Headed down to Nevada’s Frontsight 10/12 for a 4-Day Defensive Handgun Course.

I’ve never done any kind of school for shooting. I’m certainly proficient with a number of weapons, but have never drawn a weapon from a holster/concealment and fired, nor have I ever learned the art of the double tap.

Anyone been? Advice? Suggestions? I’m a little anxious. I don’t usually do too well in group/class situations. My Brother is going so I will at least know my partner. He’s already been once. Didn’t pass. That has me a little nervous too. Neither he nor my Dad has passed the intro class. Dads tried 2x already, and he was 30some years Army.

take a uplula or plenty of duct tape...


I cant find the thread that was posted a few yrs ago.

Their site is full of tips. Have fun. Be safe. Follow instructions.

I’ll bite. Duct Tape?

reloading your mags, your thumb will be blessing you

Gotcha. The Glock 22 I just bought came with a mag loader.

Don’t know if it’ll work with the XD .45 im taking for a backup...

it won't.

Go get an UpLULA. Don’t hesitate. Don’t look at other brands. Don’t try to use the Glock mag loader. Just get the UpLULA.

They are absolutely the best, and will work with both of your pistols.

I haven’t been there, so I don’t personally have any suggestions. What tips did your brother give you, since he’s been once?

I haven't done Frontsight (yet) but have done similar courses. Uplula for sure, but also take as many extra magazines as humanly possible and load them all up beforehand. If you only take 3-4 mags, you will kick yourself. If possible, beg, borrow or steal a ton.

Also, take a lot of water/Gatorade/snacks. More than you think you'll need. You'll get exhausted and hungry. And ibuprofen. You'll be sore the next day. I don't know if they have sinks to wash your hands and face before eating, so I'd recommend a big box of wet wipes of some sort. (D-wipes if you can get them.) And sunscreen. I recommend the spray kind so your hands don't get greasy.

Did I mention magazines?

Otherwise, just enjoy it. I was super nervous at the first class I went to. But they're there to teach you. Soak it in. Listen. Do what they tell you. If it's different from what you're used to, try it. Don't assume your way is better. You will come home completely changed. Whether you pass or not. And you won't want to wait to go again!

Damn, now I want to go to Frontsight.

Wow what a great training opportunity. Congrats for taking the plunge.

My two cents FWIW.

A decent pair of electronic earmuffs goes a long ways in any training class. Protects your ears while making it easy to hear and understand RSO/trainer commands. No need to go broke buying super fancy Peltor, just be sure to have a decent pair to take with you.

Don't sweat passing the final proficiency test. It really should be more about your learning, improvement, and takeaway's than meeting some pre-determined bar of proficiency. If you pass then it's gravy. If not it's just a marker for further personal skills improvement.

"DRY FIRE" (look it up) your concealed draw umpty-thousand times. The largest portion of negligent discharges occur during "admin handling", including draw/holster.

Good tip. Just ordered one on Amazon for $28

Brothers being kinda quiet. Says he doesn’t want to ‘taint’ the training. I think he just wants an advantage. LoL Bastard.

He gave me the tip for good muffs, and extra mags. I’m only gonna be able to swing 6 for the G22 and 4 for the XD. I’ll have to suffer this go round.

Brother says there is a good outlet for snacks/water on site. Wipes is an outstanding suggestion! Thanks DGM33! Hoping that October may not be so hot and require sunscreen, but maybe illl grab some anyway....

Thanks for the tips guys!

ABL, always be loading. whenever any mag is less than full, fix it. during your "runs", whenever your gun is not full, fix it. always load "+1" .

Spare batteries for your ears. Assume you’ll need to change them daily. Lots of shooters shooting alot will drain them quickly. Bring a non electronic set to throw on so you can change batteries on the fly.

In addition to the mag loader put 20 or 30 rounds in your pocket so you can top off the last mag while talking is happening.

All the other suggestions are right on.

And really good bandaids!

Good luck and enjoy the process.

if allowed, knee pads...