Class Review: First Person Safety Defensive Pistol Skill Builder
Instructor: Lee Weems
First off, this is only the fourth defensive pistol training class I've attended so I am just a beginner when it comes to serious training and I don't really consider myself qualified to write a detailed AAR/critique of a pistol class. But I do want to share some thoughts about the class and also some observations about my own performance and the equipment I used.
The class was designed around the skills needed by a citizen who chooses to carry a handgun for self defense. The covered material stayed within that context and did not stray off into topics more appropriate to tactical shooting or competition. I consider that a good thing.
Mr. Weems has a relaxed but attentive teaching style, and the pace of the class seemed about ideal to me. We started with an introduction and safety overview and then headed to the firing line with pistols, leaving ammunition behind.
The first portion of the class was all about the draw stroke and presentation to the target. Proper draw from concealment depending on type of carry and cover garment (open front, closed front, etc...) were covered as well as position of the handgun prior to pressing out toward the target. I really like the fact that plenty of time was spent on this without live ammunition. Great idea IMO.
A series of live fire drills was next, shooting from the 5 yard line. We worked on drawing to a ready position, issuing verbal commands, drawing and firing multiple shots using a smooth presentation, etc... Suggestions and corrections were made along the way. I liked the version of the ready position taught in the class -- the muzzle is low enough to allow you to observe the hands of a potential assailant and diverted to one side so that you are not actually pointing the gun at their body.
One of my favorite parts of the class was the shoot/no-shoot scenarios. Targets were numbered such that you had to engage the numbered targets with combinations of shots to the torso and/or head depending on the number. Targets without a number were not to be shot or muzzled. This taught muzzle discipline and also moving in order to get an angle so that a numbered target could be engaged without shooting or muzzling a no-shoot target.
Next, strong hand only and weak hand only shooting (support hand if you like that term better) were covered. Suggestions were given and practiced for drawing from concealment with strong hand only.
The next part of the class allowed us to shoot steel targets along with paper. Shooting alongside a classmate, we were to draw and engage a paper target at 5 yards, avoid muzzling a no-shoot, and then engage two steel targets at 15 yards. Everyone had a chance to do this drill using both hands, then strong side only and weak side only. Shooting steel is always fun and I like the immediate feedback it gives. The steel targets were the right size to be a little challenging but reasonable at that distance.
We wrapped up with a drill that had us starting at 3 yards and then increasing to 5, 10, and 15 yards shooting combinations with both hands, strong hand only and weak hand only. An emergency reload was also worked during this drill. The entire sequence was performed twice with target scoring and discussion of performance after each run.
Overall the class was well organized, fun, and challenging. Mr. Weems and his assistant provided good feedback and suggestions for improvement to technique along the way. I think many members of this forum who are very accomplished shooters would find the class pretty basic. For me it was a very good, helpful class in which I learned some valuable things about my own performance and choice of equipment. It was just about the right level of difficulty for where I am as a shooter. At the price, I think the class was an absolute bargain as well.
*****
Now some observations about my performance at the class and a brief assessment of the equipment I used.
There were some aspects of my shooting I was pleased with and other aspects not so much. I thought I performed pretty well during the shoot/no-shoot scenario. I actually had a self-induced malfunction right at the start but recovered. I made all my shots and did not muzzle any no-shoot targets. I was able to move to a good angle to engage my targets in a decent amount of time. I like that for my scenario (they were all different) I had to move and could not complete the task from a stationary position.
I was slightly pleased with my strong hand only shooting during the day. On the drill where we shot paper and then steel at 15 I was able to shoot it clean in a decent time and the minimum number of shots with my strong side. I should have stopped there -- when I tried it weak hand only my performance was atrocious. But this served to tell me I need to start practicing weak hand only shooting a lot more so it was a good lesson.
The last drill where we shot from 3, 5, 10, and 15 yards was also revealing. On my first run I dropped way more shots than I should have. What this revealed to me was that I had more time than I thought and I was rushing my shots -- a lot. During the next run I slowed down and took advantage of the time I had. My score improved significantly because I was purposefully attaining a sight picture between shots and applying fundamentals. Unfortunately my weak hand only shooting let me down again on this drill. Much room for improvement in that regard.
I had a stupid self-induced malfunction twice during the day. During an administrative reload I twice failed to seat the magazine firmly into the gun. This resulted in the gun not feeding a round during my second shot. The second time it happened just about made me feel sick since I had made the same stupid mistake twice in the same day. I did not have the problem during any of my slide-lock reloads.
I was shooting a Colt Lightweight Commander 9mm and it ran great. No gun malfunctions for the approx. 300 rounds fired. I probably would have shot slightly better with my steel Combat Commander 9mm but since I carry the Lwt Cmdr I decided I should use it for the class. I had 10 Wilson Combat ETM magazines with me which allowed me to easily keep up with loaded ammo.
I was the only student using AIWB carry. I used my JM Custom holster and it worked fine. I wore a simple loose fitting T-shirt typical of what I normally wear and shot from concealment the entire class. This reinforced my feeling that AIWB is fast for draws from concealment and makes concealment easier. It is not the most comfortable method for me, especially after several hours. I may have to explore the foam wedge option at some point.
I wore Peltor Protac electronic muffs with the gel seals installed. The muffs worked great and were very comfortable the entire day. I have hearing loss and tinnitus, and the Peltors protected my ears just fine.
Finally, my thoughts on using the 1911 for a carry gun and also at a shooting class. The ergonomics of the gun work for me and working the thumb safety is second nature at this point as I've been shooting 1911s for a long time. I do like the redundant safety mechanisms on the 1911 for AIWB carry. The question of whether the 1911 trigger is an advantage or not is often discussed. My answer is yes and no. The 1911 trigger can be easy to hit with, especially when taking your time and shooting for accuracy. But when shooting for speed AND accuracy I think any advantage over other types starts to fade away and it's much more about practice and gaining proficiency with the gun you use. For a defensive carry weapon, overall the 1911 trigger is not a big advantage over other types but it's not a detriment either. It's all about putting in the practice with the gun you use.
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