Recently, I decided to take the Sig Sauer Handgun 101 class at the Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH. Although I have taken other training classes starting with NRA Basic Pistol, hold a concealed carry license from four different states, and shoot regularly, including action pistol at my gun club. I was interested in learning what Sig Sauer had to offer. It was also a chance to share some time with my wife who is just starting her firearm journey. Having learned long ago that I am not the best choice as an instructor for my wife, Sig Sauer Academy offered a great opportunity for her to get some quality instruction and for me to spend time shooting with her. Our class had 12 students who ranged from complete beginners who had never fired a gun to experienced shooters looking for certification and the prerequisite for the Academy’s more advanced courses.
The Handgun 101 class offer 8 hours of instruction focused on, “hands-on training and the basic knowledge necessary to safely handle, load, fire, and maintain most types of revolvers and semi-automatic pistols.” In addition to their own course certification, they also offer Massachusetts’ Basic Firearms Safety Certificate upon successful course completion which is a requirement for the Massachusetts License to Carry Firearms. The course curriculum includes:
- Responsible firearms ownership and applications of the handgun
- Firearms safety training for the home, workplace, and vehicle
- Safety concerns and practices while training and while carrying a firearm
- Safe use and handling of firearms
- Locking devices and techniques for firearms to prevent unauthorized gun access
- Potential dangers (penetration, ricochet, misidentification, accidental discharges, etc.)
- Ready positions
- Components and operation of modern pistols and revolvers
- Types, components, and purposes of modern ammunition
- Applicable laws relating to the possession, transportation, and storage of firearms
- General guidelines on interstate travel with firearms
- Administrative loading and unloading of pistols and revolvers
- Fundamentals of basic shooting techniques
- Preventative maintenance (cleaning, maintenance, inspection, and safe storage)
The courses are taught by experienced instructors. Instructors have a background in law enforcement and/or military service, often as former firearms instructors for their department or service. There are two instructors per course to provide a 1 to 5 or 1 to 6 instructor to student ratio. The course is divided into an initial classroom portion which covers everything except firearm handling and shooting techniques and a live fire portion. The Academy has multiple dedicated classrooms to accommodate the multiple classes that they have running on any given day.
The live fire takes place on one of the many Academy indoor or outdoor ranges located on their 140 acres. Our course used the 25 yard indoor range. This range is a lead free environment and uses frangible ammunition. Sig Sauer Academy provides all the ammunition and firearms used in the Handgun 101 course. The pistols are Sig P320 Full size 9mm handguns. This is Sig’s striker fired polymer handgun which recently won the Army’s recent Modular Handgun System contract. This is a great easy shooting modern pistol which is winning more and more law enforcement contracts and finding many civilian proponents. As a striker fired pistol, the manual of arms is relatively simple. One consistent trigger press from first shot to last. No manual safety to learn how to use. Both right and left hand slide release, and a magazine release which can be switched to left-handed use in a minute or two. A feature which my left-handed wife appreciated.
The course stresses safe firearms handling, basic firearms handling such as loading and unloading, and basic marksmanship. Basic shooting techniques and drills are covered to help students learn how to shoot groups and put shots on targets. It is clear the instructors have a deep reservoir of knowledge to draw from and clear, calm and concise method of instruction. Once on the range, the first order of business was safety instructions including what to do in case of an accident. Students were given roles in case of emergency, such as contacting emergency services and directing them to the scene. Each role had a back-up person assigned as well.
By the end of the class, everyone was comfortable handling the pistol and putting rounds on the target. A number of the students were scheduled for the Handgun 102 class the following day. For students traveling from out of state, this makes a great way to get a full weekend of training in to make the travel worth the time and effort. Living within an hours drive of the Academy, my wife and I are looking forward to scheduling our Handgun 102 class in the near the future. The Academy offers a 10% discount to students who schedule another class within 3 months. They also offer a 20% discounts to students at the onsite Sig Sauer Pro Shop which carries the entire Sig Sauer line of products. My wife took the opportunity to purchase her P320 Compact in 9mm. The addition of a small size frame converted to left hand usage in flat dark earth color gives her a two tone pistol sized to her hand. With the addition of a left handed holster, double mag pouch, and a couple of spare magazines she is ready to take on the Handgun 102 class.
I encourage everyone to take advantage of the great training available at Sig Sauer Academy. With 110 courses covering handgun, rifle, and shotgun for competition, self-defense and law enforcement they are one of the premier trainers in the country. If you cannot get to Sig Sauer Academy there are many other high quality programs available throughout the country. Do a little research, ask your fellow shooters and find a course near you. Even the most experienced shooters seek out instruction on a regular basis, because they know you never stop being a student of the gun.