Our Patrol Rifle Instructor Course in July, was a huge success! Even though it was, I still stand firm with my opinion that a good instructor can be taught new skills and re-teach those skills to others. I feel that officers attend "Instructor" level courses because they feel that those courses are more advanced, which is rarely the case. Instructor level courses are generally limited in the skills taught because more time is spent making sure that attending instructors can re-teach others (Instructor Development). I prefer "advanced" courses that push attending officers to their mental and physical limits. If they are a good instructor, they can put the things that they have learned into a form they can re-teach to others. Once we clarify this concept a bit, in the near future, we will explain it better and offer more "Instructor Level" courses. 
Train HARD or don't train at all! Stay Safe, Wade A. Deuter |
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Additional Information May Be Found On The Degrata Tactical Website
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The 2009 Sturgis Bike Rally was successful, in my opinion. Numbers seemed to be up, yet incidents seemed to be down. Maybe that was because of the additional traffic (it was harder to make traffic stops). We also had several rain storms and a nice hail storm, which cleared things out on a few different occasions (see picture below). Determining the reason(s) for what the lower incident numbers could be attributed to, would take more time than I have to dedicate to it, but the song remains the same. Don't get me wrong, I am a strong type "A" personality and an adrenaline junkie, so I like my excitement and we had our excitement. It was the "not really an incident" incidents that we had fewer of. All in all, a good Sturgis Rally! 
Special Thanks to Cor-Bon Ammunition for accommodating us. |
Looking at this issue for the first time, the Court decides:
The Terry reasonable suspicion standard applies to routine traffic stops despite language in Whren v. U.S., 517 U.S. 806 (1996), that suggests that the decision to stop an automobile is reasonable only where the police have probable cause to believe that a traffic violation has occurred. A traffic stop will be deemed a reasonable “seizure” when an objective review of the facts shows that an officer possessed specific, articulable facts that an individual was violating a traffic law at the time of the stop.
The 2nd, 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th Circuits agree (cites omitted).
Click HERE for the full opinion.
LWRC Short-Stroke Gas-Piston Upper
I set out looking for a 10.5" barreled upper receiver for my newest AR-15. The problem is, I was told by several manufacturers that I needed to wait until I had an approved tax stamp from the ATF. I did wait, even though I truly did not have to as I now understand (only to attach the upper/barrel to a lower). I then called around looking for either a short barrel or a complete upper with a short barrel. I was told 4 to 6 months until expected delivery. NOT acceptable. I called LWRC. I was told 3 to 4 weeks until expected delivery. I asked if it was possible to get this upper (a 10.5" barreled, short-stroke gas-piston upper w/flip up sights) by the Sturgis Rally. I wanted to attach it, function test it, and zero my optics. They said "3 to 4 weeks expected delivery". I was satisfied. It beat 4 to 6 months, definitely! And, it might make it by the Rally.
Well, 3 days later, I received a call from LWRC. I thought "uh, huh, now what". They said "Your Upper is Ready To Ship". Huh, What? Really? A few days later, I had the upper in my possession.
So far, I have only function tested the upper, but it's good so far. Flawless cycling and from what I've read when I was looking for a short barrel, anything less than 11.5" barreled uppers are very prone to problems.
I'll keep you posted.
COMMON SHOOTING ERRORS CHART - Degrata Tactical Inc.
Find It Here -> http://www.degrata.com/pdf/commonshootingerrors.pdf
Number of rounds: 30
Target: Instructor’s option
Scoring: 30 rounds scored according to target used.
STAGE 1: 10 yards 6 rounds 2/4 seconds
1. Fire 2 rounds in 2 seconds - standing position.
2. Fire 2 rounds in 2 seconds - standing position.
3. Fire 1 round in 4 seconds (head shot only) - standing position.
4. Fire 1 round in 4 seconds (head shot only) - standing position.
STAGE 2: 25 yards 6 rounds 4 seconds
STANDING - Fire 2 rounds in 4 seconds. Repeat two more times.
