The DNI site is an absolute treasure trove of information related to John Boyd. This is excerpted directly from the Defense and the National Interest site. [Hopefully, all the links will function.]
http://www.d-n-i.net/second_level/bo....htm#discourse
A Discourse on Winning and Losing
This is the title Boyd gave to his collection of briefings on competitive strategy (widely known as the "Green Book," with apologies to Wittgenstein). Defense and the National Interest is pleased to present these as a resource for research and implementation. Except as noted, they are Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) images of the actual charts used in his legendary 8-hour briefing sessions. You are welcome to download these for your personal use, but in accordance with Boyd's express wishes, these versions are not authorized for commercial reprint. Please note that they are copyrighted by the Estate of John R. Boyd. (Download a free Acrobat reader here.)
Introduction The Abstract and Conceptual Spiral (July/August 1992). An overview of the rest of the Discourse and introducing his "Pattern for Vitality and Growth" (411 KB)
Patterns of Conflict (December 1986) Boyd's monumental look at what makes any organization competitive. Encompassing 2,500 years of the history of conflict, this briefing introduces his famous "OODA loop" concept. Original sides in PDF, 2,845 KB. Now also in MS PowerPoint (native PPT format 1.5 MB or PDF of the PPT charts, 750 KB.)
Organic Design for Command and Control (May 1987) Perhaps the most approachable of Boyd's briefings and as applicable to business (or to the PTA) as to war. (399 KB) Also available in HTML on War, Chaos, and Business. Now also in MS PowerPoint: 138 KB in native PPT and 88 KB as a PDF.
Strategic Game of ? and ? (June 1987) The heart of competitive strategy. A noted psychiatrist recently observed that the goal of Boyd's strategy is to inflict severe psychological trauma on the opposing commander prior to any actual engagement. This briefing tells how to do it. (573 KB) Now also in MS PowerPoint. 316 KB in native PPT and 111 KB as a PDF.
[Presentations of Patterns, Strategic Game, and Organic Design are available by Dr. Chet Richards, a colleague of the late Col John Boyd. Arrangements may be made through Tarkenton & Addams, Inc. – please contact Jeannine Addams, (404) 231-1132, jfaddams@taradd.com.]
Destruction and Creation (September 1976) Boyd's original paper on strategy, linking such diverse sources as Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem and the Second Law of Thermodynamics to the practice of strategy. (in HTML with links to Chuck Spinney's commentary "Evolutionary Epistimology" on War, Chaos, and Business).
The Essence of Winning and Losing (January 1996) Boyd's "Last Briefing" A 5-chart summary of the Discourse, including the final version of the "OODA loop." (in HTML on War, Chaos, and Business)
New Conception for Air-to-Air Combat (August 1976) Although predating and so not included in the Discourse, this briefing is an important way station on the road to the OODA loop. Here is where Boyd concluded that there was something missing in his own energy-maneuverability concept and ended with the observation that "He who can handle the quickest rate of change survives." This proved to be the observation that led Boyd from air-to-air combat towards a more general theory of competition.
23 December 2006
22 December 2006
First Quarter 2007 Calender of Events
11-14 January
SHOT show
Orlando, FL
20-21 January
WarriorTalk Symposium III
Memphis, TN
23 February
Pepper Spray course
6-10pm
Memphis, TN
24-25 February
Polite Society/Tactical Conference
Memphis, TN
2 March
Pepper Spray course
6-10pm
Atlanta, GA
3-4 March
Surgical Speed Shooting
Atlanta, GA
31 March/1April
Robust Pistol Manipulation
Knoxville, TN
SHOT show
Orlando, FL
20-21 January
WarriorTalk Symposium III
Memphis, TN
23 February
Pepper Spray course
6-10pm
Memphis, TN
24-25 February
Polite Society/Tactical Conference
Memphis, TN
2 March
Pepper Spray course
6-10pm
Atlanta, GA
3-4 March
Surgical Speed Shooting
Atlanta, GA
31 March/1April
Robust Pistol Manipulation
Knoxville, TN
Radio Free Dixie...WTFO?
As they say, history is written by the victors and, in this country, the most vocal 'victors' of the civil rights struggle would have us believe that Gandhian nonviolence was the solution that forced the majority in this country to recognize the rights of the minority.
The reality is that armed men and women who refused to submit to unjust actions and who, vocally and verbosely, made it known that they would meet racist violence with violence in defense of themselves, their families and their communities were the prime reason that nonviolent action occured in the deep south at all.
In Louisiana and Mississippi, without the Deacons for Defense and Justice, nonviolence was a pipedream. Robert Williams was the first black leader during the 1950s and 60s to stand up and embrace the reality of armed self defense as a legitimate course of action. Given his very unpopular position and his growing influence he was , eventually, forced to flee the country. There were charges of kidnapping raised and a nationwide manhunt ensued. Williams and his family fled to Canada and then to Cuba.
While living in Cuba, Williams presented a Friday night radio broadcast that reached all over the United States. That broadcast was Radio Free Dixie. It consisted of political commentary, controversial music that would not receive airplay in the US [such as the inimitable Nina Simone singing Mississippi Goddam] and discussions of current events around the world.
