Marksmanship

New reloadable ‘digital flashbang’ could offer more options for special operators, law enforcement officers

A new, reloadable flashbang with a digital fuse promises to give law enforcement officers and war-fighters a crucial tactical advantage when it comes to close-quarters combat (CQC).

Liberty Dynamic has been working on the Enhanced Diversionary Device (EDD) for more than four years. According to the manufacturer, their flashbangs are superior to current products for a number of reasons. First, they are reloadable, which reduces overall operating costs of units. Second, since they are reloadable, they can be used more during training, thereby maximizing their effectiveness on target. Finally, they’re safer and more reliable. According to the manufacturer, the flashbang’s “low volatility energetic material and very low fragmentation potential should reduce costly lawsuits and insurance claims resulting from improperly deployed or flawed devices.” This last detail would mostly concern law enforcement officers rather than the military: Imagine a terrorist filing a lawsuit after his hideout was stormed by commandos.

Additionally, the EDD’s payload can be adjusted depending on the situation. As of now, Liberty Dynamic offers four payload options: Active Shooter; Convoy, Equipment, & Aircraft Security; Crowd Control; and Perimeter Security.

In January, the flashbang became available for pre-order. The Colorado-based company expects to fill orders starting this month. The primary customers for the EDD are law enforcement agencies and departments seeking to enhance their Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams. But the reloadable flashbang could also interest the military.

John M. Chapman, chief executive officer and co-founder of Liberty Dynamic, told National Defence that the Air Force gave the company a small business innovation research grant to experiment with arming drones with the EDD. Moreover, the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate, which is responsible for the non-lethal arsenal of the U.S. military, has also shown interest in the device.

The purpose of a flashbang is to distract and disorient the target, which would give the assaulters a few precious seconds to gain the upper hand. CQC is notoriously complex and mentally demanding. Friendly and enemy targets are often separated by only a few inches. Consequently, the assaulting team benefits greatly from the momentary distraction. On the downside, however, flashbangs can cause physical damage to the hostages or assaulters and material damage to the target building. Any attempt to “cook-off” a flashbang—that is, to pull the pin but hold it a few seconds before throwing it so it detonates immediately once thrown—would result in fingers lost. With regard to buildings, flashbangs could cause a fire inside a room full of hostages that would further complicate the rescue operation. The Iranian embassy hostage rescue operation in 1980 by the British Special Air Service (SAS) is a good example of this. A flashbang caused the heavy curtains inside one of the points of entry to catch fire, frustrating the rescue operation.

This article was written by Stavros Atlamazoglou at NEWSREP

Feature image: U.S. Army Soldiers, from 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) conduct urban training in a live fire shoot house on Fort Carson, Colo., Oct., 27, 2016. The training builds confidence and keeps the Soldiers combat skill levels at a high state of readiness. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Brandon Franklin)

Pistol training in your living room with the Laser Bullet from Hits Arms

I just received a great new product for dry firing when you cannot get to the range. Hits Arms 9MM laser bullet and it is also available in 38 Special, 7.62X39, .223/5.56 Nato, 308, 30:06 and 12 gauge at www.ahitsarms.com

The two firearms that I used for my dry fire practice were a Beretta 92 and RIA 9MM 1911.

Before you begin using the laser bullet please ensure that the firearm magazine is removed, the action cleared and live ammo is nowhere near the firearm. Now repeat that just to be safe!! Unscrew the laser bullet to expose the batteries and remove the plastic cap on the batteries. Now you are ready to load the laser bullet into your empty 9MM magazine. It will feed like a live round so nothing special has to be done to chamber the laser bullet. The Hits Arms 9MM laser bullet is the same dimension as a live 9MM round. It has been tested to 5000 shots but I have heard of some that went beyond 10,000 shots. It is also good out to 200 + yards for practicing at night. As with any laser please do not point at people or any moving vehicles (aircraft included). Also, please do not drop the laser bullet or expose to extreme temperatures.

Loaded into a double action firearm, a pull of the trigger will produce a laser light shot every time. For single action firearms a half rack of the slide is all that is needed for every shot. This is a safe way for indoor practice and improving your aiming skills when you cannot get to the range. Removing the laser bullet is as simple as pulling back the slide to remove as in ejecting a live round. Practice can be done in the comfort of your home but if you do use outside, please use responsibly and be considerate of neighbors.

This is the best laser bullet that I have found to use for practice. It is true to the dimensions of a 9MM round and feeding the round for use and ejection after use is a simple normal loading and unloading procedure.

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This article was written by John P. DeBeasso Jr.

