Here at AIM a good bunch of us are shooters. We all have gear and a lot of it, but we all have different setups and different ways to transport it. With this being the case, we decided to start a series of range bag setups since everyone’s is different. First up we decided to go with the big dog BFlan and see what is in his bag, he also has switched bags probably 4 times this year but he also carries the most stuff with him.
I think with the wide variety of shooters and shooting styles we can have a good assortment of videos showing a little bit of everything. Check it out, let us know what you guys think in the youtube comments!
I have always loved a bolt gun, mainly because of the sniper in movies using them. The motion of pulling the bolt back, chambering the next round, and pushing the bolt down to send the next shot is just a thing of beauty. We do not tend to get a ton of the bolt gun options in so seeing this guy come in was a pleasant surprise. The 16″ Christensen Arms BA Tactical 6.5 Creedmoor is a looker. Beautiful design to it that just also ensures that it’s going to shoot very well.
I love the look of the shorter barrels on bolt guns, don’t know why it just looks good. If I wouldn’t get in trouble for doing it, I would bring this guy home today.
It also includes exactly what parts they used and a price breakdown, which will obviously change with sales and deals. But for the most part, you can build a custom 17/19 pattern pistol with a red dot or red dot ready sub $750
There are actually a couple ways to do this. Let’s start with the easiest way: The AimSurplus Custom Glock 17 Complete Pistol. Personally, I think this is the best value.
This Glock started its life as a police trade-in Glock 22.
It has had a ton of new features added to it. Let’s start with the awesome new laser stipple job. Our “White Noise” pattern is extremely grippy and comfortable in the hand where most laster stipples are not. The frame now sports a double undercut to get your hand a little higher on the frame and give your support hand a reference point, along with thumb pads on both sides.
Also installed is our Aluminum Red and Black trigger, and a Shadow Connector. The AimSurplus Camo Cerakoted slide features an RMR cut with our Suppressor Height Fiber Optic Sights. A fiber optic front and a blacked-out rear.
The barrel is a polished stainless barrel to give you a smooth cycle and as much added accuracy as possible. The pistol comes with 1 Magazine and ships with a nice Savior Equipment Soft case.
All of this and a pistol case for $649, you cannot beat that. All that is missing is choosing your RMR pattern Red Dot, even if you pick an SRO or RMR, still cheaper than a factory option and then adding a dot.
Option 2.
GREY GHOST PRECISION COMPACT PISTOL FRAME – BLACK F1GGPCPBLK: $162.79
AIMSURPLUS COPPER 9MM BARREL FOR GLOCK 19 XAIMGB19COPPER: $59.95
AIMSURPLUS 2S DLC SLIDE FOR GLOCK 19 GEN 3 XAIMGS19G3DLCRMR : $139.95
AIMSURPLUS BLACK/GOLD FOR GLOCK GEN 1-4 XAIMGG3TBG: $49.95
AIMSURPLUS PLASTIC SIGHTS FOR GLOCK XAIMGSTDP: $8.95
AIMSURPLUS SLIDE COMPLETION KIT FOR GLOCK 19/23 XAIMGG3SPK19: $39.95
AIMSURPLUS LOWER PARTS KIT FOR GLOCK 19/17 GEN 1-4 XAIMGG3LPK: $39.95
I posted my viewpoint of the Gabe White Class, I wanted to get insight from another shooter at AIM who also took the class. I tossed some questions at Mitch and here is what we came up with:
1. What is your prior firearm experience?
I grew up around firearms but was never terribly involved until about 2019. I did a bit of dry fire practice but very little live fire. I ended up taking a CCW class at Impact Shooting Center and became a member shortly thereafter. Since then I’ve taken one weekend-long class and have been hard training with friends and coworkers.
2. What firearm/setup were you shooting?
I typically carry a Glock 17 gen 5, topped with a Trijicon RMR on a Slideworks slide. And of course, a Surefire X300U, because you can’t shoot what you can’t see. The T.rex arms sidecar is my current go-to for holsters and that is carried on a Kore Essentials EDC belt.
3. What did you hope to learn going into this class?
I truly went in with no expectations. I purposefully went in (almost) blind so as to not skew anything that I learned. I wanted to just take everything at face value, and not have any preconceived notions of how it might be or what I might learn.
