Durham Pistol & Rifle Club
3973 S. Jim Minor Road Haw River, NC 27258

Fall 2025 Alaska Tactical classes

Course	Days	Start Date	End Date	Cost	Rounds of ammo to bring	Comments
Defensive Handgun Level 1	2	Saturday, 10/18/2025	Sunday, 10/19/2025	$625	800	Range 1 9 AM to 5 PM both days
Red Dot Sight Handgun Shooting	2	Monday, 10/20/2025	Tuesday, 10/21/2025	$625	800	Range 1 9 AM to 5 PM both days
Defensive Carbine Level 1, including transition to handgun	2	Thursday, 10/23/2025	Friday, 10/24/2025	$625	800 to 1,000 rifle rounds 200 handgun rounds	Range 1 9 AM to 5 PM both days
Defensive Shotgun, including transition to handgun	2	Saturday, 10/25/2025	Sunday, 10/26/2025	$625	350 rounds of birdshot (#7.5 or #8) At least 50 slugs At least 20 rounds 00 Buckshot 200 handgun rounds	Range 1 9 AM to 5 PM both days

The cost shown will be paid directly to Alaska Tactical and registration will be done with Alaska Tactical.  The monetary cost covers the course tuition, the DPRC daily range maintenance fee which Steve must pay DPRC, DPRC requirements relating to range safety officers (RSOs), and DPRC requirements regarding a daily fee of $10 per trainee as a range use fee which Steve must pay to DPRC.

The ammunition round counts are the minimum the student should bring.  You may shoot more or less, depending on the class size and how well the trainees perform.  

All Rifle ammunition should be lead based with no steel core, no steel jacketed, and no armor piercing.   Some drills will involve shooting steel targets.  Due to range safety and the need to not damage the expensive steel targets, it is imperative we use proper bullets. 

All Shotgun rounds should be lead based.

All Alaska Tactical training will be provided at DPRC by Steve McDaniel, owner/operator of Alaska Tactical.  Steve will be assisted by another fantastic firearms instructor, Wes Massey, who has instructed with Steve at Alaska Tactical firearms training classes at DPRC for several years.  This will provide each trainee a great coaching experience designed to develop and enhance skills.

If you ever searched the internet and dreamed of traveling to another state for professional firearms instruction from one of the premier firearms training academies, you will find this training from Steve McDaniel to be extremely cost effective by comparison.  There are no discounts available for taking more than one class nor for having multiple trainees from the same family.

Course Location:

Durham Pistol & Rifle Club (aka, DPRC)

3973 South Jim Minor Road

Haw River, NC  27258

FYI, the courses are shown on the DPRC calendar. 

Student application form: Durham Application 2025.docx

Maximum # Of Students:

The maximum # of students will be 20 for each of the classes being offered.   Depending upon the # of students that actually attend, that may involve running two relays (e.g., 10 students on the firing line at a time) for some drills.  The classes will be filled on the basis of qualified persons who pay first.  As stated earlier, the registration, application and payment process is now open.

Reasons To Take Alaska Tactical classes: 

• To have fun.
• To learn new things and enhance existing skills.
• To challenge yourself to become a safer, more accurate, faster shooter with enhanced gun handling skills
• Some persons are already carrying (or are thinking about carrying) a handgun (or other firearm) for defense of yourself and your loved ones either inside the home or other locations.  If after being alert, trying to avoid the bad areas of town, trying to de-escalate and walk away from an issue, if an aggressor is intent on bodily harm of you and your loved ones, you must make a decision and act.  If you choose to use a firearm in such a circumstance after exhausting all other options, hopefully, you will have had sufficient, professional training to prevail.  If you use a firearm in what you believe is self-defense, you will be judged by our legal system as to whether your actions were justified, reasonable, and prudent.  Whether you have had professional firearms training, how much, and how recently could be evaluated by the plaintiff’s legal counsel.  This training could help you survive and it could help you relating to the preceding sentence.
• If you have a concealed carry handgun permit and you are not military and you are not a sworn law enforcement officer (LEO), each of us needs to evaluate how frequently we train with firearms, how realistic is our training, etc.  Many persons (myself included) don’t train enough, nor under the correct conditions and training scenarios.  It’s very important to receive on-going training from a professional instructor, who will provide invaluable coaching.
• If a trainee is already an excellent shooter and has an objective of eventually becoming a private sector paid, professional firearms instructor, this would be a great place to observe how Steve teaches, his interaction with students, etc.  This is something that cannot be learned from a book or the classroom but is best learned through experience and observation.

Why Should I Take Courses From Steve McDaniel, Owner And Chief Instructor Of Alaska Tactical, Of Anchorage, Alaska?

Steve is a consummate professional and has been in the firearms industry for over 40 years.  He was formerly an adjunct instructor at both the famed Gunsite Academy in Arizona and at Thunder Ranch.  He has many more credentials and certifications. For example, he is a certified NRA law enforcement firearms instructor in the disciplines of:

• Tactical handgun
• Tactical shooting
• Tactical shotgun
• Patrol rifle
• Select-fire

Steve has many other certifications, with two of those being he is a:

• Certified edged weapons instructor, and is a
• Certified instructor in the martial arts discipline of hojutsu.

Steve has been teaching multiple classes at DPRC each year since his first visit in 2018. These classes have been a huge success based on comments from all the students and various observing DPRC leaders. Steve has many repeat students, some who take his classes over and over again each year. Some will travel a good distance to be in the classes at DPRC.

