I’ve been shooting for a half century and have spent considerable time and money to get the best training available. Over the years I’ve earned eight instructor’s certifications and developed a high degree of skill. But if one gains a bit of wisdom with age, one realizes two things: (1) there is so very much you don’t know and will never know, and (2) there is always those younger, better looking, bigger, faster, smarter and more capable. I was recently reminded of both.
In my youth, I was fortunate to take classes from Chuck Taylor, a man with a well-earned international reputation. Chuck was ably assisted by Mark Fricke. Sadly, Chuck died in 2022, and in the intervening years, Mark also earned an international reputation. For the past 30 years, he has been putting on a week-long series of classes at a ranch in NE Wyoming. After completing my Texas teaching career and retiring in Wyoming, I rediscovered Mark and those classes.
Over that week, Mark puts on a wide variety of instruction including various handgun classes, long range rifle (out to 1000 yards), revolver (this year) and tactical rifle. I had the time to take one handgun class and the tactical rifle course.
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Graphic: Keltec Sub2000 G3. Author.
Not long ago my wife and I bought Keltec Sub2000 Generation 3 9mm carbines and have been working them up. One doesn’t buy a new gun, put 50 rounds through it, and imagine they’re proficient so I welcomed the opportunity to learn what I couldn’t learn on my own.
There were 20 shooters in the tactical rifle class, and 27 in the handgun class I took earlier in the week. The most common handguns were Glocks in 9mm, though there were a few 1911 diehards. Rifles? AR-15s, of course. It’s always interesting to see the way people accessorize their guns, and while most used red dot sights, some used iron sights and a few, optical sights. One even ran a suppressor, which reminded everyone suppressed gunshots still sound like gunshots only somewhat quieter. I was one of a few shooting 9mm.
Mark had a distinguished law enforcement career, and his classes provide useful, essential information, as well as multiple drills building skills for the real world. There are no fads, only techniques that always work, and a relentless emphasis on safety including ensuring one doesn’t sweep anyone with the muzzle of their weapon. That’s a common way police officers and others negligently shoot themselves or others. “Muzzle” an innocent target and you lose time.
Many of the drills are timed, though the universal standard is balancing speed with accuracy. For handguns, one must be able to put a round center mass from low ready in .8 seconds. From the holster, 1.2 seconds, both at 3 yards. For the rifle, one must be able to do a “Mozambique” drill—two center mass, one in the head—from low ready in 2 seconds at 7 yards.
Interestingly, at least half of the students are old guys like me, some having attended the classes for 30 consecutive years. Ages ranged from an young teen who is building skills early to everything in between, and there are always women. What I quickly learned is many of the students are people who attend such classes multiple times every year. They’re the faster/stronger/more capable people I mentioned. I shot well; they shot better. They’re high speed, low drag. And because he maintains diverse contacts, Mark always has new and up-to-date information.
The rifle class focused largely on shorter ranges, though we did shoot at little at 50 yards, which is the zero on my Sub 2000. I’ve managed 3/8” groups from a rest with that rifle, though at the class they opened, the inevitable result of balancing speed and accuracy.
Among the drills was transitioning from rifle to handgun, which assumes one shoots the rifle dry, or there’s a malfunction and there’s no time to reload or clear it. An important lesson is not simply engaging the safety and letting the rifle hang on the sling while going to the handgun. There are many recent instances where people forgot the safety, or it was flipped off and the weapon fired by catching on clothing and other gear. So, we practiced maintaining muzzle control of the rifle with the support hand and drawing and shooting the handgun with the strong hand.
What did I learn about the Sub2000? It fired something less than 300 rounds with unfailing reliability. I was running a single point sling which got in the way of the cocking handle, so I’m now using a two-point sling. The laser/light unit I installed works well out to about 10 yards in bright daylight and eliminates the necessity of compensating for the high sightline.
The most important lesson is no matter how good you are, you can’t know what you don’t know. That’s why regular, professional training is necessary. Mark is so busy he no longer maintains a website but can be reached at aftt17@msn.com or 928-772-2026.
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Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.
This article was originally published at www.americanthinker.com
