Dry Fire Practice- This is something I feel each dedicated shooter should be doing regardless of supply issues. My scores in classes, local IDPA matches, and qualifications at work have always seemed directly related to the amount of dry fire sessions I complete. I firmly believe that this is where my skills are improved and maintained, and I use live fire at the range to confirm that my dry practice is on track. I won’t spend any time on writing lists of drills here but wanted to touch on how I create them. I like to check class notes for drills I completed in the class and courses of fire from past matches. What did I feel I could have improved on at the time? I could probably stand some improvement in the same areas today. What did I feel were my strengths? I could probably work on making my secondary hand just as strong in that area. Is my draw, and trigger pull as smooth with my left as with my right? If not, I have something to work on. Since I operate a number of different weapon systems there is plenty to practice.
Manipulations- Closely related to dry fire practice with a bit of a twist. I see so many people on the range who shoot great once the sights are lined up on target. It’s getting them there that seem to be the problem for some. Replacing magazines, clearing malfunctions, operating with lighting tools, transitioning from rifle to pistol, hand to hand, or shoulder to shoulder, all seem to be a common point of weakness for many shooters. Single hand manipulations while intellectually understood by many, are actually practiced by very few on a regular basis. So rather than sit at home pouting about not having any ammo to shoot, I take that time and work on some of the skills so easily neglected.
Maintenance- It’s not an uncommon occurrence for me to come across a poorly maintained weapon. The last time I checked however, cleaning solvents, brushes, patches, and lubrication products were still in plentiful supply at my local shops. If you’re not shooting them, they may as well be clean right? Take some time as well to learn more about your firearm. For example a typical Glock. Get a copy of the gunsmith manual and learn how to really break it down instead of a typical field stripping. Spend some time with it and soon you will know how to repair almost anything concerning it. You should learn how to clean and replace parts to the most detailed level. Think about obtaining an Army or Marine manual for the M16/AR15. Spend some time on how to really take care of your weapons. This is a great time to learn if you can’t be at the range, and you will still be improving your overall effectiveness and capability. The way legislation is going, I believe it would be wise to thoroughly learn about your weapons and how to repair them. One day firearms my be as hard to come by as ammo is. Learn to be your own mechanic.
Education- There is no reason to stop learning just because we can’t locate the 1000 rounds required for a class we have been thinking of taking. Spend a few bucks and check out some DVD’s from reputable instructors. You really can learn a great deal through alternate means such as books and DVD’s. You will likely see and learn the exact material you would have covered in class, just without the personal coaching. You can still run the drills you learned and practice them in dry fire sessions, and when you get out to the range you can reinforce those drills with your limited supply of ammunition. It’s not a perfect substitute, but will increase your knowledge base, and help keep you motivated to improve when you can’t get to the range.
Airsoft/Paintball/Conversion Kits- I had long ago purchased some conversion kits for some of my weapon systems in order to save some money when ammunition prices were rising. However I have found .22 LR ammunition to be the hardest to obtain these days and the most severely overpriced. It’s still a viable option, but just not as attractive as it used to be. Airsoft and Paintball leagues are a lot of fun and you can work on some of those skills you have learned in the past. Most likely I think you will find it is great fun, and can really build some solid skills. If there is not a league near you, consider getting together with some likeminded training partners. Work on some real life scenarios, and drills. Force on force training is one of the best training methods for real encounters, and the more the better in my opinion.
The above methods were some ways that work well to improve skills and conserve the limited supply you have. I would now like to cover a few ways that have worked for me in obtaining more ammunition to at least keep training standards up to par.
Network- One of the best resources I have found is other people. Likeminded people. I was at a local shop the other day after a shipment had just come in. Like many, shops they imposed a three box minimum of any particular product. While standing in line to make our choices, conversations sprung up with the other patrons to pass the time. Many agreements were made in order for each person to come away happy. For example, I was there to purchase as much 223 as I could get my hands on. The person next to me was interested in 9mm. Since we could each only get three boxes of each, we each bought both and traded. This allowed each of us to walk out with six boxes of our desired caliber. We also exchanged numbers so that we could do the same thing on the next shipment. In the course of talking with others, I learned some of their tips, tricks and sources. I even learned of a gun shop that had opened nearby that I was previously unaware of that had a decent supply though interacting with others.
Trade- A few times I have been at a shop and they had some ammunition but it was not in my desired caliber. In this case I was looking for some 9mm and there was none to be found. But they did for some reason get a recent shipment of 45acp. I had plenty of 45acp on hand but I purchased it anyway. It turned out to be a good thing since a friend at work was desperately looking for it, and was willing to trade any 9mm for it since he sold all his guns in that caliber. So if you see a caliber that you know is popular in your area you might consider picking it up. There is little doubt that if you are networking you will find a decent trade down the road.
Online Sources- I will not make a list of them here. Look around at online sources. You will likely see that many are sold out. Check them daily. To my surprise I often go days with nothing and then suddenly one of the suppliers has just what I need. It certainly beats driving around from shop to shop, and only takes a couple of minutes each day to check the numerous suppliers you can find online. Again, keep in mind that you can trade with those you’ve networked with so don’t just check calibers you personally need. Help your friends, and they will help you. Also if you are a hunter, consider getting a box or two of what you use. You never know what will be available when the season comes around, and your hunting partners may need some help.
I hope this gave you some good ideas on how to manage during these times of limited availability of ammunition. Hopefully things will get back on track, and we all learned some valuable lessons. Maybe we'll even meet some new friends and training partners as a result. Have hope, and keep training!!!
// EE
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