Great Training Tool, SIRT PISTOL

I was probably one of the first to purchase one of these pistols when it was first introduced, I think back in 2004.  I became a distributor for NLT and sold quit a few of these units.  Back then there were a lot of instructors that did not seem to think that this training pistol had much merit as a training tool, but today it appears that a lot have changed their tune.  I use my SIRT Pistol everyday to do my dry fire work.  The article below is a very good analysis of this training unit.  If you are interested in purchasing one, I have included the contact information.  Thank you Mr. Monte Gould for sharing this article.

AS,
a professional law enforcement and military instructor, I have seen many training tools come and go over the years. It is important to vigilantly evaluate promising tools and new theories to stay relevant. Recently I met the owner of Next Level Training, Mr. Mike Hughes. He is a competitive shooter, firearms instructor, and Season 3 finalist on Top Shot. Mike founded Next Level Training and created the SIRT Pistol. He is larger-than-life, focused on human performance enhancement, and constantly seeking improvement. As a competitive shooter, instructor, and practitioner, I endeavor to remain aware of emerging technologies. The most convincing remedy to improvement is personal recognition of deficiencies. We must be able to selfidentify and analyze. Frequent, well-executed, and repetitive manipulation develops reflexive proficiency under stress. To support practice, we need to perform self-diagnosis, maintain interest, and have fun. Yes, I said “fun!” Sometimes people focus too much on the work aspect and lose the fun. This reduces motivation and creates labor from what should be mentally stimulating and enjoyable. I advise my students to dry practice at least three times a week for 10 to 15 minutes per session. When students complete a course of instruction and return home, they practice as recommended for a couple weeks. But slowly they lose motivation and begin to reduce or totally eliminate dry practice sessions. The NLT SIRT Pistol brings back the fun! NLT SIRT PISTOL The NLT Training Pistol is designed for “highvolume self-diagnostic firearms training.” The SIRT (Shot Indicating Resetting Trigger) Pistol is a replica gun that emits a laser when breaking the trigger (no need to rack the slide). The SIRT Training Pistol is an inert training tool incapable of firing real rounds. It is equipped standard with a second “takeup” laser that activates when the trigger is indexed, held and depressed, but not broken (taking the slack out). This second take-up laser is primarily for the instructor or assistant to diagnose shooter performance during dry practice sessions. The device physically resembles the Glock 17. It will fit in all holsters and equipment as needed and required for like designs. You can attach your light on a rail of the SIRT. The newest version resembles a Smith & Wesson Sigma. You can remove the stock sights and replace them with your preferred sight. NLT also produces a replacement bolt for use in your AR-15/M4 platform that projects a laser. It comes standard with one magazine weighted to simulate a fully loaded real magaNEXT LEVEL TRAINING zine. However, the SIRT Pistol emulates the By Monte Gould SIRT Laser Training Pistol AS 80 OCTOBER 2016 | www.SWATMAG.com functional features of real firearms for the most beneficial training effects. The lasers fully adjust for elevation and windage using a small Allen wrench. The device comes with a fully charged battery that lasts hundreds of hours and is ready to use out of the box. NLT provides detailed instructions for use, plus a CD and hard plastic case. Per the enclosed instructions, check zero when you receive the pistol. Adjust the lasers to the sights, not vice versa. The trigger is fully adjustable as well for take-up and break, and relatively easy to accomplish. My initial perception was that it is a training tool for beginners. This misconception was promptly disproved. I began using the device for personal skills development. Instead of dry fire sessions with real weapons, I used the NLT SIRT Pistol. I have used it in my office and then traveled with it to maintain skills on the road. I routinely travel across the U.S. and abroad, and am often unable to carry firearms. I have taken the NLT SIRT to South and Central America, Europe, Scandinavia, and all over the U.S. without any difficulty. (Read up on traveling with simulated-type weapons. Know and understand the specific regulations of the area you are traveling to before you embark on a journey carrying this device.) TESTING I