch, 416stainless steel bulls, with a 1:10 twistrate, a muzzle diameter of .920 and
recessed, target-cut crowns. Internalparts, with the exception of the bolt andcarrier assembly, use standard ARparts. Therefore, modifications such asa match trigger replacement are simple.Furniture for the Panther includes aribbed free-float handguard and A-2style buttstock. Overall length is 44.5inches and it weighs about 10.5 pounds.Two, ten-round polymer mags madeespecially for the Panther come withthe rifle along with a sling and a clean-ing kit that fits in the buttstock. Itcomes with a standard trigger assemblyor can be had with the excellent J.P.Trigger option. Out-of-the-box triggerpull on this rifle averaged 8 lbs. 12ounces as measured by my Lyman elec-tronic trigger pull gauge.
Testing for DPMS’s Panther .308included my standard accuracy andeffective range drills for rifles of thistype. The accuracy stage consisted ofmultiple ten-shot groups fired at 100yards with each load using a Coyote-Jakes portable shooting bench andShoot’n Buddy rest. Groups were meas-ured center-to-center and averaged foroverall performance. Best performingloads from the accuracy stage move onto the 200-500 yard Tactical and Effec-tive range tests. At 200 yards, this stageof testing starts with a three-shot groupto the body and one shot to the head ofa Speedwell IPSC target. If therifle/ammo combo can hold kill zoneaccuracy and head shot capability, thetest is repeated in hundred yard incre-ments out to 500 yards. As accuracyrequirements of each stage become
DPMS PANTHER LONG RANGE RIFLE100-Yard Accuracy Average, Ten- Shot Groups
AMMO BULLET VELOCITY AVG. GROUPBlack Hills 150-gr. BT 2,939 fps 1.64 inchesBlack Hills 165-gr. BT 2,747 fps 1.77 inchesBlack Hills 168-gr. XB 2,770 fps 1.81 inchesBlack Hills 168-gr. Match HP 2,617 fps 2.20 inchesBlack Hills 175-gr. Match HP 2,590 fps 1.97 inchesCor-Bon 125-gr. HP 3,026 fps 1.11 inchesCor-Bon 168-gr. Match HP 2,754 fps 1.18 inchesFederal 155-gr. Match HP 2,776 fps 1.30 inchesFederal 168-gr. Match HP 2,660 fps 0.89 inchesFederal 175-gr. Match HP 2,644 fps 1.25 inchesHornady 110-gr. TAP 3,119 fps 0.98 inchesHornady 155-gr. TAP Match 2,732 fps 1.36 inchesHornady 168-gr. TAP AMAX 2,717 fps 1.97 inchesLapua 167-gr. Match 2,711 fps 1.64 inchesPMC 168-gr. Match FMJ 2,686 fps 1.38 inchesPMC 168-gr. Match HP 2,642 fps 1.00 inchesWinchester 168-gr. Match HP 2,783 fps 1.47 inches
TACTICAL & EFFECTIVE RANGE TEST200-500 Yards
AMMO 200 yards 300 yards. 400 yards. 500 yardsFederal 168M 0.58 in. 3.46 in. 3.06 in. 2.478 in.
The Panther with the seventeencommercial loads tested in the .308AR-type rifle.
DPMS .308 PANTHER
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 49www.swatmag.com
more challenging, each rifle/ammo combi-nation eventually will fail a stage. Thatdefines the Tactical and Effective rangelimit for that rifle/ammo combination.Additional tactical and long-range scenar-ios were shot on steel rifle targets made byMike Gibson of MGM targets.
All loads were chronographed using anOehler Model 35P with screens set ten feet
from muzzle. For testing, the rifle was setup using a 30mm Leupold 6.5-20X50mmlong-range target optic mounted with highrings by Precision Reflex. Ammo includedfourteen different match loads from 155 to175 grains and four secondary loads suit-able for law enforcement work from 110 to165 grains. These loads included Hornady’s110-gr. TAP, Cor-Bon’s 125-gr. HP, and thenewly introduced 150 and 165-grain Noslerboat-tails from Black Hills Ammo. Theyprovided a well-rounded database of over-all performance for the 1:10 twist barrel. Asalways, this rifle was not babied or cleanedduring testing. Performance here should beconsidered worst case.
Accuracy from this Panther .308 wasreally impressive considering the god-awful heavy trigger pull it had. I was goingto replace the trigger but decided to staywith out-of-the-box performance. The over-
all average of ten-shot groups from onehundred yards using the seventeen differ-ent loads was 1.49 inches. The top fiveloads averaged ten-shot groups of just 1.03inches. Top load for accuracy in this Pan-ther .308 was Federal’s 168-gr. Match pro-ducing outstanding averages for anautoloader (or bolt-gun) of .89 inches.These were followed by Hornady’s 110-gr.TAP load at .98, PMC’s 168-gr. Match at1.00, Cor-Bon’s 125-gr. HP at 1.11, and Cor-Bon’s 168-gr. Match at 1.18 inches. It wasvery interesting that the 1:10 twist barrelwould shoot the 110 and 125-gr. loads sowell!
Velocities from this 24-inch autoloaderwere on par with most bolt guns, providingan overall average of 2,758 feet-per second(fps) for the seventeen loads tested. Topvelocity honors from this Panther .308 wentto Hornady’s 110-gr. TAP load averaging3,119 fps with Cor-Bon’s 125-gr. HP righton its heels at 3,026 fps. Winchester’s 168-gr. Match, now using a Nosler bullet, wasthe top performer in this bullet range at2,783 fps. Black Hill’s new 168-gr. Barnes X-Bullet load at 2,770 was number two.
Due to continued heavy rains and badweather during this test period for the Pan-ther .308, with ranges flooded and nasty,Tactical and Effective range testing waslimited to the top accuracy load of Federal168-gr. Match. From the performanceresults turned in by this rifle/ammo combi-nation, I doubt if any of the others wouldhave come close anyway, but I would haveliked to have seen some averages. Averageoverall 200-500 yard groups measured 2.39inches with easy headshot capability whenI was lucky enough to judge gusting windsproperly. Additional informal testing usingMGM’s steel IPSC rifle targets proved thisDPMS Panther .308 capable of taking out1/2 man-sized targets out to 500 yards andbeyond with any of the top five loads.
After reviewing the test data results fromthis DPMS Panther .308 Long Range Rifle,all I can say is, “move over boys, there is anew contender in town!” Accuracy wasoutstanding and as good as or better thanany other big-bore AR type rifle I haveshot. I wonder now what results wouldhave been with the lighter JP match trigger.Function and reliability were 100% and lotsof rounds were sent down range in thisbaby despite bad weather conditions.
I have to take my hat off to Randy Luthand DPMS. They have come up with a realwinner at a cost considerably less($1,149.00) than the competition. If youhave been looking at AR-type .308 riflesand thought they were out of your pricerange, checkout the Panther .308 today! �
SOURCES:
D.P.M.S., Inc.Dept. S.W.A.T.13983 Industry Ave.Becker, MN 55308(763) 261-5600www.dpmsinc.com
Brigade QuartermastersDept. S.W.A.T.1025 Cobb International Blvd.Kennesaw, GA 30152-4300(800) 243-8274www.actiongear.com
Coyote Jakes, Inc.Dept. S.W.A.T.1305 ElmHays, KS 67601(785) 650-4770www.coyotejakes.com
Eagle Industries Unlimited, Inc.Dept. S.W.A.T.400 Biltmore Drive, Suite 530Fenton, MO 63026(314) 343-7547www.eagleindustries.com
Leupold & Stevens, Inc.Dept. S.W.A.T.P.O. Box 688Beaverton, OR 97075-0688(503) 646-9171www.leupold.com
Mountain Plains TargetsDept. S.W.A.T.244 Glass Hollow RoadAfton, VA 22920(800) 687-3000
Harris Engineering, Inc.Dept. S.W.A.T.Barlow, KY. 42024502-334-3633(800) 338-4327
MGM TargetsDept. S.W.A.T.17891 Karcher Rd.Caldwell, ID 83607(888) 767-7371www.mgmtargets.com
Speedwell TargetsDept. S.W.A.T.136A Lincoln Blvd.Middlesex, NJ 09946(732) 560-7171www.speedwelltargets.com
Steel IPSC PrecisionRifle Target by MGMTargets offersprecision and long-range work in one.
RULES: Contest is open to individuals who are residents of the United States of America and its territories. Limit 1entry per household. Agents and employees of Group One Enterprises and their families are not eligible. All state andlocal firearms regulations apply. If contestant is unable to take lawful possession through a local registered firearmsdealer, an alternate winner will be chosen. Winner shall be responsible to comply with all tax and firearms laws andregulations. Contest void where prohibited by law. All entries must be postmarked no later than midnight, April 23,2004. Drawing will be held at the S.W.A.T. corporate offices on April 30, 2004. No purchase necessary to enter.
APRILSWEEPSTAKES
POSTCARD INFOMUST CONTAIN:• your name, address,
zip code, state• phone number• email address • name, address and
phone number of FFLfor prize delivery
TO ENTER:Send a postcard(no envelopes) to:
S.W.A.T. MagazineApril Sweepstakes5011 North Ocean Blvd. Ste. 5Ocean Ridge, FL 33435
Dave Lauck has been designing carbineaccessories for over thirty years and hasput his vast experience and knowledge
into the design of this rifle.Built on a Colt HBAR receiver, the medium-
weight, sixteen-inch .223 caliber carbinefeatures the latest developments in stock,handguard and sights. This purpose-builtcombat rifle is built for versatility and
performance. The solid stock provides acomfortable, consistent cheek weld and also
provides two storage compartments for acleaning rod and complete spare bolt assembly,batteries or other items that might be crucial tothe user in the field. The free-floated handguardis built for durability, is mechanically connectedto the receiver and can be fitted with Picatinnyrails for the mounting of a variety of accessories.
The prize rifle will be fitted with a D&L SportsCQB Rear Site mounted at the forward edge ofthe A-3 flattop and is matched to a blade frontsight. The system was designed by Dave Lauckto survive the rigors of police and military use aswell as serious competition shooting. A largeselection of optics can be mounted behind orabove the iron sight, providing a variety ofoptions to the shooter and promising a reliableback-up in case of primary optic failure.
Also included in the prize package is a Spec-Ops Brand™ chest pouch designed by D&LSports to hold eight magazines firmly withouttop covers. It has an adjustable X Harness inback with D rings to attach a hydration systemor additional pouch. There is also an open pouchto the rear of the cells for spent magazines orother gear.
ONE LUCKY WINNER TAKES IT ALL!
PACKAGE VALUE OVER $2,750
D&L SportsDept. S.W.A.T.
P.O. Box 651Gillette, WY 82717-0651
(307) 686-4008www.dlsports.com
Spec-Ops Brand1601 W. 15th Street
Monahans, TX 79756toll free: 866-SPEC-OPS
THE ARTICLE NAME
There are a lot of people who canshoot, and shoot well. But the skillsof the real rifleman seem to be fad-
ing quickly into the mists of time.After conversing with some real rifle-
men (and many who merely own rifles),I am convinced riflemen are uncommontoday. Thus, it may be well to discusssuch skills, those practices and abilitieswhich seem to exist only in dusty, pre-WWII books. This article will deal chieflywith the bolt-action rifle, although own-ers of other action types may derive ben-efit from the principles contained herein.
THE OLD TIMERSIf, according to my premise, riflemen
are uncommon and their skills almostforgotten, then what did the old-timersknow? Thanks to modern reprints, inter-library loans at local libraries and privatecollections, we can obtain and read com-plete books by riflemen such asTownsend Whelen, Elmer Keith, Capt.Edward Crossman, John “Pondoro” Tay-lor, Warren Page and Jack O’Connor.
There are many others, but the works
of Whelen and Crossman are myfavorites—the titans of riflery. All ofthese men, however, taught lessonsabout riflery which the average riflemanof today has never heard.
The remainder of this article will out-line many, but not all, points made intheir works, including some fine pointsnot found anywhere else, all emphasizedby salient quotes from the grand oldriflemen themselves.
SIGHTS AND SIGHTING INMost of the old-timers address sight-
ing systems and that the riflemanabsolutely has to be familiar with howhis system, aperture or telescope worksso he doesn’t take all day to get the jobdone. “With readily adjustable sights ...the trained shot can sight in his rifle inabout six or seven shots.” - Lt. Col.Townsend Whelen, 1927, WildernessHunting and Wildcraft.
Notice in the following quote who is todo this job: “The only way in which asportsman may have his rifle sighted infor any given range for his own use is to
do it for himself.” - Capt. Crossman,1932, Military and Sporting Rifle Shooting.
BOLT OPERATIONThis topic is something I have rarely
seen mentioned, because it is assumedeveryone knows proper bolt-action tech-nique. When it is mentioned, we aremerely warned to avoid short-stroking around. I’ll let Capt. Crossman addressthis topic.
“The ability to swing the bolt handleof the military type of rifle smoothly,quickly and easily is one of the chiefpoints of difference between the tyro oreven the slow fire target shot, and thereal rifleman. The beginner should studyby slow operation of the bolt the easiestway to effect this turning motion andupward bolt lever thrust with the mini-mum motion of the right hand and arm.Experience has shown that it may beaided to a marked extent by rolling therifle toward the bolt lever, resisting thetendency to roll the rifle to the left alongits axis and aiding the right hand in itswork. Therefore, in operating the bolt
THE
BY STEVE LEE • PHOTOS BY MARK SWANSON
Proper use of the sling provides a much more stable
shooting platform and markedly better accuracy.
from the shoulder in the offhand posi-tion, as the upward thrust is put on theknob, roll the rifle to the right with theleft hand. It results in shortening theapparent motion of the right hand, and itmoves the path of the bolt to the right,missing the face and obviating having toduck the backward travel of the bolt. Thefirst thing for the tyro to learn is that cor-rect and fast operation of a turn-bolt riflein rapid fire is not ‘one, two, three, four,’as the beginner operates the bolt, one,upturn; two, pull back; three, shove for-ward; four, turn down handle. With thewrist playing its correct part in the mat-ter the motion is a one-two count, not aone, two, three, four...”
FIELD POSITIONSShooting from a bench rest is not a
field position. You probably knew that,but there is always some happy fellowwho doesn’t. That’s why such a personalways practices solely from a bench atone hundred yards, and only for groupsize. In the field, he almost always shootsfrom the weakest and least stable of field
positions—offhand (standing). The otherfield positions are kneeling, sitting andprone, and variations of each. Fortunate-ly, most books on shooting still offerinstruction on this topic. “It has been myobservation over many years that theman who makes the most noise aboutalways shooting ‘offhand like a man’ isthe party who knows nothing about theother positions and how to assumethem.” - Capt. Edward C. Crossman,1932, Military and Sporting Rifle Shooting.
The field positions exist to allow therifleman to work from as stable a posi-tion as possible under most conditions.The quicker the rifleman can assume agiven field position, with confidence, themore success he will have. Capt. Cross-man put shooting positions into perspec-tive when he said: “Consistent practicewill make offhand under favorable con-ditions—which means with little or nowind, and no disturbing conditions—fairly effective but under the best of con-ditions the groups made offhand will runthree times the size of those made pronein the case of an expert and in the case of
A Dying Breed?
Good bolt-action technique prevents banging the proboscis withthe rearward travel of the bolt from a “too short” stock. Simplyroll the rifle to the right as the bolt is lifted, run the bolt, then tiltrifle back into upright position as bolt is pushed down.
from top to bottom: Familiarization with all controls is impor-tant to fully know the weapon. Picturedhere are the aperture sight, safety andbolt cutoff in the “on” position.
Thorough knowledge of the sighting sys-tem allows sighting-in with just a fewshots.
Ancillary equipment such as sight hoods,butt traps, trigger adjustments, etc., isvaluable for developing confidence in aweapon.
Clean is more than a bore. Don’t forgetthe chamber, as shown here, the maga-zine well, receiver and the inside andoutside of the bolt itself.
54 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
THE AMERICAN RIFLEMAN
the tyro ten times as large.”Want to shoot ten times better? Learn
how and when to use all field positions.
CONTROLSWhatever the controls on your rifle,
whether they are a bolt cutoff, boltrelease, safety, box or detachable maga-zine, floor plate, forward assist, sights,etc., know how to use them. “A big gamehunter should have that confidence withhis rifle which only comes with perfectfamiliarity with it. Only thus will he beable to use it to effect, especially inmoments of excitement.” - Lt. Col.Townsend Whelen, 1927, WildernessHunting and Wildcraft.
John “Pondoro” Taylor, the greatBritish hunter, tells several stories ofhunters getting injured or killed by dan-gerous game because they didn’t knowhow to operate their safeties properly.
ACCURACYOnce an accurate load is found, this
portion of the debate revolves aroundplacement of the shot on demand. Otheraspects include calling the shot, calibrat-ing the rifle to varying distances, using arange card and binoculars.
Standards of accuracy may differ
according to specificshooting requirementsaccording to varioustexts. O’Connor wrotethat two-inch groupswere good huntingaccuracy. Military man-uals from the beginningof the 20th century stat-ed three-inch groupswere sufficient. Othershave written, to this day,hitting an eight-inchplate on demand fromvarious field positions,at unknown distances,under time pressuredefined the rifleman.
“But those old guyscouldn’t do any better,”you squeal. Au con-traire. Lest you thinkthey didn’t have theequipment or ability todo better, history recordssub-MOA groups at sev-eral hundred yards—even with black powderloads. Riflemen as farback as the Civil Warwere known for greatfeats of marksmanship.
DISTANCE SHOOTINGThis depends on your ability and your
equipment. If you can shoot into twoinches at 500 yards (several of my friendscan), you may benefit from a precisionrifle. If you can only shoot well to 100yards, you don’t need a 500-yard rig, andnearly any style of rifle will do. But mostpeople in reasonably good health can dowonderful rifle work if they only takethe time.
Elmer Keith made a great comment onthis topic in his 1930s classic Big GameRifles and Cartridges. He was talkingabout the .400 Whelen cartridge, whichpushed a 40-caliber, 300-grain pill at thesatisfactory speed of 2500 feet-per-sec-ond. He said: “At such a velocity it is nothard to hit any game up to 400 yards, ifyou know your rifle as you should.”
THE FORGOTTEN SLINGThe military-style sling, when proper-
ly employed, steadies the rifle a greatdeal and allows for very accurate shoot-ing. This is not the non-adjustable carry-ing strap which masquerades as a slingon most rifles.
Crossman pokes light fun at shooterswho have no facility with the sling. “The
tyro is apt to look at the sling as just oneadded pain in rifle shooting and it proba-bly is until he learns how to use it.” Headded, “No man who pretends to be arifleman of any variety, game, target ormilitary, can afford to be ignorant of theuse of the sling ... Outside the kindly aidof Mother Earth, the sling is the bestfriend of the rifle shooter, and it bearsmuch study and practice.” - Crossman,Military and Sporting Rifle Shooting.
“Adjust a sling - and carry it that way -so that it is right not only for carrying butalso for shooting from sitting, which inopen-country and mountain hunting isthe most generally used position.” - JackO’Connor, Complete Book of Shooting.
The old-timers all agreed on severalpropositions regarding the use of thesling: 1) Use it for all positions except off-hand; 2) the arm loop must be properlyadjusted and placed well up on the sup-port arm; 3) the well-adjusted sling mustbe tight on the support arm. Crossman’sbook gives many excellent pages ofinstruction on the use of the sling, whichalone makes it worth buying.
PROPER CLEANINGOne fellow asked me to take his rifle
or shotgun to a gunsmith because itwouldn’t feed or cycle. The gunsmithlaughed and asked me if it was clean. Anelectric drill and a bore brush in thechamber cured the problem.
