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Old August 15, 1999, 12:24 PM   #1
Shutoku Shia
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Join Date: November 9, 1998
Location: San Leandro, California, U.S.A.
Posts: 48
Class: Urban Carbine 1
School: Marksman's Enterprise/Jim Crews
Date: July 25-27, 1999
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Chabot Gun Club
Chabot, California
Cost: $300 (plus separate $54 for the range fee)


CURRICULUM AND MATERIAL COVERED
=================================
* Day 1 (July 25, 1999 Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

1. Basic lecture on safety and universal gun handling rules.

2. Basic equipment check (AR-15 rifle check): (a) check the stock screws, making sure that the stock is firmly screwed on; (b) check the pistol grip, making sure that it is not loose; (c) check the handguard for a solid fit; (d) check the sling attachment, making sure that there is at least 18" of clearance (for African carry and over-the-head sling toss).

3. Various conditions of weapon readiness: (a) transport ready (magazine out, gun locked back, and chamber empty); (b) range ready (loaded magazine in, empty chamber); (c) tactical ready (loaded magazine in with a full chamber)

4. Basics of off hand position.

5. Rear left and right oblique assessment --- Jim teaches the shooter to assess twice before slinging the carbine: (a) standard left and right assessment at low ready after shooting; (b) 6 o'clock assessment by turning one's head and looking over one's left and right shoulder.

6. Different ready positions: (a) drawing to the point; (b) low ready; (c) high ready; (d) indoor ready.

7. Dfferent sling position: (a) American/G.I. carry; (b) African carry; (c) jungle ready/carry (fastest slinging position for solo operation).

8. Mthod of using the support hand to secure/trap the carry strap.

9. Dfference bewt. POA (Point-Of-Aim) and POI (Point-Of-Impact) --- 25 yard zero means 2.5" low up to 15 yards and 1" low upto 25 yard.

10. Sght-in from a rest while shooting prone

11. Team work (learning to move as a team and covering each other given common command words).

12. Move and shoot: (a) forward as a team; (b) backward as a team; (c) lateral left as a team; (d) lateral right as a team.


* Day 2 (July 26, 1999 Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

1. 5 shot failure drill: 2 to the center mass (CM), 1 each to left and
right pelvis, and 1 to the head (brain cavity (BC) shot).

2. Basic malfunction drill: racking the bolt carrier again and pulling the trigger.

3. Different positions: (a) 2 different forms of prone: military and Olympic style prone; (b) kneeling: quick kneel, double kneel, and supported kneel.

4. Team work drill using command words when coordinating shooting at plates as a team.

5. Basic marksmanship coaching while shooting from prone: (a) emphasis on finding the natural aiming position; (b) importance of steady trigger control and follow-through; (c) mechanics of prone position: consistent cheekweld and a relaxed posture, including the face (for a consistent cheekweld).

6. 3 different types of tactical reloading.

7. Visual scanning while moving: scanning 6' in front all the way upto horizon, left to right and right to left.

8. Basic field stripping and recommended maintenance procedures, plus tips on cleaning the bolt carrier.


* Day 3 (July 27, 1999 Tuesday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

1. Basic dryfire drills to speed up the presentation from the sling.

2. Making a head shot at a turn flip target from the sling in under 2 seconds.

3. Making a 3-shot failure drill at a turn flip target from the sling in under 2 seconds.

4. Learning different positions: (a) 4 forms of sitting: crossed ankle, (closed) supported knee, open supported knee, and most stable of all, crossed ankle with elbows supported on the ground (Jim Crews thinks that this position is even more stable than rollover prone); (b) squat or "rice-paddy prone"; (c) shooting while supine on your back; (d) use of a 20/30 round magazine as a monopod.

5. Demonstration of various muzzle-brakes and flash suppressor (including Smith Arms Vortex and muzzle-break, old M16 A1 and A2 flash suppressor, AK74 style muzzle break) in how they radiate muzzle blast. An explanation and a live demonstration was given in regards to how someone could spot the shooter, using the tell-tale clues provided by the dust and other vegetation moved by the muzzle blast. In urban environment, it was noted that instead of dust and vegetation, the same principle could be applied using the reflection of flash and clues from the muzzle blast.

