ATACTV Firearms Blog

Remington 870 Shotgun Nomenclature

Mark Flinn and Lenny Bolton on ATAC TV Firearms Channel start the Remington 870 instructional programs off with a brief description of the parts and controls of the 870.

The Remington 870, what a workhorse!  The 870’s are one of the most reliable, robust and simple-to-operate pump shotguns on the market today.  It has been the staple for Law Enforcement, hunters and concerned homeowners for many years.  ATAC TV Firearms Channel has full instructional programs for the Remington 870 shotgun and you should watch all of them.

The parts and fire controls of the 870 are simple.  It is a pump action shotgun, which means that the forearm pump action must be actuated to load another shell into the chamber each time you shoot.  It has a push button safety, useful sights (many different sight options on varies models) and an assortment of barrel lengths are available on different models.  Simple is better!  Watch the introduction of the 870 on the video linked below and watch for all the instructional programs to learn more about the Remington 870 shotgun on ATAC TV Firearm Channel.

Watch Now: Remington 870 Shotgun Nomenclature

AtacTv.com is a free source for Raw, Unscripted Firearm Training.  Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, it's Free!

ATAC TV Firearms Channel staffers Mark Flinn and Lenny Bolton briefly cover the linage of the Springfield Socom 16 rifle platform and it’s predecessors. It has a lengthy history and a battle proven heritage. The Springfield Armory Socom 16 is a direct descendent of the original design of the M-1 Garand battle rifle.  John C Garand’s rifle was the first semi-auto issued for general infantry use during World War 2.  Chambered in 30.06 and fed with an 8 round clip, it increased the firepower of the individual soldier and the squad level group to a much higher level.  General George S. Patton was quoted referring to the M1 Garand as “The Greatest Battle Implement ever devised”.  Many believe that this rifle changed the course of World War II in favor of the allies.

Taking another step forward in available firepower, M-14 was introduced after the war, and it sported the same reliable action with a shorter cartridge (.308) that still had power and accuracy, but allowed the soldier to carry more ammunition in the field. This rifle is magazine –fed and capable of full auto fire.  The semi auto version designated M1A was soon introduced and both were extremely accurate and reliable.  The M-14 and M1A are still in use today in many of our armed forces.

In recent years, modifications to this battle proven firearm platform have produced useful variants that we see now.  The Springfield Socom 16 is one of these and here are some specifications of this rifle:

• 7.62mm NATO (.308 win)
• Barrel Length: 16.25”
• Total Length: 37.25”
• Weight: 8.9lbs.
• Sights:
  • Front: XS Post w/Tritium Insert
  • Rear: Enlarged Military Aperture
• Trigger: 2-stage military, 5 to 6lbs.
• Magazine Capacity: 10 & 20 round Box Magazine
• Black Fiberglass Stock

This rifle has the shortest barrel allowed by Federal law with out special paperwork.  Springfield Armory redesigned the gas system and included a muzzle break for more reliability.  Sights are rugged and include a front sight with a Tritium insert.  The stock firearm comes with a small rail mount just forward of the bolt group to mount optics or red dots.  All the fine points of the Socom 16 are pointed out in the full instructional programs on ATAC TV Firearms Channel, be sure to watch all of them.

This rifle is great for any close quarter tactical situation or just riding around on the farm.  Watch the video linked below and watch for all the Socom 16 instructional programs coming to you on ATAC TV Firearms Channel.

Watch Now:  Socom 16 Brief History Program

AtacTv.com is a free source for Raw, Unscripted Firearm Training.  Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, it's Free!

H&K USC Nomenclature Program

The H&K USC is a light, fast handling and very reliable Carbine. Tom Clarke and Mark Flinn with ATAC TV Firearms Channel did some rigorous testing with the USC carbine and found that it would be a great choice of a firearm for many people.

Tom and Mark discuss the basic identification of the external components and controls of the H&K USC Carbine. This carbine is derived from the UMP full-auto version manufactured by H&K in Germany.  The manufacture of the firearm is mostly made out of polymers, which is demonstrated by the lightweight of the USC Carbine. This rifle imported to the USA has a 16” barrel, is chambered in .45 ACP and weights in about six pounds.  With a large ejection port, the carbine runs extremely well and is very reliable. It has options for accessory rail mounts on both sides of the forearm and on top for optics or any other uses.

