C.A.G

Environmentally Friendly Ammo | The Green Bullet?

I guess all of the depleted uranium and lead we’ve been firing overseas in recent conflicts has got our government concerned. According to Washington, the The Army is switching from lead bullets in many small-caliber arms to “environmentally friendly” rounds. The new green bullets will slowly start to replace the M855 (5.56 mm) and the 7.62 mm. The M855, which was designed in the 70’s, will be replaced by the environmentally friendly M855A1 (green bullet) which is 100% lead free.

For those of us who have used the standard M855 ammunition on live targets, most of us would agree that it lacks the “punch” to put a target down as fast as we would like, often taking more than 3 rounds to incapacitate a threat. The new “green bullet” is currently being tested at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. The new round claims to be deadlier and faster than the Army standard issue 5.56 mm.

If the new projectile packs a deadlier punch than what we are being issued in combat, I have no issue with the new “green bullet”. I just hope that it holds up to its claims, I don’t think we could use anything with “knock down” than the M855. The Army predicts “the use of green 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm ammunition could eliminate the purchase of 3,683 metric tons of lead between 2013 and 2018.”

The M40A5 Sniper Rifle!

For those of you who are interested in long-range precision/sniping and are thinking about purchasing a sniper rifle, I would like to introduce to you one of my favorite rifles, the M40A5.

There’s a plethora of rifles on the market that we can choose from, but for the most of us, they can be out of our price range, especially if you’re just getting into the long-range precision hobby. The M40A5 or any M40 variant can not only fit most of our price ranges, but it is also has excellent accuracy. For those of you that don’t know, I am a huge fan of the M40 and M24 .308. This was the first sniper rifle that I was issued in Ranger Battalion, deployed with, attended multiple schools with, and also used this weapon system in the International Sniper Competition where my spotter and I placed top 5. In order to get a good grasp on ballistics, wind, etc., I feel that you should start off with the .308 (168 – 175 gr HPBT). There’s nothing like consistently engaging a target (IPSC) at 1000 yards with the .308, you have fully applied all the correct fundamentals and you truly understood the wind and the ballistics of that round, especially when considering the fact that the .308 was designed to be an 800 meter round, after that your encountering transonic issues depending on the environmentals.

What I also love about the M40A5, is the stock. The shape of the stock and where the firing hand lies on the rifle feels natural, allowing the shooter to “become one” with the rifle, or almost making it feel like an extension of your body.

The accuracy of the rifle is also something that you cannot ignore, and I feel, can compete with some of the “top of the line” rifles on the market to date. During my time at the International Sniper Competition, which is held at Ft. Benning GA, where the top snipers from around the world come to compete, I held true to what I believed in the M40. Going up against competitors such as Delta Force snipers, SAS, Israeli snipers, etc., who used the .338, .50, and .300 Win Mag, you would think that my basic M40 sniper rifle would be surpassed by far. Not the case. On my best days, I could hold around or less than a half-inch group at 100 yards (5 rounds), and on any given day a 1 inch group. The M40A5 stood its ground with the best, even at extended ranges (980 – 1050 yards). There is a reason why Law Enforcement and top tier Special Operations units still have this weapon in their armory and utilize on the battle field. This weapon is a fighting precision rifle. You can bang it up, drop it, lug it around the mountains of Afghanistan or the streets of Iraq, and when it comes time to perform and place a single round where it needs to be, it will do so.

Specs (Basic):

Caliber: 308 Win / 7.62 NATO

Action: Remington 700 Short Action

Barrel Type: USMC Countour, 1-12 Twist, 6 Groove Stainless, .925″ at muzzle

Barrel Length: 25″ (24″ from recoil lug)

Stock: Adjustable McMillan A4, Spacer Sys.

MOA: 1/4, 1/2, 1.0

MV: 2,550 – 2650 fps

MSRP: $2,800 (Basic) – $4,000

You can also check out http://www.gaprecision.net/mil-spec-rifles/m40a5.html for an awesome rifle!

Aero Precision M4E1 Upper

My first experience with Aero Precision came about 10 years ago in the form of a stripped lower. The build went well and the lower was a breadcrumb on the trail to more parts from Aero. As a gun shop owner, when customers were looking for quality parts at a price that wouldn’t break the bank, Aero was often the recommendation.

