Redback One's Combat Training System (CTS)

Over the past 6 years I have been designing and developing a systematic approach to combat marksmanship that builds a shooter from the ground up. This system is designed to train a shooter to handle, operate, carry and control a pistol, carbine or shotgun in a tactical environment. The application of this system is very robust and can be applied to the military, law enforcement and private citizens. This system is called the Combat Training System or CTS.

The techniques that are taught in CTS have been designed, developed, tested and evaluated by RB1 SME's prior to being incorporated into our training courses. Our SME's have extensive real world combat experience. All have multiple combat deployments to the Middle East and other areas of operations as members of Australia's Special Operations Task Group and U.S Special Operations Command.

Our CTS training techniques are unique in many ways. We have evolved current techniques to be faster and more efficient and developed our own techniques bringing new methods of deploying weapons and accessories to the tactical shooting world. The CTS techniques have been designed to teach a shooter how to systematically and subconsciously apply the fundamentals of combat marksmanship and weapons manipulation to maintain high hit probability and lethality and, to keep the gun running in a tactical environment.

Some of our unique training techniques include:

RB1 Power Turns - This method of turning to engage a threat is based on our asymmetric shooting platforms and allows the shooter to turn and engage a threat from 90/180 degrees up to .50 sec faster than standard turns and pivots. A saving of .50 sec in a gun fight can mean all the difference! The principle action in this technique is driving the outside hip towards your threat. This creates speed of movement and power similar to a boxer throwing a straight right punch. We incorporate angular momentum from the upper body to increase the speed of movement. The shooter needs to be comfortable shooter on the natural side with both the left foot or the right foot forward. This technique has direct cross over to our barricade shooting method and combatives program, allowing the shooter to perform strikes and parries to incapacitate or control non-combatants as required.

CTS: Power Turns

Transitioning to secondary weapons - Our method of transitioning from primary to secondary and back to primary have been developed for speed and efficiency as well as to allow the shooter to perform visual checks to determine why the weapon failed! Key points in this technique are tuning the primary weapon palm down with the support hand, and recovering the primary at the balance point of the weapon allowing the shooter to visually inspect the chamber as he re-holsters the secondary.

CTS: Transitioning from Primary to Secondary Weapon

System Check - Our system check allows the shooter to visually inspect the position of the bolt after an engagement by rolling the carbine/shotgun to the left or returning the pistol to the high ready. This check verifies the condition of the weapon, an important procedure under extreme combat stress where the shooter can unintentionally fail to recognize a weapon stoppage preventing him from engaging.

CTS: System Check

Flashlight Deployment - Our method of incorporating a hand held flashlight during low light engagements is an adaptation of another well known technique. However, with the RB1 method, the shooter is able to illuminate the sight picture and the threat at the same time. This aides the shooter to easily check the sight package prior to engaging. The flashlight is held in the support hand, hammer fist style, indexing the fist against the cheek bone. This aligns the light source with the shooters eyes, sights and target, giving him an excellent view of the situation. This technique does rely on being competent at shooting with the strong hand only.

CTS: Flashlight technique during our Night Fighting Course

Combat Grip

Pistol: The RB1 method of gripping the pistol gives the shooter greater recoil management than any other technique currently being taught. The grip looks similar to other grips being taught however the arm placement is the true key to the RB1 pistol grip method and recoil management. Having the arms parallel with the axis of the barrel increases the grip pressure at the top of the frame, limiting the weapons natural fulcrum action when fired. Our carbine grip leverages of the principles taught for the pistol, however the support hand is forward on the hand-guard.

CTS: Pistol Grip

Carbine: Our carbine grip will see the shooter with the support thumb indexing the target as per the pistol grip and therefore clear from the IR beams of the laser/illuminator. The alternate grip gives the shooter the option of wrapping the support thumb over the top of the rail interface further decreasing the fulcrum action during firing. The support arm should be parallel with the axis of the barrel as per the pistol grip allowing the shooter to draw the weapon into the shoulder pocket with both strong and support hands, increasing recoil management. This technique allows the shooter to drive the weapon faster from target to target by pulling and pushing the front of the gun. Accuracy is also increased as a greater portion of the barrel is being stabilized by the support hand. The elbow of the support hand should form a slight obtuse angle allowing the shooter to employ RB1 Combative techniques when required.

