Thoughts of a Brick Agent
Cold Weather Defensive Firearms Performance
By SA (Ret’d) Bruce Cartwright of SAC Tactial
Copyright January 2023
An email from my friend and mentor, Ken Hackathorn, got me to thinking about the degradation of a shooter’s performance as temperatures drop. This Thoughts of a Brick Agent covers my thoughts on that topic.
Folks who carry guns in harms way, no matter what their profession, have an obligation to maintain their skill level year-round. I am not sure who said it, but that person who remarked that we don’t get to make an appointment for our next gunfight was correct. Hence the need to train in all types of conditions. I was reminded of this on a recent range trip in late December. I live in rural western Montana. The temperature was in the upper 20s with about 8 to 10 inches of snow on the deck. I was bundled up while I set up the range and got my gear arranged. I ran the Bakersfield Police Department handgun qualification, among others. I used my FN Hi Power that I carried in a Sparks Summer Special II. I covered the gun with a heavy fleece jacket. The Bakersfield PD qual is a good drill but if you can shoot, it isn’t that difficult to pass on a cold (i.e., no warm up) run. I ran the course and passed with a score of 91. That said, my performance was diminished due to the cold. As I ran the drill, I realized that my control of the gun was reduced due to the cold affecting my hands. It showed in my times and score.
All of which, coupled with Ken’s email, got me to thinking about the effects of cold weather on shooting performance and some potential fixes.
Shooting guns in cold weather was something I learned about at an early age. I grew up in western Pennsylvania and routinely hunted in subzero weather and did some of that hunting at night. Much of what I learned about shooting in the cold, I learned from my Dad. My father served as an infantry man at the tail end of the Second World War. He was stationed in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. He operated in below zero temperatures for extended periods of time. Fifty degrees below zero was not uncommon. I never asked, but suspect some of the folks who trained my Dad were familiar with the cold weather combat in Europe. He often told me of living and training in the Aleutians. Many of his experiences where instrumental in me learning how to shoot in truly cold temperatures and bad weather conditions. Additionally, my initial duty station when I was in law enforcement was in New England. My first manhunt upon being assigned to one of my agency’s New Hampshire offices occurred in January on a twenty-degree day. I had just changed vehicles, could not find most of my gear and grabbed my shotgun, a 14-inch Remington 870.
I couldn’t find my gloves. At one point I spent an hour plus in dropping temperatures holding that 870. The gun was already cold and was physically painful to hold due to the temps. I learned lots of lessons that day.
In light of all of that, what exactly are the effects of shooting in cold temperatures and how do we address them? First, I think it is safe to say that as temperatures drop, our customary skill level drops. How quickly that skill level drops is open for debate. I think there are a couple of factors that exacerbate the situation. As a caveat to that, I believe that performance diminishes at an increasing degree as temperatures drop. The colder it gets; the worse performance becomes. I don’t have any scientific proof, but have observed that phenomenon repeatedly over the years.
I will say that once temperatures drop to say 10 degrees above zero or colder, it puts you in a whole other world. Everything gets harder to do.
Second, add in the presence of water in the form of perspiration, immersion (partial or full) or whatever the source and I think that tends to add to the misery index at a much greater rate. My Dad didn’t mind hunting and working in the cold and did it until late in life. What he detested was having to work in cold AND wet conditions. I tend to agree with his assessment.
Third, physical condition impacts a person’s ability to work in the cold. Again, I can’t quantify how much, but it is something I have observed. Along with condition is age. I believe that cold temperatures tend to affect older folks to a greater degree generally. Not everyone is the same, but it is a phenomenon I have observed. Hydration levels are important here. Lots of folks don’t think about staying hydrated, but I have found it is important. Another thing to consider is skin condition. Folks with dry skin tend to have a harder time. Something very few folks talk about is cracked skin on fingers. These injuries can be very painful and are best avoided.
Lastly, a person’s level of acclimatization is a factor. Folks who are used to operating in cold temperatures seem to do better in terms of performance. Look at the performance of the Finnish Army during the second world war for example. Some of our military folks also exhibit exceptional tolerance to cold. Along with acclimatization is the fatigue factor. As a day wears on, the effort it takes to do normal things in the cold is substantially greater. Fatigue sets in early and usually helps degrade performance. I recently read a NATO/Norwegian military study that listed the need for getting good restful sleep as an absolute necessity for operating in cold climates: “https://www.forsvaret.no/en/organisation/centre-of-excellence-cold-weather-operations”.
In light of that, here are some suggestions. First, improve your physical condition where possible. Try to get good, restful sleep if at all possible. Stay hydrated and condition your hands. I have heard of folks using all kinds of remedies here. Try them and find out what works best.
Second, get used to the cold. One of the things I do is shovel my walks/driveway in light clothing if possible. I can easily go back inside in short order if I start to experience an issue, but doing this helps me get acclimated to the cold. A friend gave me some advice along these lines: “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.”
Third, learn how to recognize the symptoms of hypothermia. I am no longer a certified emergency medical provider, but here is a quick tip: If you have trouble touching the tip of your thumb to the tip of your pinky finger, you are probably suffering from hypothermia. There’s lots more to it, but early recognition is vital. Get trained in this stuff.
Fourth, get and use good clothing. We are living in the “good old days” of miraculous cold resistant clothes. Do some research and don’t be afraid to get and use quality gear. Also, pay attention to your body. I recently had a discussion about how cold affects us, with a dear friend and retired police officer. He served in a suburban city outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was no stranger, over his long and distinguished career, to working in bad weather both as a patrol officer and SWAT operator. What bugged him was his head getting cold. What bugs me is my feet getting cold. Figure out where you are “weakest” and take steps to shore that up with good gear. “Buy once, cry once.”
As an addendum to my clothing comments, you need to have easy access to necessary gear. I have told students time and time again that it is a “Come as you are world”. The best gloves in the world are worthless if you can’t find them. I never leave my home, even in the dead of summer without having a jacket of some kind in my truck. Likewise, I always keep a pair of gloves and a wool cap in my jacket pockets. As the temperatures drop, the amount and type of gear I carry grows. I would have given an awful lot for a beat-up Navy watch cap and a set of GI wool gloves on that January evening manhunt in New Hampshire.