introduced the NLT SIRT Pistol to training with basiclevel students. It has reduced training time frames, range session usage, and ammunition consumption while developing student confidence. The device also provides a safer, more relaxed, and less stressful indoctrination and orientation for new shooters. More advanced shooters can self-diagnose and self-correct without argument, denial, or subjective opinion. After all, personal recognition of flaws and failure is the strongest medicine for improvement. The instructor assists, notes errors, and then provides opportunities for students to self-analyze. As a test, we conducted non-profit instructor training courses with the NLT SIRT Pistol. Our first group was a cross-section of instructors based in Scandinavia. The evaluation group invited to support the instructors consisted of novice shooters. This was an eight-hour instructor course. The student group was restricted to four hours of training with NLT SIRT Pistols, after which live-fire qualification courses were conducted. Student scores were on average 42% higher. Nearly Above: Range staff trains with NLT SIRT. Left: SWAT officer trains with NLT SIRT Pistol. 81 the same result was achieved with two other focus groups of novice shooters. With experienced professionals (competitive, law enforcement, and military personnel), the rates of improvement were much lower, within the 3 to 6% range, which was still remarkable, not to mention reduced live-fire operations and overall cost reduction. I have now conducted 11 instructor classes with varying skill levels (amateurs and professionals) throughout the world. My results have been relatively uniform and consistent. NLT has an excellent online and YouTube support channel for customer service and training. The training videos are comprehensive and to the point. NLT customer support is above average, streamlined, and responsive to customers. My company, I.M.T.T., now has ten of the pistols in the field and uses them routinely. Anytime I have contacted or requested support, NLT has been prompt, responding to calls and e-mails for service without hesitation or delay. TRAINING WITH THE SIRT PISTOL Follow all basic rules regarding dry fire practice. Do not have a real pistol or ammunition in the vicinity. When dry firing off the range, clear the room of all ammunition even when only dry firing with the SIRT Training Pistol. If dry firing in conjunction with your live-fire gun, conduct safety checks of all firearms. When on the range, it is beneficial to train trigger mechanics with the SIRT Training Pistol between live-fire drills. In this environment, treat the SIRT Training Pistol as a real gun and follow the four basic rules at all times. When holstering the SIRT, be sure to slide lock your real firearm without a magazine when placing it down for temporary storage. Flip the top toggle switch backward to activate the red take-up indicator. When you only want the shot indicator (green laser), flip the switch forward. During most training, the take-up indicator is turned off. For beginners, the take-up laser is to identify trigger mechanics issues during slow fire. After ensuring a proper grip, stance, body posture, and other fundamental skill sets, observe the motion of the laser during the trigger pull. Ensure the student is first taking the slack out of the trigger and then having a clean follow-through, with the green laser showing the shot break. After a shot is broken, release the trigger sufficiently to shoot off the reset, where the red laser is still on, and then re-press the trigger to break a second or subsequent shot. If the lasers go completely off, you have completely disengaged the trigger from the sear. This indicates you’re not identifying the reset point. It further allows you to practice correct finger placement and the correct moment during the presentation and prepping the trigger correctly. Have the shooter align the target, prep and break the trigger. If the lasers are steady during this, they are engaging in proper trigger mechanics. If the shooter is, for example, right-handed, and the lasers sweep from right to left (a nine o’clock sweep), the shooter is not engaging in proper trigger mechanics. Observe the laser motion when breaking the trigger. Any comet-tail sweep is an indicator of poor trigger mechanics. Advanced shooters should, of course, train the same fundamentals as above. Many advanced shooters have fundamentals to train and strengthen, such as prepping the trigger prior to coming onto a target during a target transition. But advanced shooters need to train in higher volume with higher quality of movement. Such further training