dogcaller
08-04-2010, 23:06
(Searched but didn't find a similar GT thread)
Found a thread about this on a different (rifle) site, but the thread petered out. I ran across this qualification a few years ago and thought it was a great skill builder and benchmark. I even went to the extent of buying a couple of the correct targets as templates, and then spray-painted several dozen facsimilies onto butcher paper to use as my targets (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4852157524_cfaedef939.jpg).
Funny thing is, all that effort and somewhere I lost steam, or, more likely, got sidetracked by another project/idea. This has rekindled my interest.
Two things that impressed me about this qual course were that it was a real challenge (unlike some police and sheriff courses I was familiar with, and the fact that no warm-up was allowed. Walk in and shoot it cold, just like real life.
As to whether I could pass it, I was a little doubtful that I could do it on demand. Couple of years ago maybe, but due to a move and new job I haven't shot much in the past couple of years, and practically no pistol in 9 months.
So I stole some time Saturday and headed up to the range. So I found the targets I'd made several years ago (described in previous post), grabbed a few guns and headed up. Luckily I was alone on the pistol range.
The guns were: 1) Glock 19 Gen 2 I think (no finger-grooves), bone stock except for a set of Heinie Straight 8s and a shaved Glock slide stop.
2) Glock 34, also with Heinie Straight 8s, a reduced trigger pull kit (Lightning I think), non captive Wolff recoil spring and a steel guide rod (non-weighted).
3) CZ75B, stock except for a replacement fiber-optic (red/orange) front sight.
4) Sig P226 9mm that I've had forever, bone stock末complete with lousy Sig finish and surface rust in the grop panel screw slots.
5) Kimber Classic 1911 .45, also with Heinie Straight 8s. Except I forgot the ammo.
Holsters:
For the Glocks I used a kydex TacPro straight-drop OWBthat I got for a good price from Brownells years ago. Haven't heard of them since, but I like it. I use it both for CCW and range use, but it does conceal well for an OWB.
For the CZ and Sig I used a leather slide holster designed for the Sig that I got from Dillon several years ago.
Galco leather double mag pouch for all.
Cover garment was a lightweight fleece vest.
What I found in running the course was that, not surprisingly, I improved slightly as I became more familiar with the course. The largest variable was getting over my nerves, meaning that in the first run I didn't know how close or far I'd be from the score, so I rushed things and were sloppy; decidedly NOT smooth. Once I recorded my scores and realized I was close, I settled down some and things went better.
I ran it a total of 5 times, starting and ending with the G19.
G19 末- G34 末- CZ 末- P226 末- G19
1) 1.77/1.67 3.44 (no go)末 1.58/1.60 末 1.63/1.57 末 1.72/1.73末 1.66/1.53
2) 1.07/ .98末 1.03/ .95末 1.16/.98末 1.06/1.04末 1.14/1.03
3) 2.19 末 2.35 末 2.37 末 2.32 末 2.28
4) 3.26/3.28 (no go) 末 3.37/2.89 末 2.83/3.02 末 2.94/2.79 末 3.03/3.34
末
5) 1.55/1.36 末 1.34/1.21 末 1.29/1.38 末 1.48/1.35 末 1.40/1.33
6) 2.76/2.89 末 2.77/2.84 末 3.30/3.18 末 2.93/3.11 末 2.94/2.91
7) 4.28/4.14 (no go) 末 3.02/3.38 末 3.02/3.88 末 3.24/3.03 末 3.21/3.50
TOTAL POINTS
132 末- 145* 末- 147 末- 142 末- 150
So as you can see, my first run of the day was a non-qual. Interestingly my last run with the same gun was a clean (perfect) score. I have a feeling my second run was clean as well and I had two rounds go through the same hole, but I took the -5 just to be sporting. It just felt good, I can't imagine I missed the entire paper on that run.
Subjective impressions were that it was definitely easier to shoot the full-sized guns over the G19. The fiber optic sight really helped the front sight stand out against the target for this relatively close range and quick shooting. The CZ was fired exclusivey SA, condition 1 to start, The 226's DA first shot pull slowed me down in string 1, and the hits were poorer quality. After that, the Sig just shoots great. It's interesting, because even though the Sig has a higher bore axis than the other three designs, in rapid fire it just returns right to zero for me and the short light reset allows for fast and accurate hits. The slight differences between runs was due to minor variations or bobbles; sometimes the difference between a slide closing when I slammed a magazine home, or not. I'm confident that if I were to go try it again now or in a month, my "cold" score would be much closer to my runs 2-5, and would be a PASS. I say this not because I improved, but rather because I now know what to expect, and so I won't rush.
All in all I think it's a good qual course to use as a benchmark, and to use as drills. I would have a hard time passing the first string if I was using my IWB holsters. I did shoot it with a very concealable OWB that I do regularly use for CCW, but less so than I use my IWB.
What are your thoughts?