Another friend wanted to show me thechamber and his pre-whatever claw boltface. He did everything but stand on itand yank the bolt with both hands to getit open. I can only imagine what theaction and the inside of the bolt lookedlike—and this may be a clue as to whythe thing went off when he closed thebolt on a recent hunting trip.
Every one of the old-timers wasadamant on the topic of cleaning. Con-sider these things they had to say:
“In cleaning a gun, the owner shouldtake care to see that the chambers areclean.” - Warren Page, The Accurate Rifle.Not just the barrel, but the chamber,action and bolt. Cleaning the bore makesthe bullet go. Cleaning the rest of theparts makes the rifle go.
“Most people over-oil their guns ... Ihave seen many old guns with the woodspongy and rotted from excess oil.” -Jack O’Connor, The Complete Shooter.
John “Pondoro” Taylor told in AfricanRifles and Cartridges, 1948, about a manwho “cleaned” his rifle then oiled it withhippo fat, which solidified and prevent-ed his firing pin from working during an
The military sling, left, is much different than the carryingstrap. Know the difference.
THE ARTICLE NAME
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 55
www.swatmag.comengagement with a charging lion.“All too many hunters in Africa arecontent to just hand their rifles overto their servants to clean. That’s nogood; you must clean it yourself,” hesaid.
The mechanics of cleaning may befound from other sources. The pointmade here, as with all rifleman’sskills, is to do it personally and do itwell. Use a proper lubricant designedfor rifles—not WD-40 or hippo fat.
DENOUEMENTSpace prevents the presentation of
all the things a rifleman should know.A thorough reading and understand-ing of the classic shooting books,however, will acquaint shooters withsuch topics as aiming, hand positionand trigger control, breath control,canting, wind doping, target anato-my, ballistics, mirage and light, esti-mating distance, optics, trajectory, hit-ting moving targets, snap shooting,assembly/disassembly, weapon car-rying, etc.
The old guys have plenty to teachus about riflery. The shooting classicsare available, and with a little effortthey can be acquired for one’s ownlibrary—even the out-of-print books.With plenty of proper practice we canimprove ourselves to the level of realriflemen before these lessons are lostto history. There are still a few rifle-men left. Attach yourself to one ofthem and acquire real shooting skill.Then teach someone else. A genuinerifleman is a cut above the rest. �
FURTHER READING:
Military and Sporting Rifle Shooting,Capt. Edward C. Crossman, WolfePublishing.
The Complete Book of Shooting, JackO’Connor, Outdoor Life Books .
Wilderness Hunting and Wildcraft,Col. Townsend Whelen, Wolfe Pub-lishing.
Big Game Rifles and Cartridges,Elmer Keith, Wolfe Publishing
The Book of the Rifle, JimCarmichael, Outdoor Life Books.
The Art of the Rifle, Jeff Cooper, Paladin Press.
56 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
With more than the usual antic-ipation, I opened the box Ifound leaning against the
kitchen table. (Did I mention that thewoman unit did not tell me the packageI was waiting on arrived while I was inthe library studying diligently? Girlsjust don't understand.) Before theSpringfield SOCOM arrived I mustadmit I didn't think I was too crazyabout the thought of a sixteen-inchM1A. Within minutes of getting it out ofthe box, I had lurked around the housewith it and I was hooked. At 37 inchesoverall, this blaster is an inch shorterthan my 18-inch 870—way handy.
Before I go over the various aspects ofthe SOCOM, understand that this is apre-production gun and as it goes into
production some details may change.Most notably, the sights may changeand there may be an accessory railadded.
The front sight that is on this gun mayor may not make production, but it isinteresting for a number of reasons. Thissight uses a round top tritium dot. Thetritium is boldly surrounded with whiteand is mounted in a cylindrical hoodgiving the impression of an HK-likefront sight. Do not misunderstand, thissight is beautifully made and since XSSights made it I'll bet it's made out ofgood steel. Even though it is a master-piece of craftsmanship, it is a turd of asight.
While a large white dot with a tritiumcenter is optimum on a defensive hand-
gun, it will screw you on an aperture-sighted rifle. I will spare you the pagesof why I know this won't work. For theshort version, just think of how youwould sight this thing in. Are you goingto center that dot on the intended tar-get? You really have no choice becauseit's centered in a cylindrical hood andyour brain won't let you sight off thetop of it at speed like you might try ifyou were saddled with this arrange-ment on a rifle with open ear protection.It appears to me that this dot obscuresnine to ten inches at 100 feet. Thinkabout that. If someone was shooting atyou from behind cover across the street,you couldn't aim at the threat becausethe front sight would obscure it. I wouldhate for someone down the block to
BY ASHLEY EMERSON
left: Ian Kissell with volunteer doe.
right: Concrete benches (Tac ProShooting Center) plus good bagsand good glass (Leupold 2 _XScout scope) make for reliable test-ing. This gun ran flawlessly withammunition from 110gr. HornadyTAP to Black Hills 175gr. Match.
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 57www.swatmag.com
sneak up behind your front sight andkill you.
If you would like to entertain that thissight is for across the room shooting, Iwill have to point out that at about 1/8inch the aperture is much too small tobe useful. Basically the front and rearsight set is not close to optimum foranything and throws away the greatpotential inherent to the platform—delivering a powerful blow from handshaking distance to out past half a mile.
Now for the good news: Rumor has itthat XS will be offering their standard.100 wide/.040 white line post, leaningaway at 30-60 degrees, with open pro-tective ears for the M1A in the nearfuture. On the rear, all Springfield or anenterprising owner needs to do is run
an approximately 3/16 inch drillthrough the aperture on the existing(and excellent) fully adjustable standardM1A rear sight.
The stock on the test gun was more tomy liking than the oversize walnutstock usually found on the M1Asintended for competition. The stock onthe SOCOM is the much more slenderfiberglass military stock covered withsome high-tech black crinkle stuff I real-ly like. This stock feels good to meeverywhere except the comb. The combheight is probably a best compromisefor most people. My head is apparentlysmaller than most. (My brother says it'sfrom eating gun powder as a smallchild.) Because of this I would prefer thecomb to be 3/8 inch higher. The good
news is that it's easy to work with afiberglass stock and anyone who doesstock work can make it exactly like youwant it.
There is not much to say about thetrigger on this test gun other than it ispredictable, manageable and easy toshoot. It is the standard smooth two-stage trigger with a snappy reset youexpect on a Springfield M1A. I cannotover emphasize how easy to shoot thistrigger is, you just pull through the firststage and when you pull through thesecond stage it breaks clean. It is notparticularly light, just easy to hit with.
For my trip to the range, I swiped theLeupold 2.5X “Scout” scope from a cus-tom Kimber and mounted it on the for-ward mounted sight rail of the SOCOM.
far left: A step in the right direction; theSOCOM aperture on left is larger than thestandard M1A on right. Author believes thatthe most useful aperture size for hunting orfighting will be at least 50% larger than theoriginal aperature.
left: Rumor is XS Sight Systems will bring out,in the near future, a sight that incorporatestheir standard front white line blade (right)with open ears like the standard M1A (center)to replace the beautifully made dog on the left.
58 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
SPRINGFIELD SOCOM
This is a very rugged looking mountand though I prefer to use welldesigned iron sights on a gun like this, Iwas appreciative of the fact that thismount allowed a super low mountingof the scope sight. Obviously thiswould work well for those inclined touse electric dot sights.
One last area to discuss before talkingabout how it shoots. At the front of thisgun quite a bit had to happen to make asixteen-inch M1A work out. Just cuttingthe barrel to sixteen inches would resultin a non-functioning gun with no placefor a front sight. The designer, gunsmithand engineer dudes at Springfield had
to extensively rework the gas systemchanging the metering orifice size, thefundamental shape of the gas plug andinterestingly adding an expansionchamber that can also be drilled to actas a brake. The test gun had the expan-sion chamber drilled as a very efficientmuzzle brake. Rumor has it that nothaving it drilled might be an option. Iwould prefer it undrilled, as a brake canbe more than annoying in certain cir-cumstances. For me, I want all the blastgoing forward and will gladly eat a littlemore recoil if necessary. Not only didthe design guy get these modificationspulled off, the resulting pieces look
great and serve as a standard M1A frontsight mount.
I headed out to the TAC Pro ShootingCenter for some range time and withthe assistance of English Bill (Bill Davi-son to those of you who aren't fromaround here), I was able to shoot andchronograph four loads. I was curiousto see if this redesigned gas systemwould run a wide variety of ammo orprove to be finicky. It ate every thing Ifed it without a hiccup.
Hornady 110-grain Urban TAP aver-aged 2,920 feet-per-second (fps) andaveraged under 2 MOA.
The velocity of Lapua’s 155-grainMatch is unknown (English Bill is afirearms instructor and not a full-timechronograph operator), and averagedabout 3 MOA.
Black Hills 175 grain Match averaged2,480 fps and ran nearly 4 MOA.
South African military surplus aver-aged 2,505 fps and strung verticallynearly six inches at 100 yards with thegroup about 2-1/2 inches wide. This isinteresting to me because the sameammo strings vertically over twelveinches in my FAL. This either means"Yea!" as in it’s not all the FAL’s fault or"Yea!” I have thousands of rounds ofcrap ammo.
This gun clearly liked the Hornady110 TAP load. Over a two-day period, Ifired over forty rounds of it on paperand can't remember a group going overtwo inches. Chuck Karwan turned meon to this ammo and said I had to try it.This is not the first time he was right. Ialso owe Wayne Holt at Hornady a bigthanks, as it was late in the game whenChuck told me about this stuff and Igave Wayne a last minute call to beg forsome—and it arrived before the rifle.
Obviously if I was getting some 2MOA groups with a "Scout" scope, thisgun with the Hornady 110 TAP load isan easy to hit with combo. Fully loadedwith a twenty round magazine, weigh-ing in at the ten-pound mark, this gundoes not have much recoil with anyload, thanks in part to the high efficien-cy brake. With the 110 TAP ammo therecoil is negligible.
With only the changes discussedabove and loaded with Hornady 110Urban TAP (a few extra mags of balland/or AP wouldn't hurt either), Iwould gladly take this rifle to anunknown fight over any shotgun, rifleor carbine I have used to date. Plentyaccurate, plenty powerful and plentyhandy.
HORNADY TAPTAP stands for Tactical Application Police. I am not crazy about
cute acronyms, so shooting TAP in a SOCOM rubs me a bit. How-ever, this Urban TAP .308 Win 110-gr. load represents a very accu-
rate, fast expanding polymer tip bullet with a high ballistic coefficientdriven to a high velocity. In the case of the sixteen-inch SOCOM, thisbullet is leaving the muzzle at nearly 3,000 fps. I figured it would proba-bly leave a mark on whatever it hit, but decided I wanted to see formyself and headed out to a friend’s nearby property to find a volunteerdeer.
When I arrived at the property, I met fifteen-year-old Ian Kissell (sonof Girven Kissell who was hunting nearby). I determined that Ian wassomewhat familiar with what an M1A is and had prior knowledge ofscout scopes. Additionally, he had shot with 4-H for several years.Shortly thereafter, we were overrun with volunteer deer. I offered theSOCOM to Ian and, like the young man I took him for, he quickly andwith zero drama executed the largest volunteer. The necropsy showedthat the 110-120 pound doe probably died from the large hole (1 to 1-1/2 inches on both sides of the chest cavity) in the chest. Ian knewwhere, when and how to shoot as he had surgically punched the heartand both lungs at a range of about seventy yards. Good job Hornady—and good job Mr. Kissell.
SPRINGFIELD SOCOM
For a multitude of reasons, this newsixteen inch M1A SOCOM did not makeit into my hands until just days beforemy deadline to make this issue. Partial-ly because getting the gun so late andpartially because I am a gear head typethat just had to know the why and howon this version of the famous M1A, Ispoke with five different people atSpringfield. Usually when I deal with agun company the results are only rea-sonably satisfactory. Sometimes it's notso great and sometimes I just have toadd the individuals concerned to the list
of people I would gladly stomp the kid-neys out of if given the right opportuni-ty. The people at Springfield thoughwere a joy to deal with. During theweek before this was written, I hadphone calls returned just to let me knowthe person I needed to talk to wasn't intown and when I talked to people thereabout the gun, they actually answeredmy questions and listened (I think) tomy bitching and whining. When theydidn't have an answer they went andgot someone who did. What a conceptSpringfield has—employ knowledge-
able and enthusiastic people! I kind offavor American stuff and I like the ideaof people like the ones I dealt with atSpringfield working on 1911s, M1Asand M1 Garands. I'm thinking this is agood place to spend some money. �
SOURCES:Springfield ArmoryDept. S.W.A.T.420 West Main St.Geneseo, IL 61254(309) 944-5631www.springfieldarmory.com
Black Hills AmmunitionDept. S.W.A.T.P.O. Box 3090Rapid City, SD 57709(605) 348-5150www.black-hills.com
Hornady Manufacturing Co.Dept. S.W.A.T.3625 Old Potash HighwayGrand Island, NE 68803(308) 382-1390www.leupold.com
Leupold & Stevens, Inc.Dept. S.W.A.T.14400 Northwest Greenbrier ParkwayBeaverton, OR 97006(503) 646-9171www.hornady.com
Tac Pro Shooting CenterDept. S.W.A.T.35100 North State Highway 6405Mingus, TX 76463(254) 968-3112www.tacproshootingcenter.com
XS Sight Systems, Inc.Dept. S.W.A.T.2401 Ludelle StreetFort Worth, TX 76105(888) 744-4880www.xssights.com
The SOCOM andthe standard M1A.
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 59www.swatmag.com
The market is full of specializedrifles made to excel at doing onething right. Many of us want to
find one rifle that will do a variety ofthings very well. Over the last twoyears, I’ve found the ArmaLite AR-10A4to be just that kind of rifle.
When I originally bought my AR-10(carbine length, flat-top configuration), Iintended to use it at the range duringprecision rifle training and, based on theperformance, possibly have it approvedfor use during deployments with mydepartment’s Special Operations Team.I have always been firmly in the ARcamp, but wasn’t convinced that the.223 would always be the best choice,even in an urban environment. Similar-ly, in that environment, I felt there was aplace for a semi-auto platform out onthe perimeter of a critical incident. As Iwas already familiar with the manual ofarms and maintenance of the AR-15, theAR-10 seemed a natural choice for thisrole, particularly in my inventory. WhatI discovered was that this .308 calibersemi-automatic rifle was one of themost versatile firearms I had in my col-lection and it could serve me well in a
variety of activities including tacticaloperations, hunting and competition.
For those of you not familiar with theAR-10 rifle, think of an AR-15/M16 onsteroids. The fact is that the .308 caliberAR-10 was actually the predecessor tothe ubiquitous .223 family of AR riflescurrently deployed by countless armiesand agencies and enjoyed by millions ofrecreational shooters around the world.There is an excellent treatise on the his-tory of ArmaLite and their rifles on thatcompany’s website (www.armalite.com),but here are the highlights as relate tothe AR-10.
In 1954, Eugene Stoner became thechief engineer at ArmaLite and by 1955the company was focused on presentingthe original AR-10 to the U.S. govern-ment as a replacement for the M1 Rifle(Garand). The rifle was not accepted,instead, the U.S. Army chose the Spring-field Armory T-44 and dubbed it the M-14. In 1959, an apparently dejectedArmaLite sold the designs and trade-marks for both the AR-10 and the AR-15to Colt. The rest of that story should bewell known to readers of S.W.A.T.
Fast forward to 1996, when ArmaLite
began delivery of the AR-10B, a modernversion of the original rifle incorporat-ing design lessons learned from fortyyears of experience with its little broth-er. Today, ArmaLite, Inc. offers manyversions of the AR-10 including thefocus of this article—the Flat Top AR-10A4 Carbine.
The first thing I did with my A4 wasmount an adjustable Kahles scope on itand head to the range. I was able to do alot of shooting in a variety of positionsout to about 250 yards and the weaponwas very impressive, holding rightaround one minute of angle and keep-ing up with my Steyr SSG PIIK for allpractical purposes out to about 200yards. I define “practical purposes” inthis context as consistently putting theround within a five-inch circle ondemand. ArmaLite advertises that thisrifle will hold 1.5-2.0 MOA at 100 yards,but I found it to be a noticeably betterrifle than that at these ranges.
Initially, I used only match ammuni-tion in the rifle, but I have since used avariety of target and surplus ammo aswell, with the expected lack of consis-tency and precision. I’m not suggesting
ARMALITE
CARBINEBY ROB PINCUS
far left: The author and his AR-10 posing behind one of thewidest wild hogs either he or hisguide had ever shot.
left: One of the most flexible set-ups for the AR-10 flat top is thecombination of iron sights andco-witnessed red-dot such as theAimpoint pictured here in useduring a competition.
that the AR-10 A4 Carbine, with its six-teen-inch barrel and heavy trigger,should immediately replace all the tra-ditional bolt-action sniper rifles beingused today. I am saying that it hasproved to me that it can perform in thatrole very well. I think the AR-10 wouldbe an excellent choice for an observer’srifle in either the law enforcement ormilitary environments.
At both Blackwater Training Centerand a military, known-distance range, Ihave engaged silhouette targets at dis-tances beyond 500 yards. At these dis-tances, the rifle performs very well, butgroups got much closer to two MOA—reminding us that this is not a sniperrifle. This past fall, during a SWATSchool at Camp Blanding, several of usengaged targets prone and kneelingwith the AR-10 using an A.R.M.S. flipup rear sight on a Swan Sleeve and tra-ditional front post out to 700 meterswith over an 80% hit rate using surplusammunition. In addition to being anexcellent second rifle for asniper/observer team, I believe the AR-10 would be an excellent choice for arural patrol rifle.
About a year ago, I had the opportu-nity to do some wild boar hunting withmy friend and fellow S.W.A.T. contribu-tor, Ashley Emerson. Among a varietyof other talents, Ashley’s about the besthog guide I know and the terrain we’dbe hunting included a lot of rolling hillsand open land.
The first morning, we were going todrive around and scout the area. I hadbrought several weapons with me, hav-ing taken hog with pistols, shotguns,rifles and knives, I was ready for any-thing that Ashley would get me into.That first morning, I choose the AR-10as my primary rifle while we drovearound in the jeep. About an hour intothe tour, Ashley pointed out the humpof a large boar’s back about 75-80 yardsaway. I found the hump in the scope,guessed where the vitals were andpulled the trigger. We both thought Ihad missed. The animal did not react.Ashley had already told me that any-thing short of a .45-70 might not beenough for big Texas boar. A secondshot went out and the hump still hadn’tmoved. I got up enough confidence toclaim “one shot, one kill—that second
shot didn’t count” and we headeddown to see what was what. We foundthe hog (300-plus pounds worth) andfound two holes within an inch of oneanother high on the shoulder. A hastydissection showed that the first round, aWinchester Failsafe, drove right throughthe spine at the base of the neck. TheAR-10 had just become my new favoritehunting rifle.
My AR-10’s next life came aboutwhen I was doing a lot of work withnight-vision devices. I acquired anA.R.M.S. Swan Sleeve (with flip up rearsight) for the rifle (#38-EX) andremoved the scope and mounted theArmaLite detachable front sight. Thatcombination was matched with an Aim-point Comp-M and an AN/PVS-14Dnight vision device to create a redun-dant sighting system that would beviable under a great variety of condi-tions. All of these items were obtainedthrough Aurora Tactical in Springdale,Arkansas.
Extensive shooting with every possi-ble option presented by this configura-tion proved once again that this plat-form was incredibly versatile and
VERSATILE ANDPOWERFUL
Matched to a quality scope,the AR-10 rifle makes anexcellent Observer orPerimeter Support weapon.