includes: shooting on the move, high-speed transitions (one target to another), high-speed wide transitions (over 90° between targets), and highvolume training. This is a supplemental tool, not a replacement. You still must do live fire and practice recoil management. ADVANTAGES OF THE SIRT PISTOL The SIRT Pistol is tremendously convenient for high-volume training. The lasers help identify mechanical trigger issues, ensuring proper trigger mechanics and sight alignment when breaking the trigger. You can set up training events anywhere at any time. The cost of training is zero, and range and ammo costs are completely eliminated. It allows you to focus on prepping the trigger, the break, re-set, and proper trigger control, all this while forcing the shooter to focus on the sights correctly and never having to fire a shot. I have been able to set up scenarios in cliReflective tape allows SIRT Pistol to be used in bright daylight. NEXT LEVEL TRAINING 82 OCTOBER 2016 | www.SWATMAG.com ent police stations and have the officers train while on duty intermittently, as well as set up in-station training with simulated ranges in the interior spaces prior to the officers qualifying the next day. Of course strict adherence to safety and protocols was implemented. DISADVANTAGES OF THE SIRT PISTOL SIRT is not a replacement for live-fire training, but a supplement. There is no recoil impulse simulation or slide operation during use. Shooters have a tendency to look at the laser impact and make corrections through this method instead of focusing on the sights. Users occasionally develop complacency relative to safe weapons handling. Assumptions of harmlessness begin to sneak into the mindset of the individual, and he may treat the weapon as a toy. This should be constantly monitored, highly discouraged, and eliminated. Treat and handle the device as a real weapon at all times. Obviously sometimes during force-on-force or other types of training, the device will be pointed at others. Treat it in the same manner as a marker-type projectile training weapon and strictly adhere to the highest safety protocols. The SIRT is not waterproof. If used in the rain, cover the upper opening in the slide with a small piece of tape. CONCLUSION The SIRT Pistol and rifle bolt are incredible training tools. You can have them in your home, office, or work place and set up scenarios safely without using real weapons to clear spaces. The possibilities are endless. I use this SIRT for training in vehicles in place of real weapons and for safety during demonstrations and practice at home. I routinely use it when demonstrating entry tactics and/or building search methodologies. It’s an excellent tool for students during the “crawl, walk, run” phases of training inside locations and during complex exercises for safety. My former agency purchased the devices and has integrated them into defensive tactics training. Some groups, individuals, and organizations use the SIRT Pistol and laser bolt for force-on-force scenario training. The SIRT Pistol allows instant feedback that is visible from the very first time they press the trigger, making their lack of trigger control obvious to them. You can place reflective tape at varying distances on targets to indicate hits. The laser strikes the reflective portion and reflects with high intensity. SIRT is a perfect training tool for anyone who owns or carries a weapon. Many police and military agencies are now purchasing these devices and integrating them into regular training for officers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Los Angeles Police Department to name just two. When you cannot get to the range or adverse weather hits, the SIRT allows you to continue practicing. If you live in an urban area and are unable to visit the range regularly, it helps you maintain skills between sessions. I believe in this product and cannot recommend it more highly, based on testing, use, customer service, and ruggedness. Suggested retail price for the SIRT Pistol is $239.00. The AR bolt is $139.00. Monte Gould is a retired California peace officer (27½ years, 22 years SWAT). He served in the U.S. military, with both peacetime and combat deployments, from 1978 to 2009. He is the owner of I.M.T.T., which provides services to governmental organizations and entities. He can be reached at monteimtt@gmail.com. SOURCE NEXT LEVEL TRAINING LLC (360) 933-4640 www.nextleveltraining.com Above: Windage adjustment for laser is located on right side of pistol. Left: Red and green lasers activated together for take-up feature. Right: Weighted magazine simulates feel of actual magazine. www.SWATMAG.com | OCTOBER 2016 83

