A Gem in the Rough: Remington 870 Police Shotgun Trade-ins.

I recently purchased several Remington 870 Police shotguns for my training company.  These 870's were police department trade-ins, which featured the Remington Deer barrels with rifle sights.  Like most LE firearms, the finish may be a bit rough, but the internals are usually in excellent shape.  That's because most law enforcement shotguns are carried often and fired little, or they sit in the department armory for years.  Police trade-ins are normally priced to sell fairly quickly.  The one's I purchased ranged between $200.00 and $240.00 depending on their overall condition. 

As I expected, the finish was rough with some surface rust.  The stocks were also pretty well worn and beat up.  I carefully polished all of the metal surfaces with 0000 Steel Wool and some Gibb's spray lubricant.  That removed all of the surface rust and any accumulated crud.  When I was done, the gun's bluing looked almost new.  While surfing the Internet I then came across some genuine Remington black synthetic stock sets from Scattergun Technologies (Wilson).  These were brand new sets and in the Police configuration that I wanted to retain.  The best part of this find was that the stock sets were only $37.00 a piece.  I bought up six of the sets so I had a few spares on hand, in the event I found a couple more 870's that needed new hardware. 

Since these guns were going to be used as trainers, I also changed the standard Shell Followers with the Lime Green variety also sold by Scattergun Technologies.  That way, any of my student's or adjunct instructor's could tell at a glance if the magazine tube was indeed empty.  I also swapped out the magazine tube springs while I was at it.  Wilson sells a complete set (spring & follower) for only $12.00.  I then added a standard, two-point, black nylon sling from Uncle Mike's and these guns were ready to rock!

When training students on the defensive shotgun, I want all of the guns to be as box-stock as possible.  I want  to see a standard type sling on the shotgun, but I don't want dot-sights, side-saddles, flashlights, light-rails, mag-tube extensions, or any other accessories in my class that will add unnecessary weight, or distract the student from the job at hand.  They can add all of that stuff later on, if they so desire.  Over the years I have found that less is more.  Personally, I've done away with a lot of the after-market accessories on my defensive shotguns.  I now add a standard sling and a small flashlight, that's it!

If you're looking for a good home defense shotgun, you don't have to spend a lot of money to get one.  Search out your local gun shops that deal with law enforcement agencies, and you may just find a gem in the rough for well under $300.00.    

http://shopwilsoncombat.com/
http://www.gibbsbrandlubricant.com/
http://www.unclemikes.com/
http://www.remingtonle.com/
www.GunTrainingIL.com

ATTS to Offer Tactical Shotgun and Rifle Courses.

The Academy of Tactical Training & Security, will soon be offering training courses for the Tactical Shotgun and the Tactical Carbine.  The Power Point presentations and lesson plans have been created and are all set to go.  We are now in the process of finding an outdoor range facility to stage the live-fire portions of the class.  As soon as that's finalized, we'll post the courses on the ATTS website.

The two-day Shotgun course will be heavily geared towards the Remington 870, and the Mossberg 500/590 pump shotguns.  The two-day Rifle course will focus primarily on the AR-15 rifle platform. 

Based on the NRA Law Enforcement training standards, anyone interested in learning how to defend one's self, home, and family with these types of firearms will be hard-pressed to find better training anywhere.
 
WWW.GunTrainingIL.com
    

Kolovos Wins Sixth NSPPL Three-Gun Crown!

I'm very proud to announce that I won my Sixth Three-Gun championship with the North Suburban Police Pistol League.  The League has been running Three-gun matches during the summer for the last seven seasons.  I missed having seven consecutive championships by 1.5 points in 2007.

I also set the League's record high score and record high average in 2010, by firing an 1145.50 average and posting a 1150-64X high score out of a possible grand aggregate of 1160.  I have already broken the record high score by posting a blistering 1154-71X this season.

The NSPPL Three-Gun matches are geared towards night fighting and entry work.  These matches are fired in extreme low light conditions and target exposure times are very short.  To compete, you need a duty-type pistol, a carbine and a tactical-type shotgun.  Weapon mounted lights and night sights are almost a necessity for these matches.  Distance range from 4 to 25 yards.  If you think that sounds easy, come on out and try it.

My choice of weapon platforms for these matches are the Glock 34 pistol, a Rock River M4 type carbine, and a Benelli M4 shotgun.  For shotgun ammo I use Federal's Reduced Recoil Tactical 00-Buck Shot and Rifled Slug loads in the Benelli.  They are both extremely accurate loads.  The 00-Buck loads shoot very tight groups at 15 yards, and 100% targets are not uncommon with either load.  I run night sights on the Glock and EoTech's on the AR-15 and the Benelli.  I use both Surefire and Streamlight illumination systems.

I feel my reign as champion may not last too much longer as we have some great up and coming Three-Gun shooters nipping at my heels.  I'm rooting for them, because for competition to remain keen, it requires new blood and new champions.       

Training, Training, and More Training.

