NRA Pistol Instructor

Sept. 25

I have evolved!

For years I have been training people to shoot….(usually ad hoc and without a standard curriculum.) I’ve always thought I’d done a fairly good job of it, and frankly my classes have been limited to new shooters or those with very little experience. 

Those that have wanted more advanced training I’ve passed along to a training academy that offers specialized advanced scenario course offerings.

Well….that same training academy offered to take me to the alter and make me legitimate!

See…one of the downsides to informally teaching people to shoot is that my legal liabilities are completely exposed.  As you know I have a real problem with being exposed!  To remedy this the NRA offers a chunk of liability insurance to those individuals that possess NRA Instructor Certificates.  That, and course materials that make the whole teaching thing a little more systematic, and frankly professional.

(Besides, being able to say “I’m an NRA Pistol Instructor” just kinda sounds more badass then “Yeah...I shoot a lot so I guess I’m competent to teach you)

So…the training facility I use decided to offer an NRA Instructor Certification class.  Now….these trainers are primarily Law Enforcement, Military, or Security Operators.  They do teach civilians, and do an exceptional job of it, but their main function is expanding on the talents of their fellow operators. 

A couple of interesting things:  First off when you are at a tactical range that is populated by spooky ex-special forces guys preparing to go back to Crapistan and do unmentionable things, you get to see some pretty friggen cool stuff.  The coolest though is the people themselves.

I had the chance to sit down and talk with a young man who just recently left the British SAS.  (For those of you who don’t know, the SAS is similar to our Navy Seals).  I asked him if the training he acquired in the UK relied on different fundamentals then what is offered here in the US.

His answer was interesting…..He said that in the UK where gun ownership is for the most part non-existent most service personnel pick up their first firearm when they enlist in the military.  As such their shooting skills are waaaay behind those of us that have been shooting since we were kids.

At the same time, while our US shooters may be more technically proficient our bodies don’t get the same attention.  Our diet and exercise patterns either bulk us up too much to be useful on the battlefield, or we just don’t bother with exercise at all and “let our bodies go to rot”. 

He has a point….our dedication to mastering marksmanship seems a bit misplaced if we are too exhausted to keep our sights on target.  On the other hand, in the US civilians…and again I’m only focusing on civilians…exclusively shoot defensively.  We really don’t need to have the body of marathon runner to chase down a target because, …well…it’s just not our job to “chase down a target”.  We hire guys like my Brit friend to do that for us!

At the end of the weekend I had passed my test, shot a whole ton of lead down range, and even became the Range Safety Officer for a while on a tactical range.  (Ok….just got to say being a RSO on a hot range is pretty friggen cool!!!)

So, now I’m not just that “guy” with a bunch of guns that is willing to teach you to shoot…..now I’m that “guy” with a bunch of guns that is also an NRA Instructor who is willing to teach you to shoot.

Pretty cool!!!  

Sept. 19th....Do I need a Gun?

Sept. 19^th

“Do I need a gun?”

That was a question posed to me by a neighbor who knows that our house is, … well…let’s just say “well armed”.  He was concerned about the upcoming presidential election and thought that it might be wise to buy a firearm now rather than risk not being able to buy one later.

Fair enough…..

Politics aside….there will always be movements to ban firearms, or to loosen the restrictions on owning them.  That is simply not something that is ever going to go away.  The decision to own a weapon…be it a baseball bat, a knife, or a handgun is an intensely personal decision and one that should be made independent of the political whims of the electorate. 

That said….as Col. Cooper once said (paraphrased) “Owning a gun does no more to make you a shooter than owning a piano makes you a musician.” 

This is a fundamental truth. 

Whims of product design or tactical methodologies will change and evolve until men become angels and put down their arms.  They have for the last 6000 years and I see no indications that we have reached the End of History and the Last Man. 

Weapons systems will change, some for the better some for the worse, good and bad ones will be abandoned, crappy and good ones will remain.  It just is the way things are.

In the world of shooting though, what "works" usually does tend to stay around for a while, while the truly ludicrous goes out of fashion relatively quickly.  The Colt 1911, one of the most ubiquitous handguns on the planet, has not really changed for over a hundred years.  Same with the 30.06 cartridge. 

So…with everything “tactical”…with zombie ammunition and targets all the rage….what are the fundamentals we should keep in mind as we ponder “Do I need a gun?”

Well…first of all….are you prepared to use it?

