After Action.net took the LMS Defense Pistol I course at the Gila River Indian Community police range, between Phoenix and Tucson, in April 2007. It was the third level one pistol course taken from three different schools, and it still taught plenty of new things. A good class costs less than a gun and can change how and why you practice.
Course overview
- School: LMS Defense (Last Man Standing)
- Instructors: John “Chappy” Chapman, LMS director of training, a retired California police sergeant, SWAT officer and chief firearms instructor with POST and FLETC instructor certifications; and Yancey Harrington, a former 82nd Airborne paratrooper who also assists with tactical tracking courses
- Prerequisites: None
- Required gear: A handgun with three magazines, 700 rounds, a holster and pouches, a cover garment if you carry concealed, a notebook, a hat, knee and elbow pads, eye and ear protection, sun or rain gear, plenty of water and a packed lunch (the class does not leave the range)
- Class size: smaller than usual after the law enforcement students were called away, which meant more hands-on time
- Weather: cool and cloudy with a light breeze
Day one
- A fast start: introductions, safety and paperwork, then dry practice, with live fire before lunch.
- Thinking while shooting: drills kept the mind busy while the body did the work, such as cognitive targets with commands like “two at the circles, three at the red.” Safe operation in multiple positions was the top goal.
- Ready positions: several, explained to keep students open to the options for any situation.
- Format: demonstration, then dry fire, then live fire, with instructors watching every student. Short lectures between drills explained why each drill matters.
- Scoring: no points for bullseyes, but stray shots were taped so students could see their misses.
- Movement: the day ended with moving and shooting drills built on realistic scenarios.
Day two
- Warm-up: moving and shooting drills, then a review of range safety, the location of the first aid kit (bigger than most backpacks) and who was in charge in an emergency.
- Multiple targets: simulating two attackers.
- Defensive skills: one-handed, support-hand-only and moving, which is what separates a defensive pistol class from a marksmanship class. Pairs and teams ran some drills for safety and to allow realistic movement.
- Cover: firing from behind cover, then dropping to prone to fire again from a new position. Rollover prone is more stable than standard prone, gives easy magazine access and lets you roll out from cover. Using several positions avoids giving away your location.
- Support-hand reloads: done safely, under supervision.
Observations
- One-on-one coaching is what a class offers that a book or video cannot.
- The instructors’ good humor and friendship made for a fun environment.
- Loose ammunition and a magazine loader make the constant reloading much faster.
Takeaways
- Marksmanship is something to work on alongside a defensive pistol class, not instead of one.
- Practice how you will fight: one-handed, moving, and from cover.
- The September 2007 Pistol 1 reports, Day 1 and Day 2, cover a repeat of this course.
Originally published on After Action.net on April 24, 2007. 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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