I haven't posted anything in a while because I've been out of town training.  Yes, even instructors go to training classes.  Since February, I've successfully completed three of the NRA's Law Enforcement Instructor courses.  I first attended the Precision Rifle (Sniper) Instructor's course at the Memphis PD's training academy.  What a great facility and what a great bunch of officers.  Memphis PD is a top notch department and quite professional.  Needless to say I was very impressed.  Qualification day brought dark skies and pouring rain.  I was soaking wet and could barely see through my rifle scope, but I still managed to fire a perfect score on the qualification course.

April, found me in Salt Lake City, Utah to attend the State's mandated refresher course, so I could renew my Utah Concealed Firearm Permit Instructor's certification.

Then in May, I completed the Patrol Rifle Instructor's course held in Ford City, Pennsylvania.  This was a physically demanding course that truthfully tested my limits of endurance.  At 55 years old I'm proud to say I made it through and shot another 100% on the qualification course.

June found me in Mexico, Missouri at the Audrian County Sheriff's Department, for my third NRA school.  This one was the Pistol/Shotgun Instructor's course.  It was very windy but the weather was beautiful.  I am very proud to say that I fired 100% on both the pistol and shotgun qualification courses.  The Audrian County Sheriff's Department were also great hosts.

I have one more NRA Law Enforcement school I want to attend in Kansas, this coming October.  That is the Tactical Shooting Instructor's school.  This is supposedly the most grueling of their instructor courses so I'm hitting the gym now to get myself ready for it.

Whether you are an instructor, a seasoned shooter, or a novice, you can never get enough training.  You never stop learning and you're never too old to learn.  I've always said that even if you just pick up one tip from an instructor you've gotten your money's worth.  That one tip may just save your life someday.         

Women's Introduction to Firearms & Self Defense Class Very Successful.

The Academy's first-ever Women's Introduction to Firearms & Self Defense class was a big success.  Twenty-two women signed up for the course held at the Holiday Inn-Elk Grove.  The ladies were introduced to four of the most prolific firearms found in households throughout the United States.  The Smith & Wesson revolver, the Glock striker-fired pistol, a Mossberg 500 pump shotgun, and an AR-15 carbine.

As with all ATTS courses the first topics covered in the class was home firearm safety, safe storage of firearms, and proper gun handling techniques.  We constantly stressed the importance of keeping their finger off the trigger until they are ready to actually fire a round, and to never point a firearm at anything they are not willing to destroy, including their own body parts. 

The ladies then went hands on and learned how to load and unload a revolver with loose rounds and two different types of speedloaders.  They also loaded and unloaded the Glock pistol until both drills were done to our satisfaction.  The ladies were also shown the safe and proper handling techniques for the long guns including the loading and unloading techniques for the pump shotgun and the AR-15 carbine.  About a third of the ladies present went hands on with the long guns.

We then discussed self defense with a firearm in their home and if they were out of town with a valid concealed carry permit and the legal ramifications that could occur.  A well-designed civilian Use of Force Continuum with accompanying Power-Point slides covered this topic thoroughly.

All in all this eight-hour block of training was a huge success.  The ladies came away with a couple of new skills and the self confidence of knowing that they are capable of defending their home's, their family members and themselves if the situation ever presents itself.     

ATTS to Present Introduction to Bullseye Pistol Shooting Seminar for NSPPL.

The Academy of Tactical Training and Security, LLC will present an Introduction to Conventional (Bullseye) Pistol Shooting seminar for members of the North Suburban Police Pistol League on Sunday, December 5, 2010, in the Gurnee, Illinois area.  This seminar will be composed of a classroom lecture via Power Point presentation, followed by live-fire range training and individual coaching.   

This exciting seminar will cover the history of competitive shooting in the United States.  The history of organized pistol shooting.  Early target pistols of the 19th and 20th century.  Custom gunsmiths and images of their work.  Getting Started in the sport.  The basic and advanced shooting equipment required to compete.  The NRA's Conventional Pistol rules, range commands, and cadence of a Bullseye match.

The instructor for this informative seminar is Peter J. Kolovos, who is a certified NRA Level-3 Pistol Coach.  If you have an interest in Bullseye shooting and would like to learn more about it, then this free seminar is just the ticket.  Contact ATTS directly for more information.

http://www.guntrainingil.com/
    

Two-day Basic Tactical Pistol Class a Big Success!

The Academy's first Two-day Basic Tactical Pistol Course held on October 16 and 17, 2010, was a great success.  We had sixteen students in attendance, four of which were women.  Most of the students had little to no tactical handgun experience, let alone ever drawing from a holster, but by the time day-one was over the students had grasped the basics to the point that we all felt comfortable enough to transition them to the range on day-two. 

After our safety briefing and some review of the basic skills we hit the range.  All but two of the students passed their live-fire qualification course without a hitch.  The two students who didn't qualify, came back the following week for a second chance at qualification and passed with ease.  The problem for both of these students was grip related.  Grip size was a major issue for both of them.  They had brought pistols to the class that didn't fit them very well, so I lent them my Glock 34 and that seemed to take care of it.

The Academy of Tactical Training and Security, LLC is planning another Two-day Basic Tactical Pistol Course in January of 2011.  Please check the website for the dates and location or contact us directly.

http://www.guntrainingil.com/