BFM DRILL

I was out at the range yesterday and I tried a shooting drill that Dave Spaulding posted on FB of Ken Hackathorn demoing the drill which he called the BFM drill.  This drill actually combines three of the most popular drills that shooters should practice.  The targets (IDPA type) are placed 7 yards apart from center to center and the shooting distance is 7 yards.  You load two magazines, one with 8 rounds and the other with at least 7 rounds.  Load the gun with the 8 round magazine.  You start from a holstered position.  On the beep, (timer sound), you draw and progress through the drill.  The first is the Bill Drill, shooting at the center target, 6 rounds placed into the center 8" A zone area. Second, the Fast Drill, shooting at the left side target, 2 rounds to the head box, to a slide lock, reload and 4 rounds to the 8" A zone area. Third, Mozambique Drill, shooting the right side target, 2 rounds to the A zone and 1 round to the head box. You should have shot 15 rounds.  Time limit is 20 seconds which is the lowest passing score, (D) grade and 11 seconds or less being the best, an (A) grade. Any misses add 1 second to your time!

I shot this drill an did it in 12.48 seconds, no misses.   Shot this drill with one of my Glock 19 stock pistols.  Guess that's somewhere between a B & B+.  I took a little more time so that I could get a good feel and rhythm for this drill.  I will take it for the first try!  I will get it down to 11 seconds or less!

This drill is designed to get the shooter thinking while placing well placed accurate shots on the targets.  I will definitely incorporate this drill in my more advanced classes.

Thanks, Dave & Ken!

PREP, PRESS, RESET!

Anyone who has ever taken any of my classes, from beginner to advanced skill level know how much I emphasis the importance of working that trigger smoothly and consistently! "PREP, PRESS, RESET". The attached article by Tiger Mckee is a great explanation of how it should be done!

Skill Set: Trigger Slack

A common problem with shooters, both new and experienced, is the "slack" or "take-up" on triggers. A lot of pistols, especially striker-fired handguns such as Glocks, XD's and M&P's have "slack" in the trigger. This slack is rearward movement of the trigger, a sort of free travel that must be removed or taken out before the actual trigger press begins. Confusing this slack with the trigger press is the cause for a lot of bad shots. The shooter presses the trigger. There's not a lot of resistance to it. When they actually get to the point that they start feeling resistance – where the real trigger press should start – they jerk the trigger, forcing the shot to fire. The shooter anticipates the recoil, tensing up their muscles and moving the sights off target. The result is an inaccurate shot.

The key to shooting accurately is pressing the trigger smoothly without anticipating when the shot is going to fire. A good trigger press fires the shot without moving the muzzle. Jeff Cooper called this a "surprise break." You press the trigger and let the pistol fire when it's ready, as opposed to you making the pistol fire. (The same thing applies to any firearm.) The time it takes to press the trigger, how smoothly it needs to be pressed, depends on the accuracy you need.

Trigger designs that have slack or take-up require you to press the trigger lightly to the rear, removing this free travel. Once the slack is out you begin pressing the trigger to fire the shot. Think of it as a two-stage trigger like you might find on a precision rifle.

At the start of a class we have shooters verbalize this process. During dry practice they come on target and place their finger on the trigger. They say out loud, "Slack out," or whatever words work best for them as an individual. At the same time they apply light pressure to the trigger until feeling the actual resistance start. (Verbalizing this slows the mind down, forcing the conscious mind to think about the process.) Then they release the slack out and take their finger off the trigger. This is done numerous times so they get the feel of taking the slack out and releasing it.

Once this is working well we move to the actual trigger press. This is a two-step process. They are on target, finger on the trigger. Step one: they say, "Slack out." The slack or take-up has been performed. Step two: they say out loud "Presssssssssss… ," hissing like a snake and steadily increase pressure on the trigger. At some point the trigger "breaks," moving all the way rearward. Remember this is done dry, so they get to the point that the sights are steady throughout and after the trigger press. (This is normally done in a team format so the "coach" can cycle the slide, allowing the shooter say out loud "Reset," releasing the trigger far enough forward to reset the internals.)

After plenty of dry practice to figure out how their trigger works we go hot, performing the same drill live, one shot at a time with students still verbalizing their actions. "Slack out," takes out the free travel. "Pressssssssss… ," fires the shot. They recover from the recoil; get the sights back on target, and say "Reset," to reset the trigger. This sequence produces good, accurate hits for beginners and experienced shooters improve their trigger manipulations.

