AAR - 3 Rivers Tactical Training Solutiuons - 1 day Tactical Pistol level I

[John A Brown]

3T conducted a 1 day Tactical Pistol level I course at the Beaver Valley Rifle and Pistol Club on Saturday, May 11, 2013.

We had a total of 8 students, including several PAFOA members: M&P Chris, eddodonnel, and 2k2wranglerx. We also had two students - Edd and Paul who have previously attended a 3T course.

Weather: About 60 degrees or so all day and zero sun. At least it didn't rain.

Gear issues: With only a few exceptions, almost everyone was attending their first formal, professional firearms training class. As such, we had a few gear issues. This is very common and not unexpected. One student - Nick - brought his leather / kydex IWB holster that he uses when he carries with his LTCF. While this holster works well for him when carrying concealed, it's not a good holster for a training class when students are drawing - and more importantly - reholstering probably 200 or so times a day. Nick dealt with it well and charged on, but it would've been much easier on him if he had a kydex OWB holster.

I understand that some folks (I'm speaking generally here - not about Nick) want to come to a training class with the same holster / gear they use to carry concealed, however, IWB holsters are just not a good idea for a training class. Some guys like to cite the age-old mantra "Train like you fight, fight like you train" line. That idea is much, much more about mindset and technique than it is about the specific holster you are using. If you carry concealed with an IWB holster and you attend a training class and use an OWB holster in the same position, this is not a big deal. At all.

The problem with IWB holsters is that it is much more difficult to safely reholster a pistol than it is with an OWB holster. As I said, Nick dealt with it very well, but I'm pretty sure he'll be getting an OWB holster before his next training class.

If you are going to attend a training class - with 3T or anyone else - do yourself and favor and do not use an IWB holster. It will make your life on the range much easier.

Another gear related issue we straightened out early is the position of magazines in the magazine pouch. This is another very common thing we see with folks attending their first training class - they insert their magazines into their mag pouch backwards. What I mean is that as they magazine sits in the mag pouch, the bullets are pointing to the rear. The correct way is for the bullets to be point forward, towards the center of your body, or your belt buckle. If you have your magazines inserted into your mag pouch incorrectly, you are going to have to rectify that problem before you can perform a reload. That takes time - a precious commodity in a gun fight.

Set yourself up for success by inserting your magazines into your pouches the correct way - with the bullets pointed forward.

And then we had one shooter who started the day with his magazines inverted - meaning one had the bullets pointed forward, and the other magazine had the bullets pointed towards the rear. Check out the picture below to see what I mean:



The magazine on your left is inserted into the mag pouch correctly - with the bullets pointed forward. The magazine on your right is inserted incorrectly - with the bullets pointed to the rear. This is actually worse than having both magazines inserted incorrectly, because it's half right and half wrong. It's better to be consistent and be all wrong - at least all the mags will be doing the same thing.

I think pretty much everyone had some type of issue with how their gear was set up. We got everyone squared away and charged on.

We only had one Serpa holster in the class, which is a very good thing.

Before I get into the specifics of the class, let me say this - THIS CLASS ROCKED!! This was by far and away the best group of students I've taught in a very long time. Specifically what I mean is that everyone came to the range with the right attitude - that they were there to learn, gain knowledge, and improve their pistol skills. We had a lot of very good feedback during the discussion sessions that contributed to the whole group learning from individual experiences. This was a great group of guys and a very easy class to teach. I sincerely thank everyone in this class for making this one of the funnest classes I've taught in a very long time.

After the introductions and safety brief we began going over the fundementals of pistol marksmanship and got everyone squared away on drawing the pistol from a holster. There were quite a few guys in the class who had never been properly taught how to draw a pistol from a holser. (This is very common with folks attending their first formal training class. I see it every single time.)

After some dry weapon drills we moved into some basic marksmanship exercises from the 5 yard line. I knew right away that this was going to be a good class. What these guys lacked in understanding about setting up their gear, they made up for in their basic marksmanship skills. It's been a long time since I had a class do so well in the first few drills. This allowed the class to advance far more than most classes, and at a better pace.

After the basic marksmanship drills, we switched targets. I use the VTAC humnaoid targets for pretty much every class I teach. I like these targets because they show the human skeletal system, so the shooter can envision exactly what damage their rounds are going to inflict. They also have target boxes in the upper chest and the face - NOT the forehead - which allow the students to understand exactly where the rounds need to be put.

Check out the picture below to see the VTAC humanoid target:



When we started using the VTAC targets we did rythm drills - what many call multiple shot drills. I do these drills in every class I teach - pistol, shotgun, and carbine. These allow the students to perform individual exercises and understand exactly where their skill level is.

Included in the rythm drills were the first reloads of the day. I try to incorporate as many reloads into my class as possible, as this is a vital skill that must be mastered by all.

We ended the first half of the day with some chest-to-face transition drills, and broke for lunch.

