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Posted: 5/16/2024 1:08:13 AM EDT
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I followed the V-TAC instructions for the actual barricade but I wanted something that broke down for transport and storage better. So I glued the 2x4 uprights to the plywood, then bult separate triangular leg assemblies that bolt to it. It's pretty sturdy too, which I like. Moreso than most of the variations I saw on YouTube. Take down for transport/storage on the left, ready for use on the right.  The bolts that hold the barricade to the legs.    Based on a suggestion by @JRHEnterprises.com, I drilled holes in all four corners of the legs for spikes and got some 1/2" x 8" galvanized steel spikes. I added holes to the target stands and got enough spikes for them too.  |
"Call a magazine a clip again. I dare you, I double dare you mother******, call a magazine a clip one more ******* time!"
-- Jules Winnfield
-- Jules Winnfield
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This is long overdue but life has a way of changing the road even as we're driving down it. I got my barricades in front of a bunch of shooters a few weeks ago and got a lot of feedback. The majority of the feedback was a) they're a great training aid and b) wow, is it ever challenging. I completely agree. It was very challenging finding a way to shoot through all of the openings in what Viking Tactical calls the 9-hole drill. The narrow openings were the hardest. The openings near the bottom were the most challenging for finding a stable body position. Most of the positions for shooting were uncomfortable and awkward. Which is what, IMO, makes it such a good training aid. To complete the 9-hole drill (one hit on a gong at 100 yards from each of the 9 openings), you have to find a way to get stable enough to shoot, whether it's comfortable or not. I wasn't able to hold some of the positions withs stability for very long, so part of the training is about figuring out each stance, then how to get into them quickly and safely, and out of them quickly; as well as lining up and taking the shot before muscle strain starts something trembling. The benefits of the training are huge, at least as far as my never-been-in-a-gunfight mind can conceive. 1) Finding good stances for awkward shots that allow me to have good cover is something much better learned in training than during a gunfight. 2) Developing muscle memory for a wide range of awkward shooting positions provides a tactical advantage in a gunfight with cover available due to better utilization of cover, increased accuracy, and decreased target acquisition time. Things we learned. 1) When clamping the barrel (and not the handguard) to the bottom of the opening, accuracy dropped noticeably. If the barrel is lightly held/rested on the inside, accuracy is still affected but not nearly as much as it it when held firmly. The working theory is that the contact is messing with barrel harmonics. 2) With a flashlight mounted close to the muzzle and a long handguard, like on my 5.56 rifle and .300 BLK pistol, it is almost impossible to get the handguard through the angled openings. I'll be moving them back on both weapons, so that all I have to worry about getting through a small opening in order to take a shot, is the handguard. I'll be moving my lights further away from the muzzle by at least two inches. 3) Unfortunately, over the course of two days, three rounds were shot through the barricade rather than through the opening. Fortunately, it was me who fired all three shots, so no one else had to feel bad about holing my barricades. Two of the shots were while shooting from a step and, for the life of me, I don't know how I put them through the barricade. I remember trying different angles to see how they affected my sight lines but I didn't notice those two shots when they went through. I spotted them after I finished shooting the mag. The third was a bit more dramatic. It's the lowest horizontal slot opening and I struggled for a long time to get a shot lined up (see 2) above). When I pulled the trigger, I felt something hit my leg. It turned out to be small frags from the bullet I put through the barricade (three small blood blisters; no penetration). The two shots in the top pic were 5.56 M193 FMJ rounds (PMC X-TAC) while the damage in the two lower pics was cause by a .300 BLK 170-grain Winchester XP polymer tipped bullet. So ... I have some new rules for using my barricades. First, setups like mine that prevent the handguard from easily getting through an opening aren't allowed. Second, no frangible ammunition. FMJ only, at least for rifles, at least until I learn more. Possibly plated or lead bullets. I don't think I know enough to know where to draw the lines. I want a rule that allows bullets that are most likely going to go through cleanly and prohibit bullets that are likely to explode on contact like my 170 grain XP did. I'd love to hear some excerpt advice on this subject. Third, every one pay attention and stand clear when I'm using them. Next to lastly, all of this has got me to thinking about making a version that only has the bottom four feet and put it in the basement dry-fire range. A four-foot version would have only one fewer opening than the full-size version. That would allow me to figure out how to shoot at each level and angle and give me a lot of practice, with my shots being scored. Hmmmmm. And yes, I am going to patch them up and paint them this week. The firearms in question.   The 5.56 holes. From the shooter side.  The .300 BLK explosion, shooter side first, down-range side second.  
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"Call a magazine a clip again. I dare you, I double dare you mother******, call a magazine a clip one more ******* time!"
-- Jules Winnfield
-- Jules Winnfield
|
I would say, don't change those light positions just to be able to shoot through those holes. You'll find that the farther back they are, the more "barrel shadow" you get. There are very few likely situations where you'll actually have to shoot through such a small opening, but having full light is eminently useful, always. I think with such short barrel arrangements you want to use your hand at the end of the handguard to brace against the edge of the hole, or just rest the barrel lightly, as you said. |
Now that's what things look like when you are training for real. Outstanding! 1) When clamping the barrel (and not the handguard) to the bottom of the opening, accuracy dropped noticeably. If the barrel is lightly held/rested on the inside, accuracy is still affected but not nearly as much as it it when held firmly. The working theory is that the contact is messing with barrel harmonics. Yes. Avoid touching the barrel to anything. Use that freefloat. Pressure will open up your group and push your group. If you absolutely must touch the barrel use light pressure No worries on shooting your barricade... you are definitely not the first person in this thread to do so 
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Originally Posted By JoeDevola: I would say, don't change those light positions just to be able to shoot through those holes. You'll find that the farther back they are, the more "barrel shadow" you get. There are very few likely situations where you'll actually have to shoot through such a small opening, but having full light is eminently useful, always. I think with such short barrel arrangements you want to use your hand at the end of the handguard to brace against the edge of the hole, or just rest the barrel lightly, as you said. Thanks! I'm going to try moving the light back and see what results I get. I don't use my lights for illumination; I use them for strobing targets to disorientate them and improve my odds of survival. Two quick presses on the paddle switch as I bring the weapon up from the ready position are the only time they should be on. If I don't like the results, I'll do as you suggest. The purpose of shooting through the holes is to practice to improve my ability to shoot through small openings in cover and minimize exposure to fire. It's a means to an end; not the end itself. And through such practice, to discover things that may impede my ability to do the things I want to be able to do. |
"Call a magazine a clip again. I dare you, I double dare you mother******, call a magazine a clip one more ******* time!"
