Happy 4th! Solid news, my app is live on the Google Play Store, so you don't have to be a tester to use it. I'm also hard at work creating a live fire timer app, and that is proving to be harder, but not impossible, so don't give up hope. I'm not a programmer by nature, just a shooter and goofball for sure. Some of the more recent videos I've done that you may be interested in:

Nitecore compact weapon light review.

Nitecore EDC29 flat flashlight.

Kore Essentials EDC Belt.

Stay tuned for other developments, and I appreciate your support!

Dry Fire App is LIVE!

Special thanks to all of you who volunteered to test out the app. There were no issues in testing and it is now officially live on the Google Play Store. It is free to use, there are no ads, and no permissions required to use it. You can download it here:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.academy.shottimerapp

And if you want any ideas on how to use it, I did a video a long time ago on dry fire practice:

https://youtu.be/XbsSQ9_ZJwA

I may do another updated video sometime in the future if there is any demand. For some reason, dry fire isn't as sexy as other firearms related endeavors, and so the views on videos like this are always less than others. In general the vids I do on shooting drills don't get crazy views either, but I still like doing them. I didn't start doing YouTube to become viral or famous, so I'm not too concerned. If I help out a few people, I'll be happy.

Lastly, I'm trying to do a real deal shot timer version of this app. Most other apps I've tried out that claim to be shot timers really suck. Overcoming the limitations of the phone hardware is a real thing, and the earlier version I tried was ghosting shots all over the place. (i.e. shoot once but get more than one shot registering.) 

If you have any questions or feedback, as always, email me: info@graydogllc.com

Dry Fire App!

 If you're coming here from the podcast, and want to try out the app, you'll need an Android device (phone or tablet) and gmail address. From that address, please email me: info@graydogllc.com, and if there's room to add you to the test, I will do so and send you a link. Thanks for your help on this!

Alternatively, if there's enough interest, I'll generate an APK which you can load on your phone, but it is a bit more involved than the above work, i.e. clicking on a link after you email me.

When I'm not developing apps by way of arm twisting an AI to do the work for me, I'm on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC26CV4n12TqDNgoxfKBVq-A

Privacy Policy For DryFire App

 I don't collect ANY data from you in any form. There are no ads, there are no fees. Please use this app and become better at your craft. Share with your friends. Interact with me on YouTube and Instagram if you want, but you definitely don't have to do that. In summary, I don't take anything from you, I am only GIVING TO YOU. You're welcome!

Dry Fire Timer App!

 So I made an app that will help you out with dry fire. It is very simple, and currently only works on Android. It gives you the ability to set a start beep after a certain amount of time. You can also have it randomly start between 2-4 seconds. Then you set how long you want until the second beep. This is solely to help you out with dry fire.

There are other apps out there that will do this, but all of them seem weird or kludgey. Some also want you to pay them, or want additional permissions that I don't understand the rationale for. Mine is FREE. It will stay free.

Right  now it isn't in the app store, because I need testers. If you'd like to test it out, ALSO FOR FREE, email me: info@graydogllc.com

Langdon Tactical HK P30

One of my good friends let me borrow his LTT tuned HK P30. I have never been the biggest fan of the P30, but it is certainly a decent gun. My objections to the gun weren't anything to do with accuracy, reliability, or durability. HK makes a good gun, no doubt. My general thoughts about the P30 were more akin to malaise. Of course, the P30s I had been playing with all had the traditional double action type trigger, ala DA/SA. HK does offer different trigger setups, including their LEM trigger, which is a DAO type setup. I had previously shot the LEM setup a handful of times, and while I didn't love it, I didn't find it objectionable either. It still sat squarely in the "meh" category, to borrow a term from our beloved Gen Z.

If you have spent much time in the firearms world, you're probably at least passingly familiar with Langdon Tactical. Ernest Langdon is a world class shooter, instructor, military veteran, and probably much more. In addition to those bonafides, he also works on guns, or at least did, as now I suspect that his company does more of the work than he actually lays hands on. None of this should be taken as an indictment, because his company turns out top notch stuff. A lot of the product that they turn out is centered on the Beretta product line, but that isn't the sum and total of their output.

