Suarez International

[Patriot:Ex Machina]

If you are an AK or an AR guy, or heck even if you're not...if you a just a regular civilian who wants some good rifle and handgun training but doesn't really want to get into all the fringe "Militia/paramilitary" training, check out Gabe Suarez's site. He hold live classes on the AK rifle system as well as AR and handgun classes as well. I've got several of his DVDs and really enjoy them.
He's not one of those guys who tells you to go out and buy $250 black tactical vests and infrared night vision. On the contrary, he teaches the civilian classes from the aspect of "You're a civilian, not a soldier...don't fool yourself."and above all, "Keep it simple, stupid!"
 He talks about casual looking gear, and blending in with your surroundings.
I would love to go to a live class one day. One day maybe! 
Anyhow, check it out:
http://www.suarezinternational.com/

[DeltaEchoVictor]

Nice, thanks.

That looks perfect for my wife & I to get some practical info about using our AR's.

[Patriot:Ex Machina]

He's a pretty practical guy, from the articles I've read that he's written and from his DVD
classes.
He never comes out and totally says, "This is what may work if the SHTF" but he takes it from the standpoint of good defense training for a disaster, he even discusses,several times,Hurricane Katrina and the issues those folks faced.

[Lawyerman]

I have hosted Gabe as a trainer probably 5-6 times. I use many of the techniques he teaches, some I do not use as I have others that I favor. His range safety is not as rigid as some instructors, that never bothered me all that much because I knew personally just about every person in my classes and had trained with them before but in a more "open" environment I could see where it might be an issue.

Know that Gabe is somewhat controversial. He comes with a certain amount of baggage that is important to some people, less so to others like myself. I suggest you Google on this and make your own decisions, we're all adults. On a personal level I can say that everything that he ever told me was absolute truth and he was honest in all of our dealings together.

I was one of the first students he ever had who was using an AK in a rifle class, this was back in 2003 before everybody and their brother was using them in UR. He has since come up with a pretty good curriculum and set of skills based around the platform. If he is teaching close to you it is worth the cost to go.

[Patriot:Ex Machina]

Thanks for the insight, Lawyerman.
Describe some of the class if you could.

[Patriot:Ex Machina]

I did as you suggested and googled it.
Wow, thats quite an interesting bit of information.
Thanks for the heads up.

[Lawyerman]

Most shooting classes are pretty much the same. They differ in the details based on platform and assumed level of competence of the participants.

I use most of Gabes AK techniques as I have found they work well for me and are more platform specific than what alot of guys were/are teaching. The reload for example where you roll the rifle on its' side which gives great access to the bolt handle and mag well is excellent.

His advice on AK malfunctions I have also found to be correct- if the gun goes click or you have a dead trigger- Reload, it's probably out of ammo and even if that's not it a reload will clear most common and easily fixable malfunctions. No "diagnosis" necessary- just reload the gun automatically in response to a failure to fire. Sure, it "could" be something else but most of the "something elses" you aren't going to be able to fix anyway-stuck case, broken part etc.....With some rifles there are well known, expected and genuine malfunctions but with the AK they are so rare with a decent gun and support gear (which you should be using) as to be negligible. If it goes click....it's probably empty.

[Patriot:Ex Machina]

As an addition, here is an article by Suarez that was posted over on The Tree Of Liberty forum about weapons cache.
http://www.thetreeofliberty.com/vb/showthread.php?t=34487

POSTED FOR FAIR USE:

WEAPONS CACHE 101

I don't believe in burying weapons. Still, I have received so many emails about this that I guess I need to mention something. Whatever you do, you need to keep at least one weapon set (pistol and rifle) with you along with the accompanying ammo. But for those with extensive arsenals who want to secure them better and outside of the "gun safe" method, read on.

To cache means to hide something. You don't learn to cache the sorts of things we are talking about in police academy, you learn it from criminals. A true cache, like we are discussing, should be able to lay undetected for years.

There may be varying levels of caches as well. An E&E (escape and evasion) cache will contain a complete getaway kit in addition to a pistol and maybe a folding stock AK, that while well hidden, can be grabbed up and used in a blink of an eye. Think of that as a hidden bug out kit. Such a cache will contain stuff to fight with, stuff to treat injuries with, stuff to eat, and stuff to use to change your appearance. A few $100 bills would be a good idea too. All of that can go in a small backpack (except for the AK).