Some of you knew and trained under Louis Awerbuck of Yavapai Firearms Academy before Louis passed away in 2014.  Louis and his partner, Leigh Lambert, both sang the praises of Steve McDaniel.  From my experience with Louis and Leigh, this is from two people who were otherwise generally quiet and reserved and who upheld the highest principles of honor and integrity.    Their praise is what initially sold me on Steve McDaniel because I trust their word.  What connects me to Steve now is having observed for years his honor and integrity as a human being and the passion with which he imparts his extensive knowledge to his students in ways the students readily understand, leading to their improvement.  Please visit the Alaska Tactical website to see what Leigh said about Steve.  Also, many of us have seen Steve’s teaching ability, teaching style and expertise as an instructor , teacher, and coach for multiple years at DPRC and how he improved the shooting skills of the students.

For more background on Steve, please visit the Alaska Tactical website http://www.alaskatactical.com/stevemcdaniel.html

DETAILS (for those who want to know much more.

For Defensive Handgun Level 1

• Minimum handgun caliber is 9mm; minimum handgun size is a Glock 19 (again, that’s from a sizing perspective – you can shoot any brand you wish)
• Bring a minimum of 800 rounds of handgun ammunition (minimum caliber is 9mm)
• Bring an outside the waistband holster, magazine carriers, and at least 6 magazines (one in your firearm and at least 5 others you should have in magazine carriers mounted to your belt on the support side or magazines placed in your cargo pants pockets, etc.)
• Think ahead of what you’ll do if your handgun experiences a malfunction.  Will you have the parts and the tools to fix it?  For handgun, if you have it, it would be a good idea to have a second handgun of the same make, model, caliber with you at the range so if one “goes down”, you can continue training, using the same holster and extra magazines you already have.
• Meeting at range # 1 on the morning of 10/18/25 with Steve covering safety and various course specifics
• On the firing line and under the watchful eye of Steve McDaniel:
• • Safely drawing the handgun from the holster to develop a smooth draw stroke
  • How to safely re-holster so the trigger is not inadvertently pressed
  • How to safely draw the handgun from the holster and fire multiple rounds at a paper or steel target and safely re-holster
  • Accurate shooting is part of the course objective.   Steve will help improve that through discussion, demonstration, your repeated practice, and his coaching and provision of specific tips for your particular need(s)
  • Various firearm malfunctions will be demonstrated by Steve, along with instruction on how to resolve them.  Then, the trainee will practice those.
  • You’ll shoot many diverse drills.
  • Some drills will involve close quarters and engaging multiple adversaries.
  • You’ll experience shooting while you’re moving (forward, backward, laterally, diagonally)
  • There’ll be an introduction to the use of concealment and cover.
  • In addition to working on all of the physical shooting applications, Steve will also touch on developing the proper mindset.
  • You’ll receive friendly coaching from Steve throughout the course when appropriate to enhance your skills.  For example, if you have an issue shooting accurately enough in a reasonable time, he will be looking to determine whether the issue involves your stance, your grip of the firearm, your alignment of the front and rear sights with the target, your smoothness of pressing the trigger, your trigger reset, your follow-through after taking a shot, etc.
  • Above are just some of what you’ll experience in a friendly, training environment by one of the best professional instructors in the USA and at one fantastic training facility (DPRC)
  • FYI, trainees will shoot whether it’s sunny or it’s raining so bring appropriate clothing.  We would stop shooting temporarily if there’s a lightning storm.

For Red Dot Shooting With A Handgun

Please see the Defensive Handgun Level 1 description above for much of what is relevant for this two day class.  The major focus of this class is the trainee’s use of a red dot sight while shooting a handgun.  This is different than shooting with iron sights.  Shooting with a red dot sight, after receiving professional training and appropriate practice, can be very advantageous.  It has the capability of increasing the speed of acquiring the target and greater accuracy, particularly at a distance.  Steve will provide valuable insights on the use of red dot sights such as when drawing the handgun from a holster how to present the firearm so you can most quickly acquire/see the red dot sight as you’re coming onto the target.  He will also address the size of the red dot sight (as different sizes are available) and what is recommended to optimize speed and accuracy.  There will be many drills in which trainees will draw the handgun from their holster and shoot their red dot sight equipped handgun and Steve’s coaching to enhance the trainee’s performance.  This class will not focus on malfunction clearances as covered by the Defensive Handgun Level 1 class because the red dot class will focus on shooting with the red dot system.

