Basic Tactical Carbine

[TonyF]

Basic Tactical Carbine

Introductory Level - 3 Days

June 9 - 10 - 11, 2007
Saturday, Sunday and Monday

Daily starting time is 10am

Location
Pitcairn-Monroeville Sportsmen's Club

This course is designed as a first-level of formal instruction for law enforcement and civilian personnel who wish to attain a greater level of competence in the use of AR15 / M16 / M4 carbines and rifles of similar design. It affords 23 hours of instruction over three days and one evening. It will be held at the Pitcairn-Monroeville Sportsmen's Club, 25 min. east of Pittsburgh in North Versailles Township.

Topics which will be covered include:

Gun Handling with the AR15 System: Proper manipulation and handling of rifles of this design; correct procedure to clear jams and stoppages; idiosyncrasies of AR15 / M16 / M4 carbines (and their clones). Those who own different types of carbines (e.g., M-1 carbine, Ruger Mini-14, or Kalashnikov designs), and who are interested in the tactical instruction, are welcome to apply for enrollment. However, there are technical aspects of the course which are specific to the AR-15 type rifles and the .556 mm (.223) cartridge, and therefore may not apply to your particular weapon. The differences in the rifles will be discussed.

Mind set and the psychology of armed conflict.

Basic firing positions: Including introduction to tactical employment of them.

Fundamentals of tactical movement when employing a carbine. "Square Range" exercises and one tactical simulation exercise are part of the course.

Problems of trajectory, zeroing and sighting the AR15.

Characteristics, tactical advantages and limitations of carbines as personal defense weapons. This includes research data on external ballistics and wound ballistics, a review of the types of ammunition available, and tactical advantages/disadvantages of the .223 and .30 Cal. cartridges.

Review of current Pennsylvania law on the use of deadly force. (Provided by an attorney.)

Cost: $350.00 (members of the host facility receive a $25.00 discount). Includes instruction, range fees, targets, range supplies and written materials. Tuition is non-refundable within 30 days of the start date of the course. However, if the course is cancelled tuition will be refunded in full. Students to provide their own ammunition, personal gear and meals.

Course format: Lectures (approximately 5 hrs.), and live-fire exercises (approximately 18 hrs.). There will be one exercise through an outdoor tactical simulator and one objective skills test at the conclusion of the course. Each student will need a minimum of 650 rounds of ammunition. Certificate of completion for those who pass.

Instructor: Rangemaster will be Peter Georgiades. Mr. Georgiades, currently a practicing attorney, is a graduate of the Gunsite Training Academy Law Enforcement Carbine Instructor Certification Course, Marksman's Enterprise (Jim Crews) 3 day instructor courses for both carbine and pistol, and the Contact Defense, LLC (Steve Tarani) "Contact Weapons Defense Instructor" course. He is certified to instruct by the NRA (rifle, pistol, shotgun and personal protection) and the State of Arizona (CCW Instructor - Certificate No. 8769268), and is a member of the International Ass'n. of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI). Mr. Georgiades has trained extensively with some of the foremost firearms instructors in the U.S. (e.g.: Gunsite Training Center's Tactical Carbine, Advanced Tactical Carbine, Special Carbine Seminar, Tactical Rifle, Basic Pistol and Home Owners Tactics courses; Marksman's Enterprise pistol and urban carbine courses; Steve Tarani's Contact Weapons Defense and Edged Weapons courses; pistol and shotgun instruction from Cumberland Tactics). He has been teaching firearms courses since 1995. Range assistance will be provided by other experienced range assistants.

Class size: Enrollment will be limited to EIGHT students. Applications for enrollment must be received no later than 30 days prior to the start date of the course.

Prerequisites: None. It is, however, expected that students will have a basic familiarity with rifles.

Equipment Requirements:

There is certain equipment which is REQUIRED in every course. One may not proceed in the course without the following:

Ear protection and Eye protection. Eye protection must be clear for the night shoot.

Cap or hat with baseball-style bill. This is to prevent ejected brass from another shooter's rifle from falling between your eyewear and your eye, burning you. It is important gear.

Firearm, clean and zeroed. Optics are optional; iron sights are fine. If you do use an optic, it should be of a low-power type (e.g., red-dot or Leitz-Elcan 2.4 X).

At least two magazines. We prefer you have three, in case one malfunctions during the course. For reasons which will become apparent during the course, 20-round magazines are preferable to 30-round magazines, but 30-round magazines will work.

Knee and elbow pads. The inexpensive kind worn by skateboarders, or pads worn by carpenters and carpet layers are fine.

A flashlight. Any hand held flashlight will suffice; the exception being those of the "lantern" variety. Regarding weapon mounted lights; we strongly recommend them. If you already have a weapon mounted light, by all means bring it to class. However, if you do not yet have a light mounted to your carbine or rifle, we advise using the handheld flashlight. There are so many tactical lights and mounting options available today, ranging in price from the very economical to the extraordinarily expensive, that the student will benefit most by the opportunity to review first hand the types of lights and mounts used by other students and staff and can thereafter make a more informed decision before they purchase their first weapon mounted light.

Magazine holster or pouch which is worn on your belt, on your support ("weak hand") side. BDU pockets do not work well.

