5.11 Tactical’s ABR Academy classes were insanely popular after making a return in early 2023. They were so popular in fact that 5.11 has just announced that they’ll be further expanding their ABR Academy class schedule in partnership with the USCAA to give even more Americans access to quality emergency, survival, and preparedness education.

Top of the morning, afternoon or night wherever you may be, and welcome to our Photo Of The Day! Today we have pictures from Keris MAREX, a bilateral exercise led by the U.S. Marine Corps and the KORMAR (Indonesian Marine Corps). The exercise includes a variety of training evolutions such as patrolling, close-quarters battle and ambushing, unmanned aircraft systems employment, sensor to strike, tactical combat casualty care, and explosive ordnance disposal. And, as you can see, disguising to look like the jungle.

Welcome to TFB’s Photo Of The Day! Today’s selection features the art of soldiering as a sniper and a spotter. Above you see a pair working together, both with the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment “Red Currahee,” 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), supporting 3rd Infantry Division, as they conduct sniper training at Camp Adazi, Latvia, September 20.

Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about the pros and cons of metal and polymer-framed handguns. If you happened to miss that article or just want to check it out, be sure to click the link here to take a look. This week, I wanted to address some simple drills someone can do at the range that take almost no materials and can be done with almost anything. I get a fair amount of questions about easy drills to do with little to no materials. Let’s take a closer look at some simple conceal carry range drills.

When Springfield Armory unveiled their new 18″ and 20″ Hellions, many of us noticed the 20″ version has a similar-looking barrel as the Croatian military-issued VHS-D2. It looks like it has a gas ring to launch a rifle grenade. So I took my review sample 20″ Hellion and tested it to launch practice rifle grenades. Here is that story.

Welcome back to Wheelgun Wednesday, TFB’s weekly article series where we talk about everything revolver-related. Today we take a look at something old, Speer Target-38. These were practice rounds you can use in a revolver chambered in .357 Magnum or .38 Special. I got a chance to check them out years ago so here they are.

Having just gotten back from my first-ever Tactical Games event, I wanted to put together a write-up on all of the gear I used down at the GTI in South Carolina. I will also be including the prices of all of the gear that I utilized as I feel like I spent a lot of money just to compete at this event. Also, please keep in mind that this was my first event, and I will be doing a follow-up article on lessons learned and how I would tackle my second go around at the GTI Tactical Games. Also, all prices will be MSRP aside from the pistol and ear pro.

Caldwell Shooting Supplies recently introduced their new Caldwell Flash Bang hit indicator that combines with steel targets to provide a visual aid when the target is struck. The Caldwell Flash Bang attaches via hook and loop fasteners to the back of steel targets larger than five inches. The Flash Bang is attached with the LED light strip hanging off the edge of the target, and once the target is hit by a bullet, the LEDs light up to provide the shooter instant visual feedback as to the hit.

Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about the best carry positions based on your daily tasks. If you missed last week’s episode, be sure to click the link here to check out the article. This week, I wanted to talk about a training I did with some local trainers about handgun manipulation in tight spaces. They went through how to properly draw a firearm from retention as well as how to clear rooms with less-than-ideal entryways. Let’s take a closer look at the answer to the question “Is retention shooting a good idea?”.

A common anti-Second Amendment talking point is that the Founding Fathers couldn’t possibly have imagined the evolution that firearms have seen since they had a key role in founding the United States. Of course, we know that to be untrue, due to the letter written to Congress in 1777 by Joseph Belton. In this letter, one of the most exciting promises made was that eight rounds could be fired one after another without reloading. At the time, even an experienced rifleman could take 10 or more seconds before delivering another ball. These days, that problem has been alleviated with the use of box magazines, and centuries of combined shooting knowledge passed down from the greats. I am not one of these greats, so I won’t pretend that I can make you better, but these are some defined steps that may help you round out your pistol reload.

The hungriest beast of them all on this blog is the Photo Of The Day you’re looking at right now. It needs hundreds of images each month, and its appetite has been going on for over 9 years. Above is a frame from when the U.S. Marines participated in a pistol shooting competition during the Force Headquarters Group Super Squad Competition. The location is the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, located in Alaska.

Photo Of The Day:  Defensie Caribisch Gebied, also known as the Caribbean Netherlands Command, refers to the military command responsible for the defense and security of the Caribbean territories of the Netherlands. They are a part of the Royal Netherlands Navy and operate in the Caribbean territories of the Netherlands, which include the islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba, often referred to as the Caribbean Netherlands or the BES islands.