For Defensive Carbine Level 1

• Bring a carbine with a barrel length of not less than 16 inches and designed to be fired with the buttstock mounted to the shoulder.  As an alternative, as long as it is legal with BATFE and state and local jurisdictions at the time of the training, It’s also ok to shoot an:
• • SBR (short barreled rifle), or
  • AR15 pistol or AR10 pistol or AK47 pistol that can be shoulder mounted and is in compliance with BATFE rules. 
  • A pistol caliber carbine (such as one chambered in 9mm).
• Any of the above firearms may be suppressed if you’re in compliance with BATFE rules. 
• A good quality 1-point or 2-point sling is required to be mounted to the firearm.  Typical carbines would be AR-15, AK-47, or AR-10 (or others).    Have an outside the waistband magazine pouch(es) mounted to your belt on the support side and three to four, extra 30 round magazines (to use typical AR-15 magazine sizing) in addition to the magazine that’ll be in the carbine.  Alternatively, you can use a chest magazine pouch(es) or a thigh magazine pouch mounted on the support side thigh.  For sighting, you can go with iron sights, or a non-magnified red dot, or a scope with fixed (or variable) magnification that works for you.
• Think ahead to what you’ll do if your carbine has a malfunction or parts breakage.  Will you have the parts and tools to  fix it?  For an AR-15, for example, it would be a good idea to consider bringing an extra bolt carrier group (BCG) so if you have a problem  that’s caused by some part breakage in the BCG, you can be back up and running after a short break to switch that out.   For those of you who have more than one carbine, bringing a “back-up” carbine is a good idea in case your primary carbine goes down and can’t be quickly fixed.
• Bring a minimum of 800 to 1,000 rounds of rifle ammunition (normal calibers used are 5.56 x 45, or .223 Remington, or 7.62 x 39, or 7.62  x 51) designed to safely and flawlessly operate in your carbine, or SBR, or AR15 pistol.  No armor piercing, no “green tip”, no steel jacketed, no bi-metal, and no steel core projectiles permitted due to range safety and damage that would be inflicted on the steel shooting targets.
• Meeting at range # 1 on the morning of 10/23/25 with Steve covering safety and various course specifics
• On the firing line and under the watchful eye of Steve McDaniel:
• • Safely applying the carbine’s safety and disengaging the safety and when those actions are to be taken
  • Safely loading and unloading the carbine
  • Speed reloading of the carbine with the least disruption to your firing grip and stance
  • Why a sling is important and how to use it most effectively for safety and accuracy; sling attachment points; single point versus two point sling attachments
  • Zeroing the sights on your carbine will be covered and the recommended distance at which the sights are zeroed
  • When taking shots from 10 yards or closer, the importance of your understanding how the “offset” (i.e., distance) between your muzzle and your line of sight through your optic will affect where the projectile impacts the target
  • You will shoot cardboard at various distances and steel targets at a minimum of 100 yards for safety reasons
  • You will shoot from different positions including standing, seated, kneeling, and prone
  • Accurate shooting is part of the course objective.   Steve will help improve that through discussion, demonstration, your repeated practice, and his coaching and provision of specific tips for your particular need(s)
  • Various firearm malfunctions will be demonstrated by Steve, along with instruction on how to resolve them.  Then, the trainee will practice those
  • You’ll experience shooting while you’re moving
  • There’ll be an introduction to the use of concealment and cover.
  • You’ll shoot many diverse drills.  Some of the drills will involve putting your carbine on safe, leaving your carbine slung on your body, transitioning to drawing your handgun and engaging the target.  Bring a minimum of 200 handgun rounds (minimum caliber is 9mm) to the class plus the necessary equipment (see elsewhere in this narrative for handgun, holster, magazine carrier and magazine quantity requirements).
  • Some drills will involve close quarters and engaging multiple adversaries.
  • In addition to working on all of the physical shooting applications, Steve will also touch on developing the proper mindset.
  • You’ll receive friendly coaching from Steve throughout the course when appropriate to enhance your skills.  For example, if you have an issue shooting accurately enough in a reasonable time, he will be looking to determine whether the issue involves your stance, your grip of the firearm, your alignment of the front and rear sights (or your optic reticle) with the target, your smoothness of pressing the trigger, your trigger reset, your follow-through after taking a shot, etc.
  • Above are just some of what you’ll experience in a friendly, training environment by one of the best professional instructors in the USA and at one fantastic training facility (DPRC)
  • FYI, trainees will shoot whether it’s sunny or it’s raining so bring appropriate clothing.  We would stop shooting temporarily if there’s a lightning storm.

For Defensive Shotgun Level 1

• Except for the exception covered in the next sentence, bring a shotgun with a barrel length of not less than 18.5 inches and preferably not to exceed 21 to 22 inches and designed to be fired with the buttstock mounted to the shoulder.  The exception to the preceding sentence is if you own a National Firearms Act (NFA) compliant short barrel shotgun (SBS) that also has a buttstock so you can mount the shotgun to the shoulder, feel free to use that in the class.  In such cases, Steve prefers a 14” barrel SBS.
• A good quality 1-point or 2-point sling is required to be mounted to the firearm.   Have a means of carrying extra shotgun ammunition on your shotgun (such as a side saddle) and have a means of carrying extra shotgun rounds on your person.   For sighting, most trainees will either go with iron sights, or a non-magnified red dot.
• Think ahead to what you’ll do if your shotgun has a malfunction or parts breakage.  Will you have the parts and tools to fix it?   Bringing a “back-up” shotgun is a good idea in case your primary shotgun goes down and can’t be quickly fixed.
• Please see the chart at the beginning of the email for ammunition recommendations for this training.
• Meeting at range # 1 on the morning of 10/25/25 with Steve covering safety and various course specifics
• On the firing line and under the watchful eye of Steve McDaniel:
• • Safely applying the shotgun’s safety and disengaging the safety and when those actions are to be taken
  • Safely loading and unloading the shotgun
  • Speed reloading of the shotgun with the least disruption to your firing grip and stance
  • Why a sling is important and how to use it most effectively for safety and accuracy; sling attachment points; single point versus two point sling attachments
  • Zeroing the sights on your shotgun will be covered and the recommended distance at which the sights are zeroed
  • When taking shots from 10 yards or closer, the importance of your understanding how the “offset” (i.e., distance) between your muzzle and your line of sight through your optic (if you use something other than iron sights) will affect where the projectile impacts the target
  • You will shoot cardboard at various distances and steel targets at closer ranges (such as for birdshot) and up to 100 yards (for slugs)
  • You will shoot from different positions including standing, seated, kneeling, and prone
  • Accurate shooting is part of the course objective.   Steve will help improve that through discussion, demonstration, your repeated practice, and his coaching and provision of specific tips for your particular need(s)
  • Various firearm malfunctions will be demonstrated by Steve, along with instruction on how to resolve them.  Then, the trainee will practice those
  • You’ll experience shooting while you’re moving
  • There’ll be an introduction to the use of concealment and cover.
  • You’ll shoot many diverse drills.  Some of the drills will involve putting your shotgun on safe, leaving your shotgun slung on your body, transitioning to drawing your handgun and engaging the target.  Bring a minimum of 200 handgun rounds (minimum caliber is 9mm) to the class plus the necessary equipment (see elsewhere in this narrative for handgun, holster, magazine carrier and magazine quantity requirements).
  • Some drills will involve close quarters and engaging multiple adversaries.
  • In addition to working on all of the physical shooting applications, Steve will also touch on developing the proper mindset.
  • You’ll receive friendly coaching from Steve throughout the course when appropriate to enhance your skills.  For example, if you have an issue shooting accurately enough in a reasonable time, he will be looking to determine whether the issue involves your stance, your grip of the firearm, your alignment of the front and rear sights (or your optic) with the target, your smoothness of pressing the trigger, your trigger reset, your follow-through after taking a shot, etc.
  • Above are just some of what you’ll experience in a friendly, training environment by one of the best professional instructors in the USA and at one fantastic training facility (DPRC)
  • FYI, trainees will shoot whether it’s sunny or it’s raining so bring appropriate clothing.  We will stop temporarily if there’s a lightning storm.

