Concealed Carry Class October 21 - 23 at Riverside

USMA-82

USMA-82

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Riverside Gun Club of Hudson, MA will host Personal Security Institute’s “Concealed Carry Defensive Pistol” course October 21 – 23, 2005. This is a defensive pistol shooting course. The 2 ½ day course starts off with a seminar Friday night (free to all club members), and then two full days of range time with some of the best defensive firearms instructors in New England. This is some of the most proven and refined self defense material and has been organized into an intensive but fun course.

The course fee is $330, and there are discounts for members of the club, as well as annual and life members of a number of RKBA organizations such as NRA, GOA, etc. (these range from 10-25% off). No experience is necessary. If you have previous experience, have been to shooting schools, or are an instructor, you will also find this course very beneficial as the second day gets into more advanced topics (movement, cover, moving targets, etc.)

Tuition Includes:
• Color Certificate of Training
• Certification for the Utah Concealed Carry Firearms Permit (good in many states due to reciprocity). Course is also accepted in a list of other states for their concealed carry permit.
• Detailed Manual of Instruction
• Information Resources Packet
• Logo Item from PSI
• PSI Hat

Attendees must supply their own firearm, magazines, and ammunition, but PSI can in most cases loan concealed carry holsters and gear as needed.

For more information, and to sign-up for the course, call Ken Kennedy, Chairman of the Rifle & Pistol Committee, at 508-393-1862, or send an email to: [email protected]

Don’t miss this great opportunity to improve your self-defense skills and enhance your knowledge of concealed carry methods and techniques. There are a limited number of slots for this class, so sign up now!
 
Yes, John Petersen and he will be helped by Joe P. Can't remember Joe's last name, but he shoots IDPA at Riverside with "those funny guys" so maybe they know his last name.

John told me today to bring 700-800 rds of ammo, so I would say this will be a really fun 3 days.

Dan
 
traveler57 said:
Yes, John Petersen and he will be helped by Joe P. Can't remember Joe's last name, but he shoots IDPA at Riverside with "those funny guys" so maybe they know his last name.

John told me today to bring 700-800 rds of ammo, so I would say this will be a really fun 3 days.

Dan
Click to expand...


Dan,

Bring at least 800 rounds, and maybe even more that that. I have taken this course twice, and in both classes there were opportunities to shoot extra rounds, like during lunch. You can never have too much ammo at a training class like this.

Great course, by the way.

C-X
 
1 class = 1 case of ammo. (^_^) You'll be happy you did. And make it the good reliable stuff, not the value basement stuff. I have found WinClean to be great for these classes as I don't end up with everything covered in black residue.

Also, if your gun is a PIA to load the mags (like 10 round Glock mags) get some kind of tool to help as your thumb will be raw hamburger at the end if you are not used to loading up hundreds of rounds in a day. OR, get a bunch of extra mags so you can limit your loading.

I've also found one of those little camp stools handy. Not only does it give you a place to sit, but you can use it as a 'loading table' so you are not running around between strings.

Keep some cleaning stuff handy. Nothing worse than getting a jam problem and not being able to take 5 to give the gun a cleaning.

Bring some trash bags or other waterproof covering so that you have a place to keep your equipment dry in case of rain.

It may be "just shootin'" but treat it as if you would a major athletic event. Keep yourself well fed and hydrated and you'll enjoy the days better. Trust me, waking up for day two and feeling like you were hit by a truck is NO fun.

Having a spare setup is a good idea. Preferably the same caliber. Even if you have to borrow from a friend for the weekend.

Don't show up with new and unproven items. an advanced shooting class isn't a fashion show, bring the old reliable stuff that you know works.

Bring the most comfortable equipment. You might want to put on the 'carry' gear at some point, but for most of the exercises a good strong side holster that is easy to use will make the day more enjoyable than getting frustrated over a hard to reholster carry rig.

Don't forget a hat, sunscreen, comfy shoes (Riverside has gravel and concrete as surfaces on the ranges) etc.

Pack some of those packaged towels in your bag so you can wash your hands quickly. Yes, Riverside has a bathroom on the range, but why walk to it when all you need is a quick wash to have a snack?

In a nutshell, take the time before class to organize and stock up on the things you need to be comfortable. You'll enjoy the class MUCH more if you are not worrying or thinking about other things.
 
Chris,

Great list! And not just for a class. I have been stocking up a second bag, in the past few months, with a lot of what is on your list, just to have in the trunk. cleaning stuff, cleaning snakes, extra towels. But now on your list, you had some more good items to add to this 2nd bag. My primary gun bag can only hold 2 guns, 6-8 mags, and 200-300 rds along with my eye/ears. And then it is full. Plus, my 2nd bag is fully non-gun/non-ammo, so I don't have to ever worry about it or leaving it in my trunk, etc.

Plus, for other classes or big practices, I have found an old (strong) gym bag that will hold another 12 x 100 rd boxes.