STAGE 3: 50 yards 6 rounds 10 seconds
KNEELING - Fire 2 rounds in 10 seconds. Repeat two more times.
STAGE 4: 75 yards 6 rounds 60 seconds
SITTING - Fire 6 rounds in 60 seconds in the sitting position.
STAGE 5: 100 yards 6 rounds 60 seconds
PRONE - Fire 6 rounds in 60 seconds from the prone position.
In December, 1988, the FBI Academy Firearms Training Unit (FTU) designed and implemented the FBI Ammunition Tests. The test designs are based on research and consultation with experts in the fields of wound ballistics, forensic pathology, wound research and medical research. The full report of this research is available in the FBI booklet HANDGUN WOUNDING FACTORS AND EFFECTIVENESS, available on Law Enforcement Online, and from the FTU, on official request.
The tissue simulant utilized in FBI ballistic tests is Kind & Knox 250-A ordinance gelatin. The mixture is 10%, by weight. The mentioned research shows that properly calibrated 10% ordinance gelatin is a reliable tissue simulant. Calibration of ballistic gelatin is verified by firing a .177 steel BB at 590 feet per second (fps), plus or minus 15 fps, into the gelatin, resulting in 8.5 centimeters (cm), plus or minus 1 cm, penetration (2.95” - 3.74“). During FBI tests, any gelatin blocks which fail the calibration test are discarded. Calibration results are not published due to the Pass/Fail nature of the test.
The gelatin is mixed in the following manner (assuming a 20 pound block is desired):
1. Weigh out two lbs. of gelatin powder and place aside.
2. Weigh out 18 lbs. of hot 60° C (140° F) water in a plastic bucket. (Note: The FBI utilizes a scale which weighs to the nearest .01 lb).
3. While utilizing a battery-operated drill with a mixing paddle attached, mix the water to the point of forming a whirlpool, but without introducing air into the mixture. While the water is being mixed, slowly add the gelatin powder.
4. After the gelatin powder has been added, place approximately 5 ml. of oil of cinnamon into the mixture, to reduce foaming and fungus growth. Pour the mixture into a clean mold pan.
5. Allow to cool 10-20 minutes.
6. Scrape foam off the top of the mixture and discard. Allow to stand at room temperature for approximately 4 hours. Write date on small square of cardboard and place on top of mixture. Place pan with mixture into refrigerator set at 4° C (39.2° F).
7. Allow to cure for 36 hours (note: larger blocks require longer cure time e.g. an 801b block requires 96 hours to cure).
Blocks, over time, deteriorate and are temperature sensitive. Former FBI publications advocated utilizing blocks within 20 minutes of removal from the refrigerator (a general statement pertaining to ambient temperature indoors). Allowable time outside the refrigerator is, however, relative to the temperature of the test environment (e.g. a block removed from a refrigerator and maintained in a room at the same temperature as the refrigerator will retain its calibration significantly longer than one placed outside on a hot summer day). Note: some authorities believe mixing procedures may vary the consistency of gelatin. FBI studies indicate, however, that a block which displays the required level of penetration, within the required velocity range, is a “valid” tissue simulant.
The FBI Ballistic Research Facility conducts its tests in an environmentally controlled shooting laboratory. Blocks of gelatin are removed from the refrigerator and checked for calibration. Only valid blocks are used for testing. Blocks used in testing of conventional pistol ammunition are approximately 6.25” X 6.25” X 16“. The initial block of gelatin used in a test is called the Primary Block. Each Primary block is utilized for a maximum of 5 shots, one in each corner, approximately 1.75” from the nearest edge, and one in the center. Tests conducted by the FBI indicate this placement of shots results in substantially the same penetration as single shots into virgin blocks of gelatin. Any shots which cross the wound path of previous shots are refired. Primary blocks are not utilized for more than 5 shots, to include any shots which are refired.