Who Can Take These Defensive Firearms Courses?

• Men and women who are active military or law enforcement.

• Men and women 21 years of age or older.  
• If there’s a potential non-military, non-law enforcement student that’s 18 to 20 years old, Steve will gladly determine on an individual case basis whether the person may apply.

 

FYI, in prior years of Alaska Tactical firearms training at DPRC, there were multiple students for whom that was their first formal firearms training.  They did just fine and were elated at what they were taught by Steve and which permitted them to enhance their skills.  If you’re uncertain about taking the level 1 courses due to wondering if “you’re skilled enough”, the proper mindset is to be committed to one’s own skills development rather than have any concern about how your skill level will compare to another more experienced student.  When I take these courses, I’m never the best shooter and I don’t stress over that.   The objective is personal improvement as the “competition” is with yourself.  On the other hand, assume there’s an experienced shooter who thinks a level 1 handgun, carbine, or shotgun course would not benefit them because of their current level of skill and performance.  My thinking is such a shooter could still benefit from a level 1 course by the coaching they’d receive and by pushing themselves to improve by learning to shoot even faster without sacrificing safety and acceptable accuracy.

FYI, typically, these courses are taken by 70% to 75% civilians, who are not current military or law enforcement personnel.   It’s not just a “man’s game” either.  Women are increasingly taking and enjoying the courses.

If you desire a specific waiver of one of the above eligibility criteria so you or a loved one can take the course, please contact Steve McDaniel directly.   Steve will make a decision on an individual case basis on whether the person is eligible.  Steve’s contact info is at the end of this email.

 

When Must I Pay Alaska Tactical The Full Cost For The Course(s), What Are The Acceptable Payment Methods & What Are Other Administrative Things To Know?

As stated earlier, Alaska Tactical’s website is updated for the courses being held at DPRC and the registration, application and payment process is now open.  The deadline to complete the registration and payment process via that website is currently set at 8/1/25.  You may separately email Steve your signed, dated, and completed application as a pdf file and any other documentation required by the application.  There are no refunds.  There’s a good reason for that.  Steve incurs substantial expenses to travel from Anchorage, Alaska to NC to teach and non-refundable airline tickets are purchased by him months in advance to obtain the best price.

How Nice Are The Facilities At DPRC?

DPRC is an excellent facility with multiple shooting ranges.  There is also a clubhouse with nice, separate restroom facilities for women and men, and there are tables and chairs for the meeting space. 

There is a refrigerator stocked with soft drinks, bottled water and snacks, all of which are available at a very nominal cost.

 

Who Is Tom Browning And What Is His Role?

I’ve been a member of DPRC since the 1990’s and, like many of you, took multiple courses at DPRC from Louis Awerbuck before he passed away.  After Louis passed, I’d taken no professional training until Steve McDaniel started teaching taught at DPRC in May 2018.   Shooting is a learned skill and skills become diminished unless appropriate training is undertaken.  I volunteered to become the North Carolina liaison for Steve McDaniel to help with various administrative items.  I am not employed by nor am I contracted by Steve McDaniel and Alaska Tactical.  I am not receiving any of the money from the trainees as it will be paid directly to Alaska Tactical as noted above.

What you need for the course:

What Type Of Handguns Can Be Used During This Training To Meet Alaska Tactical Requirements?

Full-size semi-automatic pistols or revolvers can be used with a caliber of 9mm or larger.   Steve does not want any sub-compact guns or any pocket pistols.  An example of an acceptable, minimally sized “full-size” handgun for purposes of this class is a Glock model 19 or larger.  Glock was used just as an example as you may prefer any of a number of full-size handguns from other excellent manufacturers.  As long as it’s full-size, it’s recommended you use what you currently carry or intend to carry or train with after this training.   Commonly on such courses, the most popular handgun caliber is 9mm.  However, you may elect to shoot 40 S&W, 45 ACP, 45 GAP, 357 Sig, or 10mm.  It is highly recommended for a student to bring two handguns in case your primary firearm experiences some type of malfunction or a part breaks during the course.  If you bring two handguns in case your primary handgun becomes inoperable, it may be helpful for the second gun to be the same make, model and caliber.  That would make your management of ammunition and holsters much easier to continue the course.  However, those decisions are up to the trainee.

 

What Type Of Handgun Holster Can Be Used During This Training?

Steve expects all trainees to use a handgun holster that is sturdy and able to withstand the numerous draw strokes from and into the holster.  It is recommended to go with kydex or leather.  Cloth and nylon holsters are not recommended.  The type of holster Steve is requiring at the beginning of the course is a strong side, outside the waistband (OWB) holster with a trigger guard and the holster mounted on the hip or just behind the hip bone.  If you need to buy a holster(s) for this training, there are many excellent manufacturers.  A few of them include Red Hill Tactical, JM Custom Kydex, Blade-Tech Industries, Fobus, and BlackHawk.  However, there are many other manufacturers and sellers of quality holsters.  If you want to use a different style holster, please contact Steve directly.