62 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004
International Security School - IsraelVIP Protection CoursesIsrael, Spain, Switzerland, USA,U.K., Australia
A must for everyProtection OperativeOperative, Team Leader, Manager
If you want to be considered the best, you must train with the best!
International Security School - Israel P.O. Box 5833 Herzeliya 46000 ISRAELTel: +972-9-9500969 Fax: +972-9-9573392www.SecurityAcademy.com
Acquaintance with:■ Israeli VIP Protection concepts
and methods■ Israeli “secrets” for preparation
of protection personnel■ Israeli Tactical response methods
to terrorism & violent attacks■ Israeli Unarmed protection
methods (Krav Maga)
F R E E I N T R O D U C T I O N C D
❑ Engineered for fast one-handed, easy application
❑ For Individual Use or Mass Casualty Scenario
❑ Combat Proven: Designated Standard Combat Dressing by the U.S.M.C.
❑ Moderate to Severe Hemorrhaging❑ Simple and Compound Fractures
✓
✓
✓
✓✓
H AND H ASSOCIATES, INC.P.O. Box 189, Bena, VA 23018
1-800 326-5708 www.cinchtight.com [email protected]
ARMALITE AR-10A4
Subscribe to
S.W.A.T.!See page 17 for details!
Universal Trauma BandageFor First Responders, Military or Civilian, catastrophic trauma is asource of much apprehension: situations involving broken bones,major contusions or severe bleeding which need to be administered toimmediately to save lives. H and H compression bandage CINCHTIGHT is the perfect tool for the First Responder to address thesetraumas and extend the Golden Hour for the severely injuredindividual.Replaces current ABD pads, elastic bandages, wraps,triangular bandages and splints. Call or e-mail for Pricing and Delivery
www.swatmag.com
effective. The value of the sight redun-dancy was proved during the 2002World 3-Gun Championship shoot inLas Vegas Nevada. I had shown upwith the AR-10 counting on the versatil-ity and the edge offered by the .308—both in range and points for shooting inthe major class. I registered in the opticscategory, as I expected the Aimpoint tobe perfect for use in a “tactical” match.During the first rifle stage, I realizedthat the dot in the Aimpoint was a bittoo large to be fast with 10-12 inch blazeorange targets at 200+ yards. After adismal performance on that stage, Itossed the Aimpoint and relied on theiron sights for the rest of the competi-tion. Currently, my AR-10 is in a similarconfiguration, but with a Colt Optics C-More sight on the flat-top. This sighthas its own built in A-2 type rear sightthat mates perfectly with the detachableArmaLite front.
As with anything, the AR-10 is notperfect. The AR-10 family of rifles comesstandard with ten-round magazineswhich are quite sufficient for mostendeavors. As the current iteration ofthe rifle has only been manufacturedafter the 1994 hi-cap ban, those interest-ed in high capacity magazines will haveto obtain M14 magazines and modifica-tion kits. This process can be relativelyexpensive and cumbersome, but thegood news is that most owners willhave little need for twenty-round maga-zines. I have three modified M14 maga-zines, all of which have performed verywell. They have come in handy for com-petition use, but that is about it. When Ifirst used the AR-10 for competition, Imounted Magpuls on these mags andthey fit and perform very well.
The most serious and most consistentproblem I have had with the rifle is afailure to extract malfunction that has attimes left me with a partially rimlessround lodged in the chamber. This mal-function has only occurred with surplusammunition, never with match gradeammunition from a variety of manufac-turers including Winchester, Federaland Black Hills. I’ve used the latterunder a variety of circumstances and ithas always performed flawlessly. Therehas been reference to a problem withthe finish of the hard chrome chamberson some early AR-10s which caused thistype of malfunction, but ArmaLite hasstated that they have addressed thisproblem in the current generation ofAR-10s. Whenever I am doing anythingthat amounts to more than plinking, I
ARMALITE AR-10A4
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 63
Ron AveryPresident/Training DirectorP.O. Box 630 • Olathe, CO 81425
(970) 323-6111email: [email protected]
www.practicalshootingacad.com
The Practical Shooting Academy, Inc.The Practical Shooting Academy, Inc.At the NRA Whittington Center • Raton, NMCivilian, Law Enforcement & Military InstructionCivilian, Law Enforcement & Military Instruction
Basic to Advanced Tactical Carbine, Pistol & Shotgun CoursesLE/MIL Firearms Instructor Courses • Specialty Courses
On-Site/Off-Site Training Available
CALL 1(800)SA2-1911 “the MAG GUIDE people”™when only the BEST will do!
ORDER DIRECT and SAVE!
P.O. Box 496208 • Garland, Texas USA 75049-6208(800) SA2-1911 • International (972) 840-3665
Fax (972) 840-6176 • Email [email protected]
Hours: M-F, 9am-5pm CST
L available with Lanyard Loop add $10
A available in Aluminum
Color Catalog AvailableSame Day ShippingAppropriate shipping chargesDealers Welcome100% Customer Satisfaction
NEW–Slim LineMag Guides & Grips w/screws & bushings
$74.95Government Model/Officers’ ModelMag GuideAvailable:Flat/ArchedSS/BL 20 LPINEW: Flat now availablein SmoothAlso Available:Grizzly Flat-SS/BL $89.95
$34.95“E-Z Fit HiGrip”® Safety.250 radius-Series70 & 80 .220 radiusS70 for Springfields“PalmSwel”/Standard(jig available)
$99.00AmbidextrousMagazine ReleaseGov’t Model,Officers’ Model &Para-Ordnance. SS/BL
Prices starting at $16.50S & A Custom 1911 GripsExotic Woods & MicartaStandard & Slim LineDD, FC & Smooth
$34.95Mainspring HousingAvailable in:Gov’t Model, Officers’ Model,all Para-Ordnance. 20 LPIFlat/Arched-SS/BL(P10/P12 flat only)(flat smooth availablefor all of the above)
A LA L
$95.95Full Para Mag Guide(For P14/P16 only)Available in:Flat/Arched-SS/BL 20 LPI
A L
Subscribe to S.W.A.T.!Visit www.swatmag.com for details!
www.swatmag.com
avoid surplus ammunition and have notencountered this problem. Of course, itis not cheap to shoot high-quality .308all day long and this may be a factor forsome potential buyers.
When I went looking for an AR-10 Iwas simply looking for the good oldfeeling of an AR with the punch of a.308. What I got was a very versatile andcapable .308 rifle. You’ll notice in theaccompanying pictures that my AR-10has green furniture. This was not anaccident. With several AR configurationrifles in the safe, truck or generally lyingabout, I wanted to be sure I knew whenI was picking up the Big Brother. If youhave .223 rifles from the AR family, Iencourage you to consider a reliableway to easily tell the difference betweenany different caliber version which youmight add to your collection.
Other versions of the AR-10 that areavailable include “T” designated modelswhich include two stage triggers andstainless steel, free floated barrels. Theserifles are advertised as 1 MOA weaponsand are available in both standard andcarbine length. The AR-10A2 is a carryhandle configuration rifle with adjustableiron sights. There is also a retro versionavailable for those interested in having areplica of the original design completewith brown tapered hand-guards, analloy receiver and stamped with theOriginal ArmaLite logo.
All this said, I will admit that Ihaven’t tested twenty of these rifles and,in fact, have shot fewer than a dozenexamples, but I can promise you thatmine is a great rifle and, no, it’s not forsale. Be Careful. �
SOURCES:ArmaLite, Inc.Dept. S.W.A.T.P.O. Box 299Geneseo, IL. 61254(309)944-6939www.armalite.com
Aurora Tactical, LLCDept. S.W.A.T.2270 Worth Lane, Suite ASpringdale, AR 72764(800) 206-9572www.auroatactical.com
C-MORE SystemsDept. S.W.A.T.7553 Gary RoadManassas, Virginia 20109(703) 361-2663www.cmore.com
64 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
After several requests for formalcarbine training in the north Flori-da area, I put together two
“Advanced Carbine Operator” classesand contacted my good friend and col-league Steve Moses to assist me by tak-ing a Lead Instructor position. Steve hasbeen involved with firearms training formore than a decade, and wrote a book onthe subject called CARBINE AND SHOT-GUN SPEED SHOOTING – How to HitHard and Fast in Combat (availablethrough Paladin Press).
Only one problem cropped up. I didnot currently own a carbine myself!Obviously, my next step would be tolook for one, as I would be acting as anassistant to Steve in this venture and oneof my mantras in training is, “Do what Ido as well as what I say.” How could Ishow the students what to do if I didn’thave my own carbine to demonstratewith?
GUNSMOKE ENTERPRISESWhile there are many manufacturers of
the AR-15 family of rifles and carbines, Iwas looking for something that perhapswas either a step above the rest or at leastin some way unique.
In a conversation with Steve about thedifferent attributes of each of the majormanufacturers, one topic in particularcame up regarding some of the allegedsuccess our military forces were havingin Afghanistan using 75- and 77-grainbullets fired out of 1:7 twist barrels. Per-sons in the know were reporting incapac-itating hits at distances estimated ataround 600 yards. We also discussedhow that same barrel could stabilize thelighter and more frangible 55-grain bul-
lets that were useful for close-quarterswork where excess penetration is a con-cern. So I searched the informationsuperhighway for something with a 1:7twist and all that I could come up withwas 1:9 until I ran across a company thatspecializes in manufacturing custom AR-15/M16-type carbines and match rifleswith 1:8 twist barrels.
That company is Gunsmoke Enterpris-es, Incorporated and is located in Okee-chobee, Florida on the north tip of the
GSE-AR15 MATCH CARBINES AND RIFLESBY RUSS ADLER
Instructor Steve Moses demonstratesclose-quarters snap shooting with theGSE Carbine.
Members of the Florida Defensive Carbine Club participated in the first of twoback-to-back Advanced Carbine Operator courses.
THE OLD,NEW KID ON THE
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 65www.swatmag.com
big lake with the same name. The com-pany’s owner and operator is Ed Basilewho served in the U. S. Navy from 1961to 1964 and started shooting DCM com-petition in 1965. That is where he becameinterested in customizing, and eventuallymanufacturing, a variety of firearms. Edofficially opened the doors of GSE in1981 specializing in custom 1911-stylepistols and class III firearms.
In June of 2003, Ed received the properATF approval he needed to throw his hatinto the AR-15 manufacturing ring andbegan building custom carbines andrifles. He offers custom-fit upper andlower receivers that are cut on the sameCNC machine for a matched hand fitand are 100% mil spec, and therefore willwork with other uppers, lowers, parts,accessories, etc. The receivers are madeof 7075 T6 Aircraft Aluminum forgingsand sealed with a hard anodized A8625type III finish. The bolt carriers and boltwells have a baked-on dry film lube for
enhanced reliability and decreased lubri-cation requirement.
GSE offers a wide choice of chromelined barrels that reportedly have a30,000 round life, and vary from the 14.5-inch M4 profile with a two-inch “bird-cage” style muzzle brake and a carry-handle upper receiver, to a 26-inch bullbarrel up to 1-1/4 inches in diameterwith a flat-top receiver and optional flip-up front and rear sights, or any combina-tion in between. They also offer five dif-ferent hand guards and five differentstocks. All of the rifles and carbines comewith a DCM legal 4-3/4 pound trigger.
After explaining my interest to Ed, heagreed to lend me one of his carbines foran evaluation of the weapon. The modelthat Ed sent to me is what I refer to as the“Cadillac” carbine. The flat-top upperhad a flip-up rear sight from A.R.M.S., afixed front sight, a full integrated rail sys-tem with a vertical fore grip, and anextended purchase charging handle. Thesixteen-inch, fluted M4 barrel had a 1:8twist. The lower had a VLTOR stock, anda Hogue pistol grip. The carbine alsocame with side-mounted swivels and asling. The whole package weighedroughly 7-1/2 pounds and measured 35inches overall.
THE CRUCIBLEOn September 11, 2001, the spirit of
freedom was onceagain forged indestruction and dev-astation by the terror-ist attacks on the WorldTrade Center buildingsand the Pentagon. There-fore, I found it ironic thatI took possession of thecarbine that Ed sent to meon September 11, 2003.
As I drove home with therifle, I reflected on the manyfreedoms that we take forgranted such as freedom ofreligion, speech, the pursuit ofhappiness, and the one thatmakes the rest of them possi-ble, the Right To Keep AndBear Arms.
Two days later began thefirst of two back-to-back, two-day Advanced Carbine Opera-tor courses that Steve and I con-ducted. The first course wasopen to civilians while the sec-ond course was for law enforce-ment personnel only as the Cen-tral Florida Community College,Criminal Justice Institute inOcala, Florida hosted it. Duringthose four days, I fired approxi-mately 500 rounds through theweapon and allowed several ofthe course participants to fire itas well. Sgt. Scott Finnen fromthe Levy County Sheriff ’sOffice gave the carbine anexcellent rating overall andnoted its smooth action. Sgt.Al Ramirez from the MarionCounty Sheriff’s Office alsogave the weapon an excellentoverall rating, but stated,“For tactical purposes it is somewhatheavy.” Everyone who shot the rifle wassatisfied with the function and perform-ance with the only negative commentslisted being the weight factor, attributedto the full rail system.
To do potential future customers ofGSE and myself no injustice, I challengedthis weapon to the best of my abilitiesand then some. While it came to me niceand clean, I did not clean this weaponduring the time that I used it.
We started the actual shooting portionof the first day of each course by estab-lishing a battle zero of an inch low attwenty-five yards. I was able to consis-tently shoot five-shot groups through theGSE Carbine that were under an inchusing Israeli made 55-grain ball ammo,with all shots being fired from the
“mono-pod prone”
position (usingthe base of a thirty-
round magazine as afield-expedient monopod).
This is the zero that I used for thenext four days.During courses of this nature, we usu-
ally sight the rifle with the small apertureand then flip to the large aperture forclose quarters engagements. When dis-tances increase to approximately fiftyyards, we switch back to the small aper-ture for accuracy enhancement (time per-mitting, of course!). The A.R.M.S. rearflip-up sight system that was providedwith the GSE Carbine was difficult forme to use, as the aperture plane for thesmaller rear aperture was substantiallydifferent than the plane for the largeaperture, and I missed a few shots at onehundred yards that I should have beenable to make. Steve is a big fan of theafter-market XS Sight Systems “same-plane” rear aperture sight, and claimsthat it would easily remedy this smallproblem.
We then conducted close-quartersdrills where we practiced making high-
GSE-AR15
The GSE carbine that I wassent came with a flip-up rearsight from A.R.M.S., Inc.
The carbine came equippedwith a full-integrated railsystem, a vertical foregrip(that I removed out of personal preference) anda fixed front sight.
66 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004
GSE-AR15
swatmag.com
www.swatmag.com
speed snap shots at distances of three toten yards. Using the GSE carbine I wasable to hit hard and fast in under the partimes, which were .8 second for oneround and 1.1 second for two rounds atthe specified distances.
As we moved back to approximatelyfifteen, twenty-five and eventually fiftyyards, the old adage “As distance increas-es, accuracy decreases” did not apply tothe GSE carbine. I was able to keep all ofmy rounds within the eight-inch vitalarea of the S&W bobber targets that weused for the training, while snap shootingfrom the off-hand position.
On the second day of each course, were-established a battle zero from the fiftyyard line to verify that while we sightedthem an inch low at twenty-five yards,they should be close to dead-on at fiftyyards. This gave us a very useful battlezero that for the most part permitted usto concern ourselves with getting thefront sight on the target and applyinggood trigger control, knowing that ourrounds would impact within a couple ofinches of where we wanted them to hit.Remember, we were not teaching our stu-dents to shoot paper targets for braggingrights, but instead how to effectively usetheir rifles in situations where lives are atstake—and fast, good hits beat slow, per-fect ones.
Regarding the 1:8 barrel twist: I fired amultitude of rounds with differentweights, from 45-grain varmint loads to73-grain hollow points, from a variety offield positions, and as previously men-tioned, all of my rounds from three yardsout to a hundred yards hit their markwhen I did my part. Due to time con-straints, I was not able to properly benchtest the Carbine for accuracy, but I’m surethat in the right hands with a scope andbench, this rifle will produce satisfactorygroups. I base this in part on fifty-yard,three-shot groups fired from the mono-pod prone position using the large aper-ture rear sight—by both Steve andmyself—where one-inch groups were therule, not the exception.
CONCLUSIONThe Advanced Carbine Operator
course demanded a lot from the partici-pants and their tools. It was designed toequip the participants with skills and tac-tics that would provide an edge in thosesituations where the ability to think tacti-cally and shoot fast and accurately maymake the difference between going homeor going to the hospital (or worse). Prop-er gun handling was emphasized
GSE-AR15
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 67
www.swatmag.comthroughout, as students were constantlyreminded that they must operate in a 360-degree environment that was full of“friendlies.”
Several of the students found that theirweapon setups were deficient and lessthan user-friendly. Fortunately, this wasnot the case with the GSE Carbine. As Imentioned earlier, several participantswho handled the GSE Carbine said thatthis model was a little too heavy consid-ering that rifles are carried a lot morethan they are shot, and heavy guns havea tendency to get laid aside right beforethey are needed. I personally prefer alightweight version without the rail sys-tem (which of course is available throughGSE). But the flawless function, reliabilityand accuracy that were apparent afterfour days of rigorous drills fired frommultiple positions and distances with thevariety of ammunition deserve my high-est marks.
Prices for the GSE Carbine and Riflelines are competitive with suggestedretail starting at approximately $800 for abasic model and $1,400 for a match rifle.Each model is laser engraved with theGSE logo, which is a modified NavySEAL trident, surrounded by the wordsDuty, Honor and Country on the left sideof the lower receiver on the magazinewell. �
SOURCES:Gunsmoke Enterprises, Inc.Dept. S.W.A.T.P.O. Box 2537Okeechobee, FL 34973(863) 763-1582 www.AR15.tv
A.R.M.S., Inc.Dept. S.W.A.T.230 West Center StreetWest Bridgewater, MA 02379 (508) 584-7816www.armsmounts.com
Paladin PressDept. S.W.A.T.Gunbarrel Tech Center7077 Winchester CircleBoulder, CO 80301(303) 443-7250www.paladin-press.com
XS Sight SystemsDept. S.W.A.T.2401 LudelleFort Worth, TX 76105(888) 744-4880 www.expresssights.com
68 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
If you’re like most people, you spendmore time in your car than any otherplace besides work and home. All of
us drive to and from work, run errands,drop the kids off at school and takesummer vacations, yet not much of ourtactical training time is spent preparingfor situations in and around the car.
Self-defense situations in and aroundvehicles throw some new variables intothe mix:
•The vehicle itself can be used as aweapon to run over would-be carjack-ers or to push road-blocking vehiclesout of the way.
•Windshields and car doors willdeflect or stop bullets. Sometimes.
•Your visibility will be impaired once
the shatterproof glass has bullet holesin it.
•Your hearing will be gone after fir-ing your weapon from inside anenclosed vehicle.
To come up to speed on the latest intactics and training around vehicles,S.W.A.T. recently attended one of thefew courses that addresses this need—athree-day Street and Vehicle Tacticscourse offered by InSights TrainingCenter in Bellevue, Washington. Notethat we’re not talking about a defensivedriving school here, but rather a coursethat focuses on self-defense scenariosthat can occur on the road or in publicplaces such as convenience stores andgas stations. The course took place both
in a large indoor garage and outdoors.While there was no live fire in thiscourse, there were many practical sce-narios using Simunitions™ markingcartridges.
HOW TO GET IN YOUR CARIt doesn’t get much more basic than
this, does it? But like many areas of tac-tics, there is a better and not-so-betterway to do this.
