Day at the Range
Any day at the range is a good day and today was no exception. My department recently completed the legal court process of converting a seized weapon for department use. Basically, it was seized from a bad guy and we notify all parties with a vested interest in the weapon and then file with the court to have it converted to departmental property. This particular weapon was a Glock 19 9mm. It is a medium sized pistol that is good for detective or administrative staff who wear plain clothes. Since we recently transferred our pistols from .40 caliber to 9mm we decided to go through this weapon to ensure it works, upgrade the sights, and issue it to one of our guys.
Since I am the department armorer, I have the fun job of going through the internal nooks and crannies of the pistol to ensure that everything is good to go and arraigning for the sights to be upgraded. With our new pistols, we choose to go with F.A.T. (Fast Acquisition Tactical) sights, so I needed this pistol to be outfitted with the same sights. I ran the gun down to our vendor and had them installed in about 20 minutes.
Today I needed to make sure the weapon would run ammunition without any failures and I needed to ensure that the sights were aligned and not damaged during instillation. I know rough, rough job, but somebody has to do it! One of the local ranges, Atlanta Range and Ordinance, is generous enough to offer all of our officers free range time and they are very accommodating when I have special requests for training or qualifying an officer on short notice. I was able to get to the range just after lunch and had the place to myself for the most part. This is a temperature controlled indoor range with lanes that accommodate anything from pistols up to automatic rifles. They have two or three separate range spaces that can be modified for training situations.
Glock 19 on left Glock 17 (My duty weapon) on right
They set me up in a section by myself and I get set up and ready to run the "new" pistol through the paces. First off, it definitely needs a good cleaning and I will get to that before it is issued out. I used the department issued training ammunition and ran 50 rounds through it without even the slightest hiccup. The weapon ran smooth as silk and the sights appeared to be dead on(at least as dead on as my limited skills could achieve...lol)
New sight on the confiscated pistol
Sights seem fine to me!
I also took my duty issued full sized Glock 17 9mm for a bit of extra practice. You can never be too proficient with a tool that has the ability to save my life on a daily basis. I tend to jerk the trigger a bit which causes me to shoot a bit low and to the left, so I worked on smooth trigger pulls and rapid successions of precision pairs. Precision pairs is basically trying to fire a round and then, as quickly as possible, fire anther round as close as possible to the first round. It is an excellent exercise for working on trigger pull, sight alignment, and well as recoil mitigation. All in all I could of done better, but I could have done worse too. Shooting is a lifelong pursuit of perfection and proficiency. I will never be satisfying with the results I get on a range or during a competition.
My duty weapon with tactical light attached. I take it off for off-duty carry.
Do you shoot any firearms? What is your favorite weapon and round? Any tips for an old dog to learn new tricks???? lol
Did I mention I did this regaled in my finest Steemit t-shirt!!!??!!!!
Representing at the range!!!
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@papacrusher...How did I miss this?! Damn it. Good blog mate, sorry I missed it and didn't get you a vote. Comment on this reply and tag me and I'll throw you one.
Don't you dare. As much as you've supported me since day one, I just really appreciate the friendship!
😎 Me too...I hate missing good posts though. Doesn't happen often but sometimes one slips by. Hope you have a great weekend. Saturday morning here. Washing my Landcruiser and tidying up in my garage/workshop today. No shooting.
You went to the range with your Steem shirt on. That's hilarious! ;-) Love it. Probably doesn't come as a surprise, but I tend to steer clear of guns. I would love to train with a sword or become proficient in archery, though. I suppose guns are more practical weapons, but they're so loud and... well... violent. Glad you know how to use one. I'll just have you watch my back, and others I know who'd happily join you at the range... @enginewitty @sircork @underground
ole dead eye @sircork hitting it like doc holiday! lol
@katrina-ariel Once in a great while, the only good option is a firearm. I had a man who was off his meds, with a 12 inch hunting knife, out of the sheath, and close to my wife's car door. I had the pistol out and ready, but I managed to talk him down. BUT, the Only way I could stop him, if talking didn't work, was to rush him, and his knife, bare handed, or to stop him with the pistol.
I avoided violence entirely, BECAUSE I had the option of stopping him with minimal risk. I can think of nothing more violent that a 12 inch steel blade, in the hand of a madman!
A firearm is a tool, like a power saw, an axe, a car, or a chainsaw. As with all tools, learn to use that tool, and it is useful. Otherwise you can get hurt! That said, I find a trip to the range, very relaxing; and a good way to spend the afternoon. You might find you enjoy it, ROFLOL!
:)I agree with you, a firearm is a tool, and it can be one that saves lives or takes them away. Hopefully I never need one. I live in Canada, where I wouldn't be able to carry anyway, but I hear your logic with this story and I'm glad you were able to talk him down. And yes, maybe I'd enjoy going to the range and firing a gun, but... I don't know. For now I'll watch from the safety of behind my computer screen. ;)
Without the option the pistol gave me, I would have been forced to close with a man not in his right mind, and he. or I would be dead. Since I knew I could stop him, and keep her safe, it gave me time to talk to him, and pull him back down from wherever he was. Me carrying a handgun saved at least one life that day!
