Thread: Questions for people who've taken OFA Carbine I

Signed up for the June class and thinking about what kind of gear (looking at various belts and chest rigs) I'll need to get before the class.

I know the requirements for the class say you need 4 mags (i'll be bringing more) but just wondering how many mags you gotta have on your person on the line. All four (1 in the gun, 3 on your person)........or just 2 (one on person, one on gun) and they just specify four to cut down on reloading time?

You're welcome to give me a call. Or email me a phone number and I'll call you on my dime. It is part of what you pay for - my time! I'll do my best to not influence you to buy or bring anything more or less than the course requires and I'll even suggest you bring gear that best meets your specific mission profile (home defense, farm defense, defending oneself in a wilderness setting etc). Whatever you want to accomplish out of the class is what we'll recommend. If you're for example going to just use it for home defense then we'll suggest gear that supports that mission profile.

I can tell you most people bring way too much ninja and tactical-cool gear. Many show up like they're about ready to deploy to the Sand Box. All this gear and many end up very disappointed about four hours into the class. We have so much gear lying around we can almost hold an auction at the end of day one.

So, if your mission is to deploy to Afgainistan then bring gear that will support that mission. But if your mission is to defend yourself in the middle of the night in your bedroom then bring realistic gear you'll probably use in defending yourself in a bedroom.

As with all our courses -think realistically about what you're trying to accomplish then build your gear, skills and systems around this mission. If you're just coming to have fun and shoot a lot and learn a thing or two that is one thing...but if you're coming to learn some skills/tactics with an "end in mind" then let's work together to make sure your expectations are matched and met.

For a lot of people, OFA is a grown up's Disneyland with guns. There is nothing wrong if someone is coming for entertainment and relaxation. If that is what you're doing then really any gear that tickles you is fine as long as it is safe and legal. But if you're coming to have fun and learn some serious life saving skills then let's chat first.

If no one is in the office then leave a message and I WILL call you back. Often on the same day.

541-451-5532 or dan@oregonfirearmsacademy.com

Dan

I think Dan would agree with me when I say train the way you'll carry.

People show up for these classes with all kinds of cool tactical gear, but if I thought I was going to end up needed 100's of rounds to get me out of trouble then I probably shouldn't have been there to begin with.

I take lots of magazines to save wear and tear on my fingers. But I just carry one extra rifle magazine and 1 extra handgun magazine on my person because that's how I would likely be armed in "real-life."

Its a bit of a hassle to run out of ammo before everyone else on the line, but I don't want to form a habit of reaching for a 3rd or 4th magazine I won't likely have in real life.

Yeah after speaking with Dan on the phone I will likely run a similar setup (one AR mag holder and one handgun mag holder on my belt).

My main concern was if the courses required you to have more then two mags on the line for the drills in which case I thought i'd need a chest rig just to have the four or so mags on hand to perform the drills.

Dan stated that they've structured the drills to where this wouldn't be an issue.

I've also toyed with the idea of putting a Redi-Mag on so that I'd always have 2 full mags on the gun itself but am not sure if I want to add more stuff to my rifle.

Now my main focus is getting my gun to where it will last the duration of the course without breaking something.

Originally Posted by micogg

I think Dan would agree with me when I say train the way you'll carry.

People show up for these classes with all kinds of cool tactical gear, but if I thought I was going to end up needed 100's of rounds to get me out of trouble then I probably shouldn't have been there to begin with.

I take lots of magazines to save wear and tear on my fingers. But I just carry one extra rifle magazine and 1 extra handgun magazine on my person because that's how I would likely be armed in "real-life."

Its a bit of a hassle to run out of ammo before everyone else on the line, but I don't want to form a habit of reaching for a 3rd or 4th magazine I won't likely have in real life.

Now my main focus is getting my gun to where it will last the duration of the course without breaking something.[/QUOTE]


No worries there! If it works good out of the gate, Great! If not, there is an armorer on site to get you back up and running with minimal delay. Don't know how many other schools offer this!

I've done OFA's course and some others, and I also recommend not getting a bunch of gear if it's just for a course. Go with "The mission drives the gear." If you've gonna wear a vest, bring one.

My rifle is either coming out of a car or my closet. No extra stuff, so I train that way. No vest. I do have Redimag/Redimods on my rifles, which gives me extra ammo. But do research for stuff like that. Redimods/Redimags are about the only two-magazine system that works, but it requires changing your training doctrine (bolt catch access)(I use BAD lever for that, which definitely changes some of your doctrine). So I train in a pair of jeans with a spare mag in my back pocket, and two on the gun. Cuz that's what's going to happen if I ever actually need that rifle.

p.s. I'll be there in June with two rifles, one as a backup. They both have redimag/redimod systems on there. If you want to "try before you buy" you can use one of mine on the line as a tester to see if you like the redimod idea and want to train it. Redimods are expensive, so you're welcome to try mine out then.

p.s. The redimod is just a fancy version of the redimag, but it is much nicer. Better bearing, lighter, and refinished. You can try either of mine when there to see the differences.

N

Originally Posted by newt

I've done OFA's course and some others, and I also recommend not getting a bunch of gear if it's just for a course. Go with "The mission drives the gear." If you've gonna wear a vest, bring one.

My rifle is either coming out of a car or my closet. No extra stuff, so I train that way. No vest. I do have Redimag/Redimods on my rifles, which gives me extra ammo. But do research for stuff like that. Redimods/Redimags are about the only two-magazine system that works, but it requires changing your training doctrine (bolt catch access)(I use BAD lever for that, which definitely changes some of your doctrine). So I train in a pair of jeans with a spare mag in my back pocket, and two on the gun. Cuz that's what's going to happen if I ever actually need that rifle.

p.s. I'll be there in June with two rifles, one as a backup. They both have redimag/redimod systems on there. If you want to "try before you buy" you can use one of mine on the line as a tester to see if you like the redimod idea and want to train it. Redimods are expensive, so you're welcome to try mine out then.

p.s. The redimod is just a fancy version of the redimag, but it is much nicer. Better bearing, lighter, and refinished. You can try either of mine when there to see the differences.

N

yeah since I've ditched the idea of getting a chest rig I've been thinking more and more about a redimag/redimod.....I've already been using a BAD lever for a couple months now so it wouldn't change my doctrine too extensively. I'm rather impatient so I may just plunk down the money and buy a redimod now and decide if I like it or not before the class. If i don't like it I can always recoup 80%-90% of the cost by selling it in the classifieds forums.

I'll be bringing two rifles as well (borrowing a friends rifle as a backup)....hopefully mine will make it through ok.

See you at the class....I lived in Corvallis while at OSU, great town....I'd like to move back there but work dictates that I live closer to Portland