Equipment List for a successful and fun training experience
While gear doesn't make the shooter, a good minimum gear list will certainly enhance your training experience. There are sample links to items in the text below that have worked for students in the past or have good illustrations of what we are talking about, but there are other options out there that may also work for you. Things have certainly changed over the nearly 30 years we've been training successful shooters, but here are our current recommendations.
Pistols : The more standard and "stock" your pistols are, the happier you will be. The number one malfunction we see with any pistol type on the range is a lack of reliability, usually caused by improper changes made to the pistol (followed by poor ammunition or aftermarket magazines). The only initial possible "upgrade" we recommend to a pistol is regarding the front and / or rear sights (if your pistol sights are not easy to see).
Be sure your pistol is reliable before you invest the time and money in training. An unreliable pistol tends to make a shooter unhappy, and removes some portion of their attention from the fundamentals needed to succeed. Other than the pistol being safe to operate, the primary prerequisite for a training / defensive pistol is that is it RELIABLE. There are many good guns out there, but be willing to invest in one that is extremely reliable; how much is your life and the life of your loved ones worth?
As to revolver versus semi-automatic, either will work fine. Bring the one type that you wish to become most proficient with. For police officers, we naturally recommend your (full sized) duty handgun, and for military we recommend a full size model as close as you can get to what you will actually deploy with.
We ask that you resist the urge to switch guns around during the course, especially if they are not identical. Operating a single action semi-auto versus a double action (anything) has an entirely different feel, and the support equipment is also completely different as well.
We routinely see pistols of every make (from standard police duty type guns to the multi-thousand dollar makes from the custom shops) fail on the range. It is HIGHLY advised that you bring a secondary pistol, as closely configured to your primary pistol as possible. Your "spare" pistol should have all of the accessories (magazines, holster, etc.) as your primary pistol. Most of the instructors have at least two pistols, identically configured. If you can invest in this route, it will make life easier as you will be able to use the same holsters, magazines, etc.
A full sized service pistol is the easiest to begin your training with; it has a longer sight radius, it is easier to get a proper grip on it as well, and it generally was the original pistol of it's type, and often more reliable than more compact models of the same brand. It tends to weigh more, and thus have reduced recoil. This is a significant factor as we often fire more rounds in one course than the average "shooter" will in a lifetime.
Too many people often advise folks interested in defense to "get a little concealable gun." While it is true you must have it with you to do any good, it is far better to develop your skills initially on a full sized defensive handgun. In practical terms, this means at a minimum a 3-4" barreled 6 shot revolver, not the "Chief's Special" variety. In the semi-autos, we're talking at a minimum the 4.25" "commander sized" 1911, or a Glock 19/23 size pistol. Going to models larger than these is not an issue, but using smaller pistols makes it more difficult for you to learn the initial techniques we will teach you.
We can't count the number of times someone has shown up with a "micro 1911 .45" because someone else said it was great, and then found that a light alloy/synthetic frame, 3" barrel, and full power ammunition was not only difficult to shoot well, but tended to beat them up a bit at a training pace. When the same shooter switched to a full sized 1911 with a steel frame, it made all the difference in the world. The skill set that you are able to incorporate with a larger handgun will transition easily to a smaller version of the same type of pistol.
As to caliber of pistol, we consider the defensive (and thus the training) calibers to be 9mm or .38 Special and larger. It's not that other calibers may not work (they beat a rock) but by preference these are the defensive calibers of choice.
Magazines / Speedloaders : These need to be reliable too. Defective / damaged magazines are the leading cause of malfunctions in the semi-auto pistols. Good magazines are another investment that will keep ticking for many years to come. Factory magazines are highly recommended; we have seen many aftermarket type magazines fail under heavy use.
You will need a minimum of 4 magazines (for each pistol), if they are a higher capacity type. If you are shooting 7 or 8 round capacity magazines, 6 would be the baseline requirement. If you are using a revolver, 6 speedloaders is the minimum.
