As much as I love my Smith & Wesson M&P’s, there’s one “feature” about the gun that I cannot stand.

How it “auto-forwards” the slide upon inserting the magazine.

Or more specifically, how this “feature” is unreliable.

Sometimes it goes forward, sometimes not. Usually it goes forward if you insert the magazine hard enough (i.e. the action depends upon forceful insertion). But I’ve had times where I slammed a magazine home, strong enough to have expected it to go forward, but then it didn’t.

ARGH!

And most of the time when the slide goes forward it strips and chambers a round. But I have had a few times when it didn’t.

ARGH!

So is this a feature? or a bug?

If this was a gaming rig, I might be happy with it and try to finagle the gun to be more reliable about auto-forwarding. It certainly makes things faster. Because, it’s just a game and if I blow the game, it’s not the end of the world. But even in a game, it’s preferrable for things to be reliable and consistent.

But for a gun that I use for personal protection? Oh, that matters more. To have things behave in an inconsistent manner? That could be fatal.

So what’s the solution?

Keep your training the same. Keep the same motion. Insert the mag, rack the slide. What’s the worst that can happen? it jacks out a round onto the ground. Meh… it’s just one round.

The only time I’ve found that to be a problem? If I’m trying to run a particular drill that requires a particular setup and losing that round throws things off. So my solution is to look at the drill and adjust; if that means I put one more round in so I can afford to lose it, fine. If that means I adjust the scoring slightly to compensate for the loss of round, then so be it. Whatever. In the end, I’d rather ingrain solid, reliable habits.

What a gorgeous day we had at KR Training (2014-02-15). Unseasonable warmth — while my friends elsewhere in the nation were commenting on how much snow they were digging out from, I was out in the sun enjoying a fantastic day on the range. I’ll enjoy these mild days while I can, since July and August will be here soon enough.

Classes were Basic Pistol 2 in the morning and Defensive Pistol Skills 1 in the afternoon. We had a great number of students enrolled in both classes, which was useful because we could press on and not have to do so much remedial work in DPS1. Of course, that makes for long, information-overload days, but no question the students progressed well and were better at the end of the day than the start.

Quick hits for those in class.

• Trigger control was the biggest issue across the board. Yanking and slapping, slapping and yanking. Really work on the “slow, smooth press” of the trigger. Dry fire will be your friend. Wall Drill. It’s just about learning it and getting used to it.
• Speed matters, but correctness matters more — especially at this stage. I’d rather you be slower but correct, smooth, accurate. Speed will come.
  • Note that speed doesn’t always mean “go faster”; sometimes it’s about using what time you have more efficiently. Consider if it takes you 1 second to press the gun out and 1 second to press the trigger. If you do these consecutively, that’s 2 seconds to complete the action. If you do them simultaneously, it’s only 1 second. In fact, consider you could go even a hair slower, like 1.5 seconds, yet it’s still less overall time.
• Habits are hard to break. I saw many working to break old habits, which is great!
  • Don’t beat yourself up over old habits. Don’t tell yourself “don’t do that”. Tell yourself what new habits to ingrain; what TO do. Instead of saying “don’t yank the trigger” say “slow smooth press”. Instead of saying “don’t rush” say “slow down”.
  • Again, dry fire helps with this. Be sure when you do anything and everything with your gun to do it correctly. Everything is a rep, everything is a chance to ingrain the right way to do things. Even things like unloading your gun before dry fire, do the unload correctly (how you hold the gun, safe direction, how you rack the slide, etc.). Training economy is about using every opportunity to do things right and ingrain the right way to do things.

 

Updated: Student Tracy Talbot wrote up her experience in the classes. Thank you for sharing, Tracy!

Via the TSRA Weekly NewsBrief I get this article, “3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Concealed Carry Handgun“.

After finding myself screaming at my computer screen after reading the answer to question 1, yeah… I had to write my own responses.

Question 1:  Am I going to get a license to carry concealed or is the gun just for home defense?

The original author’s response:

If you are going to get a permit to carry (good for you) then you need a handgun. If not, then a shotgun is a far better choice for home defense for most people.

Shotguns have a much more threatening image when displayed and can take a greater variety of ammunition, which allows you to regulate the power and avoid over-penetration through walls, which is a risk inside the home.