When possible, try to park your carunder a light post and back into yourparking spot so you can make a quickexit when it’s time to leave. Whilewalking to your car, maintain situation-al awareness around you and yourvehicle. Your keys should be in-hand
Self-Defense Situations Around Vehicles
STREETAnd
BY JOE TORRE
left: In this scenario, acarjacker threatens alaw-abiding citizen at astoplight.
below: The citizen pre-tends to comply andreaches for the seatbelt…
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 69www.swatmag.com
above: …then suddenly lies down in theseat and drives off.
above: Real-life executiveprotection specialist JeffBurns demonstrates how toexit under fire. He firstopens the car door, pinningit open with his left foot,and points his weapon atthe threat…
left: …he then gets out,keeping eyes front andweapon at the ready…
below: …after a quick scanfor additional threats, hemoves to the back of vehi-cle for cover, taking a posi-tion 5-7 feet behind the carto maintain visibilityaround both sides of thevehicle.
TACTICS
70 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
and if you have an electronic lock,InSights advises that it should be thekind that unlocks the driver ’s dooronly, not all four doors. As youapproach your car, scan the under sideof the car for tampering and then thebackseat for any assailants.
Open the door and immediately lockit before getting in, then get in, close thedoor and start the car. At this point youare ready to roll if a threat appears. Useyour non-dominant hand to put yourseat belt on, check for oncoming trafficand be on your way.
If a would-be mugger or carjackerwere watching you, he would find youan unusually “hard target” and mostlikely look for easier targets to victim-ize.
ROAD RAGE INCIDENTSSomeone who thinks you’ve cut him
off at the last exit has been tailing you,changing lanes when you change, andtailgating you. At a light, you look inyour rearview mirror and see him getout of his vehicle and head in yourdirection with a purposeful stride.What should you do?
Whatever you do, do not get out ofyour car to confront him. If the con-frontation gets physical, witnesses willtestify that two guys stopped, got out oftheir cars and started fighting, and thatwon’t help you. Instead, wait until thelast possible moment and then driveoff—thankful that you left half a car’slength between you and the car in frontof you. Then head for the nearest policestation. If driving away isn’t possible,roll your window down (half way only)and try to resolve things peacefully. Ifthat doesn’t work, then you have whatInSights affectionately refers to as a“pepper spray moment.” Spray anddrive.
HOW TO DRAW FROMBEHIND THE WHEEL
In some ways, drawing a sidearmwhile behind the steering wheel is simi-lar to the five-count draw while stand-ing. On count one, your right hand (if
you are right handed) grabs theweapon but the left hand—instead ofbeing placed on your chest—goes torelease the seat belt. On count two, theleft hand flings the seat belt over yourleft shoulder to get it out of the way,while the right hand clears the hand-gun from holster.
Now it gets interesting. Instead ofpunching out in a straight line, InSightsteaches to present the weapon by mov-ing the muzzle over the top of the steer-ing wheel. This is done not only toavoid sweeping your hips and legswith the muzzle after it leaves the hol-ster, but also because your air bag mayhave deployed.
At this point, your seat belt is off andyour weapon is at the ready. Youshould scan to see what your range ofmotion is. How far to your left or rightcan you see and effectively engage tar-gets? Where are the blind spots in yourvehicle? Practice this in your garage soyou know what you can and cannot dobefore an incident happens.
CARJACKINGSOne could write an entire book just
on the multiple carjacking scenarioscovered in the course: What if you’reunarmed? What if you’re armed? Whatif you have a baby in the back seat?What if the carjacker approaches on thepassenger-side and you have to shoot?What if there are multiple attackers?
For now, let’s just consider the basecase: You’re driving alone while wait-ing at a red light on a fairly desertedstreet when a carjacker points a gun atyou through your half-rolled downdriver side window and demands yourcar. What do you do?
Look ahead to see if there’s anyoncoming traffic. If the coast is clear,then appear to cooperate. “Ok, no prob-lem. The car ’s yours. Let me get myseat belt off.” Fix the steering wheel inplace with your right hand as you floorthe accelerator and throw your bodyback and down with your right sideonto the passenger seat.
It’s amazing how quickly you’ll be“gone” before the carjacker’s brain canprocess what just happened. In multi-ple repetitions of this drill in class withall kinds of vehicles, no one playing therole of carjacker felt they could havegotten an effective shot off in time.
If the coast isn’t clear e.g., there’s acar in front of you, or there’s lots ofcross traffic, you’d be better off not risk-ing an accident. In that case, you startthe same way: “The car’s yours—let meget my seat belt off.”
While you undo your seat belt,glance to the left to check for a secondcarjacker. As you open the door, drawyour weapon into a position of conceal-ment, such as inside your jacket or vest.Glance to the rear of the vehicle as youexit and if the path is clear, back up tothe rear of the car, keeping yourweapon concealed, but oriented towardthe threat. As the carjacker drives offwith your car, remind yourself that itwasn’t worth risking your one and onlylife just so your insurance companywouldn’t have to buy you a new car.
A few notes about this procedure:Never unlock or open the door beforeyour seatbelt is off—you’ll be draggedout and you don’t want to have to fightwith your seatbelt on. Also, it shouldalso be noted that students whose carshad passive restraint seatbelts had con-
STREET & VEHICLE TACTICS
Whenever possible, pie around verticalcorners such as the side of the vehicle
and not horizontal corners such as overthe top of your hood. Going “over the
top” of the hood will expose more ofyour body to return fire.
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 71www.swatmag.com
siderable difficulty with these drills inclass.
CONVENIENCE STOREHOLDUPS
Another common street situation isthe visit to the local “Stop and Rob”and again, there were many differentscenarios. What if there’s a gun but noshots fired? What if shots are fired?What if there are multiple robbers?What if there’s another one outsidewaiting in a getaway car? After a class-room lecture, the students rotatedthrough a number of scenarios usingSimunitions and took turns playing therobber(s), the armed citizen and inno-cent bystanders.
If a robbery is in progress and noshots have been fired yet, InSights rec-ommends you immediately move to anexit if possible, and if not move to acovered and concealed position.Remember the possibility of an accom-plice behind or around you. Draw yourweapon to concealment (such as to apoint inside your vest or jacket), andwatch from a safe position. If no shotsare being fired, there’s no reason foryou to risk your life.
If shots are being fired, you have todecide whether or not to get involved.Private citizens are not required to risktheir lives to save others, but if the badguy is shooting and you choose tointervene, shoot him from behind coverand do not give any advance warning.As soon as the incident is over, call outin a loud voice for someone to call thepolice. Witnesses will remember you asthe guy who wanted the police there,and only good guys do that. That’smuch better than remembering you as
“the guy with the gun who shot thatkid.”
As we went through these scenariosin the course, one wild card was thecustomers in the store. That innocentbystander down the aisle may actuallybe the robber’s accomplice acting as asilent partner. Or that person with agun who you thought was an accom-plice was actually an off-duty policeofficer responding to the threat. Justwhen you think you know what to do,you take a Simunitions round in theback!
One thing that really became clear aswe went through these scenarios washow secondary one’s shooting skillsare. The action happened quickly, withpeople shouting and running in alldirections. Most students were so busytrying to figure out what was happen-ing, who the good guys were, who thebad guys were, and what to do about it,that our shooting abilities were rarely afactor.
But that’s one of the benefits of tak-ing a course like Street and Vehicle Tac-tics—it highlights deficiencies in one’straining. And one deficiency I learnedabout is that this author needs to spendless time at the range practicing one-hole groups, and more time doing tacti-cal scenarios.
CONCLUSIONIn addition to the classroom lecture
and practical drills on the topics above,the course also covered structure clear-ing exercises in buildings, hotel/motelroom precautions, interactions withpolice and paramedics, and even abriefing on a captured Al-Queda terror-ist training video, played and discussedin class.
The Street and Vehicle Tactics class isa necessary complement to the trainingyou’ve already taken. It takes the tacticsone learns in shooting schools and atthe range and applies them to everydaysituations in a way that really puts it alltogether. I could easily take the courseagain and get as much out of it the sec-ond time as I did the first—but I’ll waituntil my Simunitions welts go awayfirst. �
SOURCES:InSights Training Center, Inc.Dept. S.W.A.T.P.O. Box 3585Bellevue, WA 98009(425) 827-2552www.InsightsTraining.com
Simunition, Inc.Dept. S.W.A.T.65 Sanscreen RoadAvon, CT 06001(860) 404-0169www.Simunition.com
STREET & VEHICLE TACTICS
Students were put througha number of conveniencestore scenarios. Here, a stu-dent walks in on a robberthreatening a clerk behindthe counter, while aninstructor (kneeling) moni-tors the drills.
72 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
THE ARTICLE NAME
�
One of the author'sfavorite handguns is thisengraved S&W Model 24with ivory grips and inan El Paso Saddlery rig.
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 73www.swatmag.com
Awhile back I was at Alamo Mili-tary Collectibles, a St. Louis gunshop where a lot of law enforce-
ment types hang out. This was a prettytypical Saturday with chairs in the backroom occupied by a retired St. Louisdetective who works cold cases on apart-time basis for a small department;his son, currently a St. Louis detectiveassigned to firearms examination andballistics; a St. Louis patrolman who isalso attending law school; an investiga-tor for the prosecuting attorney's office;and an FBI agent.
St. Louis was in the process of chang-ing their policy on off-duty guns to allowa choice among a half dozen or soautoloaders in 9x19mm, which generateda discussion about the fact that nonewould really carry well in a pocket.Those of us who were old timers, at thispoint, expressed fond memories of thedays when a Smith & Wesson Chief'sSpecial or Colt Agent made the perfecton-duty backup or off-duty primaryweapon—in either case thrust into atrousers or jacket pocket. From thatpoint, our discussion moved to favoriterevolvers, though most of the youngergroup were autoloader fans. My retireddetective friend laughingly told us thathe probably still held the record for most
qualification cards on file with the St.Louis firearms training division since hehad owned and carried so many differ-ent revolvers during his career.
While driving home that day, I beganto think about how many of my favoritehandguns were still revolvers, many ofwhich are still available—an indicationquite a few other people like revolvers aswell. I also thought that a discussion ofthose favorites might be interesting toS.W.A.T. readers.
Although I had owned a couple of .22revolvers earlier, my first "serious"revolver was the used, five-inch barreledColt Official Police I purchased as myduty gun when I got out of the policeacademy. For the first few months I car-ried it on and off-duty until I earnedenough money—moonlighting as a storedetective during the Christmas rush—topurchase a Smith & Wesson Model 36Chief's Special. The little Chief was a def-inite off-duty boon since I was attendingcollege at the time and could now takemy jacket off in class! Those were myonly revolvers for a year or so until I hada chance to buy a Smith & Wesson Model58 .41 Magnum, which I carried on dutyuntil I graduated from college and leftthe sheriff's department.
After completing officer's training and
being commissioned in the U.S.A.F.Security Police, my issue weapon was aModel 15 Smith & Wesson, but when Ireceived orders for Southeast Asia I man-aged to locate a Smith & Wesson Model60 (at the time the only commerciallyproduced stainless steel handgun) totake along as a secondary weapon. SinceI was assigned to a special unit which setambushes and actively searched for VietCong infiltrators around air bases, I car-ried it all the time as a backup andappreciated its corrosion resistance.
After being discharged, I attendedgraduate school and then started work-ing on VIP protection jobs overseas. Dur-ing that period, I used mostly autoload-ers; however, I did keep my Model 58 .41Magnum. It was, in fact, at times myonly revolver, though I purchased aSmith & Wesson Model 38 AirweightBodyguard for use on protective jobswhere I might have to shoot through apocket, but I really only carried it a fewtimes. This was partially the case becauseI kept a couple of sets of autos—aBrowning Hi-Power and a WaltherPPK—at strategic locations where I oftentraveled to save dealing withimport/export formalities.
Eventually, I started writing articlesand books about firearms, which offered
MY FAVORITEREVOLVERS
★ BY LEROY THOMPSON ★
from left to right: France's classic revolver, the MR73, is used by police and military unitsaround the world; 686+ Mountain Gun and twenty-five yard, seven-shot group; the authorlikes the S&W Model 66 so much he has this matched pair of Class A engraved guns withAjax ivory grips; the author's Gary Reeder custom Alaskan Survivalist, a Redhawkchopped down for ease of carry as a wilderness backup against dangerous game.
below: This Colt Agent with Eagle SecretService grips is a long time favoritepocket revolver with the author.
74 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
MY FAVORITE REVOLVERS
a wonderful excuse to expand my "refer-ence collection." It also gave me a chanceto try a lot of different guns and decidewhich ones I really wanted to own.Despite the ubiquity of auto-loadinghandguns over the last decade, I findthat more than half of my favoritesremain revolvers. Revolvers remainhighly viable through a combination offilling niches that autoloaders can't fill aswell and through innovation in materialsand design. Revolvers are particularlyuseful in providing compact, powerfuldefensive weapons, in providing verypowerful hunting weapons and in pro-viding very versatile weapons for theowner of only one or two handguns.
In thinking about my own favoritehandguns today, I still own a couple of.22 Long Rifle examples which I use pri-marily for plinking. I use three variationsof the Smith & Wesson Kit Gun as wellas a K-22. My first revolvers were .22examples, because they offered a cheapway to shoot, and I still find one of my.22 Smith & Wesson’s and a couple ofboxes of .22 Long Rifle ammo just theticket for inexpensive and enjoyableshooting practice.
Despite the profusion of excellentcombat autoloaders, the compact snubrevolver is still one of the best choices forclose combat. I've always liked Smith &Wesson J-frames and own a model 638—the stainless and alloy version of theLightweight Bodyguard—which I shootquite a bit. I also own a Model 360PD—the Scandium .357 Magnum Chief’s Spe-cial. This revolver weighs a bit overtwelve ounces unloaded and offers a lotof power in a handgun which can easilybe carried in a pocket. I have fired minewith 125-grain Cor-Bon JHP loads (.357Magnum loads with bullet weight under120-grains are not recommended) andmust admit that it can be an "interesting"experience. I find that it is very painfulon my trigger finger to shoot thisrevolver and also find that the first tworounds fired group fairly well, then tendto scatter as my pain/discomfort thresh-old is crossed. Still, I like the idea of hav-ing such a powerful handgun that carrieswell. And, as African hunters used to sayabout the .600 Nitro Express, “You don'tnotice the recoil if you really need theweapon.”
As has Smith & Wesson, Taurus hasused titanium to fabricate very compact,light, concealment revolvers. I use a Tau-rus Model 85T .38 Special as a pocketgun when I don't want quite as muchpower as my 360PD offers; though, of
course, I can load the S&W with .38 Spe-cial loads if I so choose.
On the opposite end of the spectrumfrom the current pocket revolvers arethose which offer great power. I am notreally a handgun hunter so I do not ownany guns chambered for the .454 Casullor other true hunting loads. I do occa-sionally spend time in the outdoors or insituations when I want the stoppingpower of the big bore revolver. Myfavorites are the Smith & Wesson Moun-tain Guns. I own four N-frame guns,chambered for .41 Magnum, .44 Mag-
num, .45 ACP and .45 Colt. These skin-ny-barreled, round-butt revolvers areeasily carried yet offer a lot of punch. If Ilived in Alaska where dangerous bearsmight be encountered during my dailyroutine, then my 629 Mountain Gun (theearly model such as mine was actuallyknown as the "Mountain Revolver")would probably be my favorite. Howev-er, since I normally carry my MountainGuns for self-defense against two-leggedrather than four-legged beasts, myfavorite is actually my 657 .41 MagnumMountain Gun. I have also carried the625 Mountain Gun in .45 ACP on occa-sion as I like the rapid reload capabilityof full moon clips.
I also own a Ruger Redhawk .44 Mag-num customized by Gary Reeder.Round-butted and with a three-inch bar-rel, this "Alaskan Survivalist" is a cus-tomized and tuned revolver specificallydesigned to carry easily, yet stop danger-ous game. I use it just because I like it,though I certainly would consider it asan alternative to my 629 MountainRevolver if I were going to spend time inAlaska.
I am also very fond of the .44 Specialcartridge. I still shoot a Charter ArmsBulldog in .44 Special, but my favoritesin this caliber are two recent titaniummodels. Smith & Wesson's 396 MountainLite revolver is very light in weight, yetincorporates a three-inch barrel,adjustable sights and holds five roundsof .44 Special ammunition. As a campingcompanion or trail gun, this 18 ouncerevolver is hard to beat. It shoots espe-cially well with Cor-Bon's 165-grain .44Special loads. Although it takes a reason-ably large pocket to carry it, Taurus' 445T
is a snub .44 Special which weighs justunder 20 ounces due to its titanium con-struction. Its ribbed rubber grips helpcushion recoil and allow this revolver tobe fired very quickly in double-actionmode.
When I first started purchasing hand-guns I avidly read Elmer Keith andSkeeter Skelton, both of whom were fansof the Smith & Wesson .44 Specialrevolver. Unfortunately, it was virtuallyimpossible to find one around Missouriwhere I grew up. I did eventually, how-ever, acquire various examples, includ-ing two of the small number of four-inchbarreled target models made primarilyfor lawmen in the early 1950s. One hadbeen engraved and took me years ofeffort to trade away from a shootingbuddy. It's still among my favorite hand-guns and is enhanced by an El Paso Sad-dlery holster/belt combo. Smith & Wes-son reintroduced the .44 Special inlimited numbers during the 1980s, and Iown a four-inch Model 624 stainless thatI shoot quite a bit.
When experienced shooters who owna substantial number of handguns are
MY FAVORITE REVOLVERS
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 75www.swatmag.com
asked what they would keep if theycould own only one handgun, it’s inter-esting that the reply often is, “A .357Magnum revolver.” I tend to concur withthis as I find the .357 Magnum revolverespecially versatile. The fact the samegun can fire hot .357 Magnum loads orlight, .38 148-grain wadcutter paperpunchers adds still another dimension.Although it might not be the best hand-gun for self-defense, hunting, hiking,wilderness survival or target, it can per-form each of these functions relativelywell. Many police officers have used a
four-inch barreled .38 Special or .357Magnum revolver as both a duty andoff-duty gun and found that with theproper holster it concealed quite well.
I've owned a lot of .357 Magnumrevolvers during the almost forty yearsI've been shooting handguns and havedeveloped quite a few favorites. Smith &Wesson's Models 27 and 28 were amongthe first .357 Magnums I used, and I stilllike these sturdy classics, though I dofind them a bit heavy today. My specialfavorite lately has been a 27-7 with four-inch barrel and eight-shot cylinder whichwas part of a small run of the finaldescendent of Smith & Wesson's original.357 Magnum. Mine was sent to theSmith & Wesson Performance Center foran action job and now is very smooth forboth single and double-action shooting,and, with its eight round capacity andfull moon clip reload capability, it cancompete with powerful autoloaders forcapacity and speed of reload.
Another old time favorite of mine wasthe original Colt Trooper with which Ialways shot well—still do, in fact. I had-n't owned one for years but bought aused one a couple of years ago and nowshoot it a lot.
Although I always liked the big N-
frame .357 Mags, my favorite Smith &Wesson .357 Magnums have normallybeen the K-frame Models 19 and 66. Infact, I like these models so much that Iam always on the lookout for good buyson engraved examples and have twoengraved Model 19s and three engravedModel 66s, including a matched pair ofengraved 2-1/2" Model 66s. Although Iconsider the four-inch barreled K-framemagnum the most versatile, I have toadmit that I find the shorter barreledones a guilty pleasure. The Model 66with 2-1/2 or 3-inch barrels seems to bal-ance just right for double-action shoot-ing, and I must admit I just like the waythese shorter magnums look. One of myfavorites is a three-inch Model 66—ascarce barrel length—with a Magna-Trig-ger Safety installed. I also shoot myengraved Model 66s quite a bit.
