Combat Rifle Skills

Review of the Combat Rifle Skills that was held at MVT Romney on August 19-20, 2017. As with the Defensive Concealed Handgun class that I attended in May 2017, I was greatly encouraged and motivated by the class. Again, thank you for what you do!

I attended the Defensive Concealed Handgun class at MVT Romney on May 13-14, 2017 and greatly benefited from the well thought-out, deliberate and detailed training I received at that class. One of the attendees of that class had attended the Combat Rifle Skills that had been held earlier in 2017 and he was quite enthusiastic in his evaluation of the training he received. I determined then and there to figure out a way to take the Combat Rifle Skills class in 2017, particularly as it was taught by the same instructor (Scott David) who taught the Defensive Concealed Handgun class, and the training I received there was exceptional.

I had little experience with a battle rifle, other than occasional trips to the range to punch holes in paper targets, so I appreciated the “layered” instructional approach, i.e. beginning with the fundamentals, subsequent skills are built upon those previously covered and practiced. Scott started Day One with a thorough safety brief, after which he gave us a detailed lecture of how the AR platform functions, including a history of the weapon and a complete field disassembly and reassembly of his AR-15 right in front of us as he clearly explained how the AR functions, how each part works, how to clean it and how to reassemble it. I brought an AK-47 to class; he field stripped it as well and gave me, and the other members of the class, the same clear explanation of function, cleaning and reassembly. He also provided invaluable information on what to look for when obtaining a battle rifle. After a further safety brief, we moved to the range and where Scott taught us how to zero our rifles and spent the time necessary to confirm zero on everybody’s rifle. He then introduced us to shooting positions (standing, kneeling, prone), how/when to go to those positions, combat reloads, tactical reloads, what malfunctions we were likely to face and how to clear them. This instruction was reinforced by numerous drills that had all of us correctly learning the tactile skills needed to perform these actions.

Day Two started with a brief review of Day One and a reminder that we were now responsible for keeping our rifle fed and running. Scott then taught us the basics of combat shooting and reacting to contact. We learned and practiced how to react to contact when facing left, right and rear, using controlled pairs and hammer pairs. Movement toward the target was introduced and well as drills simulating the use of cover and concealment. The use of cover and concealment, as well as the difference between the two, was discussed at length, and we finished up Day Two with drills in stream fire, “buddy pair” fire and movement skills. These final drills drove home the absolute necessity for clear and effective communication under stress, paying attention to everything that is going on around you and the need to practice your weapons manipulation skills so they become instinctive.

Just as the first class I took at MVT was excellent, so was this one. You would do well to study the MVT Forum before you purchase your gear for this class. The information provided there will certainly help to set you up for success. Max has also written several articles on the MVT Blog that provide the information you need to know to select the proper gear.