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Thread: Classes specifically for DA/SA pistols? Necessary or just take any class with a DA/?

  1. #1

    Classes specifically for DA/SA pistols? Necessary or just take any class with a DA/?

    I wasn’t sure if I should post this here, the Training sub, or even GD. Mods feel free to relocate if appropriate.

    I exist in a striker fired world. It’s my duty weapon and I embraced Glocks well over a decade ago. I actually like them too. They are all I carry. I use them in classes and competitions. But I have always been a Beretta 92 fan since the Air Force and I have one that comes out of the safe every now and then.

    The thread we have where we pray monthly @Dagga Boy will hold an AUG specific class got me thinking. Would there be any utility in a pistol class designed for TDA pistols? Or is the way we shoot pistols similar enough that I can just run the Beretta in any pistol class and get the reps I want? Where the AUG and AR have some key differences such as mag changes, bolt releases, etc, I’m not sure having a different trigger on a pistol is different enough.

    And I don’t think anyone even teaches a class for TDA only guns. I could take a class with EL - training with him is on my bucket list anyway. But surely he has students shoot SFA guns in his classes right?

    I won’t be carrying my Beretta, so it’s more of a want than a need. But I feel the urge to maintain some skills with a TDA pistol as a student and a firearms instructor. Maybe just spending more time working the trigger transition is enough?

    Thoughts? Would there be merit in a TDA specific class? Or am I just overthinking it and just need to take a 2 day class with one to get the same result?

  2. #2
    Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    SATX
    I'd ask what you need / want out of the class? You looking to improve your skills with that specific pistol? Need to examine your goals first and see if you really need a special class to meet them.

    You mentioned getting reps...can you get those on your own time without an instructor?

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Redhat View Post
    I'd ask what you need / want out of the class? You looking to improve your skills with that specific pistol? Need to examine your goals first and see if you really need a special class to meet them.

    You mentioned getting reps...can you get those on your own time without an instructor?
    If I was a betting man I’d say I probably could get it on my own. But that’s the conversation I'm trying to start. I’ve been away from them for serious purposes for so long I don’t know what I don’t know.

    I’m looking to be able to effectively and efficiently run a DA/SA gun for myself as well as teach other shooters the best techniques. While my agency doesn’t authorize them, I do have non-LE people ask me to help them shoot better off duty.

  4. #4
    Site Supporter Lon's Avatar
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    Apr 2011
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    Dayton, Ohio
    There was a Facebook post in the Rangemaster Instructor group that touched on this. DB suggested finding an instructor who has a high level of skill with a DA/SA and take a class from them. I don’t think it needs to be a DA/SA only class, but the instructor definitely needs to know how to run one. DB and EL immediately come to mind. Tom Givens as well. I really want to train with EL.
    Formerly known as xpd54.
    The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions or policies of my employer.
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  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Lon View Post
    There was a Facebook post in the Rangemaster Instructor group that touched on this. DB suggested finding an instructor who has a high level of skill with a DA/SA and take a class from them. I don’t think it needs to be a DA/SA only class, but the instructor definitely needs to know how to run one. DB and EL immediately come to mind. Tom Givens as well. I really want to train with EL.
    That was my original plan. Take a Langdon Tactical class and use the Beretta. But the AUG class thread got me wondering. Lol!

    ETA- my thought was to get the maximum result it needs to be an instructor who can troubleshoot and diagnose on a TDA pistol.
    Last edited by El Cid; 10-12-2019 at 06:36 PM.

  6. #6
    Member
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    Aug 2011
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    SATX
    I'd throw Dave Harrington in there as well.

    What about your agency or academy instructors? They might also know someone locally.
    Last edited by Redhat; 10-12-2019 at 06:37 PM.

  7. #7
    Member
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    Oct 2011
    Location
    Texas
    I don’t know your skill level so I hesitate to comment... but I’d say from my own experience that you DON’T need specific DA/SA training. It’s just two trigger presses. Train with EL as he has a reputation for it and it’s on your bucket list but I think it’s easy for enthusiasts and amateurs and professionals to overthink these things.

    “ Before I learned the art, a punch was just a punch, and a kick, just a kick.
    After I learned the art, a punch was no longer a punch, a kick, no longer a kick.
    Now that I understand the art, a punch is just a punch and a kick is just a kick”
    When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk. -Tuco
    Today is victory over yourself of yesterday... -Miyamoto Musashi

  8. #8
    Site Supporter
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    South Louisiana
    Rather than look for a TDA-specific class, I'd look for a trainer who's been around long enough to be familiar with shooting TDA guns. Gray hair is an indicator. My perception is that a lot of the younger (<35 years old) trainers have come up almost exclusively on SFA guns. If there's a trainer you'd like to work with, I'd shoot him/her an email and ask.

    Of the trainers on this forum, I can recommend Lee Weems as one familiar with TDA guns. IIRC, his first issue pistol was a TDA S&W .40 of some flavor. He was quite comfortable with me and my PX4.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Redhat View Post
    I'd throw Dave Harrington in there as well.

    What about your agency or academy instructors? They might also know someone locally.
    Thanks! I completely forgot about “Super Dave!”

  10. #10
    Site Supporter Jay Cunningham's Avatar
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    Feb 2011
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    Pittsburgh, PA
    Platform specific training is mostly a gimmick.

    I say this as someone who teaches a Kalashnikov class. However, it’s a six hour workshop limited to the deltas between an AR and AK. I try not to get high off the smell of my own farts.

    If trainers routinely run mixed pump and auto loader shotgun classes (they do) then you don’t need a specialized semi auto handgun class.

    If you still feel strongly perhaps seek out one-on-one coaching. I know people have gone to visit Bob Vogel one-on-one for a not unreasonable cost.

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