-- Jules Winnfield
-- Jules Winnfield
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Originally Posted By R_S: Now that's what things look like when you are training for real. Outstanding! Yes. Avoid touching the barrel to anything. Use that freefloat. Pressure will open up your group and push your group. If you absolutely must touch the barrel use light pressure No worries on shooting your barricade... you are definitely not the first person in this thread to do so Thanks! I only recently learned about barrel harmonics, as part of learning to reload and why loads have to be tested in the firearms for which they are intended to be used because of it. This was the first time I've ever actually seen it, so to speak. I'm guessing it won't be the last time I hole my own barricades, though I hope it is. The thought of putting a bullet into concrete less than an inch in front of the muzzle while in a gunfight doesn't sound like a good time. Making mistakes is a part of everything I do in life. One of my favorite sayings is: "My experience enables me to recognize a mistake when I make it again." It's funny but it's also true. That having been said, mistakes are a great way to learn things about myself and to improve myself. But ... and it's a big but ... only to the extent that I recognize my mistakes, take ownership of them, force myself to evaluate them objectively, and am willing to both give and accept my own constructive criticism. It may sound corny but that doesn't make it any less real. Ego, denial, unwillingness to change, lack of self-awareness ... these are things that do not benefit me. Compared to taking a bullet, they are, in fact, quite meaningless. Lastly, being honest about mistakes is, in my experience, the absolute best way to get help correcting my problem from people who have vastly more knowledge, experience and skill than I. |
"Call a magazine a clip again. I dare you, I double dare you mother******, call a magazine a clip one more ******* time!"
-- Jules Winnfield
-- Jules Winnfield
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Originally Posted By JoeDevola: I would say, don't change those light positions just to be able to shoot through those holes. You'll find that the farther back they are, the more "barrel shadow" you get. There are very few likely situations where you'll actually have to shoot through such a small opening, but having full light is eminently useful, always. I think with such short barrel arrangements you want to use your hand at the end of the handguard to brace against the edge of the hole, or just rest the barrel lightly, as you said. After a bit more thought, I think I'm going to move the light back on my carbine and leave it where it is on my wife's. Then try them out around the house and at the range. Our carbines are almost identical and are a great way to try things out head-to-head. For the past five weeks, I've been practicing room-clearing skills with my unloaded carbine or AR pistol about once a week. At night, in my underwear, with the lights off. It's been revealing ... and humbling. Buying an AR and expecting to be able to deploy it effectively in a home defense situation is like a non-pilot buying a jet aircraft and expecting to be able to land it on a dirt road in the Flathead Mountains. I've been training for a year and I still don't feel ready. |
"Call a magazine a clip again. I dare you, I double dare you mother******, call a magazine a clip one more ******* time!"
-- Jules Winnfield
-- Jules Winnfield
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You dont have to stick the barrel/handguard through the openings in order to make use of them. In fact, at times you should be practicing making shots using the barricade where you are actually not making contact on it. When placing accessories, they should be placed so you can make use of them in the majority of realistic positions/situations you may find yourself in. Them interfering with you using something like a port in a barricade is a pretty artificial situation in my book |
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Originally Posted By NCPatrolAR: You dont have to stick the barrel/handguard through the openings in order to make use of them. In fact, at times you should be practicing making shots using the barricade where you are actually not making contact on it. When placing accessories, they should be placed so you can make use of them in the majority of realistic positions/situations you may find yourself in. Them interfering with you using something like a port in a barricade is a pretty artificial situation in my book Thanks! I'm not really a one-size-fits-all sort of guy. I believe that there are times hen a little bit of compromise in one area can yield big benefits in others. The whole purpose of building these barricades is to learn how to shoot accurately and quickly in a variety of shooting positions and over, under, through, and around cover. My method is experimentation, adjustment, experimentation, adjustment, and so on until i figure it out and can do it competently. The range at which I typically shoot though the barricade is 100 yards. Being able to brace the muzzle end of the rifle increases both speed and accuracy, as long as I can develop the techniques for doing it quickly and accurately. After multiple sessions with them, I have determined that I do not, in fact, need to move the flashlight back to do what I want to do. I am now using the teeth on the front of the flashlight to grip the edge of the barricade next to the opening. I get the bracing I want and am no longer trying to put the muzzle though the opening. I solved the problem, in other words, rather than working around it. |
"Call a magazine a clip again. I dare you, I double dare you mother******, call a magazine a clip one more ******* time!"
-- Jules Winnfield
-- Jules Winnfield
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Originally Posted By JoeDevola: And that, my friend, is exactly how it's done. Learn by doing, what works best, then do that, till it's second nature. It is awesome yo see you experiencing those evolutions! It's awesome having such a great mentor. Thanks, brother! |
"Call a magazine a clip again. I dare you, I double dare you mother******, call a magazine a clip one more ******* time!"
-- Jules Winnfield
-- Jules Winnfield
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