Williams was unwilling to modify his stance or keep his mouth shut even when it was in his best interest. His criticism of the Soviet Unions increasing influence in post-revolutionary Cuba became such an issue that even his close personal relationship with Castro didn't offer enough protection and he eventually left Cuba for Vietnam and from there to China.
Negroes With Guns The book written by Williams in 1962.
Negroes With Guns: Rob Williams & Black Power A documentary released in 2004.
Radio Free Dixie: Robert F. Williams & the Roots of Black Power A biography written by Timothy B. Tyson and published in 1999.
So there you have it, my inclusion of the Radio Free Dixie reference in my sigline is simply a small attempt to encourage people to ask about, and learn a bit about, a part of our collective history that is very likely to disappear from the 'common knowledge' because it conflicts with the predominant illusion.Thanks for your time!
The reality is that armed men and women who refused to submit to unjust actions and who, vocally and verbosely, made it known that they would meet racist violence with violence in defense of themselves, their families and their communities were the prime reason that nonviolent action occured in the deep south at all.
In Louisiana and Mississippi, without the Deacons for Defense and Justice, nonviolence was a pipedream. Robert Williams was the first black leader during the 1950s and 60s to stand up and embrace the reality of armed self defense as a legitimate course of action. Given his very unpopular position and his growing influence he was , eventually, forced to flee the country. There were charges of kidnapping raised and a nationwide manhunt ensued. Williams and his family fled to Canada and then to Cuba.
While living in Cuba, Williams presented a Friday night radio broadcast that reached all over the United States. That broadcast was Radio Free Dixie. It consisted of political commentary, controversial music that would not receive airplay in the US [such as the inimitable Nina Simone singing Mississippi Goddam] and discussions of current events around the world.
Williams was unwilling to modify his stance or keep his mouth shut even when it was in his best interest. His criticism of the Soviet Unions increasing influence in post-revolutionary Cuba became such an issue that even his close personal relationship with Castro didn't offer enough protection and he eventually left Cuba for Vietnam and from there to China.
Negroes With Guns The book written by Williams in 1962.
Negroes With Guns: Rob Williams & Black Power A documentary released in 2004.
Radio Free Dixie: Robert F. Williams & the Roots of Black Power A biography written by Timothy B. Tyson and published in 1999.
So there you have it, my inclusion of the Radio Free Dixie reference in my sigline is simply a small attempt to encourage people to ask about, and learn a bit about, a part of our collective history that is very likely to disappear from the 'common knowledge' because it conflicts with the predominant illusion.Thanks for your time!
Pepper Spray Primer
There is an amazing amount of bad information concerning 'pepper spray' floating around the internet. This series of posts is intended to offer an easy source of information concerning OC sprays.
Oleoresin Capsicum – Definitions
Physiological Symptoms
How OC is Made/Manufactured
How Hot is Hot?
History of Defensive Sprays
Dispersion & Canister Types
OC as Use of Force
Exposure in Training
A Historical Overview of OC Training
First, we shall define our terms.
Oleoresin Capsicum, commonly called Pepper Spray, is the most commonly used defensive spray in this country. It has been in use by the US Postal Service since 1976, for use against animals, and has swept Law Enforcement agencies since the FBI began issuing it in 1990.
Oleoresin is defined as a naturally occurring mixture of a resin and an essential oil; obtained from certain plants.
Capsicum can be defined as (1) any of various tropical American pepper plants of the genus Capsicum, especially any of the numerous cultivated forms of the species C. annuum and C. frutescens & (2) The fruit of any of these plants, especially the dried pungent types used as a condiment and in medicine.
OC is an oily resin containing the dried and ground seeds of various pepper plants. This oily paste is true oleoresion capsicum. It is where 'pepper sprays' derive their name, but it is not in a usable form at this stage.
To have a viable defensive spray, three components are required. First is a nice hot OC. This is followed by a carrier or emulsifing agent and, finally, a propellant. Without a carrier to dilute the OC and allow it to be atomized and without a propellant agent to distribute the mixture, regardless of how hot the OC is, it is useless.
What does OC do?
There are a range of physiological symptoms that commonly occur when someone is exposed to OC spray.Generally the most common results are:
A-Burning sensation to skin
B-Eye capillaries swell –eyelids slam shut –‘Blepharospasm’
C-Constriction of throat lining
D-Shortness of breath, coughing, gasping for air
Should these effects be counted upon? Not in my opinion. In my experience, you can count on the eyelids of the sprayed person to shut. They may reopen them quickly and exhibit no other signs, but the eyes will generally close.
If your expectations are nothing more than a momentary closing of the eyelids, then I think that OC can be a useful addition to your toolset.
Might the effects be greater? Absolutely, but if you rely on the greater effects and receive only the fluttering of the eyelids, are you in a position to deal with that as well as if you merely expected the eye flutter?
'How Hot is Hot?' has to be the eternal question and subject of a surprising amount of bad information in regards to pepper spray.