Due to safety being paramount and Steve needing time to assess the handgun handling and safety proficiency of each student, Steve is not approving the use (when other trainees are also on the firing line) of shoulder holsters, ankle holsters, inside the waistband holsters, fanny packs, cross draw holsters, small of the back holsters, and holsters positioned in front of the hip bone in what has become known as the appendix carry position.  However, if a student wants to bring one of the holsters covered in the preceding sentence, Steve will gladly evaluate your use (involving live fire) of such a holster during a break or lunch time when others are not on the firing line.  In such a case, only Steve and the one trainee would be on the firing line for safety purposes.  However, Steve may authorize an exception to what is covered in this paragraph and the preceding paragraph on an individual case basis if he has trained the person for several years and knows the trainee’s professional proficiency.

It’s recommended you have a gun belt specifically designed and made to carry the weight of your holster, handgun, magazine carrier(s), and three or more spare magazines, and/or other equipment.  Using a light weight belt not specifically designed and constructed as a gun belt will cause problems as it will not comfortably and reliably support the weight of what the belt must carry.

 

Equipment You Need To Bring (some of this has been covered above):

• A safe, properly functioning, full-size handgun as previously described (two are very strongly recommended in case your primary handgun experiences a parts breakage or some other malfunction that cannot be quickly fixed; see the above discussion).
• If you’ll be shooting with a red dot sight, ensure the battery is fresh and have a new, back-up battery and any tools that may be necessary to change the battery.
• Holster(s); see the discussion above; it’s not a bad idea to bring two holsters for your primary handgun in case your primary holster experiences a malfunction.  Chicago screws (or other fasteners) can loosen and fall out, old Kydex can crack, etc.   If your holster has fasteners (such as Chicago screws) that can work loose, it’s recommended you use some blue Loctite on those screws, train with the holster(s) and ensure such fasteners do not loosen.  Take those steps well in advance of taking the course.
• Ammunition appropriate for the firearm(s) you bring.   It’s recommended to use service, “ball” ammunition that you know functions flawlessly in your firearms.  Handloads/reloaded ammunition are permitted but no tracer, incendiary, explosive or armor piercing rounds may be used.   Don’t try and save money by utilizing cheap but questionable ammo.
• Belt mounted magazine carrier(s) and a minimum of five spare handgun magazines you know work flawlessly.  Remember that magazines can become defective (feed lips getting “bent”, springs becoming weak and failing to properly feed the ammunition, etc.).  If you’re going to shoot a revolver rather than a semi-automatic pistol, bring speed loaders and associated, belt mounted carrying cases.  If you’ll be taking the carbine or shotgun course(s), have extra carbine magazines and magazine carriers and a way to efficiently carry the rifle or shotgun ammunition on your body.
• Appropriate gun belt as covered above.  Wilderness Tactical Products belts from Arizona, Kramer Handgun Leather,  Beltman, Inc., MitchRosen.com, Blade-Tech Industries and other manufacturers make excellent gun belts.  You may also want to check out High Speed Gear as they offer excellent belts, magazine carriers, etc.
• Hearing protection.  Can be plugs, muffs or both.
• Eye protection.  Can be safety or shooting glasses.
• Appropriate clothing (remember, we’ll shoot “rain or shine”).  You may also wish to wear a hat with a brim and a shirt you can button at the neck to prevent a shooting buddy’s hot, ejected brass from going down your shirt and burning you multiple times during the course.
• Brass container. Something to hold empty cartridge cases
• To reiterate -- ensure you have ammo and a holster suitable for your spare/back-up firearm.

 

Advisable Equipment & Some Recommendations:

• Pack stool or folding chair. There will be seating at the firing range 100 yards away from the back berm.  You may want to bring a pack stool or folding chair for when we’re closer to the berm for a period of time, and you’re not on the firing line, and you want to sit and “rest your feet”.
• When we shoot long guns from a prone position at 100 yards and we’re laying on concrete, you may want to bring a shooting mat or piece of carpet to avoid the abrasion of the concrete.
• Water, soft drinks and snacks.  As a reminder, the DPRC clubhouse has some of this available at a very nominal price.  Packing your lunch and eating at the range is highly recommended as it is much quicker and less expensive than leaving the range.  The DPRC gate will be closed/locked after everyone arrives and it would be troublesome for a non-DPRC member to quickly get back on the DPRC range in time if you leave at lunch.
• Sunglasses and lens cleaning materials.
• Sun protection - lotion, hat
• Clean-up gear – handi-wipes, towels, soap, etc.
• Firearms fix-it gear – screwdrivers, cleaning equipment, lubricants, etc. Most firearms require some lubrication in order to function optimally.
• Clean clothes for after shooting, or dry clothes in case you get wet in a rain shower.
• Band-aids, any needed medications, aspirin, etc.
• Sturdy, comfortable footwear.
• To reiterate, rain gear for bad weather – you shoot rain or shine.
• Insect repellant and ointment.
• Electronic hearing protectors such as the Peltor models Tactical 6 or 7, Pro-Ears, etc.  These do seem to help some folks hear range commands.
• Belt hook for earmuffs. This has a nominal cost and helps keep your hands free.
• Spare firearm(s) and associated holster(s) in case your primary equipment becomes non-operational.
• A small notebook and pen for questions/answers or notes on specific recommendations or sources of equipment or services.
• Cell phone. Reception at the range is adequate with most service providers. During the safety briefing at the beginning of a class, Steve will talk about cell phone usage while on the range (and many other topics).

 

Note 1 (relating to above chart):  The cost shown will be paid directly to Alaska Tactical and registration will be done with Alaska Tactical.  The monetary cost covered above covers the course tuition, the DPRC daily range maintenance fee which Steve must pay DPRC, DPRC requirements relating to range safety officers (RSOs), and DPRC requirements regarding a daily fee of $10 per trainee as a range use fee which Steve must pay to DPRC.