Edited to say sorry for the difficult to read formatting. I tried to clean it up but no joy.
Found a thread about this on a different (rifle) site, but the thread petered out. I ran across this qualification a few years ago and thought it was a great skill builder and benchmark. I even went to the extent of buying a couple of the correct targets as templates, and then spray-painted several dozen facsimilies onto butcher paper to use as my targets (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4852157524_cfaedef939.jpg).
Funny thing is, all that effort and somewhere I lost steam, or, more likely, got sidetracked by another project/idea. This has rekindled my interest.
Two things that impressed me about this qual course were that it was a real challenge (unlike some police and sheriff courses I was familiar with, and the fact that no warm-up was allowed. Walk in and shoot it cold, just like real life.
As to whether I could pass it, I was a little doubtful that I could do it on demand. Couple of years ago maybe, but due to a move and new job I haven't shot much in the past couple of years, and practically no pistol in 9 months.
So I stole some time Saturday and headed up to the range. So I found the targets I'd made several years ago (described in previous post), grabbed a few guns and headed up. Luckily I was alone on the pistol range.
The guns were: 1) Glock 19 Gen 2 I think (no finger-grooves), bone stock except for a set of Heinie Straight 8s and a shaved Glock slide stop.
2) Glock 34, also with Heinie Straight 8s, a reduced trigger pull kit (Lightning I think), non captive Wolff recoil spring and a steel guide rod (non-weighted).
3) CZ75B, stock except for a replacement fiber-optic (red/orange) front sight.
4) Sig P226 9mm that I've had forever, bone stock末complete with lousy Sig finish and surface rust in the grop panel screw slots.
5) Kimber Classic 1911 .45, also with Heinie Straight 8s. Except I forgot the ammo.
Holsters:
For the Glocks I used a kydex TacPro straight-drop OWBthat I got for a good price from Brownells years ago. Haven't heard of them since, but I like it. I use it both for CCW and range use, but it does conceal well for an OWB.
For the CZ and Sig I used a leather slide holster designed for the Sig that I got from Dillon several years ago.
Galco leather double mag pouch for all.
Cover garment was a lightweight fleece vest.
What I found in running the course was that, not surprisingly, I improved slightly as I became more familiar with the course. The largest variable was getting over my nerves, meaning that in the first run I didn't know how close or far I'd be from the score, so I rushed things and were sloppy; decidedly NOT smooth. Once I recorded my scores and realized I was close, I settled down some and things went better.
I ran it a total of 5 times, starting and ending with the G19.
G19 末- G34 末- CZ 末- P226 末- G19
1) 1.77/1.67 3.44 (no go)末 1.58/1.60 末 1.63/1.57 末 1.72/1.73末 1.66/1.53
2) 1.07/ .98末 1.03/ .95末 1.16/.98末 1.06/1.04末 1.14/1.03
3) 2.19 末 2.35 末 2.37 末 2.32 末 2.28
4) 3.26/3.28 (no go) 末 3.37/2.89 末 2.83/3.02 末 2.94/2.79 末 3.03/3.34
末
5) 1.55/1.36 末 1.34/1.21 末 1.29/1.38 末 1.48/1.35 末 1.40/1.33
6) 2.76/2.89 末 2.77/2.84 末 3.30/3.18 末 2.93/3.11 末 2.94/2.91
7) 4.28/4.14 (no go) 末 3.02/3.38 末 3.02/3.88 末 3.24/3.03 末 3.21/3.50
TOTAL POINTS
132 末- 145* 末- 147 末- 142 末- 150
So as you can see, my first run of the day was a non-qual. Interestingly my last run with the same gun was a clean (perfect) score. I have a feeling my second run was clean as well and I had two rounds go through the same hole, but I took the -5 just to be sporting. It just felt good, I can't imagine I missed the entire paper on that run.
Subjective impressions were that it was definitely easier to shoot the full-sized guns over the G19. The fiber optic sight really helped the front sight stand out against the target for this relatively close range and quick shooting. The CZ was fired exclusivey SA, condition 1 to start, The 226's DA first shot pull slowed me down in string 1, and the hits were poorer quality. After that, the Sig just shoots great. It's interesting, because even though the Sig has a higher bore axis than the other three designs, in rapid fire it just returns right to zero for me and the short light reset allows for fast and accurate hits. The slight differences between runs was due to minor variations or bobbles; sometimes the difference between a slide closing when I slammed a magazine home, or not. I'm confident that if I were to go try it again now or in a month, my "cold" score would be much closer to my runs 2-5, and would be a PASS. I say this not because I improved, but rather because I now know what to expect, and so I won't rush.
All in all I think it's a good qual course to use as a benchmark, and to use as drills. I would have a hard time passing the first string if I was using my IWB holsters. I did shoot it with a very concealable OWB that I do regularly use for CCW, but less so than I use my IWB.
What are your thoughts?
Edited to say sorry for the difficult to read formatting. I tried to clean it up but no joy.