Tiger McKee - AR Skills & Drills

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THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO MY WIFE, GRETCHEN, WHO HAS PUT UP WITH A LOT OVER THE YEARS TO SUPPORT MY TEACHING AND SHOOTRITE.

GUNSMITHING THE AR-15: THE BENCH MANUAL

GUN DIGEST GUIDE TO THE MODERN AK

GUN DIGEST BOOK OF SUPPRESSORS

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This book isnt about the history and development of the AR-type weapon, building an AR or performing modifications. There are plenty of good sources for that information already out there. Its also not a tactical book, although it does include subjects like using cover, working in low-light conditions and the fundamentals of responding to a threat. These are skills that you need, but learning to apply them for defensive or combative purposes is beyond the scope of this book.

AR-15 Skills & Drills is about the techniques you need to operate the AR platform safely and efficiently, regardless of your application. Whether youre hunting, competing or using the AR for defensive purposes, the same skills are used to manipulate the AR efficiently and shoot it accurately.

To learn anything takes practice, performing the same skills over and over until eventually you learn them. Well discuss how to operate the AR so that you know what to practice, but equally important how to practice, providing a solid learning curve and the greatest return from your time and money invested. Some sections of this book describe how to perform certain actions, while other sections list specific drills that include applying the skills and techniques discussed in previous chapters. There are a variety of ways to practice; the only limit is your imagination. Just keep in mind that anything and everything you do should be performed safely. Safety is your number one concern any time youre working with firearms.

This book is not intended to be a substitute for training under a qualified instructor. Yes, one of the ways we learn is by reading and studying a subject. A book can tell you how, why or when to perform a certain action. What it cant tell you are all the ways you can do it wrong or an alternative approach if a technique doesnt work for you, or watch to make sure your finger comes off the trigger while reloading. Often youll be doing something wrong and you wont even be aware of it. Cultivating the correct skills is mandatory and this book will help you with that, but eventually you need to attend training under a qualified instructor.

Although this book focuses on the AR-type rifle and carbine, the same skills apply to a variety of firearms. The safety or magazine release may be in a different location, but the same techniques apply regardless of what type semi-auto youre working with.

Keep in mind that there are different ways to accomplish the same task, and various schools of thought on how to operate the AR. This book presents a way of doing things, but it isnt an absolute or the only way. Your specific application of the AR may call for different techniques or operating principles. Becoming proficient with a firearm is an art; everyones artwork will be a little different.

The AR is one of the best firearms ever produced. In the early days it experienced some growing pains, but it has served our military faithfully for decades now, with no end in sight. Todays AR is reliable, simple to operate, and accurate. There is a huge industry that supplies accessories for the AR, and its modular design allows users to customize it to suit any purpose. You can do almost anything with an AR. But first you need to know how to operate it safely and efficiently. I hope this book helps with learning your AR.

Every technique we perform is a series of actions or steps chunked together and applied in the correct sequence. To learn a technique, or to modify an existing skill, the sequence is broken down into individual steps. You have to go step by step, performing the proper sequence so you get predictable results from your actions.

The problem is that our brain always wants to get ahead of the body; the mind is on step five while the body is performing step two. Your body tries to catch up by going fast. When you try to go fast to catch up, things start going downhill. Steps are left out of the sequence. Your performance is poor, and improper repetitions are detrimental to learning. A good technique to use is verbalizing your actions, saying each step out loud as you work through the sequence. This helps you focus, consciously thinking about each step of the process, and it slows the mind down to the speed that your body can perform the required actions.

Reloading is a perfect application and example of this learning technique. Just remember this tool, saying your actions, can be applied to any skill or technique.

Youre shooting and the AR runs empty, the bolt locking to the rear on the empty magazine. Step one is getting your finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard. (See the Functional Manipulations section for details on reloading.) You say out loud, Finger off the trigger! Next, Old mag out! Press the mag catch to release the empty mag. New mag in! Once the fresh mag is in the receiver, Bolt release! Press the bolt release to chamber a round.

After some practice and repetitions you can start to shorten your verbal cues. Instead of saying old mag out you cut it down to mag out. Eventually you reach the point where youre not saying it out loud, but youre still thinking about this action at a conscious level. After plenty of repetitions this action begins to become a subconscious action. The mind says, Reload and the subconscious mind takes over to perform the sequence. This is the point we want to be at with all our skills.

Learning or modifying a skill takes time and repetitions. In the beginning you have to walk. You cant be concerned with the outcome; the mind is only focusing on the task at hand. The brain doesnt like to walk, so you vocalize the actions to keep the mind and body together functioning at the same pace. Later you run, which the brain enjoys. At some point you begin to fly. A conscious cue prompts the subconscious to perform the task efficiently.

THE FIRST AND FOREMOST concern when working with any firearm is safety. Consistency, which is the theme with all gunhandling skills, is mandatory. Consistently applying the four basic safety rules ensures safe handling of the firearm regardless of the application. It only takes a fraction of a second for your mind to wander, for a distraction to occur, and youve opened the door for trouble to enter.

I still find it amazing that the majority of gun owners are not aware of the basics of firearms safety. Even those who have been shooting all their lives sometimes dont understand the four basic safety rules, the reasons for them, and how to incorporate them into their gunhandling.