Defensive Pistol 145 September 19, 2020

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  • diveski11

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Oct 14, 2016
    214
    28
    Indianapolis
    Basic defensive pistol is back for 2020. Reveres Riders and John Viray of ACT have teamed up to offer this course. Sign up at https://www.reveresriders.org/event/2020-sep-19-seelyville-in/ There are only 8 spots remaining to ensure plenty of 1 on 1 instruction. Tickets are selling so grab yours while they last!

    This would be an excellent opportunity to refresh your skills for those planning on attending the next level Defensive Pistol 209 in November. [h=3]Pistol 145 Overview[/h]Prerequisites: Suggested—Revere’s Riders Pistol 100 or similar. This is not an introductory course and participants are expected to be capable of the following:

    • handling their firearm in a safe manner
    • keeping shots within a 6″ square from approximately 10 yards
    Estimated Ammunition Required: About 500 rounds/day.
    Pistol Requirements: Pistols should be of a modern, drop safe design.
    Older single action pistols manufactured before the 1980s and lacking a transfer bar safety are the most common type of pistol that lack drop safe design features, as do some military surplus imports from Eastern bloc countries and Taurus PT-series pistols not fixed during an international safety recall in 2015. These pistols may discharge if dropped and pose a potential safety hazard to our volunteers and students, and are not permitted. If you have concerns about the safety features of your pistol you should have it inspected by an armorer or gunsmith before class.
    The following are a good set of guidelines for an appropriate pistol for this event:

    • bring the pistol you intend to use for concealed carry; leave the brand new pistol you bought the day before the event at home
    • a medium-frame pistol is often ideal for concealed carry (e.g., Glock 19 or similar); smaller pistols are difficult to shoot accurately and larger pistols are uncomfortable to carry all day long
    • make sure your pistol is in good working order; if in doubt, have it checked by a qualified gunsmith or armorer. A pistol that malfunctions constantly will get you plenty of practice addressing malfunctions but not much practice with the drills
    If you have any questions concerning the suitability of your pistol for this course, please contact the Event Director.
    Required Equipment: Please review our suggestions on appropriate Pistol 145 equipment and plan to bring the following:

    • magazines or speed loaders: bring at least THREE (more is better, especially if you are using a pistol with a capacity of less than 10 rounds)
    • holster: a strong side holster that does not collapse when your pistol is drawn (no appendix, ankle, shoulder or small-of-back holsters). Either IWB (“inside the waistband”) or OWB (“outside the waistband”) are fine, but the holster you intend to use for concealed carry would be preferred. An OWB holster is often easier to use if you have never drawn from a holster before but will still allow you to participate fully in the drills we will conduct. The crucial aspect is that your holster MUST hold your firearm securely without letting it move around on your hip; this will necessitate a holster that attaches at TWO POINTS to your gun belt; there are a few holsters that attach to your gun belt at one point and still hold your firearm securely, but they generally attach over an extended length of your belt effectively simulating two points of attachment.
    • gun belt: you will have your pistol on your hip for the entire day. It will seem heavier as the day goes on and a good, sturdy gun belt will minimize that feeling. A standard belt isn’t going to cut it here; spend a couple of dollars on a quality gun belt if you don’t already have one.
    • magazine carrier (you can get by with putting spare magazines in a pocket, but a magazine carrier is much preferred)
    • a way to take notes
    • hearing protection
    • eye protection
    • plenty of your preferred method of hydration (both plain water and something to replace electrolytes you will lose via sweating is ideal)
    • clothing appropriate for the weather (loose fitting clothing, especially around the neck, is discouraged as hot brass can lodge against the skin and cause a burn)
    Optional Equipment: The following equipment is not required but may come in handy at the event:

    • hat with a brim (to deflect flying hot brass)
    • folding chair
    • lunch
    • snacks
    • sunscreen and/or bug spray
    Overview: Pistol 145 begins with an overview of the range rules, safety procedures and quick reminder of the fundamentals from basic pistol. From there, the course focuses on the mechanics of defensive pistol shooting. Lecture topics include: “Why do we do this?”, the physiological and psychological aspects of dynamic critical incidents for both the “good guy” and the “bad guy”, firearms and ancillary equipment for defensive use among other topics. Range exercises build on each successive evolution ending the day with a simple drill that rehearses the physical and mental issues dealt with during the class.
    At the end of the course, you will have learned a simple drill that will help you internalize the basics of defensive pistol craft.
     
