Clint and Ka from Classic Firearms introduce guest Alexis Mccala from the band Three Teeth at Taran Butler’s range in California. The weather is overcast, and the group plans a friendly shooting competition. They mention running Taran Tactical Combat Masters and highlight the Sand Viper and Pit Viper pistols as the main focus. The goal is to work through structured drills with guidance from Taran’s trainers, emphasizing drawing from the holster, engaging multiple steel targets, and reloading under time. The segment sets up a day of learning to shoot faster and more consistently with high-performance pistols on a dynamic range.
The trainers lay out a pistol drill: draw, fire controlled pairs on steel, transition between targets, then move to additional plates and perform a reload before finishing the array. Early runs include clear misses, especially on a middle target, and some rushed shots. There are repeated reminders to slow down on the first few shots and to let empty magazines drop instead of trying to retain them. Clint struggles with the Combat Master not going fully into battery, which is traced to him pressing on the soft guide rod area with his trigger finger during reloads and keeping the slide slightly out of battery. Adjusting his grip resolves the issue. With coaching from Megan, Elicia, and Taran, times improve and hits become more consistent across the steel targets.
After working with the Combat Master, the group moves to the Pit Viper, described as the Classic Firearms contest gun. They run the same style of steel course, focusing on speed and accuracy while managing the pistol’s recoil and timing reloads. There are occasional safety and reload reminders, including getting the safety off cleanly and avoiding misses on small steel pieces. Taran steps in and runs the course cold, posting times around nine seconds while only dropping a single hit. Observers note how multiple steel targets fall almost simultaneously, explained as being controlled by a computerized system that reacts to hits. The Pit Viper’s muzzle flash and sight picture draw comments, and there is discussion about eventually preferring a dot sight as eyes get tired from using irons.
Taran sets up a head-to-head competition with the Pit Viper between Clint, Ka, and Alexis. Viewers are asked to decide in the comments who performs best. Taran then agrees to run against all three, promising to make it fair. During the runs, one shooter forgets a planned reload and ends up doing a standing reload, which leads to an explanation that overinserting a magazine into a Staccato-style magwell when the slide is locked back can cause issues. Times are called out, including a 12.47-second run with a few misses and an 18.97-second run after equipment hiccups. Taran then hip-fires the course and posts an 8.85-second time, faster than the others using a sight picture. The group notes how effective the optic is even when shooting from the hip and emphasizes Taran’s status as a nine-time grandmaster.
Day two shifts to more complex stages and movement. Ally explains a new course of fire that starts with the pistol on close steel, then transitions to a 9mm TR9 PCC. After engaging nearby white steel and poppers, shooters ground the pistol safely, pick up the TR9, disengage the safety, and engage four closer black steel targets followed by three smaller targets at roughly 100 yards. The segment focuses on incorporating distance with a 9mm carbine and managing the trigger speed on the TR9. Shooters discuss how audible the 100-yard hits are and note that one of the distant targets is harder to hear. Ally advises aiming at the intersection of the target and post, and it appears one early shot actually hits the post. Fast trigger work produces a spicy double tap that speeds up the drill, and a time of about 13.97 seconds is recorded.
Ally then demonstrates shotgun techniques with a Taran Benelli M1 Super 90. The focus is on efficient reloads: spin loads, double loads, and especially quad loads. She shows how to orient the shotgun, pull shells from a belt-mounted caddy, and slide them into the loading port in smooth four-round sequences. A match saver shell carrier on the shotgun is highlighted as a way to quickly chamber one extra round when a mistake leaves the tube short. Ally explains that with a proper belt setup, shells are staged for easy grabbing, which is far more efficient than loose rounds or pockets. Cold hands and the lack of a full belt setup make the demo slightly harder, but the technique is clear. The segment ends with coaching on flipping the shotgun, loading inward toward the receiver, and building a dedicated belt system for serious shotgun work.
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