Fifth, gloves. Gloves are a double-edged sword. They can be beneficial and at the same time introduce levels of complexity in operating firearms. I have experimented with different types of gloves over the years. Using G.I. wool gloves actually allows me to operate most guns pretty well. I have also used Outdoor Research glove liners. I tried Kevlar lined search gloves and they were okay but not ideal because they were too thick. I have reliable reports that the gloves sold by SKD Tactical called PIG gloves (“Patrol Incident Gloves”) are user friendly in terms of shooting but typically do not provide much protection from the cold. Likewise, golf gloves may be a solution. These options are decent for shooting but do not provide significant protection for very long from the cold. I usually use an outer glove in conjunction with these options for better protection from the elements.
Guns with small trigger guards are always an issue. Double action revolvers are nearly impossible for me to operate with gloves on. This is mainly because I have trouble fitting into size XXL gloves. Semiauto pistols like the 1911 and Hi Power work pretty well. Traditional Sig double/single action pistols also work well. Striker fired guns, like the M&P and Glock can be problematic. The tabs in the trigger face of Glock, are a real pain. Winchester Model 70s and Ruger Model 77s with the swinging three position safety are very usable. Sliding safeties of the Remington Model 700 are more difficult to use. Cross button safeties are doable but require effort to operate with any degree of certainty. The AR-15 is pretty easy to operate. I cannot imagine wanting to try to disengage the safety within the trigger guard of an M1 Garand while wearing heavy gloves. If you think running guns with gloves on can be tough, try activating the momentary on tail cap switch on a Surefire Light while wearing gloves. It can be done but it takes time and practice.
Sixth, mittens in really cold temperatures are a god send. I have worn G.I. wool gloves and then donned a set of heavy leather, insulated mittens (sometimes called choppers). This is a very workable solution for me when hunting. I usually post up on a stand to observe game trails. I would wear my gloves and mittens. If I heard an approaching animal, I could quietly slip off my dominant hand mitten and be easily able to shoot. Another tip my father imparted was to coat his mittens with Neat’s foot oil. It preserved the leather and reduced the sound signature from creaking leather when I had to remove the mitt. As a result, I am not a big fan of synthetic mittens. Maintaining and increasing your situational awareness is crucial in cold temperatures because it usually takes us much longer to accomplish various tasks.
Seventh: Optics on weapons can be problematic. I remember shooting with a hardcore group of tactical shooters on a snowy, cold (20 degrees) evening in New Hampshire and fogging up my Aimpoint. Doom on me. It took forever to clear. Beware of breathing on your optic. I also learned about taking guns with optics from heated vehicles into the cold. It is usually a recipe for disaster. Ray Ordorica is a long-time gun writer who wrote a book about his experiences living for an extended period in the outback of Alaska (“Alaskan Retreater’s Notebook”). He talked about leaving guns outside so as to not have them freeze and using iron sighted weapons. The book is invaluable for the cold weather knowledge Mr. Ordorica conveys.
I think open emitter optics would be prone to all sorts of issues if covered with snow or debris from a fall. Act accordingly.
Eighth: Lubrication can be an issue. I tend to like synthetic lubes for guns being used in the cold and used sparingly at that. That said, some guns need to be lubed. 1911s and ARs come to mind. While Glocks need some lube, they seem to work well in cold climates with minimal amounts.
Ninth: Texture on weapons. I can tell you trying to maintain control of a 1911 with a smooth front strap or a stock Glock in cold weather shooting is an exercise in futility. Checkered front straps are much better. Of course, that is expensive. If you are of Scottish descent, as am I, try stippling. A sharp punch, a hammer (or a soldering iron for the plastic guns) and an evening’s work can turn a smooth metal front strap into a useable tool.
Tenth: Experience. Get out in the weather and try all of this stuff. The only way you will find out what works is by trying something and having it fail spectacularly. Adjust and try something else. Can’t wear wool gloves? Try synthetics. Hate over gloves? Try mittens with a trigger finger. How many times have you practiced getting out of your vehicle while wearing snow boots and a parka. Again, it is a different world. Do your guns work in the cold? Is your ammunition effective? Does the zero on your carbine shift in cold weather? How long do your batteries last? You do carry extra batteries, correct? Can you access them with your gloves on?
Shooting in the cold is something that has to be trained for. It is pretty difficult to simulate. The more you do it, the better you get at it. So, if you are used to performing a one second draw from an inside the waistband appendix holster, I suggest running your favorite drill standing in 18 inches of fresh snow in 20-degree temps with a 10 mile an hour wind while wearing a zipped up down parka. It will be enlightening. You may also need to adjust your frame of reference. Adding a second to the time allotted for drills when fully kitted out in cold weather gear is not unreasonable. In the real world, small frame revolvers in a pocket of a parka can be a great solution. Shoot in as many climatic conditions as you possibly can. I applaud folks like Clint Smith, Ken Hackathorn, Pat Rogers and others who had their students shoot in all kinds of conditions. Experience like that is invaluable. Only once you get outside and shoot in bad weather will you be able to determine what your performance level is.
I am also a firm believer in the old adage: “Keep it simple, stupid.” Much like operating at night, the simpler your approach to things, the better. The more involved your task, the harder it will be to execute in the cold.
Lastly, I would suggest talking to those folks in our community who served in places like the Ardennes Forest, the Chosin Reservoir, Fort Richardson Alaska, Afghanistan and worked in places like the oil fields of Pennsylvania and Montana. I learned an enormous amount from all of them. That hard won wisdom is disappearing at an alarming rate. Food for thought.
Thoughts of a Brick Agent
By SA (Ret’d) Bruce Cartwright
Copyright January 2023
“Thanks”
My good friends at Slate Creek Tactical, purveyors of finely molded kydex holsters and sheaths have decided to pursue other interests and closed the business. Slate Creek Tactical made some really functional holsters and sheaths for us at SAC Tactical that are in use even as I write this. I spoke recently with the owner of Slate Creek Tactical. All is well in their world and it was good to catch up.
While I will miss being able to acquire well made kydex gear from a true friend, I am happy that they are pursuing things that bring them joy. I am taking this opportunity to let my friends at Slate Creek Tactical know how much I appreciate their dedication to providing great equipment that allows responsible citizens and law enforcement folks to protect themselves from the dangers in our society. Thanks for a job well done and your friendship! It is an honor to number you among my friends.
Thoughts of a Brick Agent
By Bruce Cartwright
September 2019
Welcome to the SAC Tactical website and specifically my blog, “Thoughts of a Brick Agent”. My name is Bruce Cartwright. I retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2017 and have begun offering firearms/tactical/medical training to responsible citizens and law enforcement under the SAC Tactical banner. SAC Tactical is headquartered in western Montana. Please take a look at my website. Much of my background and philosophy can be viewed there.
