BASIC TACTICAL CARBINE (3-day)

[PeteG]

This June we will be offering our "Basic Tactical Carbine" course. It is three days, and is designed to cover all of the fundamental skills and concepts necessary for one to competently operate an auto-loading carbine. We emphasize basics, and spend significant time on the legal aspects of defensive shooting.

We have been running this course since 1997. Although we update it annually, we have resisted changing the course to suit annual fads. It is about fundamental skills and principles that do not change. Many reviews have been written and posted in this forum.

A full course description follows.
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BASIC TACTICAL CARBINE
Introductory Level – 3 Days
JUNE 6, 7 and 8 (Friday through Sunday) 2014
Pitcairn-Monroeville Sportsmen's Club - 505 Mosside Blvd., North Versailles, Pittsburgh, PA.

This course is a first-level of formal instruction for people who wish to attain a solid foundation in the use of auto-loading carbines (AR-15, M-1 Carbine, Kalashnikov variants). It affords 23 hours of instruction over three days. It addresses non-military applications by "Ordinary Earth People," who will likely be working alone or, possibly, with one other person. Topics which will be covered are:

1) Gun Handling With Your System: Proper manipulation and handling of rifles; efficient procedures to clear jams and stoppages; comparison of AR-15/M-4 carbines (and clones) with other designs.

2) Mind set and the psychology of armed conflict.

3) Stance and Basic firing positions: Including introduction to tactical employment of them. Specific attention is given to stance as it relates to weapon retention, contact-distance engagement and the occasional need to maintain a ready position over long periods of time.

4) Movement when employing a carbine. “Square Range” exercises and one tactical simulation are used to develop the ability to move around safely and efficiently with a rifle in hand, keeping mental focus upon an external problem.

5) Problems of trajectory, zeroing and sighting the AR I5, as compared to other types of carbine.

6) Characteristics, tactical advantages and limitations of carbines as personal defense weapons.

7) Comparative review of different shooting styles and methods. We will compare, and attempt to de-mystify, some of the different shooting methods which have developed over the past several years.

8) Review of current Pa. law on the use of deadly force, disarms and weapons retention. (By a licensed attorney.)

This course satisfies the continuing education requirement for NRA LE Instructor cert.
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Cost: $435. ($410 for members of the host club who show their membership card). Includes instruction, range fees, range supplies and written materials. Students to provide their own ammunition, personal gear and meals.

Course format: Lectures (approximately 5 hrs., mostly on the range), and live-fire exercises (approximately 18 hrs.). There will be one run through a tactical simulator, and one objective skills test at the conclusion of the course. Each student will need 600 rounds of “ball” ammunition, knee and elbow pads.

Instructor - Peter Georgiades: Peter has taught firearms and defensive tactics skills for 17 years; Certified to instruct by the NRA (rifle, pistol, shotgun and personal protection); held Arizona CCW Instructor Certificate No. 8769268 while that program was in existence. Member of the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI). Instructor training includes the Gunsite Law Enforcement Carbine Instructor Cert. Course, Marksman's Enterprise 3 day instructor courses (carbine and pistol), and hundreds of hours working directly under other experienced instructors for the purpose of learning the craft. Ranked SanDan (3rd Dan) in Kodokan Judo; certified to teach the Contact Defense, LLC "Contact Weapons Defense Instructor" course (certification by Steve Tarani). He gives special attention to practical aspects of close-quarter fighting with a rifle (weapon retention; disarms; the rifle as an impact weapon; and when to abandon the rifle). Range assistance is provided by experienced range officers and NRA certified instructors

LTC Charles ("Chuck") Santose (U.S.A. Ret.): Former Army Airborne Ranger Instructor, commanded Infantry and LRRP units in ground combat in Vietnam. His experience with the M16/AR15 system runs from the XM16E1 (M16A1) and XM177E1 ("CAR15") to modern iterations of the system to include the M4 Carbine and commercial variants. Chuck developed and published the Improved Battlesight Zero (IBSZ) for the M4 Carbine and M16A2.

Class size: Enrollment is limited to 12 students. This is to maintain a close instructor-to-student ratio.

Prerequisites: None. It is, however, expected students will have a basic familiarity with rifles. All participants must be 18 years of age. Proof of no criminal history is required (instructions re: credentialing are on the web site).

