2016 National Patrol Rifle Conference

[Ned Christiansen]

This years (2016) NPRC is June 4 and 5, Detroit area (but far enough away that it is NOT Detroit). The event hotel and venue is the Hyatt Place Novi / Suburban Collection Showplace Convention Center, 46100 Grand River, Novi MI 48374.

Guest speakers are the best, as always. A sample of past speakers includes Chris Kyle, Kyle Lamb, Dave Grossman, Dan Bongino, to name a few. This years line up includes Mark Spicer, who partnered with Chris Kyle after retiring from the British Army; I'm reading his book right now on sniper skills. "British Army, ret" is a huge understatement of this guy's credentials as he is a recognized authority on all things sniper and counter-terrorism.
http://centermassinc.com/national-patrol-rifle-conference/conference-info-speakers

Vendors and sponsors are plenty and as part of the NPRC staff I can tell you they are appreciated more at NPRC than at most events. If you have a product or line of prodcuts, new or old, that you want the Law Enforcement community to know about, this is a worthwhile place to set up your display. Vendors also get a spot at the range during the competition..... oops, I mean live-fire training day, if they want to demo their product with live fire, which many do. Sponsor and vendor info:
http://centermassinc.com/nation-patrol-rifle-conference-competition-/nprc-sponsor-vendor-information

But-- it's really about the attendees. This is an LE-only event (eligibility info see below link). Cruise the vendors, participate or spectate at the range, enjoy (included) meals while networking and hearing some of the most relevant presentations by some of the most been-there-done-that speakers out there.

http://centermassinc.com/national-patrol-rifle-conference/nprc-participant-eligibility

[Ned Christiansen]

•2012 event video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxofnEnfWVc

•2011 event video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjSYS-jAAtw

•2010 event video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpe1YejuLQY

•2009 event video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d965-up-fU

•2008 event video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQfVoFLfbfQ

•2007 event video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1wMJQ7YqBs

•2006 event video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeiP9jVThTU

And, an article from 2006, an excellent piece, written by....me

http://centermassinc.com/img/uploads/1402432458-SWAT-Mag-Dec-06.pdf

[SomeOtherGuy]

This years (2016) NPRC is June 4 and 5, Detroit area (but far enough away that it is NOT Detroit). The event hotel and venue is the Hyatt Place Novi / Suburban Collection Showplace Convention Center, 46100 Grand River, Novi MI 48374.

LOL, if you are the intended sort of attendee you should be able to survive two days in Detroit. Or at least in most parts of Detroit. :)


The event hotel and venue is the Hyatt Place Novi / Suburban Collection Showplace Convention Center, 46100 Grand River, Novi MI 48374.

From someone not involved - this is a very nice hotel in a very nice, safe suburb with lots of restaurants. This convention center is taking over a lot of business that once went to downtown Detroit (Cobo Hall) for a variety of reasons including location, location, location, and better business terms for the exhibitors.

There are two good airport options - Detroit Metro, of course (DTW) but also Bishop Intl. Airport near Flint (http://www.bishopairport.org/) which many locals use as a preferred smaller airport, much like Midway in Chicago or Hobby in Houston. Bishop often has lower prices as well, due to airline pricing weirdness. Bishop is only 10-12 minutes farther away from the convention center than Metro.

I'll get off my Michigan-booster soapbox now.

[Koshinn]

LOL, if you are the intended sort of attendee you should be able to survive two days in Detroit. Or at least in most parts of Detroit. :)


I almost pity the person who thinks it's a good idea to commit a crime around hundreds of patrol rifle equipped LEOs and numerous other subject matter experts.

[Ned Christiansen]

I always enjoy walking around the hotel and seeing guests who had no idea there was a police conference going on, suddenly realize that as they were checking in, five guys and gals with rifle cases formed up in line behind them. If I get the chance I ask them about this experience and one constant is that they feel safe with that many cops around!

Thanks for the additional Novi info.... all true.