During the process of setting up my website, I decided to add a blog portion. Needing a name for the blog, the FBI term “Brick Agent” came to mind. A “brick agent” is an agent who does the day in and day out work of the Bureau. He or she builds cases, arrests bad guys, does endless reems of paper and accomplishes the Bureau’s mission with-out fanfare or notoriety. In short, a “brick agent” is a quiet professional. I felt that was a fitting name for my blog. This blog will be a place to answer my students questions about FBI weapons and ammunition. Likewise, I will provide a little bit of history about the FBI, our use of various firearms during my career and other topics of interest. I will, from time to time, add articles to this blog. I trust that you find Thoughts of a Brick Agent interesting and educational.
Thanks for your time. Be safe.
Wheelgun Challenge
By Bruce Cartwright
October 2017
I recently spent a glorious fall day in Idaho shooting revolvers with several good friends and one of my mentors. While all of us recognize the utility of carrying a modern “plastic fantastic” we also remember the days when a revolver was the iron to carry. My mentor mentioned that revolver shooting was becoming a lost art. During my time as an FBI Special Agent I witnessed the transition from revolvers to soulless plastic pistols and had to agree. My interest in revolvers had been reignited about 2 to 3 years ago and I have haunted many old gun shops for prime specimens of the breed. Once, you could find all manner of used, but good condition, revolvers, holsters, speed loaders, and stocks; now those items where conspicuously absent. During one of our breaks, one of my friends mentioned that he wanted to get better at running a revolver. Then he threw down the gauntlet: He challenged me to carry a
revolver as my primary defensive handgun for a year-365 days. He would do the same. I’m retired and can carry what I want. That said, I have carried 1911s and plastic pistols for close to 30 years. I broke in on revolvers, but they have not been my main carry guns since the mid-1980s. Well you can’t really say no to something like that, so I accepted. Caveat Up Front: By mutual agreement, my friend and I ended our experiment after six months. We pretty much proved our points to ourselves.
What follows are a series of brief articles about my experiences running a wheelgun for an extended period.
First though, here are the specifics about my hardware: I love Smith and Wesson revolvers but have decided to carry a Ruger GP-100 Match Champion in .357 Magnum. Rugers are built like anvils and can withstand stupid amounts of abuse and shooting. If someone hands you a five-gallon bucket of full power .357 ammunition and challenges you to shoot all of it, the Ruger can withstand it. The Match Champion has been refitted with a set of factory Ruger compact stocks. They tend to be much more concealable and fit my hand very well. They remind me of Pachmayr Compac stocks of yesteryear. I am apparently the only person that does not like fiber optic sights. As a result, I removed the plastic
fiber optic tube from the Match Champion’s front sight and repainted it in blaze orange.
I carry the Match Champion in a Slate Creek Tactical (http://www.sctactical.com/) Inside the Waist
Band kydex holster. I have traditionally used leather holsters for my serious carry rigs. That said, Slate Creek Tactical of Hayden Idaho makes superb holsters. I have been using a Slate Creek Tactical IWB holster for my S&W M&P since I retired, and the holster makes the gun disappear faster than a politician’s promises. In light of, my success using Slate Creek Tactical’s gear, it made sense to use one of their holsters for my revolver. I have been delighted with the holster and how well it works. Give Slate Creek Tactical a hard look for serious kydex.
I started with HKS speed loaders and then I shifted towards Safariland Comp IIs. Once I saw how well the Safariland Comp IIIs worked, I obtained several and have been carrying one or more of them. Ammunition has been Federal 125 grain jacketed hollow point. Yeah-I know this doesn’t pass FBI ammunition protocols, but it is what I had on hand. Besides, lots of coppers put bunches of bad guys in graves using this round.
I started the Wheelgun Challenge officially on 18-October-2017. More to follow.
Wheelgun Challenge II
By Bruce Cartwright
December 2017
As I mentioned in the first installment of this series, I was challenged to carry a revolver as my primary defensive handgun for an extended period (My challenger and I, by mutual agreement, ended this experiment at the six month mark). As I wrote this installment of the Wheelgun Challenge, I had been carrying a Ruger Match Champion for two months.
Here are a few things I have observed.
First, the most significant deficiency I have found is the lack of a white light attachment. I carried Glocks at work, and after I retired from the FBI, I transitioned to the S&W M&P series autoloaders in 9mm. Both systems have integral frame rails that readily accept white lights; being older technology, most revolvers do not have this feature. While I don’t find this a big handicap when actually carrying the gun, it is a decided handicap when I take the gun off at night. My Glocks and M&Ps allow me to have a high intensity white light attached to my bedside handgun, which simplifies the identification of potential threats. With the GP100, I have to carry a Surefire 6P or Streamlight 1L 2AA Pro-Tac.
Second, my Glocks and M&Ps are equipped with night sights. Night sights have a fairly small window of usability, but it is a capability that I don’t have on my revolver. I became accustomed to being able to access a handgun which carried night sights and a white light not to mention 18 rounds of on board ammunition capacity.
Third, carrying reloads sucks. I use a combination of Bianchi Speed Strips (Whoever named them Speed Strips, like “Near Beer’ was a damn poor judge of speed and distance…) and Safariland Comp III speed loaders. The Safariland Comp IIIs are probably the fastest way to reload a revolver but they are bulky. I will qualify my comments by saying this covers conventional speed loaders. Revolvers using full moon clips easily beat conventional speed loaders in my hands. It is relatively easy to carry a spare Comp III during cooler months, but it will be an interesting task during warmer months. Packing my M&P autoloader and a spare magazine was easy and very concealable. That let me carry 35 rounds of ammo. Doing that with a revolver means I have to carry a combination of 5 speed loaders or strips. Good grief!
Fourth, revolvers are harder to shoot than autoloaders, but this is a two-edged sword. Revolvers, when properly run are shot in double action or trigger cocking mode. The pull weight in DA generally is between 9 and 12 pounds. That requires lots of concentration. My M&Ps are set up with 5 pounds triggers. This combined with a very short arc of trigger travel contributes to an easy to shoot gun. Shooting upper 90s on the “Test” drill is pretty easy with a gun set up like that. Doing that well with a revolver is doable but it takes time and practice. The other side of that two edged sword I mentioned is that knowing you have only 6 rounds before you need to reload reinforces the need to really focus on your trigger control. Double action shooting tends to instill good habits. Habits like smoothly pressing triggers and really watching the sights.
