The Commons at Paulie World

Day Two at Front Sight, again one is to arrive at 7AM to be checked in although they know who you are, even the guard at the gate remembers each car, because when I rolled up he just waved me through the gate, whereas the first day he stops everyone and checks to make sure they are supposed to be there.

After entering the compound it is in to the Pro Shop for the gun. One still has the hearing, and eye protection, holster, and magazine holders that one rented the day before so all one has to do is again hand over ones drivers license to obtain the rented gun, I checked the serial number and it was the same gun as before. This time they hand one the gun instead of placing it in the holster. There is time allotted for extra dry practice starting at 7:30 AM for anyone who wants to take part in it, which most of the class did. Then at 8 AM we were called to order and they started with the morning lecture about how one has to learn to draw and shoot in quickly, and how we will start with the turning targets. First the targets were turned and we slowly drew and pointed our guns at the targets, but every time something new was introduced we went through the steps with an EMPTY chamber and no magazine, this was true of the malfunctions too. Also, we didn’t work on the malfunctions with a loaded gun on Saturday that would come later. As one becomes familiar, and at ease with the situation the instructors had us proceed with a loaded weapon. Now, I am not one who is worried being around guns, however I must say that some of the people in the class did worry me.

We were called to the firing line and told this is a DRY FIRE exercise, each time we were told something about the gun it was in a distinct and audible voice. We then knew to check out guns by that point in the class. So, after the chamber and magazine check that had become the norm we SLOWLY drew our guns and “fired” at the targets. Finally when the instructors were satisfied we were not going to shoot ourselves, we were told FIRING DRILL, they used these two different terms so we could more easily distinguish between the two types of exercise. The targets turned and we drew and fired, the targets faced us for a few minutes so everyone could draw and fire at their own speed. Then the targets started to turn at a faster rate, so that one had to pick up their speed, until it got to the point where one had to draw and fire in a matter of seconds, and while it seemed to be only about 3 seconds I am sure it was a little more, although I would say it was not more then 5 seconds one had to put the two shots in the target. One also had to be aware of how many rounds one had in ones gun. After we were to the point in the class where the instructors were confident that we could be trusted not to shoot ourselves they started sending groups of eight to the shoot house. Although some who went weren’t allowed to take a loaded weapon on the walk to the house, most were. This is the fun part. One goes to the shoot house and there is a concrete wall about eight feet high in front and ten foot high earthen mounds around the “house”. Everyone waits in front of the “house”, and they took us in one at a time. Although the person who went in prior was able to stay and watch the next person, and sometimes they would have that person pull the pop up targets. As one enters the area one sees generally what will happen, and although one knows what is coming one is still rather apprehensive. One stands there as the range master, while telling you what he is doing connects a carabineer to ones belt in the back, and asks if one is ready. If one says yes the range master sets up the scenario of a home invasion, he says something like you are sitting home watching TV when suddenly you hear, there is a bit of a wait, I guess to throw ones timing off. Then the instructors start to bang on and kick the walls around you, while shouting rather profanely, this is to obtain some semblance of reality. Then everything kicks in and the “front” door fails in and a picture of a guy holding a shotgun, pointed at one is there. This is when the adrenalin really kicks in, even though one could feel it building as one waited. Now one puts everything one has learned into action. One automatically, probably because it is fresh in ones mind, goes through the steps of pulling the gun and firing. As soon as one shoots this guy in the door they holler “what is all this noise over here” and a man holding a drill moves into the doorway. Followed by the shout of “you shoot my brother and another guy “steps” up to the window one shoots him, each time it is 2 shots to the thoracic cavity, to make sure one puts him down. Then there is a few seconds before the third individual moves into a window saying something along the lines of you “killed my friends”. As one shoots him he moves back. I decided at this time to do a tactical reload, and just as I got the magazine out of my gun the third guys stepped back up to the window, which meant I had to shoot him in the head. As we were taught, two to the chest, and if that doesn’t put them out of the fight then one to the head the area of which is from the top of the eye brows to the bottom of the nose. This will stop them like a light switch was flipped to off. So, with an unloaded gun I did something I don’t think they wanted me to do, or expected me to do, I squatted down and move towards the wall, if only to make a smaller target. The man on the carabineer was pulling on my belt to get me up, but I resisted until I had reloaded. At which point I stood and shot this target twice in the head. Now the scene that all the parents said held a particular horror arose. In a child’s voice one of the instructors shouted mommy or daddy as the case was, the bad man said he is going to hurt me. Now I don’t have kids but this still bothered me more then anything else in the shoot house. The picture in this target is of a man holding a child in front of him, with a knife to the child’s throat. So the only thing one can do s to shoot the bad guy in the head, but with only the head to see one has to be much more careful in ones aim. I shoot the guy in the mouth, which they told us in a very low chance of hitting anything vital, and once along the line of the eyebrows just over the bridge of the nose. After one is finished with the shoot they walk one through all the targets and critique ones performance. I was happy with my shooting and their critique of it. After the shoot house I went back to the range and the instructors ran anyone who wanted to through some firing drills, again like the practice sessions that morning, almost everyone took part for the extra practice. As the sun began to set they sent us into the main building for the closing ceremonies, where they give out the certificates to the people who in the other courses earned Distinguished Graduate, for the course I took one was given a certificate of accomplishment. Around 7-7:30PM we were done. The instructors asked us to evaluate the course we took and give any complaints or suggestions on how to make it better. I thought it was excellent and told them so; this is done by writing down what one thinks anonymously.