Be aware, that no matter how good you are, in a blade fight, you will be cut, usually more than once. So if you go that route, be prepared to stop bleeding. You are right, if you decide to do that, get VERY good at it, to stay alive!
A Bow is a serious tool also, and you might look at a wrist rocket slingshot. The other thing to consider, is what they went to in England; a high pressure large bore air rifle is a possible choice. I saw a motor driven, clip fed crossbow on youtube that looked serious. So there are creative options.
That said, go after your politicians to at least allow licensed concealed carry! Or study to be an armed guard...or both.
:)Already know sweets, maybe I train you to use sone blades or blunts😎
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That would be fun. Maybe I let you show me how to use a gun a little too... just so I know. But I'm like a doe—I hear gunfire and want to bolt. Something primal, I guess. ;)
Fair enough, get some ear plugs for ya so it's not so loud and scary🤗
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excellent sir enginewitty!
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Hey @bluelightbandit and @armshippie! Check it out. Bang bangs. My personal fav is a .45 (I got a 1911 Military Tac) with HP's. Pretty sure that can bring down a dope fiend that might want my shoes or something :P
lol "want my shoes or something" We need to hit a range as part of the next more local SE meetup!
I'll have a 1911 some day. I been building one for ages but haven't been able to finish it... I can't get the safety/slide release to work right.
It will be worth the work!:)what a beautiful weapon! I built my AR, I need to ad a 1911 to my list!
Those grips are what gives it character!
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Hahaha nice confiscated piece. Do you guys only get to keep them if they weren't used in a crime?
These are two of my favorites.
My favorite calibers to shoot are prob 9mm and 223 because they are cheap 😎🤣
Since you are an armorer i would probably rather learn some tricks from you.
Way to rep steem at the range!
Those are beautiful. Is that the Remington tactical shotgun? I've been looking at the Mossberg Shockwave. Here is the AR I built awhile back, this was just before installing the shroud screws and tightening everything down. I added a red dot optic to it as well.
Very nice!
Its actually the mosberg Shockwave with the magpull furniture on it. So it does look like the rem tac 14. When I picked it up the work had already been done. Thing is a lot of fun to shoot and it really doesn't have as much recoil as I thought it would.
oh cool. I definitely love the look of it. I'm thinking about adding one for home defense. I leave my m and p shield for my wife while I'm working, but she needs some more range time with it.
A hard day down at the range Haha :)
Someone has to do it! lol
Haha, well, I am kind of a noob when it comes to firearms.
As a teen, I had a single-shot 20ga that I had fun with.
Now, I have a 12ga remington, and a Taurus 38 special that I thoroughly enjoy. They dont get as much use as I'd like though.
And a compound bow, but I dont know if that counts, haha.
Nice post! Interesting to see the insights on how that works, issuing a confiscated weapon. I always wondered what they did with those. :)
I had a single shot 20ga as a teen as well. Must be standard issue for the south! lol We only convert the weapons that pair with what we already issue. The other confiscated guns are turned over to a certified company that destroys them.
Yep, LOL! Wish I still had mine, for sentimental value if nothing else..
Ahh I see. Too bad. Wish they would auction them off or something. A lot of good firearms going to waste... I understand the thinking behind that though.
Did you ever go to turkey shoots with the 20 gauge? That was the purpose of getting one in the area I grew up. It was all about winning a frozen turkey! lol
Nope. I actually have never been on a turkey shoot. My parents have 100+ acres, most of which was wooded, and I would roam around and hunt for either turkeys or deer, depending on the season.
Not proud to say, I never got anything. I just wasnt stealthy enough, I guess. Had lovely, refreshing morning walks though!
I'm a member at a large outdoor range, which I prefer over the indoor types. I think my friend brought a Glock 19 9mm last time we were there. It was much easier to place shots than with my smaller XDS 9mm. Nice to have the extra rounds in the Glock too.
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We use an outdoor range when we qualify our officers. It works better for moving and shooting drills as well. I usually go to the indoor range on my off days just to stay sharp. I've carried a Glock most of my career and I am pretty partial to them. I did recently buy a M and P shield 9mm for my wife to have at home and for me to carry concealed. I have a Glock 23 I carry off duty as well, but it is a bit heavy being cambered in .40 cal
I am a big guy, so others might not like this, but my best handgun is a 45ACP. Next would be my S&W 357 with a 6 inch barrel. I carry a Diamond Back 9mm for my daily carry.
The most fun one to shoot, is the derringer in 38 spcl.
:DI started my career carrying a S & W .357. I absolutely loved that gun, but I hated the speedloaders...lol I had an old partner who carried a Judge as an off duty weapon.
The speed loaders are a pain, but they are pretty fast. I spent a couple of hours practicing with them, and it is a lot better now. I have a golden boy rifle in 357, so the pair is a good combination for SHTF with a common ammunition.