Because some shots may penetrate more than one block of gelatin, one or more “stopper” blocks are placed behind the primary block. The stopper blocks may be utilized for more than one test, provided that wound channels are not crossed. At the end of each test, the stopper block is placed back into the refrigerator while another stopper is utilized with an unused Primary block. Stopper blocks may receive more than 5 penetrations, provided that no wound channels are crossed (e.g. a stopper which has 5 penetrations of 3” into one end can be flipped over and used as a subsequent “stopper“.
The FBI does not reuse gelatin. Used blocks are discarded.
SEATTLE WASHINGTON - The Feedback Lounge
Anyone that knows anything about me knows that I'm not too easily impressed - by anything, or anyone. So when I do find somebody or something that impresses me, I like to pass the word, i.e. give credit where credit is due. I was just recently in Seattle. It was a nice city, but the weather sucked. It was hot and sunny the entire time that I was there. I personally like dark and dreary days that most people hate. I wanted to experience the legendary rainy Seattle, but no such luck. I enjoyed Seattle, but the parking, like in any city is terrible. The streets are made for vehicles like the California Highway Patrol Car below, not a Chevy Suburban, like I drive. If I didn't park on the curb, the Suburban left very little room for traffic to flow. I personally like South Dakota roads where a Combine and a Semi-truck can usually very easily pass.
First, you should know that I "do not frequent bars". I am a trouble magnet and avoid bars for that and other reasons. When I was in Seattle I stopped into a recently opened lounge. The name of the place is the Feedback Lounge. The food is excellent, to say the least and they have mixed drinks that you won't find anywhere else. The thing that I liked the best though, is the environment. The interior of the Feedback Lounge is very cool and classy, yet comfortable. It's walls are darker paint with hard and classic rock paraphernalia abundantly placed all around. If hard and classic rock is your "thing", this is your place. They also have some "classic" video games for your entertainment. A very nice place to spend some "down time", if you ever get to West Seattle. This is their site - http://www.feedbacklounge.net/. The Feedback Lounge is located at California & Fauntleroy.
Three people died last week.
Michael Jackson
Farrah Fawcett
Bert Bank
3 people that died last week and went to meet their maker.
We know what Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett are known for.
But what about Bert Bank?
Bert Bank was 94 years old and a survivor of The Bataan Death March in WWII.
Most of you are familiar with it, but here is a short reminder:
78,000 prisoners were taken captive in the Philippines by the Japanese and forced to march over a 100 miles in the tropical heat. Beheadings, cut throats and casual shootings were the more common and merciful actions - compared to bayonet stabbings, rapes, disembowelments, numerous rifle butt beatings and a deliberate refusal to allow the prisoners food or water while keeping them continually marching for nearly a week (for the slowest survivors like General Jacob Vass) in tropical heat. Falling down or inability to continue moving was tantamount to a death sentence, as was any degree of protest or expression of displeasure.
Prisoners were attacked for assisting someone failing due to weakness, or for no apparent reason whatsoever. Strings of Japanese trucks were known to drive over anyone who fell. Riders in vehicles would casually stick out a rifle bayonet and cut a string of throats in the lines of men marching alongside the road. Accounts of being forcibly marched for five to six days with no food and a single sip of water are in postwar archives including filmed reports
78,000 started the march. 54,000 finished it. Out of the 54,000 who made it to the POW camp, 1 out of every 6 died by the end of the war. For those who survived, the average body weight loss was about 35%. So if a man weighed 150 lbs when it began, he weighed about 98 lbs when it was over.
Later he wrote about his experience as a Bataan Death March survivor in his book “Back From the Living Dead.”
Thank you Mr. Bank. I appreciate what you did.
Today I choose to honor you.California Highway Patrol Car
Is this the "Cool" Squad to drive or the "We Don't Trust You With a Real Car"
Squad?
A 60-year-old Rapid City man arrested in western Nebraska has pleaded guilty to robbing $3,000 from a Rapid City bank. Lonnie Pannell, who also goes by the last name King, pleaded guilty in federal court to bank robbery for the Feb. 5 holdup of Dakotah Bank.