When given a shot at reviewing an Aero upper receiver, I chose the M4E1 upper with a 16″ 300 BLK barrel (1/7″ twist) and a keymod rail. The “E” in the name is for enhanced. The area specifically being described here is the handguard and barrel mounting system. The handguard mounting system and upper receiver are part of the same forging, making it an ultra-strong setup that is likewise simple. One can slide his barrel assembly into the upper, tighten using the included wrench, then toss on the rail and button it all up with eight screws. It’s easy, solid and makes for a nice and light upper. This system works not only with Aero precision’s handguards, but also most BAR system handguards.

I took the M4E1 out to the range with a couple hundred rounds to use. I had five different loads available, all pictured below. Ranging from 90 grains to 220 grains, this is a nice variety of rounds with which to test accuracy. The M4E1 was a snug fit in all three lower receivers I own, but too snug in the lower that contains a match trigger. (Side note, that lower seems to be a little out of spec, not fitting right with ANY of the uppers I’ve put on it. Not Aero’s fault here.) So, the day’s testing was to be done at 100 yards with a stock mil-spec trigger. Given a 1-turn-in-7-inch barrel, this usually means the gun will favor the mid-weight and heavier bullets. On to the shooting.

Looking through a boresighted Leupold 1-6x Vari-X VI, I gave a quick three round zero using Remington’s 115 grain UMC. I worked 5 round groups with each ammo type, here are the results from most accurate to least.

Barnes Range AR 90 grains. The bottom 4 rounds were touching. The little guy up top? I wouldn’t worry about that little guy. That was a called flyer, I went a bit spastic on the trigger pull.
Best group of the day. Photo by Rex Nanorum
Remington UMC 220 grain subsonic. Averaged just under 1.5″ groups.
Barnes 110 grain Tac-TX. Averaged just over 1.5″ groups
Remington UMC 115 grain. Between 1.5″ and 2″ groups
Gorilla 208 grain. These groups resembled shotgun patterns. This is normally a pretty accurate round out of other 300 BLK uppers, it simply didn’t agree with the M4E1.

I’ll note I’ve never been uber proficient at nice tight groups. I’ve always been far more successful at speed shooting, so I dialed the Leupold back to 3x and spent the rest of the day shooting and transitioning back and forth across the range. Despite a generous 1.8″ inside diameter on the keymod rail (as to allow suppressors to tuck underneath them), this is a light and responsive upper. Having forgotten my weapons lube in my other range bag, some 10w30 motor oil kept the BCG running smoothly and reliably.

Despite my challenges keeping the groups as tight as I would like, I had no troubles banging various sized targets from 50 to 300 yards with speed. Towards the end of the day I had really begun to realize this upper is capable of much better accuracy than I am. The M4E1 is light, rigid and speaks of quality at every turn. At $460 from aeroprecisionusa.com, this is an upper I’ll recommend. Once I get another range trip (and some practice) in, I’ll update with more accuracy results.

Deus Ex Machina | Gunfighter Trigger Review

While the Glock aftermarket has always been legendary in scope and breadth, I don’t believe it has ever been larger than it is right now. While the sheer volume of options can be daunting to research, a few companies always separate from the pack. This happens within each price point and is because that company is either producing unique products or parts at a great value relative to price. When the Deus Ex Machina (DEM) Gunfighter trigger is put to the question, their trigger comes up as both unique in design and economical in price.. While Glocks are well known for their reliability, most end-users agree that stock Glocks come from the factory with two parts needing improvement: the plastic sights (dovetail protectors) and the trigger (mush stick).

The Gunfighter trigger is designed to be flat faced rather than curved. The benefits of a flat faced trigger as advertised by DEM are: lighter perceived trigger pull, increased accuracy and cleaner trigger break. The trigger is machined from 6061-T6 aluminum and is anodized with mil-spec type III hard coat. My test trigger also came with the optional polished trigger bar. Initial examination shows me a trigger that is precisely manufactured and visually distinctive. There are other color options available on the DEM website.

Installation is pretty easy. Unload and field strip the handgun. Remove the trigger pin, locking block pin and trigger housing pin. Pop out the locking block and trigger housing. You will have to twist the rear of the trigger bar a bit to pop the spring off the end, this is just about the only tricky part. You can now grab the DEM Gunfighter and install by performing these steps in reverse. Once the new trigger is connected by the trigger bar, slide the trigger housing back into the frame. Next, slide the locking block back in. Put the rearmost pin into the backstrap of the grip first, followed by the top (smaller) pin above the trigger. Move the slide stop into place and insert the final (larger) pin above the trigger. Do a functions test and test the slide stop on an empty magazine as well. 2-3 minutes and one of the biggest improvements you can make on a Glock is complete.