Another .357 Magnum which qualifiesas a guilty pleasure is a two-inch bar-reled, nickel-plated Colt Lawman, whichI purchased a couple of years agobecause, well, I had always wanted one. Idon't shoot it or carry it much, but I dolike it.
The more sturdy Model 686 wasdesigned to allow extensive shooting offull-power magnum loads, but I havereally only owned a couple of 686s. Infact, currently, I only own two. One is athree-inch round butt Customs Servicemodel which was returned to Smith &Wesson for a "street" action job. This isone of my favorite guns, which I oftencarry in a Blade-Tech holster for hiking,camping or other outdoor activities. Ialready mentioned how much I likeSmith & Wesson's Mountain Guns. As aresult, in addition to the N-frame exam-ples, I also own an L-frame 686+ Moun-tain Revolver. This seven-shot .357 Mag-num is so versatile that at least oneshooter I know who owns dozens anddozens of handguns states he wouldchoose it if he had to rely on only onehandgun.
Many shooters have considered theColt Python the ultimate .357 Magnumrevolver. It is certainly one of myfavorites. I own and shoot a pair of ulti-mate stainless Pythons—one with a 2-1/2 inch barrel and one with a four-inchbarrel. The actions are very smooth andboth guns are extremely accurate. I'vealways liked stag grips on bright guns,thus my two Pythons are so equippedwith beautiful stags from Ajax Grips. Asa result, they are an excellent combo ofhandsomeness, durability and accuracy.
Even though I argue that the .357 Mag-
num revolver is so versatile that onecould get by with it as his only handgun,note how many of them I own. I obvi-ously like this caliber and handgun typequite a lot. Because the .357 Magnumrevolver is such a classic, I also own tworevolvers in this caliber which are partic-ular examples of European craftsman-ship.
One of these is a Korth Combat Model.This German revolver is virtually hand-made, and is a work of art in steel. TheKorth shoots extremely well as befits isprice tag—$5,000-$7,500 depending onoptions. Mine came with an auxiliary9mm cylinder to allow it be shot moreinexpensively in countries where9x19mm ammo is more readily availablethan .357 Magnum.
I also own and shoot a ManurhinMR73—France's excellent combatrevolver. This revolver is so durable thatexamples with 50,000 rounds or morefired through them are not uncommon.Accurate and fast handling, the MR73has been chosen by some of the mosthighly trained counterterrorist units inEurope as their primary handgun. Mine,in fact, was used for years by a memberof Austria's GEK Cobra antiterroristunit, yet other than a bit of holster wearshows little signs of hard use duringconstant close combat training. TheFrench are arrogant about manythings—in the case of the MR73, theyare justified.
One other interesting .357 Magnumwhich I use is a Walther R-99: yes, I saidWalther! When Smith & Wesson waslicensed to produce the P-99 automatic,they also produced a limited number ofthree-inch Model 66 .357 Magnumrevolvers with interchangeable gripsfrom Walther. Designated the R-99, thisrevolver was intended only for Euro-pean sales. However, I've always likedSmith & Wessons, Walthers, and three-inch barreled .357 Magnums so I man-aged to obtain one of the very fewexamples in the U.S.A.
As I was writing this article, itoccurred to me that it's obvious I stilllike revolvers a lot. Three of the last fourhandguns I've purchased have beenrevolvers, and the top gun on my "wantlist," is a Smith & Wesson 386 MountainLite, revolver. I've got a lot of favoriterevolvers, but despite the plethora ofexcellent autoloaders available today, Ikeep finding new revolvers to join thosefavorites. For me, certainly, the revolverremains a highly viable type of hand-gun. �
from left to right: Korth, perhaps theworld's highest quality and most expen-sive revolver; five-inch barrel, nickel-plated Smith & Wesson Model 27; S&W360PD is a great pocket revolver as it islight and chambers the .357 Magnumround.
76 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
THE ARTICLE NAME
It was a near-perfect place for anambush. The client, for reasonsknown only to him, was walking in
an open field completely barren of any-thing that resembled hard cover. To theleft lay a rather large creek that wasimpassable for all practical purposes.Out in the open, with unknown territo-ry to the front, a waterway to the leftand an armed attacker to the right, theclient should have been a "sitting duck."
Fortunately, his four-man protectiveteam was prepared for just such anassault. We had been moving in a for-mation around the client that is com-monly referred to in the executive pro-tection business as a "modifieddiamond." About four paces in front ofthe client was the team point man. His
primary responsibility lay to the front.Approximately three paces to theclient's left walked the flank man, whowas responsible for watching forattacks that might originate to the leftside of the diamond. Rear security hadbeen strategically located five pacesdirectly behind the client and assignedthe task of protecting the client from arear attack.
As the final player in this particulardiamond formation, I was designatedthe Personal Protection Officer (PPO). Iwas situated about one pace back andto the right of the client. My first andforemost responsibility was to shieldthe client and move him to a safe place,which might mean that I got my Kevlarvest (with me in it) between an attacker
and the principal. If circumstances dic-tated that I was in the best position todeal with an assault based upon prox-imity or angle, I would do so and "handoff" the client to one of the other teammembers.
The team went into action. Point andrear turned abruptly to the right andtook several steps in the direction of thethreat as they drew their service pistolsand locked into solid shooting plat-forms. I had already identified the loca-tion of the attacker, and was aware thatboth point and rear were moving deci-sively to engage. I reached with my lefthand and grabbed the client by theback of his neck, placed my right handon his hip, and turned him abruptly sothat he was facing the opposite direc-
"GUN RIGHT!"
EXECUTIVE PROTECTION—
STRATEGIC WEAPON ACADEMY OF
Practical handgun skills were taughtthroughout the course, including theappropriate use of hard cover duringcounter-vehicle ambushes.
THE ARTICLE NAME
www.swatmag.com
tion. I started moving him at a rapid pace to the rear towardsfamiliar territory where I knew we could find good cover. Theflank man closed in on us, moving next to me so that weformed a solid wall of Kevlar between the threat and the client.Flank had seen that there were at least two guns on target, andmade the decision to join me.
Upon our arrival at cover, I turned to observe how the bal-ance of the protective team had fared. Quite well, I saw, as bothpoint and rear were competent shooters. The threat had beenshot to the ground. Point shouted to rear, "Clear left." Rearquickly responded, "Clear right, move in," and both teammembers moved in to insure that the threat was not onlydown, but also incapable of continuing the attack on theirclient. Rather than walk directly up to their downed adversaryon a straight line, both moved in a pronounced arc. This servedto make them a much more difficult target in the event theattacker was feigning injury. Rear said, "Clear right," and pointresponded with, "Clear left, all clear." The attacker was downand out.
TEXAS EXECUTIVE PROTECTION COURSE
BY STEVE MOSES
Strategic WeaponsAcademy of TexasInstructor MikeWalker, a decorat-ed combat veteranwho saw action inboth Desert Stormand Somalia.
Tim Bulot demonstrates the use of thetactical rifle. He noted that the rifle has
its place in certain protective details,both domestically and overseas.
78 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
EXECUTIVE PROTECTION - TEXAS-STYLE
Prudence dictated a tactical with-drawal, as this team subscribed to YogiBerra's maxim of "it ain't over until it'sover." Rear was closest to cover, so itwas logical that point move first. Uponrear's command to move, pointresponded with, "Moving" and fell backabout fifteen yards behind rear. He thentook a knee, covered the threat area andcommanded rear to move. The twoalternated the process of moving andcovering until they were able to rejointhe rest of the team at the rally point Ihad chosen.
"Not too shabby, guys, but I saw afew places where improvement couldbe made." These were the first words ofTim Bulot, owner of and chief instruc-tor at Strategic Weapons Academy ofTexas, at the completion of what hadbeen an immediate action drill duringan executive protection course conduct-ed at Tim's private thirty-seven acrerange in Ennis, Texas (about forty-fiveminutes south of Dallas). Our attackerhad only been a single steel PepperPopper. Regardless, some of us werebreathing hard.
Tim Bulot is the founder of StrategicWeapons Academy of Texas. Tim hasworked for over twenty years as apolice officer for a large, metropolitanpolice department, and is a state-certi-fied rifle, pistol, close quarters battleand defensive tactics instructor. Heteaches hostage rescue, high-risk war-rant execution, explosive entry tactics,and sniper craft for the famed TacticalExplosive Entry School. Over the years,Tim has trained hundreds of lawenforcement personnel, as well as themembers of several well-known corpo-rate security teams. He entered theexecutive protection field after complet-ing numerous executive protectioncourses taught by the United StatesSecret Service and Federal Marshals. Hehas become very active in the executiveprotection field, and currently has sev-eral protective teams in place through-out Texas.
Tim's seven-day Executive Protectionand Security Specialist Course repeat-edly sells out. Students that completethe course are eligible to become Texasstate-certified, Level III CommissionedSecurity Officers and Level IV PersonalProtection Officers. The course itselfcovers conflict resolution, use of force,CPR and emergency first aid, unarmeddefensive tactics, knife defense, hand-gun shooting tactics, tactical rifle shoot-ing tactics (Tim includes foreign rifles
like the AK-47),advance work andclient debussing andembussing. Also cov-ered are state-of-the-artVIP protection skillsdealing with foot for-mations, counter-ambush and kidnap-ping, and vehiclemotorcade placement.Much of the trainingtakes place on the previ-ously mentioned thirty-seven acre trainingfacility, which includesa shoot-house, steelrange and sniper range.The students participatein a final training exer-cise on the last day ofthe course that requiresthem to actually escort aclient and his familyduring an evening onthe town. The studentsmust don suits or sportcoats and dresstrousers, and areexpected to performadvance planning,embus and debus theclient and his familyand assume foot forma-tions that will provide360-degree protection for the clientwithout "crowding" him or appearingoverly conspicuous. This is easier saidthan done!
Tim is the consummate instructor.Highly professional and articulate, heclearly and concisely conveys to his stu-dents what he wants them to learn. Heis deadly serious about this business,and tolerates no horseplay. That doesnot mean that he is humorless by anymeans. More than once he summed upa student's performance in a very suc-cinct fashion like, "Well, that reallysucked." He always smiled when hesaid that—and he was always right.Instructors like Tim, as my formerMarine friends are prone to say, are"highly motivating."
Strategic Weapons Academy of TexasInstructor Mike Walker supported Timin this course. Mike brings a lot of expe-rience to the table. A decorated combatveteran, Mike saw action as a Marine inIraq and Somalia. Mike has "seen theelephant" on numerous occasions, andhis ability to explain what works anddoesn't work in the real world is fasci-
nating. Mike is soft-spoken (unless heneeds to be otherwise), and I foundmyself hanging onto his every word.He fully subscribes to the theory thatthe best personal protection officers arethose that take training seriously anduse their brains to minimize the oppor-tunities for confrontations throughgood advance planning, reconnoitering,proper foot formations and situationalawareness.
Tim noted that many of his students,including some that are currently activein the security business, lack goodfirearm skills at the beginning of thecourse. To that end, he places a lot offocus on developing the ability to makeshort-range, surgical hits. Collateraldamage in this business is definitely abad thing. He also stresses that the abil-ity to properly run a gun is only onepart of being a PPO. The ability toquickly and effectively fend off a non-lethal physical threat is critical, and thePPO should have in his grab-bag ofskills the ability to intercept and controlpersons who intend to grab or strikethe principal. Often referred to as
top: The protective team prepares to debus the client. Theimportance of being able to dominate a 360-degree envi-ronment was repeatedly stressed to the students.above: "Contact Rear!" Instructor Tim Bulot (pictured onthe left) uses hard empty hand skills to disable an attackerwhile the rest of the team evacuates the principal.
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 79www.swatmag.com
RIFLESONLY
The RIFLES ONLY facility islocated in the Wild Horse Desertarea of South Texas, offeringthe opportunity to train underextreme conditions. Classesand competitions at Rifles Onlyare not shooting vacations, theyare training for professionalsand enthusiasts who have adesire to better their skills.
Lodging is available. Please contact us concerningschedules, pricing and equipment.
361-595-5472 ◆ 361-522-4165
www.riflesonly.com
“If you canonly take oneclass in your life(precision rifle),RIFLES ONLYis the place”- Frank Galli,
Sniper’s Hide.
EXECUTIVE PROTECTION - TEXAS-STYLE
"defensive tactics," Tim's knowledge ofwhat works and doesn't work greatlyexceeds that of the average trainer. As aholder of a fifth degree black belt inAmerican Kenpo Karate, he draws upona martial arts background that spansnearly three decades, plus time spent asa police officer during raids and on thestreets. As a student, it is nice to knowthat your instructor has seen first-handthe results of a given technique. I am apeace officer and former full-contacttournament fighter, and I have neverseen anyone that had such an in-depthand esoteric understanding of defensivetactics as Tim. It was worth the cost ofthe course just to learn how to defend aprincipal with the hard empty handskills that Tim teaches.
Tim's Executive Protection classteaches live-fire emergency vehicleextraction of the principal. This is ablock of instruction that is pretty muchunique to Tim's class—at least in Texas.The principal was in the lead car, sittingin the right rear passenger seat. The carhad been "driving" in the left lane. Timteaches his people to spend as muchtime driving in the far-left lane as possi-ble. The reason for this is that the easiestway for an assailant on a motorcycle orin a car to kidnap or kill the client is todrive up alongside the driver and shoothim. This would eventually bring theclient's vehicle to a complete stop,almost always in a dramatic fashion! Bydriving in the left lane, an attacker mustthen drive on the left shoulder to beabreast of the driver, and this is a verynoticeable action that should allow thedriver more time to respond appropri-ately.
Tim had already advised the protec-tive team of how he wanted them tohandle the rescue and evacuation of theclient, and previously ran us through aseries of drills that became increasinglycomplex in order to prepare us for thefinal run. Our four-man team was in thefollow car, when the lead car holdingour client was "taken out" by a "rocket-propelled grenade" (actually, a firecrack-er). The lead car came to a completehalt, the driver and PPO were "dead",and the client was left momentarilyunprotected in the back seat. Six armedattackers (actually six Pepper Poppertargets) were located in front of and tothe side of the lead car.
Our follow car driver immediatelydrove the car into a blocking positionbetween the lead car and the attackers.As designated team leader, I occupied
the front passenger seat. I drove themuzzle of my Glock 19 though the car'sside window and immediately broughtsuppressive fire on the attackers, eventhough the car had not come to a com-plete halt. The team member in the rearpassenger seat on my side waited untilthe car stopped, and then started care-fully picking off the attackers. Our driv-er exited and went to the front of the carto return fire, careful to keep as much ofthe engine, axle and wheel between himand the enemy as possible. Our fourthteam member likewise exited, but wentto the rear of the car, crawled under thetrunk, and used the right rear wheel as ashield from incoming fire. Within mereseconds, all four of us were placing awithering amount of fire on the attack-ers.
The attackers were down. I did aquick scan. As there was no furtherimmediate threat within my field ofvision, I yelled, "One clear!" The othersresponded in a like fashion. I now knewthat the team was ready to secure theprincipal and vacate what was obvious-ly an unfriendly environment.
"Evacuate," I yelled. The team mem-ber in the rear passenger seat on myside and I provided cover and remainedon guard for a renewed assault whilethe other two moved to the lead car andliterally pulled the client from it. Thedriver stepped in front of the client, andthe other moved directly behind theclient, literally sandwiching him inKevlar. They quickly moved him to ourcar. He was placed in the middle of theback seat so that he sat between twooperatives. The driver got in our car andquickly reversed it, which kept two ofus in a position to continue cover fire ifnecessary as we completed the extrac-tion. In only a few seconds we were aconsiderable distance from the attack.The car stopped, and we waited to getde-briefed by Tim. He looked at thescene, and then looked at us. We waitedfor him to speak. Finally, he did. Timsmiled and said, "Not too shabby, guys,but I saw a few places where improve-ment could be made."
That was okay with me. I was there tolearn. �
SOURCE:Strategic Weapons Academy of TexasDept. S.W.A.T.100 N. MacArthur, Suite 120Irving, TX 75061(972) 251-7075www.weaponsacademy.com
80 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
Who was it that said, “Themore things change, the morethey stay the same? I don’t
know, but they were right. Consider fora moment the middle to late 1980s andthe 9mm craze. The decision of the U.S.Military to change over to a 9mmNATO pistol coincided with the nation-wide law enforcement trend to switchfrom revolver to semi-autos. Very quick-ly, the 9mm pistol was the rage and the.45 ACP cartridge was given a back seat.Fast-forward twenty years. The .45 ACPis once again seen as the “serious” oper-ator’s pistol of choice, e.g. L.A. SWAT,FBI’s HRT, and the U.S. Military’sSOCOM.
Now, consider for a moment the .308Winchester cartridge (7.62 NATO).Replaced by the .223 Remington (5.56
mm), the .308 Win. waned in popularityas a combat rifle cartridge and was basi-cally relegated to the bolt-action rifle forsniper work. No, I am not suggestingthat the .223 ARs and M4s are going tobe replaced by a new wave of .308s.What I would submit, however, is thatthe reality of terrorism and outrightlawlessness on the part of determinedfelons has made more and more lawenforcement personnel consider a pow-erful semiautomatic rifle.
For those unfamiliar with the concept,allow me a moment. A Level I Aggres-sor will surrender when confronted by afirearm. This is a psychological submis-sion. A Level II Aggressor will surren-der after receiving gunfire, even non-lifethreatening hits. This too is a psycholog-ical submission. A Level III Aggressor
stops only when gunfire disrupts theircentral nervous system or they havebled out to the point where they loseconsciousness. This is a physiologicalsubmission.
During the time it takes a murderer tobleed to death, possibly several min-utes, they can inflict great harm anddeath upon innocent persons. Therefore,the only way to assure immediate cessa-tion of violence from the aggressor is todisrupt the central nervous system.
Consider the FBI Miami shoot-out,the North Hollywood bank robberyand, more recently, the less publicizedbut equally horrific murder of twoAlexandria, Louisiana police officers bya rifle-wielding maniac. Like the Miamiand Hollywood situations, the cop-killer in the Alexandria case absorbed
BY PAUL G. MARKEL
XS Sights ghost-ring rear sight.
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 81www.swatmag.com
multiple gunshots before finallyexpiring. These three examples repre-sent Level III aggressors.
Also, in all three cases the felonsused cover for protection whileengaging law enforcement officers.What should be blatantly obvious isthat law enforcement officers need tohave a tool available to defeat light tomedium cover (body armor, standardvehicle bodies, modern building con-struction, etc.) This tool cannot belocked in the department armory thir-ty minutes from the scene. It must bereadily available to responding offi-cers.
What tool is readily available forlaw enforcement purchase today? Thesemiautomatic .308 Winchester rifle.Again, I am not suggesting that the
.308 become the universal issue longgun replacing the 12-gauge shotgunor the .223 carbine. I would, however,argue that the .308 battle rifle candefeat cover, bring suppressive fire,and stop Level III Aggressors morereliably than the previously men-tioned tools. After all, shouldn’t stop-ping murderous felons as quickly aspossible be the main goal?
THE G3With all of the above considerations
in mind, I contacted Century Interna-tional Arms, Inc.—a longtime suppli-er of new and re-conditioned arms forthe American gun buyer.
At the time of this article, Centuryhas re-conditioned G3 and CETME.308 Winchester rifles available. Theprices on these are so reasonable thatthey simply cannot be ignored. TheCETME is less than $400 and the G3 isless than $500.
The G3 rifle is a Heckler & Kochdesign and has seen use by militaryunits worldwide. The particularmodel featured herein is known as the“G3 Sporter.” This rifle will accept allnew and surplus H&K G3 magazines.The semiautomatic action is a delayedblowback, roller locked design.