"Learning" your trigger is a never-ending process. You're always trying to improve. Any time you pick up a different type firearm it's going to take some time to become familiar with that trigger. If you're helping out a friend or new shooter make sure they understand the principles involved. Knowing how to work the trigger, both before and after the shot, is the key to getting good hits. Practice this often.

Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy, located in northern Alabama.

Springfield Day Sep't 24, 2016. Held at the Philadelphia Training Academy

This past Saturday the Philadelphia Training Academy
 held it's annual Springfield Day.  There were two guns given away and this one of them.  A Springfield 1911!  Congrats to the lucky winner!

Break It Down....Tiger Mckee

Skill Set: Break It Down

The techniques required to operate your firearm efficiently and safely are made up of a series of steps, individual actions combined to perform the necessary sequences. This is true for drawing the pistol, loading your AR or any other techniques you use. When there are problems it usually isn't with the entire process; there will be one step in the sequence that isn't working exactly right. You break the steps down, examining each one to determine where the problem is, and then isolate and practice that one step until it works in conjunction with the others to create a seamless sequence.

Let's look at reloading an empty pistol as an example. In the beginning everything is broken down into a series of steps. After repetition one step smoothly flows into the next. The biggest issue with shooters, especially in the beginning, is pressing the magazine release to get the old mag out. The other steps before and after releasing the mag are good, but the whole sequence - reloading the pistol - is slower than it should be because they are not efficiently releasing the mag. The solution to making the whole sequence efficient is spending time practicing this one step.

While there are exceptions, most pistols have the mag release on the left side. Normally a right hand shooter uses the right thumb to press the mag release. The button must be pressed in, towards the center of the pistol to release the magazine. Most people will have to shift their hand around the pistol – keeping the muzzle pointing in a safe direction - to hit the mag release. Think of this one step - releasing the magazine – as a set of smaller actions: Shift the pistol, release the mag and reacquire your grip.

Dry practice, as usual, is the best way to practice this act. You don't even need to use dummy ammo for this practice. Make sure you have a safe area to practice, with no live ammo present and a backstop capable of stopping a round if you do make a mistake. You put an empty mag in the pistol. Acquire your regular grip on the pistol. Shift the hand around the pistol and press the mag release. (Some pistols mag require you to strip the mag from the pistol.) Once the mag is out reacquire the proper grip on the pistol. Set it up again, and repeat. Do this a lot, until releasing the mag becomes a fluid action.

If you only work on the mag release as a part of reloading, working fast in order to get a shot on target, you'll be thinking about a lot of other things as opposed to releasing the mag. Isolating and concentrating on this one step improves the learning curve, instead of thinking about what needs to be done before and after the mag is released. Once you're working the mag release cleanly then you plug it into your other sequences such as unloading, reloading and clearing malfunctions.

This learning technique, isolating one step of a sequence to practice, works with any skill. The key is identifying where you're having problems. Once you discover the source of difficulty you break it down and concentrate on that one step, which may itself be a series of small steps. After practicing you plug it back into the complete sequence.

Learning requires discipline. You have to practice. During practice you critically examine your actions to find problems. You isolate the problem and practice until it's working. Then comes more practice, making sure your technique is flowing smoothly. Now it's time to find the next problem. The more "problems" you solve in advance the better your performance is when "that" time comes.

Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy

For the Ladies....Good information From Tiger Mckee

Skill Set: Ladies' Carry

Today's column is for the ladies, or for you guys who are going to help a lady get started with a handgun. The big news is that men and women are different. Yes, you know this, but apparently when it comes to helping a lady choose a pistol and how to carry it guys have a tendency to forget this. Women will have completely different requirements for a pistol and how they are going to carry the weapon. Here are some important things to consider.

