Utah CCW class - mini review

[n1bsbri]

I was at MFS new facility in Holliston today for the Utah CCW class. Obviously Steve has made a huge investment in the business, and overall the class was great. Here are my pros and cons:

PRO:
1. The new location is very nice, but not quite ready for prime time (see CONs below). The classroom we were in was jam packed with about 40 students, but yet it was comfortable.
2. The course is fast paced, with a lot of good material. About 2 hours of lecture, and 2 hours on the simulator. Steve mentioned that shortly the class will include live fire in their range (which was not completed yet).
3. Lots of good interaction with the students, good questions and analysis of the simulator scenarios in particular. That's a real asset to the class, being able to go through those simulations.
4. Class materials were very well organized, with a packet for each student with all the paperwork needed for the Utah permit application.
5. Several women were in the class, they had a lot of good input, and it was awesome to see so much interest from the feminine side.
6. MFS included fingerprints, passport photo, photocopies of your license, even an envelope. Everything needed to submit to Utah except the postage.
7. Discount for NES "greenies" was an added bonus.

CON:
1. The facility was still under construction, with some loud hammering and sawing, mostly toward the beginning of the class. I suppose this was unavoidable, and should be all better in a couple of weeks, I think.
2. ....
3. The Powerpoint presentations are projected on the wall, nearly floor to ceiling. This makes for a very big, readable screen, but because a lot of the material was shown near the floor, it was impossible to see except from the front row. I think a reduced size, higher up on the wall would work better.
4. While it was nice to get the photos and fingerprints done, the guys were working in the back of the classroom. I found it very disruptive to the teaching going on in the front. Gun guys tend to run on at the mouth I've found , and their LOUD on-going conversations got a little old after a short time. I don't know how to fix this, but maybe the fingerprinting and photos should be done just outside the classroom door.
5. There are some seats on the right side of the classroom (room 4) that are blocked by the open door.

All in all, a good class, well worth my time.

 

[tictac]

Good review, thanks. My wife and I got our MA certificate there (on the old site). We loved it.

When I was there dummy guns were blue plastic glock-likes... They didn't make me more nervous than my kid's squirt gun. I personally think that complaining in public that he didn't act as if that plastic blob in the shape of a gun was a loaded gun is a wee over the top. But to each its own.

Are you sure Steve's gun was loaded? Their website says: "Ammunition is NOT needed and not allowed in our facility". Did you ask him personally? "Hey, Steve, is that thing loaded?" would have done it if you were nervous about it.

 

[n1bsbri]

Their website says: "Ammunition is NOT needed and not allowed in our facility".

I guess there was at least a few students in the class with MA LTCs, and were carrying. I don't know for sure because, well, concealed means concealed. No mention was made of disarming or unloading the guns that I was aware of.

I wasn't afraid of the plastic blobs. But they are surrogates for real guns, and I don't think it's a good idea to model unsafe behavior with them. That's all.

 

[Mass Firearms]

Glad you enjoyed the class. Most of your con's are simply related to the range construction (which will finish tomorrow).

Blue training guns are used in our classes. We do not observe safety rules with those training tools (they do not have laser pointers on them).

The Ruger LCR I was carrying was loaded. However, when I removed it from my pocket it was still in its holster and remained pointed downward with the trigger covered.

We manage ammunition and loaded firearms very carefully at our facility. Students are not allowed to handle loaded firearms outside of our range. Staff have strict guidelines they need to follow.

As a policy all our staff are required to carry loaded firearms when they are at the facility.

 

[not new guy]

I was at the class as well, and would definitely recommend it (or Steve as an instructor on any related topic for that matter) to anyone. The presentation was clear, lively and interesting, and the materials covered were very useful. I definitely got more out of the class than I did from my initial licensing class that I took.

Sure, they were in the middle of some construction, but it was easy enough to shut out. I did notice that the blue training guns were being handled in a manner that would be unsafe with a real gun, but I guess that's their policy to determine and abide by. I can see how it might be uncomfortable though for some, and I'm not sure what SOP is for dummy guns anyway. I didn't see any issue whatsoever with his handling of his carry gun, however, and he was clearly being extremely conscientious when handling it (it remained holstered the whole time and pointed downward) and even when managing its location and the placement of the training guns and holster. He asked everyone who came up to use the simulator whether or not they were carrying to avoid any accidents. It was clear to me that Steve was being very careful with everything, and that safety came first.

I won't hesitate to return to MFS for future classes. Steve was a great instructor and he managed the whole situation - from the construction, to the issues that come with a new space, to running a classroom full of people hellbent on making pointless comments in the middle of class - with aplomb.

 

[Chris2388]

I was thinking about attending the Utah CCW class and these review are telling me to go for it.

 

[oyster]

I had a good Mass Pistol Safety Class there, and I have a couple of range time groupons as well, but it sounds like the Utah non-res is definitely a class I want to attend. The staff was also incredibly helpful when I was looking for a moon island prep session!

 

[mctrinket]

I have also taken this class as well as the Mass LTC class and I can't say enough good things about the facility and the instructors. Steve is extremely helpful and took extra time to answer questions from everyone and anyone one-on-one during the breaks and after the class. I am planning on taking some more of their class offering next month and can't wait.

Well worth it. Check them out and take a class. You won't be sorry.