In any case, having a couple more than the minimums listed above is helpful. It not only adds a little depth in case one or two go down, but it makes it easier on you in terms of loading and reloading magazines / speedloaders. Please check them for proper function before you bring them to training.
Holster : For training use, we require a safe and practical Strong Side hip holster. In years past, this item often cost 25% of the purchase price of a good pistol, for a really good model that would last for years of solid training. In recent years, there are alternatives to horse hide, shark skin, cow hide, etc. that may suit you just as well.
The holster should secure the pistol during normal range activities. Any quality holster should be made for the specific model of pistol you are using; avoid any "generic" holster, or holster that advertises fitting more than one model of gun. If the holster has a single clip to attach itself, it is not a proper holster. It is not required that the holster have snaps, a thumb break, etc. Many of the modern Kydex / synthetic models are form fitted to a specific pistol model, these also work well and tend to cost less than a properly made "natural material" holster.
Any quality holster will completely cover the trigger and trigger guard of the pistol, when the pistol is holstered. A quality holster also will not "collapse", and it allows one-handed holstering of the pistol. Students over countless classes have had better luck with holsters that physically attach to the belt. Paddle holsters may seem more convenient, but you won't be putting the holster on and off but a few times all weekend; you will be drawing from it hundreds of times.
We realize some people may use other holster types outside of our courses; that's fine when it's done safely. Shoulder, small of back, cross draw, fanny packs, competition, and pocket type holsters are not appropriate for class use. For police, we recommend you bring your duty leather / belt setup. For the military folks, we recommend you try to come close to what you will be using. Inside Waist Band / IWB holsters worn on the strong side are acceptable. If you have any doubts at all about your holster, please contact us before you come out for a course.
As part of the belt equipment, people often overlook the belt itself. A good gun belt should be at least 1.5 inches wide, and it should closely match the size of the belt loops you will wear, as well as the belt attachment point of the holster itself. The holster should not move during the draw, and this requires a somewhat thicker / stiffer belt than you might ordinarily wear.
Proper Magazine or Speedloader holders are another area often overlooked. You should be able to carry at least 24 spare rounds on your person in pouches. As long as the magazine or speedloader does not fall out (with moderate physical activity, or if turned upside down) there is no need for flap or snaps. Investing in quality gear will pay dividends not just in class, but each time you use it for many years to come.
Practice Ammunition : safe and reliable training ammunition is a must. Occasionally we see people trying to shoot poor ammunition, which certainly hurts their performance in training, and makes the experience not nearly so fun.
We do not recommend +P ammunition for any pistol for training. We request the use of standard brass cased ammunition, or aluminum cased ("Blazer"). While in the millions of rounds fired on our ranges we've seen the brass cased to be the most reliable, Blazer aluminum generally works acceptably also. Steel cased ammunition has not worked well, regardless of whether or not the steel was covered with polymer or lacquer coatings, and is not recommended. Besides voiding the warranty of most American / Western European handguns, it slows the training pace down too much due to unreliability. The common comment we find from frustrated users of this ammo is "well it worked fine at home". Don't do this to yourself when you're investing all of the time, effort, and money to train.
Training ammunition for semi-automatic pistols should generally be of the FMJ / Full Metal Jacket type, which tends to feed reliably, and cost less than most other types of ammunition. Generally, ammunition with exposed lead is not as reliable in the semi-autos. For revolvers, commonly used training types are the FMJ, round nose lead, and semi-wadcutter types (the target "wadcutters" usually don't work well in speedloaders).
Handloaded / Reloaded ammunition has generally performed poorly in classes, in terms of reliability. Again, it is best to shoot factory new ammunition of known quality, versus trying to save $20 and lowering your performance, enjoyment, and potentially your safety.
As to ammunition amount, it is best to bring a bit extra, if possible. If you are driving, there is not much drawback here, you can simply take any excess home with you, since quality ammunition lasts decades when properly stored.
