Wednesday, November 04, 2015

There is Just No Time...

Filming for THE BEST DEFENSE this week. Today we worked with Dr. Dan Olesnicky, one of the top national authorities on gunshot trauma (and the creator of SWAT Fuel).

Once again, my apologies for the limited postings. By the time I get home I pretty much used up, ready to crawl into bed. I'm keeping up with the podcast and trying to stay on top of FaceBook, but the blogposts slip through the cracks.

Tomorrow, I guess I gotta die, but I hope Janich makes it painless.

Hopefully, I'll be catching up on the blog this weekend. I hope the weather breaks (we're having our first half-hearted snowfall tonight) so I can have some time on the range with the SI Glock 26/RMR and the Tac-Sol .22.

We spent some time filming at Centennial Gun Club in south Denver earlier this week for the AMERICAN MARKSMAN project. WOW! What a spectacular range! I wonder if they'd consider moving it close to the Bunker? South Denver's a couple of hours. plus I think I gotta get a visa or something. Actually, a big new indoor range, Liberty Firearms Institute, is getting ready to open in nearby Loveland later this year. I have high hopes.

3 comments:

kmitch200 said...

Oh please.
"A lot of what's out there is snake oil," says Olesnicky
And now there's some more.

David H. said...

Surprised on two counts: that you would patronize Suarez Int. and that you are going back on your pledge to not film (or as little as possible) in CO due to their anti-gun laws until such time as they are repealed.

You have one of my favorite podcasts & blogs, and have truly enjoyed your books - including fiction and waiting for the sequel, and if I had the Outdoor Network, I suspect your shows would be must sees. But, come on - you aren't practicing what you preach when you do such things. You aren't being an ambassador to the public by sending them to an egomaniac like Suarez (know the man well, and saddened by what he has become) and your billfold isn't following your mouth with your location decisions.

Come on, Michael, you have better in you than this.

Michael Bane said...

David H…

What can I say? Yes, I am a hypocrite. I work for a company that is headquartered in Denver (OC was acquired a year and a half ago, 6 months after the laws passed), has a significant investment in Colorado (the Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche, the Pepsi Center arena, much more). I had long talks with the new executive staff when we were acquired, and together we have done I believe great things — the SAFE HAVEN documentary; the upcoming AMERICAN MARKSMAN project, SHOOTOUT LANE, the huge boost of GUN STORIES. In short, they have stood with me, allowing me a pretty much unprecedented freedom. Yet up until a little over a month ago I was on schedule to finish the season for all the series without filming in Colorado. In case you missed it, I severely injured myself…the bottom line, according to my doctors, is that I get on an airplane at the risk of my life. High risks for blood clots…crappy genes...

The injury happened at just about the mathematically perfect worst time, with 3 series in full production and 2 in development. My Producers have pretty much moved mountains to keep to the production deadlines. We've shuffled people and episodes around the country like pieces on a chess board. But the only way to finish the episodes with me in them was to film here. So I did, at considerable expense and inconvenience to my teams. Am I going to hell? I have never doubted it for a moment.

Regarding Mr. Suarez, I know lots of egomaniacs, arguably including myself. Many of them are firearms instructors. I have in the past and will continue to make my own decisions as to whom will appear on my shows. I base those decisions on my own observations and experiences. Suarez has done groundbreaking work on the use of red dots on defensive pistols (and he fully credits Kelly McCann as the person who started the trend), as he did on running both the AK and bullpup platforms. He is an instructor who can and will challenge orthodoxy, and that has become a rare commodity these days.

My personal experience with Suarez in a class situation is that he explains his techniques, explains the rationale behind the technique, explains where the technique originated and then explains why he modified, abandoned or expanded on the technique. Has he built a cult of personality? Absolutely. Did Col. Cooper? Have I? I heard the same criticisms levied against Col. Cooper in the Old Day. God knows I've heard them levied at me.

I read Suarez' work for a couple of years before I reached out to people I respect to talk about doing some work with him. I heard a lot of criticism, but at the same time 2 people I have the utmost respect for urged me to look deeper. Suarez International is doing excellent work with their new Glock slides and their complete guns. I got one of their triggers and out it in my own gun, and I'll let you know how I like it.

mb