Clarity and observation
Most of remember what it was like to get a telescope or pair of binoculars as a kid. Back then we pretty much just wanted to see how far we could look and that was about it. Magnification doesn’t always mean you will be able to see more. For instance, many cheaper brand binoculars may magnify up to 20X, but try holding them and read a sign with magnification that high and you’ll more likely see your heartbeat pumping before you read your first word.
Another problem with high magnification is the higher the magnification the less light your binoculars will let in. Sometimes people bypass the higher end fixed power binoculars like Zeiss binoculars for the cheaper high magnificaiton, but if you ever get a chance to compare the glass side by side you’ll be amazed. Good quality glass will allow in more light and clarity and you will actually see more, get a better field of view and not strain your eyes in lower light.
I’ve gotten the questions numerous times about what kind of jacket is best for winter carry. I’m not one to suggest that carrying a firearm in an outwear jacket is a good idea. There are expensive jackets out there where you can carry a gun and retain it in the jacket, but weight distribution is almost always an issue. Sometimes people need to realize that winter carry isn’t going to be as easy as summer carry because cold environments are going to mean big jackets or multiple layers of clothing.
Modern combat optics are becoming more and more advanced. Back in the day people just used the European pole or standard crosshairs for rifle scopes, but not anymore. These days combat optics may be red dots, green dots, illuminated reticles, bullet drop compensators etched in glass or Mil-dots. Combat optics like IOR scopes may have a reticle that is almost a sizing guide for range estimation where you just simply hold the target into a range estimator and then make adjustements on your target knobs or just hold over.
If you are searching the web for a gun holster for a training class or you are looking for your first CCW Holster and your looking for a paddle holster or OWB holster, Fobus holsters are the staple for gun owners. There are always critics of various holster designs, but for those looking to carry a gun, the Fobus Paddle holster is a very comfortable and reliablie firearm retention device. Fobus holsters are excellent for carrying full size autos. From my own experience, most people prefer to train with full size autos for accuracy and capacity reasons and carrying a gun IWB is pretty much a problem for most operators.
In the early 1990s there was a surplus of military style rifles coming into the Country. There were goofy thumbhole stocks to avoid violating gun laws or cheap parts for kits. Many of these rifles had pretty ugle stocks especially many of the rifles coming in from China or Egypt. If you have one of those MAK90s or Maadis that works great, but looks like crap, you might want to upgrade your stock with a synthetic. Many of these stocks are made in the US and can be considered US Parts to add to your legal alterations of your gun.
The title pretty much says it. The 1911 has been around for a long time now, but the reality is the guns and the magazines have improved since 1911. Sure machining and accuracy has improved for all firearms, but even to this day I still see guys with 1911 malfunctions regardless of the type of gun. Whenever I see these malfunctions I always ask what kind of ammo they use and what magazines. Most 1911s are even to this day still designed for ball ammo. Check with your manufacturer on what kind of ammo your 1911 will tolerate so you don’t make a fool out of yourself during training. I see it happen every year when new shooters show up at a class.
Man in the training in the self defense school will argue about the use of lasers on firearms. Lasers are used for as many diverse reasons as any tool. You can use a laser to direct someone to a target, highlight a threat, targetting a threat and using the laser dot to give you an approximate point of impact. When lasers first came out, there was evidence that operators were using them to aim and for close quarters fighting, sometimes aiming is not necessary and will slow you down in getting the first hits in. Hits count and the first hits usually go to the winner.
Many of you may think that spending $60 for a pair of pants is too high, but for a lightweight material, the design is extremely important. Eotac lightweight pants have a gusseted crotch that will drastically increase your ability to manuever without wearing about ripping your crotch out if you’re running and jumping. We had a user mention that another manufacturers pants tore in the crotch when he went from prone to standing up on a firing line. I guess we’ve all torn pants at some point in life, but tactical pants are not meant to be worn like Levi’s jeans.