Hey, Paulieworld, The Swamp Fox was in Nevada, for a fun week. First on the agenda was Front Sight, a world class shooting school. I took the two day defensive handgun course. But first, I got into Las Vegas about 12:30 local time 19 October, about a half hour ahead of schedule which is always nice. After collecting my luggage, and rental car I drove to Pahrump about an hour away, I got to tell you, if you ever get to Vegas you MUST take a ride out into the country side. It is absolutely beautiful, there are some mountains, although not really big mountains, and it is a stark beauty. It’s a place like this where one can see what is meant by the stanza “Purple Mountains Majesty”. The landscape is sort of like Iceland, but different, if you know what I mean. There is that monochromatic look, in Iceland it is a yellow, and gray, well varying shades of yellow, and gray, Nevada is a tan and seems to be more uniform. However I could be wrong I was trying to take it in while driving. On the way to Pahrump along Highway 160 there were signs telling one to be aware of the wild horses and burros that may be in the road, I bet that would mess up your day, if you hit one of those bad boys. Also, there is a lot of open range, and signs that warn of it. The speed limit is 70 in some places but most people seemed to be going about 75 or 80, I went about 70. If anyone travels a lot especially to other states, if you rent a car, take my advice get a GPS. Man, are those things invaluable, no need for a map, never stop for directions. It will take you turn by turn to your destination right on the money, well, they say within 25 feet plus or minus, but hey, if you can’t find where you are going if you are within 25 feet, you shouldn’t be out wandering around outside by yourself. Further, one can program it for shortest route, no highway, or whatever, and even if you miss a turn it will still get you where you want to go.
So, I get into my hotel about 2:00 after about an hour ride and I laid down for about an hour, to relax, got up and went out. I took a little ride around about 4PM or so I went to the Pahrump Nugget Hotel and casino, which is just down the street from my hotel. They have a nice restaurant in there called Stockman’s Steakhouse; it doesn’t open till 5PM. So, I did a little gambling, and threw some dice, Paulie told me he loves to throw dem bones. Well, not knowing what I was doing I asked guys running the show what I was doing, they were very helpful. Told me why I won and why I lost. I played while waiting for Stockman’s to open; it was only about 30 minutes, so I only cashed ten dollars to play while waiting and to learn. I was up about five or ten dollars, but man did it disappear fast, when the dice turned on us. Of course I could have played longer but I kept letting everything I won ride. Being the new guy, they gave me the dice, when I said I would just watch and bet, the guys running the table would have none of that, everybody shoots they said. Threw a seven on the first roll then had six as my point. Threw a few rolls and one guy was betting everything and making some cash. But, after abut ten rolls, CRAP, eleven. So I was done. Still had about five dollars so I bet on someone else rolling and was good for a while till they crapped out. Very nice, my meal was a salad with a raspberry vinaigrette, Filet Mignon, medium, and a Baked Potato, with a glass of Casa Lapostolle, a Merlot, and for desert I had cheesecake with espresso. It was all very good, and my waitress Ann was excellent. She said she would give the address for Paulieworld to her boss so he could read my review of dinner, so if he is reading this make sure you give her some props. The entire dining experience was very good, best steak I’d had in a while.
Saturday, awoke at 5:30, quick shower, down to breakfast, and then off to Front Sight. One has to be there by 7:00AM so they can check in and go through the Dressing Station, where their equipment is checked, if they brought their own. If, however you are renting your equipment then you check in go to the Pro Shop rent a weapon, holster, magazine holder, hearing and eye protection, buy three hundred rounds of ammunition, then it is out to the Dress Station where THEY attach the holster and magazine holder. They put the gun in the holster, and tell you DON’T TOUOCH THE GUN UNTIL, YOU ARE TOLD TO! This is something they are adamant about. They are very, very safety conscience, and very professional about everything. I would expect no less when dealing with firearms. I counted in the course I took 44 students, there were about 6 different classes going on that weekend, not all the same class. There was rifle, shotgun, and a few other handgun classes. I was expecting a class on marksmanship, this is not the case, this school is on a certain level a survival school. This is not to mean that there area bunch of survivalists running around in camouflage, but there was a lot of camouflage, desert and woodland mostly. The people attending this school were normal citizens who just want to be able to defend themselves and their families in a dangerous situation. There were a lot of Police Officers, and some Military, a few of the instructors were former Police Officers. So, holstered up, I headed into the lecture hall, were we filed out a form stating they we knew the risks and didn’t hold Front Sight responsible for anything that happened, and they listed all of the anticipated and unanticipated, such as malfunctions and mishaps. Then there was a lecture about how we were going to learn how to defend ourselves and our families.
At Front Sight the first thing they do is give us the sobering information that even if we do defend ourselves, and do it correctly and in accordance with the law does not mean we get to go home and go on with our lives. Then is was out to the range, were we were given another lecture this one on the proper handling of a gun. Then we got a demonstration on this handling, and one on how, if we trained and practiced, we would be able to shoot, and boy could those people shoot. At 45 feet they can put 2 rounds in an area the size of a quarter.
