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November 2022 ADC Newsletter
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My latest product review for Blackhound Optics Emerge 3-24X56 optic can be found here:
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The Emerge optic is a reasonably-priced choice for a high-performance first-focal-plane optic with Japanese High Definition glass. For a precision or competition long-range rifle, it compares favorably with other, even higher-priced options like the Vortex HD series.
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WINTER ACTIVITIES
Welcome to the cold weather! We are on the threshold of winter but that doesn't mean an end to our shooting preparations or training.
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Some ways to keep yourself and gear in-tune over the winter include:
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Ammunition Management - Take time to sort your ammo stash, take inventory, see what you are low on and take advantage of upcoming holiday sales to reinforce your supplies. Remember, make sure you have enough ammunition on hand for training, practice, and other shooting activities. In addition to basic practice ammunition, make sure you have a reasonable stash of high-quality defensive ammunition. Ammunition management means making sure your magazines are loaded and swapping out your carry ammunition - which you should do at least once a year.
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Ammunition Reloading - If you are a handloader, winter is a good time to set up the loading bench. At the present time, unless you have already been reloading for a while, I'm not sure I'd recommend investing in a loading setup. Components like powder and primers are still in short supply. The benefit might not be there unless you already have a stash of components to use.
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Cleaning and Maintenance - Winter is a good time to do some detail cleaning on your firearms and complete any repairs or periodic maintenance that might be necessary. Check scope level and torque on ring and mount screws. Scrape the carbon from those AR bolts. Defensive handguns with high round counts may need new springs occasionally. I just replaced the springs in my M&P this year myself, in fact (after carrying it for over 10 years and shooting it in dozens of classes, practice, and competition to the tune of probably 20,000 rounds. Interesting note, the manufacturer no longer had those springs in stock and I had to go aftermarket.
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Dry Practice - Dry practice can yield good results with techniques like grip, stance, sight alignment, and trigger control. There are various devices that can help make dry practice more effective such as the Mantis X. Of course, I will remind you to be extra conscientious about not having ammunition present during dry practice. Even with "unloaded" firearms, the 4 firearms safety rules still apply - particularly muzzle control. For your defensive handguns, I recommend getting a blue gun, which you can get from Rings or even on Amazon. These have the same dimensions and sometimes even the same weight as real firearms and are the best way to practice your drawstroke.
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Online Training - I still plan on hosting some online classes this winter, at least Black Rifle 101 and precision rifle optics class. These classes are a good opportunity to spend some time refreshing skills and knowledge.
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Keeping up with some of these activities over the winter will help keep some of your skills and gear sharp, even without live-fire range time.
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AUTOLOADER TIPS
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Automatic and semi-automatic firearms use blowback or gas pressure from the firing of the round to function the action. This includes extracting and ejecting the fired casing, cocking the hammer or striker, and compressing the recoil spring which enables feeding and chambering the fresh round.
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It is important that all that recoil energy goes into making the action work. If the shooter doesn't provide firm resistance to those recoil forces with a weak grip, stock-weld, or stance, it can rob some of that energy and prevent the firearm from functioning correctly.
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When firing auto-loaders, make sure you provide firm support for the firearm and employ a forward-aggressive stance to get body weight behind the gun, whether shooting a handgun or long gun.
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Fingerprinting Increase
I have been advised that New Mexico has raised their fingerprinting prices for military and law enforcement applicants from $8.30 to $12.00. The price for the rest of us remains at $44.00.
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In the next newsletter, I will be announcing winter online class dates and times. Please stay tuned for that information. In the meantime, please keep in touch and let me know if I can be of any help.
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