According to Jeff Cooper, the three important features of a pistol are size and fit, good sights and a crisp trigger. First off, the pistol has to properly fit the hands so the shooter can acquire a proper grip. A pistol that "fits" means you can efficiently operate any features such as safeties. For example, smaller pistols have small thumb safeties which are more difficult to switch from "Safe" to "Fire" and back. A lot of women don't have the hand strength to work the thumb safety properly. With the various designs in handguns today I really don't see that a traditional thumb safety is needed, as long as the shooter has received the proper training and the accompanying practice.

A pistol that fits allows the shooter to get the proper position of the finger on the trigger. Ideally the finger is positioned with the trigger in the center of the first pad of the finger where it can press the trigger straight to the rear, as opposed to pushing or pulling it to one side, which will affect accuracy. Also, can you actually press the trigger? Most ladies have a hard time pressing the ten to twelve pound trigger on a standard revolver. In order to shoot accurately you have to press the trigger smoothly, and spend a lot of time doing it.

"Fit" also comes into play for manipulating the pistol. Again, think about hand size and strength. A pistol may fit the hand, but can the shooter operate the slide, manipulating it in order to load, unload or reload? Can they press the mag release without having to struggle or juggle the pistol in their hands? All of these actions are necessary to operate the pistol safely and efficiently.

You also need to think about "Fit" along carry lines. Will the pistol fit the way they need to carry? I've heard guys tell ladies, "You have to carry it in a holster on your belt, otherwise don't even bother carrying it." What? Again, women and men are different. Most ladies can't carry a handgun on the belt, either due to their size and shape or the way they have to dress. There are a lot of different options for carrying, and while a lot of people – guys – don't like carrying in a purse or bag it does have advantages. A lady can walk through the parking lot with their hand in their purse – and grip on the pistol – without attracting any attention. When your pistol is on the belt it's hard to do this without attracting attention.

Another factor to consider in the "Fit" department is recoil. Yes, carrying a big fast bullet is great, until it keeps you from shooting because it hurts the hand. Again, practice is mandatory. In my opinion a .380 pistol that "fits" someone - they'll actually shoot and practice with it – is much better than a lightweight .357 that they only shoot a few times and never touch again. We usually start beginners, both men and women, out with .22's and then have them move up to larger calibers.

"But," the guys complain, "Now I have to buy more pistols." Or, and this one really kills me, "My wife shot my XXX and now she wants one." What? You're complaining that your wife wants you to buy more pistols? Get that girl whatever she wants. If it's something she likes she'll probably shoot and carry it more.

Ladies, you need training. Guys - don't try to teach your wife or girlfriend how to shoot. Training is necessary to learn how to operate a firearm safely, the number one concern, and efficiently, which is mandatory for self-defense. I actually recommend new shooters to get training before buying a firearm. Most places will have pistols you can rent or use in the class, and the instruction will help you determine what type pistol is going to work best for you.

A great source of information is The Handgun Guide For Women by Tara Dixon Engel. This book has chapters on almost everything you need to get started. (Guys, I recommend you read it too.) It even has a chapter on "How To Visit A Gunshop," which is a difficult thing for most women.

Ladies, you need to be armed and ready to defend yourself and family. Guys, remember helping may not actively involve you. Everyone who is capable and ready should prepare. It's getting ugly out there, and I don't see it getting better any time soon.

Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy, 

One Gun....Rich Grassi

One Gun

The first Glock 19s in the stable: the Gen 2 (right) was the first and it's very old. The second is the Gen 3, which saw lots of use in the waning years of my law enforcement career.

Are you the type that buys "one of these, one of those?" – A collector? There's not a thing wrong with it. Those who like guns often like lots of them and they enjoy the variation, learning different operating systems and simply enjoying range time or collecting.

There seem to be increasing numbers of practically minded folks who slavishly adhere to one type of handgun on the basis that they can only really learn one system – and there's something to be said for this as well.

The likelihood of a 'battlefield pickup' – snatching up a gun from someone who's down to use in an on-going emergency is currently (and thankfully) very slim. It's far more likely you'll need to dance with the one you brought along. Will you ever have all the skill you need? Is it possible to wish you hadless skill with the piece you have when the fight starts?

