Personal Firearms Tactics

This course is currently not scheduled in 2008

Course duration - 2 Days

May 12 - 13, 2007
Saturday and Sunday

Where: Pitcairn-Monroeville Sportsmen's Club
25 minutes east of Pittsburgh in North Versailles Township

There is unquestionably more to defending one's self, home and family with a firearm than knowing how to shoot a gun. Defense is more than shooting; it involves factors and considerations which will either give you an advantage or place you at a disadvantage in those few moments when a confrontation is in progress. No matter what kind of a shot you are, it is your ability to solve commonly encountered problems and make decisions which will determine whether you control the situation and survive, or lose control of the situation and are seriously hurt or killed. This course is for those who have previous, formal training in marksmanship and gun handling, and are now ready to learn the skills and methods necessary to deal with tactical problems commonly encountered in and around one's home, work-place and neighborhood.

This is not a course on how to shoot. We assume students in this course have been well-grounded in gun-handling and marksmanship skills. Nor is this a "personal protection" course designed to teach one how to avoid trouble. The course assumes that trouble has found you in your home, car or workplace, and you must now proceed to use your weapon to solve a life-threatening problem. This is a "nuts-and-bolts" course about problem solving and decision making. We will cover the following topics:

• Basic tactical principles which should guide your decision making in a dynamic shooting scenario. There will be specific exercises designed to allow students to work with each principle.

• Preparation of others who will likely be around. Spouse, children, siblings and coworkers can either help or make things worse. We discuss how to prepare them to at least not be in the way.

• Working with a partner. Operating in conjunction with a friend, acquaintance, spouse or co-worker, as opposed to acting independently of one another. This includes advance planning, communicating, moving, covering and assisting.

• Dealing with architectural and natural barriers and obstacles without exposing yourself to unnecessary danger (doors, windows, hallways, corners).

• How to recognize and effectively employ cover and concealment during an armed altercation.

• Discussion of weapon selection for various home, work and street environments.

• Shooting in proximity to other people. When shots are fired, confusion erupts.

• Putting the shooting principles taught in firearms courses into practice. This course involves several simulation exercises and a good deal of shooting.

• Dealing with the police. What they need to know, what you need to do.

Course Format and Hours: The course runs two days, from 10:00 a.m. to about 6:00 p.m. each day. We begin with a discussion introducing applicable principles, followed by a series of short lectures and exercises designed to illustrate the concepts and techniques discussed. Most lectures occur on the range. There are discreet "units" on particular problems (e.g., dealing with doors), both "cold" and live-fire exercises, and several tactical simulations, short and long. Most exercises will be followed by discussion among instructors and students about the choices they made during each exercise. Students will have the opportunity to (but are not required to) bring their spouse or significant other to the afternoon of the second day to observe some of the outdoor exercises pertaining to coordination of effort between family members. Minimum instruction time will be 15 hours.

Weapon Requirements: For administrative reasons, the live-fire exercises will be conducted with handguns only. It is recommended students bring whatever holster and spare magazine(s) they use for concealed carry. Ammunition requirements are 600 rounds of hand-gun ammunition. No armor piercing, incendiary or tracer ammunition is permitted.

Instructor: The primary instructor for this course will be Peter Georgiades. Mr. Georgiades, currently a practicing attorney, is also an experienced firearms instructor who in recent years has concentrated his interest in contact-distance defense. Mr. Georgiades is an active Judo practitioner and competitor, ranked Nidan (2nd Degree Black Belt), and has been instructing in firearms and personal defense since 1995. He is a graduate of the Gunsite Training Academy Law Enforcement Carbine Instructor Certification Course, Marksman's Enterprise (Jim Crews) 3 day instructor courses for both carbine and pistol, the "Contact Weapons Defense Instructor" course from OSG (Steve Tarani) and a 3 day hand gun instructor workshop run by Giles Stock. Mr. Georgiades is certified to instruct by the NRA (rifle, pistol, shotgun and personal protection) and the State of Arizona (CCW Instructor - Certificate No. 8769268), and is a member of the International Ass'n. of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI). He has trained extensively with some of the foremost firearms instructors in the U.S. (e.g.: Gunsite Training Center's Tactical Carbine, Advanced Tactical Carbine, Special Carbine Seminar, Tactical Rifle, Basic Pistol and Home Owners' Tactics courses; Marksman's Enterprise pistol and urban carbine courses; Steve Tarani's Contact Weapons Defense and Edged Weapons courses; pistol and shotgun instruction from Cumberland Tactics), and has been instructing in firearms defense since 1995.

Class Size: This course will be limited to eight students. A small class allows more time for each student to work in each of the exercises and simulations, and to fully participate in discussions. Applications for enrollment must be received no later than 30 days prior to the start date of the course.

Prerequisites: This course assumes students have been previously instructed on line commands and discipline, the Weaver stance, the importance of consistent presentation, proper holsters and reloading gear, and at least the standing and kneeling shooting positions. Therefore, in order to enroll in this course one must have completed at least one hand-gun course of a minimum three days (21 hours) duration, from a recognized firearms school or instructor. Courses which qualify include basic pistol courses from PFDC, Fire Institute, Gunsite Training Center, Gunsite Training Academy, Jim Crews / Marksman's Enterprise, Randy Cain / Cumberland Tactics, Manny Kappelsjohn / Peregrine Enterprises, Ken Hackathorne, Larry Mudgett, etc. Obviously, there are far too many qualified schools and instructors to list here. If you have any question whether your prior training satisfies the prerequisite, please Contact Us for assistance and read our prerequisites page. Note that LFI-I and military basic training do not fulfill this requirement. Please indicate your prior training experience on the Enrollment form.

Cost: $250.00 (members of the host facility receive a $25.00 discount). This includes instruction, range fees and course materials. It does not include any personal gear, ammunition or meals. Payment in full is required at the time of enrollment and is non-refundable after April 12, 2007. However, if the course is cancelled for any reason, tuition will be refunded in full.

Physical Requirements: This course is designed to assist YOU to make decisions. Your physical condition is one of the factors you must take into account. Therefore, we will work with you in whatever condition you are in. You should, however, notify the Instructor of any particular disabilities you may have, and we expect you to refrain from attempting any exercise that is beyond your physical capability or presents a risk of injury to you or others.

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.

• Cap or hat with baseball-style bill. This is to prevent ejected brass from another shooter's firearm from falling between your eyewear and your eye, burning you. It is important gear.

• Carry-holster with spare magazine pouches and three magazines (speedloaders with carrying pouches for revolvers).

• Flashlight that you would keep in your bedroom, car or office.

• Knee and elbow pads. The inexpensive kind worn by skateboarders, or pads worn by carpenters and carpet layers are fine.

• As with any outdoor firearms course, wear substantial shoes

• 600 rounds of 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 armor piercing, incendiary or tracer ammunition is permitted.

• Rain gear.

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.

• An easy-to-use camera is a good idea, as there will be opportunities for other students to photograph you in various exercises.

• An inert training handgun. We recommend the Red guns by ASP or Blue guns by Ring's. If you do not have one we will provide one for your use when required.

For Details, Information and Directions:

• Contact Us
• Course Schedule
  
• Enrollment Forms
• Credentialing
• Area Motels

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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.

© 2003 F.I.R.E. Institute