KKM Precision Barrel Glock 19

Quick upload of some photos for the barrel that just arrived today.  Haven't had a chance to shoot it yet, so I won't be using it, yet.  First impressions: pretty cool looking, but that won't mean jack if it doesn't do what I want it to.  When I can I will post pictures of 20-25 yards and then out to 40-50 yards and see if there is any real difference or advantage.  Enjoy the following photos.

Stay tuned for a shooting update with photos.

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)

Combat Accuracy

"At least, it's combat accurate...."
"I'm working on combat accuracy...."

Combat accuracy.  Combat accurate.  If you do any kind of firearms training or even purview videos on YouTube about anyone with a word to say about "tactical" firearms training or shooting you're bound to hear these terms being tossed around.

But, what does it mean?  Unfortunately, especially for beginners, the concept of COMBAT ACCURACY is one of the most dangerous and detrimental training scars in the shooting world.

Let me explain:
Here's a common "tactical"paper range drill:
From 5-10 yards draw, lateral step, and engage the target as quickly as you can.  Use a shot timer.

Here's the most common result:
A shotgun effect of rounds all over the torso of the target that, under any other circumstance, would have the objective observer wondering if the shooter even had sights on the gun?

But, hey, that's "combat accurate."

Here's some truth.  That's piss poor shooting, unless the target is jumping all around and shooting back at you.  On the paper range you're not being shot at.  The target rarely jumps around.  Even with movement on a static paper non-aggressive target, you should be able to do better than a shotgun effect with rounds scattered around like you have no sights on your gun.

Here's the caveat:  If you manage to get similar results in a Simunitions scenario, that's "combat accurate".

In my opinion, the use of the term combat accurate is detrimental to learning to fight with and shoot a gun.  It is not something that should be trained for specifically, i.e. you shouldn't go to the paper range with the expectation of loosing rounds all over the place and be satisfied with the end result.

Combat accuracy is more accurately (see what I did there?) used as a descriptor for a post force-on-force scenario/incident evaluation.

Fast is fine, accuracy is final.  At the bare minimum you, as a trained shooter, should be able to hit what you're aiming at.  No excuses. No misses from 25 yards and in, at a minimum.  That's a simple demonstration of a solid understanding of the fundamentals of marksmanship.  Trigger control never changes.  Slow, fast it is always smooth and controlled.  That is why we train.  We train and we train and we master the basics so that the basics look like magic to the untrained.

Shooting a man-sized silhouette from 50 yards isn't magic, but to the untrained it sure looks like it is.  In fact, you will hear some say impossible, impractical, not realistic, and to that I say it's a demonstration that that person knows how to shoot his gun.  Even more so from 100 yards.  I got asked once when speaking with a group of friends about shooting from 100 yards with a handgun if the rounds fell into the ground around 60 or 70 yards.  I'll just leave that right there.  It's not magic and it's not rocket science.

It has been said that there are no advanced techniques only masterful execution of the basics.  There is some truth to that.  Trigger control and sight alignment.  If you can't do these consistently, don't bother being fancy and calling your piss poor shots "combat accurate".  It's on a paper range with non-aggressive pictures.

This is not a tactics article, this is a concept article, so I won't go into detail on advanced shooting techniques, that's not the point of this post.  Simply put, it is better to be able to call every shot than to practice a piss poor result and call it "combat accurate".

I was told once by a great instructor that training translates the following way on most occasions:

If you're great in training, you will be good in reality.If you're good in training, you will be OK in reality.If you're OK in training, you will suck in reality.If you suck in training, you better train some more before reality calls.

Lt. Col. Grossman put it as follows: you will not rise to the occasion, but fall to your highest level of training.  If your training is to sloppily shoot at a paper non-aggressive target and call it "combat accurate", you're failing to see the point.

Range training is a chance to master your gun.  To be able to call your shots, consistently.  Force-on-force training is the place to see if your training has paid off in "combat accuracy".