On the positive side of the ledger, training with a double action revolver has the benefit of making you a better shot with other types of weapons. My observations are that if a person can fire a double action revolver well, there is nothing, in terms of firearms, that cannot be mastered by that person. As an example, at one point, I set a goal for myself: I wanted to fire a passing score on the FBI Bullseye course with a 2.5 inch barreled S&W Model 19 shooting double action only. It took a bit of practice, but I achieved that goal. One lesson I learned from that experience was that shooting a short barreled revolver really requires a laser like focus on fundamentals. The upside to my experiment was that I shot better across the board with other guns.
Part of the reasoning for me carrying a 4.2 inch barreled Ruger Match Champion was that the longer sight radius significantly improves my ability to hit. I figured anything that aided my ability to shoot very precisely would help me if I ever had to fire in defense of myself or others.
I have often recommended a double action revolver for shooters that are struggling with a semi-auto pistol. Initially these folks think you are asking them to take a step backward. What I find, is, even with a bit of double action dry fire, struggling shooters get an intuitive feel for proper trigger manipulation when they have to keep a revolver’s sights aligned during a long double action trigger pull. I routinely use a revolver in my own training program. If I find I am not happy with my level of precision fire, a bit of double action revolver work, sets me back onto the right path.
Carrying a magnum revolver filled with magnum ammunition, gives you magnum level power. Ballistics are the subject of another article, but if I can only have six rounds on tap before I have to reload, I want them to be as powerful as possible. I did a fair bit of shooting with magnum ammo. I had forgotten the amount of recoil and noise that magnum loads generate. I had become accustomed to full power 45 ACP and 9mm Parabellum loads. The reciprocating slide of the autos soaks up some of that recoil. Like any tool, you have to come to terms with the issues surrounding its use. I thought about carrying 38 Special loads, but never felt comfortable doing so. All of that said, because of a misspent youth reading Elmer Keith, Bill Jordan, Skeeter Skeleton and Col. Jeff Cooper, I had done a fair amount of shooting with magnum revolvers and quickly re-acclimated to the noise and recoil.
Revolvers are a hoot to shoot. There is something fun about them. Shooting them takes me back to a simpler time in my life. Americans were the good guys. Communists were the bad guys. It was okay to win. People weren’t all wrapped up in themselves and good guys carried magnum wheel guns. I find it a worthwhile endeavor to shoot the same courses with a revolver that I routinely easily shoot with an autoloader. Sort of nice being pushed out of my comfort zone.
More to follow.
Wheelgun Challenge III
By Bruce Cartwright
December 2017
This is the third installment of this series. The gauntlet having been thrown down by a good friend, I have carried my GP100 Match Champion every day as my primary defensive handgun for six continuous months. Update: By mutual agreement my friend and I ended our experiment at the six month mark.
In this installment, I wanted to discuss speed loaders. As a dear friend and mentor once said to me, anytime you shoot a revolver or shotgun, the event by default becomes a reloading event. Hence this discussion about speed loaders.
First a bit of my history. I grew up in Pennsylvania at a time when the Pennsylvania State Police (“PSP”) carried revolvers. In fact, PSP carried Ruger Security Six .357 magnum revolvers in stainless steel, with adjustable sights and four-inch barrels. I remember PSP transitioning from Colt Official Police 38 Special revolvers with six-inch barrels to the new Ruger. At the time, PSP used HKS speed loaders. If it was good enough for PSP to use HKS, I figured it was good enough for me. HKS speed loaders are inexpensive, robust and I never had one lose any rounds. I was aware of and occasionally used Safariland Comp II speed loaders (I also occasionally saw PSP Troopers with Comp IIs as well). They seemed fine, but I relied on HKS. I recently changed to the Safariland Comp IIIs and let me tell you why.
The reason for the change is the need for speed. Once I started shooting courses of fire that required more speed, I realized that the HKS were not the fastest loaders available. Another of my mentors mentioned that the Safariland Comp III’s were the only way to go. I acquired several and have been using them extensively. The reason for their quickness is that they are spring loaded and literally drive rounds out of the loader into the cylinder rather than relying on gravity.
The only downside to the Comp IIIs is their size. They are about as long as a typical high capacity 9mm magazine and also thicker. You have to get creative in carrying them. That said, the Comp IIIs that I acquired during the six months (2017), I carried the Match Champion have been holding up fine. I carried the Comp IIIs in a variety of pockets (Update: As of June 2020, the Comp IIIs are still working great.). The rounds have remained firmly in place and as a bonus there is no “rattle” of loose rounds. I obtained an elastic tool band marketed by Ready Man Inc., out of Salt Lake City, that wraps around a trouser belt and provides a 4 or so inch long tunnel of elastic. My thinking was I would place the speed loader horizontally along the long axis of my belt. I figured this might be a discrete way to carry a speed loader. I suspect a loose shirt should cover it. Unfortunately, I tried the elastic sleeves and they are too small to accommodate a Comp III. I am thinking about getting a local saddle maker to stitch me up a piece of commercial grade elastic that would be spacious enough to accommodate my Comp III. We’ll see. I am impressed with the Safariland Comp IIIs and have pretty much settled on them as my “go to” loader of choice.
I also carried a pair of Bianchi Speed Strips in my right hand pants pocket for an additional reserve. I am under no illusion about the Bianchi Speed Strips being quick to reload with, but I liked the additional reserve of ammo. I did the same thing whenever I carried an FBI authorized S&W J frame revolver.
One last point about speed loaders. Different bullet shapes work better than others. 125 grain jacketed hollow point 357 rounds tend to be easy to reload with. Sharp shouldered bullets, like wadcutters, can be much more difficult to reload with. One of the really cool benefits of carrying the Ruger Match Champion is that it comes from the factory with the edges of the cartridge charge holes chamfered. This really improves the ability to speed load that revolver.
As a training note, I have a bunch of “dummy” ammunition. “Dummy” ammunition is typically non-functioning ammo that carries no powder or primer. In my supply of dummy ammo is a bunch of 38 Special rounds loaded with 148 grain full wadcutter bullets. This is about the hardest type of ammo to speed load into a revolver. As a result, I tend to practice most of my dry fire reloads using wadcutter ammo. It is harder, but you are rewarded with an increased ability to speed load other types of ammo. Food for thought.
Wheelgun Challenge IV
By Bruce Cartwright
January 2018
This is the fourth installment of this series. I had carried a Ruger GP 100 Match Champion as my main defensive handgun since I was challenged to do so by a good friend in mid-October 2017. It has been a hoot. Update: By mutual agreement my friend and I ended our experiment at the six month mark.