Take a look at the video linked below for the basic introduction to the H&K USC Carbine, and look for the Basic Training H&K USC programs being released every week in the H & K USC Training category on ATAC TV Firearms Channel.

Watch Free Program Now:   H&K USC Nomenclature Program

AtacTv.com is a free source for Raw, Unscripted Firearm Training.  Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, it's Free!

Dry Practice Handgun Double Feed Program

A Double Feed malfunction in a handgun means that two cartridges are competing for the same space, to get into the chamber of the handgun. Tom Clarke and Mark Flinn teach the proper clearance procedure for this malfunction in a Glock and 1911.  This procedure will clear out most handgun platforms and will work every time, if completed correctly.  It’s simple and fast if you train and develop the skills. 

Lets walk through the steps to fix these handguns.  If you feel a dead trigger, trigger finger straight, cant your wrist and look at the ejection port, lots of brass in the port, lock the slide to the rear, strip the magazine out of the handgun, rack the slide at least three times, insert a new magazine, rack the slide to load a cartridge into the chamber and get back on the sights and target.

A quick summery:

• Look, Identify  malfunction type
• Lock Slide Back
• Strip Magazine
• Rack Slide 3 or more times
• Insert Magazine
• Rack Slide
  

Practice this procedure slowly and ingrain it into your muscle memory.  The firearm can be cleared and back ready to fire in just a few seconds if you train.

Watch Free Program Now:  Dry Practice Handgun Double Feed Program

AtacTv.com is a free source for Raw, Unscripted Firearm Training.  Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, it's Free!

Sniper Rifle Bolt Disassembly in the Field

Need to pull the firing pin out of your Custom Sniper rifle bolt while in the field?  Lenny Bolton and Tom Clarke with ATAC TV show you a simple way to take the bolt apart without tools or a bench.  There could be a time you might need to know this technique.  Watch the free video and learn a simple tip to keep your sniper rifle running when times are tough.  This will work on any of the Remington 700 series rifles.

Watch Now: Sniper Rifle Bolt Disassembly in the Field Program

AtacTv.com is a free source for Raw, Unscripted Firearm Training.  Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, it's Free!

Sniper Rifle Field Maintenance Program

The Sniper Rifle, and/or most other bolt action rifles require some maintenance when in the field for extended periods of time.  The Maintenance cleaning is a simple process to guaranty that your Sniper Rifle remains functional.  Lenny Bolton and Tom Clarke with ATAC TV demonstrate the proper way to keep the Sniper Rifle clean, and discuss the different parts of the rifle to inspect / lubricate, such as, the bolt, barrel, bore, bolt locking lugs and chamber area.

The tools to maintain the Bolt action rifle are few.  A rag, Break Free / CLP and a Bore Snake will take care any of the field maintenance issues with ease.  Take the time to keep your Sniper Rifle up and running while out in the field.  Watch the video for the proper way to accomplish this goal.

Watch Video: Sniper Rifle Maintenance Program

AtacTV.com is a free source for Raw, Unscripted Firearm Training.  Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, it's Free!

Sniper Rifle Nomenclature

Do you know all the names and location of the parts of your Sniper rifle?  You should!  The bolt, trigger assembly, ejection port, barrel, magazine well or trap door, safety lever, bolt release lever, muzzle, etc, these are all parts of your rifle that you should understand and have the skill to operate.

To complicate the matter more, the optics mounting platform, rings, scope/optics and their controls have to be understood to effectively employ the Sniper rifle.  Tom Clarke and Lenny Bolton of the ATAC TV Staff discuss the basic understanding of what the identification of each part on the Venom Tactical Custom Sniper Rifle.  You need to know this! Get your Rifle and follow along with these guys on the video below.  This is basic stuff, so don’t assume you know it.  Watch the video to insure you have the basic understanding of the Bolt Action Sniper Rifle.

Watch Now:  Sniper Rifle Nomenclature Program

AtacTV.com Firearm Channel is a Free Source for Raw, Unscripted Firearm Training.  Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, it's Free!

Sniper Tactical Scope Rings

The Scope Rings are a critical mount for the Scope on a Tactical Sniper Rifle and have to be strong and robust.  Lenny Bolton uses only the best, and has chosen Leupold MK4 Tactical steel rings for our custom Sniper Rifles.  Lenny is the maker of some of the most sought after sniper rifles. They take some time to complete, but each one Lenny Bolton builds himself.  Take a look at the program by click on the link below. 

