William B.
03-13-11, 21:40
Class/Instructors:
Commonwealth Criminal Justice Academy Handgun I
http://www.ccjatraining.com/
http://www.ccjatraining.com/courses-training/handgun_ccja_open_to_the_public_courses.pdf
Tom Perroni & Ryan Rankins
Previous Training:
I have been a member on this board for almost 2yrs now. It wasn’t long after I got here that I noticed how much emphasis the senior members put on training. Soon thereafter I realized that my military firearms training was less than adequate and that years of shooting without professional instruction probably had me practicing many bad habits. When I began searching the net for a good carbine or handgun class I was immediately discouraged by the high costs: class fees, ammo, traveling, hotel costs, etc. Eventually I stumbled upon CCJA’s website and saw that they seemed to offer the training that I was looking for at a very affordable price. They also happened to be located about 15mins away from me.
The individual attention that I received throughout this course stood head and shoulders above any of my military rifle training (I’m an infantry rifleman in the Marine Corps, so I’m sure that many of you already know what that training does and does not include).
Class Details:
This class was taught at CCJA’s classroom and at Tom’s personal range. The class fee was $200 and we were required to bring 300rds. I brought a little over 450rds (mainly Speer Lawman) and was able to use it all.
Morning:
We started the day at 9am in the CCJA classroom. Ryan was waiting to greet the students at the entrance to the facility. His professional, but friendly demeanor put me at ease right away. This meant a lot to me since it was my first training course. Only one other student attended- a LEO from out of state who was attending an ongoing CCJA EMT course. This was probably not ideal for Tom, but I was pretty amped about the student/instructor ratio. Tom and Ryan began the class by formally introducing themselves and giving a little bit of background. Tom is a medic and a former LEO with what seemed to be a pretty illustrious career on the training side of the house. Ryan is a former Marine rifleman and Purple Heart recipient with several combat deployments under his belt. We spent all morning in the classroom (0900-1200) and covered a lot of material. I had already heard a lot of the classroom material on gun boards and training videos, but had never been afforded an opportunity to apply it under the critical eye of a firearms instructor. They made sure to convey to us that while they wanted us to do things their way throughout the course, it was by no means the only way. Ryan taught most of the lecture material with Tom stepping in a couple of times to expound on particular points. The classroom lectures were professional, and somewhat informal and conversational. Ryan was able to answer all questions that we beginners threw at him. During the classroom lectures, we covered:
• Safety Brief/Range Rules
• Carry Conditions
• Range Commands
• Carry Positions/Firearms Handling
• Dominant Eye
• Grip/Stance
• Proper Use of the Sights
• Proper Trigger Manipulation
• Breathing & Follow-Through
• Draw from the Holster
• Dry Practice/Practical Application
Afternoon:
After we had completed our classroom training we took an hour for lunch, met back at the classroom, and convoyed out to Tom’s range. This is where we spent the rest of the course (1330-1800). Ryan started off by reiterating to us the safety rules and range commands. He then commenced running us through some drills on the “Torture Dots” at relatively close ranges to determine our abilities. Once we got comfortable at a certain distance or with a certain rate of fire Ryan would have us take a few steps back or speed up our rate of fire until he saw improvement. Throughout the day Ryan and Tom incrementally pushed us out of our comfort zones, making sure that we improved each step of the way. Once Tom arrived he put up NRA silhouette targets and had us run some drills that included failures to stop, speed reloads, and constant communication. The instructors made sure that my fellow student and I communicated with each other all day on the firing line just as we would have in a combat or defensive situation.
By this time, Tom said that he had seen enough to know that we had a decent grasp on the fundamentals, and because the class consisted of so few students we would advance as fast as we could take in and safely apply the techniques. At this point we went into a lot of techniques that are not advertised as being a part of the Handgun I curriculum. Tom and Ryan covered things such as how to react if you are knocked to the ground by an assailant, firing around cover, and shooting while moving forward and backward. We spent the whole afternoon practicing these techniques. Once we were done training for the day we sat down with Tom and had a frank discussion about the pros and cons that we felt the course had. I will expound more on this later, but Tom and Ryan were very receptive to our opinions and ideas. Throughout the day safety was paramount. Tom and Ryan made sure that ear and eye protection were worn during all courses of fire and that firearms and ammunition were handled safely at all times.
