2 days and counting

[KimberPB]

I can't wait. 2 more days until my advanced tac pistol class. Every evolution is draw from concealment and engage. Should be fun and I should get a lot out of the class.

On the down side my carbine class had to be rescheduled for next month.

[Danno]

Nice! Where are you taking it?

[KimberPB]

Nice! Where are you taking it?

It's a local guy that a range near me. His name is Norm Belson, 20 years in the Army, retired Clearwater Police Officer. He's a great instructor. I've had a good time and learned a lot in his Self-Defense shooting and Tactical handgun classes. Here is his website and an outline of what the Advanced Tac course consist of.

Major Norm Belson, INC.

ALL EVOLUTIONS ARE DRAW FROM CONCEALED CARRY
ADVANCED TACTICAL HANDGUN 500 RDS

ACTION
2 H/CBT TACTICAL RIGHT (DOUBLE TAPS)
2 H/CBT TACTICAL LEFT (DOUBLE TAPS)
ONE HAND TACTICAL RIGHT (DOUBLE TAPS)
ONE HAND TACTICAL LEFT (DOUBLE TAPS)
ACTION SHOOTING (REAR/RIGHT/LEFT)

TACTICAL RETREAT - 3 MOVING TARGETS 3-3-4
TWO HAND COMBAT R/HAND
TWO HAND COMBAT L/HAND
RIGHT HAND ONLY
LEFT HAND ONLY
GUN RETENTION MOVING

TACTICAL RETREAT - 2 MOVING TARGETS 5-5
TWO HAND COMBAT R/HAND
TWO HAND COMBAT L/HAND
REQUIRES MAG CHANGE

HOSTAGE TAKER NEUTRALIZATION

[KimberPB]

By the way my avatar is from his tactical handgun class.

[AZSATT]

That's exciting PB! Sorry to hear about the carbine class, but the pistol class should scratch that itch!

Out of curiosity - for the tactical retreat drills (like in your avatar), are you moving straight to the rear because it's an indoor range, and lateral movement would have you shooting the walls?

I ask only because lateral/diagonal/rearward travel is best at getting out of a BG's natural direction of aim. (I understand the indoor range limitation - just curious.)

We still need to get you over here to roll around on the desert floor and move anyway you need to/have to to engage multiple BG's... even from the ground up (tactical ground fighting)!!

Looking forward to hearing all about your training - stay safe and have a blast!

[KimberPB]

That's exciting PB! Sorry to hear about the carbine class, but the pistol class should scratch that itch!

Out of curiosity - for the tactical retreat drills (like in your avatar), are you moving straight to the rear because it's an indoor range, and lateral movement would have you shooting the walls?

I ask only because lateral/diagonal/rearward travel is best at getting out of a BG's natural direction of aim. (I understand the indoor range limitation - just curious.)

We still need to get you over here to roll around on the desert floor and move anyway you need to/have to to engage multiple BG's... even from the ground up (tactical ground fighting)!!

Looking forward to hearing all about your training - stay safe and have a blast!

That drill we were moving straight back. That was one of the first moving and shooting drills of the day so I think the main purpose was just to get us comfortable shooting on the move. Later that day we started in the middle of the range, facing one of the walls, with no cover. We had cover to the right and cover to the left. He would say go and we would have to engage, action right, and fight our way to cover. Then engage the remaining targets from cover. Then we had to move laterally to the other cover engaging targets as we went. After reaching that cover we switched the gun to our left hands, rolled out from the left side of cover and engaged the last 4 targets. Talk about making a good shooter feel stupid! The first time I ran that I felt like a newbee again.

We even did one drill were the scenario was inside a room with 4 bad guys, no cover, and the only exit was forward and to the left. So we had to engage while moving left and forward.

I think my favorite drill of that training was our worst case scenario. Taken a round the rendered one arm useless, gun jams, and you still have an active threat. So you had to clear the jam, chamber a round, and reengage using one hand.

[KimberPB]

We still need to get you over here to roll around on the desert floor and move anyway you need to/have to to engage multiple BG's... even from the ground up (tactical ground fighting)!!

Ya I'd love to check out your school. Who knows maybe after the first of the year I'll be able to take a little vacation.

[AZSATT]

Sounds like he's got you covering the bases nicely with shooting while moving. That's terrific!

The one-handed semi-auto functioning - did he show you the "heel-of-your-boot" technique (from the ground or kneeling) or did you use a hard/flat surface to rack the slide one-handed?

It's more than a little likely by the first of 2010 I'll be somewhere far, far away from the warmth of Arizona. We'll see how it plays out.

[KimberPB]

Sounds like he's got you covering the bases nicely with shooting while moving. That's terrific!

The one-handed semi-auto functioning - did he show you the "heel-of-your-boot" technique (from the ground or kneeling) or did you use a hard/flat surface to rack the slide one-handed?

It's more than a little likely by the first of 2010 I'll be somewhere far, far away from the warmth of Arizona. We'll see how it plays out.

You called it! Heal of the boot technique.

Gun in right hand:
Drop the mag as I went to my right knee.
Using the heel of my boot and my rear site racked the slide twice to clear the jam
Still kneeling wedged the gun behind my right knee
Reach around with my right hand and grab a fresh mag
Slam it home
Rack the pistol again using the rear site and the heal of my boot
Re-engage BG

People with sloped rear sites were having fun.

[AZSATT]

That's good training for 'worst case scenario' situations... but I use them primarily to build and develop confidence in the shooter.

If you can do all that and shoot well under 'stress' (induced with a little PT and a stopwatch - no one shooting at you) you're doing well.

That's good stuff!