The Judge is a quirky pistol, Interesting because of the load out possibilities. The Circuit Judge looks to be a good home defense gun for the ladies, because of the low recoil. I like their ammunition package just about as much as the firearm...the Jury ammo set, has a poetic ring to it, ROFLOL!
:)The first speed loaders we were issued way back in the day were the twist-to-release type. Those were difficult to manage. Once, they begin to issue the push button release style, my life got a whole lot easier! lol
Yes, that is a vast improvement for sure. I have some twist type still, but I use them at the range with 38 Spcl for plinking.
Still a fine handgun though!
:)I got a 4.5" Smith that I love. I never shot a deringer now that you remind me 🤔
If you do, find out where she shoots. Mine is good if I aim about 30 inches low at 30 yards; the recoil brings her right up on target. That toy will hit an eight inch target at 30 yards better than 80% of the time!
I was always told that derringers are not accurate, the truth is that people do NOT figure out the firearm; and the inaccuracies are their own fault, not the derringer.
There is something comforting about a wheel gun, and Smith make some of the very best. With speed loaders, they are a force to be reckoned with! Besides they fit my hand like they were made for it, ROFLOL!
:DMy first husband was a serious gun nut, and into black powder weapons, as he took part in Civil War reenactments.
And the funny thing is that he never really did well with them when "fighting" for the Union, but when they asked him to switch sides and represent one day for the short-handed Confederacy, he found his stride, and never switched back.
Anyway, he taught me to handle weapons, well, and within a fairly short period, I could field strip a Colt .45 Government Model Mark IV (my primary shooter), clean it and reload, in under a minute.
He gave me that gun and others when we got married, and he used to drill me on it, on a regular basis.
At the time we lived in Hawthorne, California, and went shooting at the police range in nearby El Segundo, where the owner took me under his wing. My first grouping wasn't bad, and when he discovered that I had literally never fired a pistol before that day, he spent a fair amount of time helping me to improve my stance and grip, and giving me pointers.
That said, I come from a long line of excellent shooters. My mom was a marksman, growing up in New Mexico, and my oldest sister used to be the dove hunting champion among their hunting friends in Texas, which as you know is a serious marksmanship skill.
My favorite gun was one we bought together for me, which was a British Webley .455 breakopen service revolver, which I absolutely loved. The gentleman I purchased it from gave us two cylinders for it, one for the original .455 ammo, and one for .45 ACP, which made it a whole lot cheaper to practice!
I no longer own guns, but I always loved target shooting, and had a blast while I was doing it regularly.
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I could never get the "hang" of dove hunting. Man, to be able to have that Webley now! I bet is shot as smooth as a Cadillac!
I started teaching my daughter to shoot when she was about 10 or so(22 now) and she always shot whatever I was shooting. I'd have grown men complain about shotguns or .45 ACP and there was my little girl slinging lead like it was nothing! lol I taught my wife to shoot all of the guns in the house and I bought her a S & W m& P Shield 9mm as a concealed carry gun.
Thanks for coming by and commenting.
As a woman of small frame, 5' 2" tall and, at my proper weight, around 100 - 115 pounds, I always found my Mark IV and the Webley about the easiest guns to shoot accurately, as because the guns were relatively heavy, they had virtually no recoil.
They were great guns for small women, though clearly, not as great for concealed carry.
Gary had a .357 magnum that I didn't like nearly as well, because the charge was more powerful, while the gun was far lighter, and it was therefore harder to control. And nowhere near as accurate, which was mostly the sights, though the weight played a role.
And the one time he had me shoot his .45 magnum, which was a Ruger .44 magnum bored out to accept .45, I was NOT amused. He did not bother to inform me what I was shooting, and quite frankly, I damned near dislocated both shoulders, because I held it like I held my .45 ACP, which was NOT adequate to the power of the weapon.
I pretty much considered him a big fat jerk that day.
I should also note, in case you haven't figured it out by now, that I'm a history buff, and love historical weapons, which is why I was so in love with the Webley. And yes, it was a pleasure to shoot, though it's sights weren't quite as accurate as the Mark IV, so for defense I would have definitely have chosen the latter.
Then again, the Webley I had was a post war mashup of spare parts, so they basically took whatever spare parts were around and made a gun. Not one of the serial numbers matched. But still, it was a formidable weapon, and a pleasure to shoot.
That was the onely one I got pissed about. When we split up, Gary took back all the guns he gave me, which since most had been his long before we got together, I had no problem with him taking them back.
But the Webley I chose, we bought it for me, and when he took that one too, I considered it stolen. And still do.
My true love is a 17th century wheellock, but to date, I've never gotten the chance to work with one.
And, naturally, they are nowhere near as accurate as modern weapons, but what works of art! Truly marvels of engineering in their day.
My daughter is small framed as well and she preferred the heavier guns too.
I would have been livid about him taking the Webley! My first wife did something similar with a few bonzai trees I had raised and trained...exes! lol
Yeah, I was pretty livid at the time, but at the same time, when weighing getting the Webley back versus having to have further contact with him . . . I was willing to let it go in order to not have to see him. ;-)
Lol I understand completely!