The Smell of Hoppe’s Number 9 in the Morning

The Smell of Hoppe’s Number 9 in the Morning

There is nothing quite like that smell, and unfortunately I can’t seem to get the smell out of my nose, or my basement. It was two plus hours yesterday to get 10 magazines cleaned along with my PPQ. I still need to clean 4 other guns, and one other set of magazines. In retrospect, yesterday was good, batteries are re-charged, and I’m not only ready for a week of work, but I’m ready to get back to work and improving. While I may have taken the day off from a match, I did spend some time watching some of the men’s and women’s super squad video’s from USPSA Nationals this past week over on Liveshots. I’m always impressed by the movement, the confidence, the plan, and how fast these shooters get their sights, and keep on them, and the trigger. These elite shooters are just machines, great fundamentals, and consistent. I don’t know that I’ll ever be at that level, but I admire the time and work they have put in to perfect their craft.

I got 10 minutes of dry fire this morning, really, just pulling the basic draw info from Practical Pistol. Back against a post, drawing. I found so much movement in what I was doing; it took a couple of minutes to eliminate that. This won’t be an overnight fix, but I suspect that if I focus I’ll be able to get this back to where I was a couple of months ago. That said, as much as the movement, it’ll be about getting my support hand on the gun, and driving it straight to the target so the front sight is not bobbing around, and I have to wait to find it.  Get this down for a couple of days, and I’ll pop out the Kozy suggestion, and put some string up, put my forehead against it, and draw, and if I feel pressure on the string, I’m moving too much.

For my 10 minutes of dry fire later today, I’m just going to work the reload a little bit, and how I index the magazine from the pouch. I notice that if I index properly I seat the mag just fine, the faster I go, the more apt I am to poorly index, and fail to seat the mag costing me time. Basically today, I just want to index properly off my belt. That’s it, nothing more.

Not pulling the trigger is strange, but Les told me to stay off the dry fire for a little bit, so I’m trying to do that, and at the same time get a little practice in of things that impact my game. I can’t not do anything at all to improve. I would be embarrassed to share how often during the day when I’m working, or doing something else, that I have a random thought about what I can do, or how I could have done something better. When I played football, I was the first guy in the weight room, the first guy in the film room, and I was the last guy off the practice field. When I get wrapped up in something, it becomes a part of me; it permeates everything that I do. I hope the chief is okay with me practicing in this sense, and that it does not break the spirit of what Plan B is about.

The other day, I made a comment to the chief, and I got an e-mail today. I said that after my experience on Saturday, come “B” or March (whichever is later) I’d make a platform change. That’s still 6 months away so time to change my mind, but I admit I wish the PPQ had a 5” with paddle mag release available next year. Even saying I’d like that, I definitely like the idea of a heavier gun. I don't think the Tangfolio is for me, but a CZ is something I'd like. He responded that equipment is just the tool. I totally agree. An GM shooter is going to be a GM with whatever gun he uses, and a D shooter is going to be a D shooter no matter what. Sure, some guns or platforms can provide more crutches, or make things easier, but that’s what the next six months is for, it’s for me to develop the skills to maximize whatever platform I shoot.  I almost switched away from the PPQ a month or so ago, but thankfully my wife shot, liked, and kept the XDM, and I'm happier for it. I'll be with the PPQ for at least a year, all thru Plan B. Once I have a solid fundamental skill set together, then we’ll talk.