By John Farnam
Ft Collins, CO –-(Ammoland.com)- More on “Readiness”
In making the point about the importance of personal readiness in my last Quip, I didn’t intend to convey the impression that I teach students, during an emergency, to carefully adjust sights, stocks and slings, nor to sling-up, all prior to putting effective fire on threat(s)!
When the rifle is not “ergonomically optimized,” it still remains eminently usable, even with the stock retracted and the sling unused (but stowed in a manner so as to not interfere with weapon functionality).
Aimpoints are never turned off. EOTechs are turned on the instant the rifle is retrieved.
When not under our direct control, rifles are usually best kept in “transport mode” (fully-charged magazine inserted, bolt forward on an empty chamber, hammer forward, manual safety “off”)
With most western-style military rifles, once the weapon has been dry-fired (hammer forward on an empty chamber), the manual safety cannot be returned to the “on” position. This is by design. When the manual safety lever cannot be pushed into the “on” position, that tells the operator there is no live round chambered.
The point is that the rifle, when stored out of sight in a skateboard case, or some other deliberately deceptive manner, still needs to be is an appropriate state of readiness. And we must drill constantly, so that we can quickly retrieve it, and then smoothly put it into action with minimal fumbling/delay.
Once again, in any personal security emergency:
THE FIRST FIVE SECONDS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE NEXT FIVE HOURS!
All our training revolves around those critical “first five seconds!”
“A man with a watch always knows the time. A man with two watches is never quite sure!” ~ Anon
/John
About John Farnam & Defense Training International, Inc
As a defensive weapons and tactics instructor John Farnam will urge you, based on your own beliefs, to make up your mind in advance as to what you would do when faced with an imminent and unlawful lethal threat. You should, of course, also decide what preparations you should make in advance, if any. Defense Training International wants to make sure that their students fully understand the physical, legal, psychological, and societal consequences of their actions or inactions.
It is our duty to make you aware of certain unpleasant physical realities intrinsic to the Planet Earth. Mr Farnam is happy to be your counselor and advisor. Visit: www.defense-training.com
“those first five seconds”……many among us think about how they were, who among us may have been hit, where in-coming is coming from……., RETURNING HEAVY FIRE, and manuevering to take the offense!
that’s how it was long ago, and I’m sure that’s how it still is and will remain, so long as brave men do what is necessary to keep us safe and free!
thanks for the “flashbacks”, John.
Good advice!
I try and get folks to put extenders like a carabiner on those zippers on the hide cases. Under stress they have been missed in training
Fully agree. I too keep an SBR in ready mode in the trunk along with other “call up” gear that might be useful. In some instances however, it may be unlawful to store a fully charged magazine in the firearm and could violate the law for transporting. In my home state of Ohio, you merely need to keep loaded magazines in a separate container or zipper pouch. This means a rifle in a case with outside zipper or Velcro pouches is acceptable for transport (similar to a range bag). In any case, know the laws and PRACTICE. Thanks John. As… Read more »