Cruel Hand Luke

  So then even if they find him NOT GUILTY will you agree that justice has been served ?

Yes. That is why I said it is the way to go...   As far as I know , for a long time they were the ONLY private school in TN whose instructor class certification qualified to get you certified as a TN HCP instructor. There may be others now, but Rangemaster has been for a long time.    I've done both the NRA instructor class and the Rangemaster class and there is truly NO comparison. The Rangemaster instructor class is a more thorough class. 

Basically the state wants to know that you know how to shoot and how to teach and that SOMEONE that they accept as qualified to teach that has certified that you are good to go. Most people teaching HCP classes are already NRA certified and they simply submit those certifications. But the NRA instructor classes are few and far between sometimes.    The least time consuming way to get a certification that the state of Tennessee accepts is take  the Rangemaster Instructor Development class.....    http://www.rangemaster.com/classes/handgun-classes/firearms-instructor-certification-course.html   and then send in your paperwork (That Tom provides for you) to the state. The next one is in Memphis at Rangemaster Aug 2-4 2013. That is a Friday -Sunday.   Pretty simple. Now does that mean you will after 3 days go from a novice to a steely eyed gunman and master instructor? No. And it is possible to not pass the class. You will have to perform. There is both a written and range test. But this class WILL make you a better instructor (and a better shooter). And it not only teaches you how to shoot, but teaches you how to teach...something some  instructors out there know little about.....   I do not work for Rangemaster and I have no financial incentive from recommending this class , but I have taken both this class and the Advanced Instructor class (I did the 1st one that was by invitation only at the time).  It is well worth it.  

Wow...thanks Prag. I really appreciate that. 

Maybe? I can't say for sure yet but......... maybe. 

I was in group 3 and I agree, some excellent shooting for sure.   Anyone know when the scores will be posted?

Just a quick reminder that this class is getting closer......

  Same here. With work and teaching so much the last few years I do not get a lot of free time to go shoot many matches any more. So I was happy to be free this weekend. It was good seeing an old friend (and meeting some new ones). I was a little rusty, but still functional. Shooting is shooting but match shooting and defensive shooting do have some differences. I enjoyed discussing with Prag the differences in how a stage might be shot if there were real bullets going both directions and how that might change the strategy. I also enjoyed being in the same squad with Jason Edwards and getting to watch him attack each stage. That man can shoot.    The stages were interesting and well thought out in my opinion. I especially liked the car stages. That is something that is VERY realistc.There is high probability of having to deal with criminal assault while either in or around your car and there are not a lot of opportunities for normal folks to engage targets from inside a vehicle at their local range. That may have been my favorite stage.   As far as the actual running of the match, a big hats off to the ORSA folks (and the folks from Cleveland) who ran the stages. Things went smoothly and quickly. We really appreciate the work you guys put in.   Looking forward to doing it again next year (assuming I'm not teaching that weekend).

Summer of 09 cost spike was the "Great Ammo Shortage of 09" after Obama got elected the first time.   As soon as he got elected there was a big run on ammo. By the late spring/early summer there was an ammo shortage much like we have now, but mostly just in the super popular calibers like .380 9,40, 45 .223 and 762x39.   Back then .22 was not hard to get and a lot of folks were coming to classes using .22 conversions for their pistols. I think memories of that is part of  what caused a big spike in buying this time that started the day after the election last November. Add in the Sandy Hook shooting 6 weeks later, and then the dems showing their true colors and trying to pass a gun ban that was largely targeted at making things harder on LAW ABIDING CITIZENS and you get what you have now.   This industry is built around servicing the needs of about 20% of gun owners because that is all that really buy anything on a regular basis. But for the last few months you have had probably 85 to 90% buying all they could find.....so if we go from 16-20 MILLION people actively buying to 70-75 MILLION people buying it creates a huge lack of availability in product. 

I put on my registration form to get in the same squad with you. So be careful what you ask for...you just might get it.... ;)

    Well boys, I'm mailing my registration (and donations) today. 

Excellent. Looking forward to it!

If the good Lord is willing and the creek doesn't rise...... :pleased:

