TacStrike knows that every politician that is running for office wants to get into your wallet but they don’t want that to keep you from training with great gear. They have lowered the price on their Arch Frame Target Carriers to make them even more affordable. These target carriers are great due to their arched leg design that allows them to be stable even on surfaces like gravel or sod.
Check out the Arch Frame Target Carrier on TacStrike.com.
I try to always have a designated reload pouch on all my mag carrying gear. This is the pouch that provides the fastest reload. It is reserved only for emergency reloads until all other pouches are exhausted. Typically, this pouch is on my belt, but there are times when wearing the belt isn’t practical.
The key to the designated pouch is that it offers a faster, simpler reload than the other pouches. If you are using magazine pouches that have an open top or you can attach an open top pouch to your rig, then designating an emergency reload pouch is as simple as deciding which pouch it will be. If you are using flap covered magazine pouches, you can still designate one as an emergency reload pouch by simply leaving the flap open.
So, I have been running the UW Gear Minuteman MKII with the left most pouch’s (typically the fastest reload for a right handed shooter) flap tucked behind the magazine. The Minuteman MKII pouches are tall enough and fit to the specific magazine that there is basically no way it is going to come out before you want it to. Also, the flap tucked behind the mag provides some extra tension to keep it in place.
This means I have reserve mags in covered pouches that can’t be lost but that I have one magazine that is more quickly accessible. So, even if that mag is lost somehow (I doubt it could ever happen unless you were turned upside down), it would be bad but not catastrophic because the other 2 or 3 will still be retained. I am willing to take that risk to have 1 slightly faster reload.
You have to be sure that your magazine pouches provide enough retention with the flap tucked away before you consider using this technique. It will work best with single magazine pouches but there are doubles out there that will work. Next time you are at the range, give it a try.
It has now been more than 3 months since we published an article called the Cult of Kiss. It generated a fair amount of discussion and I am still getting emails about it. Many of these emails are from readers sharing stories of someone who can utilize iron sights with the same proficiency as a red dot sight as if this somehow disproves the thrust of the article.
Interestingly, I have yet to receive an email from someone who can, themselves, use the iron sights to that level of proficiency. All of the emails so far have been about someone that the writer of the email knows of – often a competition shooter or high profile trainer (one talented trainer in particular has come up frequently).
Many have used these talented shooters as justification for their own use of iron sights but it seems to me that this whole situation points out a fundamental issue with many shooters… including myself. We tend to buy and configure gear based on what works for Superman rather than what is realistic for our own requirements/skill level.
That high profile trainer is a high profile trainer for a reason. They have the experience, skill level, and ability to practice enough to maintain the highest level of proficiency. Just because they can utilize iron sights to nearly the same effectiveness as a red dot sight does not mean that you can unless you build a similar level of experience, a similar skill set, and suddenly find yourself with the time to practice daily like it is your job.
The fact that a highly trained person who shoots for a living can utilize iron sights with red dot sight like efficiency is not a reason for you to stick with iron sights. In fact, it is the exact opposite. It shows what it takes to reach that level and unless you have the time to do what it takes, you would be better off using gear that works for you. None of you would council a father of 4 to buy an F1 race car when his needs would be better served with a mini-van. Yes, Sebastian Vettel can drive an F1 car with incredible success, but it simply does not fit the needs of a father of 4.
This issue extends beyond just iron sights and red dot optics. Well known trainer X uses open top magazine pouches but it may be that, given your requirements, closed pouches would be better. Competition shooter Y uses a certain technique on a barrier to great effect but that doesn’t mean it is valid for your situation. Military unit Z makes use of a certain type of sling but, given a realistic assessment of your needs, there may be better choices for you.
Don’t choose gear and techniques based on anyone’s requirements other than your own. You need to build your own filter to pass all of these ideas through to determine if they are valid for you. It is time that you and I quit chasing Superman.
