10 years ago I was completely comfortable walking around in public unarmed :/
10 years ago I was completely comfortable walking around in public unarmed :/
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Ten years ago sumdood in my white bread honor roll school suburb of Illinois gunned his wife down in a grocery store parking lot and then went home and killed himself.Originally Posted by DC_P
When I was in high school, a student was murdered in a field behind a grocery store.
Not a great deal changed even when I moved to a less than savory area. People still kill each other, same as they always have.
The past always looks safer than the present, because for sure we know we didn't die then, but we don't know if we'll die today.
Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk
I was at UofC just before the killing of Amadou Cisse in 2007.
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/11...-ph-d-student/
10 years ago the killers for 20, 35 and 40 years in jail. (article is from 2011)
Sadly, his slaying had a profound effect on me and my decision to carry...
10 years ago...
I was knee deep in shooting PPC, Bullseye, IDPA and USPSA.
I won my first IDPA state match: 2011 IL State.
I won most accurate at the Wounded Warrior Match and WI State Match... I thought, man... I could do this.
I was shooting my glock .40 since that was the only gun I really owned, other than a few .22's...
I found my notes. 10 years ago it must have been warmer than it is today or I wouldn't have been on the range that long.
I was shooting my main IDPA Gen 3 G-17 in some sort of Kydex OWB holster. I shot FAST several times and DotW 15. I was probably pocket carrying a Glock 26 in a Mika holster. I shot IDPA matches most weekends during the season.
I was working on the 2000 round test on another newer Gen 3 G-17. I finished with 2 bad rounds of not tested hand loads and put the gun in my night stand drawer. A couple of months ago, one of the grand kids needed a pistol to take a CCW course so I handed them this G-17 and it ran just like a Glock should. Then I put it back in the night stand drawer.
Today, since I have some back trouble, I want a lighter weight pocket gun. I'm carrying a Ruger LCR 9mm in an Aholster with a couple spare moons in side pockets.
With Covid, I haven't been shooting any matches. If I was going to shoot a match today I would probably use the same G-17 and holster from 10 years ago. Glocks just keep on going.
Ten years ago I had just recently transitioned from a S&W 645 to striker fired pistols. First it was a G19.2 then a M&P Compact.
I switched back and forth over the years between Glock and M&P, but mostly carried gen1 Shield and/or a 640 J-frame until last year when I started carrying a G48.
Wow, ten years ago I was just barely tipping my toes into the world of firearms and self defense.
A lot has changed but not really.
LCP in pocket, G26 in other situations.
Since then I tried a lot of guns. Learned a lot, then kind of settled down and went back to LCP for pocket and a Glock for the rest.
Ten years ago (plus some months) two friends (J & W) and I drove together to The Hartford Gun Club to train with Todd. We had been regulars together at a local monthly clinic run by Frank Cornwall (RIP 2021 - Fuck Cancer) of Defense Associates who was one of Chuck Taylor's (RIP 2021 - Fuck Cancer) authorized instructors. I had been training with J & W under Cornwall & Taylor for 5 years. J & W had additional experience having trained with/at Clint Smith, MidSouth, Blackwater, Jim Cirillo and I'm sure I forgot someone. You will see a reference to 30 years later that isn't accurate, maybe getting close if you take a cumulative years of experience.
I just looked in my email receipts folder. It was Apr 23, 2011 when I sent the remaining $250 for:
Merchant information
Todd Green
toddg@pistol-training.com
AFHF-Hartfoed-110521 REMAINDER
Item #: 110521-R
I have to say AFHF was a breakthrough experience for me. I was a One Trick Pony at the time. My experience was almost exclusively old school Gunsite/Weaver/Taylor based. I have to say to this day it is difficult to deviate from your roots. I have evolved quite a lot but there still is a gravitational force that wants to take me back to the old ways.
AFHF busted the door open. I immediately started looking at what else and who else was out there and I jumped in on everything I could. J & W there with me most of the time. Notable folks I trained with, many more than a few times, Mike Pannone, Larry Vickers, Kyle DeFoor, Frank Proctor, Northern Red, Ken Hackathorn, Bill Rapier & Pat McNamara.