The first lesson is how to aim, one lines the sights up, and they put a magazine on top of the rear sights and ask if you can still see the front sight. They stress that one focuses on the front sight, and keeps it aligned with the rear. The difficulty is to not look at the target or over the sights. Next they teach how to fire the weapon; however this is not done with any rounds in the gun. One is also taught to check the gun, chamber check, and magazine check. These consists of placing the support hand under the gun which is close to the chest for leverage, and push the slide back, just a enough to see in the chamber. Next one checks the magazine by operating the magazine release, and checking if one doesn’t drop out by feeling with a finger into the magazine well. They teach one how to stand to shoot; feet shoulder width, turned at a 30 degree angle to the target, knees bent a little, and a leaning slightly forward in an aggressive posture, this is called the Weaver Stance. When we were finally allowed to handle our guns, we stood on the firing line and SLOWLY went through the steps of pulling from a holster, presenting, and pointing a handgun. One would think this is a rather uncomplicated exercise…well one would be wrong, as was I; there are 5 steps they use and teach. Step One, firing hand establishes a solid grip the stock high on the tang, trigger finger straight and pointed down along the holster and the support hand goes to the mid-section. Second, the gun is lifted straight up and out, until the gun clears the holster trigger finger is along the frame of the gun. Third, close contact, elbow drops down, and the shoulder rotates the weapon to close contact, where the guns finds a point on the ribs where it should always go to in this step, finger remains along the frame. Fourth, support hand meets the firing hand as the gun moves towards the target, safety is removed, and trigger finger is still along the frame. Step Five, isometric pressure is applied and the ready or point position is achieved, the finger remains along the frame in ready, or on the trigger if pointing. To holster the gun one goes through these steps in reverse, one should be able to holster the gun without looking, or feeling, as it is at close contact, and just rotate the muzzle down and the gun should slide right into the holster. Also, one seats the gun in the holster firmly before one lets go of the gun. If one fires his gun there is what the instructors called the after action drill, this consists of one step to the side, either side it doesn’t matter except to move out of any possible line of fire. As one steps to the side one quickly checks to each side for other threats, then one checks on the attacker to make sure they are down, and out of the fight, at which time one scans for other threats, and determines whether it is safe or not. We were paired up with what is called a coach/student, which is another student in the class who reminds one of things one may neglect and to ensure that one is safe. This helps to reinforce the lessons taught.
They also teach the Five Levels of Competence, and the Color Code of Mental Awareness. Along with, Moral and Ethical Decisions of Using Deadly Force, Use of Deadly Force, Malfunctions, Drawing Ones Gun and Firing, When is Deadly Force Justified, Explanation of Risks, What Happens to One After the Use of Deadly Force, Tactics, and Dry Fire Practice Procedures and Schedule, Concealed Carry Permits, Stopping Power, categories of handgun calibers, best choice of calibers for defensive handguns, bullets shape. For this post however, I will focus on the Levels of Competence, and Color Code of Awareness.
The levels of competence are Intentionally Incompetence (II), these are people who know they are incompetent, but lack the motivation to learn. Unconscious Incompetence (UI), this group consists of about 95% of all gun owners; this includes police and military personnel they just don’t know they don’t know. Consciously Incompetence (CI), these are people who have been in a deadly encounter and survived. They know to pplace the blame for their incompetence on the person in the mirror, and have gone from UI to CI and wish to obtain better training. Consciously Competent (CC), this group has had training but still needs to hone his skills. Unconscious Competent (UC), these people are at the top of the game, if they are involved in an encounter where they need their skills they don’t even think about what it is they are doing. Training takes over and they unconsciously react to the situation.
The Color code of Awareness is White, Yellow, Orange, Red, and Black. Code White, in a perfect world we could live in Code White all the time. However, in Condition White if an attack occurs it will take a few seconds to register and for one to respond. One should never be in this state. In this state one has most likely lost, before the fight states. Condition Yellow, this is a relaxed but alert state one is walking head up, hands at ones sides and looking around for ANY potential threat. This is a state where it is much harder to be surprised by an attack, and one can respond to the attack as it occurs. Condition Orange, one has identified a threat, but since an attack hasn’t actually begun one can deter the attack by ones actions of changing direction or crossing the street. The attacker will know one is ready and look for easier prey elsewhere. One is also ready to defend against an attack if it occurs. Condition Red, the attack is imminent, and one has readied ones response to it, this means one must be ready to run away, or to fight. They stress that the best thing to do, if one is able to is run. The reasoning behind this is, is it worth fighting for? If it is worth fighting for then it is worth dieing for, and if it is worth dieing for then it is worth killing for. If one can not run and must defend oneself or family they teach you that a quick response may often deter the attack. This means pulling ones gun in a sure and competent manner, showing ones attacker that one knows how to handle it and is ready to use it. I will give you an example of how they put this in perspective in a bit. Condition Black, the fight is on and one must be ready, mentally and physically, to take the fight to the attacker, and when you do you use the tools one has to stop the attack as soon as possible. With a gun this is to shoot for the center of the thoracic cavity, where there is a lot of good stuff to hit which will stop the attacker, things like the heart, lungs, spleen, diaphragm, and maybe one may be able to clip the liver. If for whatever reason this doesn’t stop the attack then one shoots for the head. The area here is from the top of the eyebrows, to the bottom of the nose, which will instantly stop any attack, because the instructor said it is straight into the brain which will turn off anyone light a switch was tripped.