I recently had a reader email me a question about where to find a specific barrier support device. The device in question was made by a company with a poor reputation for quality so I asked why he needed one so I could make alternate suggestions. He wanted one because he thought it would be a handy addition to his SHTF rifle. I recommended that he borrow/make a barrier to practice on and receive training before he determines if a barrier support device is right for him (I also gave him a number of alternatives in the event that he still wanted one). Barricade support devices are useful for specific barricades, in specific positions, and specific circumstances. In this case, there are a number of techniques utilizing the support hand that are probably more versatile than a barricade support device and that cost less in terms of money and weight.
JTT is a gear blog. Gear is what we focus on but we will readily admit that you probably don’t need 99.99% of what we talk about on a daily basis. When you focus on gear like we do, it is very easy to fall into the trap of trying to use gear to fill in gaps in your training. Before you part ways with your hard earned cash, there are a few questions that you should ask yourself about the gear you are about to purchase.
Before you spend money on gear, you should be asking yourself if there is a training solution to the perceived issue that you are trying to correct. In the case of the barrier support device, there were training based solutions and techniques that would likely address the reader’s problem (or perceived problem). A barrier support device is a hardware solution to a problem that can often be solved with software (training), or at least it is in this case.
If you can train your way around the need for a certain piece of gear, it may be worth your time to do so. In many cases, the training solution will be more versatile, adaptable, and will definitely weigh less than bolting another widget to your rifle.
“Is there a training solution to this problem?” is a good question to ask but it won’t tell the whole story. In cases like iron sights versus optics, there are other considerations. You may be able to train to the point where you can use iron sights as effectively as optics in some situations (on the range in full light) but you may gain speed, the ability to operate in a wider range of conditions, ease of use, or other quantifiable advantages by using an optic over iron sights.
Quantifiable is the key word in the previous sentence. If you train with a focus and track your progress, you should have a baseline to compare performance with and without a piece of gear. At the very least, you will be more qualified to make these kinds of judgments accurately and impartially. If you cannot articulate or quantitatively prove a measurable improvement to your shooting with a piece of gear, it probably isn’t worth your money at that time.
Of course, the above two questions assume a certain level of understanding of what the issues actually are. It may be that your first and best question when deciding on what to buy is “Do I actually understand the situation completely?” Do you know why you want/need the gear and do you know how to use it? Can you articulate the purpose of the gear? Is there actually an issue that needs to be addressed? Have I trained enough or do I have enough experience to know the difference? These are all questions that require humility to answer honestly.
You can trust me on this subject because I happen to be an expert on buying things that I don’t actually need. When I was new to carbine courses and getting somewhat serious about training, I bought a vertical grip for my AR-15 just days before a 3 day carbine course. I held that vertical grip just like you would a hammer and quickly found it to be just about worthless. The rifle seemed top heavy and wobbled when it was driven from target to target. I had no idea how to use one but I saw them on so many cool looking rifles that I bought one. That vertical grip was removed after the first day of the 3 day course. Years later, I was actually taught how to use a thumb break grip on a vertical grip and how to effectively utilize it to pull the rifle back into my shoulder. What a world of difference!
My mistake was that I didn’t seek out a training solution before jumping to gear. I didn’t have a clue about what I expected to gain from the vertical grip other than looking cool. I didn’t even really understand how they should be used or even why they are used. This is obviously a terrible way to make decisions on how to spend money but it happens all the time in the world of “tactical” gear.
There is nothing wrong with buying something just because you want it, but if you are expecting that gear to replace good old fashioned knowledge and know-how, you will be sorely disappointed. If you are lucky, you may just end up losing some money. If you aren’t, you may actually degrade your performance which will waste your time and money.
If you do a lot of training, you probably keep a fair amount of ammo on hand. Surplus ammo cans are a great way to store your ammo, but you need to label them or they all look alike. Weapon Stickers offers a simple and very readable solution for organizing your cans with their Ammo Can Labels. They are available in packs of 2 and 10.
Check out the Ammo Can Labels from Weapon Stickers.