John retired in 2011 after 35 years with the federal government and went to work for Armscor/Rock Island Armory to head up their Dealer Stocking Rebate Program, Range Program and the Military Commemorative Firearms Program. He enjoys all of the shooting sports from hunting to target shooting. He currently resides in Virginia Beach, Viginia with his wife and four dogs.

Israeli SOF veteran Garret “Machine” on concealed carry and pistol fundamentals

Garret “Machine” is a SOF veteran of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and is currently a firearms cadre for GORUCK’s firearms training events. Machine is a former Duvdevan operator and is therefore well-versed in counter-terrorism tactics. As an international SOF veteran, he offers a unique perspective on concealed carry techniques and pistol training. Though there might be dissimilarities in instruction, readers might feel inclined to learn a thing or two. It is a good habit to lend a keen ear to those with a breadth of knowledge and experience. Watch “The Machine” illustrate the Israeli method, seven-meter rule (aka the Tueller Drill), and various concealed carry techniques.

About Duvdevan

Also known as the “mistarabim”, Duvdevan conducts undercover kill or capture operations against terrorists in the west bank. Duvdevan operators look like arabs, speak the local dialect fluently, drive modified civilian vehicles and generally are extremely hard to spot as being soldiers. They spend years training to blend in, close quarters combat, counter-terrorism tactics and highly specialized hand to hand combat. (From SOFREP)

Featured image courtesy of GARRET MACHINE YouTube Channel

Stop throwing gear at marksmanship problems

There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing outside of yourself. — Miyamoto Musashi, “The Book of Five Rings”

Getting “cool guy” gear and tricking out your firearm is awesome, I have several mods and bits of gear I swear by. I routinely trick out my firearms with parts that I feel give me a performance-related edge. It is important to realize, however, that these modifications and accessories are not solutions to any shortcomings in technique though. If your skills are lacking in any area, stop attempting to compensate for those shortcomings by applying external additives. Instead, train in the fundamentals and perfect the things that you suck through rigorous training.

If you suck at marksmanship, spend more time at the range shooting and practicing the fundamentals of marksmanship through dry-fire off the range. If you suck at reloads, do more reload drills. If you suck at drawing from a holster, practice drawing your gun more often. It all sounds so obvious but far too often people spend the money on equipment instead of training. You will get far better at shooting with a base model gun and 1000 rounds of ammo than you will with a tricked-out gun and 100 rounds. For a couple of hundred dollars a month you can afford to shoot and improve consistently. For the cost of around $1000 a year, you could take a training course (should you feel that such a thing would benefit you). I’ve seen guys spend far more than that on an optic for a gun they shoot once a year. If you can afford to do both, go for it but the main thing is that experience and training are far more valuable.

High-speed gear and tricked out guns are cool as hell but you look like an asshole with all that expensive stuff if you suck at using it. If you’re like me, you don’t have a big budget. So, spend your money on improving your skills rather than attempting to buy skill by way of external additives. A Tapout shirt doesn’t make a fighter, gym clothes don’t make someone an athlete, and “operator” kit doesn’t make you a gunfighter. Train efficiently, safely, and often if you want to be a better shooter. The guy with a couple of simple guns and a whole lot of hours behind them will always be a dangerous customer.

Featured image: The author’s kit while in Ukraine.

Shooting the perfect group: When stars align

We all go to the range with hopes of besting our last time out. What happens when you finally do? Let’s say your significant other shoots an amazing group, then you follow suit, and get it all on camera: what do you do then?

It’s what we always dream of, but never seems to happen. What manufacturers always advertise, and yet we can’t ever obtain. For accuracy like that it takes more than good ammunition, rifle, optic, and gear. It requires EVERYTHING to be in sync. Good mental state, good health, good wind, and good lighting. We always chase groupings like this, but rarely are they ever seen. The group seen in the video is rare, but we’ll spell out the ingredients for you.

The rifle was the Midnight Dragon from Doublestar. If you’ve read the linked article you know that it is far from a basic AR, and yet we have done nothing to it. It hasn’t even been properly cleaned! The ammunition was from Nosler. Nosler has been known for their precision for decades, but the ammunition used was their varmint load in 62gr. The rifle was held steady by the Stinger rest from Caldwell. The Stinger has been acclaimed by us before for it’s perfect balance between portability and stability.

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All in, we had the ingredients for a great grouping, but did not expect what we received. In the video above is a grouping achieved with a hot barrel, low lighting, no pause between shots aside from target alignment, and two different shooters splitting the shots. I can’t expect to ever group like this again, but it seems that for once the stars aligned with a little help from Doublestar, Nosler, and Caldwell.