Equipped with a black syntheticstock and forend, the G3 Sporterweighs 9.3 pounds and is 40.75 incheslong. Barrel length is nineteen incheswith a ported muzzle-brake regulatoraffixed to the muzzle. Metal finish is abaked on, non-reflective black coat-ing. The stock sights are H&K’sunique rotating drum rear and aringed front sight post. The drumsight offers 100, 200, 300, and 400-meter settings.
While the stock sights may be goodfor conventional military work, Iwanted a sight set-up that wouldwork for close-in fighting as well asreasonably long distance, say 100 to150 yards. After confirming the rifleorder. I made a call to XS Sight Sys-tems in Ft. Worth, Texas.
Many readers may be familiar withthe XS Express handgun sights. XSalso makes a wide variety of sights for
rifles and shotguns. It just so hap-pened that XS had a set of replace-ment sights for the H&K family aswell.
Using only common tools, I wasable to install a standard dot tritiumfilled front sight and a ghost-ring rearsight in the G3. The concept of the tri-tium filled, white dot front sight is togive the shooter a rapid sight picturein normal, half and low light situa-tions. The ghost-ring rear sight natu-rally allows the shooter to align thesights of a long gun for enhancedaccuracy.
Would the sights work for close inas well as distance work? Would thegun function well or sputter and jam?I would soon find out.
THE GUNSITE ACADEMYI received both a G3 and a CETME
rifle a week prior to my trip to theGunsite Academy in Paulden, Ari-zona. The primary purpose of the tripwas a writer’s roundtable. Gun writ-ers from across the country gottogether to test and evaluate variouspistols, rifles, and shotguns on Gun-site’s numerous ranges. Travelingwith me to Arizona was the G3 rifle,a 12-gauge pump, and my duty .45ACP pistol.
On the first Gunsite range, shootersfirst worked with rifles/carbines atCQB distances. Most everyone elseused .223 AR variants. Using my .308G3 from five and ten yards I waspleased to find that I could indeeddouble-tap man-size silhouette tar-gets with ease. By double-tap, I meanacquire one sight picture and fire tworounds. At distances of fifteen, twen-ty, and thirty yards it was best to re-acquire the sight picture for each suc-cessive shot. The white dot front sightallowed very rapid sight acquisition.
As the sun set on the first day, wereturned to the range to work in thedark. Using only the available moon-light and the green tritium frontsight, I was able to make solid centermass hits from five, ten, fifteen, andeven twenty yards. Back at thirtyyards, I pulled out my new Stream-light NF-2 flashlight and was able tocradle the rifle in my left arm, whileholding the light in my left hand.This position feels awkward at first,but with practice it works.
Moving back to fifty yards I had afriend shine a flashlight downrangewhile I engaged a steel Pepper Pop-
The G3 Sporterfrom Century International Arms,Omega vest fromBlackhawk, knivesfrom Spyderco andS.O.G.
XS Sights Standard DotTritium frontsight.
82 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
CENTURY INTERNATIONAL’S G3 RIFLE
G3 PERFORMANCE WITH XS SIGHTSAMMUNITION AVERAGE VELOCITY (Fps) BEST 75-YARD, 3-SHOT GROUP
WITH XS SIGHTS
Black Hills 168-gr. Match 2405 1-1/2 in.
Federal 175-gr. Match 2323 2-1/2 in.
Hornady 155-gr. AMAX 2479 1-3/4 in.
Spanish Fabrica 168-gr. FMJ 2457 1-9/16 in.
SOURCES:Century International Arms, Inc.Dept. S.W.A.T.1161 Holland DriveDept. 0307ABoca Raton, FL 33487(800) 527-1252www.centuryarms.com
Bagmaster, Inc.Dept. S.W.A.T.2731 Sutton Ave.St. Louis, MO 63143 (800) 950-8181www.bagmaster.com
Black Hills AmmunitionDept. S.W.A.T.P.O. Box 3090Rapid City, SD 57709(605) 348-5150www.black-hills.com
Federal CartridgeDept. S.W.A.T.900 Ehlen Dr.Anoka, MN 55303(800) 322-2342www.federalcartridge.com
Gunsite AcademyDept. S.W.A.T.2900 W. Gunsite Rd. Paulden, AZ 86334(928) 636-4565www.gunsite.com
HornadyDept. S.W.A.T.P.O. Box 1848Grand Island, NE 68803(800) 338-3220www.hornady.com
XS Sights Systems, Inc.Dept. S.W.A.T.2401 Ludell St. Ft. Worth, TX 76105(888) 744-4880www.xssights.com
per target. The sparks from the bulletstriking the steel gave instant feedback.Although by no means easy, hits on thePopper could be made with the glowingfront sight.
The next morning found us all out onGunsite’s rifle range. Targets of oppor-tunity would be twelve-inch hangingsteel plates and rifle grade poppers.Starting at the one hundred yard line, Ilay prone and had a friend spot for me. Iwas pleased to find that the front sightwas not “too big” as I had initiallyfeared. Placing the dot in the center ofthe plates or the poppers gave consis-tent results. The kneeling and off-handpositions demanded greater concentra-tion, but the G3 still performed well.
Back at the two-hundred yard line Ifound that the front sight dot complete-ly covered the center portion of a pop-per. To achieve hits I needed to place thedot just below the “head” of the popper.Hits at two hundred yards proved to bedifficult, but possible. Using the XSdot/ghost ring setup, two hundredyards was the maximum effective rangefor my G3. For most uses of the rifle incivilian hands, urban or rural, thisshould be sufficient.
ACCURACY AND AMMOWhile at Gunsite I used primarily
Hornady’s AMAX ammunition. Uponreturning home I took the G3 to therange with loads from Black Hills, Hor-nady, and Federal. A fourth .308 loadcame from Century Arms. In addition tofirearms, they also distribute accessoriesand ammunition. This last load was sur-plus Spanish Fabrica full metal jacket.Not only did the Fabrica function with-out flaw, I also found it to be very cleanammo.
At seventy-five yards I put severalthree shot groups on paper. The resultsare included in the included table.Though the results might not seemimpressive a first glance, keep in mind
the dot/ghost ring sight configuration.Is a consistent three-inch group practicalaccuracy for our given task? Again, Iwould say yes.
How about function? Did the G3 everjam, malfunction or fail to feed? No, no,and no. Using two H&K twenty-roundmagazines in conjunction with the rifle,I did not encounter a single stoppage orfailure. The round count for this evalua-tion was somewhere between three andfour hundred shots fired.
ACCESSORIESDuring the testing of this rifle, I was
able to put to good use accessories fromseveral companies. Blackhawk Interna-tional makes an excellent tactical vestcalled the Omega. In addition to maga-zine pockets for .223 or .308, the vesthas carrying compartments for shot-shells, pistol magazines, OC spray,handcuffs and more. I also put Black-hawk’s Hydrastorm hydration pack togood use in Arizona.
From Bagmaster, Inc. I picked up oneof their tactical rifle cases. The paddedsoft case has four magazine compart-ments and a large pocket for miscella-neous items. In addition to carryinghandles, the case has a sturdy sling onthe backside. This is a nice touch as itallows you to sling the case and free upan extra hand.
WRAP UPWhile the hot, new .223 carbines may
have bumped the .308 battle rifle fromthe spotlight, they are not ready for theglue factory just yet. If you need a hard-hitting semiautomatic rifle, then theCentury International Arms G3 mightjust be the ticket.
Hopefully you will never need such atool. However, an investment of lessthan $500 just might save the day. Thetools are available, the rest is up to you.Train today, survive tomorrow. �
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 83www.swatmag.com
imagine you are a soldier crammedwith your buddies in a helicopter,flying over the ocean en route to a
target. You are loaded down with yourhelmet, body armor, weapons, ammo,and other tools of war. Suddenly youhear the engines decelerate, the helo’smaster alarm blares, and the pilotscreams over the intercom those wordsof dread, “DITCHING! DITCHING!”Thoughts of an agonizing death bydrowning run through your head.
How are you going to survive? If yousurvive the initial splashdown andhave no specialized egress training,your statistical chances of survival are amere one out of three. With trainingthose odds rise to respectable 90-92%.Clearly, training can help you avoidmaking fatal decisions. Understand-ably, soldiers don’t like the idea ofbeing in the water weighted down witha full combat load, let alone being
strapped inside an air-craft that is sinking. Butthat is precisely whyspecialized training isrequired to survive aditching. If you do whatyour instincts tell you,you will do the wrongthings.
The U.S. military hasrecognized the value ofegress training and hasprovided some of ourservicemen who routine-ly do over-water opera-tions with a modicum oftraining, which has tra-ditionally been reserved for pilots.
Formalized skills training in this areais relatively new for aircraft passengers,particularly infantry. A driving forcebehind the modernization of militaryaircraft egress standards was a particu-
larly tragic accident which occurred fif-teen miles off San Diego back in 1999.Fourteen Marines were aboard a CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter as the pilottried to land on the deck of an under-way ship as part of a combat boarding
SURVIVAL SYSTEMSTRAINING, INC.
combat aircraft passenger egressBY CHRIS ADAMS
The METS simulator, operated via remote controlpoolside.
Assuming the brace position as the cabin beginsto fill during a slow run-through. Yes, he willactually squeeze through the window on the left.
84 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
THE ARTICLE NAME
exercise. The Sea Knight came in lowand snagged its left rear wheel on theship’s metal netting. When the helobroke loose it became vertical, rolledinto the ocean and sank. Seven died—their bodies were later recovered at adepth of 3,800 feet. The Marines thenmoved to equip and standardize emer-gency breathing devices, floatable vestsand helmets, and other equipment forover-water operations. (See Lanyards:Antiquated or Essential? by Patrick A.Rogers in the April 2003 issue.) Otherservice branches followed parallelcourses of action.
This begs the question, where doesthe military go for high-end egresstraining? They go to Survival SystemsTraining, Inc., a private company spe-cializing in water-related rescue andsurvival training. Some of their coursesinclude Aircraft Ditching, Sea Survival,and the highly specialized UnderwaterPatient Evacuation course for air med-ical personnel.
SST’s clientele list reads like a Who’sWho of the commercial, civil and mili-tary aviation spectrum. Quite a fewelite police and military units train reg-ularly with SST. Recently, S.W.A.T.attended SST’s relatively new CombatInfantry Passenger Course, the programwhich specifically deals with the addi-tional burdens of a gear-laden infantrysoldier. The U.S. military runs its ownegress programs, but elite units oftenget sent to SST because, quite simply,the standards are higher. The CombatInfantry Passenger Course is an inten-sive one-day program for those who
have already completed the basic Air-craft Ditching Course. As the nameimplies, this course is tailored for sol-diers who engage in over-water opera-tions, with a heavy emphasis on heli-copter specific procedures.
SST features a sophisticated trainingcenter built around a fourteen-footdeep, water-filled training tank. Stu-dents are dropped into this tank whileriding inside a Modular Egress TrainingSimulator (METS), a high-tech aircraftcabin (and cockpit) simulator. TheMETS can be configured to accuratelyrepresent a wide variety of aircraft inte-riors, as its seats, bulkheads and wallpanels are all modular and interchange-able. The METS even has a built-insmoke and fire generator to give stu-dents an extra dose of realism. TheMETS is a modernized marvel com-pared with the older “dunker” morefamiliar to military aviator pilots andcrews. SST is currently selling severalMETS to various military agencies toreplace their older dunkers.
Our day begins with a classroomreview of basic hazards specific to over-water operations. This leads to viewingdramatic videos of ditchings and athorough discussion of procedures wewill practice throughout the day in thepool. Then out comes the gear, and theclass explores the various new Emer-gency Breathing System (EBS) devicescurrently in service with the U.S. Mili-tary. These are simply mini SCUBA bot-tles providing an emergency air sourcefor egress when you are having a reallybad day. Each service branch has its
own configuration and name for its EBS(naturally), but they all serve essentiallythe same purpose.
Students then don ceramic ballisticvests, Kevlar helmets, and rig on a fullload of ammo pouches, holsters, etc.This is an aspect of ditching prepared-ness which is currently undergoingrapid change; ceramic Class 4 ballisticvests can now include an emergency-ditching rig which allows the vest toseparate and fall off an immersed sol-dier.
Next, we grab a rubber M4 trainingrifle and practice assuming variousseated brace positions. A strong braceposition will anchor the body againstthe powerful force of water flooding thecabin upon impact. Done incorrectly, asoldier might knock himself uncon-scious with his rifle butt, which couldbecome a fatal scenario as the aircraftsinks with him still strapped inside.
The pool sessions at SST are wherestudents truly overcome the innatehuman reflexes which can send a sol-dier to Davy Jones’ Locker. Because hel-icopters are top-heavy and typically rollover and invert when ditched, certainwater survival skills must be devel-oped. When a human inverts underwater, his sinuses flood. Now we’re notjust talking about some water in thenose here—we’re talking about waterfilling the sinus cavities behind thenose, the very same condition used bytorturers the world over with the old“dunk the head in the water upsidedown” simulated drowning. For mostof us, this can lead to panic, involun-
A student breathing off his EBSsqueezed through a window clutch-ing his M4 while a safety diverwatches closely.
SURVIVAL SYSTEMS
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 85www.swatmag.com
tary spasms and gagging, all of whichwork against our surviving the egress.The instructors at SST very effectivelywalk us through dealing with this prob-lem and let us spend time upside downin the pool while learning to breathethrough our EBS. Soon it becomes nomore than simple ritual—the anxiety isgone and we move on to the TrainingSimulator.
The METS simulator is a piece oftraining gold. We swim out to the simu-lator, climb inside, and grab a seat. Forthis particular program we requestedthe METS be configured as a UH-60.Then begins the first series of egressdrills, which become progressivelymore complex. The METS is droppedinto the water, floods within seconds,and then inverts. Even so, most of uscan escape comfortably in ten to fifteenseconds—long before we feel any dis-comfort from holding our breath. If wedo things properly, the window panelspop out providing escape. Once thecabin inverts, things get very dark veryquickly. Finding an escape route visu-ally is impossible—every move is doneby touch.
Once we escape and bob to the sur-face of the pool, our instructors raisethe METS to the surface so we can re-board and set up for the next run. Aftera few practice runs at each skill levelwe keep adding progressively morecombat gear. The rifle not only likes tosmack your buddy, but literally baryour exit if you are not careful. Thisentire evolution is done under thewatchful eyes of SST’s instructors, one
of whom is always inside the cabin rid-ing with the students. Safety diverswait submerged in the pool to watchthe escapees for problems.
By the end of the day, students areexpected to egress the simulator in fullcombat gear and pop to the surfacewith their rifle in hand. This canbecome interesting when your escapehole is on the opposite end of the cabin,five of your buddies are between youand that hole, and you must use thesame escape route.
Staying calm and in control can beeasier said than done as evidenced byone of the company’s M4 training gunsmissing its front sight assembly. Thesoldier carrying it panicked when itjammed in the window barring hisescape, task fixation set in and heforced his way out. One of the manybeginners’ mistakes which can lead tothis sort of frantic action is simplyreleasing one’s seatbelt too soon. If yourelease the belt before the cabin stabi-lizes you will lose contact with thebulkhead and become completely dis-oriented. Still, it takes discipline to waituntil the initial rush of water hits. Thephysical and technical skills required tosuccessfully complete this course arenot difficult at all—it’s the ability toremain cool-headed and in controlwhich must be developed with the aidof SST’s training progression. SSTmakes the point that non-swimmershave successfully completed theiregress programs, driving home thepoint that technique and mindset arethe key factors in the program.
SST provides a high-quality, stream-lined, professional-grade program wellsuited for military and law enforcementspecial operations personnel as well asthe combat infantry passengers forwhom it was designed. The overallquality of SST’s staff, facility and pro-gram are commensurate with the seri-ousness of the subject matter. Thehands-on nature of the training as wellas the repetitive and varied practice ses-sions effectively allowed us to over-come our instincts and carry out escapeprocedures no matter what the instruc-tors threw at us. Overall it became ahuge confidence builder, and lived upto the ideal of replacing panic withaction. If you fly and your duties carryyou over water, SST’s programs willhave a very positive impact on yoursurvivability. �
SOURCE:Survival Systems Training Inc.Dept. S.W.A.T.144 Tower AvenueGroton, CT 06340(888) 386-5371www.survivalsystemsinc.com
left: After climbing aboard thesimulator it is raised to preparefor another drop. Thankfully thepool is heated so practice can con-tinue for many hours.
below: Student practicing thebrace position in the classroomwith M4 training carbine.
86 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
There are very few family business-es which flourish for more a centu-ry. One such company is that
founded by Wilhelm Brenneke, and cur-rently owned by his great-grandson, Dr.Peter Mank. Like so many other success-ful entrepreneurs, Mr. Brenneke startedmanufacturing his own product afterbecoming disillusioned with the per-formance of other companies’ wares.
Thus, in 1898, was born the OriginalBrenneke shotgun slug. For 105 years ithas been begged, borrowed, and plagia-rized by other ammunition companies,but has probably never been sur-passed—save for some in-house factorymodifications over the years.
Before reading further, an honest con-fession to the reader of this article. Thisscribe is biased in favor of shotguns,feeds his personal 12 gauge childrenslugs only (no buckshot), and is biasedin favor of Brennekes. In forty years ofboth shooting these slugs and observingothers fire literally thousands uponthousands of this brand, I have yet to seeone round fail to feed or fire—not one.And I don’t believe in fixing somethingthat ain’t broke.
However, after freely admitting topersonal prejudices, let it also be clearlystated that S.W.A.T. Magazine pridesitself on integrity and truth above allelse, and what follows is an honest,unbiased appraisal of the new line of
Brenneke slugs, marketed exclusively byBrenneke Of America.
To clarify any potential confusion,some ammunition companies load theBrenneke slugs into their own cartridgecases under license to the parent compa-ny, but the following review covers theline of products loaded and sold byBrenneke of America only. This clarifica-tion is necessary because (a) outside ofthe United States the word “Brenneke”is often used colloquially and inter-changeably with the word “slug”, and(b) the term “Original Brenneke”describes a bullet design, sometimesloaded by other companies, but does notmean that you are getting the “originalOriginal” Wilhelm Brenneke-designedproduct.
If you’re not totally confused by now,here’s one more tidbit of information—the initial line of 12 gauge, steel-tipped,fiber-wad slugs has now expanded to achoice of a dozen Brenneke cartridges,three of which are a .410 slug, a 20 gauge3-incher, and a 12 gauge nine-pelletbuckshot load.
So yes, this article may require read-ing more than once to absorb all thecomplexities of the content—just followthe bouncing ball and everything willcome up smelling of roses.
Excluding the .410 slug, the 20 gaugeMagnum, and the 12 gauge buckshot,the product line is as follows:
SUPERSABOTS IN 2-3/4AND 3-INCH LOADS
Both configurations contain a one-and-an-eighth ounce bullet, and shot“reasonably” tight groups out of a rifledbarrel. As only a couple of dozen roundswere available for test, we elected toshoot them at twenty-five yards, hopingfor one ragged hole in the target.S.W.A.T. staffer and law enforcementsniper Brent Wheat could manage“only” two-inch groups at twenty-fiveyards with a scoped, rifled-barreledshotgun. Figuring he might be havingan “off” day, we tried again twenty-fourhours later—same result. This wasslightly disappointing, as this can beachieved with standard slugs out of asmoothbore.
Ignoring factory recommendationsthat the unique one-piece sabot roundbe fired from a rifled barrel only, I let acouple of rounds go out of a smoothborefrom twenty-five yards. Result: ten-inchgroup. Apparently the factory has moreknowledge than Mister Know-it-all.
