As I look to break into the firearms industry with shotgun accessories, there have been two major revelations. The first is that I need to make sure these products work, and work well in a variety of conditions. Quality classes are notorious for discovering weak points in gear. The second revelation was that if I am going to be in the industry, I better make sure I know how to use the stuff and know what I am talking about.

Naturally, I have been seeking out shotgun instruction anywhere I can get it in order to have the greatest sample size of techniques, drills, methodologies, and information as possible. Having received shotgun instruction from Chris Fry (MDTS Training) and Steve Moses, I was more than anxious to attend class with legendary instructor Tom Givens of Rangemaster. I was awarded this opportunity on June 29th for Tom's one day Defensive Shotgun class.

The first half of the day was spent in the classroom (which was a relief because there was a LOT of rain the first half of the day). Having been through instruction before and having a decent understanding of manipulation and use, I was personally extremely interested in the classroom portion. Tom is an absolute wealth of knowledge and did not disappoint.

Like most (if not all) classes, we began with a safety brief going over the 4 firearms safety rules. Tom added extra context to apply to shotguns specifically that I had never considered before. First, when inspecting a shotgun to see if it is loaded, it is natural to check the chamber and the follower/magazine tube, however Tom noted to check the lifter/elevator as well. If using a finger for inspecting in low light, it would be very easy to miss a shell on the lifter unless you know and think to specifically check it. Tom also urged us to keep our trigger fingers on the flats of the receiver to keep it high and away from the trigger. I equate this to a high “register” position on a pistol in which the trigger finger goes to the ejection port. There were a couple of times throughout the class when I noticed my trigger finger going to the curved bottom portion of the receiver (where I typically kept it before) but noticed the finger was not “on the flat” and promptly moved it up. Definitely noteworthy if not having been through it before.

One of the major advantages to shotguns is ammunition versatility, so we spent a bit of time thoroughly discussing the various types. We received a bit of a history lesson on the origins and intent of different types of ammo and why we should select buckshot for personal defense. We also received truly interesting information about many misconceptions regarding less lethals (which, as civilians, we should NEVER use).

Tom did a great job at verbalizing, and repeating, the main downfall of shotguns- manipulation. It's not recoil (with a properly fitting gun and good technique, this isn't an issue). It's not capacity (as Tom explains in terms of servings, which is an OUTSTANDING explanation). It's manipulation. As such, we spent a bit of time in dry fire with manipulations.

With shotguns being as complicated as they are with many techniques, one has to pick and choose exactly what to teach and work on in a one day class, especially when the first half is dedicated to classroom work. We did many dry repetitions working from a high ready, to sights on target, finger on trigger, firing, and cycling the action robustly. Many. Many. Repetitions.


We followed this format in live fire, always reloading the number of rounds we just fired (unless instructed otherwise). I had not worked this number of repetitions from the high ready, and it felt good to get it dialed in and get comfortable with it. I will certainly be incorporating it more into my practice. During the live fire drills we all experienced first hand that, yes, manipulations are the main downfall to shotguns. That being said, by the end of the class everyone was looking pretty smooth. We had one female shooter who stated that was essentially her first time really working with a shotgun (she wisely chose to get proper instruction early on to form good habits right off the bat). Even with that little experience (i.e. no experience) she did a respectable job by the end of class. I was impressed. I feel part of this is because Tom did not overload us with techniques.

There's a lot that can be covered with shotguns: a wide variety of loading techniques, slug changeovers, off hand shooting, shooting from various positions, etc. Rather than receiving a little bit of instruction in a lot of areas, we received a lot of great instruction in a few areas. This is a great thing to factor in when looking at a “level 1” class.

Obviously there's a lot more that we covered that was great to learn- these were just a few of the highlights to me. Any thread I read regarding quality shotgun instruction, Tom's name is usually at the top of the list. It was my first time training with him and he really brings a very no-nonsense approach to it. It was a great trip, great class, and met some great people. I definitely look forward to training with Tom again in the future.