After Action.net sat in on the Arizona CCW class taught by Tom Wacker of Final Option Tactical System at Sportsman’s Warehouse in northwest Tucson in September 2007. With only five students, it was the instructor’s smallest class, which left plenty of time for questions and stories.
Course overview
- Instructor: Tom Wacker, retired after 31 years with the U.S. Border Patrol, including service as Assistant Chief in Tucson. He served 19 months in Vietnam, has trained U.S. Air Marshals, and has been shot at, so he brings real experience to the class.
- Location: A large, well-lit upstairs classroom at Sportsman’s Warehouse, Tucson, with room for 20. The class ran twice a month.
- Length: Eight hours (the state requirement at the time), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., including range time, range fees and fingerprints
- Result: students left with complete application packets, ready to mail
How the day ran
- Introductions: Wacker’s background and how it relates to the class.
- Safety first: the class paused several times to re-read the five safety rules. The instructor carried a solid plastic training gun, and no loaded guns were allowed in the classroom.
- What, then when: the class opened with how to draw effectively and where to shoot, which grabbed everyone’s attention, then covered when deadly force is justified.
- Choosing a carry gun: examples of each common revolver and pistol type, with the pros and cons of each for concealed carry, plus old and new single-action revolvers for comparison.
- Marksmanship: an oversized front and rear sight teaching aid made common errors easy to see. Draw and stance were taught as principles: keep your body in control of the pistol, then practice good habits.
- Law: after lunch, Wacker read each section of the law and gave an example of how it applies, often from his own career in Tucson. One point that stuck: although you cannot be tried twice for the same crime, a single shooting can bring state and federal prosecution plus civil suits.
- Written exam: all passed.
- Range: a short drive to a range a few miles south for the shooting test. Targets were impressive, including the best one from a student who had not shot in years.
- Paperwork: forms filled out as a group and fingerprints done quickly, another advantage of a former law enforcement instructor.
Observations
- Wacker taught from an outline, unrehearsed and comfortable, answered every question, and still finished on time. His professionalism was among the best seen at a CCW class.
- Former law enforcement instructors bring endless real examples that make the legal material stick.
Recommended reading from the class
- The Operator’s Tactical Pistol Shooting Manual
- The Arizona Gun Owner’s Guide
- Traveler’s Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States
Takeaways
- A small class is a bonus: more questions, more coaching.
- Using deadly force is a life-or-death decision with legal consequences that can follow you for years. Take the law portion as seriously as the shooting.
- Arizona law has changed since 2007; check current law and use current editions of any legal guide.
Originally published on After Action.net on September 30, 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.
(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)