CTS: Carbine Grip

Y-Factor - We a true believers in providing the reasons why our techniques are taught as well as how and where they are applied. Giving the student a reason for learning increases the desire to learn and is seen as the crux of the adult learning process.

These are some examples of the methodology and techniques that form the RB1 Combat Training System.

RB1 - "innovation not imitation!"

Carbine's for Duty Carry, Which One and Why?

The United States is the center of gravity for all things tactical. The U.S market represents 90% of the world market and because of this the world's premier weapons manufacturers have set up shop here in continental United States to sell their wears to the military, law enforcement agencies and private citizens.

However, after world events such as 911 there has been a huge demand for weapons in the U.S. This placed massive strain on quality control systems of weapons companies as demand overtook supply. As a result, manufacturers produced what could only be seen by the end user as lower quality products that failed to meet the expectation of the consumer.

Another issue to compound the existing problems was the injection of new companies looking to capitalize on the buyers market. This has become the biggest issue for end users as one weapon looks much the same as another, yet one is priced to meet the budget of most civilian shooters and law enforcement agencies struggling with budgetary constraints and the other priced for high end private users and military units. To the layman, both weapons meet the specifications of the end user and price then becomes the deciding factor.

I would like to focus this writing towards the law enforcement officer looking to purchase a weapon for duty carry or an LE department looking to outfit the department with a patrol rifle for general patrol use or for tactical SWAT applications.

Here is a list of considerations when selecting a weapon for duty carry/use.

1. Mil-Spec: I am a firm believer in buying a carbine that meets Mil-Spec standards. The military operates in the harshest environments on the planet and if it's good enough for them, it's definitely good enough for domestic use. All of my AR15's/M4's are fully Mil-Spec, as are the parts kits and accessories. I will not have anything on or in my weapons that do not meet these requirements.

2. Manufacturer: (This is a contentious issue as the industry is full of 'experts' looking to capitalize on promoting themselves by promoting a weapon manufacturer. Bottom line is, business is business, but don't fall foul of believing the hype! Remember, the U.S market is 90% of the world market. Everyone is out to make a buck!)

Stick with high end manufacturers that build guns for the military. Colt has been supplying quality M4's to the military for a long time. I used one while serving and it ran like a charm. I now have two H&K 416's. I have had nothing but success from both of these guns and don't believe the hype that's out there about the problems with this weapon. I have LMT guns all are Mil-Spec and all run like a charm. My latest project is a collaboration with Monty from Centurion Arms to produce a fully Mil-Spec carbine for Redback One. Centurion Arms is a small and up coming company that produces excellent quality Mil-Spec carbines. Monty has put together rifles and carbines that closely resemble those currently being used by Special Operations personnel. An example of this is his Mk 12 SPR.

3. Direct Gas Impingement or Piston: I have used all of the quality DGI and piston guns on the market today. I like both operating systems. My advise is this. Stay away from piston driven guns that are not currently in wide spread use by U.S Special Operations. I have seen all of the issues such as heat transfer to the hand-guards, reliability issues, excess recoil, accuracy problems, vibrations causing accessories to rattle loose and so on.

The fact is, good piston guns are more reliable than DGI guns because they will run without much lubricant and gas and carbon is not being deposited back into the bolt, bolt-carrier and body of the weapon which contributes to weapon malfunctions. FACT: piston guns need to be lubricated. Don't think that you will get away without lubing your weapon. Piston guns run better after a good cleaning and a light oil. This will not only enhance performance under normal conditions but it will prevent excess wear and tear on all parts, saving the bottom line of the department.

All piston guns recoil harder that a standard DGI gun. When I began shooting my HK416's I wasn't sure that I was going to like them due to the excess recoil. But, after only a short time I was able to manage recoil using our recoil management system just as effectively as any DGI gun.

4. Barrel Length: I believe that a 14.5" barrel is the best barrel length to issue patrol officers for duty. This length is perfectly suited for all conditions from rural to urban operations. Muzzle velocities are high enough to stabilize the projectile out to 200 meters, the lethal range of the weapon system. It's not too long so patrol officers can deploy the weapon quickly and effectively for active shooter response.