There are several different methods in common use to discuss the 'hotness' or pungency of OC sprays.
SHU or Scovile Heat Units
SHUs are a measurement of heat, as perceived from the burn sensation when a product is placed on the tongue. SHUs are the measurements derived from the Scoville Organoleptic Test, which was a taste test devised by Scoville while working as a pharmacologist for Parke Davis in 1912. The SOT devised a measurement scale that ran from 0 for the Bell Pepper & Banana Pepper to over 200,000 for the various Habanero Peppers and up to 16 Million for Pure Capsaicin. The SOT has been replaced by a method known as High-Performance Liquid Chromatography [HPLC]. Knowing the SHUs of a given product provides us with one number in the equation. Which is hotter, a 2 Million SHU product or 5.3 Million SHU product?
Percentage of OC
The percentage of OC only provides one number in the equation that is used to determine the actual 'hotness' of a given product. For instance, knowing that 'Spice A' is 5% and 'Spice B' is 10% really gives us no usable information. Is 'Spice B' twice as hot as 'Spice A'?
Capsaicinoid Concentration
This is a determination of active components in Oleoresin Capsicum. Capsaicinoids are the group of compounds that cause the burning sensation. There are three main compounds that make up about 95% of the capsicinoids: Capsaicin, Dihydrocapsaicin and Nordihydrocapsaicin. The Capsaicinoid Concentration is the amoung of these compounds in a given solution. By measuring the capsaicinoids, an accurate level of pungency can be determined. 'Major Capsaicinoid Content' is the measurement that the EPA uses when approving OC products for use as animal repellants [such as BEAR]. Capsaicinoid Cencentration is reflected as a small percentage.
Scoville Content or Scoville Value
This figure is one that I have used for years when evaluating OC products, but until recently, it had no catchy name. I referred to obtaining this number as 'doing the math'. If you multiply the SHU number and the percentage you will have a number that is indicative of the pungency of each application of a given product [each release from the can, ie how hot the total product being expelled from the can is].
As was mentioned in an earlier post, every canned OC product has three components in the can:
OC, Carrier & Propellant. The actual quantity of OC in the can is relatively minor. The vast majority of space is occupied by carrier and propellant.
A 5% 2million SHU has a Scoville Content of 100,000 & 0.62% CC
A 10% 2million SHU product has a SC of 200,000 & 1.25% CC
A 2% 5.3million SHU product has a SC of 106,000 & 0.66% CC
In my opinion, the lowest acceptable Scoville Content rating for a defensive spray is 100,000.
Chemical sprays have a long history in US law enforcement and even longer history on the world's stage.
CN - Chloroacetophenone -'Mace', was developed in Germany in 1869 and first adopted by US law enforcement in 1965. It was first marketed by Smith & Wesson. It is a micro particulate solid and is classified as a lacrimator and irritant.
CS - Orthochlorobenzalmalononitrile, was invented in 1928 by American chemists, Ben Corson and Roger Stoughton. 10x as potent as CN and faster onset of effects. It is a micro-particulate solid and is classified as a lacrimator [tear producing], irritant and sternutator [A substance that irritates the nasal and respiratory passages and causes coughing, sneezing, lacrimation, and sometimes vomiting.].
CR- Dibenzoxazepine, was invented in 1962 in the UK by Higginbottom and Suchitzsky. It is the least well known of the chemical sprays and it's development raises some interesting questions. CR is the parent compound of loxapine succinate [Loxitane], an antipsychotic medication. It is roughly 5 x as potent as CS and has a much higher lethal dosage. It is also very tenacious and can be reactivated by exposure to water as long as 48 hours after someone has been exposed to it. Like CN and CS, CR is a micro-particualte solid and is classified as an irritant.
OC- Oleoresin Capsicum has proven vastly more effective against a wider range of people than any of the earlier defensive sprays. However, it is not 100% effective and no such delusions should be allowed to persist. OC became commonly used in US law enforcement following a two year study conducted by the FBI from 1987 and 1989 and when the FBI began issuing an OC product to its agents in January of 1990.
OC products are offered in an incredibly wide array of canister designs and sizes from a ridiculous number of vendors. Size formats range from 0.5 oz keyring units up to 1 pound 'fire extinguisher' style and even larger 'backpack' units for correctional settings and riot control that resemble the flamethrowers of WWII fame.
Common patterns of dispersion include:
Stream: [Think Squirt Gun]
Maximizes range
More Resistant to Wind & Weather
Not readily inhaled
Harder to hit target
Requires greater degree of accuracy
Little likelihood of crosscontamination
Foam:
Good in confined spaces
Least likelihood of crosscontamination
May 'blowback' on user in windy conditions
May 'glob' onto clothing or skin, preventing effective atomization
Cone or Mist: [Think Lysol]
Less range than Stream
Less resistant to wind
Readily inhaled
Greater likelihood of cross contamination
Burst or Fog: [Think Wasp & Hornet Spray]
More resistant to wind than Mist
Readily inhaled
High volume of product put out in short duration
Causes the most cross contamination
There are many variations on these patterns and it seems like every company is just waiting for some new way to throw OC, but these should give you some idea of what's available.