In the third installment, I discussed my use of Safariland Comp III speed loaders. In this installment, I am going to talk about my technique for speed loading a revolver and how it has changed.
There are a number of ways to reload a revolver. The technique I used was developed by Massad Ayoob when he was teaching with the Lethal Force Institute (and it still a pretty good technique). In the LFI technique, after the last shot is fired, the cylinder is opened and the muzzle elevated. At this point the left hand (Assuming a right-handed shooter) runs palm down along the barrel and strikes the ejector rod smartly straight down. The revolver is then transferred to the left hand (I put the ejector rod between the pointer finger and middle finger as originally demonstrated by Ayoob) and then drop the muzzle toward the ground. The right hand now reaches for a speed loader and guides it into the cylinder. The right hand releases the speed loader and resumes the master grip on the gun. The left hand closes the cylinder and resumes a two-hand hold. The strengths of this technique are that it is pretty positive and the cupped left hand catches any rounds that miss the charge holes. It is a good technique, but slower than I wanted. By using your strong hand to manipulate the speed loader, you gain a bit better control over the insertion of the speed loader, but at a cost of adding an additional step in the process. Mr. Ayoob felt, as I understand it, that the added certainty gained from using your more dexterous hand outweighed any decrease in speed. It is a valid viewpoint.
One Caveat about using any technique that utilizes your non-dominate hand to eject empty rounds is that sometimes you can tie up a revolver if you over emphatically strike the ejector rod. The cylinder can be driven past the cylinder retaining nub on some revolvers.
After kicking this around a bit with my son and watching him speed load his revolver, I have come to adopt his technique. My son learned this technique from the late L.W. “Bill” Roberts of western Pennsylvania. Essentially, (again assuming a right-handed shooter), the cylinder is released and as the muzzle is elevated, the shooter places his trigger finger through the cylinder window and ideally puts it in contact with the cylinder thus preventing its rotation. The muzzle is elevated straight up, and the left hand palm strikes the ejector rod straight down (just as was done in the LFI method). Why elevate the muzzle straight up? By doing this, it is easier for the empty cases to clear the cylinder and any unburnt powder tends to stay in the cases during ejection. Unburnt powder can easily become lodged under the extractor star and tie up a revolver in short order. The shooter then uses his left hand to retrieve his speed loader and insert it into the cylinder. The shooter then closes the cylinder and gets back into the fight. I modify this by keeping, my revolver at eye level and loading the cylinder with the muzzle slightly depressed but facing my threat. The Safariland Comp III loaders use a spring to drive rounds into a revolver’s charge holes. The spring driven Comp IIIs really work well in this position. My son was raised shooting 1911s and saw no reason he couldn’t reload a revolver by putting his speed loader in his left hand much as he does with a 1911 magazine. My son beat me repeatedly on any timed reloading drill using this technique. I decided to give it a try and have since adopted it.
Upsides: First, it keeps the gun up between you and your threat. This increases your situational awareness. SA helps you win fights. Looking at the revolver near your belt buckle reduces your SA. Don’t believe me? Go to any martial arts dojo and observe students sparring. Do any of them look at their obi (belt)? Not if they want to prevail. I can tell you from watching/teaching numerous folks, that when something goes “wrong” with their handgun, they tend to drop the weapon toward their belt and their eyes become “glued” to the gun. Second, my speed is increased over my time with the LFI technique. Third, the speed loaders seem to clear the gun better than with the right-hand techniques.
This approach is thinking out of the box, but I have found it to work well. Thanks to the late Bill Roberts, the patriarch of combat shooters in western Pennsylvania. As Bill says, “The wheel came first”!
One last observation: I have been keeping a military M16 plastic cleaning brush in my range bag during my revolver sessions. I relearned a lesson from long ago. Despite my best efforts, unburnt powder migrates under the ejector star of the revolvers I shoot. I use the M16 brush to periodically scrub the underside of the ejector star. This tends to keep things functioning more smoothly.
Wheelgun Challenge V
By Bruce Cartwright
April 2018
This is the fifth installment in this series. I am now just shy of 6 months of carrying a revolver for my primary defensive handgun. In my case, I am carrying a Ruger Match Champion GP-100 stainless steel revolver in .357 magnum. This installment I am going to talk about power or more particularly stopping power. Caveat: I am not a ballistician, hard scientist etc. These are my views. Take them with a grain of salt. Update: By mutual agreement my friend and I ended our experiment at the six month mark.
Of late, there is a renewed interest in revolver shooting, at least among cops and folks of my age range. Maybe it is because these folks want to revisit their youth or some other sentimental reason. Whatever the cause, there is a renewed interest in “round” guns. One of the things that gets kicked around is the relative power of defensive rounds carried by these folks in their revolvers. The FBI recently experienced a caliber change and I think it is illustrative in terms of revolver shooters.
Within the last 5 years, the FBI has adopted the 9 mm Parabellum round as its new duty round. The theory that the folks at the FBI Ballistic Research Facility put forth in supporting the adoption of the 9mm is that bullet technology has advanced across the board significantly and even more so with new 9mm loads. I tend to agree the current versions of the 9 are way better than those of twenty or even ten years ago. I routinely carry a 9mm pistol without reservation. That said, is the 9 the equal of the 40 and 45? I don’t know. When I was a New Agent Trainee at the FBI Academy, I was issued the Sig P226 in 9mm. It was a great gun, but I was under no illusion about the fact that there were better cartridges for law enforcement. As soon as I could, I voted with my feet and bought a Glock 23 in 40 S&W and shortly thereafter, a Glock 21 in 45 ACP. I carried the Glock 21 for upwards of 15 years on the Job. I pointed that gun (as well as shotguns and M4s) at a pile of people and damn near had to shoot several with the 45. I had confidence in the 45. I witnessed the FBI transition from the 9mm to the 40 and now back to the 9mm. Even during the 40 caliber period, there was a significant group of agents who favored the 45. So, my question in all of this is what happened to all of the “weeds” we collectively plucked from the Lord’s Garden (To paraphrase Pat Rogers) with the 45 and 40? Did the passage of time somehow wipe the effectiveness of those rounds from the slate? I don’t believe so. The 9 may have gotten better, but that doesn’t diminish the effectiveness of the 40 and 45.
