Jim,
I noticed your recent post about Front Sight’s 2009 schedule. A friend and I just returned from the four-day defensive handgun course and one-day CCW course. We did the “Get a Gun” and train package. I’d like to give you a little summary of the experience, in the hopes that some of your readers might be encouraged to train.
My experience with shooting started at age 10, with my first .22 rifle. By age 19, I was a USMC rifle expert, and in the 17 years since then, have done a fair amount of recreational target shooting. I’ve always kept a handgun in the home for protection. But, the only real training in firearms I received was in the Marine Corps. Whenever I thought about my level of competence, I would tell myself that if I ever needed to use a gun in defense of life, that I would “rise to the occasion” and do what I had to. After reading Boston’s Gun Bible, and many posts on SurvivalBlog about the value of training, I decided that I wasn’t competent enough with handguns to actually defend myself in the stress and chaos of a lethal encounter. When I read about Front Sight’s “Get a Gun and Train” deal, I decided it was too good to pass up.
In the four days at Front Sight, we trained for about 9-to-10 hours per day, with a night shoot on the third day adding an extra three hours. They use a student/coach system that requires you to watch your buddy as he goes through the exercises. You’re expected to correct anything he does wrong, and then the roles reverse so he can watch you. This alternating teach/learn makes the training process really effective and the techniques for handling the firearm sink in quickly. They stress developing muscle memory on the range, and with “dry practice” drills. We learned how to rapidly deal with the three types of weapon malfunctions, shooting while moving, clearing doors, corners, and rooms, rapid presentation to the target, the “three secrets”, and much more. By the end of the fifth day CCW class, I felt a huge amount of confidence with my Glock that I never felt before. It was so comfortable and felt like an extension of my hand.
The instructors were professional and very friendly. In fact, at the end of the last day, after class, my friend and I had a few hundred extra rounds in our range bag. So, one of the instructors voluntarily ran the two of us through some of the high-level confrontation drills like close-quarters (three feet away) shooting, walking head-shots, etc. He spend about two hours just with us, so we could get even better. He probably could have gone home to his family but he stayed there to train us for free. We were extremely satisfied with the whole experience.
What I realized after getting the training, was that no matter what I thought of my abilities, they were not good enough to bet my life on. Only by training, and continuing to train, can I actually depend on my gun to protect lives. Lethal encounters never happen when you plan on them, so you’ll only be “half as good as your best day on the range”. The more training you have, the better that “half as good” will be when your body is flushed with adrenaline, your hands are shaking, you’re trying to overcome shock, and fight for your life.
Quality training, and continued practice, are a must for anyone who owns a gun for defense. And with an uncertain future ahead, I would jump on Front Sight’s deal while the planes are still regularly flying. Regards, – Robert A. (a 10 Cent Challenge Subscriber)