  As I said before.....concealed guns don't make people nervous. THe reason concealed guns don't make people nervous is because no one sees them.....it is the people waving them around that makes people nervous.   If the sign does not say "pursuant to TCA 39-17........guns are prohibited" or something to that effect prohibiting possession at all then it does not really matter and again, no one is gonna know whether your gun is loaded or not if they don't even know you have a gun ......   Some people (like the ones she mentioned) just have not figured out that a gun shop is not a GUN RANGE...... and that they don't need to be pulling their gun out for show and tell. Loaded guns need to stay in holsters unless you are using it to defend yourself. Loaded guns do not go off in holsters....they go off in people's hands.  Everyone remember when the guy at the gun show in Atlanta pulled out his LOADED pistol to show a customer and his son how the gun fit in one of the holsters he was selling? The kid was shot and killed.....http://savannahnow.com/stories/082302/LOCgunshow.shtml       If they NEED to bring it into the shop for repair or holster fit, etc then it NEEDS to be empty for the safety of all the people in the store. Few things make me as nervous as an unknown guy in a gun store hauling out his pistol for show and tell. If you are going to bring it in for show and tell then unloading it beforehand is the smart thing to do.   But if you are just there to shop and  are not needing to hand it over to the employees there to get work done on it then just keep it in the freakin' holster and keep it covered and no one will say anything because they do not KNOW you even have it.    I have never been harassed because of carrying a gun. And I TRULY carry 365 days a year and have for almost 20 years. Why have I never been harassed? Because nobody that does not need to know ever knows I'm armed. If I were just going in there to shop with my pistol concealed then I can either choose to unload  (which is HIGHLY unlikely), choose to ignore it (far more likely) or I would simply choose to not enter.  Pretty simple. 

It is pretty simple....you either follow the rule or not.    If you ARE there to try out a holster or to sell your gun or to get work done on your gun  then unloading it before you go in makes an awful lot of sense.   Keep in mind that there is not an "IQ test" to buy a gun and there are a lot of people with frankly SCARY gun handling habits out there. Do YOU want to be the guy behind the counter when Bubba who has "been around guns all his life" hauls out his 1911 with finger on the trigger pointed at you asking if you have a holster for his gun?     The rules like that are there for the safety of the employees when people bring guns into the shops. I have heard of several instances where people fired supposedly "unloaded" guns into the floor or into the shelf pulling it out of a holster or out of a gun case to show it to the salesman behind the counter. I have also heard of instances where the SALESPEOPLE fired supposedly unloaded guns into the floor while clearing them.....just because you own a gun or work in a gun store does not necessarily mean you know how to safely handle a gun.    As to the folks who are not coming in to buy a holster ? Just leave it  holstered and covered and don't worry about it. Unless they are going to pat you down then don't worry about it. In fact if they never SEE it then whether it is loaded or not will not be an issue now will it? 

Hey Prag, are you going to the match on June 1?

2Alpha...check your messages. 

Welcome from another Ooltewah resident!

Added a Force on Force in South Carolina in October.....   Up to date list of my Suarez International classes....http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/search.aspx?find=harris

Nice rifle. 

Suarez International Defensive Pistol Skills    August 3-4, 2013 Chattanooga, Tennessee Instructor: Randy Harris Price $400   All training must begin with fundamentals. This comprehensive fundamentals class is designed to prep you for the more advanced courses such as Close Range Gunfighting. Through a carefully designed and detailed curriculum we are able to bring you up to a level of skill in a short two day class that previously would take over 4 or 5 days to achieve at other schools. You will learn a complete presentation of the modern combative technique of the pistol which will put you in good standing for any defensive situations you may encounter in the real world. No experience or prior training is needed to attend this class and it is specially suitable for beginners, or as a tune-up for accomplished shooters.     DURATION: 2 days   TIME: 9:00AM to 5:00PM (CST) Range location is on CENTRAL TIME.     PREREQUISITES: NONE   AMMUNITION: PISTOL: Approximately 300 rounds (Minimum)   YOU NEED TO BRING: Spare clothing appropriate to the weather, lunch/snacks and water (minimum of 1 gallon per person) for the entire day, baseball or other style hat, sun screen, bug repellent, allergy medication (if needed), chair (if you have a problem with sitting on the ground, note taking paper/pen/pencil and a boo boo kit (band aids, gauze pads, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment and tape)   REQUIREMENTS: Modern Defensive Pistol, Holster specifically made for that pistol and designed to be worn on the belt at the "strong side", 3 Magazines and One Magazine Pouch, A Belt of the same width as the belt loops for the holster and magazine pouches, Range Safety Gear (Eye protection and ear protection)     For more info and to register....http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/aug3-2013-defensive-pistol-skills-chattanooga-tn.aspx#.UYE-JrWkqsM

email sent........ Honestly from a personal standpoint the preemption is more important to me than the blade length. I carry a fixed blade shorter than 4" and travel a bit and as such am more concerned with my EDC knife running afoul of a law requiring shorter blades in certain municipalities than I am concerned with not being able to carry a 5" blade or a switchblade. So passing this law is a definite improvement. Now next year maybe we can get the rest of the package passed. 

Welcome from Ooltewah!

