04Sept06

The Graham Flashlight Method

My friend and colleague, Matt Graham, president of ITC and manufacturer of ITC three-dimensional targets, have developed a new pistol/flashlight method that I like. For those of us who don't like physically attaching flashligh ts to guns, particularly pistols, the Harries and Goode Techniques, along with

several others, have heretofore represented the only ways of using the pist ol and flashlight in conjunction with each other. Those two have been the one s I routinely teach, until now.

Matt has persuaded Surefire to manufacture their famous 6P flashlight with a rubber, O-ring within a quarter inch of the control button on the end. Thi s arrangement allows the operator to wedge the flashlight between the index and middle fingers of the support hand. Thus held, the light can be presse d against the front of the trigger guard as the pistol of held in the normal,

two-handed grasp. Pressing the flashlight against the trigger guard will t hen turn it on, and the barrel of the flashlight will be parallel with the barr el of the pistol, putting light, on demand, directly on the target.

The Graham Method is quick to get into and out of, permits normal hand positioning on the pistol's grip, and aligns the flashlight with the barrel of the gun more precisely than does most other methods. It has a lot going for it . The method requires a Surefire flashlight with a "Rhino Combat Rin g," available from Surefire

/John

04Sept06

Four Features

In recent times, handgun specifications promulgated by police departments have been updated to reflect new developments in the industry. Of course a ll the usual items are still mentioned, eg: accuracy, reliability, et al, but these are now with us too:

(1) Adjustable grip size. The S&W M&P, Beretta PX4, Kimber KPD, and a number of other modern pistols now have this feature. The grip can be made larger or smaller via interchangeable attachments that are supplied with each pistol. This makes it possible for the same pistol to be comfortably used by everyone within a department, regardless of hand size or finger length. Adjustable grip size eliminates innumerable equipment complaints and is thu s popular with chiefs.

(2) Double-drop. Self-decocking (DAO) autoloaders are now the norm in American police circles, but most do not permit the hammer to be dropped on a recalcitrant primer a second time. Once the hammer is down, releasing and pressing the trigger a second time will not recock and fire the pistol. Th e slide must be reciprocated before the trigger is active again. The SIG/DAK is a notable exception. It does double-drop, a feature considered significant b y many.

(3) Hammer fired vs striker fired. A traditional, arcing hammer will predictably deliver a heaver blow to the chambered cartridge's prime r and will a " striker,"which is little more than a spring-loaded firing pin. Many design engineers thus insist that hammer-fired pistols provide inherently more reliable ignition than do striker-fired ones. However, many trainers insis t that a pistol with a hammer that visibly moves as the trigger is pressed is distracting to beginning students who should be learning to watch the front sight. No striker-fired pistol features double-drop.

(4) Field stripping without the necessity of first dry-firing the pistol. This is primarily a training/common-sense issue, but it has garnered the attention of many chiefs. The industry has taken notice. For example, the

Beretta PX4 comes apart exactly as does a Glock, absent the dry-fire-first requirement.

Interestingly, Glock pistols, which are currently the top sellers, feature none of the above, and no pistol I know of features them all. However, it is fair to say that smart manufacturers will continue to modify products and create new ones in an effort to claim market share. And, when one wants to sell pistols in America, he has to sell them to police chiefs. Pistols not popular with police will not be popular in the general market.

/John