Advanced Pistol

(Requires Course Registration Form)

Advanced Pistol This course is the logical progression from Primary Pistol. Each student must attend Primary Pistol and practice the skills taught in that course in order to fully realize the benefits of Advanced instruction. This course is designed to be intense and challenging. Highlights of this class include the draw, one of the most misunderstood and often miss-instructed skills that are critical to survival of an armed confrontation. Myths will be debunked; popular wisdom will be exposed as simply wrong and potentially fatal. Immediate action and stoppage drills will be mastered in both the classroom and during live fire on the range. This course is about fighting to win with a handgun with no holds barred.

The course begins with a review of the fundamentals. Every aspect of basic marksmanship skills will be evaluated and scrutinized.

Day One of Advanced Pistol begins in the classroom with a review of the principals taught in Primary Pistol. This includes

• Safety
• The response of the mind and body to the stress of an armed encounter
• Marksmanship fundamentals
• Immediate action and stoppage drills
• Combat mindset

A key area of focus includes how to practice the most productively, the number of repetitions required to develop muscle memory, and why you should end every practice session with slow precise fire. Day one also includes a comprehensive examination and explanation of the draw. Experienced competition shooters, police officers, and long-time concealed handgun license holders will learn something new and vital about a subject many take for granted. The students immediately adjourn to the range to begin the task of imprinting the correct draw sequence into their memory.

Drawing by the numbers is the only way to unlearn old habits and/or build new correct ones.

Day two will be action packed and held almost exclusively on the range. Positional shooting including standing, kneeling, sitting, and prone are reviewed and practiced repeatedly. Transitioning between positions (fighting your way to your feet) is a subtle yet life saving skill everyone should master. Immediate action drills are often used as a misnomer for stoppage drills. The students learn that immediate action actually means what happens when the unexpected occurs, including finding yourself on the ground during a fight. This is a unique opportunity to practice from realistic fighting positions including flat on your back or belly. Stoppage drills are taught cold (dummy rounds only) in Primary. In Advanced they are practiced live, one on one under the watchful eye of the instructor. The class will reconvene after dark to review low light and flashlight techniques.

 

The “jungle run” will test every aspect of a students skills and mindset.

Equipment – New, untested, fresh from the pistol smith weapons are not recommend. Bring what you carry. All weapon types are welcome. We believe that most students are best served by a standard capacity (13 plus rounds) 9mm pistol. Fine examples include the Para-Ordinance P18.9, Browning Hi-Power, Glock models 17, 19, and 34. Loaners are available. Bring a minimum of 4 hi-cap or 7 single stack magazines. The typical round count for this class is between 1500 and 2000 rounds. Be certain that the ammunition you bring for the course functions well in your weapon before getting to the class. A sturdy gun belt, kydex or leather outside the waistband holster, and a double magazine pouch are required. A tactical and/or pistol mounted flashlight is recommended for the low light class.

The weather in north Texas can be extreme. The temperature in the summer months can exceed 100 degrees. Dress in loose light colored clothing and wear a wide brimmed hat. During the cooler months the temperature can range from the low 90s to well below freezing. Be prepared for anything. We suggest dressing in layers. We shoot rain-or-shine so bring rain gear. Bring two pair of comfortable shoes in case one is soaked by rain, mud, or sweat. Although this is not an athletic event the course is physical. Kneepads and shooting gloves will contribute to your comfort. Bring paper and pens for taking notes. Eye and ear protection are required. Suntan lotion, Ibuprofen, band-aides, first aide tape, and a lawn chair are a good idea.

Learning the advantages and techniques of firing from a variety of positions is important to developing a well rounded skill set as a handgun shooter.

Learning to clear all three types of stoppages with both hands, strong-hand only, and weak-hand only may save your life in an armed confrontation.

It is critical to escape the square range mentality that students can only shoot from designated positions. They must fight from whatever position or circumstance they find themselves in.