So, while the 9 is all the rage today, it wasn’t always so. There may be less of a difference today between the 9, 40, and 45, but I still think there is a difference, albeit a smaller one. The same thing appears to be happening in the revolver world. Newer 38 Special loads are better, but there is still a difference between today’s best 38 loads and 357 magnum loads. Some folks tend to think that the 38 Special in the +P version is the ultimate gunfighting round in revolvers and that you really don’t need anything else. I am not so sure about that. For the period when cops actually carried and fought with revolvers, the 38 Special was almost universally viewed as the minimum you would want to carry among those in my circle of acquaintances. Almost every cop I encountered wanted more powerful rounds. The 357 magnum was the king where I lived. The results were deemed very effective in numerous shootings. Almost no one wanted to carry the 38 Special if they could get a 357 magnum. Cops also wanted to get semiautos because they were being designed to be reliable out of the box.
From my perspective, bigger, more powerful rounds were more effective at stopping bad guys in the past. The heavier rounds still outperform the 38 and 9 but the difference is smaller today. The question that each shooter has to answer is whether the increase in effectiveness of newer 38 Special bullet technology is outweighed by the gains of going to magnum ammo. Each round had its positives and negatives and you learned to work around each. For the 357, it was the large flash, loud report and heavy recoil. For those down sides, you were rewarded with excellent stopping power. The 45 was viewed as being pretty much equal to the 357 and most folks I knew carried one or the other. Even during the revolver only period in the Bureau, if an agent could qualify with 357 magnum ammo and had the necessary approval, he could carry it instead of the 38 Special load. Again, many of the heavy hitters who were serious about agent survival did this. These were the same folks who actually carried a backup gun, practiced on their own time and tended to use long guns to shoot mopes who needed shooting.
The point of all this? When I started carrying my Match Champion daily for the Wheelgun Challenge it was loaded with old school Federal 125 grain jacketed hollow point 357 magnum rounds. I weighed the options and came out in favor of carrying the heavier magnum rounds. There are cemeteries full of bad guys sent on to their reward that were done in by hard cops carrying 357 magnum ammo While people may not want to remember history, that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. While the 38 Specials of today are better, if I am limited to six rounds, I want those rounds to be very powerful. The 357 does that pretty decisively.
Update: Of course, there may be a better option: The Speer 135 grain 357 magnum Short Barrel Gold Dot Jacketed Hollow point round. I have shot a small amount of it. The Speer load seems less violent than the older 125 grain loads. I believe that the reason for this is the reduced velocity of about 1,100 feet per second in a four inch long barrel. It also uses a bonded core bullet which aids in its effectiveness. I may start carrying this load once I exhaust my supply of the 125 grain Federal load.
Wheelgun Challenge VI
By Bruce Cartwright
May 2020
In this final installment of the Wheelgun Challenge, I am going to touch base on several thoughts/observations I have had since my time carrying a Ruger Match Champion full time, is now over. I carried a Ruger Match Champion 357 magnum revolver every day for six months. I learned several things and re-learned some old lessons. What follows is a brief summation of those lessons.
First, my Ruger Match Champion held up fine. It has quickly become one of my favorite revolvers and is my preferred revolver when I teach revolver specific classes.
Stocks: My Ruger came with very nice looking stippled wood stocks. These did not fit my hand and I did not enjoy shooting them. I decided I wanted a set of Pachmayr Compac round butt stocks. Pachmayr offered these stocks a long time ago for the GP100 series of revolvers. They haven’t been made in years. Finding them is nearly impossible. So, what happened? I found a set in a local store gathering dust. I bought them, put them on my Match Champion and immediately disliked them. My solution to all of this: Buy a set of Ruger factory compact stocks made of rubber with the wood stock inset panels. These feel much better than the Pachmayr’s and are very hand filling, yet easy to hide Growing up I read Elmer Keith, Skeeter Skelton, Bill Jordan, Ken Hackathorn, and Ross Seyfried. As a result, I shot a bunch of magnum revolvers with heavy magnum ammunition. I also remembered why there were so many pairs pf Pachmayr Presentation stocks in my revolver gear box. Those rubber stocks soak up a pile of recoil energy. I find that while the rubber stocks are ugly as a mud fence, they are a necessity if you shoot any real amount of magnum ammunition. I love wood stocks, especially those made by Craig Spegel and John Hurst, but I am under no illusion that using rubber stocks make long sessions of practice with magnum ammunition much more pleasant.
Revolver Modifications: The Ruger Match Champion has a really well thought out set of modifications that I don’t believe exist on any other factory revolver (I will qualify that by saying I don’t have access to the newer S&W Performance Center guns). The grip/stock extension allows a wide variety of stocks to be used on this gun. The beveled edges of the cylinder do make it easier to re-holster the Match Champion. I initially didn’t think this would be very noticeable, but I find re-holstering in a tight kydex rig is easier than straight edged cylinders. I Imagine that this feature will save some wear on a good leather holster as well. The chamfered charge holes are a really nice addition. I have paid extra to get that feature added to custom revolvers. It is nice to see Ruger do that from the factory. The chamfered charge holes do make speed loading easier. As strong as I believe the Ruger Security Six series of revolvers are, the GP100 is an improvement on the earlier revolvers in terms of strength. All of the engineering changes that Ruger applied to the GP100 are now assembled in a much more shooter friendly gun.
Maintenance: I don’t abuse my guns. Carry guns are cleaned immediately after a range session prior to being put back into regular service. My training semiautos get lubed regularly and cleaned only when necessary. All of that said, revolvers are different animals altogether. I cleaned my Match Champion pretty much after each range session. I have taken to keeping a military/M16 copper bristled cleaning brush in my range bag. I find my self doing with a revolver what I used to do during high round count classes with Pat Rogers. With the AR family, I applied lubrication every four hours of training. With the revolver, I take the time to brush out the extractor star and recess it fits in several times during a range session.
Ammunition: As a young shooter and reloader, I was always looking to save money or make my reloading funds go “further”. This lead me to cast bullets. I still do this today when I get a chance. That said, I have found that lead bullets have two significant downsides. One despite my best efforts they lead up the gun and get things very dirty, very quickly. Secondly, I find that the smoke from lead bullets tends to obscure targets when I am running a revolver fast. My solution is to go with plated bullets. They allow longer shooting sessions and don’t gum up the guns nearly as quickly. I am going to experiment with the new polymer coating on cast bullets.
