Day two of the Suarez International Advanced Rifle Gunfighting course at the Casa Grande Police Range traded day one’s sunshine for cold, wind and rain. Every student returned, and the weather became part of the lesson. See Day 1 for the course details.
How day two ran
- Weather: most drills were shot in the rain, but lectures and breaks moved under the range’s covered seating. The weather never cut into instruction.
- Format: instruction followed by hands-on drills, with the whole class together for lectures and two groups on the line for shooting.
Positions in depth
- Each standard position got more application than in an introductory class. For example, the sitting lecture covered when to use it, such as shooting uphill or downhill.
- Kneeling and squatting proved their worth in the mud, and prone in the rain tested jackets, gloves, gear and muscles.
- No weapon or equipment failures showed up despite the wet conditions, a likely reflection of an experienced class.
The rifle as an impact weapon
- Suarez taught close-quarters fighting with the rifle as an impact weapon, using a simple method of learning strikes in combination that was easy to recall a week later without notes.
- Students were eager to practice and asked for more of this kind of training.
Advanced drills
- The second half of the day applied everything learned so far, with stress from both the weather and the drills’ complexity, while staying safe.
- These drills took more setup, so they ran two students at a time while the rest of the class watched and learned.
- Short-barreled rifles showed visible muzzle flash in the cold, dim light, but it was too quick to bother the shooters.
Wrap-up
- Suarez reviewed the lessons learned, asked for feedback, and offered future classes in hand-to-hand fighting and force on force based on what students wanted.
- Each student received a certificate, and every student stayed until the end.
Observations
- Most students had trained with Suarez before, which let the class move fast and safely. The difference from an introductory course was obvious.
- Physical fatigue, mental stress and bad weather all on one day is the kind of test a class should provide.
Takeaways
- Train in bad weather at least once; it tells you more about your gear than ten sunny days.
- Rifle-based hand-to-hand techniques fill a gap most shooting classes ignore.
- A covered area makes a big difference to a training range; it is worth asking about when choosing a class.
Originally published on After Action.net on January 30, 2008. Rebuilt from the archived report; the original photos were not preserved. See every class in the Training Log, or share your own training experience.
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