 

If you ever searched the internet and dreamed of traveling to another state for professional firearms instruction from one of the premier firearms training academies, you will find this training from Steve McDaniel to be extremely cost effective by comparison.  There are no discounts available for taking more than one class nor for having multiple trainees from the same family.

 

Note 2 (relating to above chart):  The ammunition round counts are the minimum the student should bring.  You may shoot more or less, depending on the class size and how well the trainees perform.  In terms of the projectiles for rifle ammunition, all ammunition should be lead based with no steel core, no steel jacketed, and no armor piercing.   Some drills will involve shooting steel targets.  Due to range safety and the need to not damage the expensive steel targets, it is imperative we adhere to what’s covered about projectiles.  Shotgun rounds should be lead based.

 

Course Location:

Durham Pistol & Rifle Club (aka, DPRC)

3973 South Jim Minor Road

Haw River, NC  27258

 

FYI, the courses are shown on the DPRC calendar. 

 

Professional Firearms Instructor Who Will Instruct The Classes:

Steve McDaniel, owner of Alaska Tactical in Anchorage, Alaska, who is also instructing outside Alaska.  FYI, in May 2018, Steve taught his Defensive Handgun Level 1 course at DPRC.  In May 2019, Steve taught his Defensive Handgun Level 1 and his Advanced Defensive Handgun courses at DPRC.  In October 2020, Steve taught multiple courses at DPRC and again in 2021 through 2024.  For all these years, these classes have been a huge success based on comments from all the students and various observing DPRC leaders.  FYI, Steve also received high praise from the former Yavapai Firearms Academy (from Louis Awerbuck and from Leigh Lambert).  More is provided about Steve later in this email.  As stated earlier, Wes Massey will be part of the instructional team, also.  Wes does an outstanding job of coaching trainees.

 

Maximum # Of Students:

The maximum # of students will be 20 for each of the classes being offered.   Depending upon the # of students that actually attend, that may involve running two relays (e.g., 10 students on the firing line at a time) for some drills.  The classes will be filled on the basis of qualified persons who pay first.  As stated earlier, the registration, application and payment process is now open.

 

Reasons To Take One or More Of The Courses Being Offered:

There are many reasons.  They include, but are not limited to, the following:

• To have fun.
• To learn new things and enhance existing skills.
• To challenge yourself to become a safer, more accurate, faster shooter with enhanced gun handling skills
• Some persons are already carrying (or are thinking about carrying) a handgun (or other firearm) for defense of yourself and your loved ones either inside the home or other locations.  If after being alert, trying to avoid the bad areas of town, trying to de-escalate and walk away from an issue, if an aggressor is intent on bodily harm of you and your loved ones, you must make a decision and act.  If you choose to use a firearm in such a circumstance after exhausting all other options, hopefully, you will have had sufficient, professional training to prevail.  If you use a firearm in what you believe is self-defense, you will be judged by our legal system as to whether your actions were justified, reasonable, and prudent.  Whether you have had professional firearms training, how much, and how recently could be evaluated by the plaintiff’s legal counsel.  This training could help you survive and it could help you relating to the preceding sentence.
• If you have a concealed carry handgun permit and you are not military and you are not a sworn law enforcement officer (LEO), each of us needs to evaluate how frequently we train with firearms, how realistic is our training, etc.  Many persons (myself included) don’t train enough, nor under the correct conditions and training scenarios.  It’s very important to receive on-going training from a professional instructor, who will provide invaluable coaching.
• If a trainee is already an excellent shooter and has an objective of eventually becoming a private sector paid, professional firearms instructor, this would be a great place to observe how Steve teaches, his interaction with students, etc.  This is something that cannot be learned from a book or the classroom but is best learned through experience and observation.

 

Why Should I Take Courses From Steve McDaniel, Owner And Chief Instructor Of Alaska Tactical, Of Anchorage, Alaska?

Steve is a consummate professional and has been in the firearms industry for over 40 years.  He was formerly an adjunct instructor at both the famed Gunsite Academy in Arizona and at Thunder Ranch.  He has many more credentials and certifications. For example, he is a certified NRA law enforcement firearms instructor in the disciplines of:

• Tactical handgun
• Tactical shooting
• Tactical shotgun
• Patrol rifle
• Select-fire

 

Steve has many other certifications, with two of those being he is a:

• Certified edged weapons instructor, and is a
• Certified instructor in the martial arts discipline of hojutsu.

 

For more background on Steve, please visit the Alaska Tactical website at the URL just below.

http://www.alaskatactical.com/stevemcdaniel.html

 

Some of you knew and trained under Louis Awerbuck of Yavapai Firearms Academy before Louis passed away in 2014.  Louis and his partner, Leigh Lambert, both sang the praises of Steve McDaniel.    From my experience with Louis and Leigh, this is from two people who were otherwise generally quiet and reserved and who upheld the highest principles of honor and integrity.    Their praise is what initially sold me on Steve McDaniel because I trust their word.  What connects me to Steve now is having observed for years his honor and integrity as a human being and the passion with which he imparts his extensive knowledge to his students in ways the students readily understand, leading to their improvement.  Please visit the Alaska Tactical website to see what Leigh said about Steve.  Also, many of us have seen Steve’s teaching ability, teaching style and expertise as an instructor , teacher, and coach for multiple years at DPRC and how he improved the shooting skills of the students.

 

DETAILS (for those who want to know much more.