Defensive Ammunition: I realized several years ago, that 9mm Parabellum has become the new 38 Special. I remember seeing gun stores stocked with a wide variety of 38/357 ammunition. You can still find 38/357 ammo, but the prices have gone up significantly and the selection isn’t as wide. I tend to shop carefully and buy revolver ammunition when I “want” to, rather than when I “need” to. I think the Speer 135 grain Short Barrel Gold Dot hollow point load in 357 caliber might just be the solution to the blast and recoil of my favored 125 grain Federal load. This load uses a bonded core bullet and is slower than the Federal load by about 300 feet per second. I think it hits a “sweet” spot in terms of greater power than a +P 38 but without some of the recoil and flash of the full power 125 grain magnum loads. I have also heard good things about the Remington 125 grain 357 Gold Sabre load, but I don’t have any experience with it.
Training benefit: Most folks find mastering the long double action (trigger cocking) pull of a revolver to be more difficult than shooting a semiauto 1911 or striker fired pistol. I have found that once a person learns how to shoot a revolver well in double action mode, there is nothing they can’t learn to shoot. The amount of concentration on fundamental skills is such that revolvers generally require more focus than other types of weapons. I believe that shooters that expend the effort to learn to shoot wheelguns well find that those skills translate very easily to other guns. While I primarily teach and carry striker fired weapons or 1911s, I always keep revolvers in my training rotation. I do this because of the training benefit and because they are fun. I did so much “serious” based training during my career, by choice and necessity, that once in a while it is pretty nice just to have fun shooting a gun I like.
Long Range Capability: As I mentioned before, I spent a portion of my youth reading the old masters, Keith, Jordan, Skelton, Cooper, and Seyfried. I also spent a pile of time in the woods hunting and recreating. I learned how to shoot a revolver at significant distance (at the time I has access to strip mines where coal had been dug back east; I had 400 yard ranges where I could shoot). The ability to achieve hits at long range may not be something you need very often but when you do, it is a nice capability to have. I am aware of a shooting one of my trainers at our Academy went through. When the dust settled, he had survived and his final shot that hit the subject was made at 47 yards.
Actual Carry: During the six months I carried my Ruger every day I didn’t experience any misgivings about being armed “only” with a six shot revolver. I adjusted my tactics to reflect the tool that I was carrying. I compensated a bit by carrying magnum loads. All of that said, I tend to carry a striker fired pistol most of the time. Like Pat Rogers said: “The mission drives the gear train”. If I am recreating in my chosen Montana, I am no longer at the top of the food chain and tend to carry big bore revolvers or 1911s. Those tools don’t serve me as well in more urban environments. All of that said, I tend to think the tool is much less important than the operator/shooter. Ken Hackathorn is friend and mentor. I was taking a handgun class from him several years ago. During one of the breaks, I asked him, since he has had the opportunity to train folks who shoot a lot of bad guys, what traits did the folks he trained possess that made them such successful gunfighters. Ken’s response was situational awareness. Ken indicated that the really successful gunfighters saw the things they needed to see before the bad guys they were fighting and acted accordingly. I never forgot that. Ken’s answer tracks with what I’ve heard/learned from other folks in the arena. While guns are important, learning how to fight is the greater concern. Having a gun, be it a revolver, 1911 or plastic fantastic and knowing how to use it, is what will save your life.
At any rate, those were my experiences/observations. Thanks for taking a look at these installments.
The Wheel Came First
Lowell W. "Bill" Roberts
10-April-1931 to 12-November-2019
By Bruce Cartwright
A very dear friend and mentor, Lowell W. “Bill” Roberts passed away at his home in western Pennsylvania recently. This “Thoughts of a Brick Agent” is dedicated to Bill.
I came to know Bill through my early mentor, Dan Smith. I grew up in western Pennsylvania. When I was in my teens, I was drawn to “combat” pistol shooting. Dan Smith was and is the “go to” guy in that part of Pennsylvania when it comes to combat shooting. I studied under Dan’s tutelage and it was there I met Bill. During one of my shooting sessions with Dan, I was introduced to Bill. There was no fanfare and Bill was a quiet good-natured gentleman. It did seem strange to me that Bill was shooting an old Smith and Wesson revolver (a K38 with 6-inch barrel if I remember correctly). At any rate, I was learning to shoot pretty well by then. Dan beat me regularly, but my skill was improving. Dan told me to shoot against Bill in a man versus man drill where we each had to knock down 15 steel plates. I was running a tricked out single stack 1911. I figured I had this drill in the bag. Once the buzzer sounded, I ran my plates and did what Dan taught me. That said, Bill beat me soundly. I vividly remember thinking that somehow Bill’s K38 went full-auto! I had never seen anybody shoot a revolver that fast or accurately. Bill smiled and mentioned “that the wheel came first”. It was the start of a long lasting friendship.
Dan later told me that Bill was the gentleman that taught him how to shoot. In essence, Bill was the patriarch of combat pistol shooters in that part of Pennsylvania. Bill was many things: Loving husband and father, veteran, teacher, loyal friend, quiet professional, and if I may be so bold, Sensei. Those that have studied traditional martial arts understand that a sensei is much more than a teacher. So, it was with Bill. He taught all who truly wanted to learn. I always took every opportunity to learn from Bill.
I have several great memories of Bill. One occurred at the International Cartridge Corporation Matches in the early 2000s. There was a team revolver stage. Bill and I decided to give it a go. Once the dust settled, we beat all comers. Bill’s smile said it all. I was proud just to be able to shoot with him, let alone contribute to winning the stage. One of my fondest memories of Bill involves my son, Wil. We were visiting Dan and doing some shooting with him. Bill stopped by and before I knew it, Wil and Bill are huddled on one side of the range. Bill proceeded to teach my son how to properly speed load a revolver. By my calculation, that is three generations of shooters that have benefitted from Bill’s knowledge, kindness and efforts.
I, my son, Wil, Dan and a number of others owe a debt of gratitude to Bill. Bill showed us the way when it came to shooting and more importantly what being a good and decent man was all about. It was my great honor to know Bill and call him my friend. I suspect he is happily reunited with his beloved wife, Ginny and scouting out ranges in heaven. Pretty soon, St Pete is going to learn that “the wheel came first.” Rest in peace, Bill.
Dispersing Your Shots
By Bruce Cartwright
After a recent two day handgun class in Parma Idaho, a switched on student reached out with a great question. Sue’s question was: Should we deliberately disperse our shots around our intended aiming point? Some instructors teach this practice. The theory behind this practice, as I understand it, is that by deliberately dispersing shots to an attacker, the shooter creates distinct penetration points and thus wound tracks. The theory goes on to state that multiple wound tracks increase our chances of incapacitating an attacker.