After assembly, I ran through a few dry fire drills. It is important to have muscle memory with every aspect of a gun that is designed to be used reflexively. Your brain should be occupied on targets and threats while your body is awaiting the command to go through a motion that is second nature. If you’re focusing on the unexpected difference a new trigger has impressed upon your firing motions, you aren’t giving compete focus to the moment. Once the decision is made to fire, everything after that should be as natural as breathing: violently, accurately breathing.

The Gunfighter has a small amount of take-up before hitting “the wall”. Past that is a crisp and predictable break. While doing dry fire practice, I noticed a marked improvement in front sight shake with the Gunfighter. I attribute this to the more natural feel of a flat trigger as well as the cleaner break the Gunfighter provides over the OEM trigger.

I have put just shy of 10,000 rounds through this Glock 17 and have owned 4 others. I am intimately familiar with the stock trigger on this handgun in particular and Glocks in general. After a few long dry fire sessions, I was ready to evaluate the Gunfighter trigger on live fire. I brought my stock trigger and Glock disassembly tool along with me in my range bag to get a side-to-side comparison.

For my live fire testing, I had access to an informal range. Not the best place to practice bullseyes, I spent my time practicing double-taps and failure drills. The clean, consistent break was a welcome improvement on the stock trigger. While I wasn’t measuring groups with a ruler, I can say they were either a little smaller and arrived a little faster. After a hundred rounds or so (in addition to my dry fires) I started to feel really comfortable with the Gunfighter. My confidence in the trigger grew with every magazine and I was seeing the results on target. It takes time to adjust to a new trigger, so I expect it will take another range session or two for the DEM to feel totally second nature.

The DEM Gunfighter showed to be as big an improvement as I’ve made on a Glock yet. A match barrel won’t give you much if your trigger is sloppy. Great sight pictures are wasted on an inconsistent trigger break. It performs as advertised and is a quick and easy remedy to stock trigger syndrome (STS). At $115 there is great value in the DEM Gunfighter trigger. If you’re interested in upgrading your stock Glock, Deus Ex Machina is a great place to start looking.

Reaper Tips: How Do You Carry Concealed?

In every pistol class that we’ve done, the students as well as instructors ask, “How do you carry concealed?” Everyone has a different answer. Whether they are a member of the special operations community, competition pistol shooter, LE or civilian, just about everyone has a different point of view. Some carry positions are better than others, and some have some really good explanations as to why they carry a certain way concealed.

To be honest, I carry in just about every position, I think it’s all mission-dependent. With that said and after talking with the guys, I thought I would share a few of their viewpoints with you, and hopefully help you understand the advantages of carrying a concealed weapon (pistol) in a certain position on your person.

The 12-1 o’clock position

I’ve never really carried this way until I attended a combative pistol course put on by Travis Haley. This course was more than a “can you shoot” course. It was a thinking man’s course that forced you to think under various stressful situations.

Having a background in the PMC community, carrying a concealed pistol while protecting a U.S. diplomat was of the norm. Although, I never really thought to myself, “Why am I carrying it this way and not the other?”, I knew that I was faster carrying it in the 12-1 position as it allowed me to close less distance from my hands to waist while in the relaxed position. Although I really like the 12-1 position for what it has to offer ergonomically, I find it a little uncomfortable while in the seated position.

The 4:30/5 o’clock position

I personally use the 4:30/5 position 90% of the time. For the average walking around, meet and greet, etc. day, this is what feels comfortable to me. It doesn’t get under my rib cage, print, or make me look unnatural when driving in a car or sitting. This is my preferred position for average everyday carry. It may not be as great the 12-1 o’clock when it comes to ergonomics, but when looking at the disadvantages of the other, this is what fits right for me at this current time.

The 6 o’clock position

When talking with a few special operations members during a course as to why they neglected to carry in the 6 o’clock position, the majority, if not all, said they don’t carry in this position due to the unnatural movements and the possibility of being in a hand to hand combat/CQB situation.