 

For Defensive Handgun Level 1

• Minimum handgun caliber is 9mm; minimum handgun size is a Glock 19 (again, that’s from a sizing perspective – you can shoot any brand you wish)
• Bring a minimum of 800 rounds of handgun ammunition (minimum caliber is 9mm)
• Bring an outside the waistband holster, magazine carriers, and at least 6 magazines (one in your firearm and at least 5 others you should have in magazine carriers mounted to your belt on the support side or magazines placed in your cargo pants pockets, etc.)
• Think ahead of what you’ll do if your handgun experiences a malfunction.  Will you have the parts and the tools to fix it?  For handgun, if you have it, it would be a good idea to have a second handgun of the same make, model, caliber with you at the range so if one “goes down”, you can continue training, using the same holster and extra magazines you already have.
• Meeting at range # 1 on the morning of 10/18/25 with Steve covering safety and various course specifics
• On the firing line and under the watchful eye of Steve McDaniel:
• • Safely drawing the handgun from the holster to develop a smooth draw stroke
  • How to safely re-holster so the trigger is not inadvertently pressed
  • How to safely draw the handgun from the holster and fire multiple rounds at a paper or steel target and safely re-holster
  • Accurate shooting is part of the course objective.   Steve will help improve that through discussion, demonstration, your repeated practice, and his coaching and provision of specific tips for your particular need(s)
  • Various firearm malfunctions will be demonstrated by Steve, along with instruction on how to resolve them.  Then, the trainee will practice those.
  • You’ll shoot many diverse drills.
  • Some drills will involve close quarters and engaging multiple adversaries.
  • You’ll experience shooting while you’re moving (forward, backward, laterally, diagonally)
  • There’ll be an introduction to the use of concealment and cover.
  • In addition to working on all of the physical shooting applications, Steve will also touch on developing the proper mindset.
  • You’ll receive friendly coaching from Steve throughout the course when appropriate to enhance your skills.  For example, if you have an issue shooting accurately enough in a reasonable time, he will be looking to determine whether the issue involves your stance, your grip of the firearm, your alignment of the front and rear sights with the target, your smoothness of pressing the trigger, your trigger reset, your follow-through after taking a shot, etc.
  • Above are just some of what you’ll experience in a friendly, training environment by one of the best professional instructors in the USA and at one fantastic training facility (DPRC)
  • FYI, trainees will shoot whether it’s sunny or it’s raining so bring appropriate clothing.  We would stop shooting temporarily if there’s a lightning storm.

 

For Red Dot Shooting With A Handgun

Please see the Defensive Handgun Level 1 description above for much of what is relevant for this two day class.  The major focus of this class is the trainee’s use of a red dot sight while shooting a handgun.  This is different than shooting with iron sights.  Shooting with a red dot sight, after receiving professional training and appropriate practice, can be very advantageous.  It has the capability of increasing the speed of acquiring the target and greater accuracy, particularly at a distance.  Steve will provide valuable insights on the use of red dot sights such as when drawing the handgun from a holster how to present the firearm so you can most quickly acquire/see the red dot sight as you’re coming onto the target.  He will also address the size of the red dot sight (as different sizes are available) and what is recommended to optimize speed and accuracy.  There will be many drills in which trainees will draw the handgun from their holster and shoot their red dot sight equipped handgun and Steve’s coaching to enhance the trainee’s performance.  This class will not focus on malfunction clearances as covered by the Defensive Handgun Level 1 class because the red dot class will focus on shooting with the red dot system.

 

For Defensive Carbine Level 1

• Bring a carbine with a barrel length of not less than 16 inches and designed to be fired with the buttstock mounted to the shoulder.  As an alternative, as long as it is legal with BATFE and state and local jurisdictions at the time of the training, It’s also ok to shoot an:
• • SBR (short barreled rifle), or
  • AR15 pistol or AR10 pistol or AK47 pistol that can be shoulder mounted and is in compliance with BATFE rules. 
  • A pistol caliber carbine (such as one chambered in 9mm).
• Any of the above firearms may be suppressed if you’re in compliance with BATFE rules. 
• A good quality 1-point or 2-point sling is required to be mounted to the firearm.  Typical carbines would be AR-15, AK-47, or AR-10 (or others).    Have an outside the waistband magazine pouch(es) mounted to your belt on the support side and three to four, extra 30 round magazines (to use typical AR-15 magazine sizing) in addition to the magazine that’ll be in the carbine.  Alternatively, you can use a chest magazine pouch(es) or a thigh magazine pouch mounted on the support side thigh.  For sighting, you can go with iron sights, or a non-magnified red dot, or a scope with fixed (or variable) magnification that works for you.
• Think ahead to what you’ll do if your carbine has a malfunction or parts breakage.  Will you have the parts and tools to  fix it?  For an AR-15, for example, it would be a good idea to consider bringing an extra bolt carrier group (BCG) so if you have a problem  that’s caused by some part breakage in the BCG, you can be back up and running after a short break to switch that out.   For those of you who have more than one carbine, bringing a “back-up” carbine is a good idea in case your primary carbine goes down and can’t be quickly fixed.
• Bring a minimum of 800 to 1,000 rounds of rifle ammunition (normal calibers used are 5.56 x 45, or .223 Remington, or 7.62 x 39, or 7.62  x 51) designed to safely and flawlessly operate in your carbine, or SBR, or AR15 pistol.  No armor piercing, no “green tip”, no steel jacketed, no bi-metal, and no steel core projectiles permitted due to range safety and damage that would be inflicted on the steel shooting targets.
• Meeting at range # 1 on the morning of 10/23/25 with Steve covering safety and various course specifics
• On the firing line and under the watchful eye of Steve McDaniel:
• • Safely applying the carbine’s safety and disengaging the safety and when those actions are to be taken
  • Safely loading and unloading the carbine
  • Speed reloading of the carbine with the least disruption to your firing grip and stance
  • Why a sling is important and how to use it most effectively for safety and accuracy; sling attachment points; single point versus two point sling attachments
  • Zeroing the sights on your carbine will be covered and the recommended distance at which the sights are zeroed
  • When taking shots from 10 yards or closer, the importance of your understanding how the “offset” (i.e., distance) between your muzzle and your line of sight through your optic will affect where the projectile impacts the target
  • You will shoot cardboard at various distances and steel targets at a minimum of 100 yards for safety reasons
  • You will shoot from different positions including standing, seated, kneeling, and prone
  • Accurate shooting is part of the course objective.   Steve will help improve that through discussion, demonstration, your repeated practice, and his coaching and provision of specific tips for your particular need(s)
  • Various firearm malfunctions will be demonstrated by Steve, along with instruction on how to resolve them.  Then, the trainee will practice those
  • You’ll experience shooting while you’re moving
  • There’ll be an introduction to the use of concealment and cover.
  • You’ll shoot many diverse drills.  Some of the drills will involve putting your carbine on safe, leaving your carbine slung on your body, transitioning to drawing your handgun and engaging the target.  Bring a minimum of 200 handgun rounds (minimum caliber is 9mm) to the class plus the necessary equipment (see elsewhere in this narrative for handgun, holster, magazine carrier and magazine quantity requirements).
  • Some drills will involve close quarters and engaging multiple adversaries.
  • In addition to working on all of the physical shooting applications, Steve will also touch on developing the proper mindset.
  • You’ll receive friendly coaching from Steve throughout the course when appropriate to enhance your skills.  For example, if you have an issue shooting accurately enough in a reasonable time, he will be looking to determine whether the issue involves your stance, your grip of the firearm, your alignment of the front and rear sights (or your optic reticle) with the target, your smoothness of pressing the trigger, your trigger reset, your follow-through after taking a shot, etc.
  • Above are just some of what you’ll experience in a friendly, training environment by one of the best professional instructors in the USA and at one fantastic training facility (DPRC)
  • FYI, trainees will shoot whether it’s sunny or it’s raining so bring appropriate clothing.  We would stop shooting temporarily if there’s a lightning storm.

