I'm not saying that the entire community at M4C are Magpul fanboys. I'm just saying that the majority of the responses I received here were from those who felt I was attacking their messiah. With that as a barometer I suspect I would receive much of the same on any other board.
As I mentioned in the now deleted thread. The vast majority that champion the MD videos have never attended any sort of professional training. Without anything to compare the MD videos(and subsequently the content) against I can see why so many believe it is uber cool and effective. I have no combat experience and never claimed to have any. I have attended several courses and always look for more effective and efficient methods for operating my systems. Combat experience is not required to apply logic to that which is taught. The logical conclusion is that a good portion of the MD video content does not work for the majority of shooters or the majority of systems. I see no benefit in learning a set of skills that only apply to right handed shooters who run AR's. Learning a different skill set for each system is counter productive and consumes an immense amount of training time and budget. They(MD) claim "consistency, efficiency, reality" as their mantra. If their system was consistent there wouldn't be continuity errors in their videos. If their system is all about efficiency it wouldn't be specific to the AR platform and right handed shooters. I'll give you a simple example.
MD preaches the use of the bolt catch for chambering a round from a fresh magazine. Does that work on a VZ or AK? Does that work on an FN? How about a Tavor? How about for left handed users? Not a very consistent approach.
Does slapping the bolt catch ensure you've loaded the rifle? No it doesn't. What if your reload was done after clearing a malfunction and the bolt is forward? You'll end up striking the bolt catch with no result(this happens in Art of the Carbine one by the way). The solution is to then use the charge handle. Why not run the charge handle from the get go? It provides more force for feeding the first round, it mimics the movement of an administrative reload, it also mimics the movement used to clear/remedy a type one and type two malfunction. One movement that is used to solve several problems. Introducing several options only adds to the amount of time needed to process your OODA loop. Not to mention that regardless of what position your bolt is in, running the charge handle(hint hint) ensures the rifle is always CHARGED. The bolt catch is primarily a device for holding the bolt open on the last round but it can also be used to release the bolt. If it fails to hold open, it will fail to release the bolt as well. I'll stick with what works all the time every time, the charge handle.
TDC
I would tend to agree that a lot of the flak you got is more of the "MAGPUL IS AWESOME" variety than the "I do not agree for the following reason" variety.
But you are posting on a board with a very low percentage of highly trained and experienced combat shooters.
That is why I recommend you go to M4C, where you will find that the many if not most of the regular posters have extensive training with a range of different schools.
I understand your critiques of the Magpul DVDs...I do not understand why you are not more interested in hearing people with a lot of competitive and combat experience analyze your critiques.
Consider a guy with a drafting table in his house...he may sit down with a paper and pencil and decide that the usual method of 2x4 balloon house construction is inherently flawed, and that there is a better way. He may see footage of construction being undertaken by master carpenters and criticize their methods.
But how seriously would he be taken if he was not prepared to discuss it with a group of master carpenters? What would they tell him about why they've made the decisions they had? Would it be possible they'd already thought of the problems he'd noticed, but continued with their methods for reasons not clear to the guy with the pencil and paper? Would they agree with his complaints and resolve to change their methods?
As far as I can gather, you haven't built a bunch of houses...I take it you have not got a bunch of what they are now calling "operational" experience? Why would you not talk to people who do AND who are extensively trained? If the problem on CGN is complaints by people without training, go somewhere where people ARE trained.
Your criticisms may in some cases be right. They may in some cases be wrong. But I just can't believe you won't go talk it over with the experts. Are you so confident you know more than a bunch of guys with a lot more training and experience than you do that you put zero stock in their opinions? I just find that hard to imagine.
