Wondering if any of you experts out there have any recomendations on some carbine training classes? Perferably something that envoles my sidearm too.
I live in Eastern WV, so ideally I would like to attend a training coarse that I can drive to.
Thanks in advance fellas!
Pat Rogers- EAG
Larry Vickers- Vickers Tactical
Jeff Gonzales- Trident Concepts
Ken Hackathorn- Info and e-mail
“Super” Dave Harrington- no website, but a few articles. He seems to pop up everywhere, just check around.
These are my favorites, more formative to my skills and concepts than anyone else. There are a few others that other people seem to really like, but either I have not trained with them, or would have preferred one of the above.
my .02, YMMV.
No expert but Pat Goodale has a facility in Alderson, WV:
You can also try any of the classes hosted in South Hill, VA:
http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=9123
Quantico, VA isn’t that far away either depending on which part of W. Va you’re in.
Good luck with your training.
Also in West Virginia: Storm Mountain.
I’m no expert, either, but let me put in another plug for Jeff Gonzales, who comes to Quantico once a year, and will be giving his three day Carbine Operators Course again next October. His training classes are, in a word, intense. Lewis Awerbuck comes to Quantico sometimes, and also travels to Pat Goodale’s facility, mentioned above, a few times a year. I’ve heard good things about Pat Goodale, but have never been to one of his classes.
For W. Va., Storm Mtn. T.C. in Elk Garden. Very good.
Do an honest assessment of your skill level, and go for a course that will build off that.
My department sent some instructors to an outside course, and it was claimed that this “basic” course was going to hold a quick review, and then get into more advanced techniques. Instead, it was a lecture pimping products and then onto simple basics for the rest of the time. Basics are nice, but at a certain point you need to advertise appropriately. If I want to hear a sales pitch, I’ll go back through the Simmunition Sup course.
Get to a class that reflects your honest needs, keep an open mind, and make sure you aren’t going to be a boat anchor that slows down the rest of the shooters.
ETA- My all around favorite instructor… Jeff Hall. No political correctness, solid real world LE and MIL experience, very good at reading students as well as imparting info, and highly capable.
Just find the closest reputable school and go. Some training is better than none. And you wouldn’t believe it but the NRA puts on some really decent classes for the money.
There’s also Blackwater.
I think that you will find several notable instructors in the North Carolina, Virginia area. You can check schedules of many different instructors by the links on this website. From what I understand Pat Rogers will be around the East Coast area more than anywhere in '08. Pat should be on most people’s short list. Also of note there was an article in the most recent SWAT magazine reviewing Storm Mountain. This may give you some insight on that facility and training. I have no personal experience with them.