AAR: Magpul Dynamics Shotgun

[Wayneard3413]

Magpul Dynamics
Dynamic Shotgun
Instructors: Steve Fisher and Jon Canipe
Grove City, PA
13-14 Sep 2012

This course followed immediately after the Carbine 1 class. I believe this course had 12 students.

My shotgun experience is pretty limited when compared to carbines and pistols. It is not a commonly used platform where I come from and my training experience is limited to classes with Pat Goodale at PFT and shooting with Rob Haught.

Much like the carbine class the equipment varied widely. There was everything from 24"+ hunting style shotguns, to short barreled guns with Aimpoints and almost box stock pump guns.

I ran a pretty simple gun. A Remington 870 outfitted with a fiber optic front sight, Magpul forend with a Surefire X300, side saddle, Vang Comp safety and a Hogue reduced length of pull stock. For ammo I used Federal Flight Control 00, Federal slugs and el’ cheapo Walmart bird.

We started off the class with a bit of patterning which would prove to be rather important. Steve used my gun to demo several different rounds and then again with his Vang Comp equipped barrel. It was remarkable the difference it made. Also surprising was the fact that it absolutely hated the Flight Control ammo and started to string the shot vertically.

Throughout the weekend proper stance and the push/pull method was stressed over and over. Recoil management and loading are the two biggest obstacles in shotgun shooting. Mastering those two and knowing how your gun/load patterns allows you to do some remarkable things.

Steve demonstrated just how much the push/pull technique helps by firing off three rounds from his 870 in about a second. He is simply deadly with a gauge.

At the beginning of the class we talking about the various failure points on a shotgun. Steve mentioned cheap side saddles falling off, magazine extensions causing issues, telescoping stocks failing and a few others. Almost all reared their ugly heads before the end of the first day.

The other equipment related issue was how to carry spare ammo. Humping ammo is probably one of the biggest draw back to the scattergun. Some shooters were running dump pouches which caused their own issues with keeping various types of ammo separate (which caused a shooter to hit a TacStrike target at ~10 yards with a slug when he meant to grab birdshot) as well as a couple guys loaded shells backwards when pushing for speed.

After everyone had a firm grasp on the basics we covered things such as use multiple target engagements, use of cover and short stocking.

By far the biggest take away from me was Steve’s take on a slug select drill. He advocates filling the tube up and chambering a round, leaving one empty spot in the tube.

When a slug is needed you simply load one into the tube. Common wisdom would state that we then rack the round of buck out and load up the slug. Steve and his high speed, space shuttle shit approach asks why would throw good ammo away with a shotty when we don’t with a handgun or carbine.

Instead we simply fire the round of buck at the bad guy. With advancements in ammo we can realistically keep pellets where they need to be far outside what is commonly thought of as buck shot range. This was demonstrated by firing 00 and then the slug at a distance of over 60 yards with other targets set up beside the simulated bad guy.

Another eye opener for most of the students was when we used a TacStrike hostage base to set up drills where they would use the known pattern of their gun/ammo to make a rather tight shot past three no shoots. It certainly isn’t ideal but it was quickly proven that it is more than possible.

This was another great class. Shotguns are often relegated to shooting doors and bean bags. Fewer schools are teaching how to run one efficiently and I have to say that I really like Magpul’s approach.

Student engaging a target with multiple shots…

Short stocking the gun. A useful technique to get into those hard to reach places…

A block of instruction on the proper use of cover…

Modified version of the Wave of Death that incorporates taking a knee to reload…

Transitions were covered with and without a sling as well how to use the white light on your shotgun when firing your pistol…

Steve demonstrating how to take hostage rescue shots with a riot gun…

And once again, a pic to stroke my own fragile ego…

[Rosco_Benson]

“Instead we simply fire the round of buck at the bad guy…”

I’ve got to quibble with this. If a select-slug is needed, it is because the shooting problem is one that buck isn’t appropriate for. Simply firing the chambered buck round to get rid of it is probably going to send buckshot pellets where you don’t want them to go. After all, if buck can solve the particular problem posed, then why are we doing a select-slug?

Leaving a “dead space” in the magazine tube is a good practice (I learned that from Louis Awerbuck a couple decades ago), but hitting the action release and pumping out the unwanted buck round is probably going to be the better approach in the vast majority of situations.

Rosco

[Steve]

as was explained in the class its an option, if foreground and background are clear and the shooter knows the gun and load and its max range which by todays standards is 50-70 yards this was shown and explained

as well it was told that some depts one’s i have trained that still carry gauges with only buckshot might have to use it outside the so called effective range? what is the effective max range of the gun and loads?

as for slug select i agree what the purpose is for…
I also understand that many dont carry enough ammo what is enough ammo?

so if the shooter performs a slug select and misses? then does the same thing how many rounds have been lost and need to be replaced by the shooter…

again its an option todays guns and loads have increased the max effective range

slug’s are a great option if you have them or enough of them

I dont do what ifs but there are many here it was also shown on paper targets around the steel plates we shot what the hit /miss issues maybe

many would be suprised how the shotgun with buckshot can still be very effective

i also know that if i had to today grab the gun and use it and i had to perform a slug select it pending distance to threat, time and damage that the shooter is inflicting.

so if i have a clear foreground and background and i can get the gun up from patrol ready(whatever someplaces now call crusier ready cruiser safe etc…)

and can distract him by firing the round of buck to disrupte his or there actions, allowing me time to then get a good slug hit so be it. its much easier to see and explained in class but i understand your concern at no time was anyone told to just, launch a round down range for the sake of it

but why waste a good round of ammo if its useable and can inflict damage and stop actions