Finding a weapons instructor

[Delta Recon]

Hey guys:

Gene gave me a heads up on this discussion, so I headed over here. I have read with interest the various perspectives on the selection of a weapons training program and/or instructor. Team Sergeant was correct in his assessment about the number of flakes out there teaching.

I have owned and operated the American Shooting Academy since 1984. I began in Phoenix and taught there until 1997 when I purchased my own place and build ranges here in west central New Mexico. I have dealt with every wannabe imaginable as well as with some very fine instructors.

Cops are the hardest to teach because most of them have the idea that if they don't know it, it is unknowable and about half of your training time is spent convincing them that you know what you are talking about and have something to offer. As a former LAPD and federal agent, I had some advantage, but I still find them to be a general pain in the ass. The good ones are great, but the rest are well....

Many instructors are too busy telling people what they know rather than teaching. I had an instructor training program at the Academy and it took 2 full years to prepare an instructor to teach at the basic level to my standards. Abotu 1/3 of those that started finished.

One of the things I would tell my citizen and LEO students was that my background as an SF trooper, a weapons instructor for RECONDO and at Special Forces Schools and my combat experience had little or nothing to add to the skill set required of citizens and LEOs in a democratic society. It just meant that I had been in harm's way and knew what to expect. The offensive nature of military tactical shooting is way different than the defensive nature of LEO and citizen use of lethal force.

As most of the quiet professionals on this forum can tell you, there is so much bullshit out there being sold by wannabes that are putting out nonsense. Weapons instructors are, in many cases, the most egotisitcal jerks walking around. this stuff is not rocket science. I could teach a chimpanzee to shoot, I just could not teach him judgement.

Fundamentals are the key. We do all the razzle dazzle stuff here with runnin' and gunnin' for very advanced students, but we constantly reinforce fundamentals.

If you put two weapons instructors in a room, you will get three opinions. There are some instructors with a wide background, others very narrow. I used to be of the opinion that if you had not been in harm's way, you really could not teach how to shoot in such an environment. The fundamentals remain the same and some of the finest instructors I know have never heard a shot fired in anger. You cannot get better weapons instruction than you will recieve from Gene Econ and, correct me if I am wrong, I don't believe Gene ever had the opportunity to engage in combat ops. I have been teaching for 40 years and have been in engagements as an LEO and certainly as a Delta Project team leader and I would be privileged to be under Gene's instruction and would follow him into combat any day.

Gunsite provides good instruction. I don't agree with some of their techniques and some of their instructors are arrogant and believe their own press clippings. Thunder Ranch with Clint Smith is probably the best available in the citizen market. No offense, gentlemen, but I find Masaad Ayoob to be particularly objectionable, but that is just my opinion based upon my experience with him and some things I know about his credibility.
Mark Fricke is in Prescott and I am sure there are others. It is truly caveat emptor. Front Site is not who I would recommend and I run across ads all the time from weapons instructors that upon my research really do not have the necesary background.

Best thing to do is to ask around and somebody with some credentials will be able to validate your choice or steer you in a better direction.