I want to add that the NPRC in terms of what's-learned-per-dollar is surely one of the top values in the country. It is high-density with real-deal speakers. The "live fire training day", formerly the competition, is not easy, it's challenging, and yet-- if you really know your gear, your guns, and your ammo, you can win it. There aren't any impossible shots that only super tactical ninjas can make-- it's action-packed and yet good marksmanship is what counts most. A regular guy with a regular gun can do it (rules ensure competitors' guns are kept pretty "regular").

As a veteran of many event staff meetings, I can tell you that Job One for staff is to make sure that attendees have a positive experience, a safe experience, and a fun experience. Staff is also directed to make sure vendors are cared for and there are many clever and subtle measures in place, in terms of scheduling and placement, to see that vendors get access to competitors and attendees, and vice- versa. I am constantly amazed at the org and management skills of Jeff Felts and his crew.

[Ned Christiansen]

Reminder.

"Walk-ins welcome", but there is an early-bird special going on that offers a discount on registration fees-- and tomorrow, April 15th, is the last day.

For the range day, it might well be filled up before-hand.... so the take away here is "don't delay".

[Ned Christiansen]

April 1, 2016 – San Bernardino Officer Nick Koahou wins this year’s Chudwin Award!!! Come see him speak at this year's NPRC!!! NPRC Citation to Officer Koahou

Since 2000, the NPRC has been America's premier patrol rifle, active shooter and instructor development training event. Annually it brings together hundreds of law enforcement officers from around the country to train, collaborate, network and learn ways to improve their organization’s training program and readiness for violent encounters.

[Ned Christiansen]

It's over.

Keynote speaker Officer Koahou's account of the San Bernardino gunfight was riveting an full of lessons on every aspect from preparedness to surveillance, how policies and reality can be at odds, how marksmanship and tactics matter, communications in such a sudden, high-profile event-- everything. He took a 5.56 to the thigh and stayed in the fight. Just awesome stuff. The many other speakers were no less relevant, everything from shield deployment with new products and techniques to more active-shooter shootout debriefs, and how to overcome bureaucratic inertia and old-school thinking to improve regional cooperation between agencies.

These are the constant and general themes at the NPRC, with the central pivot point being the application of the Patrol Rifle.

How this event goes off without a hitch year after year is just amazing. Jeff Felts and the crew at Center Mass are, well, just that good at orchestration.

I gave a two-day AR Armorer class in conjunction with the event. Other classes ran concurrently including a Designated Marksman class put on by some of the best, including former NPRC winners. Guys who know their sheet. This class was attended my several other high-end shooters and that says a lot.

As to Saturday, the day of the competition..... oops there I go again, I mean the Live Fire Training Day, I was again impressed by the courses of fire and their relevancy. Relevancy can come in different forms. It doesn't always mean a photographic target of a lunatic with a bomb. Two evolutions (stages, depending on your shooting background) used a CenterMass (CMI)- designed target featuring a large sheet (24X36 I think) having a blue background with multiple circles of different diameters. Shoot a smaller circle, get more points-- pretty simple.

Touch the blue edge with any one shot, zero the stage.

Shoot conservatively and you can get some good points that will give you a leg up in the overall standings, but-- shoot like a superhero and throw one, and you suffer. "Know Your Limits" was the title of the stage first using this target. Good advice! So, yesterday on your home range you were shooting group after group of 1 1/2" or less at 100 yards, dead center, and here's this target at the NPRC at 10 yards in one stage and 100 at another. with circles of up to 10", down to 1". What could go wrong?

By the way, in the 100 yard stage you can shoot it prone..... but if you shoot it kneeling your score is increased and if standing, even more so..... what could go wrong? Just shoot it prone and drill those 2" circles with your guaranteed 1 1/4" groups! Some of the choices at the NPRC are really tough..... hey, kinda like in life. You might say they are designed as bait for the top shooter who "knows" he can do it, but more than a few of them zero'd out (but made up for it elsewhere).

The event was won for the first time by a female deputy this year, a good friend of mine, more details later. For now I'll just say that her winning means this and nothing less: she is one of the most accomplished shooters I've ever known and I have said for years now that she could be the top female shooter if not the very top shooter in any shooting discipline she chose.

[C-grunt]

Nice. Hopefully I can make it next year.