After lunch we started with malfunction clearing and then began to work on facing movements. I strongly dislike training courses where the students shoot at a target all day long that is standing straight in front of them. There is no basis in reality for this, as we live in a 360 degree world. The students engaged threats to their left, right, and to the rear. All did very well.

After the facing movement drills we put the paper targets away and shot on steel for the rest of the day. After putting up the steel, I did a demonstration for the class, engaging 18 inch X 9 inch steel at 25, 35, 45, and back to 75 yards. We put to rest the urban legend that nobody can hit anything from distance with a pistol. I think a few students had doubts about being able to engage steel at distance, but that didn't last long, as EVERY STUDENT IN THE CLASS successfully engaged the steel from the 75 yard line. And multiple times at that. I am extremely impressed with the performance of this class - never before have I had a class where every single student hit the steel from 75 yards. And trust me folks, that is a small target from 75 yards away. I tip my hat to them all.

AND nobody in the class had any kind of red dot or optic on their pistol - everyone did this with iron sights.

Below, PAFOA member M&P Chris engaging steel at 75 yards with a Glock 19:



From left to right, PAFOA member eddodonnel, Matt - an aspiring cop, and M&P Chris engage steel from 75 yards. Edd was running a Glock 19. Matt (I think) was running a Glock 23.



From left to right, Dave, Nick, and Ben engagine steel from 75 yards. Dave was running a .40 caliber XD, Nick a 9mm Beretta, and Ben, sorry brother, I can't remember what you were shooting.

Those tiny colored things in the distance are the steel we were shooting - not the blue and white barrels.



One of the reasons I do the 75 yard steel drill is because it is a tremendous confidence builder for everyone. As an instructor, I can literally see a change come over a shooter after they do this. And, it's a hell of a lot of fun.

After the 75 yard steel drill, we moved onto shooting the pistol from the prone position. Many folks have never imagined shooting a pistol from prone - they view the prone position as something you do with a rifle. The prone position is a very useful and viable shooting postion with the pistol - especially in a wide open area with no available cover.

Below, PAFOA members 2k2wranglesx (blue shirt) and M&P Chris shooting from the prone position. Distance was about 60 yards. Note M&P Chris is conducting a reload while prone. Very well done.



Below, Ben shooting from the prone position. Ben drove in from Philadelphia for the class, which demonstrates a lot of committment. He did very well. Thanks for coming Ben. Get out of Philly ASAP so you can get a LTCF!!!



Below, from near to far as Paul, 2k2wranglerx, M&P Chris, Matt, and eddodonnel. Note that 2k2wrangler has just an instant prior fired a round. Very well done gentlemen.



Below, Nick shooting from the prone position. Note his holster. This is an IWB holster that after about 10 minutes Nick converted to an OWB holster for the rest of the day. IWB holsters are not good for training classes, but Nick did very well through the entire course, including hitting steel at 75 yards with a very short barrel 9mm Beretta. I can't remember the model.



After the prone position, we did some shooting around cover / concealment. I put each of the students through an individual exercise to get each of them to understand how to correctly move to and utilize cover and concealement - and why it is important to do so. This is something each shooter needs to experience before they fully understand it. This was a very eye-opening exercise for everyone.

Below, Dave on the left and 2k2wranglerx correctly utilizing and shooting around cover:



Below, Ben engaging steel while correctly utilizing cover. Distance was around 30 yards - a very easy shot for everyone in this class.



Below, M&P Chris correctly utilizing cover and shooting around the left side of it:



Below, Matt (red) and Paul (blue) both correctly utilizing and shooting around cover. Paul is a big dude and could practically see over those barrels. Paul is also a paramedic. I hope I never need them, but I very much like having medical professionals in my classes. Paul was running a Glock 19, one of 3 in the class and my all time favorite combat pistol. 50% of the students were running Glocks, which is consistent with pretty much every class I teach.



Below, Nick engaging around the left side of cover.



Below, eddodonnel utilizing cover. This was edd's third 3T class. He has shown tremendous improvement in all areas.



After the cover / concealment drills I did an demonstration of unorthodox shooting positions. The pistol can be canted left, right, and be completely upside down, but as long as you have a sight picture and proper trigger control, you can get accurate hits. I fired laying on my side, and while laying flat on my back and the gun upside down. The gun still worked. You never know what position you will find yourself in.

The final demonstration I did for the class was how to conduct reloads and clear malfunctions one handed, and then we moved onto the night shoot.

The night shoot was an individual excercise. Each shooter had to discriminate between several shoot / no shoot targets (both paper and steel) while using a hand held light in conjunction with their pistol. Only one shooter had a weapon mounted light. Everyone should have one - they are invaluable in my opinion. Unfortunately, I don't have any pics of the night shoot, as I was working one on one with the shooters for the entire thing. I'll try to get some next time.

This was an awesome, awesome class. A sincere thank you to all who attended. Sometimes teaching classes is very much like work. This one was fun. Thanks guys.

