Having fun learning

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Oh, yea, one other thing. The sks might not hold as many rounds, but up close it will make for one hell of a bat. Try that with a SU-16. :)
 
Spider - wound up with a bag o mixed brass in my trunk. I'll pass it along to you when I'm back in town.

Familiarity with what you have is a big deal. The batteries died in my old Eotech during a run. I transitioned to pistol then swapped for a spare rifle. In the heat of the moment it never occurred to me that I had a backup rear right mounted. I put it there 'just in case', but having never used it except for initial zeroing, I never thought to flip it up.

Paying attention to your supplies and spares is good too. I happened to have a spare pack of the special batteries it takes in the car. When I swapped them out that night - dead. Inspection of the packaging revealed a disturbing fact. They were stamped "Best if used by Jan". Right under that -- "2003" Grrr....
 
Uh, yeah don't hold on to it in your left hand, while you are trying to bring a side arm into action. That only took me about a dozen tries to see that it doesn't work.....
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Spider John, what wasn't working for you with that? I am curious because while I've never tried it with an SKS, I use pretty much the same technique with ARs and I haven't run into any problems yet. Is the SKS just too big to wrap your paw around the forearm? In any case, I'd be interested to hear more so I can learn from your experience instead of learning later on my own :)
 
Oleg, can you give us some more observations on the SU-16? I'm in California and evil black/pistol gripped guns are a no-no to purchase. I picked up a SU-16CA and have been very pleased with it. Just curious if you used it through-out the entire shoot and how it held up?
 
I have GOT to find a way to set aside some time and money to take a few courses like this. Okay, I'll be the guy messing around with an SKS or a lever action .30-30 but like the man said, learn what you have.
 
SU16CA and 16C. C fold up better but the grip is uncomfortable, esp. when firing from prone position. CA stock is better but much too long for me (I am 6'1" and the stock would have to be chopped by 3", which is hard to do with hollow plastic).

With the standard forend, 16CA is a fine, reliable gun. I did not have overheating problems. It did not have blowback with suppressor (which is why I considered it as a viable alternative to the AR15 which does). Iron sights windage adjustment is a little clumsy, but they work well enough. Balance is good. Lack of pistol grip is still a handicap.

Compact forend is trash. It is flimsy, flexes enough to bind the gas piston!
Trigger is rather heavy and the safety is ill-placed.
I guit using the gun about an hour into the course because I felt it would likely break. I used the 16C version previously without such problems -- the faults were all in the forend.

Overall, I liked SU16 better than Mini14.
 
Good to see some others got to take part in the Steve experience. You guys should come up here some time.
 
i have been saving up the money to go to a tactical carbine and or pistol class for the last year or so. ive had the money twice now, but i put off the trip to buy another rifle/pistol/etc. i finally raised the money again, and i got called up 2 days ago to go to iraq may 20...lol. too late i guess. i will deffinetly have to enroll in a class when i get home. untill then i guess i will just have to rely on what ive learned from my drill sgts/team leaders.

i guess this should be a lesson to me, i shouldnt have put off something as vital and important as good training.
 
Bart,
My hands are large enough that holding onto the rifle was not the problem. The trouble with holding onto an empty rifle is that it ties up a hand, a hand I might desparately need to reload the pistol. The technique that worked, or worked better than standing there holding a 9 pound brick, was to drive my left arm in to the sling from the left side and swing the butt of the rifle up to my shoulder with my right hand. this left me with the rifle should I find the time to reload it again, and freed up both hands to continue the fight. Again (Steve's repeated mantra here), use the tools you have to the best of your ability. I was tired when I wrote what I did last night and I rambled a bit, but I think the main point of the class was to think through as much of this as you can on the front side. You are gonna fail if you do your thinking for the first time when the SHTF.
 
I think the main point of the class was to think through as much of this as you can on the front side. You are gonna fail if you do your thinking for the first time when the SHTF.
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Yeah, I remember the first time somebody asked me how you do a tap-rack-bang drill if one hand is out of action :eek: . Now I know a couple of different ways but that one really set me back at the time.
 
One thing that the common firing line precludes is the use of the gun barrel (hot!) as an impact weapon...
 
The trouble with holding onto an empty rifle is that it ties up a hand, a hand I might desparately need to reload the pistol.
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OK... I had not run into that problem because I use the 17rd CDNN mags in my pistol in training and I usually have the rifle on a single point. I can see where trying to reload a pistol with an SKS in one hand would be a tough manipulation. Thanks for the input - I probably wouldn't have figured it out on my own until I ran the pistol dry with a rifle that didn't have a sling.
 
Spider john did a great job.

I made sure to run up the round counts a bit when i saw his gear, single stack 1911 and sks (10 rounder). I did this later in the day after basics were down.

I wanted to push him and his gear to the fullest and to make sure he got the most out of it. and really had a chance to run his choices...... and he did th emore pressure applied he rose up and did well..... he thought, he fought and he learned..... that is key.....

he ran his gear and ran it often the applied pressure of faster moving drills made him think and act faster...... and he did.

I tell you what, i wil lbe willing to put on a THR only class some were central or here in michigan full 2 day class if you guys think its worth it to you
 
I tell you what, i wil lbe willing to put on a THR only class some were central or here in michigan full 2 day class if you guys think its worth it to you
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i would love to do something like that! definetly worth it!
 
A Michigan class sounds like fun.

I'd definitely go. Booner, any of your students show up with a Kalashnikov variant, and if so, how did they do? (All my AR variants are 20" barreled) :confused:
 
Too bad Michigan frowns on my SBRs. I guess I'll just have to bring something FA if I want a nice, short barrel. :)
 
Different guns I've seen at Steves classes were Cetme's, FAL's, AK, AR, M1A, M1 carbine, and I'm sure there are more I can't think of right now. How well they did didn't have much to do with the gun. Either you have your head in the fight, or you don't. Bottom line is, use the rifle you plan on using for SHTF. You aren't impressing anyone by showing up with a fancy gun, that runs like crap. If all you have is a lever gun, bring it. You will be better off with what you actually own, than if you borrow a "cool" gun that you don't own.
 
Well, then...

Thanks for the admonishment, I guess. I am seriously humbled after asking what I thought was an innocent question. :eek:

I mentioned the AK since I retired from the military last year after 20 years of yearly M16/M38/M9/M1911 qualifications, and was not impressed with my issued M16 experiences.

Now that I'm no longer an indentured servant, and capable of making my own choices, my go-to gun has become the infamous-but-reliable AK, from Y2K scare to hurricane looters and evacuations to bedside HD gun. It may torque some to no end, but I practice with it, I've successfully hunted with it, and continue to depend on it when needed. Had I not left Florida, I was scheduled to attend Sonny Puzikas' training in Sarasota. (I still may) If Booner will tolerate such a poseur amongst his Michigan guests, I'd like to attend and bring my HD/SHTF gun...
 
I did not intend to slam you. Please accept my apology. We get guys new to ACTS all the time worried about if they have cool enough stuff for the matches. You also see guys taking classes, for the wrong reasons. They don't have there head in it, and it shows. Just bring what you own, and you will figure out what works.
 
Now that I'm no longer an indentured servant...
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G'98, congrats on that. ;)

Me? I guess I'd be in Mustanger98's levergun camp.
(Supplemented up close by the 870P.)

Indeed, use what you've got and "have fun learning".

Nem
 
Hey Nem, the levergun camp and 870 camp are nearly one and the same. I'm about in both... I understand you are too (already having a 336? as well as planning for the 1895G).
 
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