I don't think anyone has interest in the cache of "sports guns", so we will focus on the cache of fighting weapons such as assault rifles and combat pistols. Remember to make certain to leave no fingerprints on any cache item. All caching must be done with latex gloves on and those of you with hairy arms, wear long sleeves taped at the cuffs. Free market guns (private party anonymous purchases) are better for this than those whose numbers are married to you.

Remember that it is not enough to dig and bury as the "fresh grave" in your front yard will only draw attention. You need to "hide" it. Look at three broad categories: rural caches, urban caches, and underwater caches.

Rural Cache - In the countryside, cache options abound. Needless to say that a cache can be located on your property, but look to cache stuff either on someone else's land, or in public land. Look for old piles of metal or used up farm equipment. These make great places as few snoopers will want to move a bunch of rusty junk around. And all that metal wreaks havoc on any technical search methods. Abandoned farmhouses, ruins, and foundations provide countless hiding places, as do small caves, old mines, and even graveyards. Just look for places where people would tend to not want to go, or places that would be overlooked. It is a good idea to GPS the coordinates and memorize them like your birthday.

The Urban Cache - In cities you must be more creative. You need to find a quiet dark out of the way corner were you can remove some tile or blocks or panels to create an improvised vault. Remember, make it look nasty and few people will put their hands in there.

The Underwater Cache - Arms may be sealed into a big PVC pipe, then sunk. The Swiss did this during WW2 as a fallback in the event Hitler's forces invaded

No matter where your cache will be located, you should go to great pains to make sure that it remains sealed and moisture proof. A large PVC pipe works fine, but I am more in favor of a large Pelican Case. Remember that if your cache is damaged by nature, you will have wasted your time. A Pelican case can not only be made water proof, but is as strong as steel.

A chunk of dry ice dropped into a watertight package and allowed to "steam off" before sealing will purge out the rust producing oxygen. Silica desiccant bags are also necessary -specially for an ammo cache. Where possible, for long term storage seal the lids with a bead of silicone glue.

Where tight space is a consideration, as in urban caches, you may have to merely wrap your weapons in plastic. In this case use the biggest thickest heavy duty lawn and garden bags you can find. After placing the arms inside, suck out all the air you can, twist the end, and duct tape the hell out of the entire bag.

Memorize the location of your cache. Take compass readings and GPS coordinates as well as the use of landmarks. Keep an eye on it regularly by simply driving by if nothing else. Be alert to construction around your cache. If you see signs of activity, or the survey stakes go up, move it out immediately. When you look for a cache location, consider that you will need an excuse for being near it. This is easy in rural areas but slightly more complicated in the urban environment.

When returning to a cache, do some counter-surveillance. Move through the area looking for anyone or anything out of place, or anyone who may be staking it out, or even a new "utility box" which may contain a remotely operated camera. When making a final approach, don't walk right up to it. Just as discussed in Roger's Ranger Rule Book, "fish hook" your trail, double back and observe your own path in to check for followers. This may take some time, but is well worth it.

Finally, walk right past your cache and make it appear you are doing something, or unloading something into an adjacent area. This is simply a ruse for the event you are compromised. If you are contacted at this point, your adversaries may not find the true cache, and your "cover for action" is believable. Only when you are truly sure of your safety should you go to the cache and unload it. Consider leaving tell-tale secret marks which will tell you if anyone has disturbed and replaced your cache. It is a favorite trick of security forces to put tracking devices into cached weapons in order to follow the guerrilla back to his base and catch the entire band.

A tell-tale may be a bit of thread or a pebble etc. placed in such a way that if the cache is disturbed it will break or fall out without the security forces noticing it.

Having written all of this, I want to make a point - I don't like the idea of caching weapons for the reasons most folks will do it. Freedoms are not given, they are taken. And once possessed, they cannot be taken away while the original owner lives and is willing to kill and die to keep them. We would be a different nation if those who live here today had not forgotten that lesson of yesterday.

Gabe Suarez
Suarez International USA, Inc.
One Source Tactical
info@suarezinternational.com
Office 928-776-4492

Spaniard by Heritage
Cuban by Birth
Christian by Grace
Free American by Choice.

[kaiservontexas]

I thought about making a cache in the area where we would BO. I have not bothered because it makes me nervous. I have yet to reconcile my anxieties over doing a buried cache.

[Patriot:Ex Machina]

I've got my reservations about the cache idea myself. But I can see the practical applications of it.