For tactical SWAT applications, I would encourage the decision to purchase a 10.5" barreled carbine. This will allow the officers to maneuver the weapon efficiently when conducting missions involving room clearing and CQB. Although terminal performance is compromised due to the much lower muzzle velocities. The 5.56 round can still be just as effective but relies more on shot placement that the terminal performance of the round selected. (The previous statement is true across the board, however training is the biggest factor effecting the lethality of the patrol officer.)

5. Round Selection: For law enforcement use I strongly advocate using the Hornady 75 grain TAP round as the preferred round for patrol and SWAT applications. This round has been tested and approved for use in U.S SOCOM and gives terminal performance similar to BH 77 grain OTM LR ammunition.

6. Accessories: I am a big believer in aiding the abilities of the shooter by equipping him with accessories that enhance his capability and lethality.

A. Having a quality weapon mounted flashlight is of paramount importance and should be seen as a standard accessory permanently mounted to the carbine. My preferred manufacturer is Surefire. No other flashlight compares, or comes close to them. I use scout lights on all of my carbine in various configurations from 3V, 6V, IR V series, low profile mounts to standard mounts. This is the best carbine flashlight on the market!

B. I believe that all tactical SWAT personnel should be issued with an NVG and Laser for there weapons. This force multiplier enhances the teams capability and enhances lethality by being able to target individuals without the need for visible light which can lead to mission compromise, potentially effecting a successful outcome.

C. Having a quality red-dot sight on the weapon is an obvious enhancement to the targeting capability of the officer during daylight or low light operations. I choose Aimpoint as my preferred combat optic and the T1 micro and the preferred model. You can't beat the battery life and how robust they are.

D. Keep a quality pair of iron sights on the weapon just in case the optic fails!

E. A sound suppressor can be an effective tool to enhance command and control at the tactical level. It also provides a silent entry capability for the assault team with the right set up and training. This is a desirable feature not an essential one. Go with a reputable brand such as Surefire or AAC.

F. You will need a sling for the weapon. Slings can be used for tactical use and for administrative purposes. Choose a sling that will best serve your purpose. The sling must NOT prohibit the maneuverability of the weapon or restrict the user from accessing the control features of the weapon. There is way too much industry hype on sling choice. Don't believe the hype! A two point sling will allow you to sling the weapon on your back to climb, go hands on, conduct admin, attend to a casualty etc. It will also allow you to operate the weapon tactically and transition to your secondary weapon as required. A single point sling is purpose built for CQB only and you will not be able to perform the functions mentioned of the two point sling. I have designed a two point sling that is low profile, only 1" wide, is adjustable for tactical use and administrative use. It will be available soon through RB1 and SORD USA.

My final thoughts are this. Buy quality and buy once! Don't believe the hype! Seek advise from unbiased people that know what they are talking about.

Please feel free to contact me or Redback One at any time for any advise on training, tactics or equipment.

Stay Safe.

Redback One Combat Pistol Sights

Our custom designed RB1 Combat Pistol Sights are now in production and should be ready in a few weeks. At this time they will only be available for Glock model handguns however, we may expand the line based upon demand.

These sights have been the product of several months of T&E to find the perfect match of height, width and depth to produce a pair of combat sights that shoot Point Of Aim/Point Of Impact at all ranges out to 100m.

Special thanks to Hilton Yam of 10-8 Performance for taking on this project and getting the sights to production.

I will have more information regarding Specs and pricing soon. To reserve your set of RB1 Combat Pistol Sights please email me with your request. JF

Physical Fitness & Nutrition

A few years ago I was training twice a day seven days a week, I was on a great nutritional plan designed by a professional nutritionist, seeing a sports therapist on a regular basis for massage therapy and had a physical therapist on standby for any injuries. I was playing Australian Rules Football (AFL) at a professional level and was a team member of one of the best counter terrorist units in the world. I was is in peak physical condition and feeling great.

