Training. Get Some!

Okay, the year's chugging along nicely. Over a month ago, I bandied about the idea of getting some folks together to take a training course at Sig Academy, seeing as how we got a good look at their impressive training facility during our tour there before the Third Annual Northeast Winter Social. We kinda got bogged down in a discussion over whether folks would rather take the Handgun 102 course or the Handgun 103 course, and never really followed up on it.

Mopar made some excellent points about the 102 class - most of us who would be going have covered a good 90% of the course material:

Handgun Selection Considerations

Support Equipment

Shooting Basics - the Importance of Proper Grip, Sight Alignment, Sight Picture, Stance, Trigger Control and Follow Through

Presentation of the Handgun from the Holster to the Target and Safe Recovery Back to the Holster

Administrative and In-service Loading and Unloading Techniques

Static Shooting Positions

Cleaning and Maintenance

Tam countered, though, with an admonition to be honest about how much time we've spent actually drawing a loaded firearm from a holster. I'll be frank - 95% or more of the training I've done has been with an unloaded firearm - as, I would guess, most folks as well. Lissa also brought up another good point, that starting on the 103 type course without having a feel for how the folks at Sig instruct might result in not getting the full benefit of the higher level course.

I'd like to take the 102 course. I'm pretty confident that I have the handgun selection, gear, and cleaning down; but I know I could benefit from instruction on my shooting form. I'm not too proud to admit that I might benefit from some guidance on shooting positions, too - everything I've learned has been self-taught, mostly through trial and error along the way. And lastly, I know for certain I could use more time presenting a loaded firearm, and what better place to develop those skills than at a place like Sig Academy?

Who's interested in the Handgun 102 course? If we've got enough folks interested in the more basic course, perhaps we could run two Northeast Blogger training sessions. I still want to take the Handgun 103 course after; possibly later this summer. Unfortunately, the next two months are booked solid - Sundays are out through mid-April (CCD); March and April are Scout-intensive months and April is just booked solid. May opens up a little, perhaps 102 sometime in May and then 103 in August or September?

Let me know who's interested - 102 and/or 103 - and we'll start pulling something together!

That is all.