My preference is a can of at least 2oz equipped with a high output top. I am a very big fan of Burst units.
Oleoresin Capsicum – Definitions
Physiological Symptoms
How OC is Made/Manufactured
How Hot is Hot?
History of Defensive Sprays
Dispersion & Canister Types
OC as Use of Force
Exposure in Training
A Historical Overview of OC Training
First, we shall define our terms.
Oleoresin Capsicum, commonly called Pepper Spray, is the most commonly used defensive spray in this country. It has been in use by the US Postal Service since 1976, for use against animals, and has swept Law Enforcement agencies since the FBI began issuing it in 1990.
Oleoresin is defined as a naturally occurring mixture of a resin and an essential oil; obtained from certain plants.
Capsicum can be defined as (1) any of various tropical American pepper plants of the genus Capsicum, especially any of the numerous cultivated forms of the species C. annuum and C. frutescens & (2) The fruit of any of these plants, especially the dried pungent types used as a condiment and in medicine.
OC is an oily resin containing the dried and ground seeds of various pepper plants. This oily paste is true oleoresion capsicum. It is where 'pepper sprays' derive their name, but it is not in a usable form at this stage.
To have a viable defensive spray, three components are required. First is a nice hot OC. This is followed by a carrier or emulsifing agent and, finally, a propellant. Without a carrier to dilute the OC and allow it to be atomized and without a propellant agent to distribute the mixture, regardless of how hot the OC is, it is useless.
What does OC do?
There are a range of physiological symptoms that commonly occur when someone is exposed to OC spray.Generally the most common results are:
A-Burning sensation to skin
B-Eye capillaries swell –eyelids slam shut –‘Blepharospasm’
C-Constriction of throat lining
D-Shortness of breath, coughing, gasping for air
Should these effects be counted upon? Not in my opinion. In my experience, you can count on the eyelids of the sprayed person to shut. They may reopen them quickly and exhibit no other signs, but the eyes will generally close.
If your expectations are nothing more than a momentary closing of the eyelids, then I think that OC can be a useful addition to your toolset.
Might the effects be greater? Absolutely, but if you rely on the greater effects and receive only the fluttering of the eyelids, are you in a position to deal with that as well as if you merely expected the eye flutter?
'How Hot is Hot?' has to be the eternal question and subject of a surprising amount of bad information in regards to pepper spray.
There are several different methods in common use to discuss the 'hotness' or pungency of OC sprays.
SHU or Scovile Heat Units
SHUs are a measurement of heat, as perceived from the burn sensation when a product is placed on the tongue. SHUs are the measurements derived from the Scoville Organoleptic Test, which was a taste test devised by Scoville while working as a pharmacologist for Parke Davis in 1912. The SOT devised a measurement scale that ran from 0 for the Bell Pepper & Banana Pepper to over 200,000 for the various Habanero Peppers and up to 16 Million for Pure Capsaicin. The SOT has been replaced by a method known as High-Performance Liquid Chromatography [HPLC]. Knowing the SHUs of a given product provides us with one number in the equation. Which is hotter, a 2 Million SHU product or 5.3 Million SHU product?
Percentage of OC
The percentage of OC only provides one number in the equation that is used to determine the actual 'hotness' of a given product. For instance, knowing that 'Spice A' is 5% and 'Spice B' is 10% really gives us no usable information. Is 'Spice B' twice as hot as 'Spice A'?
Capsaicinoid Concentration
This is a determination of active components in Oleoresin Capsicum. Capsaicinoids are the group of compounds that cause the burning sensation. There are three main compounds that make up about 95% of the capsicinoids: Capsaicin, Dihydrocapsaicin and Nordihydrocapsaicin. The Capsaicinoid Concentration is the amoung of these compounds in a given solution. By measuring the capsaicinoids, an accurate level of pungency can be determined. 'Major Capsaicinoid Content' is the measurement that the EPA uses when approving OC products for use as animal repellants [such as BEAR]. Capsaicinoid Cencentration is reflected as a small percentage.
Scoville Content or Scoville Value
This figure is one that I have used for years when evaluating OC products, but until recently, it had no catchy name. I referred to obtaining this number as 'doing the math'. If you multiply the SHU number and the percentage you will have a number that is indicative of the pungency of each application of a given product [each release from the can, ie how hot the total product being expelled from the can is].
As was mentioned in an earlier post, every canned OC product has three components in the can:
OC, Carrier & Propellant. The actual quantity of OC in the can is relatively minor. The vast majority of space is occupied by carrier and propellant.
A 5% 2million SHU has a Scoville Content of 100,000 & 0.62% CC
A 10% 2million SHU product has a SC of 200,000 & 1.25% CC
A 2% 5.3million SHU product has a SC of 106,000 & 0.66% CC
In my opinion, the lowest acceptable Scoville Content rating for a defensive spray is 100,000.
Chemical sprays have a long history in US law enforcement and even longer history on the world's stage.
