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Looks like a great class!!! I’m starting to try out the hand way forward like Chris is demoing in the pics, but it feels super-unnatural for me.
Great shots Archangel. Thanks for all of your hard work getting everything together and for taking away from trigger time to be camera man. It sure was a hell of a good time and a great learning experience. It just makes me realize how much more there is to learn. I’m doing a brain dump onto paper of the two days so that I won’t lose some of that valuable knowledge. The one hand clearing procedures are taking a ton of paper! Now it’s practice practice practice…
Thanks again to Chris, Travis, Patrick and especially H.B.
Stay safe and give’em hell.
B
Let me tell you, I was skeptical as well until I was shown out there. Quick to target and rock solid site picture, especially when moving. This class was a great example of how tactics and techniques constantly change with new equipment and ideas. From now on, my broomhandle is a backstop for my hand and no longer a grip!
Did Jason Hill actually hit the target?
Thanks, for sharing. Great pics!
What range in Houston hosted the class?
Law Enforcement Academy Range
Houston Community College Law Enforcement Training Facility
When I signed my teammate and I up for the class, I expected quality training since it was associated with Magpul. Travis and Chris did not disappoint me, the training was rock solid and geared toward “survival”. There were no “high speed gimics” and no “my gear is better than yours” attitudes.
Travis and Chris presented the curriculum in a clear concise motivated manner. Both instructors appeared to have knowledge rooted in real world experience and actual encounters. Neither instructor had an ego that got in the way of instruction and all information was presented in a manner that all students could relate too.
The class started with a lecture on “Combat Mindset”. I attend and instruct LE training on a regular basis and believe this is a highly overlooked area. I appreciated that fact that Travis and Chris wanted the students to understand what happens in a deadly encounter both mentally and physically. It’s important that students understand pulling the trigger is only one part of the fight. If your mind is not prepared for the fight there is very little your body will do to win it.
When we hit the range, there was very little down time. It was nice to see a class geared around the actual act of training and not geared around when you take breaks and what time is lunch. It was also refreshing to have the students train outside there comfort zone. All to often range time is spent training at the things we are good at so that we leave the range with inflated egos and a belief that we are better than we actually are.
I liked the fact that Travis and Chris made the shooters think outside the box when it came to positional shooting and one handed weapons manipulation. I think every shooter on the line regardless of experience level walked away with a better insight into these areas.
There was an awful lot of trigger pulling in the class and this is the measure of a good class is some people’s book, but regardless of the round count, Travis and Chris put out quality information that made me and many others better shooters. This is what makes a quality class in my book.
To Travis and Chris, Thanks for your dedication to the Warrior Spirit and doing your part to make the “Good Guys” better. Magpul does itself a great service with you two guys in it’s ranks.
To ARCHANGLE, Thanks for taking time to photograph the class and doing your part to make this training happen. I was impressed with your willingness to help other students with equipment needs and concerns.
To HB, Thanks for the use of the range, it was awesome training facility.
To the students, it was a pleasure to train with you guys!
Keep up the good work and I look forward to training with Magpul Dynamics again!
what’s the reasoning for Chris’ thumb forward grip?
If you’re refering to his reaction (left) hand, he had just fired the shot and is about to manipulate the safety before bringing the rifle down.
Agreed, was weird as well for me when i first tried it but i realized i was better able to pull the rifle into my chest with this forward grip.
Also, gripping the rifle this way also allows me to tuck the rifle into my shoulder and shoot with my strong side elbow completely in. With that elbow tucked against my torso ive got a super stable firing base for the firearm.
Great pics archangel. Thanks for sharing.
Any idea of what the AR magazine pouches are that the shooter is wearing on his left hip?
Great pics and write up!
Thanks!
BP
Those are Diamondback Tactical Tiered Mag Pouches (for belt loop). Thaye also come in Molle. They have pros and cons, but the biggest issued I had with them was that they were not good for tac reloads. Pulling the mag out was fine, but putting the nearly spent mag back in was not smooth (therefore slow). So, I wound up putting my nearly empty mags in my dump pouch. As I learned in the class, that’s not the best idea for a number of reasons.
So, I’ll probably end up getting either kydex or kydex lined pouches. Eagle Industries makes a nice kydex lined combo pouch for an M4 and pistol mag in one pouch. The issue then becomes how to get 4 mags on your belt. I’d rather not go with a chest rig due to the weight and I don’t need plates.
Ah, the joys of gear selection.
Hout, on the 4 mag issue, does every mag have to be a "speed reload " mag? You could use one or two kydex for your speed load, and just keep topping that one off from your other pouches that hold more. FWIW.
Sorry if I wasn’t clear above, but the issue wasn’t with speed reloads, it was with tactical reloads. Why? Because after a speed reload where is your empty mag? Somewhere on the deck five feet behind you as you continue the fight. However, during a tactical reload, it was difficult to put the partially used retained mag back into the mag pouch quickly. So, I was having to put the partially used mags in the dump bag. That was ok at the time and a lot of people do that, but as we learned, it could come back to bite you later in the fight, depending on what else you have in the dump bag.
So, the better solution for me I think is to have rigid mag pouches for anything on my level 1 rig and soft pouches on level 2 rig if I ever get one.
Clear as mud?
Outstanding pics, looks like a great class, thanks.