Ones car, money, watch, camera, or whatever isn’t really all that important enough to kill or die for. To make this point they pick someone out of the class and use the scenario of you are at Sea World watching the sharks. Your Rolex watch falls in the shark tank; do you go in after it? When the person says no, they are asked “Why not? That is an expensive watch” the gentleman, said it is only a watch, and I can if need be get another one. The instructor then says, “Now you see out of the corner of your eye your 4 year old daughter go in the tank, what do you do”? This tends to put it in perspective. The man said he would go into the tank for his daughter, the instructor then asked “Why, you can always make another daughter?” The man however was unmovable on this, the instructor was using this to make the point of just what is important and what is not One may always get another watch; it just isn’t worth going in the tank for a watch. However, ones daughter, or son is an entirely different matter, and this is what they mean by is it worth dieing for? If so then it is worth killing for. After making that point the instructor said if “Joe” had said, pulling out a folding knife, I want that watch, we would probably all move to get away from this nut job. The same would be true if he said, well I can always make another daughter, or son. So, they try and put one into a position where one has to decide what is really important BEFORE the time comes.
The instructors walk the class through the various malfunctions and how to deal with them. There are three types of malfunctions. Type One, a dead trigger, where one pulls the trigger and gets only a click, they say this is the loudest sound in a gun fight. For this type one simply taps the magazine, and racks the slide while rolling the gun to the right to clear any rounds in the chamber. Type Two has the same procedure except one looks at the slide to determine the malfunction. Type Three one has to strip the magazine, rack the slide three times and insert a fresh magazine. Then the class tries these maneuvers at speed with no magazine in the gun, and after, the class become comfortable they are moved up to doing them with a magazine, and firing a round after clearing the malfunction.
This was about the end of the first day, and it ended with one more lecture on use of deadly force, legally morally and ethically. The lecture on the use of deadly force and the moral and ethical ramifications of it is one of the most informative. They explain that if one does shoot someone, most likely one will kill them, if only because where you shoot to stop is also the most deadly place to shoot them. One will not just go about ones business even if charges are not pressed, one now has to live with all the doubts, and what ifs that will come. Then there is depression and anger, regret, and people asking why. Why didn’t one do this, or do that, like shooting them in the leg, or shoulder, or whatever they may ask, and one has to be prepared for this. Some of the problems one may experience are, arrest for up to 48 hours, bail of at least 10,000, immediate outlay of another 10,000 for a lawyer, 5,000 for expert retention, legal cost may be a minimum of 50,000, months if not years of court cases, A criminal case followed by a civil case as your attackers family sues you for pain and suffering. Your family suffers also, because of possible harassing phone calls; they will be subject to gossip, ridicule, and insults. There is the loss of friends, and business associates. Other problems include difficulty sleeping, reoccurring nightmares, ulcers, appetite and digestive disorders, self doubt, and depression, sexual dysfunction, and impotence. Then one may start or return to abusing alcohol, and or drugs. Divorce and other family relationship problems may develop, due to the stress placed on the family. In the criminal and civil court cases one has to be able to put the jury in ones shoes at the time one fired the gun. They tell one what is the best thing to do after shooting, it is very detailed and much to long to go into here, but the crux of it is call 911, explain what happened, what one looks like, who one is, and send an AMBULANCE, and police, ambulance first as it shows concern for the person shoot, and that if ones attacker survives one wants to press charges. As for the lawyer find an ex cop or judge, and not one who is antagonistic as one doesn’t want publicity, one wants this handled in quiet and behind closed doors just ones lawyer and the prosecutor. However, that in spite of these problems one is better off alive then dead. These problems can be fixed, whereas if you lose the fight you are dead. And life is always better then death.
A gun fight is a risky endeavor, one never wins anything, and one just gets to keep what one already has. This example is given on how it works. That out a hundred dollar bill, now we make a bet, if I win I get the C-Note, if you win you get to keep it. That is a gun fight you have nothing to gain and everything to lose.
This is about how the first day ended, I will post two or three pages at a time about Front Sight, and after I get through with this I will tell a little of what Vegas was like. So, stay tuned for my next installment. Thanks, The Swamp Fox