Summation: I’ve never liked sabots—and still don’t, despite the devastatingappearance of fired SuperSabot bulletsfished out of soft test tissue.
Factory recommended use: For big gameout to eighty-plus yards for the 2-3/4-inch round, and for big game out to onehundred plus yards for its larger cousin.
BRENNEKESLUGSA HUNDRED
YEARS AND STILLGOING STRONG
BY LOUIS AWERBUCK
S.W.A.T. Staff writer BrentWheat shooting for group witha rifle-barreled, scoped shotgun.
BRENNEKE SLUGS
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 87www.swatmag.com
ONE-OUNCE LOW RECOIL SLUG
Personally, this scribe is biased againstlow recoil projectiles of any caliber,except for specific examples (such as.22LR Standard Velocity for target shoot-ing). This bias is based upon several per-sonal experiences, one of which is seeingso many different brands of the now in-vogue low recoil slugs printing suchatrocious groups past forty-plus yardsthat I don’t trust any of them. The sec-ond reason, in all honesty, is that yourstruly is so bereft of cerebral faculties thatif I were blindfolded I couldn’t tell thedifference in felt recoil between a stan-dard load and a low recoil round. If youdon’t want recoil, shoot a 28 gauge—there’s no free lunch. Physics is physics,and if you want the payload result ema-nating from the front of the shotgun,deal with the thrust of the recoil.
Summation: 200 rounds of test ammoshot a flat trajectory and six-inch groupsout to 90 yards.
Factory recommended use: For zero tothirty-five yard hunting of 4-leggedgame. (I seriously doubt that 2-leggedgame would be ecstatic after absorbingthis round either.)
ONE-OUNCE KO SLUGThis is a low-priced round which has
enjoyed increasing popularity in the pastcouple of years, and which this authorpersonally believes is going to become afavorite of many shooters in the future.
Summation: 200 rounds of test ammoshot a flat trajectory and more than ade-quate groups out to 100 yards (and pro-vided endless hours of enjoyment toboot).
Factory recommended use: For deer-sized game out to sixty yards (and willundoubtedly get the job done on “dear”-sized game as well).
ONE-AND-A-QUARTEROUNCE HEAVY FIELDSHORT MAGNUM
Bumped up a full twenty-five percentin bullet weight over a “conventional”one-ounce slug, this baby is still haulingat 1000+ feet-per-second at a hundredyards, with a claimed foot-pound ener-gy approaching 1200.
Summation: Another flat shooter.Factory recommended use: For use on
medium and larger game out to 100yard distances.
Personal recommendation: Don’t standin front of this one!
ONE-OUNCE KO SABOT, IN 2-3/4 AND 3-INCH
CONFIGURATIONThese bullets can be fired from either
smoothbore or rifled barrels, and forwhatever reason, seemed to be a betterbet than their SuperSabot brethren.
Summation: I still don’t like sabots!Factory recommended use: Same as for
the SuperSabots.
SUPER MAGNUM AND THE BLACK MAGIC
MAGNUMBoth of these come in three-inch con-
figuration only, and both deliver anincredible claimed 3,000-plus footpounds of energy at the muzzle—and Ibelieve the claims.
Both contain a big-boys-only 1-3/8(yes, that’s one-and-three-eighthsounce) projectile. If these two roundsdon’t put a layer of froth on your saliva,nothing will. The Super Magnum,again, is for rifled barrels only, whilethe Black Magic can be fired from rifledor smooth barrels.
Summation: Now we’re cooking!Factory recommended use: For “large
and dangerous game” out to one hun-dred yards.
Overall, despite the “hitch” with theSuperSabots, I’m still Brenneke’s Num-ber One Fan. And based on fourdecades of shooting this product, andthe results of the rest of the productline, I’m not altogether convinced thatthere wasn’t something intrinsicallyamiss with either the scope or the barrelof the sniper gun used by LieutenantWheat.
I am certainly prepared to give Bren-neke the benefit of the doubt, believetheir claims, and would like to try againwith another gun as a triple-checkbefore making an absolute decision oneway or another.
Here’s to big guns, big bullets, andanother successful century of businessfor the Brenneke/Mank family. �
SOURCE:Brenneke Of America, Ltd.Dept. S.W.A.T.P.O. Box 1481Clinton, IA 52733(800) 753-9733www.brennekeusa.com
THE CUTTING EDGE
Masters of Defense (M.O.D.) has awell-deserved reputation for mak-ing first-rate tactical knives. Its
designer-series knives have won consid-erable acclaim by both knife aficionadosand hard-use operators. Althoughpriced well in line with other semi-cus-tom knives, M.O.D. designer-seriesknives do cost more than some peopleare willing to pay for a knife. Recogniz-ing this, M.O.D. has introduced a newline of tactical knives designed, accord-ing to M.O.D.’s Jim Ray, for those “peo-ple who want quality but don’t want toinvest top dollar in a service knife.”
According to Ray, the new line willconsist of two series of folders—the 685Series of small tactical folders and the875 Series of large tactical folders. All ofthe knives in both series will be avail-able in manual opening and automaticopening versions. All of the blades areavailable with either a plain edge orone-half serrated edge.
The 685 Series knives are the first ofthe new knives to be available. Thecompact 685 Series knives have a 2.9-inch blade and an overall length of 6.85inches. Blade thickness is .125 inch. The
knives come in three blade styles. TheSTT-685 (Small Tactical Tanto) has atanto blade style. The STF-685 (SmallTactical Fighter) has a double groundfighter-style blade. The STH-685 (SmallTactical Hunter) has a single grounddrop point blade style.
The 875 Series was not yet available atthe time of this writing, but it should beavailable by the time you read this. The875 Series knives will have a 3.8-inchblade and an overall length of 8.75 inch-es. Blade thickness will be .148 inch. Aswith the 685 Series, the 875 Series willalso be available in three blade styles.The LTT-875 (Large Tactical Tanto) willhave a tanto blade style. The LTF-875(Large Tactical Fighter) will have a dou-ble ground fighter-style blade. Insteadof a drop point, the third blade style inthe 875 Series, the LTC-875 (Large Tacti-cal Clip Point), will have a doubleground clip point.
M.O.D. uses 154CM high carbonstainless steel for the blades. 154CM ismade in the U.S.A. by Crucible Steel. It’snearly identical to Hitachi’s ATS-34,which is made in Japan. It’s one of thefinest steels. 154CM has an extremely
fine grain structure with excellent edge-holding ability.
M.O.D. cryogenically tempers andhardens the blades to RC 60. RC 60 isconsidered optimum for 154CM, pro-viding maximum edge-holding abilitywithout becoming brittle. The deepcryogenic tempering process is anextension of the heat treatment process.It greatly increases the strength, durabil-ity and performance of the steel.
The high carbon content of 154CMmakes it less rust-resistant than lower-carbon content stainless steels. To pro-tect the blades, M.O.D. utilizes a Dia-mond Black DLC finish. Diamond BlackDLC is extremely hard and scratch-resistant. It was first used on M.O.D.’sA2 carbon steel fixed blades to protectthe steel from rust. It’s non-reflectiveand provides a high degree of corrosionresistance.
The blade and operating system areheld to extremely close tolerances. AllM.O.D. knives feature hollow-groundblades. While hollow-ground blades aremore time consuming and expensive toproduce, they have a superior edge andare easier to sharpen in the field.
The 685 Series knives are available withsingle ground drop point, double groundand tanto-style designs.
The single ground, drop point blade is agood all-around, utilitarian design.
The double ground blade is wellsuited for fighting.
BY EUGENE NIELSEN
New LINE Of TACTICAL
The locking mechanism on the 685Series and 785 Series knives is a propri-etary push-button plunge lock with asecondary safety lock. The plunge locksecurely engages a notch cut into thetang of the blade. The secondary safetyslide lock is located on the thumb faceof the scales. When activated by slidingit forward with the thumb, the second-ary safety lock prevents the primarylock button from being depressed torelease the blade from the open positionand, in the case of auto-openers, fromthe closed position. The locking mecha-nism is quite strong and very secure.
Operation of the knives is completelyambidextrous. Dual ribbed thumb studsallow the knives to be opened witheither hand. M.O.D. folders utilize aprotected “speed bushing” for smoothoperation. The blade pivot screw isadjustable, allowing the blade to be ten-sioned to individual preferences.
The aluminum scales on the design-er-series folders have been replaced onthe new series by 30% glass-filledNylon scales. By going to polymerscales, M.O.D. has eliminated machin-ing costs, yet not sacrificed on durabili-
ty. The strength of the scales is aug-mented by the use of 301 stainless steelliners. The glass-filled Nylon is thesame material M.O.D. uses for the han-dles of its top-of-the line Dieter CQDfixed blade fighters.
The Nylon scales are an attractivedark, gunmetal blue color. A black, tex-tured “wingwalk” insert provides anon-slip grip. Wingwalk is similar toskateboard tape. A sculpted fingergroove acts like a hilt, providing bettercontrol of the knife and helping to pre-vent the hand from contacting theblade. The pocket clip is made of matte-finished hardened 301 stainless steel.The scales and pocket clip are fastenedto the liners by Allen-head screws.
M.O.D. provided S.W.A.T. with aSTT-685 (Small Tactical Tanto) for evalu-ation. Fit and workmanship on the sam-ple were excellent. The blade operatedsmoothly, with a crisp, solid lock up.There wasn’t any play or wobble to theblade.
OK, so what about the price? Themanual opening versions of the 685Series knives have a suggested retailprice of $119.98. The auto openers have
a suggested retail price of $149.98. The875 Series will set you back a few morebucks. The manual opening versions ofthe 875 Series knives will have a sug-gested retail price of $159.98. The autoswill have a suggested retail price of$199.98.
The knives are by no means inexpen-sive, but cost less than one would payfor many of the quality production tacti-cal folders on the market. Also, remem-ber that these are only manufacturersuggested retail prices. If you lookaround you should be able to find themfor less.
All M.O.D. knives have a limited life-time warranty that covers replacementparts and labor. The auto-opening ver-sions are only available to military,fire/EMS and law enforcement withproper ID. �
SOURCE:Masters of Defense, LLCDept. S.W.A.T.256 A Industrial Park DriveWaynesville, NC 28786(888) 832-4158www.mastersofdefense.com
Like the double ground blade, thetanto-style is well suited for fighting.
FOLDERS From M.O.D.
90 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
An old timer once told me, "Afamily that hunts together staystogether." Well, that’s not quite
the way I heard it goes, but it makessense.
Finding a hunt that the whole familycan enjoy is a good way to break 'em inand I cannot think of one better than adove field during the first week of Sep-tember. Dove hunting is hot and heavywith lots of shooting and no time to bebored. The problem is what to put inthe hands of the wife and kids thatwon't spoil all the fun by beating theirshoulders to death or being awkwardto handle. The best combination I havefound is the small gauge, youth-typeshotgun—plenty of power and range,but on a smaller scale that they canhandle easily. Three models I recentlyfound to fit the bill were Tristar's 28gauge TR-II, Tristar's 20 gauge TR-L,and Beretta's AL391 20 gauge youthmodel.
Tristar Sporting Arms is located inNorth Kansas City, Missouri. They areimporters of Italian shotguns by Rizzi-ni and Rota. Don't get excited, theseover and under shotguns have all the
features one could ask for, but ataffordable prices. I like the over andunder concept for training purposes.They have the safety features of a sin-gle shot, but offer the inexperiencedshooter an extra round for that quicksecond shot often needed. Besides, itoffers the prestige of looking like a mil-lion bucks to them, even though it did-n't cost it.
The TR-II features an engraved bluedframe, walnut stock, auto-ejectors, sin-gle select trigger, and a 7mm vent ribbarrel. This 28 gauge model weighsonly 6-3/4 pounds and has 26-inch bar-rels. Length of pull on this model is 14-3/8 inches. It makes a great ladies oryouth shotgun with lightweight han-dling and very little recoil.
The TR-L is made for ladies, butserves double duty as a youth version.It sports a fancy silver engraved frame,auto-ejectors, choke tubes, single selecttrigger, and a 10mm vent rib. Its semi-fancy walnut stock has a shorter 13-1/2inch length of pull for smaller frameindividuals. The TR-L is offered in 20gauge only and has three-inch cham-bers if more power is needed. Both
Tristar models have a limited five-yearwarranty.
Beretta has been in the firearms busi-ness for 475 years and needs no intro-duction. Their AL391 semi-auto(Youth) model is for the moreadvanced shooters of the family. This20 gauge is a three-inch magnummodel designed to handle all types ofloads. Barrel length is 24-inches toenhance handling. The 391 comes witha full set of choke tubes to cover alltypes of hunting conditions. It weighsonly 5.95 pounds. Finish is anodizedblack for corrosion and wear resistance.The stock and forearm are select wal-nut with a semi-gloss finish and water-proofing for protection from harsh con-ditions. Forearms are of the slim linetype with fine cut checkering and flut-ing for a firm grip with all size hands.Another feature of the 391 is thatlength of pull can be changed using anextra supplied recoil pad with spacersprovided and cast to fit any shooter.
Field tests went without a hitch asthe wife and kids were having a ballgetting the lead out (so to speak). Afterseveral boxes of shells, their shot to kill
SMALL GAUGE
OFFBEAT
BY STEVE MALLOY
SHOTGUNS
EMY AT THE GATE cont’d
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 91
Imagine that the potential victims,the citizens, fully understood that nei-ther the military nor the police couldsuccessfully defeat global terrorism.Imagine that all the citizens, like theSwiss and to some extent the Israelis,were expected to protect their homes,communities and nation fromterrorists.
In such a scenario, the citizenswould be armed and trained. Theywould be watchful. They would befilled with an ideology of anti-aggres-sion and righteous defense. If a terror-ist blew up a busload of school kids inIllinois, the citizens would look to eachother to learn, improve and preventrecurrences. Instead of blaming gov-ernment agencies or calling forexpanded police powers and highertaxes, the citizens themselves wouldhave substantial responsibility forhomeland security.
A skilled, armed and vigilant citi-zenry would pose a direct, local deter-rent to decentralized local terrorists.The soccer mom next door, the retiredplumber across the street, the schoolprincipal at her office, the young citybus driver—all of these decent peoplewould be the enemies of terrorists.Armed citizens, working together withlocal peace officers, could form thehuge but decentralized, highly mobile,locally-aware defense force necessaryto stop this new foe. �
Richard W. Stevens is author (withAaron Zelman) of Death by “Gun Con-trol”: The Human Cost of Victim Dis-armament. He can be contacted atwww.legalriter.com.
REFERENCES:Donald Rumsfeld’s Memo:http://www.thesmokinggun.com.com
FBI pre-911 intelligence:http://www.foxnews.com
ENEMY AT THE GATEcontinued from page 20
Who Should Fight The War On Terror?
OFFBEAT / EN
www.swatmag.com
above: Shotguns as tested included (left toright) Tristar's TR-II, 28 gauge, Beretta'sAL 391 Youth 20 gauge, and Tristar's TR-L20 gauge. Ladies/youth model.
left: Dove hunting and small gauge shot-guns can be enjoyed by the whole family.Camouflage is Diamondback.
ratio for doves was not very high, butthat was not the fault of the shotguns.The main idea here was to have somefun, practice safety and handling skillsand get some testing in. All shotgunsperformed very well and function withlight loads in Beretta's 391 20 gaugemagnum was surprising. Handlingand safety features presented theshooters no special problems evenwhen swapping the different modelsaround. After only a few rounds, evenmy eleven-year old son could handlethe semi-auto Beretta by himself(under supervision of course) withconfidence.
The only difficulties encounteredwere with the Tristar over and undermodels. They were extremely hard tobreak down for loading and reloading.It could be they take a while to break-in because of the tight fitting toler-ances, and they did get slightly betteras the hunt progressed. However, theystill were hard to break open and hav-ing to cock the hammers made ittougher.
It’s fun for the whole family, take'em dove hunting. They may not hit
very much, but there will be lots ofshooting, lots of bragging and lastingmemories—and don't forget the smallgauge shotguns! �
SOURCES:Beretta USA Corp.Dept. S.W.A.T.17601 Beretta DriveAccokeek, MD 20607-9566(301) 283-0189www.berettausa.com
Diamondback Camouflage, L.L.C.Dept. S.W.A.T.P.O. Box 1419Marble Falls, TX 78654(800) 909-9972www.diamondbackcamouflage.com
Tristar Sporting Arms, Ltd.Dept. S.W.A.T.1814-16 Linn St.N. Kansas City, MO 64116(816) 421-1400www.tristarsportingarms.com
COMING NEXT ISSUE
MAY S.W.A.T. ON NEWSSTANDSEVERYWHERE APRIL 9
FLASHLIGHT TACTICSLight 'Em Up!
NEW KIMBER ULTRA RCP IIPerfect Little .45 (Almost)
KEL-TEC'S P-3ATLess Is More
THE TASER X26The Ultimate Less-Lethal Weapon?
GLOCK’S MODEL 37Not What You Expected?
KIMBER ULTRA RCP II
KEL-TEC P-3AT
GLOCK 37
THE ARTICLE NAME
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 93www.swatmag.com
BLACKWATER TRAINING CENTER
www.blackwaterusa.com
DATE COURSEMar. 29-Apr. 2 Bushmaster Carbine
OperatorApr. 5-9 5-Day Pistol/CarbineApr.12-16 Tactical EMTApr. 19-23 5-Day Pistol IIApr. 26-30 Executive Protection
CONTACT DEFENSE, LLCwww.contactdefense.com
DATE COURSEPhiladelphia, PA
Apr. 16 Officer Knife SafetyApr. 17-18 Civilian Contact
Weapons Defense
FIREARMS ACADEMY OF SEATTLE
www.firearmsacademy.com
DATE COURSEApr. 10-11 Tactics For
Armed EncountersApr. 11 Concealed Carry 101Apr. 17-18 Defensive HandgunApr. 17-18 Advanced Survival
Tactics
GUNSITEwww.gunsite.com
DATE COURSEMar. 29-Apr. 2 Precision RifleMar. 29-Apr. 2 Close Quarter TacticsApr. 3-9 R.E.S.T.Apr. 5-9 Senior Law
Enforcement ExecutiveApr. 12-16 Basic Defensive PistolApr. 12-16 Intermediate
Defensive PistolApr. 17-18 Ladies Pistol 2Apr. 19-23 Advanced
Defensive PistolApr. 26-30 General Rifle
INTERNATIONALTACTICAL TRAINING
SEMINARSwww.internationaltactical.com
DATE COURSELakeland, FL
Apr. 2-4 Intermediate Handgun
at ITTSApr. 16-18 Intermediate HandgunApr. 16 Handgun IIAApr. 17 Handgun IIBApr. 18 Handgun IICApr. 24-25 Defensive Handgun IApr. 30-May 2 Advanced Handgun
SeriesApr. 30 Handgun IIIA
PRACTICAL SHOOTINGACADEMY, INC.
www.practicalshootingacad.com
DATE COURSEApr. 2-4 Competition HandgunApr. 5-9 Defensive HandgunApr. 13-15 Competition HandgunApr. 16-18 Competition
Rifle/ShotgunApr. 19-23 Tactical CarbineApr. 26-30 LE/Mil Tactical
Carbine Instructor
RIFLES ONLYwww.riflesonly.com
DATE COURSEApr. 2-4 Precision Rifle
CompetitionApr. 19-27 Precision Rifle 1&2
THUNDER RANCHwww.thunderranchinc.com
DATE COURSEApr. 5-9 Defensive HandgunApr. 1-3 Ladies Tactical
Handgun (Level 2)Apr. 12-14 General Purpose RifleApr. 15-17 ShotgunApr. 26-28 Defensive Revolver
TRIDENT CONCEPTSwww.tridentconcepts.com
DATE COURSESeattle, WA
Apr. 3-4 Combative Pistol
Bishop, CAApr. 15-16 Combative Pistol
San Antonio, TXApr. 24-25 Combative Pistol
VALHALLA TRAINING CENTER
www.elkmountainresort.com
DATE COURSEApr. 5-6 AR-15 Armorer’s
Course in conjunctionwith The Defensive Edge
Apr. 5-7 Advanced Concealed Carry
Apr. 7-9 AR-15 Instructor’s Course in conjunction with The Defensive Edge
Apr. 8–9 Combat Focus ShootingApr. 10 Executive Cane FightingApr. 13-15 Contact CombativesApr. 15-16 Combat Focus ShootingApr. 19-22 Surgical StrikeApr. 26-30 K-9 Handler Tactics
YAVAPAI FIREARMSACADEMYwww.yfainc.com
DATE COURSESan Jose, CA
Apr. 5-7 LE Stage I Handgun
[Note: Some of the classes listedmay already be filled to capacity.
