THE CCW SAFE – FTA 5-OH RANGE

One of the nicest  private outdoor ranges I have ever been to is the 5-Oh Range owned and operated by the principals of CCW Safe and the Firearms Trainers Association. The range is located near Tuttle, Oklahoma and is  in close proximity to both Oklahoma City and Norman and less than 25 miles away from the Will Rogers Airport. The range has two shooting bays at this time. The bay closest to the clubhouse/classroom has eight shooting stands and multiple concrete shooting positions that permit shooting from distances out to 100 yards. The clubhouse/classroom is no less impressive, and features a large woodburning fireplace, refrigerator, kitchen, sleeping barracks, and separate men and women’s bathroom with showers. 

Multiple private classes have taken place there in the past that were taught by members of the Firearms Trainers Association who also happen to be some of the best instructors in the industry.  Concealed carriers who see value in training and would rather depend upon knowledge and skill instead of luck to see them through a possible encounter with others who not only wish them harm but possess both ability and opportunity to act upon those wishes may be happy to learn that the following classes will be open to the public on a first come-first served basis. Class sizes are limited to sixteen students.

April 15: Gunfighting in Crowds.  

Anytime that a concealed carrier is targeted in a parking lot, gas station, church sanctuary, or on a sidewalk there is a significant chance that an innocent third party is in view or in range of a shot that either misses or over-penetrates. The same may be true in a residence or business if there are other people in rooms separated by sheetrock walls. Palisade Training Group’s four-hour class is designed to improve the student’s ability to quickly and accurately assess the immediate area around a possible or actual deadly threat,  and if necessary move rapidly into a better position that minimizes the risk to others around, behind, or in front of the attacker. Emphasis is placed upon situational awareness, site assessment, movement into a better position if necessary, short-range surgical shot placement, and control of the vertical plane of shots fired when over-penetration represents a major threat to others. This is an intermediate skill level class for students that have had prior training and can safely draw from the holster. Students can enroll at www.ptgtrainingllc.com. 

 

May 13: Surefire Master Coach Class.

In the decades since Jeff Cooper’s “California Revolution” in the mid-20^th Century, scores of full-time tactical firearms trainers have plied their trade across the U.S. and around the world.  As a result, our understanding of what it takes to teach this topic is greater than ever before.  Beginning with the founding of the SureFire Institute in 1999, SureFire has taken a deep dive into the subject, a tradition that continues with our Field Notes videos featuring dozens of World Class trainers.  The Master Coach course is SureFire’s latest contribution, and covers a myriad of time-tested methods and cutting-edge advances Topics Include:

• The Cold Hard Facts of Tactical Firearms Training

• The Latest Neuroscience Research on Learning

•. Zero:  The Missing Fundamental

• Ken Hackathorn Quick Evaluation

• Larry Mudgett LAPD Trigger Drills

• Ron Avery Combat Marksmanship Drills

• The Louis Awerbuck Coaching Angle

• The Southnarc Combat Draw Stroke

• Critical Elements of the Weaver and Isosceles Stances

• Essential Tactical Gun Handling Principles

• SureFire Tactical Shooting Evaluation Exercises

This eight-hour class provides firearms instructors with a wide range of teaching tools that can dramatically increase their effectiveness with even the most challenging students.  Participants will each receive a SureFire Stiletto flashlight, duplication masters of patent pending SureFire training targets, a copy of the book Building Shooters by Dustin Salomon, plus an insider update on the latest tactical technology developed by SureFire.  For signup or more information please contact Andy Stanford via email (stanford.andy@gmail.com).  SOLD OUT

 

May 19-21: Rangemaster Firearms Instructor.

This is an intensive twenty-four intensive course taught by master instructor Tom Givens that teaches instructor candidates the following:

• • Modern adult learning theory.
  • Preparation, delivery, and documentation of training.
  • Development of training aids, including Power Point programs.
  • Coaching methodologies, diagnosing and correcting shooter errors.
  • Modern and effective gunhandling techniques that are designed to work under stress.
  • Proper handling and operation of different handgun types; and effective and efficient combat marksmanship techniques.

Course time is divided equally between classroom sessions and range firing. Students will receive a training manual containing valuable information that can also be used as a reference resource. Students can get more information and enroll at www.rangemaster.com/instructor-training. I have taken all four Rangemaster instructor classes which included Defensive Shotgun Instructor. This may be the best defensive firearms instructor class available for civilians, and each class typically contains students who are also law enforcement firearms instructors.  

 

June 3-4: Applied Defensive Handgun Skills. 

John Holschen is the instructor for this class. John has many years of service in the United States Special Operations as both an operator and a trainer. As a civilian trainer he has incorporated his specialized weapon skills and combative techniques into highly useful defensive curricula for private citizens.  While marksmanship and gun-handing are important foundational skills for armed self-defense, it is however a common opinion among people with multiple exposures to lethal encounters that these skills are not the most significant predictor of successful outcomes. This class will focus on the rest of the story. Specifically, this class is designed to increase the student’s ability and effectiveness in the critical areas of mental preparation, decision making, tactics, and the appropriate application of deadly force. Set out below are some topics that John will address in the class:

• Systematic approach to potential encounters.
• Assessment/appreciation of the physical environment.
• Immediate action drills.
• Use of movement.
• Use of cover/concealment.
• Hitting moving threats.
• Flash assessment of relevant factors.
• Decisive performance of appropriate skills.
• Continual assessment and monitoring.
• Modification of physical response as appropriate.
• After incident management.

The class makes extensive use of the “Building Shooters NUROshooting System” to train both the neural circuitry and the physical actions relevant to self-defense situations. During this class students will repetitively exercise their visual system, tactically relevant information processing system, and physical skills to ingrain optimized patterns of performance for use-of-force encounters. It is not an entry level class. All students must be able to reflexively present their firearm at speed, from a holster, without flagging themselves and re-holster with the same constraint. Observed safety issues will result in the student either being asked to leave the class without a refund or continue with a “Blue Gun.” Students can enroll at www.westcoastarmorynorth.com.

There is a good chance that the Five-Oh range may soon become known as one of the premier training facilities in the southwest. One of the major perks of being a member of the Firearms Trainers Association is that by visiting the website from time-to-time and checking the News link FTA members are likely to be the first to know about upcoming classes as there is a good chance they will sell out quickly.