Finally took the Hangun Self Defense class

[Will Carry]

The location of the class was at Efird's Rifle Range near Albemarle NC. It is a very picturesque location nestled up against a ridge near the Uwharrie Hills. It was family owned land that used to stock cattle. It was like shooting on your uncles farm. Ed Efird was very friendly. The training was done by Defensive Concepts NC out of Charlotte. http://defensiveconc....com/index.html . They are excellent instructors and the training they give was top notch and a heck of a lot of fun. From my martial arts experience I learned the their is no ancient secret that will enable you to fend off an attacker, it's the basics. Their training stresses gun safety and the basics people need to be able to defend themselves with a handgun against a threat. They added anecdotes from their years of experience in law enforcement and military. That was the gravy...I learned more in this class in 9 hours than I have learned in the last two years. Well worth the money and a lot of fun and good fellowship. I was surprised how tired I was after 9 hours of this training. There was no class room time, it was all done in front of targets out side.

Today in Part 2 of the class they are going to teach gun retention techniques, which is critical for anyone who open carrys.

There were a LOT of 1911's at the class. I got to see, first hand, how a 1911 holds up against a modern pistol. After what I saw yesterday I will wear my Glock 19 proudly and keep my 1911 in the safe with the revolvers.

[frontier737]

While I'll stay out of the Glock versus 1911 argument I will say kudos to you for taking a class.

Not only are they fun but IMHO ought to be on eveyone's priority list of required items. Just because you own a weapon or have an HCP means little if you don't know how to us it. Just my opinion.

[Will Carry]

I love my 1911s and have never really been a Glock fan but yesterday was and eye opener for me. Not only the things I learned but I discovered so many things that I need to learn. The Glock 19 is the only Glock I own and one of only three 9mms I own (I like me some 45acp). I was too cheap to bring a 45 or a 40 to the class so I settled on the Glock 19. I now have a new found respect for the Glock and the 9mm round. I will be taking more training from these guys in the future. They offer a home defense class where you get some tight quarters training and they have a Defensive Handgun 2 class.

Edited February 26, 2012 by Will Carry

[Lumber_Jack]

Were there failures in the 1911s? Or was it more of a function of reloads or such. Just curious

Edited February 26, 2012 by Lumber_Jack

[Will Carry]

The man with the 1911 next to me pushed in the slide stop out with his right finger. The gun failed. The instructor came over and said "watch this!" and pushed it back in and it was fixed. The guy with the Kimber had his pistol fail too. I don't know what it was but last I saw he was removing the grip. A guy with an FN had his gun fail too but all of the guns were repaired and returned to service. So I guess you could say that 66% of the failures I saw were 1911s. Even though one was operator error.

Edited February 26, 2012 by Will Carry

[Lumber_Jack]

I have fallen victim to the slide stop early on in my 1911 shooting. I have since corrected that issue. It is crucial to know how many rounds are on your recoil springs and such as they can cause problems when they get fatigued.

Good info thanks for sharing.

[LagerHead]

I have seen numerous issues with Glocks: failure to feed, light strikes, jams, stovepipes. You name it.

They're mechanical devices. Stuff happens. I still think Glocks are dependable and great weapons. But I carry a 1911 which means it has been reliable enough for me to bet my life on it. The plural of anecdote is not data.

[Will Carry]

I think I will take my next class with my Colt 1911 and see how I do with it. There are a lot of things I like about the 1911 that I like and I really need to train with it just in case. I tell you one thing the instructors were talking a lot of trash about Sherpa holsters. They did not ban them but they let people who brought them to the class know that they were unsafe.

Edited February 26, 2012 by Will Carry

[LagerHead]

I think I will take my next class with my Colt 1911 and see how I do with it. There are a lot of things I like about the 1911 that I like and I really need to train with it just in case. I tell you one thing the instructors were talking a lot of trash about Sherpa holsters. They did not ban them but they let people who brought them to the class know that they were unsafe.

How are they unsafe? (Disclaimer: I only use Sherpa at IDPA. My EDC holster is just a plain ole Don Humer leather belt slide.)

[Lumber_Jack]

How are they unsafe? (Disclaimer: I only use Sherpa at IDPA. My EDC holster is just a plain ole Don Humer leather belt slide.)

Places your finger near the trigger. On quick draw you finger can slide from retention button right to the trigger causing discharge. I have one for my 5" 1911, and don't really worry about it but I have taken not of the issues.

They can also get dirt in them and seize the retention making one unable to draw the weapon.

[Guest bkelm18]

My general non-concealment holster for my 1911 is a SERPA. I like it. If you practice with it the holster isn't dangerous. Plus with the manual safety of the 1911 I think it's a non-issue.

[LagerHead]

My general non-concealment holster for my 1911 is a SERPA. I like it. If you practice with it the holster isn't dangerous. Plus with the manual safety of the 1911 I think it's a non-issue.

I agree. (I thought something sounded wrong about Sherpa. ) It's only an issue if you make a habit of making a squeeze the trigger kind of motion when you draw. I see the point but everything you do with a gun can be unsafe if you don't follow the safety rules and don't ever practice.

[chances R]

Congrats on getting additional training. It does make a world of difference, and will reveal, at least in my case, how much I didn't know. I will add that in formal training I have shot over 1200 rds. through my Rem R1 without a problem. (knock on wood). It seems that the 'tighter tolerance" 1911s, or should I say high end, have more malfunctions, in my experience in those classes. Additionally, serpa holsters have been banned from Front Sight training because of the increase risk of ND as mentioned from trigger finger motion. I'm sure that if one carries and trains routinely this can be worked out....but not everyone is as diligent as WillCarry on getting that training.

[MiddTennTaco]

I had a Glock 19 for less than a year. I put about 1000 rounds through it and had about 20-30 failures. Whether they were caused by the ammo or the gun, you can never really tell. FTE, FTF, but most were stovepipes. I got lots of brass on my head too for some reason. I used PMC 9mm and those Georgia Arms factory reloads. I don't know if its my style of shooting but I always shot a hard left too and my pinky was always spilling over the bottom of the grip because I have fat fingers. Maybe thats why I shot it bad. (Its a compact) I'm sure Glocks are great pistols, they're just not for me. I can't stand striker fired guns anymore. Put some metal in my hands!

I was FAR more accurate with my old duty S&W 5906 and I am FAR better with my new CZ 75 D PCR. This thing is a laser.

Glad you're getting in some practice! Remember, you're liable for every round that comes out of that gun! I need to go get some more practice in too!

[Will Carry]

I just bought a CZ-75 SP-01. What a pistol! You are right, it is a laser.