Class: Mossie Tactics Level 3 Pistol Class
Instructor: Buck Mossie
Cost: $375
Date: August 25-26, 2012
Location: Oak Tree Gun Club
Students: 4
Ammo used: 850 rounds
This turned out to be a very good class with just four students and plenty of repetitions and feedback. It was pretty much tailored to us. Three of four students were quite proficient with one student lagging far behind. However, it did not impede the advanced students since the class was so small. All students were civilians with two of them working for Battle Comp Enterprises out of South San Francisco.
Buck was in USMC and is now a Detective Sergeant with 16 years of active duty service with a large metropolitan law enforcement agency as well as teaching classes for several years in SoCal and Las Vegas and soon NorCal. He is also the designer of the Mossie Midnight Mount.
As Buck says: “The purpose of the pistol is to defend yourself against unexpected attack”.
Training Day 1 (12pm to 9pm)
A long and useful lecture started us on day 1. The four safety rules and the seven fundamentals of marksmanship with full demo.
We started out with an eval of large steel and a small 8” circle one at 15-20 yards. This was to gauge accuracy and the ability to cater speed to target size.
For most of the class we had two targets per shooter and Buck would designate targets and zones. A lot of times the hit zone was an 8” paper plate for center mass and the head at times just had the eyes and nose area. Using hands and arms to move vertically (support hand) from center mass to head and vice versa. Using hips to twist from one target to the next like a turret. To get accuracy locked in at 5 yards we would fire 1 round to each head and center mass of each of the two targets. Next we would attempt to now put a follow-up round on top of our last bullet hole.
Buck’s draw is based on a 4 count with count 2 being in close contact retention with pistol slightly canted out. Count 3 brings you to one of several ready positions: Low, High, SUL or Compressed.
We would do one or two rounds at 7 yards from the draw with a scan and assess before holstering.
We covered various in battery and out of battery speed reload, tactical and admin reloads. Buck prefers either using support hand thumb to release the slide or racking it. For racking he mostly holds the back of the back of the slide with support hand while pushing out with strong hand. We drilled all of them in. Shoot one or two, reload and then shoot one or two.
We rolled straight into malfunctions starting with the Tap-Roll-Rack. The roll to stop the malfunction from aggravating it further. Next were stove-pipe (sweep) and double-feed (release pressure on slide, drop mag, rack several times, new mag, rack and assess). We also talked about how magazine disconnects can exacerbate some malfunctions.
We then started with one of many push back drills. These are when we all start at say 10 yards and keep going back in 10 yards increment until shooters are eliminated. We started with paper with 1 to target 1, 2 to target 2, etc. Next, was large and small steel and you get three tries with the second being 2-handed support and last try strong hand only. Know your holds for various distances and go fast or slow depending on target size.
Next at 7-10 yards Buck would call out body left or right or head left or right or failure drill left or right. This went on in rapid succession with quick reloads. For head shots get them just above the ears for our silhouette targets.
For moving and shooting we would use the right target going forward and the left target going back. This was the first time I had seen that and it’s a great way to diagnose issues while keeping them going in rapid succession. As usual, reload on the move.
For stationary turns you always turn into the threat. We turned 90 degree left or right (always look first while going for count 1 of the draw and do not clear holster until after the turn) or 180 for either side.
Buck is a big proponent of Ken Hackathorn and his drills. So, we next went into the Hackathorn 1-2-3-4-5 drill (15 rounds total) with the very nice Buck enhancement of carrying only 2 magazines totaling exactly 15 rounds. Also, a shooting buddy would load your magazines sometimes 8 in one and 7 in the other but mostly 9 in one and 6 in the other. You start with an empty pistol. After chambering a round you draw on the timer buzzer. Any hit outside of the 8” circle would add a huge 5 seconds to your time (another Buck enhancement since Hackathorn only adds 1 second per miss) so it pays to be accurate. You stand at 10 yards from three targets about a yard apart. You put 1 round in target 1 (from left to right), 2 rounds in target 2, 3 rounds in target 3, 4 rounds on target 2 and 5 rounds on target 1. There’ll be a reload somewhere in there but you don’t know when. Upon reload you sometimes can lose track of which target you were on and how many rounds you gave it. This is a great drill and I had forgotten about it so it’s time to include it on training days.