All throughout those past 10ish years J, W & I never missed one of Frank Cornwall's monthly clinics (April - November due to our weather). That kept us sharp and usually the standouts in every class we attended. We did get ragged on by Frank when we went off reservation from the Taylor program. Frank would say "I can tell every time you guys have been somewhere else. I have to straighten you out and get you back to reality"! Frank would and Taylor when he came to town would often comment: "that Gamer and Military style shit will get your ass in a sling if you use it on the streets". So you can see I had continuing contributions to the gravitational force I mentioned above. While some may have a hard time with the conflict of who or what method is correct I believe it only helped me keep an open mind and always look for little gems of knowledge and techniques I can add to my toolbox.
Prior to the AFHF class I wanted to see how I could do on the signature drill, the FAST Drill. I had done it multiple times just under 5 seconds on a timer. I remember asking Frank to time me on the drill at one of his clinics prior to the AFHF class. Frank in his typical fashion said, "That doesn't make any sense. it's a backassward failure to stop drill."
Shortly after that AFHF class I attended Todd published this: http://pistol-training.com/archives/4804 It's a little peak into Todd's experience with us 3 guys. We came to LEARN. In the process I walked away with the fastest FAST of us 3. I got an Intermediate rating at a hair over 7 seconds. I had fully committed to the Press Out during the class and this draw stroke played havoc for me. I was ingrained to lock my wrist of my firing hand upon acquiring the pistol in the holster. My Press Out had my pistol pressing out pointed at the sky. I had to slow way down and really think about what I needed to do. Then every time I thought okay I can go a little faster I would revert back and mess it up. I decided the time didn't matter I was there to LEARN.
Another spot in the class where ingrained habits took over on me was performing the Triple Nickle Drill. Two rounds into each of the five targets with a magazine exchange sometime after the first target and before the last. For years both Frank & Chuck had taught multiple targets where each target got one (1) round. Then if need be address the failure to stop. I had done it for years. Todd explained the Triple Nickle and demonstrated it. I purposely let a few guys go before me and I watched intently going over in my head what needed to be done. Then came my turn. I was on target #4 when I realized I screwed the pooch, stopped and asked for a Mulligan. When the timer beeped I went into my established program and had one (1) round on each of the 1st four (4) targets. Oops! It is really difficult to break old habits especially when under pressure the type Pat Mac calls "Dudes watching Dudes".
Side note; My gun of choice then and now a 5" 1911 in .45 ACP. Todd razzed me about my 1911. He specifically told me that "my gun would not make it through his class". It did fine. We kept in contact via email over the years and I especially razzed him when he went over to the "Dark Side" with the Warren 1911. But! I told Todd it wasn't a real 1911 because it was chambered in 9mm.
Todd,
If you are reading this form your lofty perch. I miss you and I greatly appreciate what you and your class did for me. I will never forget you!
John
Fuck Cancer!
Last edited by JohnO; 01-10-2022 at 01:06 PM.
10 years ago: Glock 32 in .357 SIG, IWB at 9 o'clock, iron sights.
Now: HK VP9 in 9mm, IWB at 9 o'clock with RMR and Heine sights or Walther PPS M2 9mm w/Shield RMSc IWB at 9 o'clock.
The first indication a bad guy should have that I'm dangerous is when his
disembodied soul is looking down at his own corpse wondering what happened.
A lot of similarities here to your experience. I took AFHF in October 2010 and saw a huge improvement in my pistol shooting after that. Todd gave me grief about shooting a 1911- Les Baer Concept 8, but it ran for the entire class. I had one mag that had stopped locking the slide back. As soon as Todd saw it hit the ground he came over and stomped on it, told me to throw it in the trash
-Seconds Count. Misses Don't-
10 years ago I was primarily shooting a Gen3 G19. I lived in NYC and wasn’t in LE yet so I couldn’t carry a gun. I’ve been mostly G19s and G26s since then except for brief dalliances with an HK P30, a S&W M&P .40, a Beretta PX4CC, and a Sig P320. I think I’m going to stop looking for the next best thing and just keep on trucking with the G19/G26 combo for the next few years. It sounds like my agency is about to allow Gen5 Glocks as approved personally owned guns so I just need to pick up a G19 MOS with the breechface cut and then I’m good to go for a long time, assuming I can resist the siren song of other guns. I keep straying, but I keep coming back to Glocks.
My posts only represent my personal opinion and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or official policies of any employer, past or present. Obvious spelling errors are likely the result of an iPhone keyboard.
Reply With Quote