Travel Insider Group Training at Front Sight, April 2011

We are coordinating a small group of Travel Insiders to train together at a Front Sight Four Day Defensive Handgun course in April this year.

This will tell you about the event.

What

This will be a Four Day Defensive Handgun course, starting on Monday morning, 4 April and ending on Thursday afternoon 7 April.

I am adding an optional (free) pre-course briefing on Sunday late afternoon at the Best Western in Pahrump.  This will cover three topics :

1.  What to expect and how to get the most out of the four-day course
2.  An introduction to pistols (for those unfamiliar with how semi-auto pistols work)
3.  Choosing a pistol for self-defense, and how to carry it concealed

There will also be an optional celebratory dinner on Thursday night at the Silverton hotel/casino, close to Las Vegas airport, and of course, many of us will choose to eat as a group during the week in Pahrump too.

Who

Anyone and everyone is welcome to come along and join in, no matter what your level of interest, experience or skill in firearms may be.

If you don’t have your own pistol, or don’t wish to bring it with you, Front Sight will rent you a complete kit – gun, holster, belt, magazines, eye and ear protection, etc.

International visitors are welcome too.

When

The course starts early Monday morning, 4 April, and ends about 4.30 – 5pm on Thursday 7 April.  You should arrange to be in the area by Sunday evening, and you might want to think about overnighting somewhere on Thursday as well, flying out on Friday.

Of course, there’s no reason you can’t come earlier or stay later, too – Vegas is always a fun place.

Where

At Front Sight’s location between Las Vegas and Pahrump.  They are about 20 minutes drive east out of Pahrump, and 45 + minutes drive west out of Las Vegas, off Hwy 160.

The optional Sunday briefing will be in Pahrump, and the optional Thursday celebration will be at the Silverton hotel/casino, close to the airport on the Pahrump side of Las Vegas.

We recommend the Best Western in Pahrump as the best place to stay (ask for their discounted Front Sight rate).

Why

The extra fellowship and friendship you can enjoy by doing this as part of a small group rather than as a single person (or couple) makes the experience much more pleasant, and the ability to compare notes with your fellow participants adds to the overall learning experience.

If you need the answer to ‘why should I take a four-day handgun course’, that is understandable.  Prior to going on my first course, I couldn’t imagine how it would take four days to learn how to shoot a handgun.

But having now taken the course twice, I am astonished – and still astonished – at how much I have learned (and how much I still have to learn), not just about how to shoot a gun, but also when to shoot one, how to avoid getting into such situations, how to shoot quickly and accurately, how to respond to problems/jams, and lots more.

Plus, it is great fun as well as invaluable learning!

How

Let me know if you’d like to join us.

I’ll coordinate the group with Front Sight so we all get to be on the same range, and can walk you through the sign-up process with Front Sight, and if necessary help you get a low-priced certificate to attend the course.

How Much

I currently have four certificates entitling the bearer to a $150 course fee for this course.

I have additional certificates entitling the bearer to a $250 course fee for this course.  (The four-day course lists for $2000 but almost no-one pays full price.)

You might also find a good deal on eBay (search for Front Sight Certificates) to get a certificate allowing you to take this course.

In addition to the course fee you will need to pay $50 for a background check (this needs to be done only once a year so if you come back for more courses in 2011, you’d not need to pay this again).

If you are not bringing your own equipment, you can rent a full kit of just about everything you need including your choice of handgun (we recommend the Glock 17 in 9mm) for $100.

You can bring your own ammo (figure on about 600 rounds) or buy it from Front Sight’s Pro Shop (if you are renting their gun, you need to use their ammo).  600 rounds of 9mm would cost you $264 at Front Sight (and probably less elsewhere – some people phone ahead to Wal-Mart in Pahrump and place an order with them to collect when they get in to Pahrump).

More Information

Here is a lot of information about Front Sight, their Four Day Defensive Handgun Course, how to prepare, what to bring, etc etc.

Here is Front Sight’s home page.

And by all means email me with any questions you have.

I hope you will choose to join us.