When I discharged from the military and arrived in the U.S, I tried to maintain this training regime and eating plan. During the first year I was able to keep up the fitness with regular visits to the 'gun shop' and plenty of pounding pavement. The one thing that I was struggling with was the nutrition! I was bombarded with fast food, eating out, too much processed foods and way too much saturated fat.

The one thing that I noted was how difficult it was to buy everything that I wanted from one supermarket! I had to drive to sometimes three different supermarkets just to buy what I needed. One didn't have very good fresh produce, the other didn't have very good fresh lean beef. This was very frustrating and made shopping days difficult.

Being a civilian, managing a business and balancing a family, I find that time is my worst enemy. It's hard to eat clean every day because of such a busy lifestyle. I have fallen fowl to a cheese burger and nacho cheese on a far too regular basis.

I don't think that I am on my own here, so I thought that I'd write some notes on some good PT workouts that gets results and for the most part are low impact, so joints will be preserved. I will also cover some good clean eating tips that will help the waistline!

Most of what I will write is either common sense or proven methods that I have not designed. I find that he biggest problem with fitness and clean eating is US! We make too many excuses for why we can't do it rather than reasons why we should do it. Then we look in the mirror and say "I should go on a diet!" or "I really need to work out!"

Eating 101

The first thing you need to do is clean out the pantry! Get rid of anything that will contribute to your physical demise! If you don't have it, you won't eat it! Keep the kids healthy too, they don't need ten different types of high fat cereals or snacks either. Keep plenty of yogurt, bananas, berries, and juice. No soda! I will cover what supplements are worth investing money on later also.

PT 101

Start to plan now for your PT sessions. Keep it at the same time everyday, make it part of your day and treat it like a business meeting and you have to attend! Log it into you electronic diary so that you don't forget about it. Have your PT gear ready and any other equipment for your training. Most of us have bits and pieces of home gym type equipment at the house and that's what you will need for the training that I will outline. If you have a gym membership and go, you can do all of these workouts also.

There will be more to follow!

JF

Redback One - SWAT Magazine Cover & Article

We recently had Ed Lawrence one of SWAT Magazines writers attend one of our 3-Day Tactical Pistol Carbine courses. Ed called me prior to the class and asked if I was interested in the possibility of getting the course covered in SWAT Mag. I was pretty excited about this opportunity as I have been a fan of SWAT Magazine for about 20 years! I remember driving across the city of Melbourne Australia to a local news stand that sold the magazine to pick up a copy every month. At that time I was a fresh faced 18 year old looking to join the Army!

After the course concluded I spoke to Ed on several occasions clearing up some doubtful points regarding the course curriculum and in-particular our training methodology and what we call our 'Y-Factor' the reason WHY we do what we do.

Not only did the article turn out great but we also made the cover!

The guys at SWAT Magazine sent us the link to the article as a sneak-peak. To read the article please click on the link below.

http://digital.swatmag.com/SWAT/2011/SWAT1108/?BuildGuid=8381791a-c090-49b0-8c3b-2fcaf7ef996d

Shooting 'Molly-dooker'!

In the tactical shooting world there are seldom times that a right handed shooter needs to be a 'molly-dooker' (Australian slang) or left handed. So why are more and more shooting instructors, me included, teaching this low percentage skill to our modern war fighters? Surely it makes more sense to train someone to a better standard on their natural side rather than spend time trying to teach them to become a left hander, right!?

Well, it's partly true. It definitely makes a lot of sense to train someone to a higher standard on the natural side before training them to become a steely eyed freedom fighter on their non-master or support side.

So when would I ever need to switch the gun to my non-master side? And even if I did, why would I need to do it so fast?

These are the typical questions that I get asked when training students on this advanced technique. The answer though really lies with the task that needs to be performed by the individual or the unit. For example, an assault team that is dynamically entering a structure using the principle of speed to their advantage in order to maximize surprise, left handed techniques will seldom if ever apply. This is due to the short duration of the mission and use of overwhelming force ratios. This type of approach is frequently used also during hostage rescue or recovery type operations.

But, with the emergence of new enemy tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) designed to combat our modern warfare doctrine, we the good guys need to adapt and develop new TTPs or Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to counter our enemies. This struggle or tug-of-war as it were, has been going on for centuries.