Before or after class each day, or over the lunch break, if you'd like to you may pick up your brass off of the ranges. We ask that you do not do this during the class itself, as it distracts you and others from focusing on what you need to succeed. We ask that if you recover brass that you pick up your brass only.
Eye and Ear Protection : Eye and ear protection are mandatory on all ranges, regardless of whether or not you are actually shooting. For eye protection, we recommend purpose built protective shooting glasses. Ideally, they should wrap around the eyes, protecting from the sides and not just the front. The safety glasses may be tinted, but you will also need a clear set for overcast days, and for low-light shooting.
For hearing protection, plugs are acceptable but many find that the over the ear / shooting muff style hearing protectors to be more comfortable for hours of use. The headband variety do protect the outer ear as well, and many shooters are now using the electronic sort that also allow you to hear normal speech, but cut out high sound levels such as gunfire. Once you've used a quality set of hearing protectors, you will not want to go back to less comfortable alternatives.
Flashlights : For every course except the Introduction to Defensive Pistol, you will need some type of flash light for the night fire portion. Make sure that it has fresh batteries or is fully charged (and bring the charger). Also, we suggest one with an off-on button or a momentary button, rather than a sliding switch which locks it either on or off.
It is an excellent idea to go with one of the LED varieties of light, where possible. In our experience, bulbs often fail on the range. As well, bring spare batteries, just in case. If you can, it is great to bring a spare light. You may be noticing a pattern here.
If your course involves a long gun (shotgun, carbine, sub gun), a weapon attachable light is helpful for the night fire, but not mandatory. While bulbs often fail in the hand held lights, they fail even more regularly in the weapon mounted types; we highly recommend the LED type light, when possible.
For the Advanced Low Light Course, a pistol mounted weapon light is highly recommended, along with a suitable holster. You will need spare bulbs (if used), spare batteries, and 2 good working handheld lights for this course, since almost all of your time will be spent in a low light environment.
Clothing / Environment : Proper loose fitting, comfortable clothing is important to your enjoyment of the course. The weather and temperature can change quite a bit during a course, please have clothing with your vehicle that can cover temperature swings, as well as strong sunlight, and rain. Sunscreen is definitely recommended as well, and while insects are not normally a problem, insect repellent is cheap insurance for any course, anywhere.
You will thank yourself for bringing comfortable and durable footwear. We will be spending seven or more hours each day on the ranges, which are gravel. Keep this in mind, and make sure your foot wear is already "broken in" and wears well. Hiking boots are fine, but many of us simply use good tennis shoes. As well, a brimmed cap is not a bad idea, please make sure it works with your hearing protection.
For the pistol classes, you should bring a concealment garment, suitable for the weather conditions in your class. We recommend an open-front garment (such as a vest, jacket, oversized button down shirt, etc.) of appropriate weight for the season. The purpose is to conceal the pistol in a strong side hip holster during portions of the range training. The concealment garment is needed in all pistol classes, except for the Introduction to Defensive Pistol.
Knee and Elbow pads are not needed for the pistol courses. They are optional for the long gun courses.
Gun cleaning and maintenance : You will be able to clean and lubricate your guns after you complete training each day. It is recommended that you bring sufficient cleaning gear to do this for each gun for the duration of the course. A properly cleaned and lubricated firearm is more reliable.
Meals : there are no meals available from the Academy itself. We do have a refrigerator and microwave available, as well as a water / soft drink machine. Some folks like to bring a small cooler to the range, for snacks or water bottles. For the lunch break, you may bring your lunch and eat at our picnic tables, or you may drive to one of the nearby local restaurants to eat.
Training Hours : Each course starts at 8:30 AM on the first morning (typically a Friday morning). A course normally trains until noon each day, then typically a 90 minute lunch break. Course then generally runs until 5:00 PM (if a night shoot is scheduled for an evening, time will be announced in class; varies by season). Class hours are the same for Sunday, except that we are normally done before 5 PM the last day.