Going back to Col. Cooper….There are many people that have a grand piano in their living room that acts  more as a piece of furniture than a functioning musical instrument. 

Look…here is the brutal truth: are you the type of person who is simply not prepared to engage an enemy…(and when I say enemy, I mean someone who has violated the law and is in the process of threatening you with deadly force)….with the a counter-offensive, explosive use of lethal force?  No?  Then you probably are not a good candidate for gun ownership. 

Or a baseball bat for that matter.

On the other hand….when you peer down into your soul and come to terms with the fact that you are prepared do what it takes to protect yourself and your family we arrive at the second fundamental….YOU NEED TO PRACTICE!!!

Firearms competency is not a factor of the weapon.  For the purposes of this discussion we will assume that all firearms you potentially have access to go “bang” when you pull the trigger. Actually stopping a threat under extreme stress with a targeted round….well…that is another story. 

If you have come to the conclusion that you are prepared to use lethal force to protect yourself you have to always keep in mind that your primary weapon system is YOU.  The gun,..the knife, the baseball bat….those are just force multipliers increasing the amount of pounds per square inch that resist an on coming threat.  If the gun is not readily available, the chair…or the remote control, of that cup of coffee is. 

But let’s focus on the gun.

I mentioned that you need to practice….and to practice well…and consistently….you need to enjoy the practice.  The reality is that the chances of you being involved in a life or death struggle with an assailant are thankfully low.  Spending hours at the range…and a fair chunk of money…does seem a little ridiculous unless the actual practice is a form of entertainment.  You won't go unless it is fun, and it won't be fun if the gun you own is difficult or painful to shoot.

So….  “Should I buy a gun?”

Well….my answer is in turn a question:  “Would you use it, and will you practice?”

If your answer is yes to both, then it’s time to head to the gun shop! 

Sept. 11 - The Future of Firearms Training

Sept – 11

Food has a unique ability to taste “better” when the initial impression is apprehension.  I am not entirely sure that Escargot tastes as good as I think it does…what I do know is that it tastes a hell of a lot better than I expected it to. 

So it goes with most things.  A movie or novel met with prejudice that is overcome exceeds the value of the same experience whose greatness was anticipated.

This naturally leads us to Firearms Simulators.

Years ago I participated in evaluating a Fire Arms Training Simulator or F.A.T.S. system.  The experience was less than enthralling.  While the argument can be made that the technology at the time was less than “cutting edge” the experience over all was more entertainment the educational. 

So with a healthy amount of skepticism I traveled to Tempe Arizona to meet with the folks at Virtra.

Virtra is a firearms simulator manufacturer.  Their product is primarily dedicated to Law Enforcement and Military, but civilians…especially CCW holders can benefit from the experience. 

First impressions:  on a scale of 1-10 the simulator ranks a 12 with an footnote of  Holy @#$@! That was  @#$@! Incredible!!!

Ok…the details:

Virtra makes a number of simulator products, but on my visit I trialed the “300” a totally immersive interactive simulator that “wraps around” the student and creates a “real world” environment.  When I say real world….I mean real world….think Holo Deck from Star Trek,  The student has a stage on which to operate of roughly thirty square feet.  Directional speakers create the absolute feel of being immersed in a training environment.  Multi- option scenarios controlled by an operator watching the action directs the student on a number of threat scenarios. 

One point that needs to be mentioned: these scenarios are NOT computer generated….they are filmed with live actors running multiple options.  An operator/instructor follows the student along as they engage the scenario and based on their actions the operator keys events that manifest in the simulation. 

As I mentioned these scenarios are developed for LEO and military.  They are hyper-realistic and…well…not for kids or the squeamish.  When a suspect or target is shot by the student they see the  results of their actions in vivid sometimes gory detail.  Failure to engage has consequences too….and both visually and emotionally they can be devastating.  In running a hostage rescue scenario I flat out missed a suspect holding a woman hostage.  I won’t go into details here about what happened in the scenario, suffice to say I had feelings afterwards bordering on PTSD.

They also have developed practice ranges that run on the simulator.  These are equally outstanding without having the stress inducement of a live fire exercise.

Two additional points:

1)    The bad guys shoot back!  Students have the option to wear an electric shock device that can be triggered by the operator if a student is “shot” or simply because the operator is a sadistic monster and wants a laugh.  My operator was a consummate professional…I however was not….while being appalled at the resulting carnage of a head shot I performed on a bad guy I was “shot” by another perp that had taken cover behind me.  (remember the structure of the simulator is completely immersive so threats can come from all directions.)  The “shot” hit my kidney and knocked me to the ground.  I was able to fight through it and neutralize the threat, but it hurt like a son-of-a-bitch!

