MandoHack
05-08-2012, 10:05 PM
First time poster here. I have been lurking in the forums for a few weeks, and I have learned a lot and gotten a lot of inspiration from the different subjects discussed. I thought I would offer something first before availing myself of the expertise of the members of this forum by asking a ton of questions.
This is class review for a one-day pistol training course I took on April 21 in Lincoln, AL (halfway between Atlanta and Birmingham). The instructor's name was Frank Proctor, whose website is located at wayofthegun.us.
I would classify myself as a novice shooting handguns. I grew up hunting with both the shotgun and rifle, but I don't have much handgun experience except for occasional plinking with a Ruger 22-45. I recently purchased an M&P 9 pro and quickly realized I needed some training.
During the class I used the M&P with the factory sights. I carried two extra magazines and used 115 grain PMC ammunition. Frank asked us to bring 1000 rounds, and I ended up shooting approximately 600.
This was my first training class so I don't have anything to compare it to, but I was very pleased with the experience. The format kind of reminded me of a survey class. Frank explained that he would start with the basics and build upon them throughout the day. He said we would not have time to really master any one thing, but we would have plenty of skills to practice on our own once we were through. He delivered on that promise.
I won't go into all of the details of the instruction I received, but I will list how we progressed.
Safety brief and rules
Administrative load and unload
Handling malfunctions
Stance
Grip, Trigger Control and Sight Picture
Draw and Target Acquisition
Dry Fire with focus on trigger control (single pull & multiple pulls of trigger)
Draw, Press Out, Single Dry Fire
Single shots to paper plate target at 7 yards with emphasis on proper safety/fundamentals
Draw and single shot at 7 yards
Draw and multiple shots on target with emphasis on regaining sight picture
Drawing with short movement sideways with single and multiple shots
Reloading (slide-lock and tactical?)
Shooting at different ranges
Shooting while moving forwards and diagonally.
Multiple drills using the things we had learned while being timed or competing with one another.
I am sure I am leaving some things out, but this is what I had on my notes once I got home that night. We did a lot!
Frank used adult learning principles as he trained us. His method was to describe what he wanted us to do, demonstrate the skill himself and then have us practice it with a lot of repetitions and in different scenarios. Before I tried any skill myself, I felt comfortable about understanding what was expected of me.
Frank also explained why he was asking us to do things the way he was training them. I do not have a background in law enforcement or the military, and it really helped to hear the "why" based on his service and competitive background. As an aside, I also really appreciate that Frank did not portray himself as the "super-macho warrior". He was straightforward and matter-of-fact about his experiences with a quiet confidence.
The pace of the class was also very good. I was constantly feeling stretched and challenged, but I never felt that I was being asked to do something that I was not ready to try safely. In fact, I believe that pressure really accelerated my learning during the day.
There were four participants for the class so I got a lot of individual attention. I came away knowing the top 3-4 things I could do improve my skill as a shooter. I also felt very comfortable to ask any questions which was good for me being a newbie. Frank was patient to answer my questions thoroughly. For example, during a break we were discussing striker-fired guns, and I asked him to explain how they operate. Frank promptly took my gun and broke it down so that he could explain it. He then showed me how it was slightly different on a Glock by breaking down his gun to explain.
That brings me to the last point about the training. The one thing that stood out throughout the class was that Frank really wanted to deliver a product that exceeded expectations. He was on time, very competent and conscientious. He went out of his way to make sure that we learned a lot and had a fun time doing it. The class was supposed to end at 5:00, but we were still shooting exercises at 6:15. I had to leave to get back to Birmingham for my son's lacrosse game, but I guarantee that the rest of the guys shot until dark.
I hope that I don't sound like too much of a fan-boy, but I really felt like I got my money's worth ($150). I learned a lot, got a lot of repetitive practice, had a ton of fun and look forward to going back to train with Frank. He also has carbine classes so I may have a good excuse to get my first at-15 sometime in the future.