4. What was your biggest takeaway from the class?
Repetition, repetition, repetition. Everybody wanna be a bodybuilder but don’t nobody wanna lift these heavy ass weights, right? You really have to put in the time and effort to get good at this. And it is very much a perishable skill. You can watch all the YouTube or Magpul DVDs you want, but the guy that’s gonna be the best is the guy that really puts in the work.
5. What area did you improve the most?
Trigger press. Really focusing on seeing the sights and making a clean trigger press for those low percentage shots.
6. Is there anything you thought you would learn but did not?
No, again I went in with no expectations for a reason. Which I think is a good way to go into a class. Just absorb it all.
7. What did you think of Gabe White’s teaching style?
He plays no games and has a clear reason behind everything. He was very easy to get along with, and for me was very easy to listen to. He can be animated at times and really grab attention if needed. He moves very fast, so buckle up. It wasn’t an issue for me at all as I am not really a person who can sit still. So when Gabe was keeping everything at a higher pace it was nice for me.
8. Are you going to try and get the turbo pin next year?
I just might. I’ll take the light pin this time around. Now it’s time to keep working on everything and keep a high standard for myself. Train to high standards so that if it all falls apart it’ll still be more than proficient.
9. How did you feel going into the standards, did you have nerves of steel or jello?
I think I was pretty calm throughout the standards. That’s another area that I came into blind. I didn’t look into the standards at all. I was very pleased to walk away with the light pin, especially having never shot the standards before. That’s honestly one of the biggest things to shooting well for me, is to remain calm and shoot how you know you can.
10. What’s next for you?
I plan to take all that I’ve learned and continue to think critically when training. Train with a purpose and assess real-world situations to be guidance. I’d like to start shooting USPSA as well. We’ll just have to see.
I have been shooting with Mitch for a little over a year maybe right around a year. He is the only person I have been around who genuinely does not get nervous during a test/standards run. Treats it like its normal drills. Stoked to see what this kid progresses into as a shooter.
I am exhausted. I had a two-day class with Gabe White and shot 941 rounds over those two days with the majority of them coming on day 2. Three days off and I was right back in the mix with the pistol performance class with the best-concealed shooter on the planet: Donovan Moore of Point 1 Tactics.
This was my third class with Donovan and this class was the most stacked lineup of shooters I have been in. Everyone was at a higher level than in prior classes I have been in, and it was great for pushing us all to perform at our highest level.
Day 1. The infamous cold start v1. This is one of my favorite drills to get started with, over the last year I went from not being able to run it clean and overthinking to being able to run it clean under time and then push it further and go for expert time. Unfortunately for me, I tend to throw one shot every single time I am on pace to pass it. 8.38 and missed my last shot on the last small logo. If you are not familiar with this cold start, I posted a blog about it a couple months ago so go check that out. If you want more info on it, check out point 1 tactics website.
The rest of day 1 was a blast. We all came to shoot and pushed eachother to perform, work the trigger, get your sights, get your hits. Blend speed and accuracy. We got to take a run at the hardest standards out right now. The 007 Standards. Here is a quick rundown of the standards that out of thousands only 5 have passed.
Stage 1: 15yds / 5rds within 2.6 seconds. Hits must be in ‘A’ zone
Stage 2: 10yds / 2rds within 1.9 seconds. Hits must be in 4″ x 4″ head zone.
Stage 3: 7yds / 2rds Reload 4rds in 4.99 seconds. All hits must be in 4″ x 4″ head zone.
Stage 4: 3yds / 6rds in 1.99 seconds. All hits must be in ‘A’ zone.
Every stage will be ran back 2 back for a total of 8 runs. 38 total rounds.
6 out of the 8 runs must be clean & you must have at least one passing run on each stage.
Mulligans are allowed: 1 per stage.
Starting positions are as follows: Hands relaxed, Hands at side, Hands High Thoracic. You are NOT allowed to prep your garment.
Stage 4, you will be REQUIRED to start with hands at high thoracic. On the beep you MUST initiate movement backwards and not pause until course of fire is complete. No rolling, or leaning, you must walk backwards.