650 Rounds of "Ball" Ammunition. We recommend students use one brand of ammunition throughout the course. Different brands and loads of ammunition will significantly affect the "zero" of AR15's, which will distract and confuse you in a course such as this. We also suggest students avoid the very cheapest ammunition and reloads. While "match grade" ammunition would be a waste of money, your investment in this course does justify the use of reasonably consistent ammunition. No incendiary, tracer or M855 ("penetrator") rounds are permitted.

A sling. We run a "hot" range, and rifles must be slung unless they are racked, grounded or in the shooter's hand on line. Any type sling which allows the rifle to be carried muzzle up or muzzle down is fine. No slings which hold the muzzle in a horizontal position while being carried (M60 style) are permitted.

There is other equipment that is not required, but which we know from experience will enhance your experience of the course. We therefore recommend you bring the following:

Soft drinks or water to drink while down on the range. There is no water on the range itself, and the Club house is too far to run back and forth. No alcohol of any kind is to be consumed within eight hours of the start of any course session or at any time during the course.

Back-up rifle. A second rifle is also a good idea, if you own or can borrow one. Firearms do break, and we cannot stop the course to make repairs. Even if we had time, parts may not be available, and many repairs cannot be accomplished in the field.

Complete bolt assembly. If you do not have a second rifle, a complete bolt assembly will enable you to swap bolts as a 60 second repair to most rifle malfunctions.

Binoculars, any size or power.

A ground cloth, shooting mat or other cover (such as an old blanket), to cover the ground or concrete shooting pads upon which you will be periodically sitting or lying.

Camera.

Sight-adjustment tool for iron sights on your particular rifle (these are available at gun shows for about $4.00).

Gloves (either shooting gloves or light work gloves).

For reasons which will become apparent as the course progresses, the lighter your rifle the better. We therefore recommend, if you can, using the carbine configuration of an AR15 type rifle (16-inch barrel, fixed stock), as opposed to the full-size battle rifle configuration (20-inch barrel). This is why the course is called "Basic Tactical Carbine." Although the full-sized rifles will work, as will rifles with heavy barrel ("H-BAR") configurations, they are harder to lift and hold. We therefore recommend you use a 16-inch upper for your rifle if you have one or can get one before the course.

Wear substantial shoes and "work clothes" or fatigues. You will be on the ground and get dusty or muddy.

A sidearm may be worn if part of your normal duty gear, but it will not be used during the course. Do not carry any hand gun in any manner other than in a hip holster on your strong side (no "pocket pistols").

[JustinM]

Any chance for beinging an AK?

All tac rifle courses should have AK's on hand and a section on AK familiarization.

[MarcS]

That's one thing i noted in the past about most tac rifle courses, they're very AR centric. There should be a section on ak familiarization being that it's the weapon of our enemy and...about 90% of the world. Students should be forced to pick one up and shoot it.

Don't take that as criticism as, for the most part, no one does it. It's just something i always saw as an oversight. Not that this class won't be world-class training regardless.

A sidearm may be worn if part of your normal duty gear, but it will not be used during the course

Does this course not teach weapon transitions? Is that in more advanced courses?



Thanks, hope to train with you in the future.

[TonyF]

Any chance for beinging an AK?

Did you mean "bringing an AK"?

It's the students choice what to use in the course.

All tac rifle courses should have AK's on hand and a section on AK familiarization.

What would be the basis for its inclusion in the course curriculum if none of the students are using one?

If one or more students are using an AK then of course we'll teach the relevant weapon manipulations. However, it is not part of the curriculum per se.

I wouldn't consider it a waste of time but there are other more relevant matters to cover in the limited time available.

We're always willing to go the extra mile to ensure students get the most out of the course. If in a class full of AR shooters we have someone ask about AK familiarization, we'd be happy to spend some *off time* such as during a lunch break to answer questions and demo techniques.

[TonyF]

A sidearm may be worn if part of your normal duty gear, but it will not be used during the course

Does this course not teach weapon transitions? Is that in more advanced courses?

We cover transition to the sidearm in our intermediate carbine class.

I've been in several level 1 carbine classes where transition to the handgun was covered and of those students who have had no prior handgun training IMHO it is of dubious value.

Yes the student will get exposure to the techniques but in most cases those without prior handgun training look like a fish out of water. Their inexperience with basic handgun manipulation is obvious during the transition and by the look on their faces it appears their focus is on the weapon (handgun) and not the drill which is then ultimately self defeating.

A Level 1 carbine class should have as its goal the student achieving a solid grounding in the fundamentals.

It is often said that attending your first class (handgun or carbine) is like trying to drink from a fire hose. Trying to fit all manner of intermediate skill sets into the limited time frame available can be counterproductive.

Louis Awerbuck said it best ......... "There is no such thing as an advanced gunfight". The key is applying the basics under stress.

[RugerNiner]

What about lodging?

[TonyF]

What about lodging?

http://www.fireinstitute.org/fire_motels_pmsc.htm

These are motels within a 15 minute drive from the range.

[MarcS]

No more questions on my end, you gave all the right answers as far as i'm concerned.

And i guess, to answer for Justin, the reason for including AK familiarization for all students would be for the weapons global presence. The chances of running across one is good and to be familiar with it's layout would be beneficial.

[TonyF]

As of this evening, we have two openings available in this class.

[Thekatar]

Federal American Eagle 55gr. FMJ .223 Rem is available for $332/1,000 rounds plus tax at Sportsmans Warehouse.

Heads Up.