We practiced close contact weapon retention next. The drill tested us in a variety of ways. You’re arm’s length away from the target. Upon buzzer you give it two rounds from close contact, take one large step back and then one to the head. Then, you have another target 7 yards away to your immediate 90 degree left which you engage with a failure drill. Next, a small 8” steel at 15 yards away and a large steel at 25 yards away. Basically, it incorporated a lot of what we had covered previously. Buck just keeps building layers upon layers and then tests you.
For the next drill we started holstered and facing up range. Upon buzzer from the timer you would look, turn and engage two steel targets with the smaller one at 10 yards and the bigger one at 20 yards. While standing for the buzzer we all took turns mind-playing with the shooter so they wouldn’t know when the buzzer is coming.
Next was back to the Hackathorn 1-2-3-4-5 drill but this time within the two magazines of combined 15 rounds we also had 4 dummy rounds. You’d need to do a tap-roll-rack. Another good one which I’ll use in personal training.
The night shoot was a bummer since the range pushed Buck into another range than normal so we only had a fleeting 15 minutes of true dark. We did a push back drill with no lights (everyone had weapon-mounted lights) to large steel and light on for the large steel. We also covered various lighting techniques for searching and firing. Overall, this part was a disappointment. I would’ve liked to have a couple of hours of darkness and more drills.
Training Day 2 (9am to 5pm)
A similar lecture as day 1 but accelerated and reviewing what we had covered on day 1.
The head zone of our targets became a much narrower band similar to USPSA A zone. Ran drills for tactical reload while Buck would call out targets and zones.
We then started with a lot of one-handed shooting (strong and support) as well as reloads and draws.
We practiced the reloads and draws dry first. For strong hand only (SHO) for reloads we would either come back to the holster or between the legs with the muzzle pointing down. For support hand only it’s pretty much between the legs since most holsters do not accommodate opposite side holstering. The support hand draw is draw and between the legs, turn it around and fire. Practicing support hand draw and passing the pistol from strong hand you would either pancake or draw by holding low on the grip. Neither I like. I used a normal draw and then leave a gap in my grip where the support hand catches it.
Buck does not like (as in unsafe) the support hand draw where you roll across your chest since in real life it may get caught in garment or gear. He’s also not a fan of the Blackhawk Serpa holsters due to getting finger in the trigger in haste.
We went through many drills of strong hand draw and firing as well as support side. We also did drills where we would get slide lock reload and doing the reload one-handed strong and support side. Always while getting good hits on the desired zones and targets.
With a timer we would draw strong hand only engage large steel, slide lock reload and then engage large steel at 10 yards. We then reversed it so that we would start on small steel. For same drill support hand only we went slow without a timer.
We also did another push back drill with strong hand only.
Next was doing s snake routine with three zone and three targets. There were two stacks of barrels obscuring and blocking our shots. Zone 3 was furthest out – at zone 3 only engage target 3. We would continue this zigzag through about 40 rounds and multiple reloads on the move. Really gets you going to focus hard on getting good hits while moving and hitting the right target.
Next more of Hackathorn 1-2-3-4-5 drill with two unknown magazines (loaded by a buddy) with 6 & 9 each.
After lunch we got into slicing the pie and moving laterally.
For slicing the pie we would have a buddy standing say downrange and telling us if he could see us. This was engaging four targets per shooter per side. As the pie gets further inboard you keep getting further back from the cover so that you’re exposed the least amount. We each did both sides twice. For the support side we did 2-handed strong and also 2-handed support. With 2-handed support side for me it’s best to close my right dominant eye and force left eye open for least amount exposed.
For moving laterally Buck is in favor of going as far as you can and then turning around. Both side using two hands on the pistol. Two shooters would face each other and walk laterally in opposite directions towards each in SUL and as soon as they passed each other on target and Buck would call out target 1, 2, 3 or 4. We would switch sides and did several iterations.
Next was a box drill. Furthest point of the square would be two rounds to zone 1 to target 1, front to target 2, other side to target 3 and all the way back to target 4 and finally one round (not hit) to the small steel. We all practiced this moving from station to station and either planting and firing or always moving. We then did this as man on man competition. Fastest would win unless the slower one had fewer misses. Only hits to the 8” circle count. This is another great one.
We finished the day with another push back drill.
I really enjoyed this class and picked up some new tips, tricks and drills to add to my training arsenal.