    Last edited:

    MCgrease08

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    37   0   0
    Mar 14, 2013
    14,373
    149
    Earth
    This is an excellent class. I highly recommend it.

    You will walk away with new drills and skills to work on to improve your capabilities as a self defender and concealed (or open) carrier.

    You'll work on things like proper draw stroke, threat assessment, shooting while moving, clearing malfunctions, reloads, etc.
     

    obijohn

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Mar 24, 2008
    3,504
    63
    Terre Haute
    Successful completion of this class will vet you for the Defensive Pistol class in November

    Also, you should be able to get through this class with less than half of the recommended number of rounds. We are quite aware of the current ammo situation and will make sure that every shot will mean something more than just round count.

    If you have a .22 conversion for your defensive pistol, or a .22 version that fits your holster, most of the drills can be shot with the sub caliber replica. You will still need your centerfire defensive pistol for some of the drills and the final drill of the day.
     

    gregkl

    Outlier
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    33   0   0
    Apr 8, 2012
    11,868
    77
    Bloomington
    Successful completion of this class will vet you for the Defensive Pistol class in November

    Also, you should be able to get through this class with less than half of the recommended number of rounds. We are quite aware of the current ammo situation and will make sure that every shot will mean something more than just round count.

    If you have a .22 conversion for your defensive pistol, or a .22 version that fits your holster, most of the drills can be shot with the sub caliber replica. You will still need your centerfire defensive pistol for some of the drills and the final drill of the day.

    John, how many are signed up so far?
     

    gopher

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Feb 13, 2013
    528
    28
    Zionsville, IN
    Thanks. I just didn't want to sign up and have it cancelled due to not enough people.

    If we would cancel the event due to not enough people (we don't plan to do that), we would refund everyone's ticket purchase. Our "no refund" policy applies for situations where YOU fail to attend the event, not for situations where WE cancel the event due to unforeseen circumstances. If you're interested in Pistol 145, go ahead and buy a ticket.
     

    gregkl

    Outlier
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    33   0   0
    Apr 8, 2012
    11,868
    77
    Bloomington
    If we would cancel the event due to not enough people (we don't plan to do that), we would refund everyone's ticket purchase. Our "no refund" policy applies for situations where YOU fail to attend the event, not for situations where WE cancel the event due to unforeseen circumstances. If you're interested in Pistol 145, go ahead and buy a ticket.

    Thanks Gopher. That wasn't my intent on asking the question. I just don't want to forego other plans that I have to sign up, then this one get cancelled and I'm now out of both.

    That said, the other event is actually on the 12th so I'm good to go. I took this one last year so I'm still thinking about whether I want to take it again. I'll decide soon.
     

    diveski11

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Oct 14, 2016
    214
    28
    Indianapolis
    8 tickets remaining of 12 total. I believe there are enough sold to conduct the event. We run rain or shine, hot or cold, so risk of cancelation is extremely low. This is a class that can be taken more than once to solidify skills (without a shot timer beeping in your ear).
     

    gregkl

    Outlier
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    33   0   0
    Apr 8, 2012
    11,868
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    This is a class that can be taken more than once to solidify skills (without a shot timer beeping in your ear).

    I agree. Especially since I completely forgot how to do that drill! Doh! Got caught up in my home reno last year and didn't get enough reps in to remember it long term.
     

    obijohn

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Mar 24, 2008
    3,504
    63
    Terre Haute
    I've had inquiries as to the availability of ammunition. I do not personally, nor does Revere's Riders, maintain an inventory of ammunition. Please keep in mind that we are allowing .22's for some of the drills in the defensive pistol classes through the rest of the year. You will still need your defensive pistol and ammunition of some of the class, in particular the last drill.
     

    gregkl

    Outlier
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    33   0   0
    Apr 8, 2012
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    My AAR.

    Cool start to the day but one really couldn't have asked for better weather. It was a great day with warm sun and a deep blue sky. The club is a nice enough club and it was really nice to stand on grass instead of rip rap all day! :)Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the actual class.

