Sig Academy in NH

S

spartus

Inactive
Any one got any input on the sigacademy. a couple of buddies and i were thinking of takeing a course there or at S&W but Sig.
 
I've taken the High Performance Pistol Course at the Sig Academy. It was worth the travel from California there. I've never taken a course at SW, so I cannot compare the two. However, if I recall right, SW had some problems recently; meaning, they were working toward some sort of gun control or siding with gun control advocates. I may be off base, however it had something to do with that.

If you go to the Sig Academy, you won't be disappointed. At least I wasn't.

Thin The Herd
 
I've taken several courses at Sig Academy but that was back when Bank Miller ran it. Since then a new crew has taken over and I think they closed the separate facility Sig had for training and they now run classes at the Sig headquarters.

My impressions at the time were that it was solid training at a reasonable price. If you're in the Northeast, I say it's definitely worth it.
 
I took a couple classes several years back but the entire instructor staff has turned over since then, so I can't comment on the current staff.
 
I went through one of the pistol classes last year when Bank Miller ran the show, it was definitely worth the money spent. Our instructor then was Ben Kurata and Tim Connell. Tim is now the head of the Academy IIRC. If you do go to the Academy stay at Lamie's Inn, plenty of beer and good food! :)
 
spartus, where are you located? 'Cos if you're on the West Coast, you have a good number of places you can go to. For starters, try ITTS and if you think you wanna jazz up your weapons handling skill, you can even try Matt Burkett in AZ. For combative pistol, I think Jeff Gonzales is outta AZ. Like I said, there are a good number of folks all over. However, if you're in the vicinity then I don't see why the SIG Academy shouldn't be a consideration.

Need to ask yourself as to what kinda training you're looking for? I've come to the point where I've separated the kinda training available in defense / combative, tactics OR skills development / weapons handling. Seen far too many folks who jump into defense, tactics, etc without a solid core in weapons handling.

Phil306, a quick update for you......that S&W thing is a truly a thing of the past. The folks at S&W have been out there busting their chops to support the shooting sports this year. They've put in money and donations to almost every single state event I've been to. Not only that, they've been getting out themselves and shooting some of these events. It's a long story about what happened a couple of years ago and I'm sure you can find tons of info on the forums.

That said, as for their training, unfortunately I have no experience with that :(
 
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I trained there last year, travelling from California. I have family close by in NH, so it made the trip convenient. It was excellent training and they had great facilities. Still, it was pretty expensive. I know they change staff a lot but I didn't hear about them moving back to Sig's main facilities. It seems the high-profile trainer-operator types have a tendency jump ship a lot.
 
I have nothing against the SIG Academy-their reputation is very good. But if you get the chance to train with Matt Burkett, by all means jump at it. There's something to be said about personal instruction from a GrandMaster, and Burkett can TEACH as well as he can shoot, which is a rarity.


Larry
 
However, if I recall right, SW had some problems recently; meaning, they were working toward some sort of gun control or siding with gun control advocates. I may be off base, however it had something to do with that.
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IMHO, you are way off base. Under previous ownership, S&W signed a consent decree with Clinton administration. S&W, like many manufacturers, was being bled dry by lawsuits from cities and states. They settled with attorney general to avoid yet another lawsuit. Many folks, including me, were not happy with their actions.

That, however, was done by the previous owners. S&W has since been sold and the management team has turned over.

If you are going to boycott a company (and advocate that others do the same), I suggest that you do some research, so that you know what you are boycotting...
 
I was under the impression that the current president or chairman of S+W is a felon, and couldn't legally own a gun?

I admit I'm not clear on the details, and would welcome a clarification or correction.


Larry
 
I was under the impression that the current president or chairman of S+W is a felon, and couldn't legally own a gun?
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And once that hit the press, he resigned very quickly. Google is your friend:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=smith+wesson+chairman+resign+felony&btnG=Google+Search

From that search, I quickly found this:

http://www.qctimes.com/internal.php?story_id=1024933&l=1&t=Business&c=31,1024933

which reads, in part,
Smith & Wesson’s parent company named a new chairman Friday to replace James Joseph Minder, who resigned after it was revealed that he had been convicted of a string of armed robberies and a prison escape in the 1950s and 1960s.
Click to expand...
 
Well, Google is more of an acquaintance...LOL.

Thanks for the clarification, M1911.

Is it just me, or is it astounding that a corporation the size of S&W that is in the business of MAKING FIREARMS would overlook something like that.


Larry
 
SigArms Academy

I took a SigArms Academy class in Illinois in April of 2004.

I didn't get a graduation certificate until late July. This was after multiple phone calls and emails and several letters sent through the US Mail.

Several other attendees from that class had the same problem, although nobody had to wait that long for a certificate.

The instructor was Stefan "Stef" Theodore, and he was competent and a good instructor and did a good job. Unfortunately, the administration at the Sig Academy is in flux and doesn't seem to know what they're doing. Apparently there has been a lot of confusion and disorganization since Bank Miller left to take a job at Action Target.

They might be more organized if you take a class at their facility, but their off site training seems to be in considerable disarray right now.
 
Former Sig employee

Guys, this is from a former staff instructor at the Sig academy.

Yes, currently in flux (more like a civil war). Bank had an uphill battle when he was running it and when they let him go, it all went down hill.

I have heard that they are trying to get it up and running again, but the majority of there "talent" is local to the academy, so view points and experience levels can be a little weak.

When I was there, otside of Bank, I was the only instructor with real world experience.

as always, regardless of who's training you buy, "buyer beware", do your research and spend your hard earned money wisely.

Take care

Wes Doss
President & General Operating Manager
Khyber Interactive Associates, LLC

www.khybertraining.com

"Training Warriors to Win"
 
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