Tactical School Advice from Graduates

txbirddog

New member
New here and I will be taking a tactical pistol course this next year and have a couple of questions:

1. Should I take my Kimber Ultra CDP or my Beretta PX4 Storm? I carry the Kimber the most due to deep concealment requirements, but carry the PX4 when going casual with outer jacket or long sweatshirt. I am equally proficient with both. I was wondering if the higher capacity magazines are more benefical in these courses.

2. I will be taking a course in Texas in the early summer. If you have ever said, "Boy, if I would known this before coming, I would have brought _______ with me." If you have done this, please fill in the blanks.

Thank you for your time and input. Jim
 
Well, it sort of depends. What class are you taking? How many rounds will you be firing over how many days? Why month will the class be? Where in Texas?

This all sort of matters when it comes to making suggestions.

As far as the gun goes, take both and ammo for both. You should never attend a class with just one firearm because if something goes wrong with it, you are screwed out of a class. So take both and gear for both. It would be more ideal if you had two similar guns, but since you don't, take what you have.
 
My advice, from the student and instructor perspective, is to train with what you carry, the way you carry it, whenever possible.

That said, the content of the course will dictate what room for deviation ther e may be. If the course is a weapons handling fundamental course with lots of manipulations required and not just static shooting, you may do yourself a real disservice by using something radically different from your carry gun (such as the PX compared to the Kimber).If you actually do carry both guns about equally, you should probably train with both during the course.

If the course were a tactics oriented one, with lots of simunitions, dry runs through a shoot-house and/or force-on-force, it really wouldn't matter as much which firearm you used, as the lessons and skills learned in that type of a course are not as often platform specific.

If you're training outdoors in the summer, have some water, snacks and sunscreen handy.

Enjoy your courses and ask questions so that you are sure you understand what (and why) the instructor is recommending.

-RJP

(Welcome to TFL, by the way!)
 
I agree that you shouldn't take a class with a gun radically different then what you carry. But 300+ rounds a day with some carry guns is hell, so I would likely take a full size version of your carry gun. In your case another 1911 would work well.

Though I think you still get quite a bit out of a class even when you use another gun.

Now what I would bring that I didn't enough clothes for both warm and chilly weather. At some of the training classes that I have went to have had weather fluctuating between warm and cold over the course of the week.
 
Well, it sort of depends. What class are you taking? How many rounds will you be firing over how many days? Why month will the class be? Where in Texas?

This all sort of matters when it comes to making suggestions.

As far as the gun goes, take both and ammo for both. You should never attend a class with just one firearm because if something goes wrong with it, you are screwed out of a class. So take both and gear for both. It would be more ideal if you had two similar guns, but since you don't, take what you have.

I am looking at the "Tactical Response Fighting Pistol" course in Bastrop TX in June. I will be shooting a minimum of 750 rounds over 2 days.

Two similar guns....that would be the best....hmmmm....that means I need to buy another gun..... I have never tried that reasoning with the wife :D :D :D :D Should work. I will tell her you said so. ;)

Thanks
 
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