CN - Chloroacetophenone -'Mace', was developed in Germany in 1869 and first adopted by US law enforcement in 1965. It was first marketed by Smith & Wesson. It is a micro particulate solid and is classified as a lacrimator and irritant.
CS - Orthochlorobenzalmalononitrile, was invented in 1928 by American chemists, Ben Corson and Roger Stoughton. 10x as potent as CN and faster onset of effects. It is a micro-particulate solid and is classified as a lacrimator [tear producing], irritant and sternutator [A substance that irritates the nasal and respiratory passages and causes coughing, sneezing, lacrimation, and sometimes vomiting.].
CR- Dibenzoxazepine, was invented in 1962 in the UK by Higginbottom and Suchitzsky. It is the least well known of the chemical sprays and it's development raises some interesting questions. CR is the parent compound of loxapine succinate [Loxitane], an antipsychotic medication. It is roughly 5 x as potent as CS and has a much higher lethal dosage. It is also very tenacious and can be reactivated by exposure to water as long as 48 hours after someone has been exposed to it. Like CN and CS, CR is a micro-particualte solid and is classified as an irritant.
OC- Oleoresin Capsicum has proven vastly more effective against a wider range of people than any of the earlier defensive sprays. However, it is not 100% effective and no such delusions should be allowed to persist. OC became commonly used in US law enforcement following a two year study conducted by the FBI from 1987 and 1989 and when the FBI began issuing an OC product to its agents in January of 1990.
OC products are offered in an incredibly wide array of canister designs and sizes from a ridiculous number of vendors. Size formats range from 0.5 oz keyring units up to 1 pound 'fire extinguisher' style and even larger 'backpack' units for correctional settings and riot control that resemble the flamethrowers of WWII fame.
Common patterns of dispersion include:
Stream: [Think Squirt Gun]
Maximizes range
More Resistant to Wind & Weather
Not readily inhaled
Harder to hit target
Requires greater degree of accuracy
Little likelihood of crosscontamination
Foam:
Good in confined spaces
Least likelihood of crosscontamination
May 'blowback' on user in windy conditions
May 'glob' onto clothing or skin, preventing effective atomization
Cone or Mist: [Think Lysol]
Less range than Stream
Less resistant to wind
Readily inhaled
Greater likelihood of cross contamination
Burst or Fog: [Think Wasp & Hornet Spray]
More resistant to wind than Mist
Readily inhaled
High volume of product put out in short duration
Causes the most cross contamination
There are many variations on these patterns and it seems like every company is just waiting for some new way to throw OC, but these should give you some idea of what's available.
My preference is a can of at least 2oz equipped with a high output top. I am a very big fan of Burst units.
21 December 2006
Bullets Forward or Bullets Back?
Bullets Forward or Bullets Back?
Reloading the Contentious Kalashnikov
By: Paul Gomez
The majority of trainers advocate carrying spare pistol magazines with bullets oriented forward and drawing same with the index finger along the front face of the magazine. This is done to aid in tactile verification of magazine orientation.
In an attempt at commonality of motion between pistol and rifle, the same magazine orientation with rifle magazines is often taught. While this bullets forward orientation may work with the AR15 platform which, essentially, loads like a pistol, it is suboptimal with most other designs.
If one were to look at common military small arms around the globe, the ‘rock & lock’ style of magazine retention is vastly more common than the pistol like, push button release of the AR15. The ‘rock & lock’ design is found on the AK, M14 and FAL designs, as well as many others. While this piece focuses directly on the AK platform, the concepts apply to all magazine fed military style rifles.
When the size of rifle magazines is taken into consideration and given the need to insert the leading edge of the magazine into the mag well and then ‘rock’ the magazine rearward to secure it in the gun, rather than insertion straight into the mag well as seen on pistols and AR15s, a more robust method of manipulation is required. The conventional ‘bullets forward, leading index finger’ grip, on an AK magazine offers very little control of the magazine and mandates an awkward manipulation of the wrist to attempt to insert the magazine into the gun. It is, also, very fumble prone.
This method is based on carrying rifle magazines with the bullets oriented towards the rear and grasping them in a certain manner to facilitate positive control of the magazine from drawing it from its position of carry until it is securely locked into the weapon.
To retrieve the magazine from its carrier, I stage the pinkie under the base of the magazine, curl three fingers around the front edge and wrap the thumb around the spine of the magazine. This grip keeps the hand low on the magazine to prevent interference with insertion from having the hand either too high on the magazine initially or from having the hand ride up the magazine during a forceful insertion.
The magazine is raised to the gun and brought back to allow the shooting hand thumb to verify, tactilely, the location of the topmost round.
From there, the leading edge of the magazine is inserted into the mag well and the knuckles of the offhand are raised until they contact the underside of the forend. This ensures that the magazine is properly indexed and ready to be ‘rocked’ into place.
After the magazine is inserted, the bolt is manipulated to chamber a round and then the magazine is removed and brought back to the shooting hand thumb to verify that ‘crossover’ has occurred [the topmost round in the magazine has switched sides due to the previous topmost cartridge having been loaded into the chamber]. Reinsert the magazine as previously described.