How this relates to being a 'molly-dooker' is this. Being able to safely handle and operate the weapon on both sides of the body confidently, provides the shooter with added security when performing CQB/MOUT (Close Quarters Battle/Military Operations in Urban Terrain). Being able to switch the weapon from natural to support shoulder, mount the weapon and accurately engage a target quickly and decisively is a real advantage to the shooter. Shooting from the support shoulder and from support side cover will provide the shooter with more security as he will be less exposed to the threat. These types of scenarios typically present themselves during urban warfare or MOUT operations. Support side shooting techniques can provide the commander with added force protection and flexibility, allowing him to clear enemy held strongholds more methodically while ensuring that the security and protection of his men is still maintained. This is particularly useful when conducting night operations using NVG's and Lasers.

There is another reason for shooting left handed, and that is to maintain combat effectiveness while injured. In line with the principles of Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), if injured during combat operations, an individual should apply self aid and attempt to regain the initiative and continue the fight if possible. In situations like this, the shooter may need to employ the primary weapon from the support side should he sustain injuries precluding him from using his natural side.

Some of our advanced weapons manipulations training will involve the students handling and operating the weapon with the support hand and shooting from the support shoulder. This training includes support hand manipulations where the student will need to rectify malfunctions and reload the weapon using only the support hand.

We always stress the necessity for speed and accuracy of movement during the drills. This is to breed the instinctive nature of weapon handling and shows us that the student has in fact learnt the drill, committed the sequence to the subconscious and is able to perform the drill on demand under stress.

Flashlight position & mounting options for your M4

I get asked a lot about where to mount your flashlight to your rifle. I also get asked about mounting options. So I thought that I would drag out some of my SF lights with different mounting options and show you how I mount mine. I am currently running a Centurion Arms full Mil-Spec Cabine. It has a 16" cold hammer forged barrel, covered by a DD M4A1 rail.

I always say that there is never a perfect set up. You will always have to compromise on something. You will always have to give up something to get something. So if you are struggling with the perfect set, just realize that everything is normal. Always remember that if it's tactical, it's not comfortable!

Figure-1

Figure 1 shows my laser (LD D-BAL A2) positioned on the 12 o'clock rail and close to the front sight post so the illuminator beam is not interrupted by the sight housing. My flashlight, in this case a 'V' series SF scout light, positioned on the 3 o'clock rail and forward to minimize shadow created by the light hitting the weapon.

I activate the flashlight by pressing the tape switch velcroed to the rail between the 3/6 rail with my support fingers. My laser switch is mounted in the opposite rail, 12/9 and is activated by my support thumb.

I find this to be the best mounting solution for both laser and flashlight as it is very intuitive and allows the user to shoot day and night while activating both laser and light with the same grip. The grip forms an integral part of the recoil management system and should not be compromised to access controls.

Figure-2

Figure 2 shows (4) different mounting options for your flashlight. The 'V' series light uses the proprietary SF QD rail grabber. I have rotated mine around so that it does not irritate my support hand. I always use an IR cover (figure-3)or black cover on all of my light to prevent white light ADs or to ensure that there is no reflection from sunlight creating shine and reflecting back towards the enemy. Another reason I keep a cover over the lens is so that is does not get blacked out by the muzzle blast.

Figure-3

The next light is a SF mini scout light and the body has been replaced by an S&S Precision IMF Hinged mount. This is an early model and the new ones are made from one piece of aluminum. This mount allows the light to be mounted to the rail so that the light sits between rail segments and keeping it as close as possible to the gun.

The third light is a SF scout light with another S&S Precision low pro mount designed specifically for the HK 416. This version like the previous is designed to have the light as tightly as possible to the weapon, keeping it very slick and tight!

The last light is again a SF scout with the standard thumb screw SF mount that comes with the unit.

My preference is still a tap switch over most others and to me honest my favorite switch of all time is the rubber SF on/off switch from the Classic series that I had on my MP5. Sometimes you need constant on!

Figure-4

For more information please visit the following websites:

www.surefire.com

www.sandsprecision.com

www.tnvc.com

www.centurionarms.com