Within the last year, I have only trained at Frontsight :
Two day Hangun Skill Builder
Four day Handgun Combat Master Prep.
Two day Uzi SMG
Four day Select Fire M16
Glock Armorer
And, the two day Rifle Skill Builder three times.
Tomorrow I am taking (at Frontsight) the two day Tactical Senarios (combined) class. This is a force on force class using Simunitions. The combined part means that you can use rifle/pistol/shotgun.
I am also scheduled for Frontsight's Two Day Tactical Handgun, AR15 Armorer, Two Day Shotgun Skill Builder, and another two day Handgun Skill Builder before the end of the year. However, I am probably going to cancel the two day handgun skill builder and instead sign up for the two remaining four day Handgun Combat Master Prep classes being offered before the end of the year.
For those of you wondering what a Handgun Combat Master is, allow me to explain. This is simply a skills test that was thunk up in 1981 by Chuck Taylor. He figured that if you could pass this skills test that you are a master with a handgun. The Combat part of it is simply a descrptive term and has nothing to do with being in combat: it might be more appropriate today to refer to it as defensive type shooting: it is a term used to distinguish this type of shooting from bullseye shooting or silhouette shooting or plinking: this is combat type shooting. Over the years various terms have been used to describe this type of shooting: Combat shooting, Defensive shooting (IDPA), "Practical" Shooting (IPSC)................... In this case, back in 1981, Chuck Taylor used the term "combat" for whatever reason. Basically: All the drills are shot with a defensive type handgun and you are penalized for using a minor caliber. All the drills begin with the handgun in a holster. The drills are fired at silhouette targets. This particular test involves very little movement: it is pretty much all shot from a static position on the firing line. The class focuses completely on the drills in this particular skills test and you train to pass the test. Since the test was invented in 1981, less than 30 people have ever passed it. This doesn't mean that there arn't more people who could pass it, it just means that less than 30 ever tried and succeeded. Many people in this Frontsight class have taken the test hundreds of times and never passed it. They just keep signing up for the class every time it is offered and in between train on their own. Frontsight has eight people who have passed it and most of them took years to get there. This webpage lists the test although I haven't read it completely (I just Googled it):
http://www.kuci.org/~dany/firearms/jpaige.html Unlike when that guy took the test, it is no longer possible to make late shots since they now use turning targets. Whether or not there is any significant point to passing this test, I don't know. After having taken the test a couple times in the class I tend to think that anyone that passes it is a pretty damn good defensive type pistol shooter. Most classes teach a certain skills set and at the end they have a final skills test. This class is no different. They have a skills set that this test stresses and the class teaches this skill set and tests you on those skills. All the skills on the test are practical shooting skills, so I think they are worthwile to learn. All of the skills taught in this class are simply refinements of basic shooting skills you learned somewhere else: they teach you to do it smoother and faster. Mainly how to gain the maximum possible time for a good sight picture and smooth trigger. The less time it takes you to get the gun on target the more time you have to assure perfect sight alignment, sight picture, and trigger control. They don't teach basic shooting skills in this class. You have to have received a Distingiushed Graduate certificate from their basic handgun class to attend this class. You then have to pass the basic handgun skills test with a Distinguished Graduate score the first thing in this class or you arn't allowed to continue (you shoot that test cold, first thing after getting there).
I would like to take a couple other classes that are sort of out of the mainstream: I would like to go to Chief AJ's Rifle Camp:
http://www.chiefaj.com/rifle_camp.htm and I would like to take one of these point shooting/Quick Kill or whatever they call it classes like discussed here:
http://www.threatfocused.com/forums/index.php
I was going to try to get back to Gunsite but can't get motivated with Frontsight close by. FWIW, I have been to Gunsite four times: 250, 260, 223, 556.