And, yes, on my last class (4 days) I ended up buying gallon jugs of water, and i never had "too much." So your point on water is very important.

There is rain forecasted for this Sat/Sun, so your plastic trash bag idea is good.

I only have one 40S&W with my Glock22, but I did find a Glock 23 for sale that has a pretty decent price. But, I will at least bring my 357 and 380 along too. It would really, really suck to go to a great class and have a broken gun.

Anyone from this forum going?
 
One thing I would suggest: bring along a bandaid or two for use in protecting the middle finger of your shooting hand.

Blasting thru nearly a case of ammo in a weekend may prove a bit tough on your hand. Use the bandaid to avoid a blister.
 
Tips based on posts and my experiences in taking 2 - 3-day and 1 - 4-day class over the past year+.

- I started out using a loading tool to reload mags. Due to "catch a little time here and there" to reload, finding that the tool slowed me down considerably, and some negative comments about them (generically) by an instructor, I put them away and toughed it out . . . without injury. I used a USPc .40 in my 1st 3-day class and a 1911 in the rest of them.

- When the boys (and girl :) ) of www.neshooters.com run a class, they go out and buy cases of water at Sam's Club or Costco's so that they have plenty for all the shooters. It's part of their calculated expenses in running the class. You can't afford for someone to get sick (dehydration) because they weren't smart enough to bring their own water! Personally, this is short money for the class sponsors and should be "standard" practice.

- I brought a backup gun and ammo (since the backup to the 1911 was a P99 in .40), in case of gun failure. Luckily never needed it. There were a couple of gun failures, due to "add-in" parts and I'll admit that a special RecoilMaster (which I did like) did fail on me too . . . but I didn't know it until I stripped it down to clean it after the class was over. None of us cleaned our guns during any of the classes and we ran an average of 800 rds/class.

- Go to BJ's, Sam's Club or Costco's and buy a box of baby wipes. We learned that our troops in the sandbox found many uses for them. Guess what, they are great for cleaning the powder residue off your hands quickly while on the range! Sam's club has a 720 wipe box for ~$12.50 (there are little packages inside so you only need to carry around a small packet). Gun supply places (like Brownells) sell essentially the same thing in small "gun cleaning wipes" packages for >10x the price/unit!

- Go with an open mind to learn and try new techniques. Afterwards, review and adopt those techniques that work best for you.

- Enjoy and report back here with a review of the training after you are done!
 
I'll second (or third) the idea of bandaids or some gauze and tape - something about drawing and re-holstering several hundred times in the space of two days just seems to beat the hell out of your hands...

I developed and tore a blister on the rearmost joint of my thumb during the Jeff Gonzales class several weeks ago, and it's just now fading away. By the end of the class, my hand looked like something out of "Revenge of the Mummy."

You might even want to be pre-emptive: loosely wrap the "wear areas" on your shooting hand before the class, and you might avoid problems altogether. Just a thought - I'll be at the class this weekend, and that's what I'm doing!

See you at Riverside!

Ken
 
GREAT class

Just a quick note to say that the PSI class was fantastic. John Peterson is a great instructor. (read this as-- if your instructor has credibility, then you will listen to him!!)

Also, Joe and Robert were fantastic, even to telling us the "little things" as we went through drills, etc. And, beyond just the great program for the training, it was the efforts of these three guys to truely spend time watching each of us to see where we could improve. This kind of attention was worth everything.

And, yes Ken, I now have a rub spot on my thumb that kills. I ended up shooting over 1000rds, since many drills allowed us to shoot full mags and I brought 5 hi-cap mags. Some of the 1911 shooters only had 8+1 rds, so they ended more on the 600-700 rd level. Also, because this class was "from the holster" just like real life. I now fully know that paper bullseye target shooting is okay, but has only a limited application to defensive carry. (Think - moving target and you moving too!)

It was a fast paced, filled class that exposed us to first the basics (but only 1 hour) and then we began putting all the pieces together on different drills and CoFs. And again, John style of instruction was great to help each of us do it right. (and safely.)

But, to be a bit selfish, I would not encourage anyone with only beginner skills with gun handling for this course, as the fast pace put a lot of shooters together on a hot range 8 hours each day. (I am just worried about my ass.) BTW- no ADs or NDs at all.

But, at the same time, I also do strongly recommend that all LTC/CCW permit holders go to this class and get true training for personal defense use of a handgun.

Do you give the keys to your 16 year old and say go drive my Porsche, and say good luck???? Do you simply buy a violin and start playing with the Boston Pops the next day????

NO?? Same for firearms, especially if you plan to carry concealed. Just buying and owning a gun does not make you a great gun fighter or a person that should even be carrying at all. Proper training is the key.
And not just shooting and firefighting skills, but the proper mental mindset too. Please help make the day of the "rabbit's foot" idea for a concealed handgun finally a thing of the past.

I for one will try to get John to set up an Advanced Class next year.

And a big thanks to Ken for setting up this class and coordinating everything with the Riverside Club.
 
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