POTD: The Mk 11 and Close-Quarters Combat In King Crab Competition

Eric B
by Eric B

Every August, the Navy's Explosive Ordnance Disposal community assembles for King Crab, a multi-day gauntlet that separates the elite from the merely excellent. This year's third iteration brought two-person teams from across the force to a California training site, where they faced a relentless cascade of challenges: underwater demolition tasks, threat assessment scenarios, long-range precision with the Mk 11, close-quarters handgun work, and the inevitable moment when a teammate goes down and the other must execute tactical combat casualty care under pressure. I’d love a shooting range like this, where distant mountains work as the backstop.

The Mk 11 MOD 0, adopted by SOCOM in 2000, embodies precision-platform thinking like we know of today: a 20-inch barrel, free-floating handguard, and quick-detachable suppressor mount built for operators who operate in silence when they need.


Photo credit: U.S. Navy, Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Adkins

Eric B
Eric B

Ex-Arctic Ranger. Competitive practical shooter and hunter with a European focus. Always ready to increase my collection of modern semi-automatics, optics, thermals and suppressors. TCCC Certified. Occasionaly seen in a 6x6 Bug Out Vehicle, always with a big smile.

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