    This is the second time I have taken this particular class. I have a tendency to take classes twice before I move on mostly due to being so busy with life that when I leave a class I don't get to the range enough to solidify what was taught. We all know that shooting is a perishable skill.

    John and the RR folks are just good people. They know how to have fun and impart solid teaching. I won't go into the complete agenda of how the day progressed but instead I'm going to highlight some of my personal takeaways and observances.

    1. This class today did not have one student that should not have been there. In virtually every class I have taken, there is always that "one" that shows up with a brand new firearm, no knowledge of the manual or arms and then everyone in the class suffers a bit while the instructor works with that individual to keep them safe and help them out. Which he should do. However, people should also read the course description and understand the level of knowledge you should have coming into the class.

    2. There were several students who came with sub compact pistols when it is suggested to bring nothing smaller than a compact. But for the most part they did really well so in my opinion, no harm, no foul. But try to come with more than 2 magazines if you can.

    3. There is a way to get solid instruction without sending 500 rounds downrange. In our current situation with ammo being scarce and expensive, we were able to reduce the number of rounds downrange and not lose one bit of training value. Yay for that John! (yes I stole John Lovell's line. What can I say, I like it. I have thought about using "get some", but that line was already taken to.:))

    4. John is accepting to different methods to achieve shooting proficiency. If something is working for you, then carry on. He's not shy about asking you to try it a different way to see if you can improve, but the A in ACT is Adaptive and he embraces that. He will correct something if it can and should be fixed.

    5. I like John's attitude towards equipment. He doesn't push a particular brand of firearm and he did a good job of explaining, not arguing, the points of striker fired vs revolver vs 1911 style pistols. I really believe that if someone was undecided on what type of handgun they wanted to use, they would get their answer/confirmation at this class. I know it confirmed for me my journey.

    6. The format of breaking down a drill into individual segments is a good format as far as I'm concerned. Start at the very beginning, go through each step several times and finish the day putting it all together on one drill that encompasses pretty much anything you may encounter.

    7. Jake and Roger from RR made the instructor/student ratio very good. 3:1 is an excellent ratio and they picked up on what we were doing. I know, I got corrected a lot....as usual.:) But I also received some encouraging words on my progress with my newly acquired red dot set up.

    7A. Dry fire. I liked his suggestion to do limited dry fire every day. Don't try to do hours of dry fire or 100's of presentations. Set a timer for a predetermined short amount of time and stop when the time is up. And do this every day.

    8. And lastly, putting my ear pro around my leg when not using them is more comfortable than on top of my head. Thanks John!

    I would without reservation recommend this course and here is what I suggest you do to prepare:

    A. Get a good belt designed for firearm wear and a decent OWB Kydex holster.

    B. Practice with your firearm at home without any ammunition around you. At the very least be sure you know how to insert and drop a magazine, how to lock the slide back and how to drop the slide. I will even say you should know how to remove the slide from the frame. You won't have to do that in the class, but being really familiar with your firearm will go a long way. Plus, it your gun is/gets a little dry, you can quickly remove the slide, add some oil and be back up and running looking like a pro.

    C. Buy more mags. The more the better. If you can come with 6 mags, you will run the day "casually" reloading mags.

    Oh, and beware. The first time I took this class, I ended up buying not one, but two new handguns. So be careful asking John for input on what to buy. He is very comfortable spending your money.:) And today I checked out a Trijicon RMR and compared it to my Holosun. Has me thinking now....

    I think that's about it for me. Training is a good thing to do. Get some! :):
     
    Last edited:

    huntall50

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Jul 7, 2009
    673
    28
    NW Indianapolis
    Class was well structured from accessing your abilities to refining and building upon your skills. John worked with my unique circumstances and gave direction where needed. As this was my first Defensive Handgun class it Set a very good baseline of skills for me to working on from the importance of accuracy, transitions, movement and situational awareness. Thank, John, .308Jake and Roger.
     

    brchixwing

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    75   0   0
    Nov 13, 2016
    326
    12
    Indianapolis
    I had a blast this Saturday training with everyone, thanks for coming out! I couldn't agree more with your AAR!