Definitely push yourself in training to see where the wheels fall off.  But don't settle for less and call it sufficient.

Combat accuracy should only be used to describe the end result of either a force-on-force scenario or an actual incident.  Not a term used to describe the end result of a paper range training scenario.

If you push yourself and the wheels start to come off then back off a little and keep training.  Keep pushing.  There is literally no limit.  You're only competing against yourself.  Even in a gunfight you're fighting against yourself.  Because you have no way of knowing the training level of your opponent.  All you know is yourself.  All you can do is beat your personal best to win the fight.

Remember on the training range you should strive for nothing less than perfection, which is simply defined as your personal best, which I already said has no real limit.  Time and effort along with quality training can bring you very far on your path.

I tell persons new to shooting (mostly because they're not indoctrinated by some other mindset) that the most important thing you can learn to do is to put bullets where you want them at will with minimal effort.

Once you can do that everything else is gravy.  Shooting from cover, turning, moving, clearing corners, slicing the pie, reloads, malfunctions training, all of that means little if you can't call your shots and the only way you do that is work.

A little perspective: your ability to perform a tactical speed reload means little if the bullets you're feeding your smoke wagon aren't finding their mark.  You're fighting yourself because you don't know how good of a shot the other guy is.  The idea is to put bullets on him faster than he puts bullets on you.  And more than he does.  I like to imagine in training against a paper target that the bad guy is super man and can outshoot me any day of the week.  I want to win and continue to enjoy the 4 F's of life.  So that means I need to be faster but also more accurate faster.  Think about it.

So, the whole point of this is don't short change your training by labeling a piss poor result as "combat accurate".  Change the way you think about that term.  It has a place, for sure, but it's not on a static one-way range.  And if you let yourself fall into that trap, you're only hurting yourself and anyone who depends on you.

Train hard, train often, amigos.

Musashi Quote?

I did not make this. I cannot take credit for it. Unfortunately, I do not remember where I first saw it. I like it and I'm sharing it. In fact, I don't even know if Musashi even said it. It has been too long since I last read The Book of Five Rings. But the quote and painting are awesome. 

What is effective?

What is your effective range? How far can you shoot accurately? And, perhaps, even more importantly: how far will you actually ever be called upon to shoot?  Let's talk about these things briefly while you look at the above picture.  For this post we will speak concerning handguns as this is far more applicable to the everyday responsible gun owner than, say, carrying your musket around everyday. (I have written extensively about CCW on my older blog and I will work on distilling or perhaps even reporting the content here).

Let's talk effective range and what that actually means. The great thing about good training is that there aren't many super-secret double meaning phrases or terms. Effective range is simply at what range are you effective? Even better, what is the maximum range you can be effective? 

This is highly personal and will vary from person to person and skill level to skill level.

Let's define effective for the sake of argument. Effective is not missing. You cannot miss fast enough to catch up in a gunfight. Which, brings up another component of effective: time. So, effective is not missing as fast as you can.  Or, in other words, shooting as fast as you can guarantee hits.  It's been said: fast is fine, but accuracy is final.

Your level of effectiveness will obviously change when you add distance to the equation. For example, at 5 yards you can be blazing fast and accurate. In fact, you have to be because there isn't much time or distance between you and your adversary. 1/10ths of seconds mean the world.

How far away can you guarantee hits? You're responsible for every single bullet that exits your gun whether you're being shot at or not.  If the threat is too far away, should you bother throwing lead you know will not hit its mark? What's the backdrop? Can you create distance? Do you have to close the gap and engage? Can you get to cover? So many factors to consider, there is no concrete answer except you cannot miss. 

Training plays a big role here. You can increase your effective range with good, solid training and frequent practice.  If you won a gun you owe it to yourself and your community to get training and a CCW permit (where required by law).

