Low Light Pistol

Firearms Instruction Research and Education

Night / Low-Light Pistol

Introductory Level - 2 Nights

June 9 - 10, 2008
Monday and Tuesday

Location
Greater Pittsburgh Gun Club
Click here for Directions

Over 70% of all armed confrontations occur at night or indoors in low light conditions
Be prepared!

If you have ever gone out and tried to shoot practice drills at night, you know that darkness changes everything. What was routine during the day becomes clumsy and confusing, simple manipulations of the gun become inordinately complicated, and your flashlight never seems to be pointed where you need to see. (If you don't believe this, try it.) Fortunately, mastering the use of a handgun in the dark is just a matter of being shown how, and a little practice. But the vast majority of firearms owners have NEVER been trained to deploy their firearms in low light conditions. Most have never even tried it. Does this include you?

The FIRE Institute is sponsoring a Night / Low-Light Pistol and Revolver course which will cover the basics of fighting with a gun at night. It will be held at the Greater Pittsburgh Gun Club in Bulger, PA. Topics which will be covered include:

Cost: $260.00 (members of the host club receive a $25.00 discount). This includes range fees, targets, range supplies and handouts. Tuition is non-refundable within 30 days of the start date of the course. However, if the course is cancelled tuition will be refunded in full. Students to provide their own ammunition, personal gear and meals.

Course format: Lectures (approximately 3 hrs.) and live-fire exercises (approximately 10 hrs.); 2 evenings, 6:00 p.m. to about Midnight. Minimum 450 rounds of ammunition. Certificate of training for those who pass.

Instructor: Giles Stock. Mr. Stock served with the Phoenix, Arizona Police Dept. for 20 years, during seven of which he was the training supervisor for their SWAT unit. He has instructed at the Gunsite Training Academy since 1981, where he is certified as a Rangemaster for pistol, carbine, shotgun and submachine gun. Mr. Stock was at one time responsible for certification of all public firing ranges in Phoenix (under police auspices), and is a three-time winner of the "Police Olympics" in revolver. Now retired from the police department, he works full-time as a trainer and consultant, and a designer of firearms-related equipment. Range assistance will be provided by other NRA certified instructors and experienced range assistants.

Class size: Enrollment will be limited to TWELVE students. Applications for enrollment must be received no later than 30 days prior to the start date of the course.

Prerequisites: You must have completed a Basic Pistol / Revolver course that included a minimum of 21 hours of instruction from a recognized school or professional instructor. You must be 18 years old, with no criminal history. Please read our prerequisites page and indicate your prior training experience on the Enrollment form.

Equipment Requirements:

There is certain equipment which is REQUIRED in every course. One may not proceed in the course without the following:

Ear protection and Eye protection. Eye protection must be clear for the night shoot.
Cap or hat with baseball-style bill. This is to prevent ejected brass from another shooter's pistol from falling between your eyewear and your eye, burning you. It is important gear.
Firearm, clean and zeroed.
At least three magazines or speed loaders. We prefer you have three, in case one malfunctions during the course.
A flashlight. Any hand held flashlight will suffice; the exception being those of the "lantern" variety.
Magazine holster or pouch which is worn on your belt, on your support ("weak hand") side. BDU pockets do not work well.
450 Rounds of "Ball" Ammunition. We recommend students use one brand of ammunition throughout the course. Different brands and loads of ammunition can significantly affect the "zero" of your firearm. We also suggest students avoid the very cheapest ammunition and reloads. While "match grade" ammunition would be a waste of money, your investment in this course does justify the use of reasonably consistent ammunition. No incendiary, tracer, armor piercing, or other exotic ammunition is permitted.
A good quality holster. No shoulder holsters allowed.

There is other equipment that is not required, but which we know from experience will enhance your experience of the course. We therefore recommend you bring the following:

Soft drinks or water to drink while down on the range. There is no water on the range itself, and the Club house is too far to run back and forth. No alcohol of any kind is to be consumed within eight hours of the start of any course session or at any time during the course.
Back-up handgun. A second handgun is also a good idea, if you own or can borrow one. Firearms do break, and we cannot stop the course to make repairs. Even if we had time, parts may not be available, and many repairs cannot be accomplished in the field.

Gloves (either shooting gloves or light work gloves).

Wear substantial shoes and "work clothes" or fatigues and bring a rain jacket. You will be on the ground and get dusty or muddy.

For Details, Information and Directions:

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"Having a gun and thinking you are armed is like having a piano and thinking you are a musician"
------ Col. Jeff Cooper (U.S.M.C. Ret.)

This course is sponsored by the Firearms Instruction Research & Education (FIRE) Institute,
a Penna. nonprofit corporation.
Training is provided as a public service.
All students must be 18 years or older. Proof of no criminal history is required.