This experience has also whetted my appetite to try other instructors and other classes. I would appreciate any suggestions you might have for a person at my skill level.
Hope this was helpful. Thanks for reading.
This is class review for a one-day pistol training course I took on April 21 in Lincoln, AL (halfway between Atlanta and Birmingham). The instructor's name was Frank Proctor, whose website is located at wayofthegun.us.
I would classify myself as a novice shooting handguns. I grew up hunting with both the shotgun and rifle, but I don't have much handgun experience except for occasional plinking with a Ruger 22-45. I recently purchased an M&P 9 pro and quickly realized I needed some training.
During the class I used the M&P with the factory sights. I carried two extra magazines and used 115 grain PMC ammunition. Frank asked us to bring 1000 rounds, and I ended up shooting approximately 600.
This was my first training class so I don't have anything to compare it to, but I was very pleased with the experience. The format kind of reminded me of a survey class. Frank explained that he would start with the basics and build upon them throughout the day. He said we would not have time to really master any one thing, but we would have plenty of skills to practice on our own once we were through. He delivered on that promise.
I won't go into all of the details of the instruction I received, but I will list how we progressed.
Safety brief and rules
Administrative load and unload
Handling malfunctions
Stance
Grip, Trigger Control and Sight Picture
Draw and Target Acquisition
Dry Fire with focus on trigger control (single pull & multiple pulls of trigger)
Draw, Press Out, Single Dry Fire
Single shots to paper plate target at 7 yards with emphasis on proper safety/fundamentals
Draw and single shot at 7 yards
Draw and multiple shots on target with emphasis on regaining sight picture
Drawing with short movement sideways with single and multiple shots
Reloading (slide-lock and tactical?)
Shooting at different ranges
Shooting while moving forwards and diagonally.
Multiple drills using the things we had learned while being timed or competing with one another.
I am sure I am leaving some things out, but this is what I had on my notes once I got home that night. We did a lot!
Frank used adult learning principles as he trained us. His method was to describe what he wanted us to do, demonstrate the skill himself and then have us practice it with a lot of repetitions and in different scenarios. Before I tried any skill myself, I felt comfortable about understanding what was expected of me.
Frank also explained why he was asking us to do things the way he was training them. I do not have a background in law enforcement or the military, and it really helped to hear the "why" based on his service and competitive background. As an aside, I also really appreciate that Frank did not portray himself as the "super-macho warrior". He was straightforward and matter-of-fact about his experiences with a quiet confidence.
The pace of the class was also very good. I was constantly feeling stretched and challenged, but I never felt that I was being asked to do something that I was not ready to try safely. In fact, I believe that pressure really accelerated my learning during the day.
There were four participants for the class so I got a lot of individual attention. I came away knowing the top 3-4 things I could do improve my skill as a shooter. I also felt very comfortable to ask any questions which was good for me being a newbie. Frank was patient to answer my questions thoroughly. For example, during a break we were discussing striker-fired guns, and I asked him to explain how they operate. Frank promptly took my gun and broke it down so that he could explain it. He then showed me how it was slightly different on a Glock by breaking down his gun to explain.
That brings me to the last point about the training. The one thing that stood out throughout the class was that Frank really wanted to deliver a product that exceeded expectations. He was on time, very competent and conscientious. He went out of his way to make sure that we learned a lot and had a fun time doing it. The class was supposed to end at 5:00, but we were still shooting exercises at 6:15. I had to leave to get back to Birmingham for my son's lacrosse game, but I guarantee that the rest of the guys shot until dark.
I hope that I don't sound like too much of a fan-boy, but I really felt like I got my money's worth ($150). I learned a lot, got a lot of repetitive practice, had a ton of fun and look forward to going back to train with Frank. He also has carbine classes so I may have a good excuse to get my first at-15 sometime in the future.
This experience has also whetted my appetite to try other instructors and other classes. I would appreciate any suggestions you might have for a person at my skill level.
Hope this was helpful. Thanks for reading.