A Nebraska State Patrol trooper arrested him that evening near Chadron, Neb. A court document states that hours before Pannell was picked up, he used false documents to seek treatment at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Hot Springs, where a police officer spotted the money.
The document says that when Pannell was booked into jail, he listed "robbery" as his occupation.
Patrol Rifle Instructor Course - Breakage Report by Seth Thompson
The rifles brought to this class were a mixture of department-issue and personally-owned guns. Most were M-16/AR-15 variants, but two M-14’s, two Robinson XCR’s and one M1 Carbine were also used by students at various times. Most shooters average of 1200-1300 rounds of rifle ammunition was fired by each student.
In my opinion, breakage in a high-round count class like this is actually a good thing. When you stress your equipment, you learn its good points and bad points. You learn what works and what just looks good on someone’s internet site. Buy the good stuff that works. Only your life depends on it.
The course breakage list follows:
Day 1:
DPMS AR-15 #1- Stuck casing in the chamber, cleared by “mortaring” (slamming the butt of the rifle on the ground while pulling on the charging handle. This often gets enough force to clear the stuck case and get back in the fight. It should go without saying that you should take care not to point the rifle at your head while doing this). No further problems were reported with this rifle.
DPMS AR-15 #2- Another stuck casing. Really stuck. It was cleared with a steel rod and hammer. The problem raced to old, out-of-spec. department-issue reloaded ammo. Seven years in a storage locker apparently did it no good. The rifle also had a weak recoil spring and wrong (blue in a carbine) extractor insert. No more problems were reported with it.
Robinson XCR #1 started getting light primer hits. Possible ammo or lube problem. The problem did not repeat itself.
Day 2:
As the round count climbed and the drills sped up, equipment problems started to show themselves. Most had to do with bad magazines. Lots of problems were reported with generic, unmarked gun-show magazines and worn out old GI-issue ones. No problems were reported with Magpul PMAGS. Buy them. Regardless of what mags you run, keep an eye on them and rebuild or trash the ones that don’t work.
Bushmaster #1- Failing to feed rounds, and double feeds. Shooter was given good loaner rifle. Shooting improved greatly when he was no longer fighting his equipment.
M14- Mounted with EO Tech red dot sight- flickering off and then died completely. Bending battery contacts back into shape turned it on. The screws on the throw-lever mount also loosened up. Remember, the bigger the rifle, the harder it kicks, and the more stress it puts on accessories. Loctite is your friend.
A generic back up sight fell off the rail on someone’s rifle. Again, Loctite is your friend.
Colt M16A1 (DRMO gun) -Bad recoil spring, no lube and bad magazines. New spring, lube and loaner PMAGS cured it for the duration of the course.
Bushmaster #2- A stuck live case in chamber. It was mortared clear. No further problems with this gun.
XCR #2-Sheared its bolt locking lug and was out of action for the rest of the course.
Day 3:
DPMS parts gun with aluminum gas block on heavy barrel short-stroking. Gas block was loose, way loose. Dissimilar metals and aftermarket gas blocks don’t belong on defensive guns.
Bushmaster #1- More fail-to-feed problems. The problems were possibly caused by tight tolerances in a brand new rifle. It refused to feed dependably, even with PMAGS, and lots of lube.
Most problems were solved with a shot of lube into the rifle- the AR system needs visible oil or grease on the bolt carrier to work right. Most other problems were caused by defective magazines. Buy good magazines. Trash the ones that don’t work (or sell them to tin-foil hat guys at gun shows).
All guns wear out over time. If you shoot a lot, or if you are issued a rifle that was used by someone else, a few bucks spent replacing extractor, buffer and ejector springs could pay off big time in the long run.
What’s the bottom line for this course? Any rifle can break and stop working. Some preventative maintenance and a few good choices of equipment can help increase the odds this won’t happen when someone is shooting at you.
