Advanced Combat Glock

"Advanced Combat Glock", or "Learning From the Masters"...

From the Gabe Suarez Newsletter. With turning 63 yesterday and now officially having "old eyes", this mail came at just the right time. I'm sure most of us have heard about such things as these, especially if we're "into" guns or pay attention to what our troops are using. I've even heard them referred to as "almost cheating" for pistol shooting. But, the question has to be asked: "If your life, or that of another is at stake, why are you going to worry about cheating?" Use every tool and technique you can find or think of to get the advantage over your adversary. Maybe this is one of those advantages you need?

There is always a great temptation to minimize everything. This is usually followed by a rationalization of what you need. You will hear the drone, "All you need is this", or "all you need is that".

Truly, the only things you need are food, water and even shelter is sometimes arguable. But who the heck wants to settle for that. Nope...the America I know was not formed on needs, but rather on wants. Once your needs are seen to, as they are for almost everyone here in the USA, one begins to focus on wants. That is what makes us a great capitalist nation. That one can actually attain and reach what he wants instead of settling for the mediocrity of the egalitarian liberal who wants to make everyone equally poor, and equally miserable, not mention everyone settle for less.

In the world of weapons and tactics, where I live, we see those two sides. We are a strange people for where there is no middle ground. It seems that if you don't like a particular accessory on your rifle, everybody lumps you into the rusty WASR10 with corroded cold war ammo. Or if you don't care for a certain type of sight on your Glock, you must simply hate Glocks. Such silly thinking causes people to go to either extreme. Specifically never upgrading a weapons platform, or upgrading it every week with a new accessory. Neither path is correct, but rather a middle ground that accomplishes the mission at the highest level of efficiency and deadliness possible.

If I have given the impression that I am against optimizing a weapon platform in the past, I want to set the record straight now. I think all weapons platforms...even a rock, will do fine, but even the hairiest and stinkiest caveman put an edge on that rock and eventually tied it to a stick to form an axe. This year I will focus on optimizing the various platforms we live and work with. Specifically the Glock, the Kalashnikov, the Saiga Shotgun, and others.

With the Glocks there are a number of things that can optimize their performance. Again, if all you want to have is "good enough", never mind. But if you want the best tools to match the high level of skill then there are some things to consider.

One of course is the grip. For me the stock grip works fine, but if that is not the case with you, don't put the gun down and go buy a lesser weapon, or a more temperamental weapon, all the plastic frame pistols out there can be modified. Guys like Cope Reynolds and David Bowie have been doing this for years. And even Glock itself realized they were not Austria's answer to perfection and have issued the new versions with adaptable back straps.

The internals can also be made to fit better. I cannot speak for the M&P or XD since I don't know their internals as well as the Glock. The Glock can benefit from some polishing of internal bearing surfaces. It can also benefit from the addition of a 3.5# connector and a titanium safety plunger. I like to add Lone Wolf barrels to my Glocks not only because I find they are a little bit more accurate than the stock barrels, but also because I like the capability to add a Gemtech can on the end. This is not essential, but it is a low cost addition that will enhance accuracy as well as allow you to use certain types of ammo not desirable to shoot in a Glock barrel.

One area where the pistol can benefit most is in the area of sights. Truly, for close range gunfighting inside of five yards, you do not need any sights. But for precise shots up close as might be seen with an adversary partially exposed from around cover, or for a distant shot out past 10 yards, careful sight selection may mean the difference between hitting and missing.

The greatest advancement has been seen is in the development of miniature red dot sights. If a red dot sight will benefit your rifle shooting, then it will do the same for your pistol shooting. I have studied these sights carefully and the two that I consider best are the J-Point Red Dot Sight, and the Trijicon RMR series in either electronic or tritium fiber optic. What these sights do for you that no iron sights can do is that they allow a shooter with aging eyes to still hit small targets, and at distances that are no longer possible for him. Moreover the issue of low light is gone as is the issue of needing to close one eye to obtain a greater degree of sight refinement. These types of sights have been placed on rifles for a very long time and thanks to advancements in their design, they are now small enough to be used on CCW pistols. I know that there will be naysayers about this concept, but please remember that the same thing was said about the use of airsoft for training, the idea of dynamic movement and our preference for the Kalashnikov system. Try it before you dismiss it as unworkable. Me, I am convinced it is the future in pistol sights.

Another item that will never get any cheaper, go out of style, or take up too much space is magazines. While there are plenty of cheaply made Korean magazines flooding the market these days for everyday serious carry, nothing but the stock Glock magazines will do. The last place you want your magazine to fail is when you are mid-gunfight with a trio of armed robbers. Buy quality...and buy many. The standard magazines are fine, but I suggest a set of the 33 round magazines as well that we call "Happy Sticks". For those who run the Glock 21, you can get Kriss SMG magazines that fit right in your Glock.

Finally, for use as a home defense/business defense weapon in reduced light situation, a weapon mounted light is a good idea. I recall the old weapon lights of a decade ago. Heavy, ungainly and cumbersome, they were used only by specialized shooters. Today, you can add or remove one of these very easily due to the accessory rails common on the newer Glock pistols. One of the better ones available is made by the same company - the Glock Weapon Light.

If all you want is "good enough", all I can say is - enjoy your mediocrity. On the other hand, if your goal is to be the best fighter you can be, in this case with your Glock, and you are reaching the limits of your performance with basic equipment, a little effort and upgrading will not only potentially make you a better and more accurate shooter, but also give you tactical flexibility that was impossible with entry level equipment.

Hopefully, we can all benefit from the thinking of others. Shoot fast, shoot accurate.

Bless God. God bless.

Shy III