There are many different types of rings available, but this is an area that you should be “picky” about what you install on your rifle.  It’s a matter of choice and the best way to solve this issue is to pick a company that has a proven track record with rings.  Quality Two-piece rings with at least 4 screws each are required.  Some rings have 6 screws on each ring and these do have a “cool” factor.

There is one type of mount should not be considered for a Tactical Sniper rifle.  Quick detach style scope rings do not have a place on any sniper type rifle.  Your rifles zero may save your life or the life of someone else. Are you prepared to gamble?  I am sure not.

Here are a couple of items to consider:

• The wider the ring, the more the probability of tweaking the scope body when tightening the ring halves, if the rings are not perfectly aligned.
• Rings should always be selected to allow the scope to sit as low as possible on the action.  You only need clearance for the objective lens of the scope.  Mounting the scope higher than necessary will only cause problems with cheek weld and also make the scope more prone to damage.

Watch Now:  Mounting your Scope Rings onto the Base Program

AtacTV.com is a free source for Raw, Unscripted Firearm Training.  Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, it's Free!

Scope Bases for the Sniper Rifle 

The Scope Base is a very important piece of the whole Sniper Rifle package.  The scope base mounts on the top of the receiver of the rifle and must be installed correctly.  There are a couple of different types of base mounts, and it’s a matter of choice which type you use on your rifle. 

Below is a quick description of the Free Scope Base Mounting Program on ATAC TV Firearms Channel.  Lenny Bolton takes you the necessary steps to mount the scope base correctly. 

One and Two-Piece bases:

• Two-Piece Scope base is just what it says, two separate base mounts, (front & rear) including a front base & rear base that is mounted separately to the rifle receiver. The Two-Piece Scope base can allow for some irregularity in the receiver manufacture and is usually lighter weight. This mount system also limits the amount of movement of the Scope Ring Set, which could be detrimental for your eye relief settings.

• One-Piece base is one continuous piece of steel or aluminum. The One-piece is usually heavier but offers more rigidity with more fore and aft adjustment options for scope ring positioning. It is imperative that the fit of the one-piece rail is perfect to the receiver, if not the receiver may be distorted when the base is tightened to the receiver.

The best bases are machined from one billet.  Quite often cheap bases warp during the heat-treating process and some cheap bases are stamped out of soft steel.  The best quality bases are machined from one billet.

There have been arguments as to which is better. One thing that can't be argued over is the fact that if you have an expensive rifle, installing cheap scope bases and rings is plain stupid. If the fit of the base to the receiver is not correct, stop, find out why or take the rifle to a qualified gunsmith. Bases that do not fit correctly will either distort the receiver when tightened or will work loose.

Some of the high quality bases have built in recoil lugs. This is a good idea that allows greater rigidity of the base under the recoil of the rifle. Good quality bases also use good quality mounting screws. Common American sniper scope bases are built to the Military Picatinny  1913 Standard.  An added feature in some scope bases is a 20 MOA angle built-in to the base creating a down angle relative to the bore of the rifle. This helps with the elevation range available in the scope.

ATAC Staff uses Badger Ordinance One piece bases or the Night force 2 piece bases with Leupold Tactical rings.  To see the Free Scope Base Program click the below link:

Watch Now: Scope Base Mounting Program

AtacTV.com is a free source for Raw, Unscripted Firearm Training.  Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, it's Free!

UZI Sub-Machine Gun Grip & Stance Program

Shoot an UZI Open-Bolt Submachine gun?  Tom Clarke, Mark Flinn and Stephen Bonnar, some of the ATAC TV Staff demonstrate the proper techniques required to employ the UZI Sub Gun in Semi & Full-Auto.  It all starts with Grip & Stance.  You need a good solid stance and connection to the UZI with your arms and hands for recoil control in full or semi auto mode. 

It starts with the Four (4) points of contact. Stock Weld, Cheek Weld, Firing and Support Hands pulling back and twisting down to aid in control of the recoil, especially in full-automatic mode.  The basics are the most important skills to acquire so that you can more to advanced techniques. 

Start now with the UZI Grip & Stance Free Video below.

Watch Now: UZI Sub-Machine Gun Grip & Stance Program

AtacTV.com is a free source for Raw, Unscripted Firearm Training.  Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, it's Free!