Gear:
Since I am a CCW permit holder, I wore my everyday clothes and CCW gear in order to best simulate a self-defense situation. This consisted of jeans, a polo shirt, sneakers, and a fleece jacket. Both students used Glock 19’s. I had been having some problems with my G19, so this was an excellent opportunity for me to make sure that I had all of the bugs worked out. The night before the class I cleaned my firearm and adequately lubed it with Slip 2000. It ran perfectly throughout the day. It was fed over 400rds of 124gr Speer Lawman ammunition. I ran a Crossbreed Supertuck holster with the “Combat Cut” option, a Blade-Tech double magazine pouch, and OEM G17 and G19 magazines.
Pros:
• Tom and Ryan are both very professional and friendly. They put me at ease right off the bat. Like I said earlier, this meant a lot to me, being my first training course and all.
• I was able to learn and practice a lot of techniques that are “no-go’s” on the static ranges that I frequent.
• All of my bad habits were pointed out to me and now I have some goals to work towards in my personal firearms training.
• Affordability.
• Ryan and Tom tailored their curriculum to match student progression.
• I found out that, while I still have a lot to learn, I am a much better shooter than I thought.
Cons:
• They are difficult to get in contact with. Your best bet is to be persistent and register in person at the office. Tom was receptive to this criticism and is looking for a secretary if anybody is interested.
• There was very little discussion about the legal aspect of firearms and self-defense. This isn’t necessarily a con, but if that is all you are looking for then you may want to look elsewhere.
Summary:
I would probably have never considered attending a training course if it wasn’t for the influence that this board has had on me as a shooter and firearms enthusiast, so thanks to all of you! CCJA offers great training at an affordable price in the NOVA area. I am planning on taking a carbine course from them later this year. This course has also motivated me to look into courses from other instructors to learn their methods. Hopefully this will make me a me a more well-rounded shooter and allow me to develop my own ways and methods of doing things. Thanks for the training Ryan and Tom!
Commonwealth Criminal Justice Academy Handgun I
http://www.ccjatraining.com/
http://www.ccjatraining.com/courses-training/handgun_ccja_open_to_the_public_courses.pdf
Tom Perroni & Ryan Rankins
Previous Training:
I have been a member on this board for almost 2yrs now. It wasn’t long after I got here that I noticed how much emphasis the senior members put on training. Soon thereafter I realized that my military firearms training was less than adequate and that years of shooting without professional instruction probably had me practicing many bad habits. When I began searching the net for a good carbine or handgun class I was immediately discouraged by the high costs: class fees, ammo, traveling, hotel costs, etc. Eventually I stumbled upon CCJA’s website and saw that they seemed to offer the training that I was looking for at a very affordable price. They also happened to be located about 15mins away from me.
The individual attention that I received throughout this course stood head and shoulders above any of my military rifle training (I’m an infantry rifleman in the Marine Corps, so I’m sure that many of you already know what that training does and does not include).
Class Details:
This class was taught at CCJA’s classroom and at Tom’s personal range. The class fee was $200 and we were required to bring 300rds. I brought a little over 450rds (mainly Speer Lawman) and was able to use it all.