In between all the shooting we still had lectures, which talked about how even when one is correct in shooting, based on what they are seeing. Even though a group of ones peers would consider it reasonable to shoot, it is not always the right thing to do. The example given came from an instructor, who was a cop before he started to teach at Front Sight. He told the story of one his way home from work he stopped at the 7-11 to buy milk. As he tuned from the dairy case he hears the door open and sees a two guys in trench coats run in wearing ski masks with shotguns and yell at the clerk “GIMME THE MONEY, OR I’LL KILL YOU!” Now a reasonable person would think it is a robbery, as did he. He told us how if he had knocked over a can of soda they would have turned and he would have shot them, as it were he said he was pulling 5 pounds on a 5 ½ pound trigger. He told us he would have been justified in shooting as it was a reasonable belief that they were robbing the store. He was extremely relieved that someone stopped him, but also angry that they didn’t have better checks on whom came into the store while filming. That is the thing REASONABLE, did you have a reasonable belief that you or another innocent was in danger of death or serious bodily injury? Would a group of your peers have had the same belief? This is what it all comes down to. If one is going to carry a gun one must be prepared both mentally and physically to pull the trigger on another human, and kill them. So, one has to decide right now, is it worth fighting for? If it is it is worth killing for, and if it is worth killing for, it is worth dieing for, and draw the line in the sand that one will not let another cross without consequence. We were also instructed in the procedure for dry practice. In a quiet house alone, make sure the gun and magazine are unloaded. Then practice for 15 – 20 minutes, they told us after that time period one starts to loss concentration, and nothing is gained. When done say out loud I am done with dry practice and put the gun away. NEVER aim at anything other then the target you use to practice with so as not to try it when not in practice mode, and put a bullet through the family portrait, or whatever. We were told to practice because if one is in a situation where one has to pull the gun one will be, at best, only 50% of what one is on their best day on the range, and they said that was an optimistic estimate.

I know Paulie at least will understand this. There was certain camaraderie at the school. Everyone talks to each other like they are a friend, sort of like a Dead show. I think it is because one has something in common with all the other people there, even though that may be the only thing we had in common. It was also the same type of camaraderie I found when I went sky diving, everyone joking at the new guy’s expense but all in good fun, and trying to scare him. Saying things like “remember pull before impact”, while patting the where ones rip cord was, as others would say don’t worry everyone lands, at which pint they would all laugh, while you stand there filled with apprehension about jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. Only at Front Sight there was no joking it was all serious business. Just friendly conversation about where one was from and what one did. How did one hear of Front Sight? What kind of gun one had. Did one shoot often? Was one going to get a CCW (Concealed Carry Weapon) Permit? Things such as that.

So, with the light failing everyone said their good byes, and left. Some of us were driving, home. Others were headed to the airport for flights home some went into Vegas for the night and the trip home in the morning. I headed into Vegas for a week of relaxation, and checking out the town. I will post my wanderings and such in another post in a few days. Check back if you think you might like to find out what I did. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I hope it was informative and entertaining. The Swamp Fox