    I took this class twice with John & it gave me solid fundamentals that taught me how to train for the real world. (But I still don't put my ear pro on my legs :D)

    - Roger

    My AAR.

    Cool start to the day but one really couldn't have asked for better weather. It was a great day with warm sun and a deep blue sky. The club is a nice enough club and it was really nice to stand on grass instead of rip rap all day! :)Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the actual class.

    This is the second time I have taken this particular class. I have a tendency to take classes twice before I move on mostly due to being so busy with life that when I leave a class I don't get to the range enough to solidify what was taught. We all know that shooting is a perishable skill.

    John and the RR folks are just good people. They know how to have fun and impart solid teaching. I won't go into the complete agenda of how the day progressed but instead I'm going to highlight some of my personal takeaways and observances.

    1. This class today did not have one student that should not have been there. In virtually every class I have taken, there is always that "one" that shows up with a brand new firearm, no knowledge of the manual or arms and then everyone in the class suffers a bit while the instructor works with that individual to keep them safe and help them out. Which he should do. However, people should also read the course description and understand the level of knowledge you should have coming into the class.

    2. There were several students who came with sub compact pistols when it is suggested to bring nothing smaller than a compact. But for the most part they did really well so in my opinion, no harm, no foul. But try to come with more than 2 magazines if you can.

    3. There is a way to get solid instruction without sending 500 rounds downrange. In our current situation with ammo being scarce and expensive, we were able to reduce the number of rounds downrange and not lose one bit of training value. Yay for that John! (yes I stole John Lovell's line. What can I say, I like it. I have thought about using "get some", but that line was already taken to.:))

    4. John is accepting to different methods to achieve shooting proficiency. If something is working for you, then carry on. He's not shy about asking you to try it a different way to see if you can improve, but the A in ACT is Adaptive and he embraces that. He will correct something if it can and should be fixed.

    5. I like John's attitude towards equipment. He doesn't push a particular brand of firearm and he did a good job of explaining, not arguing, the points of striker fired vs revolver vs 1911 style pistols. I really believe that if someone was undecided on what type of handgun they wanted to use, they would get their answer/confirmation at this class. I know it confirmed for me my journey.

    6. The format of breaking down a drill into individual segments is a good format as far as I'm concerned. Start at the very beginning, go through each step several times and finish the day putting it all together on one drill that encompasses pretty much anything you may encounter.

    7. Jake and Roger from RR made the instructor/student ratio very good. 3:1 is an excellent ratio and they picked up on what we were doing. I know, I got corrected a lot....as usual.:) But I also received some encouraging words on my progress with my newly acquired red dot set up.

    7A. Dry fire. I liked his suggestion to do limited dry fire every day. Don't try to do hours of dry fire or 100's of presentations. Set a timer for a predetermined short amount of time and stop when the time is up. And do this every day.

    8. And lastly, putting my ear pro around my leg when not using them is more comfortable than on top of my head. Thanks John!

    I would without reservation recommend this course and here is what I suggest you do to prepare:

    A. Get a good belt designed for firearm wear and a decent OWB Kydex holster.

    B. Practice with your firearm at home without any ammunition around you. At the very least be sure you know how to insert and drop a magazine, how to lock the slide back and how to drop the slide. I will even say you should know how to remove the slide from the frame. You won't have to do that in the class, but being really familiar with your firearm will go a long way. Plus, it your gun is/gets a little dry, you can quickly remove the slide, add some oil and be back up and running looking like a pro.

    C. Buy more mags. The more the better. If you can come with 6 mags, you will run the day "casually" reloading mags.

    Oh, and beware. The first time I took this class, I ended up buying not one, but two new handguns. So be careful asking John for input on what to buy. He is very comfortable spending your money.:) And today I checked out a Trijicon RMR and compared it to my Holosun. Has me thinking now....

    I think that's about it for me. Training is a good thing to do. Get some! :):
     

    Gaffer

    Shhhh.......
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Dec 12, 2016
    721
    93
    Southern IN
    Roger is already is the quintessence of Coolness.. he doesn't need any help :>)...

    I took this class in the past.. you are all making me jealous that I couldn't attend this one!

    Ron
     
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