Some people chose to start at the 15 yard stage and most chose to start bill drill. I was shooting really well, I knew I was not going to crush these, my hands were shot from the last class of shooting so going into this I wasn’t pumped on my grip. One by one people bowed out from not getting hits or not making time. My goal was to gauge time on first run, then crush it second since bill drills always get me. 2.02 just over time all clean. I knew I needed a faster split time so I locked in to a hole in the zone I wanted to hit and did not remove my eyes from it until I completed the stage. 1.82 clean and on to stage 2.
Stage 2 is one I knew I had no chance at, I never practice reloads or dry fire for that matter. This was going to bite me. beep. I step backwards like I am supposed to be walking backwards again. Somehow just barely over the time with a 5.04. That screwed me, I knew I could get it done and all i could think about was passing it instead of shooting. Beep. 4 clean, reload. first shot out of the headbox second shot dead center. I’m out and I knew it as soon as I fired the first shot. The next 4 guys go. I was the only person who made it past stage 1, I will take that small victory.
We finish out day 2 with some solid shooting but everyone is spent from the heat and putting in all the work. I am ready to go home.
Day 2. The second class to get a run at the brand new cold start v2. Reading what it was and then visualizing it, i thought it would be a lot harder than v1. I was way wrong, I feel like it is actually easier somehow than v1. Everyone was a shot away or slightly over the time as they made the way down the line to myself. My turn came and decided run it clean since I know I can do the speed portion, lets see how I do. Missed 1 damn shot. Second shot off the reload, I tired to get to the other logo faster than I should have and left early, broke the shot as I was transitioning to the other logo. Oh well, at least next time I know I can run it clean and for time.
After we did the standards we worked on transitions and attack control movement and shots. So much fun, so much work to do. We finished the day running micro USPSA Stages and we got to see just how absurd Donovan is vs even a Master Class Shooter. He walked a stage and scored higher than everyone by a ton. Effortless but so precise and dialed in. Insane to see in person.
I loved this class, a lot of it was because of the way Donovan teaches and encourages you to perform. It may be because I come from a sports background, but that’s what you want to be pushed to perfom at a level you know you are capable of. The other reason I loved it so much was because of the people nobody was light years ahead of anybody except our own Peter Woolard. Everyone was pushing eachother and competing and talking trash, it was great. Good People, Good Times. There are a couple of people I may want to take a class with but I think I will always do Donovans classes when they come around, its the best in the industry by far. If you have the chance to take one, do it!
This weekend I was fortunate enough to take a two-day class with Gabe White. You may not know the name but I am willing to bet your favorite shooter knows precisely who he is. Gabe is a wizard, he does not look like a tactical bro or your average gun guy at all. The amount of information and knowledge he has to share is mindblowing. He doesn’t just have the info and explain it, he can back it all up with his shooting….on an iron sight Glock! Yes, I said iron sights.
Gabe is not just your average instructor who just trains people who want to get better. He is actually the current Chief Instructor of Public Range FTU and public defensive handgun training program for Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office at the Public Safety Training Center in Clackamas, Oregon. Gabe is also an incredible shooter. Some of his accomplishments are:
Master class in USPSA Limited Division shooting carry gear from concealment
Master class in GSSF
FAST Challenge Coinholder #09
One of only four people worldwide to clean the Rogers Shooting School Test
Only person worldwide to clean the Rogers Shooting School Test from concealment
LFI Judicious Use of Deadly Force Instructor
NRA-certified Pistol Instructor
Over 800 hours of formal defensive handgun and emergency training as a student
Defensive handgun practitioner since 1999
Defensive handgun instructor since 2007
Insane resume from a guy you would never expect to be THAT guy and I love it.
His class is probably the most valuable you can get in any class. 8am to 6:30pm no lunch break, constant information and knowledge but not overwhelming. He takes time to work with you individually where you need it and answers any and every question.