Certificate: A certificate of completion is awarded to all who complete successfully complete the course.

EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS

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

• Ear protection and Eye protection.
• Cap or hat with baseball-style bill. This is to prevent ejected brass from your or another shooter's rifle from falling between your eyewear and your eye, burning you. It is important gear.
• Firearm, clean and zeroed. We do zero during the course, but getting the zero close before class saves time.
• At least three magazines. 20 or 30 round – either will work.
• Knee and elbow pads.
• Magazine holster or pouch which is worn on the support side (“weak hand” side) of your belt. BDU pockets, blue-jean pockets and M-16 pouches will get you through, but do not work very well.
• 600 Rounds of Ammunition. We recommend students use one brand of ammunition throughout the course. Different brands and loads of ammunition will significantly affect the “zero” of AR-15’s, and may distract or confuse you in a course such as this. We also suggest students avoid the very cheapest ammunition and reloads. Although “match grade” ammunition is unnecessary, your investment of time and money in this course does justify the use of reasonably consistent ammunition. No incendiary, tracer or armor piercing ammunition is allowed.
• A carry strap or sling. We run a “hot” range, and rifles must be slung unless they are racked, grounded or in the shooter's hands on line. Any strap or 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 (M-60 style) are permitted.
• A ground cloth, shooting mat or other ground cover (such as an old blanket), to cover the ground, upon which you will be periodically sitting or lying.
• Sight-adjustment tool for any iron sights on your particular rifle. (These are available at gun shows or mail order for between $5 and $25, depending upon the type.)

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

• Optic or reflex sight. Iron sights are fine for this course, but a reflex (“red dot”) sight will be better. If you use an optic, it should be of a low-power type (4X magnification or less). Higher power scopes will not work well.
• Soft drinks or water to drink while 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 or Complete bolt assembly. A second rifle is a good idea, if you own or can borrow one. Firearms do break, and we cannot stop the course to make repairs. If you do not have a second rifle, a complete bolt assembly will enable you to swap bolts in the AR-style rifles, as a 60 second repair to most rifle malfunctions.
• Binoculars, any size or power.
• Camera. Many people find it helpful to photograph shooting positions, or take pictures for fun.
• Gloves (either shooting gloves or light work gloves).

We do not recommend anyone purchase a lot of expensive equipment for this course. One of the purposes of the course is familiarization, such that one should be in a much better position to decide where to spend money after the course. One should satisfy the equipment requirements, if possible, using what he already owns or can borrow, and buy new stuff later.

For Course Details, Directions, Equipment Requirements and Enrollment Materials:

visit www.fireinstitute.org If you have specific questions, you can call (412) 370-9500 (Peter).

This course is sponsored by the Firearms Instruction, Research & Education (FIRE) Institute,
A non-profit corporation organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

"Having a gun and thinking you are armed is like buying a piano and thinking you are a musician." -- LTC Jeff Cooper (USMC Ret.)

[PeteG]

We got some very early enrollment in this course, and it is looking good.

[PeteG]

This course is a "go," meaning it will not be cancelled for lack of enrollment. It is three weeks out, and we have six open slots.

Remember, a pistol is what one uses to fight his way to a rifle.

If you have any questions, shoot me a PM.

[PeteG]

I just had a couple cancel. Their slots are available at a substantial discount. If you are interested, PM me.

PeteG

[PeteG]

One of the "subsidized" slots is gone. One left.

[PeteG]

The "subsidized" slots are now all spoken for.

We have two spaces left. I will be taking applications by mail up until the end of May.

[PeteG]

As of this morning, we have one slot that has not been spoken for. As always, it is first-come/first-served, meaning he first paid application that arrives takes the slot.

[JimM]

Thank you for presenting an excellent course of instruction with individualized attention by experienced staff.

Jim

[PeteG]

Thank you for presenting an excellent course of instruction with individualized attention by experienced staff.

Jim

Thank you for coming. It was a good group. No gear whiners, nobody who thought they were hot stuff when they got there.

F.Y.I. - I today got a supply of the testing targets with the "Y" ring in from Speedwell. If you want to get some to practice, they are called the "GTC" targets. They are cheap paper, but will work fine for the 40 round test. If you come by the club, I will slip you a couple. Otherwise, you have to buy 100.

The follow-up course includes the 50 round test, which includes prone and sitting, and starts at 200 yards. :-)