I don't believe so. I think you'll have more than enough to worry over. Having to learn your weapon system during the battle is just too much.

The story I always tell is my own experience. I yawned at the appearance of the early Glock pistols in the 1980s and shook my head as I watched them take over the US law enforcement scene in the 1990s. As I was teaching at seminars around the country in the middle and the latter half of the decade and into the 21st Century, it was Glock everywhere the eye could see. I was confronted with the fact that showing up with a "traditional double action" (trigger-cocking) pistol was just a source of confusion for folks who had the Wonder Plastic.

The current 'duty' gun is the Gen. 4 Glock 19, as refitted. Some parts were installed to bring the gun into line, others as a test.

I got a Glock 19 used in 2000 and worked with it some. Mike Rafferty was to attend a Glock armorer's recertification class. He'd looked my prize over, noted that it was an early U.S. G19 and took it along. The instructor did all the "updates" – and there were many. I got a Gen. 3 Glock 19 in the summer of 2001.

That gun accompanied me to an annual conference of the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors and I took every shooting class I could get into, including one from contributor Dave Spaulding. A set of XS Sights was installed and it went to the following IALEFI Annual and to Gunsite Academy on a media event. I consumed every bit of 3,000 rounds of ammo to get accustomed to that thing and it later became my "most trained with" firearm of all time. As a writer, I was pulled away from the gun to test others. I always seemed to go back to it.

Is it ideal? Well, I'm no 'caliber commando' – so the issue of the 9mm chambering is no issue for me. The gun has to function and hit to the sights. It has a consistent trigger shot-to-shot requiring no 'transition' from trigger-cocking to single action. It holds fifteen rounds in the magazine, can accept the 17-round magazine of its bigger brother – something I seldom take advantage of. That's in a form factor that the manufacturer calls "compact." The first auto I carried in police uniform – a Colt National Match – had a standard capacity of seven rounds.

The Glock 19 has a smaller sibling, the Glock 26, which accepts the magazines of the G19 and G17 – making it an ideal backup gun. I carried that way on the job, the G19 as the main holster gun and the Glock 26 in an ankle holster made by the late Lou Alessi as the backup. I supported them with two spare Glock 19 magazines. The older 2nd Gen Glock 19 waited in a safe in case my up-front gun was held as evidence in a shooting and to back it up at shooting classes.

Primary changes were sights, extractor and trigger -- but only because the factory action was substandard. The slide cover plate is simply vanity.

Since then, I've taken almost four years to get a Gen. 4 Glock 19 in shape to move to the front of the line. The trigger was the worst I'd found in the Glock line and it got replaced with the Glocktriggers.com duty trigger. The ejection was "so-so" and I installed the Apex Tactical Specialties Glock 'Failure Resistant Extractor.' That solved the issue. A Vickers slide stop, magazine release button and magazine floorplates were installed, as were Spaulding CAP sights from Ameriglo. I had to make a 'factory adjustment' to the rear sight as I have always shot decidedly left with this gun – something that never happened with the Gen 3 version or the Glock 26. This year, the Gen. 4 went on paper at the retirees' LEOSA range.

Your primary artillery doesn't have to be a Glock of any kind. I found the S&W M&P9C to be a perfectly fine carry gun – and nothing was done to the trigger, though it too has Ameriglo sights. I like and have carried 1911 pistols of various flavors. Which gun you choose isn't the point – my solution may not be good for you.

The gun I've fired most in training and practice is the Glock – the gun I have the most handling hours on is the double-action revolver, specifically the small, snub-nose five- or six-shot .38 revolvers from S&W, Colt and Ruger. I have one on now as a spare gun.

It's not the gun, it's the reps you have in. The dry practice, handling and competent disassembly for cleaning and maintenance and the live practice. That's what will carry the day because it's something you won't have to think about in the fight.

-- Rich Grassi