When the question of ‘commonality of training’ arises, I answer that I do have commonality of training…All pistol magazines are carried bullets forward and all rifle magazines are carried bullets rearward. Quite simple, really.
Reloading the Contentious Kalashnikov
By: Paul Gomez
The majority of trainers advocate carrying spare pistol magazines with bullets oriented forward and drawing same with the index finger along the front face of the magazine. This is done to aid in tactile verification of magazine orientation.
In an attempt at commonality of motion between pistol and rifle, the same magazine orientation with rifle magazines is often taught. While this bullets forward orientation may work with the AR15 platform which, essentially, loads like a pistol, it is suboptimal with most other designs.
If one were to look at common military small arms around the globe, the ‘rock & lock’ style of magazine retention is vastly more common than the pistol like, push button release of the AR15. The ‘rock & lock’ design is found on the AK, M14 and FAL designs, as well as many others. While this piece focuses directly on the AK platform, the concepts apply to all magazine fed military style rifles.
When the size of rifle magazines is taken into consideration and given the need to insert the leading edge of the magazine into the mag well and then ‘rock’ the magazine rearward to secure it in the gun, rather than insertion straight into the mag well as seen on pistols and AR15s, a more robust method of manipulation is required. The conventional ‘bullets forward, leading index finger’ grip, on an AK magazine offers very little control of the magazine and mandates an awkward manipulation of the wrist to attempt to insert the magazine into the gun. It is, also, very fumble prone.
This method is based on carrying rifle magazines with the bullets oriented towards the rear and grasping them in a certain manner to facilitate positive control of the magazine from drawing it from its position of carry until it is securely locked into the weapon.
To retrieve the magazine from its carrier, I stage the pinkie under the base of the magazine, curl three fingers around the front edge and wrap the thumb around the spine of the magazine. This grip keeps the hand low on the magazine to prevent interference with insertion from having the hand either too high on the magazine initially or from having the hand ride up the magazine during a forceful insertion.
The magazine is raised to the gun and brought back to allow the shooting hand thumb to verify, tactilely, the location of the topmost round.
From there, the leading edge of the magazine is inserted into the mag well and the knuckles of the offhand are raised until they contact the underside of the forend. This ensures that the magazine is properly indexed and ready to be ‘rocked’ into place.
After the magazine is inserted, the bolt is manipulated to chamber a round and then the magazine is removed and brought back to the shooting hand thumb to verify that ‘crossover’ has occurred [the topmost round in the magazine has switched sides due to the previous topmost cartridge having been loaded into the chamber]. Reinsert the magazine as previously described.
When the question of ‘commonality of training’ arises, I answer that I do have commonality of training…All pistol magazines are carried bullets forward and all rifle magazines are carried bullets rearward. Quite simple, really.
The Ominous Parallels
The Ominous Parallels
Modern Isosceles & WWII Point Shooting
By Paul Gomez
In this article I shall address the remarkable similarities between the Modern Isosceles shooting platform and the methods taught by Fairbairn, Sykes and Applegate [FAS] during World War II. While gun-handling standards have changed drastically in the years since Fairbairn and Sykes seminal work, “Shooting to Live with the One Hand Gun”, was released, the shooting positions and core concepts seem remarkably current. People have a tendency to discard the old for the new or disregard entire subjects because of perceived disagreements. I believe that this has happened with regards to the pistol training coming from the FAS/WWII era training. I hope that this brief article may encourage some students to take a second look at what I consider to be very valuable material.
Generally, the Modern Isosceles, as taught by an ever increasing number of instructors in both the public and private sectors, consists of a pectoral reference point which also functions as a retention position, a high or chest ready position [both hands on gun, gun on body centerline, muzzle generally parallel to the ground] and the completed two hand, eye level, gun-on-centerline Mod Iso platform. The idea of maintaining a hard focus on the front sight, exclusively, is falling away amongst the current breed of Mod Iso trainers, and is being replace with the idea of “seeing what you need to see” to get the results you are after.
The core doctrine of the FAS system was first laid out in “Shooting to Live….” [1942] and in “Kill or Get Killed” [1943] by Rex Applegate. They begin with point shooting from the eye level with the arm at full extension and the wrist canted so as to bring the bore of the pistol online with the shooter’s centerline. They next cover “advanced methods” which consist of the “Quarter Hip”, “Half Hip” and “¾ Hip” positions. Again and again, keeping the weapon on the body centerline is stressed. While working from the holster is not covered in detail, it is relatively easy to follow the progression from the holster to ¼ Hip through ½ Hip, ¾ Hip and ending at full extension at eye level.
Fairbairn and Sykes state that the Quarter Hip position is “for purely defensive purposes and would be used only when the requirements are a very quick draw, followed by an equally quick shot at extremely close quarters, such as would be the case if a dangerous adversary were threatening to strike or grapple with you.” Sound familiar? While the Quarter Hip, as illustrated in STL, is somewhat lower than the Mod Iso ‘pec-ref’ they are very similar in both concept and execution.