2)    The guns!   This is the really cool part.  You do not use toy guns with this simulator.  You use real guns!  In my case a Glock 22 and later I used an M4 Carbine.  The guns are retrofitted with laser barrels to “mark” the hit zones on the screen and CO2 magazines replace the original magazines to provide recoil when the trigger is pressed.  More over, the computer monitors the discharge of the weapon and broadcasts an ballistic “noise” through the speakers.  (which can be turned off if you have a new shooter who is being introduced to firearms and you don’t want to scare him off with the rapport.).  The recoil feels like that of a 9mm pistol and the sound is so well timed you really have a suspension of belief.  When I walked off of the simulator I really had felt that I had been in an honest to God gunfight.

So…in the end do simulators have a place in a shooters training?  Before this experience I would have said “no..live fire can never be replaced”.  After this experience? I would say I am a convert.  In fact as a new convert I preach the Gospel the loudest!  This is….without question…and with unmitigated enthusiasm….the best training tool I have ever seen for anyone who owns or carries a gun!  Bravo Virtra! Well played!  

Sept. 2nd- Archery Deer Hunt

Sept 2^nd

I am a hunter. 

I am also a rifleman.

I am not an archer.

That said, each September in California the deer season opens early for archers, and well…I guess I’m a hunter first.

I have a compound bow and on practice targets I can be pretty lethal.  Truth to tell I have taken game with it in the past, usually rabbits in the back yard, and an occasional coyote has fallen to my bow.  Nothing replaces the crack of a rifle though.

Our new sales director at my work is a big time archer, and has I must admit, infected me with the possibility of finally taking a deer with a bow.  This year I decided to give it a chance. 

Armed with my deer tag, and a brand new set of arrows I headed up to my usual haunt to see if luck would be with me on opening day.

Archery hunting and rifle hunting are very different.  First and foremost, the distances are narrowed considerably with an arrow.  Most archers take a solitary position….usually in a tree stand and either call in a deer, or wait for one to wander on by.  Target distances are usually in the twenty five foot range, though some good archers can comfortably take a deer out at seventy five feet.  I’m good…but not that good…I need to keep my shots in the 25 foot range.

There is another type of hunting though…and in the hills of the Cleveland National Forest where there just are not that many trees we have the “spot and stalk”.  This is pretty much exactly what it sounds like.  We take a high position.  Using binoculars we scan for deer, and when we find one we begin a long and arduous process of closing the distance for an ethical shot.  This method was the one I intended to use on my evening hunt on the first day of Archery Deer Season.

Things did not start off well.  First…it was hot.  I mean really really hot!  At my hunting site (which is at 2500’) the temperature gage in the truck read 95 degrees.  Deer just don’t like to move in this weather, which meant if I was going to be successful at all I was going to have to jump one that was bedded down.  I’ve done this before, but it is not easy and is less a thing of skill then dumb luck.

Secondly…since I have to get in really close camouflage is really important.  Deer don’t see colors so having a color scheme that matches the surroundings is not particularly important.  What they do see is movement, and they see large solids really well.  Especially solids like arms, and faces and hands.  So….in 95 degree weather, I’ve got to wear covering over just about every square inch of skin.  Since I’ve got to do some serious moving around I need to bring water with me as well.  This goes on my back in a camelback backpack and adds to the over all weight I’m carrying….in 95 friggen degree heat!

Well….I won’t keep you in suspense…I did not see any deer.  Did see dear sign though…scat and tracks that were less than 24 hours old.  The deer are there,….but they just were not cooperating with me today. 

But…..even though the hunt was not “successful” in the traditional sense, it was immensely rewarding.  First and foremost I was outdoors!  True it was miserable in the heat, but nature’s furnace is still a function of nature.  Secondly, this was not just a singular hunt….it was a scouting mission as well.  There was deer sign there!  I will be back soon…..next time during rifle season!

For what it is worth….on the drive home I saw three deer on private land, and when I got home and took the dog for a walk, Gretchen (my dog) busted three bucks in the state park next to our house….six deer in one day…all on land I’m not allowed to hunt, and no deer spotted where I can….sigh.

Artemis does have a sense of humor.