*headdesk*

Now, the question is reasonable and certainly it could affect buying choices. If you are intending to have a weapon off your property (or whatever the laws of your locale dictate), if it’s going to somehow be carried, then yes a handgun is going to be it precisely because it’s easy to carry — that’s a main reason for a handgun. And then yes, that’s why a handgun isn’t always the best option for home defense, because they are underpowered (the trade-off for the ability to easily carry and conceal it). So yes, a long-gun is a better choice — on paper. But a shotgun? Well, maybe. I wrote about all of this a long time ago.

I will not deny a shotgun is a nasty piece of work. But it is not the best choice — and the reasons given are poor.

Threatening image? Who cares! This isn’t a fashion show. This isn’t about bluffing. You don’t pull a gun out until you are in fear of your life, and when it’s time to pull out a gun, it’s time to be using it. If you’re just bluffing, you’re risking a lot of legal problems for yourself. And if it’s time to bluff and put on a threatening show, then it’s not really time to pull out a shotgun.

Ammunition variety? Look, if you don’t have ammo that can penetrate sheet rock, they it won’t penetrate clothing and bad guys either. Yes we want to minimize collateral damage, but you also need to stop the threat.

And regulating power? Well, even low-recoil stuff was too much for Wife to handle — even out of a 20 gauge. Give her an AR-15? No problem. I mean, if our reasons for picking a gun is “threatening image”, then I think an AR wins over a shotgun — just ask Dianne Feinstein.

But for all the reasons I wrote before, an AR is a far better choice.

Really tho, choices of “what’s best” are very dependant upon the person and their specific situation. A pistol caliber carbine may be better for someone, or just a handgun may be right. There’s no one right answer. But the reasons given for this answer? Not even.

Question 2:  Am I going to regularly practice shooting with the gun I purchase?   (Be honest.)

The original answer:

If you are committed to becoming a hobby shooter, then a more complex firearm is acceptable. Otherwise simplicity of operation should be at the top of your “features” list. That means a revolver rather than a semi-auto pistol and—this may surprise you—a double barrel shotgun rather than a pump.

I’ve spent lots of range time teaching young cops both types of handguns. Based on that experience, revolvers are simply more reliable than semi-autos. With a revolver, you point … you pull the trigger and it goes “bang.”

A semi-auto requires regular practice (at least 50 rounds, twice a year) to maintain proficiency. A revolver can be learned once and, if necessary, put away in a safe place (I always recommend practice, practice, practice, however).

Pump shotguns are great if you practice with them or have a background in wingshooting. However, while under stress new pump operators can “short shuck” the action and jam the gun. A double barrel 12 ga. with a flashlight taped to the business end is an awesome home defense weapon and is very easy to manipulate under pressure. (Note: These handy and reliable firearms are sometimes called “coach guns”).

Simplicity of operation should be at the top of the features list, period. Granted yes, having a firearm for other purposes (hobby, collecting, etc.) could allow for more complex stuff, but in general simplicity is a better choice regardless. That’s the engineer in me talking.

And I won’t disagree about the complexity of a pump shotgun. For all the reliability a pump gives you, it is a more complex manual of arms and one unlike many other guns out there. Most guns are “point and click” (semi-autos, revolvers both are), but a pump shotgun is “point, click, rack” and yes, short-shucking happens to the best of us. But geez, to recommend a double-barrel over a semi-auto? Well, sure I guess and I do see the point behind the suggestion, but modern semi-auto shotguns are reliable — so long as you verified and paired it with the right ammo. In fact, many times a semi-auto ends up being a lot more comfortable to shoot because the gas and other energy from the shot ends up reducing the felt-recoil — again, we’re talking a 12 gauge here! it’s going to kick like a mule.  But again, let’s not go there with the shotgun.

What really gets me is the suggestion of a revolver.

They are more reliable? Oh please. Can someone please leave this myth buried in the grave? Revolvers certainly do malfunction, ask me how I know.

And you know what? With my semi-auto? I point, I press the trigger, and it goes “bang” too.