Classroom time : Classroom time together is at a minimum, but we do have a bit of it the first morning together. We tend to spend our time training on the range, not educating in the classroom, which you know if you've ever taken any course with us.
However, a pen or pencil and notebook are recommended for you to be able to take notes in the classroom. These are also useful, at the end of each training day, to write down briefly what you did. You will get more out of the training if you can write what you did and important points you learned, in your own words, as well as what you did well and what you need more refinement on.
Shotgun Specific courses : A safe and reliable slide (pump) action or semi-automatic 12 gauge shotgun. This should be the shotgun you wish to become most proficient with, or in the case of law enforcement / military, preferably your duty shotgun. You may wish to consider bringing more than one shotgun, considering the amount of shooting, sometimes guns break. Iron sights are helpful, but not mandatory. A good sling (one example) is mandatory. Proper selection of a sling (not a carry strap) in advance will save you a lot of grief in the course.
This course requires safe, reliable ammunition. We would suggest for the shotgun that you bring a minimum of 250 rounds of low recoil birdshot (#7.5 or 8), 300 rounds of 00 buckshot, and 400 rounds of slug. We strongly suggest these be the "low" or "reduced" recoil loads for the buck shot and slugs (if using a semi-automatic shotgun, please insure they function reliably in your gun however). Either 8 or 9 pellet 00 buckshot is acceptable, if it has more than 9 pellets, it is almost surely a "high recoil" loading.
A PAST Type recoil reducer for shotgun is optional. We may have mentioned it before, but there is a lot of shooting in this course. Please insure that you do not use one that is too thick; in past courses, students have been comfortable with at most a 1/2" recoil shield. More thickness has impeded proper long gun mount.
For pistol, we recommend 400 rounds. We would also suggest if possible you bring extra ammunition with you for both pistol and shotgun. We encourage you to shoot as much as possible during your time with us, and you can always use the spare ammunition in the future.
Carbine (Rifle) Specific courses : A safe and reliable rifle. This should be the rifle you wish to become most proficient with, or in the case of a law enforcement officer, their duty carbine. You may wish to bring more than one rifle, considering the amount of shooting, sometimes guns break. A good sling is mandatory. Proper selection of a sling (not a carry strap) in advance will save you a lot of grief in the course.
Commonly used firearms are semi-automatic rifles (such as the AR-15, Mini-14, AK series rifles) in calibers such as .223 and 7.62 x 39mm. If you use optics we recommend at most a 4x scope, or a non-magnifying red dot (electronic) or holographic type.
For the carbine, please bring at least four reliable 10 round (or greater capacity) magazines. Again, we have found factory magazines to be the most reliable type.
This course requires safe, reliable ammunition. We would suggest for the rifle that you bring a minimum of 900 rounds of FMJ ammunition. We do not allow .223 "green tip" (also know as SS-109, M-855, etc.) ammunition due to the safety concerns it creates by harming some of our target faces. We also do not allow plastic tipped rounds (Hornady Vmax, Ballistic tip, etc.) in any caliber, or armor piercing / steel core ammunition of any kind. Soft Point or open tip match ammunition is fine, but tends to be more expensive than the standard FMJ ammunition available from the same sources, and is not necessary.
A typical ammunition choice for .223 caliber guns would be one of the 55 grain full metal jacket loads listed at the Winchester ammunition site or the Federal ammunition site. If in doubt about your ammunition, please contact us prior to purchasing ammunition for this class!
For pistol, we recommend 400 rounds. We would also suggest if possible you bring extra ammunition with you. We encourage you to shoot as much as possible during your time with us.
For all Classes : If in doubt about your pistol, gear, etc. or if you have any questions on any topic related to your training, please don't hesitate to contact us! It is much better to make sure everything is correct before your class, to maximize your enjoyment and success for the training time we will spend together.