Advanced Handgun Course

[Rob Pincus]

Hello, all....

FWIW, I agree with a lot of these posts in regard to the value of training and the opportunity to do a LOT of good on your own in the backyard just shooting. Having a methodology, mindset and set of drills to make the most of the time is important though. That information, at least most of what I have to offer, can be found online, in articles, in my book or in my DVDs. OF course, the "latest/greatest" is going to come from the attending a course with me or one of my staff instructors, simply because of lead time. For example, The Adv. Pistol Handling course outline that I taught over the weekend may look like the table of contents from the APH DVD that was released earlier this year, but there are tweaks and improvements to the course that have changed it over the past 13 months since it was originally taped (4/07). Of course, the opportunity to have an instructor work specifically with you and your gear has value. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I know that most people get pushed by the courses beyond what would happen in their back yards. This is in no small part because of the significant investment in time, money and effort it takes to get to a course. Please be sure to know that I (and all professional instructors) respect that.
I.C.E. exists to bring training to people who need/want it. Yes, it is a business... but it is one that revolves around providing a service that we believe in.

The turn in the economy has affected things for a lot of people, if nothing else it is making people think more about how they spend every dollar. I have had one LE course postponed recently because of the need to take money from the training budget and put it into the fuel budget to keep patrol cars running. I expect there that there may be more of those this year. On the other hand, within a week of finding out, we just about sold out the course listed to replace it. I am also running a course next month for a group of guys who specifically asked for a Low Round Count version of the program so that they could get the information and be exposed to the drills, but only need to purchase about 50% of the ammo in order to save money. We still have several slots, as only a few students have signed up for the course in MN next month, I would certainly entertain that option (with the acceptance of those already in the course, of course). Lastly, I do offer the assurance of a money back offer if someone honestly doesn't think the experience was worth the fee afterwards.

Thanks.

-RJP

[cmj685]

I can say that Rob is not only an internationally sought-after instructor, but, from personal experience with him, a good guy as well. We have had multiple email conversations over several years, though he doesn't know me personally, in which he has always responded immediately and helpfully. In one case I had a little quibble with one of his books and he was more than glad to discuss the concept. In another case he provided me with information about an email address of a politician in Colorado whom he recommended contacting regarding the reciprocity problem between Minnesota and Colorado. Several times he has taken the time and effort to log onto our humble forum here in Minnesota and converse with us. It is safe to say that he is a real friend and ally for the shooting community everywhere, and if you can see your way clear, you won't be disappointed in training with him either in the quality of the training or in the quality of the man. It is not often that one of the nationally famous schools comes to us!

[Rem700]

So any way
I have never been able to do any formal training other then P2C due to time, money, schedule, etc. But the 8-22 course so far seems to work and is close to home so I am signing up for this one, I talked to Dave on the phone for quite awhile and he answered what probably sounded like alot of dumb questions from a newbie and took them all in stride. From what I gathered on the phone is 400rds, pistol holster, mag holder and atleast 2mags, hat, eyes and ears, blue gun if you have one, And foul weather gear class rain or shine but sounded like they would cancel for tornadoes etc. I hope to take advantage of some of the other local talent in the future.

[Duane J]

So any way
I have never been able to do any formal training other then P2C due to time, money, schedule, etc. But the 8-22 course so far seems to work and is close to home so I am signing up for this one, I talked to Dave on the phone for quite awhile and he answered what probably sounded like alot of dumb questions from a newbie and took them all in stride. From what I gathered on the phone is 400rds, pistol holster, mag holder and atleast 2mags, hat, eyes and ears, blue gun if you have one, And foul weather gear class rain or shine but sounded like they would cancel for tornadoes etc. I hope to take advantage of some of the other local talent in the future.

Glad to hear you've found one to get involved in. After your class, be sure to post a thread about your experience. Have fun and be sure to eat breakfast before class.

D

[MsT]

I'm a little late getting into this discussion, as I'm still out in Washington State, having just finished a weeklong handgun class at Firearms Academy of Seattle - defensive handgun 1, tactical 1, and defensive 2, and what Pat says is really true:

real defensive handgun training is an absolute eye opener, in a lot of different ways. All of a sudden you are not just trying to hit the target anymore; you are trying to save your own a$$ and kill the target. Also time becomes a factor, where it may not have played much a roll for you before.

I definitely learned a great deal from my training, and the more training I get, the better able I will be to survive. That's the name of the game.

We worked our tails off every day all week - shot about 1100 rounds of ammunition. This was great training, and I'm already thinking about what I'd like to do next.

[Pat]

Sounds like you had a great time, MsT

[Pinnacle]

I am thrilled that there are people taking the opportunity to go out and try new techniques.

I will never forget Pat's reaction after the first 2 days of a 4 day class - he was absolutely overwealmed - in a good way.

I have always been a proponent of training. If you take away one good tip or trick - you win. It is all about elevating your proficiency and it is never a bad thing to discover what you don't know.

Get out and shoot.

[MsT]

Yes, Pat, I did -- the class was 3 gals and 7 guys (one of the guys had MS; 2 were in law enforcement), and only one of the participants was older than me ! I would have never done this without some serious encouragement from someone (who shall remain nameless unless he wants to chime in here). "Passing" the class involved taking the "Handgun Master" test. I finished at the "top" of the class, passing 6 of the 10 parts of the test with one other gal and 2 guys. I'm very satisfied with how I finished ... and know what to work on when I get home. We have the invitation to come back to take the test again any time the Defensive Handgun 2 class is being held - free of charge. (If anyone is wondering, I chose FAS because their website appeared to be the least "military" looking ... so it seemed like a good place to start. I think I chose well. Not only did I get great instruction, I also gained confidence to go back or try something else in the future. I also made some great friends.)

[Pat]

Am glad you had a good experience. For me, there was a "WOW!" factor. I CAN really do this stuff, and I never knew the stuff even existed before.

[Don L]

I've known Marty & Gila Hays since our Gunsite days together in the mid '90s, and I believe that FAS is one of the best training values out there, as I spent a week with them a while back. MsT and I were together for more than a few hours getting her "tuned up" for the class, and it sounds like it paid off! For MsT to pass as many parts of the "Handgun Master Test" as she did, calls for outstanding shooting and gun handling. For MsT to invest the time and expense to take a class like that is impressive in itself!

Don

[JoeH]

I finished at the "top" of the class,

Congrats!