This plays into our next question. How far can you accurately shoot? Test yourself. Push your limits. This is not a speed exercise, but an accuracy exercise. See how far away you can hit center of mass on a silhouette. 

Train. And train outside your comfort zone. Anyone can spend all day at the 7 yard line and feel good about themselves. But what are you actually proving? You're only competition is yourself. You can't pick the skill level of your opponent, but you know yours and how far and hard to push yourself. Plus, if shooting from 25 yards becomes easy then that only helps your closer range shooting.

Train outside what's easy and comfortable. (Be safe about it) but train.

Oh, and if you're, wondering. The above picture is off-hand G17 9mm at 40 yards. Not perfect, but don't let anyone tell you it's not a practical shot. 

Good training.

Ready. Set. Go.

I believe in being ready.  I believe in being able to face any situation ready.  Mentally first, and then physically.

What does being ready mean?  Well, it does not mean paranoia nor over-zealousness.  It means being ready.

When we say we’re ready it means go ahead with the scenario.  It means starts the test.  It means let’s go.

In short being ready means: I’ve done all I can to prepare let’s begin.  Being ready isn’t perfect and oft-times more mental than physical, but being ready is a constant state.

Let’s talk about two places to be ready: 

1.  Ready anywhere you go.

2.  Ready to get home from you are.

Ready anywhere you go.  This is sometimes called EDC or Every Day Carry.  And this can get completely out of control.

The best way to avoid complete failure in a stressful, critical situation is to keep things simple.   This should apply to EDC, but many times it does not.  I’ve seen EDC that looks more like long-term survival gear than I’m going to the grocery store EDC.

So, what’s wrong with that?  Support gear supports need, not defines need.  Theoretically you can carry a rucksack everywhere you go and at a moment’s notice setup permanent camp. But you have drifted away from the principle of being ready.  You have moved outside the realm of practical where your support gear supports your needs, not defines them.

For this reason you should compartmentalize.  Unless you live in a remote area the majority of possible scenarios are simple and easily dealt with.

1. Ready anywhere you go.

Ask the question the next time you are inside the grocery store or pumping gas.  What do I need right now on my person?  If something should go awry: the most celebrated of these types of scenarios is a robbery or attack.  I say celebrated because it usually the more frequently cited yet rarest of occurrences.  However, it shouldn’t be discounted simply because of its rarity, due to the fact it is perhaps the most important one to be ready for.

So the ultimate worst thing that could happen at any given moment is being attacked: not simply robbed, but another human being trying to hurt, kill, or maim you.

At that moment what do you need?  Is it a pocket water filter?  A compact emergency bivy? 50 feet of paracord? A GPS?  What is it you need at that moment?

A weapon, preferably a gun with a spare magazine carried in a quality holster with a quality gun belt.  Or a knife, even better a gun and pocket knife.  Think CCW.

So, for that moment that’s all you need.  But let’s go one step further and talk about what you need in the moment the attack is over, with you preferably being the victor because you were ready mentally and physically.

What do you need? A med kit.  Chances are it was a surprise attack and the bad guy hit first.  Better patch yourself up.  A cell phone.  You better be calling the police after this.  And you’re going to need medics on scene.

And if this incident took place at night you should have a small but decent light.

That about covers the need for the ultimate worst scenario.

But that doesn’t happen every time you go buy your coco puffs. So, do we need to expand our EDC?

Just a tiny bit, a pen and paper can be a valuable EDC item when out and about.  Take some notes down when on the phone, jot down an idea, leave a note if you door ding someone, &c.

In urban non-apocalyptic America that about covers it.  Obviously I left out wallet, driver’s license, insurance cards, &c.  If you’re not carrying that stuff around, well, you need more personal guidance than a blog post.

That’s EDC ready in a nutshell.  You remain light, fast, unencumbered, and most important you are ready for just about any modern urban non-apocalyptic American scenario. Almost everything else can wait to get fixed when you get home.