Day 1 was a lot of the standard stuff you will see at most classes. Grip, Sights, Trigger. A good amount of training before you start the fun stuff and run his performance tests for the almighty Turbo Pin. You run two tests on day one and two on day two. Day one tests are a bill drill and failure to stop. Day two is immediate incapacitation and a split bill drill. Very doable tests for your average shooter if you are locked in and shooting well. This was not the case for a lot of the better shooters in the class, I will throw myself in that category. I felt off the whole day, it was hot and I was drained mentally by the end of the day when we started the tests. I also was just not feeling it, didn’t really wanna shoot.
The Bill Drill. Normally I can run it clean sub 2 seconds no problem, usually, 1.8 -1.99, right around there with the occasional over 2 second time. This day was just rough. I ran 1.92 with charlie which pushed my time over the turbo pin time, second run I had a horrible grip and ran 2.33 clean. The biggest issue I am having aside from my grip and desire to shoot: the timer. I am reacting way too late and it’s not our normal stand by one second goes by the beep. He has it set to random, I cannot game this.
After Stage 1: 1 light run, 1 dark run
Stage 2 is the 2 to the chest and 1 to the head.
My hands were shot, and my grip strength was nonexistent but I was ready to just get it done. I didn’t take any of the practice reps to keep my hands rested. 1.71 with a shot outside the circle so no pin there and 1.72 clean. Had I not missed that one shot I would have 3 Light runs on Day one. No turbo times. Not a complete failure of where I wanted to be but close. I know I can run them all for time, now I just had to do it perfectly the next day 4 times in a row.
After Stage 2: 1 dark run, 2 light runs
Day two was wet and windy for a little which ended up working in my favor, we moved the tests up sooner so we would avoid the potential lighting storm. First up were the 2 headshots.
This one should be harder but I have always found this to be the easiest one, 1.71 and 1.78 clean but felt like it took forever. Two Turbo times to start the day. Now I had pressure to run the last drill and get my turbo pin.
After Stage 3: 1 dark run, 2 light runs, 2 turbo runs. Light Pin acquired.
The last and final stage. The split bill drill., 4 to the body and 2 to the head. I always mess this one up because we always do the 3-2 so that extra shot to the body makes me think.
First, run, I did not love my draw so I knew I had to run fast splits to make up the time.
2.14 clean, I was shocked I thought I for sure went over the minimum 2.6
Now the pressure was on, all I needed to do was draw clean and shoot it.
I got anxious and almost jumped the beep, threw my first shot, and confirmed it for what felt like forever before finishing the drill. I missed a turbo pin by one inch and that penalty cost me to go over time by .10
Instantly pissed at myself because I had it and dropped the first shot. Oh well, you live and you learn. Gabe was happy with my recovery and overall performance so even though I came up short, I know I can get it.
The class was a ton of fun, a ton of learning, and some good competition which the two guys from AIM cleaned up on. Both of us from AIM won competitions and both of us got light pins. Not a bad weekend for the boys.
Gabe teaches an awesome class, I think right after pistol 2 or whatever a more advanced pistol class is, once you are really comfortable shooting and have a solid draw this is the class to take first. Take this and absorb everything you can, pick his brain, and get dialed in. I personally think this is the best class to take after the basics. Once you have this class, then take a Modern Samurai Class and when you are feeling really solid, take some classes with Donovan at Point 1 Tactics.
Gabe is a great instructor with just an endless amount of knowledge from beginning to end, from grip to trigger manipulation all the way into the more advanced day two barrier use and defensive-based shooting. Just a great time and a great value, you truly get your money’s worth in his class, and the most important part, you leave a better shooter than when you arrived. Take this class!
We get cool stuff in all the time. Police trade-ins, customers selling us something they want to unload, lots of different opportunities. Recently we had the opportunity to grab a really cool sniper rifle. A French FR F2 rifle to be exact. The FR F2 is the 7.62x51mm version of France’s FR F1 sniper rifle which was then redesigned and re-barreled to accept the 7.62x51mm cartridge when France began using standard NATO ammunition.
The FR F2 Sniper Rifle was first pressed into service in 1986 to meet the French military’s demands for a precision rifle that could accurately strike targets at ranges up to 800 meters. Both versions were built to be a Squad Sniper Rifle rather than a Designated Marksman Rifle.