We have a 2 day AR class this upcoming weekend May 18th & 19th back at the Beaver Valley Rifle and Pistol Club. We still have some slots open if you are interested.

John

www.3riverstraining.com

[dcarr1971]

Thanks for posting this John. This was a phenomenal program. I came into the class knowing that my skills were a little shaky (at best), and and I really feel that I learned a lot. That said, I know that I have a lot more to learn, so I hope to get out there and attend some of your other sessions a little later this year.

Hope to see you soon.

Dave C.

[2k2wranglerx]

Thanks for the pics john

This was my first formal training class. I've been shooting for 12 years or so. I learned more practical skills in 10 hours than I did in 12 years. I have some bad habits that I need to continue to work on. And it's amazing how much you do things on autopilot. Things like reaching for a spare mag. I've always kept them in my side pocket of my jeans. I had mag pouches this trip and I still kept trying to find the mag in my pocket.

I learned a lot of very transferable and practical skills at this class. And hitting steel at 75 yards was pretty cool.

John did a great job setting us up for a good day. The safety briefing is the right length to get your mindset where it needs to be. At no point did I feel bored or feel like we were just waiting for the next thing. The class is fluid and keeps moving.

My wife took the women's class a few weeks earlier and she raved about it. And she went from a very nervous shooter to extremely proficient in handling her pistol.

We are both going to return for one of his ccw classes and I'm going to get an ar class in this year as well.

Well well well worth every penny.

[M&P Chris]

This class did rock! John is a great instructor and has a way of putting you at ease. He has the experience and practical reasoning on how things should be done.

I was a little uncertain about some of the exercises, John was right there with positive reinforcement. I felt more and more confident as the day went on. My confidence was at an all time high after successfully engaging steel at 75 yards.

John showed us an exercise using concealment/cover that really put it into perspective. Crowding cover takes away your field of view.

I came into the class with an open mind, willing to learn anything John was willing to teach me. I learned tons. John was very professional and very safe.

Shooting Prone was great. I usually never shoot or practice prone shooting on my own.

The night shoot was my downfall. My nerves were a little high, John told me to slow down and focus on my sights. I kept wanting to follow my light. I have a weapon mounted streamlight tlr-1 light on my AR, but never really thought about attaching one to my pistol. I am now looking for a light bearing holster from Atomic Dog holsters and a surefire x300 ultra to go on my Glock 19.

John was a great instructor with superior knowledge and real world experience. He was always there giving us the positive reinforcement to help us succeed. John wanted us to succeed.

I am definitely going to continue my firearms training with John. I am looking forward to the next one.

Thanks for everything John!

[John A Brown]

Dave, Ryan, and Chris,

Thanks for the kind words.

Believe me, this class was as good as it was because of the students.

I go into every class with a basic list of things to cover. From there, I adjust things based upon the abilities of the students, both individually and as a group.

Trust me - I was absolutely thrilled that everyone was able to engage the steel from 75 yards. I have never - NEVER - had a pistol class before where everyone was able to accomplish this.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing you guys at future classes.

John

www.3riverstraining.com

[Johannes_Paulsen]

@John A Brown -- don't mean to hijack this thread, but I noticed that your website is advertising an 'active shooter response' class in June. Is it a one-day or multi-day class?

Also wondering what was on the agenda for that class....didn't see a full description on your site.

Thanks.

[John A Brown]

Johannes,

The class is listed here on PAFOA in the Training Course section.

Here is the link:

http://forum.pafoa.org/training-cour...ay-course.html

This is a multi day class.

There is a detailed description in the announcement.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

John

www.3riverstraining.com

[John A Brown]

Another view below of M&P Chris reloading while in the prone position.

Note that his finger is not on the trigger while reloading.

This may seem simple, but I see plenty of folks who do very well at keeping their finger off the trigger at the right times - right up until they have to perform a reload or clear a malfunction, and then the trigger finger ends up where it shouldn't be.

Well done here by Chris.

[John A Brown]

Below, the class practicing techniques to use a hand held light in conjunction with the pistol.

I very, very strongly recommend the use of pistol mounted lights. They are flat out worth their weight in gold and allow everyone to shoot better in low light situations, for no other reason than the fact that they allow the shooter to maintain their normal, two handed grip on the pistol.

No matter who you are, shooting two handed is better than shooting one handed.



Below, M&P Chris utilizing the neck index technique with his hand held light and Glock 19.

[BenFoo]

John,

Great class. This being my first class, you've set a very high bar for any other firearms instructor. I thank you for that. Great practical instruction. Everything flowed well together. The night shoot was definitely wild.

I hope I can make the time to take more of your courses. Well worth the time and money.

Nick a 9mm Beretta, and Ben, sorry brother, I can't remember what you were shooting.

I was the one with the Beretta, Nick had the CZ in 9mm

-Ben