6. Scramber run utilizing various positions involving cover at a 50 yard steel silhouette target.

7. Sooting from the sling at a charging target moving in from 7 yards.

8. Shooting on the move (forward only); Jim teaches move-and-shoot while retreating from the threat since he feels that it is easier to feel your way back using your foot while your attention is focused on the threat in front of you.

9. Solving the problem: moving hostage problem involving 3-dimensional target, the goal being to hit the moving perpetrator holding a hostage that is also moving.


EQUIPMENT RECOMMENDATION
=================================
1. Shorter A1 stock over longer A2 stock (too long for most shooters).

2. A2 sight over A1 sight (larger aperture works better during low light). Also, Mr. Crews recommends using the top edge of the large and small aperture when A2 sight is partially tilted bewt. the large and the small aperture for low light usage.

3. For post-ban AR-15 rifles: Armalite Recoil Check muzzle break.

4. MARK BROWN AR-15 carrier carbon scraper for removing carbon buildup in the bolt carrier (found in Brownells catalog).

5. Recommended spare parts list: (a) gas ring set; (b) extractor assembly set.

6. Jim favors GI sling over tactical sling.

7. Use of a small carpenter's level to detect canting (Jim Crews does not recommend canting the rifle since it changes the point of impact and it is difficult to cant consistently).


STRONG POINTS
=================================
1. As the course curriculum shows, there was a very high degree of emphasis on precision and basic techniques comprising the fundamentals of combat marksmanship.

2. Jim was able to give a very high degree of individual attention to each student with some detailed diagnostic coaching in order to solve each student's unique problems in regards to marksmanship problems.

3. Jim must love what he is teaching! He was tireless! This class had one of the least amount of down time I have encountered in any classes I have taken so far.

4. Jim encourages every student to observe and learn as you watch him diagnose each student's marksmanship problems --- through watching Jim teach other students, you learn how to better self-diagnose your own shooting problems.

5. Jim is extremely versatile, able to diagnose both student's shooting problems as well as any gun problems that developed ---- all the students learned more about their own gun as well as combat marksmanship involving the Colt AR-15 carbines.

6. Mr. Crews was able to demonstrate an outstanding control of the students, no matter how disparate the student population were (there was one student who had never shot his AR-15, while another student was a 15-year old teenager, and at the same time, Jim was teaching 2 assistants (instructor-in-training program)).


SUGGESTIONS AND QUESTIONS
=================================
1. Is Urban Carbine 1 supposed to involve the usage of carbine in a CQB setting in an urban area? If so, shouldn't it include instructions on moving safely inside a closed structure such as a house and the fundamentals of learning to pie corners?

2. I would have liked to get some understanding of long gun retention shooting position, if there is such a thing being taught.

3. How come transition from a long gun to a handgun was not taught?

4. It would have being more practical if applications of different positions were taught in conjunction with applied usage of cover and concealment. Scrambler run on Day 3 did this to some extent but it would have being better if it was done as we were shown and taught various different positions. My understanding is that advantageous usage of cover is one of the key factors in a gunfight.


CONCLUSION
=================================
I would recommend this class very highly to both a novice shooter who is just starting out as well as to an experienced shooter. A novice will get a very firm and solid understanding of marksmanship fundamentals while an experienced shooter will get to polish his techniques while at the same time, gain a renewed understanding of shooting fundamentals.

I would like to take this class again, perhaps with a different weapon (Ruger
Mini-14 and SKS comes to mind).


Shutoku Shia
August 10, 1999
San Jose, California

P.S. If you have any question, please email me at [email protected] since right now, I am not able to check TFL forum regularly. Best regards.


Mr. Crews can be reached at:

Jim Crews
Marksman's Enterprise
PO Box 1408
Avondale, AZ 85323
Ph 602-549-7389 www.angelfire.com/biz/AZGuns


[This message has been edited by Shutoku Shia (edited August 15, 1999).]
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