- Rational Gun, described as “A Constitutionalist’s grousings on gun forums, guns, politics, books, and cycling” from my good friend LilLebowski.
- The Triple Nickel Society, dedicated to a wickedly fast skill test and the agents who’ve mastered it.
(targets were not engaged in the normal order during the above demo, nor are those “legal” targets for the drill)
Train hard & stay safe! ToddG
Todd, Where was that video shot?
The book cliff in the background look like somewhwere out West.
Nice!
Todd, now you try to get your coin, too?
Civilians can’t get the coin. Which is lame. Maybe someone should do a Wooden Nickle drill?
“Civilians can’t get the coin. Which is lame.”
My thoughts, too. On their site it says only 70 people in the whole world have one, then goes on to explain the super strict parameters for earning one that go beyond the actual skill set, which greatly diminishes the pool of shooters who could qualify even if they have the skills to do it easily. Makes the statistic a little weak.
Let me qualify my statement by being clear that I do not currently have the skill set to earn a TN, so no sour grapes here. However, it might be fun if some folks created a CTNS (Civilian Triple Nickel Society) and had a website where anyone could upload video of successful completion of the course of fire. I bet it would surpass 70 videos pretty quickly.
“Todd, Where was that video shot?”
That was shot at Los Alamos, NM and the sweet dulcet tones you here calling out the time are mine.
Lol, Guys relax. No doubt alot more than 70 guys can shoot the drill and we want you all to shoot it, be good at it, and go beyond it. Brag about it even. We like that. Is saying “70 coin holders in the world” something that the History channel threw up there? Maybe. I dont know. Is it good marketing for us? For sure. Is it total reality? No way, and neither is ANY course of fire.
I do want to say this though. I want all of you guys and gals to shoot the Triple Nickel, get it, and be proud of what you can do. Then pay it forward to others. I personally run marathons and although I get recognized as a finisher, I am in no way a competator. Marathon competator’s live a lifestyle I could never do. They wake up way to early, eat way to healthy, log more miles in a day than I do in a week, do punishing speed work that would leave me in tears, and their families have to pay a price for their absence when they do all this training. However, I am proud to say I have compleated many marthons, but I will never be a competator and if I come in last, so be it. I am still proud.
So be proud you can do the Triple Nickel, we want that. Be prepared to save your life with your firearm, or the lives of those you love. In the mean time, ALL Triple Nickel coin holder will find themself’s in forign lands, away from their loved ones, on holidays, weekends, and when most are asleep. Not once, but all the time. When you pull your firearm out to protect your family from harm, the first person you call WILL be a Triple Nickel coin holder of sorts. We will answer. When others run from the gun fire to remove themselfs from the danger, we run towards it.
Coin holder #1 Military Spec Ops and Police (Grenada, Panama, Desert Storm, Somalia, Bosnia, Afganistan) 30+ years
Coin holder #2 Military and Police 18+ years
Coin holder #3 Military and Police (Vietnam)40+ years
Coin holder #4 Military Spec Ops and Police 18+ years
Coin holder #5 Military and SWAT Police (Desert Storm)20+ years
Coin holder #6 Military and SWAT Police 20+ years
Coin holder #7 Military and SWAT Police (Somalia, Bosnia) 20+ years
Coin holder #11 Military EOD (Iraq) 30+ years
These individuals are the founding members of the Triple Nickel Society and are responsible for making up the rules. We feel that this is more that just a course of fire. We wear it as a “unit patch” on our unseen uniforms. It is a lifestyle. We encourge everyone to join our fold, but we are not going to wavier on our entry standard and we will not appoligize for it either. We hope you can come to understand this.
We truly appreciate all of your guys support and look forward to seeing you on the gun range. Continue to practice and learn, because it does matter. If you really have an overwhelming need to have a coin, please come join us. We are easy to find and are always hiring.
P.S. I never came in last during a marathon….yet 🙂
Ok that was a good reply, damnit.
But yes I really want one. When do I start work? 😉
Guys, I want a Triple Nickel coin as much as anyone. I think highly enough of the challenge this drill presents that I use it in my classes. As a matter of fact, it’s the way we end class on the last day of AFHF.
But I, for one, certainly cannot criticize their approach to issuing the coins. There are certainly more than 70 people on the planet who can run Triple Nickel in under five seconds. And there are certainly more than seven people on the planet who can run the F.A.S.T. in under five… but only seven have coins. Why? Because there are established rules for how you go about getting one. Sending in a video and saying “I super-duper promise I used the right target at the right distance” isn’t good enough.
For Triple Nickel, you have to have two current coin holders witness your performance. Unless you regularly find yourself in the company of two Triple Nickel coin holders at the range, then whether or not you’re otherwise eligible is pretty meaningless anyway, right?
Look at it another way: there is no coin for shooting a sub-10 El Prez, but people use that drill all over the world as a test of skill. Triple Nickel is the same. Thousands of people have shot the F.A.S.T. without it being “for a coin,” too. Either the drill is worth your time or it’s not.
But yeah, Rob E, I really want one, too. 8)
I get all that. My point wasn’t that everyone who demonstrates the skill should get a coin, but rather to water down the separation of mil/le and civilian performance. It shouldn’t be a surprise that if you throw down a gauntlet around competitive people,you’ll get a competitive response. Doesn’t mean it can’t be friendly competition, so my apologies if it came off as unfriendly.
I never thought anything was unfriendly in anyway and rather enjoy the conversation. Keep up the good work guys.
mark — I’m not in disagreement. Teach cops to shoot and have a badge, you can get a coin. Teach cops to shoot but don’t have a badge, you cannot. That makes it about something other than skill. But only in terms of getting a coin. The reality is, if someone cared enough, he could go out and have a “Private Citizens Only Triple Nickel Coin” made…
Maybe I’ll do that once I’m able to earn one 🙂
If you get that coin made, I want to come out and get that coin! I will quite my job and collect unemployment to do it.
It will only be available to civilians who have never, ever (to inifinity) had LEO/Mil jobs 😛
In all seriousness, a never-LEO coin is no better than an only-LEO coin.
Alright argument closed. Good stuff. 🙂
That’s why I had the “tongue sticking out smiley” at the end of my sentence. I was kidding. 😉