The person asking the question? A woman. I’ve taught hundreds upon hundreds of students and seen all kinds of things. One thing that tends to hold is that women have smaller and weaker hands. This is not sexist, this is biology, this is anatomy. Revolvers generally have long, heavy triggers. Many women (and men too) have trouble reaching the trigger with an acceptable grip, then have a hard time pressing the trigger because it’s so heavy. Tell me how this is conducive towards getting acceptable hits? And especially with the suggestion that you can “learn once and put it away”, good lord… that’s a recipe for disaster. I mean, the talk about shotgun ammo to avoid collateral damage, and then suggesting to undertake behaviors that lead towards that very thing? Cripes! OK sure… there’s the recommendation to practice, but come on — a revolver requires practice, a semi-auto requires practice, a double-barrel shotgun requires practice. It ALL requires practice.

Question 3: Can I afford lots of ammo for this particular gun for practice and long term storage?

Original answer:

I recommend you add the cost of 1,000 rounds of ammo to whatever gun you buy. Practice is more important than gun type or caliber and the fear (real or imagined) of government restrictions can empty shelves of ammunition for your gun overnight.

If you are truly “living ready” then you need to have ammo put away—in a cool and dry location, properly stored ammunition will last for decades.

A good question. It’s a question a lot of people don’t think about when they consider the cost of purchasing a gun. They think about the cost of the gun and that’s all. They really need to factor in the gun, cost of any modifications (usually at least better sights), accessories (e.g. holster), some additional magazines or other ammo holders (e.g. moon clips), then yes, a bunch of ammo (both practice and self-defense rounds).

And I’ll agree — practice is the more important than gun type or caliber and all that.

I’ll add to this: cost of training.

Please. Seek out some professional firearms training. It will serve you well, especially because you’ll learn a lot and learn how to practice the necessary skills. Factor that into your budget.

The article ends with:

Please remember, this is not legal advice (you should know your laws) every person has different needs and capacities and every gunfight is different. When making tactical decisions, always get a second opinion.

Indeed. This is not legal advice.

But it is a second opinion.

The KR Training January 2014 Newsletter is out.

Big thing is the 2014 schedule is filling out, and classes are already filling (and selling) out.

Hope to see you out at the A-Zone Range sometime in 2014!

Even more reasons why NOT the SERPA holster.

Despite all the solid reasons why to avoid this holster, it keeps selling, it keeps showing up.

Please folks, just say no. There are lots of other good holsters on the market.

Karl just sent this out. I thought it worth the repost.

KR Training will be hosting legendary trainer Massad Ayoob on March 8-9 for his MAG-20 course.
It’s the classroom part of what used to be called his LFI-1 class (Lethal Force Institute).

In my opinion, training with Mas is something that should be on every credible instructor’s resume.
Back in the early 90s, when I first started teaching, I flew to Oregon to take LFI-1 because (a) I thought it was important to do and (b) there were no LFI courses offered anywhere near Texas.

It’s 20 hours of classroom lecture. We’ll be holding it in Austin, at a nice, big meeting room (Red Oak Ballroom at Northcross Mall), and we’ll have catered food both days.

Mas is the #1 expert in the country on armed citizen legal issues. There isn’t anybody else in the training business that offers anything similar. If you train with Mas and you get into a shooting incident, he will come work on your legal defense if needed. If you are an instructor and one of your students gets into a shooting, odds are very high that you will get called to court to testify about the training you provided. Being able to reference Ayoob’s training and his curriculum as part of your own training may have significant benefits.

Live fire classes are more fun, but the mistakes that land people in court (or jail) are almost never live fire errors. It’s not poor marksmanship or a slow draw that results in criminal charges; it’s doing or saying the wrong thing, or shooting the wrong person. The core topics of the MAG-20 course are covered in the Texas CHL curriculum, but MAG-20 goes into much more detail and depth — depth you should understand if you are teaching those topics yourself to others.

It’s very unlikely that I’ll host Mas again in 2015, and this is his first class in Austin, ever, and one of the very few he’s offered in Texas in a long, long time. So this is not one of those “I’ll go when he comes next year” situations.
It’s a special event, possibly a one-time opportunity to attend without having to travel out of state.

Tuition is $450, which includes lunch and snacks both days. We will do a working lunch each day.

Registration is open on the KR Training website.
http://www.krtraining.com/signup.php
$225 deposit required in advance, per our typical 50% deposit policy.