Learning to Shoot Safe, Fast and Straight – and When

Last December, after a conversation with stuntman and last of the Hucklings Edward, I bought us life memberships in the Front Sight Firearms Training Institute. He had just been recruited for a film shoot in Louisiana, where he would be doing a variety of driving and shooting stunts alongside stuntwoman Emily Brobst. We discussed his trainings and skills, and a wish for better handgun skills. I took good friend Gary Brown’s advice and joined the 80,000 member families of Front Sight. We scheduled our Four-Day Defensive Handgun Course for mid May.

Thus, at 6:15 a.m. last Friday, June 8, after a re-schedule (a last-minute movie gig for Ed) we found ourselves lined up at the institute’s front gate, in the desert between Las Vegas and Pahrump. This was the last possible week of daytime classes until fall (something about summer heat…?).

After check-in and gun inspection, we joined 200+ men, women and children in the classroom for welcome, orientation, introductions, and signing of various releases.

Thirty of us (most new, some previous four-day students) assembled at Range 3, to meet our Rangemaster Trudeaux, Instructors Gerald, Dom and TJ, and Line Coach Jesus. After slathering sunscreen, we assembled in shaded chairs as our leaders explained the skills we were about to gain, starting with loading, unloading, chamber checks, and presenting (drawing) our guns from the holster, all in a context of safety. We would be in relays of 15 – either shooting or coaching our partner in the other relay. We would shoot silhouette targets from 3, 5, 7, 10 and 15 yards.

Post-lunch of Day 1, we examined legal liability issues, and listened to a lecture on color coding of mental awareness and finding an always-alert mindset.

The rest of the day was sunscreen, discussion,  skills review, “dry practice” (handling and presenting an unloaded firearm in a safe location), more on malfunctions, types of reloads, and shooting from various distances. After each shooting round, we examined targets, got coaching and taped holes. The last hour was a lecture on moral and ethical decision-making in using deadly force. Day one: 100 rounds in 100 degrees.

Day 2 started at 7:40 with sunscreen, supervised dry practice, then skill discussion and practice. Timing was now introduced to our shooting from various distances. Our after-lunch discussion was on hearing protection and enhancement, followed by a lecture on criminal and civil liability. Then to the range for more work on skills and shooting (including the resetting of triggers for a quicker second shot), followed by an end of day lecture on the principles of tactical movement in a home or building. Day two: 150 rounds and 98 degrees.

Day 3, 7:40 on a new range, sunscreen, supervised dry practice, and more timed skills practice and shooting. After a welcome lunch in the air-conditioned classroom it was back to the range. This day, each student was given a chance – at a very introductory level – clear a house with shooters. (One guy held an old cell phone with antenna. Not a target. While Edward did not shoot the guy, he argued that the phone looked like a detonator and the guy should have been taken out just for having it, but…) Timed shooting picked up through the day. Day three: 250 rounds and 92 degrees.

Day 4: 7:40 supervised dry practice, then prep for the timed skills test over our learning. With high enough scores, a distinguished grad could take advanced classes. I think we were all amazed at how much we had learned, and how even aged muscles could memorize a routine. Five of our cohort earned distinguished honors; the rest of us got our certificates. After lunch, we worked on dealing with multiple assailants and decision-making in the chaos of gunfire. Our final shooting exercise was to take out two bad guys whose heads extended slightly out either side of a hostage. We were to hit them from 15 feet, without harming the hostage. (Written on our hostage, by the way, was the name of someone we love. No pressure.) Day four: 150 rounds and 104 degrees.

Our cohort ranged in age from about 18 to 86. Among us were father-son and husband-wife pairs, BFFs, a large extended family and a couple singles. One-third were women, including a couple young women who shot perfect targets in the skills test. (Later, Edward confided that he really wanted to engage one or both of them, but noted we were not there for small talk. “Still,” he smiled, “there is something inherently sexy about a pretty girl with a gun – and the ability to really run it!”) Every person there had been through at least one background check. These were regular folks, training to be safe, fast, accurate protectors of self or family. Not one would be described as “some gun nut.”

On our drive back to LA in Edward’s hot little Subaru/Toyota BRZ (Oh, those desert mountain roads!), we savored our class. The course is not about guns, it is about preparing the humans behind them. We learned to never look like an aggressor; to warn, and be ready, but never point until a decision is made to shoot. We learned to properly report to, and speak with law enforcement. We discussed the type of criminal with which one may be involved and society’s reaction  (consider a masked home invader with a knife who refuses to stop; how does society look at the dead 1) escaped felon or 2) local high school kid?)

We worked with a well-tuned team; Every Front Sight coach or employee we met was skilled, professional, supportive and smiling. Gary Brown (509-607-0084) can tell you more and help you figure out how to get involved with your own Front Sight.

Ed and I will head back in fall (cooler, maybe?) with more of our family and teams. This was a truly amazing experience. Enough said.