EDC for yourself.  Of course, this is if you drive everywhere you go.   And if you drive you must be in a vehicle.

EDC for a vehicle is something a father figure should have taught you.  I’ll briefly go over some items for most places in urban America:

Something to change a flat, battery, fuse, wipers, and small lights. Jumper cables too.

Insurance and registration

Snacks and a water bottle (for long nights home stuck in traffic due to a fatal accident, or if you have kids with you during said traffic jam)

Flares and flashlight

First aid kit

Maps

Camera

Extra Ammo (a spare magazine – not an arsenal)

Pen and paper (which should be part of your personal EDC)

Depending on season, a jacket or sweater in case of a sudden weather change.  Just toss it in the backseat.

The above-suggested items support need for almost every imaginable scenario in urban non-apocalyptic America.  It will get you through just about every car break down, traffic jam, minor collision you can think of without requiring a Mad Max truck.

As with the personal EDC anything else isn’t an emergency and can be fixed later.

The key to the above lists is that they’re simple.  You can get away with carrying that stuff and still blend.  You won’t draw attention to yourself but still be ready.  It’s not the forefront of your day but if the situation turns south you’re ready.

Everybody talks about preparing for when the SHTF or the end of the world as we know it.  That’s cool and let’s you get away with all sorts of neat gadgets.  But, that’s not EDC, and that stuff should be in your house.

And even that should be kept to support need not dictate it.  Natural disasters happen far more frequently than societal collapse.

Now, the second EDC I’ll talk about is #2.

2. Ready to get home from where you are.

This is a bag.  Preferably a backpack.  And this is for those times when earthquake or flood or other disaster has blocked the roads home.  This is for when you have to walk home from where you were earlier in the day: work or fun.  But this is not an end of the world bag.  It’s something you can toss in your trunk or backseat and forget about.  Checking on it every month to make sure items are fresh or season appropriate.

Being stranded in your vehicle is not a good thing.  Walking home, even if it takes a night is better.   How frequently does this happen?  Highways get taken out and people stranded somewhat regularly.  A natural disaster can wipe out your way home for a day or two.

Depending on the situation and your personal capability.  Walking home could be the best option.  And it doesn’t have to be a disaster.  You could have catastrophic vehicle failure and have no one to come help you and no funds for a motel, taxi, tow truck, whatever.  Rather than suffer it out, walk home.  For me from where I work to where I live is an average 35 mile distance.  So, most likely an overnight walk.

The “Get Home Bag” is just as simple as everything else.  Remember this is not for the apocalypse.   Here are some suggested items:

You will notice many of these items cross over from the other two lists we just spoke about.  Simplicity.

Climate appropriate spare clothing (ie a jacket)

Change of small clothes (a change of underwear and spare pair of socks)

GPS and compass

Paper maps

Flashlight

Fire Kit

Batteries

Water (or small filter) and bottle (I like the platypus bottles)

Emergency Bivy

Pen and Paper

First Aid Kit

High Energy Snack

Hat and Sunglasses

Extra prescription glasses or contacts

Paracord

Extra Ammo (a spare magazine or two)

It has a couple items that blur into the SHTF, but walking home because all roads are inaccessible, though not permanent, can be a crazier scenario than the situations you’ll encounter just EDC.  It is, after all, a get home bag and if you can’t drive home or get a ride home and end up walking a tad bit extra won’t hurt.

Or the Get Home Bag could just be what you take with you into a motel until the roads clear up.  It doesn’t have to be the end of the known world.  And this bag isn’t set up for a sudden end of the world scenario happening while you went grocery shopping.

Society might not have collapsed forever, but the next couple days could be hectic.  It’s nice to be able to say, “Ready.”  When asked to face such a scenario.

Remember to always ask yourself if the gear supports need or is defining your need.  Keep it simple, blend, and remember the mental will keep you alive the longest.  Be able to you’re ready.

16" 300 Blackout Build Pic