One of the members said, “What if you enter a room, or you’re in your local store, and a guy decides to start a fist fight with you? He’s set out on fighting you. The majority of all fist fights turn into a grappling match, end up on the ground or pinned against a wall. If your back is pinned against the wall or against the ground and the guy is in the dominant position, your main focus is on defending your face and vitals. Reaching to the rear exposes the vitals. Reaching to the rear and grabbing your carry while pinned against a solid object…that’s another beast you have to consider. Time, lack of maneuverability, etc., are just a fraction of the things you have to consider.”

I can totally agree with this! I’m not saying that carrying in the 6 is a NO GO, as it is all mission dependent, but this is something I would definitely consider!

Be sure to check out the Haley Strategic Partners and the INCOG holster, a product that I use for my everyday carry.

(Featured Image Courtesy: monderno.com)

The Over Exaggerated “C” Clamp Grip | Hype or Not?

Over the past 6 years or so, combative and realistic shooting techniques have adopted a new, exaggerated shooting stance/style. I first saw this way of shooting while serving overseas and a couple of guys were using it during shooting drills before an op.

The shooters who use this style of shooting claim that it reduces recoil, allows the operator to transition faster between targets, and keeps the sights on target during a rapid engagement. As of late, I’ve seen students using this style of shooting with an over exaggerated grip and stance, simulating something they’ve seen on a DVD, or YouTube Channel.

History of the Shooting Style

It isn’t unusual for us “shooters”, to quickly adapt a new technique, especially if we see it being used by “spec ops veterans”, top competitive shooters, etc. As humans, we often feel the need to do something simply because the masses are doing it, it is called the Bandwagon Effect. The Bandwagon Effect is a well documented form of group-think in behavioral science and has many applications. The general rule is that conduct or beliefs spread among people, as fads and trends clearly do, with “the probability of any individual adopting it increasing with the proportion who have already done so”. As more people come to believe in something, others also “hop on the bandwagon” regardless of the underlying evidence. While we may adopt a new style of shooting, we often neglect to ask ourselves, “what is the purpose of this?”, and, “will it apply to what I’m training for?”

This particular style of shooting comes from the competition side of the field and started some time ago. Shooters such as Pat McNamara (Former 1SFOD), Kyle Defoor (Former SEAL), Jerry Miculek (competitive shooter), and Mike Pannone (Former 1SFOD) use this shooting style, but only to some degree. The theory behind using this style of shooting, or the “C” clamp grip, is that it will allow the operator to transition targets faster, reduce muzzle rise, and allows the operator to shoot faster while maintaining a sight picture on target. This is true to some extent, but on certain DVD’s, YouTube Video’s, etc., I’ve seen this grip extremely taken out of context and morphed into something else.

Let’s break each claim down using something no human can argue against…physics and our bodies natural way of moving.

Transition targets faster?: This claim does have truth to it. Think if it as this, imagine walking into a dark room and someone jumps out to scare you. The first thing your body does naturally is identify the threat with your eyes, followed by the head turning towards the threat and the body along with its limbs in follow. Or think of it as if you are in dark room and you are told to point at a sound hear, such as someone snapping their fingers. I’m sure all of us can point to something without seeing it, we’ve been pointing at things with extreme accuracy since we were babies, so I’m sure we’re pretty good at it by now. Shooters, may it be competitive or tactical, use the same technique to transition targets quickly. As the shooter moves between targets, the eyes snap to the target first, followed by the weapon. Having the arm slightly extended with the thumb facing forward, NOT over the top, is the same as pointing at a target. This has nothing to do with recoil management.
Reducing Muzzle Rise?: Looking at the way our body is designed and how recoil is distributed, we can analyze the claim using physics. Newtons Third Law explains this best. A gunpowder explosion creates hot gases that expand outward allowing the rifle to push forward on the bullet. Consistent with Newton’s third law of motion, the bullet pushes backwards upon the rifle, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Seeing this, the only way for the rifle to recoil, in theory, is straight back into our shoulder, if the weapon experiences any extreme muzzle rise (although there will be some due to the way weapons are made and the pivoting points on the weapon), it is because something our body naturally bends when pushed. Seeing some of the shooters who use this shooting style, wrap the thumb over the top, extend as far out as possible on the rail, and flare the elbow up, all in the belief that by doing this, it will prevent muzzle rise. Of course, if you are pushing the muzzle down, or keeping downward tension/pressure on the top of the rail when shooting it will reduce the muzzle rise, but at further distances on partially obscured targets (50 – 100 yards) take note of the point of impact. The support arm is only their to support and maneuver the rifle while maintaining a light rearward tension into the shoulder pocket and can be applied almost anywhere along the forearm of the rifle. Try a simple test on a Glock pistol. Aim the pistol in a safe direction downrange, fire one round. The recoil causes the weapon to flip upward. Now, place your none firing hand against the back of the slide applying enough pressure as to not allow the slide to function. What happens to the recoil? Reducing the upward rise of the M4, etc., comes from applying forward upper body pressure and lowering the axis point of the rifle into the body. Note that this shooting style tucks the weapon deep and low into the should and near the pectoral muscle. This amount of “meat” behind the weapon is what reduces recoil, not the foregrip.

