January is the beginning of the doldrums of winter for many parts of the Republic, looking forward to grey skies, snow and cold weather. Not so at the Gunsite Ranch.
At Gunsite, we know it is the beginning of the training year. The weather in the high desert is not as cold as Flagstaff (nor is it as warm as Phoenix!), but it is good training weather. We may get a bit of cold or some rain or snow, but the sun will be out the next day melting and drying and warming into the 40’s and 50’s. If you are in need of a “sun fix,” another good reason to come to Gunsite.
SHOT Show is near and many of the Gunsite Staff will be in attendance. Look for us (Buz, Jane Anne and myself) and you are apt to receive a Gunsite “Thin Blue Line” Raven pin. We walk the floor meeting with vendors and industry partners, planning training and media events and more. We hope to see you there.
Our staff have been hard at work during our “down time” to refit, repaint and refurbish the facilities here. Maintenance is an on-going challenge to the various buildings and target systems. Gunsite will be ready for the 2018 training season.
The training year begins appropriately with a 250 Pistol Course. The 250 is where your journey of ‘The Modern Technique’ begins. It is a long week, working on gun handling, marksmanship, a night shoot and the most important ‘Mind Set’ lecture. You also experience the live fire shoot houses and outdoor simulators. As we have told many students, the 250 class may be “the gateway drug.” That is, once you get a Gunsite course in your system, you will keep returning! Our “recidivism rate” is very high!
The Well-Armed Women of Gunsite group continues to meet monthly and we are nearing capacity for membership. The ladies meet for three (3) hours of Gunsite training. It is a great opportunity for friendship and life-saving education. Contact Marketing Director Jane Anne Shimizu if you are interested.
January finishes with a 223 Carbine Course. The 223 class is to the AR/Carbine platform what the 250 class is to the pistol. You learn the appropriate fighting techniques (and limitations) of your weapons system, including indoor and outdoor simulators and night shoot. (If you have had 223, the 556 Course is scheduled in early February.)
We continually boast about the outstanding staff we have. One of our Rangemasters has recently accepted a new challenge. We offer our congratulations to Rangemaster John Hall. John was appointed Chief of Police for Exeter California Police Department this week. Capt. Hall left Porterville CA Police after many years of dedicated service to take on this new challenge.
With hunting season well underway, we appreciate the emails and photos and stories from the Gunsite family with their successes in the field. The photos make many of us jealous! Having said that, Rangemaster Gary Smith had a glorious Fall hunting season here in the high desert with deer, a mountain lion, a bull elk and a Boone and Crocket Black Bear. Several of us told Gary it was time to stop hunting!
If you want to have the Gunsite experience but don’t want to travel too far from home, remember that we have the 250 Pistol Course available at the outstanding Colonial Shooting Academy in Richmond VA. While the weather may be foul on the east coast, it is always sunny and 70° in their indoor range and live fire shoot house. Don’t wait to enroll, the next class is May 7-11.
Gunsite also has three (3) day Off Site Courses in the Nashville TN area, the Seattle-Portland area, and we are returning to Lebanon IN in 2018. These courses offer you a good start with the Gunsite experience or that necessary “tune up” if you haven’t had training in the recent past.
Remember to remain vigilant. Our enemies continue to probe our public safety and try to find ways to harm us and our way of life. The ‘Principles of Personal Defense’ are something we follow each and every day. The Color Code is a way of life.
Plan accordingly.
We hope to see you (back) at Gunsite in 2018.
DVC,
Ken