The Half Hip position is accomplished by retracting from either full extension or ¾ hip position until the elbow contacts the body. The bore remains aligned with the body’s centerline and parallel to the ground. Again, as illustrated in STL and other material from the same era, the position is somewhat lower than its’ modern analogue, the chest ready, but the benefits still apply. When the gun is on your centerline, bore parallel to the ground, all you have to do is orient towards the threat [i.e. have your centerline bisect the threat] and you will get hits.
The ¾ Hip position is the most problematic when it comes to integrating the material from these different schools of thought, since the Mod Iso does not have any sort of static analogue to it. However, when these positions are viewed in motion, the problem disappears. Assume a ½ Hip/ Chest Ready position. Having made the decision to shoot, the shooter begins shooting from ½ Hip as he begins driving the pistol forward, firing through the ¾ Hip position en route to full extension.
As many people have discovered through force-on-force training, sometimes the skills that we train on the range don’t always work as we’d hope. Regardless of where you choose to focus while you are practicing, maintaining the pistol on the vertical centerline of the body is extremely useful. This is a theme that runs from the writings of Fairbairn and Sykes and continues on through books by Enos, Plaxco and others. Do yourself a favor. Read Fairbairn and Sykes, then read “Surgical Speed Shooting” by Stanford, “Shooting from Within” by Plaxco and “Beyond Fundamentals” by Enos. Then give it a try on the range. A pretty smart fellow once said,” If you’ve never done it in training, what makes you think you’re going to spontaneously pull it off in the real world?”
Modern Isosceles & WWII Point Shooting
By Paul Gomez
In this article I shall address the remarkable similarities between the Modern Isosceles shooting platform and the methods taught by Fairbairn, Sykes and Applegate [FAS] during World War II. While gun-handling standards have changed drastically in the years since Fairbairn and Sykes seminal work, “Shooting to Live with the One Hand Gun”, was released, the shooting positions and core concepts seem remarkably current. People have a tendency to discard the old for the new or disregard entire subjects because of perceived disagreements. I believe that this has happened with regards to the pistol training coming from the FAS/WWII era training. I hope that this brief article may encourage some students to take a second look at what I consider to be very valuable material.
Generally, the Modern Isosceles, as taught by an ever increasing number of instructors in both the public and private sectors, consists of a pectoral reference point which also functions as a retention position, a high or chest ready position [both hands on gun, gun on body centerline, muzzle generally parallel to the ground] and the completed two hand, eye level, gun-on-centerline Mod Iso platform. The idea of maintaining a hard focus on the front sight, exclusively, is falling away amongst the current breed of Mod Iso trainers, and is being replace with the idea of “seeing what you need to see” to get the results you are after.
The core doctrine of the FAS system was first laid out in “Shooting to Live….” [1942] and in “Kill or Get Killed” [1943] by Rex Applegate. They begin with point shooting from the eye level with the arm at full extension and the wrist canted so as to bring the bore of the pistol online with the shooter’s centerline. They next cover “advanced methods” which consist of the “Quarter Hip”, “Half Hip” and “¾ Hip” positions. Again and again, keeping the weapon on the body centerline is stressed. While working from the holster is not covered in detail, it is relatively easy to follow the progression from the holster to ¼ Hip through ½ Hip, ¾ Hip and ending at full extension at eye level.
Fairbairn and Sykes state that the Quarter Hip position is “for purely defensive purposes and would be used only when the requirements are a very quick draw, followed by an equally quick shot at extremely close quarters, such as would be the case if a dangerous adversary were threatening to strike or grapple with you.” Sound familiar? While the Quarter Hip, as illustrated in STL, is somewhat lower than the Mod Iso ‘pec-ref’ they are very similar in both concept and execution.
The Half Hip position is accomplished by retracting from either full extension or ¾ hip position until the elbow contacts the body. The bore remains aligned with the body’s centerline and parallel to the ground. Again, as illustrated in STL and other material from the same era, the position is somewhat lower than its’ modern analogue, the chest ready, but the benefits still apply. When the gun is on your centerline, bore parallel to the ground, all you have to do is orient towards the threat [i.e. have your centerline bisect the threat] and you will get hits.
The ¾ Hip position is the most problematic when it comes to integrating the material from these different schools of thought, since the Mod Iso does not have any sort of static analogue to it. However, when these positions are viewed in motion, the problem disappears. Assume a ½ Hip/ Chest Ready position. Having made the decision to shoot, the shooter begins shooting from ½ Hip as he begins driving the pistol forward, firing through the ¾ Hip position en route to full extension.
As many people have discovered through force-on-force training, sometimes the skills that we train on the range don’t always work as we’d hope. Regardless of where you choose to focus while you are practicing, maintaining the pistol on the vertical centerline of the body is extremely useful. This is a theme that runs from the writings of Fairbairn and Sykes and continues on through books by Enos, Plaxco and others. Do yourself a favor. Read Fairbairn and Sykes, then read “Surgical Speed Shooting” by Stanford, “Shooting from Within” by Plaxco and “Beyond Fundamentals” by Enos. Then give it a try on the range. A pretty smart fellow once said,” If you’ve never done it in training, what makes you think you’re going to spontaneously pull it off in the real world?”