Morning:
We started the day at 9am in the CCJA classroom. Ryan was waiting to greet the students at the entrance to the facility. His professional, but friendly demeanor put me at ease right away. This meant a lot to me since it was my first training course. Only one other student attended- a LEO from out of state who was attending an ongoing CCJA EMT course. This was probably not ideal for Tom, but I was pretty amped about the student/instructor ratio. Tom and Ryan began the class by formally introducing themselves and giving a little bit of background. Tom is a medic and a former LEO with what seemed to be a pretty illustrious career on the training side of the house. Ryan is a former Marine rifleman and Purple Heart recipient with several combat deployments under his belt. We spent all morning in the classroom (0900-1200) and covered a lot of material. I had already heard a lot of the classroom material on gun boards and training videos, but had never been afforded an opportunity to apply it under the critical eye of a firearms instructor. They made sure to convey to us that while they wanted us to do things their way throughout the course, it was by no means the only way. Ryan taught most of the lecture material with Tom stepping in a couple of times to expound on particular points. The classroom lectures were professional, and somewhat informal and conversational. Ryan was able to answer all questions that we beginners threw at him. During the classroom lectures, we covered:
• Safety Brief/Range Rules
• Carry Conditions
• Range Commands
• Carry Positions/Firearms Handling
• Dominant Eye
• Grip/Stance
• Proper Use of the Sights
• Proper Trigger Manipulation
• Breathing & Follow-Through
• Draw from the Holster
• Dry Practice/Practical Application
Afternoon:
After we had completed our classroom training we took an hour for lunch, met back at the classroom, and convoyed out to Tom’s range. This is where we spent the rest of the course (1330-1800). Ryan started off by reiterating to us the safety rules and range commands. He then commenced running us through some drills on the “Torture Dots” at relatively close ranges to determine our abilities. Once we got comfortable at a certain distance or with a certain rate of fire Ryan would have us take a few steps back or speed up our rate of fire until he saw improvement. Throughout the day Ryan and Tom incrementally pushed us out of our comfort zones, making sure that we improved each step of the way. Once Tom arrived he put up NRA silhouette targets and had us run some drills that included failures to stop, speed reloads, and constant communication. The instructors made sure that my fellow student and I communicated with each other all day on the firing line just as we would have in a combat or defensive situation.
By this time, Tom said that he had seen enough to know that we had a decent grasp on the fundamentals, and because the class consisted of so few students we would advance as fast as we could take in and safely apply the techniques. At this point we went into a lot of techniques that are not advertised as being a part of the Handgun I curriculum. Tom and Ryan covered things such as how to react if you are knocked to the ground by an assailant, firing around cover, and shooting while moving forward and backward. We spent the whole afternoon practicing these techniques. Once we were done training for the day we sat down with Tom and had a frank discussion about the pros and cons that we felt the course had. I will expound more on this later, but Tom and Ryan were very receptive to our opinions and ideas. Throughout the day safety was paramount. Tom and Ryan made sure that ear and eye protection were worn during all courses of fire and that firearms and ammunition were handled safely at all times.
Gear:
Since I am a CCW permit holder, I wore my everyday clothes and CCW gear in order to best simulate a self-defense situation. This consisted of jeans, a polo shirt, sneakers, and a fleece jacket. Both students used Glock 19’s. I had been having some problems with my G19, so this was an excellent opportunity for me to make sure that I had all of the bugs worked out. The night before the class I cleaned my firearm and adequately lubed it with Slip 2000. It ran perfectly throughout the day. It was fed over 400rds of 124gr Speer Lawman ammunition. I ran a Crossbreed Supertuck holster with the “Combat Cut” option, a Blade-Tech double magazine pouch, and OEM G17 and G19 magazines.
Pros:
• Tom and Ryan are both very professional and friendly. They put me at ease right off the bat. Like I said earlier, this meant a lot to me, being my first training course and all.
• I was able to learn and practice a lot of techniques that are “no-go’s” on the static ranges that I frequent.
• All of my bad habits were pointed out to me and now I have some goals to work towards in my personal firearms training.
• Affordability.
• Ryan and Tom tailored their curriculum to match student progression.
• I found out that, while I still have a lot to learn, I am a much better shooter than I thought.
Cons:
• They are difficult to get in contact with. Your best bet is to be persistent and register in person at the office. Tom was receptive to this criticism and is looking for a secretary if anybody is interested.
• There was very little discussion about the legal aspect of firearms and self-defense. This isn’t necessarily a con, but if that is all you are looking for then you may want to look elsewhere.
Summary:
I would probably have never considered attending a training course if it wasn’t for the influence that this board has had on me as a shooter and firearms enthusiast, so thanks to all of you! CCJA offers great training at an affordable price in the NOVA area. I am planning on taking a carbine course from them later this year. This course has also motivated me to look into courses from other instructors to learn their methods. Hopefully this will make me a me a more well-rounded shooter and allow me to develop my own ways and methods of doing things. Thanks for the training Ryan and Tom!