We suggest you contact the specificschool you are interested in for
class availability and furtherinformation. The schools' websiteor email addresses are listed for
your convenience.]
TRAINING CALENDARAPRIL, 2004
www.swatmag.com
AR-15/870 STOCKADAPTER
The AR-15/870 CQB stock adapterallows an M4 style telescoping stock andpistol grip to be attached to the Reming-ton 870. This adapter is part of an ongo-ing development effort that will formthe basis for a range of shotgun weaponssystems. The AR-15/870 CQB stockadapter becomes the cornerstone forthese weapons systems, and initiates atransformation from an ordinary Rem-ington 870 to a CQB shotgun with highuser adaptability. Much of this adapt-ability comes from two Picatinny railsystems designed to complement thestock adapter and provide a mountingbase for a wide range of aftermarketaccessories such as sights and illumina-tors. These two choices in Picatinny railsare one 5.75-inch rail which mountsdirectly to the shotgun receiver, or a full20-inch long rail system. For more infor-mation, please visit www.argonautarma-ment.com or write to Argonaut Arma-ment Ltd., Dept. S.W.A.T., P.O. Box27020, Tuscany RPO, Calgary, Alberta,Canada T3L 2Y1.
CUSTOM CARTRIDGEFRANGIBLE AMMUNITIONCustom Cartridge has developed a
cartridge using a frangible bullet at sub-sonic speed that is truly effective whenstriking human targets, but breaks downto relatively harmless small projectileswhen striking hard surfaces. The bulletsdo not ricochet, nor do they penetrateautomobile sheet metal or aircraft skin.The cartridges are designed to be used
safely in urbansettings whereoverpenetrationis undesirable,but hits on targetmust be effective.For more infor-mation contactCustom Car-tridge, Inc., Dept.S.W.A.T., 5878Hollister Ave.,Goleta, CA 93117,(888) 357-4440,www.customcar-tridge.com.
DANNER ADDS BOOTSSTRIKER UNIFORMFOOTWEAR LINE
Danner has introduced new styles toits Striker line of uniform boots. Two ofthe new models include eight-inch Strik-er Side Zip models. Built on the patent-ed TERRA FORCE™ platform, theseboots provide the support and durabili-ty of a classic Danner heavy-duty boot ina lightweight model. TERRA FORCEconsists of five components: an insoleplate, midsole, internal and externalshanks and the Danner-designed,durable and slip-resistant Radical TFoutsole. The upper is stitched to themidsole plate in the heel and forefootareas for added stability in these keyareas. The internal shank works with theinsole plate to create a firm foundation
while the external shank pro-vides exceptional lateral andmedial strength. The result isan incredibly lightweight yetstable base.
The Striker Side ZipCrosstech NMT and StrikerSide Zip Crosstech styles arebuilt with 2.0-2.2mm water-proof full-grain leather and fea-
ture a side zip to allow for quick on andoff in emergency situations. Constructedwith a Crosstech protective fabric liner,the Striker Side Zip models repel rain,blood and common chemicals whilekeeping feet comfortable and dry. TheStriker Side Zip Crosstech NMT also fea-tures the Danner ProTec non-metallic toe(NMT) for maximum toe protection,won't conduct heat or cold, is corrosion-resistant and won't activate metal detec-tors. For more information contact Dan-ner, Dept. S.W.A.T., 18550 NE RiversideParkway, Portland, OR 97230, (503) 251-1119, www.danner.com.
BEAMHIT LASER TRAINING SYSTEMS
BEAMHIT™ has been providing costeffective small arms marksmanshiptraining systems to military, law enforce-ment and individual shooters. TheBEAMHIT family of small arms trainingand shooting sports simulation productsare effective, affordable, safe and reliabletraining tools to help build strongfirearm handling and shooting skills.
94 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004
GEAR LOCKER
Combining in-bore laser precisionwith stand-alone and computer-connect-ed targets, BEAMHIT Systems providehighly portable and expandable, state-of-the-art firing ranges—anytime, any-where. The targets are easy to set up, thelasers slide right into your firearm's bar-rel, and you're ready to begin.
BEAMHIT Systems are in use todayby the U.S. military, federal law enforce-ment agencies and many state, local andinternational police and security organi-zations. These organizations useBEAMHIT to maintain and developbasic marksmanship and handling,reflexive skill sets, dynamic movement,and other tactical applications. For moreinformation on BEAMHIT products orto purchase products, call (800) 232-6448or visit www.beamhit.com.
NEW M-4 HANDGUARDSFROM DPMS
For more than 100 years, fins havebeen used to cool metal objects. NowDPMS Panther Arms brings that conceptto your AR-15 rifle. DPMS Panther Armsintroduces the new M-4 "Glacier-Guards™"—an M-4 style handguardthat utilizes fifteen internal fins, ratherthan the standard aluminum double-shield, for heat dispersion. These uniquefins, while dispersing the heat generatedby rifle fire, also provide unsurpassedstrength and rigidity for the handguard.Externally, the M-4 GlacierGuards fea-ture fifteen ribs that mirror the internalfins, and provide the shooter anenhanced grip. The M-4 GlacierGuards
accommodate barrels withdiameters less than one inch,namely the military M-4 con-toured barrel and the industry standardheavy barrel. Made of a high-tech, tem-perature resistant polymer, the hand-guards withstand temperatures greaterthan 500 degrees which allows them toresist over-heating after continuous fullyautomatic fire for over 200 rounds. Formore information contact DPMS, Dept.S.W.A.T., 13983 Industry Ave., Becker,MN 55308, (763) 261-5600. www.dpm-sinc.com.
NEW 24/7 FRONT SIGHTFOR RUGER MINI 14
XS Sight Systems 24/7 Mini 14 frontsight fits both Mini 14s and Ranch Rifles.The 24/7 design provides excellent sightvisibility in all light conditions and first-rate accuracy at all practical ranges. Thesquare top post provides excellent longrange accuracy, the white face of the
sight reflects any availableambient light for outstandinghalf-light sight visibility andtritium supplies superb low-
light sight acquisition.This is a true 24/7
sight, visiblein daylight,half-lightand lowlight. When
paired with the XS Ghost-Ring rearsight, shootability and hit potential aregreatly enhanced. For more informationcontact XS Sight Systems, Dept.S.W.A.T., 2401 Ludelle Street Fort Worth,TX 76105
(888) 744-4880, www.xssights.com.
NEW PARA CARRYOPTION
Para is the company that made HighCapacity and Light Double-Action syn-onymous with .45 ACP. The new ParaCarry Option pistols have the securityand shootability of the LDA trigger sys-tem plus recoil absorbing, solid stain-less steel construction.
The New Carry 12 with its 3.5-inchbarrel, flush hammer and bobbed gripsafety make it the newest addition tothe Para line of Carry Option pistols.These pistols give you a smooth, snag-free draw, the power of the .45 ACP car-tridge and the safety of a hammerdown carry with a sweet, smooth trig-ger every shot. The Carry 12 uses aramped barrel with a supported cham-ber, has tough polymer grips and tri-tium three-dot Night Sights. For a limit-ed time, where legal, the new ParaCarry 12 will be shipped with two pre-ban high capacity magazines. For moreinformation contact Para-OrdnanceMfg. Inc., Dept. S.W.A.T., 980 TapscottRoad, Scarborough, ON, M1X 1C3,(416) 297-7855 www.paraord.com.
www.swatmag.com
NEW PRODUCTS AND ACCESSORIES
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 95
96 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
GreatTraining,
Low Cost!Our 2-day coursesstart at $225 and
our 6-day, week-longclasses cost only $575.With these prices,
you can save moneyor train more.Your choice.
The Firearms Academyof Seattle, Inc.1-360-978-6100
www.firearmsacademy.com
Streamlight M3 Tactical Illuminator for Glock Pistols
$109.993 volt Lithium CR123A Batteries $1.49 Each!
Visit our website for the best deals on Sure Firelights and secure online ordering day or night.
ASP, Benchmade, Blackhawk Tactical Nylon,CRKT, Emerson, FOBUS, Pelican,
Princeton Tec, Propper International BDU’s,Streamlight, Sure Fire, Underwater Kinetics.
1-877-4POLICEwww.texastacticalsupply.com
Texas Tactical SupplyFor Law Enforcement by Law Enforcement
www.SWATmag.com/coolstuff
Visit the
S.W.A.T.� Subscribe in seconds!
� Renew/extend your subscription at any time!� Download back issues� Plus FREE STUFF!
Don’t forget to join our email list toreceive select discounts and
announcements!
onlinestore!
www.swatmag.com
marketplace
South Florida's one-stop shops for firearms and accessories.In-house, live fire ranges.
Check out our internet shopping deals athttp://www.shootingcenters.com
(561) 265-0700 or (561) 588-4867
Delray & Palm BeachShooting Centers
Delray & Palm BeachShooting Centers
SWAT UNIFORMS & EQUIP.US Military Recon & Snipers. US Policedept. Night Shift & Black Ops. Blackerthan Midnight BDUs, Webb Gear, Packs,Assault Vests, US Military knives & muchmore. Catalog $2.00 to OLCS, PO Box1618, Alamogordo, NM 88311. Largest online catalog: www.olcnet.com
.50 BMG AR15upper $1,249
includes 36” Lothar Walther barrel,brake, bipod, takedown pin,
heavy hammer springlower not included
11 types of .50 BMG ammo including Ball, AP, API, APIT& Tracer for only $1.59; Blue Tip & Spotter Tracer only$2.00. Beehive FRANGIBLE A-Max .50 BMG only $3.75.
WATSON’S WEAPONS • Mound, MN1-866-265-2176 • 952-472-1010
www.WATSONSWEAPONS.com
marketplace
S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 97www.swatmag.com
ADVERTISERS’ INFORMATIONADVERTISER WEBSITE PAGE
American Technologies www.atncorp.com Cvr.4
American Watch Co no website available 29
Barrett Firearms www.barrettrifles.com 10
Black Hills Ammunition www.black-hills.com 8
BlackHawk Industries www.blackhawkindustries.com 11
Blackwater www.blackwaterusa.com 21
Blauer Tactical www.tonyblauer.com 30
Buck Knives www.buckknives.com 14
Bushmaster Firearms, Inc www.bushmaster.com 42
Clark Custom Guns www.clarkcustomguns.com 59
Competitive Edge Dynamics www.cedhk.com 43
Crimson Trace Lasers www.crimsontrace.com 41
Crows Tactical www.crowstacticaloutfitters.com 96
D&L Sports APRIL SWEEPSTAKES www.dlsports.com 50-51
D.P.M.S. www.dpmsinc.com 35
D.S.Arms www.dsarms.com 34
Defense Band www.defenseband.com 97
Defensive Edge Training www.TheDefensiveEdge.com 41
Delray Shooting Center www.shootingcenters.com 97
ESI, Inc. www.esi-lifeforce.com 18
Firearms Academy of Seattle www.firearmsacademy.com 96
Firepower FP-10 (MPC) www.fp10.com 96
First Samco www.firstsamco.com 12
GB Media www.ebuy123.com 39
Gemtech www.gem-tech.com 7
Gunsite Academy www.gunsite.com 24
H and H Associates www.cinchtight.com 62
H-S Precision www.hsprecision.com Cvr.3
Hatch Corp www.hatch-corp.com 37
Hellstorm www.hellstormusa.com 3
Horus Vision www.horusvision.com 55
Hydrastorm www.hydrastorm.com 2
Insight Technology, Inc. www.insightlights.com 33
ADVERTISER WEBSITE PAGE
International Security School www.SecurityAcademy.com 62
Jungle Toy www.jungletoy.com 79
Karambit www.karambit.com 24
Kimber Mfg, Inc www.kimberamerica.com 17
KNS Precision kagerind.com 96
Lagger Pro www.LPStactical.com 35
LaRue Tactical www.laruetactical.com 66
Leupold www.leupold.com 9
LightFighter Tactical www.lightfighter.com 25
Maxpedition www.maxpedition.com 67
MD Tactical www.mdtactical.com 71
Meprolight www.meprolight.com 40
Mil-Comm Products www.mil-comm.com 67
NightVisionMall www.nightvisionmall.com 26
NiViSys www.NiViSys.com 31
Old Lincoln County www.olcnet.com 97
One Stop Knife Shop www.OneStopKnifeShop.com 36
Operation Parts www.operationparts.com 97
Outdoor Channel www.outdoorchannel.com 27
OutdoorBidur www.outdoorbidur.com 36
Practical Shooting Academy www.practicalshootingacad.com 63
Probe, Inc www.piacademy.com 96
Rifles Only www.riflesonly.com 79
SideArmor www.sidearmor.com 42
Smith and Alexander www.smithandalexander.com 63
Springfield www.springfieldarmory.com 13,15
Texas Tactical Supply www.texastacticalsupply.com 96
Thunder Ranch www.thunderranchinc.com 46
Valhalla Training Ctr www.valhallatraining.com 28
Watsons Weapons www.watsonsweapons.com 97
XS Sight Systems www.xssights.com 66
Yankee Hill Machine www.yhm.net 67
Your American Backyard www.amback.com 40
98 S.W.A.T. APRIL 2004 www.swatmag.com
THE ARTICLE NAME
Engaging in one-man tactics is likewalking a tightrope without a safe-ty net—if you make it to the other
side without mishap, you win—but ifyou don’t make it, you lose everything.
Contrary to popular opinion, no mat-ter how much you train and no matterhow adept you may be at your trade,you need a huge preponderance of luckwhen you’re playing a game with suchheavily stacked odds. Yes, people winjackpots in gambling casinos, but thepayout is covered by the losses of thou-sands of bankrupt suckers. Nothingcomes out of the house coffers, becausethe odds are so weighted on the side ofthe casino. The losers pay for all the jack-pot winnings—and more.
And so it is when one attends a gun-fight vying against almost insurmount-able odds. One would think nobody buta halfwit would become unnecessarilyembroiled in a deadly force conflict, butLas Vegas isn’t exactly patronized bybrain surgeons either.
The only hope you have before youwalk onto someone else’s battlefield is tohedge your bets, train like there’s notomorrow, and avoid unnecessary pit-falls. And only so many of these self-imposed pitfalls can be curtailed to theextent that you can reduce the oddsstacked against you to maybe—and theoperative word is maybe—allow you tohave a running chance of success.
Fighting is a mental game, and eventhough it helps to have a gun whenengaged in a gunfight, a firearm is mere-ly a mechanical power-delivery system.Many a big game hunter has left Africain a shoebox because he thought a largebore rifle plus a small bore IQ equatesmathematically to a small bore pussycatwith a large bore attitude. Here’s a close-ly guarded secret—it doesn’t.
And if that isn’t enough of a clue,work this one out: no hunter has everbeen killed by a rifle-toting leopard. Theleopard’s skill at paws beats your skill atarms every time if you don’t pack yourbrains along with the rest of your safariluggage.
So what are some of the most com-mon avoidable man-hunting pitfalls?
First, pour your bottle of testosteronepills down the drain. If you don’t under-stand the message of “discretion is the
better part of valor”, go ahead and getyourself killed in a lethal confrontationescalated by an ego-driven, single-cellbrain—believe it or not, nobody reallycares whether you live or die.
If you’re forced into a rencounter,think on your feet, not with your feet.Defined, this means that many peoplewill start forward physical progresswhile simultaneously trying to formu-late a game plan, when it is far better, ifpossible, to pre-plan any further physi-cal advance before leaving the warmwomb of cover. While you have to beable to think on your feet because the sit-uation invariably changes as soon ashostilities commence, the problem is thatyou have to think—literally and figura-tively—not one, but two steps ahead.
The problem when you are a manalone is that, unlike the ubiquitous fly,humans don’t have 360-degree vision.And even if you were a house fly, youstill have only an eighteen-inch focalplane, which means if you run into abad guy chameleon with a fast nineteen-inch tongue, he’ll French kiss you to hell.
If you start advancing unnecessarilyinto an area without pre-planning, you’llundoubtedly lock your beady littleChina Blues on one area and automati-cally attract lead pills from a secondaryarea which you’ve over-run. In otherwords, before you start spinning yourtires, pre-plan along the lines of “if Imove to Position B, am I going to runinto a potential problem from PositionC?” Then, and only then, should youmove from Position A.
Unless completely unavoidable, tapthe brake pedal. Most people realize the“Position C” problem only after they’vealready started forward physicalprogress—too little, too late. Yes, some-times dynamic movement is a prerequi-site because of the situation at hand, butmost of the time stealthy, steadyadvance (or retreat) is more sensible.Don’t over-run your headlights if youdon’t have to!
Another common faux pas is givingup distance advantage, which oftenleads to being blind-sided, “telegraph-ing” of a gun muzzle around corners oropen portals, or over-crowding ofthought processes because you’re forcedto make too many—or incorrect—deci-
sions. Distance creates time and timecreates distance.
If you can react at 100 mph in a 35mph speed zone as effectively as youcan react at 35 mph, then by all meanshit the gas pedal. Otherwise, slow down,or you’ll be wearing two nuns and aschool-kid for a hood ornament. Thereaction time is a constant—it’s the stop-ping distance that counts. The moresedate your pace, the more time youhave to think to take effective reac-tionary measures.
Another tactical “argument” whichwill continue for longer than it’ll takethis author to acquire a pleasant disposi-tion is the “quick peek.” While this tech-nique may initially seem like a brilliantidea, what you optically obtain from a“quick peek” is a micro-second of infor-mation of what was there when youlooked, not necessarily what will bethere when you cunningly stick outunimportant body parts (like your head)the second time around. If you see anarmed assailant on your first look, youmay as well “hold” him optically anddeal with him—you own him. Youcould, of course, let your head protrudeat a different elevation second timearound—naturally he’ll never work thatout. Just because he’s a crook doesn’tmean he’s stupid—he does this for a liv-ing, remember?
On the other hand, don’t worry aboutit. You’ll probably die from multiple bul-let wounds after he stitches eleventy-seven rounds through the sheetrock wallwhile you’re ruminating over your new-found problem. Or he’ll advance fromhis initial position while you’re perform-ing your turtle-neck act, and when youstick your beak around the corner sec-ond time around he’ll fill your snot-lock-er with lead from two feet away.
Yes, tactics are like rear ends—every-body’s got one. But for the gamblers inS.W.A.T.’s readership, which RoyalFlush do you want to bet on—the onewhich nets a thousand dollar jackpot, orthe one which ends with the Kingdrowning ignominiously by having hishead inserted upside down in a toiletbowl?
Or last, but not least, cut the power-hungry ego and abdicate your throne,don’t go into casinos—and stay alive. �
TRAINING AND TACTICS
GAMBLING WITH TACTICSBY LOUIS AWERBUCK
