We practiced focusing on the front sight and smoothly pressing the trigger until a surprise break was achieved. These are essential elements of the Modern Technique of the pistol as formalized years ago by Gunsite's founder, Jeff Cooper. Other elements include the Weaver stance, the presentation (or draw), a flash sight picture and a heavy-duty pistol. To help learn trigger control, we practiced pressing the trigger (gun unloaded) with an empty cartridge case balanced on the top of the pistol--another first for me. The object was to drop the hammer without causing the case to fall off. It wasn't easy, but we all got the hang of it, even me using the double-action SIG. By the end of the day, my old legs and feet were sore, but I was ready to go again the next day.

Two types of flashlight holds are taught at Gunsite. Above is the Harries technique, and left is the Laser technique where the flashlight is held like a syringe. If you think these techniques are easy, think again. To do either one correctly takes a lot of practice.

At 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday we started at the range, driving directly there instead of to the classroom. We reviewed yesterday's lessons, but the pace quickened and shooting distances increased. We were instructed in three types of reloads: tactical, speed and administrative, the latter being used when the gun was to remain holstered. A surprise to many, Gunsite runs hot ranges, meaning that guns do not have to be unloaded before leaving the firing line. Under stress, a person reacts the way he was trained, so we trained to keep our guns fully loaded and not develop the habit of unloading when the shooting was done. Doing that after a gunfight could be deadly if the bad guy is not really out of the fight or his buddies suddenly show up.

As the week flashed by, we were soon taught to turn, draw and shoot at threats from different directions. We shot from kneeling, and old joints began to remind some of us of our age, but allowances were made and alternatives offered by the instructors. We all got through the drills successfully.

INSTRUCTOR EXPERIENCE
Gunsite has about 60 instructors, and 95 percent have either a military or law enforcement background, with about 60 percent having been involved in at least one gunfight. They knew what they were talking about when they told us to learn to do something instinctively because in a gunfight, we won't have time to stop and think about what to do. It occurred to me that this was more than a shooting or even a fighting school; it was really a survival school. In fact, at the time I write this, no Gunsite graduate has lost his life in a gunfight, which means something because Gunsite has been around for nearly 30 years and receives two or three letters annually from graduates who tell how Gunsite training saved their life.

We learned to shoot around obstacles and clear an area, either indoors or out. Corners are very dangerous, so we were taught to slice the pie and search in rays. We went over concealment and cover and were introduced to the phrase Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas, meaning Accuracy, Power, Speed. These are essential to prevailing in a fight.

The three styles of handguns in use by students are represented by the Glock 26 in 9mm, the SIG Sauer P229 in 9mm and the1911 Colt Series 70 in .45 ACP.

By now, things were moving pretty fast and our improvement was remarkable, even for those of us who had been shooting for years. Then came the El Presidente drill, an exercise in which the student turns, draws, fires two shots into the center of each of three targets, reloads and shoots each target twice again, all in 10 seconds. Surprisingly, we got the hang of it pretty fast, including us old folks, and some even made the time.

SIMULATORS
Before this class was over on Friday, we were to go through two indoor and two outdoor simulators, giving us experience in clearing buildings and outdoor areas. The principles were simple to understand but not easy to execute, and even though none of it required great physical exertion, heart rates usually increased, and the student felt stress during the exercise. That's good because it made training more realistic.