Sunday Thought 8/10/14

Just a quick thought today as I already pushed out a decent review of the Griffon Industries HMMS.

Speaking of gear and equipment, particularly with the AR15 platform and variants and then handguns my piece of advice would be this:

Don't be in a rush to add the latest tacti-COOL piece of hardware or upgrade to your weapon.  The fundamentals never change.

I am firm advocate of training to use your AR15 with iron sights before learning how to shoot with an optic.  If you can fight effectively with just irons, then when you "upgrade" to a red dot or holosight, that's just icing on the cake to take your mastered fundamentals to the next level.

Same with handgun upgrades.  Unless you bought a brick like a Hi-Point, there really isn't anything you should be gunning to upgrade at once except for sights on a handgun, especially the Glock.  Stock sights on a Glock should be upgraded at the time your buy your Glock.  That's about the only caveat to gear.

Triggers, optics, barrels (for handguns) should only be explored after you have a firm grasp of the fundamentals and make a stock gun run.  After that the upgrades become enhancements and not crutches.

Train Hard, Train Often.

Close Quarters Sights Only?!?!?!

The following photograph is to demonstrate a simple concept. When asked if a 40 yard shot with a handgun off-hand is feasible. The most common reply is that it is not. Below I offer 40 yards off-hand with a Glock G17 Gen 4 using Ameriglo Pro I-Dot sights. My first three were off to the left side of the target. Once I focused the rest were center-of-mass. Good hits.  Hits I feel confident making and I still have room for improvement. Always working to better myself. 

This next picture is same gun from 20 yards. I called the flyer to the right. This target is the backside of a VTAC target. Same sights. Ameriglo Pro I-Dot. 

Why does it matter? Well, frankly, you don't need specialized target sights to hit accurately with standard everyday carry "combat" sights. Don't buy into the misinformation that "distance" shots are not feasible with sights designed for close quarters engagements. 

For those not familiar with the Ameriglo sights here are a couple photos. 

Sight picture. Big front sight dot. Blacked out rear sight with a single tritium insert.  I took this photo to show how bright the front sight is after hitting it for a moment with a flashlight. 

The above is how they look from the side of one my Glock 19 Gen 4. 

I like these sights. I also like Trijicon HD sights, which I have on my XD45 5". I just like the Ameriglo better on my Glocks.

The point to this is: You can be accurate at decent distances with sights marketed as close quarters, quick engagement. It all boils down to the fundamentals: sight alignment and trigger control (the most important of the fundamentals).

Shooting is a perishable skill and needs to be watered often to stay alive. Hit the range and if you have nothing more than 50 rounds practice those fundamentals. Speed is fine. Accuracy is final. All the tacticool gadgets and moves won't matter if you can't hit what you want. 

Train hard. Train often. 

(Post composed on iPad mini)