I had no idea that they did work on the HK product line until Zach pinged me and asked me if I'd like to try out his LTT HK P30. I was certainly intrigued, and took him up on the offer.

This gun comes with all the usual stuff from HK, which is to say three 17 round magazines, multiple grip panel and back strap options, manual, cable lock, and case. In the case of this LTT version, it is optioned out with an optic and LTT's proprietary backup sight setup. 

I wasn't expecting a LEM trigger on it, and was initially unexcited, but when I dry fired it, I changed my mind. I don't know what the heck they do to the trigger, but it is light and easy. When I measured it with my trigger pull gauge, it measured 3.75 pounds. When I did it again, it broke exactly the same. Langdon puts a flat faced trigger in this amongst their other changes, and so it breaks very nicely and consistently. I was pleasantly surprised and this setup changed my mind about the LEM trigger setup.

There's also a pretty LTT logo on the slide now, so if you couldn't tell something was up with this gun from the other changes, that little logo lets you know that you're holding something special in your hands.

But that's a lot of pretty verbiage, the real question, how does it shoot? The answers are simple words, things like easily, flat, and fast. Between the LTT trigger and the configurability of the grip, getting this gun to run well is like a cheat code on a video game. How so? Well when you put in the cheat code, everything is just easy and effortless, and this gun feels like that. 

I'm going to do a video on this gun. I will probably have to do a scripted voiceover for some of it, because me just yammering on about it won't really capture what I'm trying to say about it. But I will say this, if you have the means and desire, getting a gun worked over by LTT seems very worth it to me.

Evolution and FUDDS

 There's a little kerfluffle regarding Ken Hackathorn and his commentary on things like appendix carry, as well as "gadgets" we put on guns, such as optics and lights. The short summary is that Hackathorn doesn't allow AIWB in his classes, and he's not a proponent of optics and lights. 

To go into greater detail, Hackathorn said that any gun carried AIWB is officially a "decocker." Amusing because in the modern world of semi-autos, a lot of kids have never dealt with a DA/SA gun. (Tell me you're old without telling me you're old.) Further, he was very derisive of optics or lights unless you are military or police. That's pretty divisive right there.

Now most of you are probably at least passingly familiar with Ken Hackathorn. Quickly, he's a former US Army SF soldier, deputy sheriff, and has been a consultant for numerous companies that you've doubtless heard of, including Glock and HK. He contributed greatly to the world of competitive shooting, including being one of the original advisors to IDPA. He's trained thousands of people and he's an excellent shooter. To be completely dismissive of anything he says would be, at least in my opinion, a mistake. One of the east coast match directors I know referred to Ken Hackathorn as "the only guy in IDPA that gives a shit about the shooters."

All that said, Hackathorn is missing the mark when it comes to today's shooters. While appendix carry isn't universal, or even universally recommended, it works really well for a lot of shooters. And while lights on guns rarely see real world use, when you need it, it is really nice to have it. Optics are a game changer for a lot of shooters, but most especially shooters with aging eyes. (Of which, I am sure, Hackathorn is one!)

Now I'm not going to beat on Hackathorn, but I am going to observe that I think almost everybody hits a point in their life and/or career where they are less accepting of new developments. My grandparents wouldn't even entertain a cordless phone, much less a cell phone. I remember trying to get my grandpa to use a cordless phone, telling him that he could make or take phone calls from the living room, but his response, every time, was to point to the little table in the kitchen, and say, "that is where we make phone calls." Mental flexibility had simply fled the building.

So while I'm not calling Hackathorn old or out of date, I am questioning his mental flexibility. Not that he doesn't have anything to offer, because this man has decades of relevant experience when it comes to the employment of firearms in real world scenarios. I would still take a class with him any day of the week. I wouldn't call him for advice about appendix carry or pistol optics, however.

I suppose that if I draw the timeline out far enough, I'm going to fall into the same trap. One day something will change or there will be a new development, but I won't be able to wrap my mind around it. Hopefully I'll have enough presence of mind to recognize the disconnect. Hopefully that will be enough for me to recuse myself from that topic, discussion, or point of instruction. Hopefully.