Facts About the Shooting Style

Peripheral Vision Obstruction: For those who adopt this unique style of shooting, there is nothing wrong with that, just understand what the purpose of this shooting stance was designed for. The style of shooting stance this would apply perfectly in, would be the competition community, a one way range where targets are predetermined and do not maneuver the way a live target would when being engaged. Having the elbow cocked as high as it is in the featured picture, only obscures the peripheral to the support side. Sure, some will say, “my partner covers my flank.” What if the guy you had there a minute ago goes down? What if your clearing your house late at night when your wife or kids hear someone break through the front door? I’d want to be able to see EVERYTHING around me, another reason why I teach the importance of shooting with both eyes open. Try out a simple test with one of your shooting partners. Next time you’re at the range and you see them shooting with the support eye closed, or the elbow flared to a point that it obscures their vision, stand to their support side and flick them off. After they are done shooting, see if they noticed it. I’ve done the test with multiple students at close distance, within 3 feet of them and they had no idea that I was there. ***Take a look at the following picture. Can the operator see anything to his left? This can be a potential game changer in an actual combative environment.***

You shoot faster?: I’ve heard this from individuals using this style of shooting during a few combative carbine courses. My first response to this is, “awesome!”, the second being, “No man has ever won a gun fight because he shot 30 rounds in 1.5 seconds, the guy who usually wins is the one who shot one round accurately.” The over extended forearm “C” clamp grip has nothing to do with trigger speed. Trigger speed comes from properly understanding trigger reset.
Obstruction of Sights: Having the thumb wrapped over the top when training, we start to build shooter muscle memory. I know a lot of us put aftermarket optics on our rifles, zero it in and purchase the greatest backup sights and place them on the rifle for a just in case scenario. There is nothing wrong with that at all, I do the same. What I do have a problem with is building a muscle memory that may cost you time in a desperate situation. As we all know, things break or stop working for a ton of reasons, much like an aftermarket optic, I’ve had my share. Let’s say your optic refuses to work in a life threatening situation and you have to resort to your backup sights, your thumb is wrapped over the top, you adjust your eyes to acquire the backups and what do you see…your thumb! The second it takes to readjust the hand position to remove your thumb obstructing the front sight is valuable time. Try using the over the top “C” clamp grip with an AK-47 and note the results.
Over Exposure to Vital Organs: Of course stating the obvious that this stance is exposing some very vital organs with the elbow flared so high. I had to state this due to the fact that in Iraq, one of my Ranger buddies took a round to side, penetrating his lungs and heart. Some will say, “well, that’s why we present our body armor to the threat.” This is true, but, I’m sure we’ve all heard of ricochet and there may be multiple threats (left, right, oblique, etc.) Let’s say there is a threat to the front and one to the side, the closest threat to the front and furthest to the side. Through training and common sense we know to eliminate the closest first, that being the front. The side target only needs one lucky shot. Having the elbow flared so high only gives the bullet a clear obscured path to vital organs. I’d rather place bone and meat there.
Comfort: Stating the obvious here, but for those who haven’t used this technique, it isn’t something that one can sustain for an extended amount of time due to muscle/joint fatigue. Locking your elbows increases the impact of recoil on that joint.

The Way The “C” clamp grip was intended to be Used

If you are going to use this style of shooting grip and stance, there is nothing wrong with that. Just know the way that the style “C” clamp grip was intended to be used. The style as of late has become over exaggerated in my personal opinion. What do you think? Also, be sure to check out another view on this topic here: http://www.gunnuts.net/2013/07/02/curing-the-tactical-turtle/

Note: Picture below is of Former Delta Operator Dale Comstock.