I don’t follow that line of reasoning because there is a significant diminution of shooter skill when they are confronted with a real-life crisis. I understand that a unit in our military studied this and found for its highly trained folks, there is a 25 to 30 percent reduction in accuracy once they enter combat. Likewise, Larry Vickers, himself a former member of the Army’s Tier One tactical unit, has addressed this. He tends to see a reduction in accuracy by shooters of about 50 percent. So, if a shooter can group his/her shots in a 3-inch group at whatever distance we are testing at, then realistically, they will probably be capable of shooting a six-inch group under the stress of combat. This tends to follow what we saw when I was in the Bureau. What no one talks about is what happens to the accuracy of folks who experience more than one shooting. What I observed was folks tend to get better. This seems to follow most human forms of endeavor-the more you do something, even shooting felonious criminals, the better you get at it. Since most folks outside of law enforcement will hopefully have no or only one such encounter in their lives, I tend to encourage the simplest practice, which is shooting for the center of exposed/high mass.
The "Five Shot"
By Bruce Cartwright
The “Five Shot” was an FBI nickname for Smith and Wesson J frame revolvers of various models that agents could carry up until December of 2004. These were mostly chambered in .38 Special but some in .357 magnum were around. These guns typically had 2 inch long barrels and fixed sights. They could be had in the Chiefs Special configuration with an exposed hammer, the Body Guard style with a hammer that was shrouded and the Centennial style with a completely enclosed hammer. The guns could either be blued steel or stainless steel, but I don’t believe nickel finished guns were authorized. Airweight models with aluminum frames were not authorized. The FBI Personally Owned Weapon List (“POW”) at the time, allowed for an agent to carry a variety of revolvers made by Smith and Wesson (and possibly Colt) provided they were blue or stainless, chambered in .38 special or .357 magnum, with fixed or adjustable sights and had barrels between 2 and 4 inches in length. Sadly, the Five Shot, was withdrawn from the POW list on December 31, 2004.
Since the Bureau typically operates in plain clothes as an investigative agency, lots of agents carried these guns. Even as late as the 1990s, when I joined the Bureau, there were still a large number of agents that carried these guns, especially lots of supervisors who didn’t do lots of street work. Supervisors were supposed to be armed and this was a small lightweight option for them. There was another group of agents that used these guns as back up weapons. Lots of Bureau heavy hitters carried this type of gun.
An agent had to qualify with their Five Shot and did so on regular qualification course that included a 25 yard stage. While the Five Shots were not easy to shoot, they were accurate. My worst score with my Five Shot was 92 percent. I shot many 100 percent scores, but I had had to work at it.
These guns filled a niche that is only starting to be addressed today-that of a small, highly concealable gun. The Five Shots could easily be carried in a coat pocket in your hand and surreptitiously pointed at a subject without anyone noticing. I did it several times and was able to cover my partner during a particularly tense encounter once. Most of the time these guns rode in ankle holsters, coat pockets and trouser pockets.
The Five Shot was not a gun you chose to go to war with. Rather, it supplemented your bigger gun(s). They were usually very reliable and hence were often carried when bigger guns couldn’t be used/concealed. It was nearly a decade after the Five Shot was taken off the POW list, that truly reliable small semiautomatic pistols (think S&W Shield) have been marketed. As this is being written at the end of 2017, the Bureau still hasn’t authorized a truly small semiauto pistol that would fill the niche that the Five Shot occupied for so long.
Today, most think these are guns for more experienced shooters and I agree. They lack capacity, have relatively heavy trigger pulls and are hard to shoot. But the Five Shot fills a niche that hasn’t really been filled to this day. I stopped carrying my stainless Centennial on the last day of December 2004 and regretted not being able to do so for the remainder of the time I carried the FBI badge and creds. Great little guns.
Heckler and Koch MP5/10 Rest in Peace
By Bruce Cartwright
When I attended the FBI Academy in 1997, we were schooled in 3 primary firearms: The Sig P228/P226; the Remington M870 shotgun and the Heckler and Koch MP5/10. I retired in 2017 and the MP5/10 has almost been completely phased out of service in favor of the M4 .223/5.56 carbine. This is a glorious obituary for the MP5/10.
The MP5/10 was a Bureau inspired version of the world famous MP5. Most MP 5s were chambered in 9X19mm. The MP5/10 as the name implies was chambered for the 10mm handgun round. The 10mm was adopted by the Bureau as a result of the Miami Shooting that occurred in 1986. The Bureau wanted a handgun and carbine chambered for the same round. The handgun was the Smith and Wesson Model 1076. The Bureau fielded about 2,400 Model 1076s but the gun was eventually withdrawn from service for several reasons. The 10mm version of the MP5 remained and it flourished.
The MP5/10 was the “cool guy” gun in the Bureau for a couple of decades. It was favored by SWAT (”Special Weapons and Tactics”) teams and HRT (“Hostage Rescue Team”). As good as the 9mm version was/is, I submit that the 10mm version was better. First, ballistically it drove a 190 grain jacketed hollow point at approximately 1,100 to 1,200 feet per second. It was a hammer. More importantly, it was a controllable hammer. A 190 grain 40 caliber bullet moving at 1,100 to 1,200 fps solves most fights pretty decisively. If you are fighting in someone’s house, it didn’t get much better than the MP5/10. Good ergonomics (except for the short safety lever), excellent power, small size, adaptable to optics, German reliability and high round count all added up to a great combination.
There was a special quality about the MP5/10. It was so easy to shoot, that most agents liked to shoot it. I heard it said, that the MP5/10 made poor shooters look good, good shooters look great and great shooters look unbelievable. I tend to agree. Most brick agents (non-SWAT folks) loved the MP5/10. It was easy to shoot and gave them a decided advantage if they needed something more than their sidearm.
I got to run the MP5/10 in full auto quite a bit. For a gun that dispenses the power of the 10mm, it was/is a surprisingly controllable gun in full auto. In 2014 my issued M4 (223/5.56X45 carbine) needed to go back to Quantico for an overhaul. The loaner M4 in my office was already in use, so I drew an MP5/10. Yes, the optics were not quite as nice as my Aimpoint and the fore end light only dispensed 65 lumens of light and it wasn’t a true rifle caliber, but it was an MP5. Where I would probably need a long gun would be for room combat and in that venue the MP5/10 shines. That said, as soon as I could, I replaced that MP5/10 with my M4.
I miss the MP5/10. It was a superb weapon that has been eclipsed by weapons with greater capability. It is a very well-balanced platform that allowed those who carried it to competently carry out their missions and do so with a bit of elegance. Long live the MP5/10.