Primary & Secondary Article Library
Explore the Primary & Secondary Article Library: practical writing on firearms, defensive training, law enforcement, equipment, tactics, mindset, and the people who contribute to the professional training community. Articles are organized to help readers find durable information, professional perspectives, and useful resources by subject.
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The M4A1 Zeroing Process: A Practical Coaching Guide
A practical overview of M4A1 zeroing: establish mechanical settings, boresight where authorized, fire consistent groups, adjust from group center, and confirm at distance.
Read articlePistol Control: Arc of Movement and Trigger Press
Understand normal sight movement, acceptable stability, and how a consistent trigger press allows accurate pistol shots without trying to hold the sights perfectly still.
Read articleTraining Methodology for Dry-Fire in a Unit
For Fossil Friday, our discussion topic is training methodology, and how it needs to change specifically about dry-fire. Our references for this discussion are TC’s 3-22.9, Change…
Read articleHow to Read and Mark an M4A1 Zero Target
A practical coaching method for marking shot groups, finding mean point of impact, measuring dispersion, and making evidence-based sight corrections on an M4A1 zero target.
Read articleHow to Run Safe Dry-Practice Training for Large Groups
A practical framework for scheduling, supervising, scaling, and measuring dry-practice sessions for squads, units, academies, and other large groups.
Read articlePistol Eye Dominance, Zero, and Low-Light Aiming
How eye dominance, sight zero, and reduced light affect pistol aiming—and how to diagnose each issue without confusing equipment problems with technique.
Read articleCommon Pistol Sighting Errors and How to Correct Them
Learn to distinguish sight-alignment and sight-picture errors, diagnose inconsistent impacts, and use deliberate dry practice to build a repeatable pistol presentation.
Read articleM4A1 Magazine Problems: Inspection, Maintenance, and Prevention
How magazine condition can cause M4A1 feeding problems—and how inspection, identification, maintenance, and disciplined replacement help prevent avoidable malfunctions.
Read articleArmy Rifle Qualification Changes: A Historical Training Analysis
A historical look at the Army’s 2018 draft M4A1 qualification and the enduring training lessons behind timed transitions, positional shooting, malfunction response, and realistic standards.
Read articleP&S ModCast 129 – Gun Nerds 11: The Road To The M17 Pistol
A panel discussion tracing U.S. military sidearms through the testing and adoption of the M17 pistol.
Read articleBeginner’s Guide to Ruck Marching
A practical introduction to ruck marching covering footwear, pack fit, load progression, pace, posture, conditioning, recovery, and warning signs that should stop training.
Read articleP&S ModCast 120 — Joint Ops
Military veterans from different branches discuss joint operations, inter-service cooperation, organizational culture, communication, lessons learned, and memorable experiences.
Read articleThe Flex Cummerbund and the Birth of Arbor Arms
A firsthand account of how field problems, maritime requirements, prototyping, and user feedback produced the Flex Releasable Cummerbund Kit and helped launch Arbor Arms.
Read articleChoosing an Everyday-Carry Tourniquet: Evidence and Counterfeits
Andrew D. Fisher and Will G. explain how evidence, independent testing, current recommendations, authentic sourcing, training, and carry condition shape tourniquet selection.
Read articleP&S ModCast 109 — Jungle Operations
Military practitioners discuss jungle operations, including tropical environmental hazards, weapons and equipment, movement, navigation, sustainment, maintenance, and training.
Read articleZeroing the M68 Close Combat Optic: Preparation and Grouping
Prepare and zero the M68 CCO by confirming the configuration, inspecting the mount, firing repeatable groups, applying documented adjustments, and confirming distance.
Read articleUsing Excel PivotTables for Weapons-Training Data
Use Excel PivotTables to summarize weapons-training data by unit, date, course, or skill while preserving raw records, context, sample size, and valid comparisons.
Read articlePistol Draw and Presentation Fundamentals
A safe pistol draw builds a firing grip, clears retention and equipment, protects the support hand, preserves trigger discipline, and presents useful sights efficiently.
Read articleP&S ModCast 105 — Gun Nerds 7: Squad Support Weapons
A detailed discussion of squad support weapons, machine-gun theory, M240 and M249 employment, the M27 IAR, .338 systems, optics, ammunition, doctrine, leadership, and training.
Read articleWhy the Army ALT-C Qualification Was a Limited Substitute
The 25-meter ALT-C target could test foundational skills, but it could not reproduce wind, trajectory, target detection, or confidence developed at true distance.
Read articleM68 Close Combat Optic: Operation, Mounting, and Use
Understand the M68 Close Combat Optic’s operating principles, brightness, parallax, mounting, both-eyes-open use, mechanical offset, zero, and checks.
Read articleExternal Ballistics Terms and Definitions
A practical glossary of external-ballistics terms covering trajectory, velocity, drag, ballistic coefficient, wind, air density, yaw, zero, and corrections.
Read articleP&S ModCast 103 — Gun Nerds 6: 5.56 vs. .308
A military small-arms panel examines 5.56 versus .308, intermediate calibers, combat loads, recoil, hit probability, logistics, doctrine, and training.
Read articleWhy the Army Did Not Need an Interim Battle Rifle
A retrospective analysis of the Army’s 2017 interim 7.62 rifle proposal, weighing range and effect against recoil, ammunition, load, logistics, and squad employment.
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