I’ve always paraphrased the US Army’s marksmanship fundamentals to STAB: Steady position, Trigger squeeze, Aiming, and Breathing. All four of course played a major role, but there is no denying that the rifle, ammunition, and rest were part of it.

RE Factor Tactical: Targets Aimed at Improving your Marksmanship

Range Day should leave you with one feeling, and one feeling along, accomplishment. If you leave and you don’t have that overwhelming feeling of: “I’ve really got some quality training in today,” then you might want to rethink your target use. How might you do that? With better targets of course, because the best shooting targets are the ones that make you better. This means you should be getting a lot of variety with targets which aim—pun intended—to improve what skills you have or want to have one of these days.

1. IQ Target

The IQ target is a great option for shooters who want to mix things up a bit. Instead of sticking with the mundane, why not look at focusing on intellectual shooting. You can use this target with friends or a range instructor to call scenarios such as, “shoot all the triangles with a number in it” or pair it with RE Factor Tactical’s Dead Man’s Hand Shooting Deck, to give yourself various drills when no one else is around to do it for you.

The idea of this target is to force shooters to think about where they’ll be aiming next. With target transitions and more complex scenarios, you’ll improve your quality of training and fun on the range. They also come in a rifle or pistol version, so you can work on your marksmanship no matter what which piece of weaponry you own.

Specs

• Measures: 23 x 35 in.
• Unlimited amount of shooting combinations
• Pistol targets: 3 in. shapes
• Rifle targets: 5 in. shapes
• Made in the USA

2. Essentials Target

Next, we have the Essentials Target. It definitely lives up to its name, considering its intent is to help you work on those essential skills you’ll need to be a precision shooter. Combine it with the Essential Shooting Guide, and you’re more likely to run out of bullets before you run out of drills.

The idea of this target is to give variety and help improve your slow aimed fire, weak and off hand shooting, target transition, trigger speed changes, drawing, magazine reloads and controlled multiple shot groups, which makes it one of the best shooting targets on the market.

Specs

• Measures: 23″ x 35″
• Unlimited amount of shooting combinations
• Designed to maximize range time
• Made in the USA

3. Hitman Target

If you’re looking for variety—which every marksman should strive for—then there’s no doubt the Hitman target is perfect for you. Like the IQ Targets, you can use it for both pistol and rifle, and practice drills such as the 1-2-3 Drill while you’re at it.

This target is intended to offer long-range shooters a comprehensive zeroing and engagement system for precision marksmanship. It also comes with a grid overlay system so shooters can see their impact offset and adjusted onto different zeroing squares, which come in 1-3”. This helps the shooter to maintain an MOA zero at 100, 200, and 300 yards with precision aiming points at their centers. If that’s not enough, the squares have also been colored to contrast with red and black reticles for improved sight picture. Lastly, the target can be rotated 90º for MILDOT measurements for wind call adjustments.

Specs

• Measures: 23″ x 35″
• Metric and US/Imperial units of measure
• Grid overlay system
• Made in the USA

4. Steiner CQB Target

Steiner CQB (Close Quarters Battle) is great for the want to be marksman. In most cases, people who’ve never shot a weapon before, get one for home protection. Well, there is no better time for a well-placed round than during a break in or active shooter situation. If that’s what you’re preparing for, why not work on your marksman skills with the Steiner CQB target. You’ll have multiple points of aim—which is way better than a single round target—and you can practice staring your enemy in the eye while you do it.

This target is intended to help shooters understand shot placement, with shapes laid over the normal human’s vital sign areas. It also give the shooter additional targets for multiple training opportunities, including target transition.

Specs

• Made in the USA
• Measures 23 x 35″

5. Dartboard Target

Finally, what kind of range practice are you really getting in if you can’t have fun while you’re doing it? Well first off, all range days should be fun, so strive for that with the dartboard target. Not only can you use this target like the rest of them, but you can use it to challenge and play a fun game of “darts” with your shooting pal. The only difference, you’ll be using bullets instead.

This target is intended to not only offer the shooter a fun experience but to improve your skills at the same time. It features a standard dartboard and game instructions on how to keep score when competing against other shooters, which will definitly add to the fun.

Specs

• Measures 23″ x 35″
• 20″ Dartboard
• 3 included games
• Scorecard
• Made in the USA

So, if you’re aiming—again pun intended—to improve your skills and become a marksman shooter, why not check out some of the best shooting targets on the market, aimed at making you the best shooter in the field, trust us, you won’t regret it.