Who the fuck is Paul Gomez?
Paul Gomez has over a decade of experience as an armed professional. He served in the U.S. Army on active duty in a Light Infantry Division, and then in the Army National Guard as a forward observer, combat engineer, and military policeman. (He first made contact with Andy Stanford during this period, back when OPS was the Martial Marksmanship Institute.) Subsequently, he worked as a full time law enforcement officer on a department in the Southeastern U.S. His long term study of the defensive and tactical use of firearms includes over a dozen World Class courses both in-house with OPS team and with other top U.S. trainers. In addition, he has an extensive background in reality-based unarmed fighting systems, including both traditional and eclectic arts.
Here is a partial training resume:
Advanced Pistol I, Len Baxley, Texas Defensive Shooting Academy
Advanced Tactical Pistol, Tase Sturgill, Options for Personal Security
Advanced Training I, Ia and II, Karl Rehn, KR Training
Advanced Training III, Wendell Joost, KR Training
American Combatives, 3 Day Intensives, Joe Green
Certified Basic Rifle Instructor, National Rifle Association
Certified Basic Shotgun Instructor, National Rifle Association
Certified Basis Pistol Instructor, National Rifle Association
Certified Home Firearms Safety Instructor, National Rifle Association
Certified Personal Protection Instructor, National Rifle Association
Certified Refuse to be a Victim Instructor, National Rifle Association
Close Range Gunfighting, Gabe Suarez, Suarez International
Defensive Knife, Andy Stanford, Options for Personal Security
Dynamic Tactics, Steve Moses, Options for Personal Security
Expandable Baton Combatives, Devin Reynolds, Legion Consulting
Extreme Close Quarters, John Benner, Tactical Defense Institute
Force Responsive Subject Control Seminar, Scott Sonnon
General Defensive Rifle, Greg Hamilton, Insights Training Center
Glock Armorer's Course
Integrated Force Options, Tony Torre, Options for Personal Security
Level IV & V Handgun, John Benner, Tactical Defense Institute
Low Light Tactics, Don Reber, Options for Personal Security
OCAT Instructor Course, R.E.B. Training International
Pepper Spray Seminar, Greg Hamilton, Insights Training Center
Street and Vehicle Tactics, John Holschen, Insights Training Center
Street, Vehicle and Low Light Tactics, Andy Stanford, Options for Personal Security
Surgical Speed Shooting, Andy Stanford, Options for Personal Security
Tactical Carbine, James Yeager, Options for Personal Security
Tactical Pistol, James Yeager, Options for Personal Security
Two Man Team Tactics, John Holschen, Insights Training Center
Unarmed Against the Gun, Gabe Suarez, Suarez International
Unarmed Self Defense, John Holschen, Insights Training Center
Urban Rifle, Clint Smith, Thunder Ranch
Here is a partial training resume:
Advanced Pistol I, Len Baxley, Texas Defensive Shooting Academy
Advanced Tactical Pistol, Tase Sturgill, Options for Personal Security
Advanced Training I, Ia and II, Karl Rehn, KR Training
Advanced Training III, Wendell Joost, KR Training
American Combatives, 3 Day Intensives, Joe Green
Certified Basic Rifle Instructor, National Rifle Association
Certified Basic Shotgun Instructor, National Rifle Association
Certified Basis Pistol Instructor, National Rifle Association
Certified Home Firearms Safety Instructor, National Rifle Association
Certified Personal Protection Instructor, National Rifle Association
Certified Refuse to be a Victim Instructor, National Rifle Association
Close Range Gunfighting, Gabe Suarez, Suarez International
Defensive Knife, Andy Stanford, Options for Personal Security
Dynamic Tactics, Steve Moses, Options for Personal Security
Expandable Baton Combatives, Devin Reynolds, Legion Consulting
Extreme Close Quarters, John Benner, Tactical Defense Institute
Force Responsive Subject Control Seminar, Scott Sonnon
General Defensive Rifle, Greg Hamilton, Insights Training Center
Glock Armorer's Course
Integrated Force Options, Tony Torre, Options for Personal Security
Level IV & V Handgun, John Benner, Tactical Defense Institute
Low Light Tactics, Don Reber, Options for Personal Security
OCAT Instructor Course, R.E.B. Training International
Pepper Spray Seminar, Greg Hamilton, Insights Training Center
Street and Vehicle Tactics, John Holschen, Insights Training Center
Street, Vehicle and Low Light Tactics, Andy Stanford, Options for Personal Security
Surgical Speed Shooting, Andy Stanford, Options for Personal Security
Tactical Carbine, James Yeager, Options for Personal Security
Tactical Pistol, James Yeager, Options for Personal Security
Two Man Team Tactics, John Holschen, Insights Training Center
Unarmed Against the Gun, Gabe Suarez, Suarez International
Unarmed Self Defense, John Holschen, Insights Training Center
Urban Rifle, Clint Smith, Thunder Ranch
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