We’ve been running our Photo Of The Day for almost 10 years, and the archives keep growing every day. We offer images of firearms and soldiers in all kinds of environments, airborne, on the ground or underwater. Today it’s time to get wet in the Combat Water Survival. Taste the word, and give it some thought. The firearms are most likely blue guns, but they make a great contrast to the blue-white background and the bubbles.

Getting solid firearms training has simultaneously become easier than ever but also more difficult than ever. While there are a ton of great training companies out there, for every good one there are probably half a dozen other ones peddling either unsafe or ineffectual training for their customers. Mo, Raven Wing Limited, and the network of trainers that they’ve managed to collaborate with are some of the best in the business and offer a wide variety of training ranging from fairly basic firearms manipulation skills to advanced pistol and carbine courses, as well as private consultations and even night vision courses. Based out of Los Angeles California, you’d think that Raven Wing would face a lot of competition but in fact, it is quite the opposite: Raven Wing often brings in other trainers and hosts them to bring both their customers more refined training from living legends like Scott Jedlinski from the Modern Samurai Project, Tim Herron Shooting, or JJ Racaza who you might remember being on TFBTV several times. Today I’ve brought on Mo to talk about some of the most pronounced training trends he’s noticed in the firearms world today and what times of guns, optics, and holsters people are using to train for competition and self-defense nearly a quarter of the way through the 21st century.

Welcome to TFB’s Photo Of The Day! The Ranger Regiment is a newly formed unit within the United Kingdom’s army. Their 1st Battalion is normally based in Northern Ireland. UK Rangers are part of the UK Special Operations Brigade.

Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about the risks of drinking when carrying a concealed handgun. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to check it out. This week, I wanted to look at another topic I get more questions on than expected. With current events around the country, there has been an uptick not only in new concealed carriers but also in women who want to carry concealed firearms. There have been a fair number of people interested in getting their concealed carry license but get anxious about taking a class for the first time. Many have said it’s best to go out and shoot on your own first while others preach to get training first so you learn to shoot correctly. Let’s take a closer look at self-taught vs professional training.

Over the year I’ve really gotten addicted to trying out different types of firearm competitions. While I’ve dabbled in some of the more well-known competition spheres, USPSA, Multi-Gun, and Steel Challenge, I’ve also strayed off the beaten path and found something even better – ones that let you run around in expensive gear with your friends. One such race I’ve yet to try that falls into this category is the Wolverine 5K. The Wolverine 5K is a Red Dawn-inspired “Tactical Adventure Race” that incorporates aspects of not just shooting, but moving with your squad, mountaineering, and some complex problem and puzzle-solving skills. Today we have the pleasure of speaking with one squad who participated in this year’s Wolverine 5K, and we’ll be hearing from Philip, Brent, and Tyler as they describe to us their experiences at the 2023 Wolverine 5K Tactical Adventure Race.

The Photo Of The Day can be chosen for a variety of reasons. It may be because of its aesthetic qualities, its newsworthiness, its emotional impact, or its technical excellence. Some Photo Of The Day features have a specific theme, such as nature, architecture, or portraits. Today, the single photo above was chosen as it’s like taken out of a computer game. However, we’re looking at a special forces unit member, as he fires downrange during an exercise at Melrose Air Force Range, N.M., in November of last year. Notice the blue tips on the ammunition, typically this means it’s a short-range training round.

Every day, all year around we at TFB publish at least one photo together with an explanation about what’s going on. We’ve been doing this for a very long time, almost 10 years. In today’s Photo Of The Day, we see U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 6 (CLB-6), Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, fire rifles during Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear night operations in preparation for exercise Freezing Winds 22 in Syndalen, Finland, Oct. 13, 2022.

In this video, James Reeves of TFBTV joins Matt Haught of Symtac Consulting to learn how to shoot a shotgun faster. James is learning the “push-pull” technique, which is a method of handling and firing a shotgun that allows for faster shooting, which Matt expertly describes in this video.

The worst part about any range trip for me is setting up and taking down everything. When TFBTV’s Hop and I go to shoot, it usually involves several steel targets and several paper targets. Over time, we’ve learned to streamline our gear down to be more efficient but bulk and weight are still always an issue and that’s why Re-Nine Safety’s new Compact Target Stands piqued my interest. Their new 1×2 Compact Target Stands are made to work with common 18″ wide cardboard targets and fold down into a compact package for transport and quick setup.

Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, I talked about my updated carry guns and why I carry them. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click on the link here to check it out. This week, it’s all about training like you fight. Understanding the importance of being prepared for any situation that may arise is critical. No matter how well-trained you are, encountering an unexpected scenario can cause hesitation. In such cases, your ability to defend yourself depends on how well you can adapt your skills to the situation at hand. “Skill adaptability” and “automaticity” come into play when you have limited time to act, and the stakes are high. In this article, we will explore the concepts of skill adaptability and automaticity so let’s take a closer look at training like you fight.

Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world and its many different types of guns, their applications, and even some of the weird history and obscurities surrounding rimfire guns. This week I want to talk about some quick and easy ways to keep your pistol proficiency up throughout the summer months while avoiding some of the heavy costs usually associated with running pistol drills. What’s more is that instead of a lot of your standard drills, I’m trying to include pistol drills that will really take advantage of the money you’ll already save – these are all really low round-count drills and the goal is to keep each of these drills to 50-rounds or less. This means that for all 3 drills, you should be able to head to the range with your targets, gun, shot timer, and 100 rounds of reliable rimfire ammunition and you’ll be out the door with some solid pistol training sessions for $13 or less in ammunition. Below I’ll give you 3 different rimfire pistol drills you can use to brush up on your handgun skills on a budget, included will be photos, links to the free targets, and video examples of each drill.

Join James Reeves as he takes you on an exclusive journey into the world of the Czech counterterrorist unit, URNA. James visits URNA’s state-of-the-art facility to train alongside their elite operators and work through their arsenal, including the legendary Heckler & Koch MP7 and 416, and their Glock 17 sidearms. From mastering the compact and versatile H&K MP7 to experiencing the renowned reliability of the H&K 416, this video provides an up-close and personal look at the firearms that URNA relies on to protect their countrymen.

A lot of you will be familiar with InRange TV’s series of Brutality matches held across the nation throughout the year. Brutality matches quickly became my favorite type of firearms competition as they blend a good variety of skill, physical endurance, and problem-solving, along with a great environment to test your gear in to create a truly rewarding firearms event. I personally covered Woodland Brutality 2022 last year where I participated in the event along with today’s podcast guest, my good friend Tom Symonds. Tom is an aficionado of military firearms and equipment as well as a talented artist (some of you who watch TFBTV will have seen his artwork on the wall behind James Reeves’ usual set). Since I personally wasn’t able to attend this year’s match held at the Echo Valley Training Center in West Virginia, I’m bringing Tom on to retell his experience. So buckle up, grab a drink, and prepare to experience a Woodland Brutality 2023 recap from the perspective of my friend Tom Symonds.

The shooting facility formerly known as Front Sight is now PrairieFire. After a very public bankruptcy, it is under new management with plans to reopen soon. Also joining the staff as the Executive Chairman is General Scott Miller (ret.) of Joint Special Operations Command fame.

A lot of you will remember a couple of months back Nick C’s ass suffered quite a traumatic range event. Many lessons were learned that day, most notably, not to violate basic range safety rules. The biggest takeaway for me from that day was just the sheer value of simple training. That’s why today we’ve brought on both TFB’s Nick C as well as Brad Gilpin from Blue Force Gear to talk about the accident and the specific training that allowed all of us to respond to the injury quickly, efficiently, and without panic. Brad Gilpin is the Director of Medical Programming at Blue Force Gear and is a prior law enforcement professional who has served at both the state and federal levels. He was a founding member of the USBP BORSTAR unit serving as Assistant Team Leader / Team Medic and has been involved in advocating tactical medicine skills for LEOs since long before it was cool to do so.

Photo Of The Day – Do you remember the superhero The Hulk? A green-skinned and quite muscular humanoid, due to exposure to gamma rays. Here we have U.S. Marines with the 2d Combat Engineering Battalion, 2d Marine Division (MARDIV) together with Dutch Marines. The Dutch Marines are on a visit due to the Exercise Caribbean Urban Warrior, on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in March 2023. This exercise is a bilateral training designed to increase global interoperability between 2d MARDIV and Marine Squadron Carib.

MDT has released a Training Shot Timer for shooters of all skill levels. The timer can be used with a wide range of rifles and calibers, as well as for your dry fire practice. The device stores all shooting data and links with an accompanying app, allowing users to film video with real-time statistics and share it on social media. At the recent IWA exhibition in Germany, I had a demo of how it can be used. I’m not usually impressed with timers, but as a competitor and instructor, I noticed a lot of features that could be used not only by myself but also to instruct others to become better.

Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world and its many types of guns, ammunition types, and history! Today we will be discussing a program that has taught thousands of Americans the basics of rifle marksmanship with not only centerfire rifles but more affordable and more accessible rimfire firearms like the 10/22. What we’re talking about today is Project Appleseed. Project Appleseed is a non-profit instructional program with the aim of training the civilian population with basic marksmanship fundamentals through various clinics and events put on throughout the country. Today we’ll explain the origins of the Appleseed Project, and some of the pertinent information surrounding the rules, and practices of participating in a clinic itself.