Gunsite 250 will set you back about $1400. Add ammo and hotel plus sundries (gas!), I'd guesstimate about $2500-$2800 (if staying off site in Prescott; Gunsite does have camping spots available, which will make it much cheaper) for the whole week long stay. I don't know what Blackhawk charges for tuition.
Oh, and forgot to add: USE THE THUMB SAFETY! If your particular pistol still will fire with it on, get another one, or get it fixed.
You will not be carrying a 1911 in the Real World without it engaged (I hope), so don't train yourself to assume it's always off now. You will have to unlearn that later on.
I was worried about something like this when I found out that you would be using Para-Ordnance's LDA equipped pistol. The LDA system doesn't have a stellar reputation for reliability with the trainers I have taken classes with, as you have apparently found out.
For us "normal humans," how much would a trip like this set us back?
We were told that Blackwater is actually less expensive than Gunsite or Thunder Ranch. What we did wasn't exactly a formal scheduled class, but something similar would run about $800 plus lodging & transportation.
As for the marks, I had intended to take photos, but when we cleaned up our guns at the end of the day, the brake cleaner took off the Sharpie marks. That's OK, I remember where they were. The key is the grip in combination with the isosceles stance. My original grip was to wrap my weak hand around my strong hand with my left index finger on the front of the trigger guard. WRONG! Todd showed us how to grip the pistol with our hands locked together properly, marking our thumbs so that each time we gripped the gun, the marks would line up (or not). He also marked the centerline of our strong-hand to illustrate how the pistol should sit in the web of the hand during that proper grip.
It works. Now I have to practice, practice, practice.
Roland, in Arizona I know enough to stay the hell out of the sun. In Virginia, if I wanted to shoot, I didn't have much choice. And I WANTED TO SHOOT! ;)
OK, Kevin, the pictures you and others have posted show the proper grip. It appears that the grip my cousin (a former police officer and former Marine) taught me about 30 years ago is spot-on.
That means my group size indicates I'm not shooting enough. Have to remedy that, methinks ...
As Todd Jarrett repeatedly explained, grip harder. And get a set of lasergrips. Watching the bouncing dot will tell you a lot about what you're doing wrong.
Um, read the comments a bit more carefully, there, guy. My 1911 Kimber has Crimson Trace laser grips.
Note:
All avatars and any images or other media embedded in comments were hosted on the JS-Kit website and have been lost;
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JS-Kit/Echo comments for article at http://smallestminority.blogspot.com/2008/08/tired-sunburned-achy-and-happy.html (12 comments)
Tentative mapping of comments to original article, corrections solicited.
So, are you gonna teach us the proper grip, or do we hafta beat it outta you?
For us "normal humans," how much would a trip like this set us back?
Gunsite 250 will set you back about $1400. Add ammo and hotel plus sundries (gas!), I'd guesstimate about $2500-$2800 (if staying off site in Prescott; Gunsite does have camping spots available, which will make it much cheaper) for the whole week long stay. I don't know what Blackhawk charges for tuition.
Oh, and forgot to add: USE THE THUMB SAFETY! If your particular pistol still will fire with it on, get another one, or get it fixed.
You will not be carrying a 1911 in the Real World without it engaged (I hope), so don't train yourself to assume it's always off now. You will have to unlearn that later on.
I was worried about something like this when I found out that you would be using Para-Ordnance's LDA equipped pistol. The LDA system doesn't have a stellar reputation for reliability with the trainers I have taken classes with, as you have apparently found out.
yea - what the first guy said
Why didn't you post a set of pics with you hand, with lines on it, both with and without gripping weapon?
If it works tat much better, I would like to try it.
So the guy from Arizona comes to Virginia and gets bit by-the sun? 8)
For us "normal humans," how much would a trip like this set us back?
We were told that Blackwater is actually less expensive than Gunsite or Thunder Ranch. What we did wasn't exactly a formal scheduled class, but something similar would run about $800 plus lodging & transportation.
As for the marks, I had intended to take photos, but when we cleaned up our guns at the end of the day, the brake cleaner took off the Sharpie marks. That's OK, I remember where they were. The key is the grip in combination with the isosceles stance. My original grip was to wrap my weak hand around my strong hand with my left index finger on the front of the trigger guard. WRONG! Todd showed us how to grip the pistol with our hands locked together properly, marking our thumbs so that each time we gripped the gun, the marks would line up (or not). He also marked the centerline of our strong-hand to illustrate how the pistol should sit in the web of the hand during that proper grip.
It works. Now I have to practice, practice, practice.
Roland, in Arizona I know enough to stay the hell out of the sun. In Virginia, if I wanted to shoot, I didn't have much choice. And I WANTED TO SHOOT! ;)
You are a compelling advertisement -- now you have readers who want to go too!
Damn. I'd think you had a "tolerance" developed by now. :)
OK, Kevin, the pictures you and others have posted show the proper grip. It appears that the grip my cousin (a former police officer and former Marine) taught me about 30 years ago is spot-on.
That means my group size indicates I'm not shooting enough. Have to remedy that, methinks ...
As Todd Jarrett repeatedly explained, grip harder. And get a set of lasergrips. Watching the bouncing dot will tell you a lot about what you're doing wrong.
"And get a set of lasergrips."
Um, read the comments a bit more carefully, there, guy. My 1911 Kimber has Crimson Trace laser grips.
Note: All avatars and any images or other media embedded in comments were hosted on the JS-Kit website and have been lost; references to haloscan comments have been partially automatically remapped, but accuracy is not guaranteed and corrections are solicited.
If you notice any problems with this page or wish to have your home page link updated, please contact John Hardin <jhardin@impsec.org>