Mechanically, the FR F2’s action is identical to the French military’s primary rifle of WWII, the MAS-36. The bolt utilizes dual rear locking lugs, a sizable flat spring extractor, and a fixed ejector – this elegantly simple configuration makes disassembly/assembly quick and easy and makes sure you have reliability even in the worst conditions. To get the best accuracy, the FR F2 employs a free-floating barrel which is topped with a proprietary muzzle device that can be finely tuned to the user’s preference. The FR F2’s features a thermal shield that covers the barrel and part of the receiver. This was chosen to conceal the weapon from night vision and thermal devices that would detect the heat generated from firing multiple shots. The thermal shield is also used to alleviate the mirage caused by heat coming off the barrel. The FR F2 also includes a unique integrated bipod, which attaches to the rifle by a sleeve that sits over the barrel. This bipod structure allows the rifle to effectively “hang” from the bipod instead of “sitting” on the bipod and allows for some degree of swivel movement. Other features of the FR F2 include a wide, flat-bottomed surface on the handguard, allowing the rifle to be braced on a surface.
This week I picked a really cool gun from a brand people may be sleeping on. Tisas/SDS imports have been making noise in the 1911 world with their budget-friendly 1911 lineup. Now you may be thinking oh it’s a cheap 1911, it’s probably junk. You would be wrong. These 1911s are probably the best sub-800 dollar 1911s you can get. There are a couple options that go above $1,000 starting but they have 16 total options, so 14 of them are below $1,000. The quality is there, they are built very very well and even the super snobby 1`911 fans have acknowledged the quality of these pistols. They are not just .45, they come in 9mm and even 10mm!
The pistol I am wanting to highlight in their lineup is the Tisas 1911 D10 which is chambered in 10mm.
The spec sheet alone speaks for itself. – 5″ Hammer Forged Barrel – Forged Full-Size Length Slide w/ Front and Rear Cocking Serrations – Forged Stainless Steel Full-Size Frame – 25LPI Checkering Front Strap w/ Trigger Under Cut – Stainless Flat Mainspring Housing w/ 25LPI Checkering – G10 Target Grips – Flared and Lowered Ejection Port – Ambidextrous Safety – LPA Small Blade Adj. Rear Sight, Serrated Black Front Sight. (Bomar Cut) – Series 70 Internals – Includes 2 Magazines, Cleaning Kit and Owners Manual – Waterproof and Lockable Hard Case, w/ Fitted Cut Foam Insert – Weight 2.40 lbs. (Unloaded)
Without getting into the ballistics and argument of .45 over other calibers, I think this is a great option for home defense or if you want to carry it.
At AimSurplus we don’t just sell guns and ammunition. We actually love shooting. Many on our staff spend their weekends at the range running drills and honing their shooting skills. We believe that as responsible gun owners and concealed carriers it is our responsibility to be the best shooters we can be. This is why we train, and we train hard. Out of that training among our staff came the idea and desire to create something special that we are excited to share with the entire shooting community:
The AimSurplus Training Target
We have created a Free Printable Range Target to help us all become better shooters. The best part of our target is its adaptability to multiple types of shooting drills and exercises. You can take this one target to the range and shoot for hours honing different skills. Our target utilizes:
Standard B8 Accuracy Target – Used for zeroing, accuracy, and drills like the Super Test and the No Fail Test.
Two 2” squares with 1” squares inside of them – Used for throttle control, target transitions, and hold-over tests.
This target offers so many different options for training on your own, but we are taking it a step further. Every month starting in September 2022 we will be releasing a competitive shooting drill that anyone can participate in at your own ranges. These drills are designed by us and a few of our select friends and trainers in the industry. The drills will change each month and will challenge us all to become better shooters. Send us a video of you passing or tag us on social media and you will get a reward directly from AimSurplus.
AimSurplus Drill 1.1–
From 7yards, you will start from Concealment. Draw and fire 4 rounds within the 9 or 10 ring circles.
2. Followed by 1 shot into either of the top 2in squares.
3. You will then perform a slide lock reload.
4. Fire 4 more shots into the 9 or 10 rings.
5. Finishing with 1 shot into the opposite top 2in square.
Passing time is 7 Seconds with Expert time being 6 seconds. If you pass, tag us in the video @aimsurplus on Facebook or Instagram.
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