Day 8: Art of the Dynamic Handgun

I wanted to post a brief review on the best training video series I have viewed to date, Magpul Dynamics: The Art of the Dynamic Handgun. This is a 4-disc DVD set recently released by Magpul, containing over 7 hours of footage from their handgun instructional classes plus bonus material.


I had been watching bits and pieces of the series between my academic obligations over the past few weeks and finally found time to finish it this afternoon. The first two DVDs focus on fundamentals, shooting positions, and combat scenarios. The third disc emphasizes aspects of concealed carry, and the third disc covers handgun accessories, drills, and outtakes.

One of my favorite aspects of the set was a bonus feature titled “Combat Mindset – Reality Check” by instructor Travis Haley on the second disc. Without giving anything away, he discloses one of his own personal experiences as a 14-year veteran as a Force Reconnaissance Marine and US military contractor overseas. His story is shocking, but really demonstrates the importance of training and the “why” as well as the “how”.

I highly recommend this series. I’m not usually one to spend money on DVD’s, but I’m really glad I went for this one. I will continue to watch the series many more times and utilize it to help make me a better shooter. I truly hope to be able to afford attending one of their actual training courses in the future, but with my student budget it might be a while.

Magpul has uploaded a preview on YouTube if you are interested.

Day 7: Our Newest Glock [G19]

One of the purposes of this blog is to chronicle important events including field tests and new acquisitions. Since we haven't updated in a while, I figured I would share the newest member of our family, the Glock 19.


In case you didn't know, the Glock 19 is the compact version of the 9x19 semi-automatic handgun. It is extremely popular for its balance of firepower, durability, and concealability. While some of us may be comfortable toting around a full-size 10mm, this 9mm will suit just about any frame for concealed carry.

There are probably more reviews of this gun on the internet than any other modern pistol, so I'll keep this brief. We ran about 250 rounds through it during its first day at the range, without a single malfunction. This of course doesn't surprise me, but I do want to emphasize its reliability and lack of a required "break in time" like many more expensive guns. Being chambered in 9mm, you feel a little less guilty firing hundreds of rounds in a day since it is one of the more affordable calibers. It was very enjoyable to shoot and has minimal recoil, allowing for immediate accurate followup shots.

Just when I thought the Glock 19 couldn't get any better as a rugged combat-oriented firearm, I pulled out the 33-round magazine. I can't really explain it, but that thing just makes me extremely happy. Not to mention it's great for rapid-fire and trigger-reset drills, allowing for more trigger time and less reloading. If you're diligent and know where to look, you can occasionally find them on sale for the price of a standard capacity magazine.
[Just don't settle for the cheap Korean copies!]

Here is the model 19 next to the 20, representing consecutive patents by Gaston Glock. I can do better size comparisons if you are interested, this is just one I happened to take at the range yesterday.
(And yes, they do have serial numbers, they were just blurred out.)


Overall, I couldn't be happier with the G19. It's an ideal all-around pistol.

Some of you may be growing weary of our Glock bias, but I assure you we have several posts on interesting historic firearms as well as accessories coming down the pipe. See you soon.