There is so much to cover this month, from political implications to NRA to Gunsite courses. Where to begin?
Buz and I attended the NRA Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. Disregarding all the drama of the meeting and the internal conflicts that the NRA Board of Directors need to resolve soonest, it was a grand meeting. Over 81,000 attending and mostly armed. Indianapolis had zero shootings during that time. Who is surprised?
It is so much fun to have Gunsite family come up to us and visit and re-live some of their Gunsite adventures. It is also a treat to see all the Raven hats, shirts, jackets, pins, tattoos, etc. and talk with them. (I don’t know how many new Raven pins we handed out.) Friday was a 19,000+ step day for me as we met with clients and vendors throughout the show. Stay tuned as we will have a couple of announcements soon as to Gunsite. It was also fun to be back in my old bailiwick and run into old friends and students. We look forward to seeing you in Nashville NRA in 2020.
The presidential politics are heating up. Watch what the various contenders are saying and doing. Several are being very clear in their anti-Second Amendment and Bill of Rights stances. Don’t think they want to compromise. They want your unalienable rights removed. Follow what your Congressional representatives are saying and doing. The House can be returned to conservative hands in 2020 as well if we work hard and get the vote out. We also must hold the Senate.
May is another beautiful month in the high desert. We were proud to host the AZ State Well-Armed Women annual conference last weekend. We had over one hundred (100) ladies in attendance, many never attending Gunsite, get a taste of The Modern Technique. The weather was perfect and the ladies all left safer and better educated. The Well-Armed Women is a great organization all over the Republic empowering women. You need to find them in your area.
The folks in the 250 and the private USAF course this week experienced some unusual rain yesterday, but they trained right through it.
Carbine Range Day is this Saturday. If you are a graduate of a particular discipline, you are eligible for Range Day participation. These are great one- or two-day training opportunities with our Rangemasters. Some students will take a Range Day prior to their Monday course to get tuned up a bit!
The popular Ladies’ Pistol Course begins on May 13. This class is near full, so if you are considering attending, get enrolled now! Shotgun also begins that week.
The Precision Rifle 7 (PR7) is later this month along side another double 250 course. When some of the courses fill, we have the resources to double the class and not turn anyone away.
There is Pistol Range Day on May 25, preceding the Advanced Defensive Pistol (499) and Defensive 3 Gun the end of the month. Will you arrive tuned up?
(If you are a LEO and need re-certification for your NRA Instructor certification, most of Gunsite courses are POST approved. Our friends at NRA Training advise that if the course is POST approved, it counts toward your required hours for recertification. Defensive 3 Gun is a great choice for this as it has no pre-requisite of 250 or 223 or 260 courses. This also includes our three (3) day off-site courses across the Republic.)
There are also numerous tutorials and private courses underway this month. Do you and a few friends or your company want a private class for a few days? This is much better than a bachelor party and also is great teambuilding. Contact Training Director Dave Hartman (Hartman@gunsite.com) for details. We can make it happen!
June carries on as another busy month.
Royal Range in Nashville TN hosts another 250 Pistol Course June 3-7. (Remember it is always sunny and 70 degrees with no humidity in their outstanding indoor ranges and shoot house!)
Our Church Defense course also continues in June. Is your church security team prepared for a crisis?
The new Defensive Lever Rifle/SA Revolver course is in late June. I believe Col. Cooper referred to the lever gun as the “New York Special” as it didn’t have the profile of the “evil black rifle” or a Kalashnikov. Do you use a lever rifle and have you trained it it’s use defensively?
We close out June hosting our friend David Scott-Donelan and his world renown Tactical Tracking Course. (This is good for Search and Rescue as well as tracking miscreants.)
Remember to celebrate accordingly on May 10 in honor of our late founder Jeff Cooper’s 99th birthday.
We also celebrate Mrs. Cooper’s 99th birthday on May 31. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if she received birthday cards from the Gunsite family? Please send them to her at Gunsite, 2900 West Gunsite Road, Paulden, AZ 86334.
Finally, remember to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our Republic on Memorial Day. It is not just a day away from work to BBQ, but a day to offer respect and remembrance to those who “gave their last full measure” that our Republic may survive.
God Bless them all!
Enough for today. Stay strong and in Yellow.
DVC,
Ken
