Rock’a Lock’a BANG! BANG! Kicked off last week in Carson City for another iteration of what has quickly become one of the more unique events on the tactical convention calendar. Hosted by SPARROWS Lock Picks, the event brings together professionals from the tactical, law enforcement, security, and technical communities for several days of hands-on training, equipment evaluation, and networking with a high focus on cover entry and escape and evasion.
The level of industry support behind the event has visibly grown, with companies including Oakley SI, 3M Peltor, SIG SAUER, TENICOR, and Royal Arms supporting this year’s opening range day. The level of participation is a direct reflection of the events reputation.
Day One is the “SIG SAUER range day” portion of the event and it moved through four primary demonstration areas covering long-range shooting, draw-from-concealed training, SIG SAUER marksmanship, and shotgun breaching with Royal arms. A separate area of the range was dedicated to helicopter infil/exfil training for those who were quick enough to get one of the limited spots.
Both Oakley SI and 3M Peltor were on hand to provide PPE to participants.
Oakley SI
Oakley SI’s involvement provided attendees with an opportunity to test and evaluate the company’s ballistic eyewear lineup in an actual training environment. Several frame options and goggles were available, allowing participants to compare different configurations and determine what worked best for their individual requirements.
Including HALO and ARRAY goggles those attending for infil training.
3M Peltor
The ability to evaluate communications and hearing-protection equipment in a realistic training environment with a large group of users was particularly impressive. 3M came fully prepared to support the event on a scale I have not previously seen from them at a tactical event. Participants could use and train with ComTac VI and VII headsets.
SIG SAUER
SIG SAUER’s support added another layer to the hands-on nature of the event. As the official range-day sponsor, a broad range of SIG SAUER firearms were available, with expert support available throughout the day.
Two areas were particularly highlighted: the long-range and marksmanship portions of the event.
The ability to move directly from discussion to live-fire evaluation is a major advantage of the RLBB format. Participants weren’t simply being shown equipment; they were able to put it into use with experienced personnel available to answer questions and provide instruction. The hands-on approach remains one of the standout strengths of Rock’a Lock’a BANG! BANG!.
TENICOR
Tenicor had staff on hand displaying their concealment holsters and working with participants on ways to avoid printing when carrying.
Participants we are able to practice drawing and firing with simunitions.
Several opetions were availible to test Inclucding the VELOS AIWB holster.
Tenicor also supplied each participant with a pro card to obtain a free holster after the event.
Royal Arms
Royal Arms provided another distinctly hands-on component to the program. One of the highlights for many attendees was the opportunity to use and learn about the features and capabilities of Royal Arms breaching ammunition. Each participant was able to shoot one of their TESAR-SF Green Cap 400 Grain Frangible Rounds. This is a Non Toxic Frangible round for use on wood doors, locks and hinges.
Joe Sepulveda of Royal Arms summed up the experience:
“Everyone is excited to be here. I love taking people through our product lineup and letting them try it. I wish we could do this at every show.”
The Bell Helicopter
For those quick enough to secure one of the limited tickets for the additional infil/exfil training, the day included an overview and practical instruction on helicopter infiltration and exfiltration operations.
Participants received approximately 40 minutes of flight time in a Bell 206 light utility turbine helicopter, the same type of aircraft used by local SWAT teams.
The flight included search-and-rescue pattern flying, low-altitude operations, toe-in landings, and ended with a hover drop-off on the rooftop of a local prison.
NIGHT ONE
Networking is one of the strongest assets of Rock’a Lock’a BANG! BANG!. As teams transition from a full day of training, the event shifts into evenings built around dinners, high-level presentation, and social activities.
Night One was no exception.
A local restaurant was filled for a huge social dinner before the evening’s main activity: fire-breathing lessons.
Looking Ahead
Day Two brought an increase in attendance as additional participants arrived and more sponsors come onboard. The conference also moved directly into SPARROWS’ area of expertise as it relocated to the local maximum security prison with covert entry, escape & evasion work taking center stage.
Stay tune for more SSD reports.
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