Training is too expensive

[bwframe]

...What is some hot shot range cowboy gonna show me?

Maybe, to start with, the four rules?
Some of the worst, most dangerous, gun handlers I've ever ran into have been military trained.

 

[jdmack79]

Some of the worst, most dangerous, gun handlers I've ever ran into have been military trained.

I 100% agree with your statement. I work in a gun store, and without a doubt the worst safety offenders are military members/vets. I cannot count the number of times I've been swept by an AR or a Beretta by a military guy who is spewing all kinds of nonsense while trying to impress his buddies. I've also had more than a few military guys pull out their carry guns, unload it, and begin to lecture random customers about carry practices. I think to many people, their military experiences give them a false confidence in their gun handling abilities.

 

[Shay]

I didn't pay a dime for any of my firearms training. In fact, I WAS PAID to take the training. I had to sign 4 years of my life away to Uncle Sam to get it, but I got more than I ever bargained for. Rifles, pistols, high explosives, mortars, anti tank weapons, artillery, grenade launchers, crew served machine guns, night vision, FLIR, claymore mines, improvised explosive devises, ETC.

What is some hot shot range cowboy gonna show me?

How many of those apply to civilian self defense? Has your military training prepared you for the situations you are likely to face when not in the military?

 

[cedartop]

I didn't pay a dime for any of my firearms training. In fact, I WAS PAID to take the training. I had to sign 4 years of my life away to Uncle Sam to get it, but I got more than I ever bargained for. Rifles, pistols, high explosives, mortars, anti tank weapons, artillery, grenade launchers, crew served machine guns, night vision, FLIR, claymore mines, improvised explosive devises, ETC.

What is some hot shot range cowboy gonna show me?

That is pretty impressive. I was just a plain old 11C, but even with that and the corrections academy, and the police academy, I have still gotten better training (as it relates to non combat theater) in the private sector.

 

[lovemachine]

I didn't pay a dime for any of my firearms training. In fact, I WAS PAID to take the training. I had to sign 4 years of my life away to Uncle Sam to get it, but I got more than I ever bargained for. Rifles, pistols, high explosives, mortars, anti tank weapons, artillery, grenade launchers, crew served machine guns, night vision, FLIR, claymore mines, improvised explosive devises, ETC.

What is some hot shot range cowboy gonna show me?

Wouldn't it be worth taking a class every once in a while to keep your skills up and be willing to learn new techniques from others?

Just curious.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

I didn't pay a dime for any of my firearms training. In fact, I WAS PAID to take the training. I had to sign 4 years of my life away to Uncle Sam to get it, but I got more than I ever bargained for. Rifles, pistols, high explosives, mortars, anti tank weapons, artillery, grenade launchers, crew served machine guns, night vision, FLIR, claymore mines, improvised explosive devises, ETC.

What is some hot shot range cowboy gonna show me?

Nobody is going to show you anything. You already know everything.

 

[Rob377]

That is pretty impressive. I was just a plain old 11C, but even with that and the corrections academy, and the police academy, I have still gotten better training (as it relates to non combat theater) in the private sector.

0341/8152 here. Qualed expert on everything, yadda, yadda, yadda. I thought I was really, really hot stuff.

As it turns out, I had ALOT to learn. Still do.

 

[templar223]

Indiana is blessed to have a lot of good instructors offering good classes. And then there were the national "masters" who would come as well... Farnam, Rogers, Tarani, and the list goes on and on. I've taken a lot of good classes over in Indiana and look forward to taking more.

I want to take some force on force stuff. Mindset Labs or whatever it is looks like great stuff. And there's several others on my "bucket" list.

Really good training is often expensive. I remember paying $800 for Mas Ayoob's Lethal Force Institute back in 98 when $800 would buy me 7 cases of 7.62x51. Delivered.

You get what you pay for.

I'm an instructor in Illinois (teaching for GSL Defense Training) and have been for about 16 years. I remember our first two-day class was $50 and we provided the guns and 50 rounds of ammo.

This year, in 2014, that same class is $350 per person (with a buy one, get one half-price deal which encourages guys to bring their girlfriends and/or wives) and we don't provide the ammo (now 250 rounds).

What's changed?

We're better instructors (and we've got more instructors... now at about 16 and counting) and the cost of everything has gone up. We have a hard-earned reputation as excellent instructors putting on a good course.

Plus there's increased demand from last year with the requirement that folks get trained for the new IL carry law.

We're providing premium quality training for those willing to spend a few extra bucks for a premium course. What's a premium course? One where you learn a lot more from start to finish, in a slick, professional environment with patient, helpful, highly skilled instructors who make class entertaining and fun in addition to educational.

This woman summed it up nicely in a class evaluation:

All the trainers are top-notch, professional, extremely overqualified and patient. Every student is treated in the same respectful manner, regardless of ability. You leave feeling like you can defend yourself under any situation. GSL Defense Training goes out of their way to accommodate, encourage, teach and when the time calls, to entertain. I always learn something new and memorable.

You don't want to pay the going rate for good training? Fine.

There's plenty of people who recognize spending a few hundred bucks on training that may save their life someday as quite a prudent and sound expenditure.

My only regret in spending over $1000 for LFI (when you add in ammo, hotel, transportation costs, food, etc.) was that I didn't do it ten years earlier.

And it made spending $300-500 on some of these other national "masters" seem like a bargain.

John

 

[iChokePeople]

Oy vey.

 

[rhino]

Oy vey.

Hey, have some compassion, okay? It's a heavy burden to bear when you know everything.

 

[iChokePeople]

Hey, have some compassion, okay? It's a heavy burden to bear when you know everything.

I think that's probably part of the reason so many LTs and E-4s get out of the military.