Training scars... let's hear 'em

[308pirate]

-After reloading, picking up an empty magazine as soon as it hits the ground.

-Not letting an empty magazine fall free because you dont want to damage it.

-Failure to properly perform immediate action or remedial action for a malfunction/stoppage.

these actions (and other similar ones) occur when you have a mindset of "you're just at a range practicing". Mindset is key. You're there to train/practice for real shit.

That's what I see 99% of the fudds do at the static handgun range at my local club.

It's amusing to watch some repeatedly press a dead trigger on a pistol with the slide locked to the rear.

 

[Racer88]

I am an RSO at our range. When the range goes “cold”, chamber flags are required and no one is allowed to touch a firearm until the range goes “hot”. We have flags available for folks who do not bring or forget them.

At my local outdoor (cold) range, the RSOs often say to me, "You don't need chamber flags." I just smile as they keep moving. And then I watch them pick up other shooter's firearms to ensure they are clear.

 

[gunsnjeeps]

Removing bolts from rifles that are not drop save is not a "bad habit", its the correct way to handle such rifles. PRS and BR rifles are inherenlty unsafe if built to min rulebook specs/ requirements (ie there is no min rulebook requirement for them to be drop-safe!).

Every Bull's Eye Match where 1911 shooters are reminded to hold their hammer when releasing the slide. If you have a discharge when you release the slide stop your gun is unsafe. Too many poor trigger jobs out there getting passed of as "match trigger jobs". Related to rifles I have the same feeling. A chamber flag eliminates pulling bolts out.

 

[308pirate]

Dude... what is the issue here? Why the combativeness? Who hurt you?

You said:

It is amazing what one learns about their guns and gear when they get off the formal settings

To which I replied: do tell.

I want to know what did you learn about your guns and gear when away from "the" formal setting. I'd like to learn what that formal setting was as well.

 

[Holliday]

At my local outdoor (cold) range, the RSOs often say to me, "You don't need chamber flags." I just smile as they keep moving. And then I watch them pick up other shooter's firearms to ensure they are clear.

I never touch other people’s weapons without asking permission first. In my capacity as an RSO that usually only happens if the owner is having an issue and has requested help.

 

[Bcamos]

My training scar would be loading the bipod. After many years of being taught to do it that way, I still find myself still doing it once in a while.

FUCKING THIS!!!!! Until recently, I had only ever shot a bolt action from a bipod. I built a "precision" AR and put a bipod on it. I chased my zero for too long before I realized I was shifting my POI by loading the bipod. I shelved it for a while and then set it up again for a different purpose but kept the bipod and changed the optic. Went to zero and did the EXACT SAME THING all over again. That waste of 77gr OTM taught me the lesson I needed to learn.

 

[hlee]

This reminds me of a conversation that I had with a member of our hunting lease. His contention was that he would fare better in a "street fight" than a trained full-contact sport "fighter" (in this context it was Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) because "sports have rules."

Sometimes you just have to shake your head, rub your face with both hands, grab your beer, and walk away...

 

[bax]

"training scars"

I have square-range habits that, if repeated under stress, may get me killed. Like picking up my brass. Like moving or leaving my weapon with scope caps open. Shooting strings of mag capacity - 5 and 10 instead of 3 and 7. Like shooting a string then dropping the empty mag and reloading it instead of having another mag ready to go. In the pistol category, leaving cover with an empty weapon or not taking the time to top off. Some training should be shooting faster than you are comfortable - for example, drive up your heart rate then drop into position and shoot right away - stuff like that. I think that gun handling (sweeping people) can be a tricky topic - it depends on circumstances. I think that surprise and no-shoot targets are important for training. Several other people mentioned malfunction drills, yup! One-hand and weak-hand pistol shooting. One hand reloads and malfunction drills. Anyway, that's my $0.02.

 

[cliffy110]

"training scars"

I have square-range habits that, if repeated under stress, may get me killed. Like picking up my brass. Like moving or leaving my weapon with scope caps open. Shooting strings of mag capacity - 5 and 10 instead of 3 and 7. Like shooting a string then dropping the empty mag and reloading it instead of having another mag ready to go. In the pistol category, leaving cover with an empty weapon or not taking the time to top off. Some training should be shooting faster than you are comfortable - for example, drive up your heart rate then drop into position and shoot right away - stuff like that. I think that gun handling (sweeping people) can be a tricky topic - it depends on circumstances. I think that surprise and no-shoot targets are important for training. Several other people mentioned malfunction drills, yup! One-hand and weak-hand pistol shooting. One hand reloads and malfunction drills. Anyway, that's my $0.02.

Excellent observations! I especially relate to the mag centered drills.

 

[240nmc]

I like to use chamber flags on the bench at the range. It's not for me. It's for the RSOs, who may be tempted to finger-fuck my guns trying to figure out if they're clear for the range to go cold. With the chamber flags, it's super-obvious, and the RSO moves on.

I am a fan of chamber flags and used to run NRA HP matches back when they were more popular than today. When you have a hundred shooters carrying gear around that age from 14 to 60+, flags are great because it helps everyone see that a rifle was safe. There's always the person who "forgets" to put one in and another competitor can spot it and head off an issue before it becomes an issue.

I use them all the time even though I know the status of the weapon and as others have pointed out it's for others to see who don't know the status of the weapon.

A simple safety device, easy to use, and can save a life.

My training scar was shooting my weatherby 257mag at age 13 and riding up on the scope.... learned that lesson once!