“The way you hold a bat to bunt is entirely different from how you hold a bat to hit a home run.”
Getting access to your weapon system and delivering those first/follow up hits on a identified threat are arguably the most critical seconds of any lethal force encounter. In the days of old, the pistol platform would have probably sufficed in any conversation dealing with the urban environment. However, the Carbine has firmly cemented itself at the forefront of todays Urban Combat Environment. Not just restricted to our Military or Contracting personnel, the Carbine platform is well within the operational prowess of our Law Enforcement & Responsibly Armed Citizen force capabilities ( hense the metric ton of available platforms and accessories ).
Just like any weapon system you utilize, getting the Carbine into your firing position to deliver those hits on target are, in my opinion, more critical than just having a firm grasp on the Essentials ( fundamentals of marksmanship ). I say that because all things being equal, if you have to think about how to mount your weapon system for shot delivery, those critical engagement seconds are lost. Indexing that Carbine should be as second nature as knowing your grip, posture, and so on. So ask yourself, do I “know” my index point or firing position? Do you still have to think about it before shot delivery?
Over the years, my presentation has gone through many phases. With the use of various grip attachments, optics, and stock placement. The last 2 years has now solidified my lock step indexing and presentation of the Carbine. I don't use grip attachments anymore for the simple fact that I don't like the control being under the bore. I mainly use Iron Sights because I can work a bit faster than a floating red dot. I have refined my presentation so that there is **No Guess Work** to how my control and sight package are in relation to each other. I borrow the word sight package from Matt Graham, which as I explain it now is simply bringing the sights up into your already established line of sight in relation to the target. No more going into mundane detail about the separation with Sight Picture & then Sight Alignment. They are all one in the same.
What I did with this overview is grab some video analysis footage from my time at the SIG Academy along with some material from my Carbine: Student Handout. This reinforces how and “WHY” I teach the way to index the Carbine in my courses. I took side by side screen shots of the various video to reinforce what I talk about and shows the consistency.
SEE BELOW: The first part of this is some screen shots of my handout material. This gives a basic overview of how I mount the Carbine & the primary ready position I use for classes, unless the course of fire calls for something else. I still show and demo, low, high and so on. This was created June of 2016.
This illustrates my reasoning behind how / WHY I present the Carbine
My primary carry position for the Carbine
These video clips were taken in September 2016 when I was completing the Master Instructor courses at SIG. This particular set of drills included Carbine/Pistol transition & re-load under a stringent time and accuracy standard. Video was captured on Coaches Eye that was used the next day for review.
SEE BELOW: From a Clear Ready starting position, this was my initial presentation and shot delivery. You’ll notice that my firing positions are virtually identical with no change up. I know exactly where I want to index the Carbine that will put the Iron Sights right where I need to so I’m never searching for them in relation to the target.
Initial shot delivery from a clear ready position. This gives me maximum control.
SEE BELOW: This shows how I begin a transition to pistol. I move the ejection port inborn ( my preferred ), keep *head and eyes on target*, and both hands are always working. Again, the positions are consistent.
Ejection port inborn .. 2 hands working .. Head and Eyes on threat.
SEE BELOW: Even with the pistol platform, consistency is crucial. I wanted to show these pics for continuity of the drill. Some of the key take aways are having a solid grip, elbows slightly bent, and something you’ll here me say quite a bit in class “Head Up ... Gun Up”. This type of firing position will serve you greatly, especially when seated. That is a whole other discussion.
Firm Grip .. Elbows slightly bent .. Head Up, Gun Up
“I want my support hand position on the Carbine to be the same as the pistol, which creates consistency with either platform.”
SEE BELOW: This is where the video analysis came in handy. I was able to see how my first 2 reloads didn't quite have the efficiency I wanted. I felt it during the drill, but being able to see always makes the difference. The first 2 pictures my body is slouched forward more than I want and my head is tilted more forward than it should. Just this minor adjustment can cause you to loose critical time to get back into firing position. The 3rd pic shows a better sequence IE: back more straight, and head oriented up. Yes, I look at the magazine well for a split second when conducting a re-load, then its head and eyes back on target. One main consistent point is the way I lock the stock in my firing arm for proper retention and control.
Stock is locked under firing arm for better retention.
SEE BELOW: Beginning the process to re mount the Carbine for follow up shot delivery, head and eyes are immediately back on threat, firing hand begins to move the stock up and support hand reestablishes grip on forward end. My support hand takes a more aggressive hold on the fore end because I need to be sure to lock the weapon with reward pressure for control & manipulation.
Head and Eyes back on threat ... re-established forward grip.
SEE BELOW: I took a extra screen shot of the final placement of the Carbine before getting my sight package. Some things to note: I don't push the stock off my body and pull back into position. I just bring it right back up into position with my firing hand using a micro-adjustment technique. The aggressive hold on the forehand is manifested by my thumb coming over the top of the rail. Again, this is to ensure maximum control without trying to look ascetically correct. ( NO, its not a C-Clamp ) I’m still exerting reward pressure into my body. The Carbine itself is in the exact position I want it in regard to my iron sights. **Head and Eyes are still fixated on threat.**
Final position of Carbine before establishing Sight Package. Head and Eyes are still on threat
SEE BELOW: All I have done it this point is get my head to the sights for proper shot delivery. Between the pics above and these, the Carbine itself hasn't moved at all, which reinforces that I did have it in the position I wanted. ** No Guess Work ** This just mirrors my initial position and shot delivery even after doing a transition to pistol and commencing a re-load. **Now, would this be faster with a optic? Probably so because my eyes would be more inline with the placement of the optic: Height over Bore and so on.** I just prefer iron sights when in country.
Follow up position and shot delivery. Consistent all across the board.
I thought this might bring more substance to topics that are always out there. Part of the consistency & repeatability of this position is that it will support whether I am shooting from a standing, kneeling, prone, or unconventional shooting posture. I feel that this topic itself is somewhat skipped over because so much time is given to the Essentials (which are indeed important), but stressing technical proficiency also means giving due diligence to your actual indexing & firing position. No guess work means more rounds on target.
As always, I wish you great success in your training endeavors.
- Mooch