August 31 - September 1, 2013 0 TO 5 FEET: PISTOL GUNFIGHTING Chattanooga, Tennessee Instructor: Randy Harris Price $450   This revolutionary class focuses on integrating the pistol into the fight at zero to five feet. This is what some trainers call "The Hole" and their entire perspective is to "Get Out Of The Hole". We don't worry about "getting out of the hole" because the reality of it is that you won't. Instead, we get comfortable in there...we set up a nice cozy camp there and learn to thrive where other men fear to walk. We make the other guy want to get out of the hole he finds himself in as we start to rip his head right off his shoulders. This will be a very thorough study on how to prevail and not get killed at this distance interval. We will do a great deal of technical work to ingrain the correct skills and then work them extensively via force on force exercises. You have never seen training and information like this before.  While I do want to make sure guys are in reasonable condition to handle this, you don't need to be a hard core athlete to do this. We will play hard. . . . but within reason for the attendees we normally have in class. SOME TOPICS: Dealing against the drawn gun. What are all the options? We will look at everything from running away, to drawing and killing him, stabbing him with a knife, to disarming him and shooting him with his own gun. Dealing against the drawn knife. Both from "hold up" type situations to actual attacks. You will deal with them with the gun in hand (this one is really cool), and with empty hands, leading into a draw and shots as part of the fight. Dealing with a fight in hallways, elevators, phone booths and cars. All empty handed, and with one leading to the other. Dealing with more than one bad guy. How to position and maneuver to deny them the advantage, as well as how to immediately escalate and take them out. The combined use of various tools such as knife and gun, knife and light, light and gun, gun and stick. Not only the how, but the why as well. These and other topics will make this one of the hottest classes available to civilian operators. This course requires prior attendance at an intermediate level Suarez International Pistol class.       DURATION: 2 days   TIME: 9:00AM to 5:00PM(CST)   PREREQUISITES: Students must be in reasonable physical condition and have attended a Suarez International Intermediate pistol class   AMMUNITION: Approximately 250 rounds (Minimum) for your carry pistol and 400 (Minimum) good quality biodegradable pellets for airsoft pistol. NO STEEL PELLETS   YOU NEED TO BRING: Spare clothing appropriate to the weather, lunch/snacks and water (minimum of 1 gallon per person) for the entire day, baseball or other style hat, sun screen, bug repellent, allergy medication (if needed), chair (if you have a problem with sitting on the ground, note taking paper/pen/pencil and a boo boo kit (band aids, gauze pads, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment and tape)   REQUIREMENTS: Pistol, holster, at least two magazines, and the usual range safety gear (ear and eye protection). Bring an airsoft pistol with the necessary gear (pellets, facemask, etc. - all of it is available at http://www.onesourcetactical.com)   If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate the call us anytime. Call Suarez Headquarters if you would like to get in contact with your instructor or the class host. 928 776 4492     More info and to register for this class .....http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/aug31-2013-zero-five-pistol-gunfighting-chattanooga-tn.aspx#.UW_0BrWkqsM

July 6-7, 2013 CLOSE RANGE GUNFIGHTING Chattanooga, Tennessee Instructor: Randy Harris Price $450   This is our flagship course and goes as far as you can safely go on a square range with live-fire pistols. The dynamic curriculum surpasses the traditional handgun methods commonly taught in most institutions and focuses of the use of the pistol in aggressive close range applications likely in individual civilian street encounters. The class begins with a tune-up of the fundamentals, then we progress quickly to new skills such as Proactive and Reactive Manipulations, Shooting While Moving Off The X, Reality-Based Multiple Hostiles Engagement, 360 degree CQB Movement, Danger-Close Fighting, Bilateral Shooting, 360 degree After Action Assessment Methods, and Integrating the Flashlight and Other Tools into the Firing Platform. This is the life-saving material that is often ignored in many other programs. In two days, you will receive more information than most armed professionals ever get! We must point out that THIS COURSE IS NOT FOR THE NOVICE SHOOTER. If you have not received basic instruction, or have a question about your skill level, please call us first.     DURATION: 2 days TIME: 9:00AM to 5:00PM(CST) PREREQUISITES: NONE AMMUNITION: Approximately 500 rounds (Minimum) YOU NEED TO BRING: Spare clothing appropriate to the weather, lunch/snacks and water (minimum of 1 gallon per person) for the entire day, baseball or other style hat, sun screen, bug repellent, allergy medication (if needed), chair (if you have a problem with sitting on the ground, note taking paper/pen/pencil and a boo boo kit (band aids, gauze pads, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment and tape) REQUIREMENTS: Modern Defensive Pistol, holster specifically made for that pistol and designed to be worn on the belt, 3 Magazines and Magazine Pouch, A Belt of the same width as the belt loops for the holster and magazine pouches, Range Safety Gear (Eye protection, and ear protection)   If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate the call us anytime. Call Suarez Headquarters if you would like to get in contact with your instructor or the class host.     For more info and to enroll....http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/july6-2013-close-range-gunfighting-chattanooga-tn.aspx#.UW1u3rWkqsM     For a review of this class written by a TGO member....http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/64032-aar-suarez-harris-close-range-gunfighting-chattanooga/