 

For Defensive Shotgun Level 1

• Except for the exception covered in the next sentence, bring a shotgun with a barrel length of not less than 18.5 inches and preferably not to exceed 21 to 22 inches and designed to be fired with the buttstock mounted to the shoulder.  The exception to the preceding sentence is if you own a National Firearms Act (NFA) compliant short barrel shotgun (SBS) that also has a buttstock so you can mount the shotgun to the shoulder, feel free to use that in the class.  In such cases, Steve prefers a 14” barrel SBS.
• A good quality 1-point or 2-point sling is required to be mounted to the firearm.   Have a means of carrying extra shotgun ammunition on your shotgun (such as a side saddle) and have a means of carrying extra shotgun rounds on your person.   For sighting, most trainees will either go with iron sights, or a non-magnified red dot.
• Think ahead to what you’ll do if your shotgun has a malfunction or parts breakage.  Will you have the parts and tools to fix it?   For those of you who have more than one shotgun, bringing a “back-up” shotgun is a good idea in case your primary shotgun goes down and can’t be quickly fixed.
• Please see the chart at the beginning of the email for ammunition recommendations for this training.
• Meeting at range # 1 on the morning of 10/25/25 with Steve covering safety and various course specifics
• On the firing line and under the watchful eye of Steve McDaniel:
• • Safely applying the shotgun’s safety and disengaging the safety and when those actions are to be taken
  • Safely loading and unloading the shotgun
  • Speed reloading of the shotgun with the least disruption to your firing grip and stance
  • Why a sling is important and how to use it most effectively for safety and accuracy; sling attachment points; single point versus two point sling attachments
  • Zeroing the sights on your shotgun will be covered and the recommended distance at which the sights are zeroed
  • When taking shots from 10 yards or closer, the importance of your understanding how the “offset” (i.e., distance) between your muzzle and your line of sight through your optic (if you use something other than iron sights) will affect where the projectile impacts the target
  • You will shoot cardboard at various distances and steel targets at closer ranges (such as for birdshot) and up to 100 yards (for slugs)
  • You will shoot from different positions including standing, seated, kneeling, and prone
  • Accurate shooting is part of the course objective.   Steve will help improve that through discussion, demonstration, your repeated practice, and his coaching and provision of specific tips for your particular need(s)
  • Various firearm malfunctions will be demonstrated by Steve, along with instruction on how to resolve them.  Then, the trainee will practice those
  • You’ll experience shooting while you’re moving
  • There’ll be an introduction to the use of concealment and cover.
  • You’ll shoot many diverse drills.  Some of the drills will involve putting your shotgun on safe, leaving your shotgun slung on your body, transitioning to drawing your handgun and engaging the target.  Bring a minimum of 200 handgun rounds (minimum caliber is 9mm) to the class plus the necessary equipment (see elsewhere in this narrative for handgun, holster, magazine carrier and magazine quantity requirements).
  • Some drills will involve close quarters and engaging multiple adversaries.
  • In addition to working on all of the physical shooting applications, Steve will also touch on developing the proper mindset.
  • You’ll receive friendly coaching from Steve throughout the course when appropriate to enhance your skills.  For example, if you have an issue shooting accurately enough in a reasonable time, he will be looking to determine whether the issue involves your stance, your grip of the firearm, your alignment of the front and rear sights (or your optic) with the target, your smoothness of pressing the trigger, your trigger reset, your follow-through after taking a shot, etc.
  • Above are just some of what you’ll experience in a friendly, training environment by one of the best professional instructors in the USA and at one fantastic training facility (DPRC)
  • FYI, trainees will shoot whether it’s sunny or it’s raining so bring appropriate clothing.  We would stop shooting temporarily if there’s a lightning storm.

 

Who Can Take These Defensive Firearms Courses?

• Men and women who are active military or law enforcement.

• Men and women 21 years of age or older.  If there’s a potential, non-military, non-law enforcement student that’s 18 to 20 years old, Steve will gladly determine on an individual case basis whether the person may apply.

 

FYI, in prior years of Alaska Tactical firearms training at DPRC, there were multiple students for whom that was their first formal firearms training.  They did just fine and were elated at what they were taught by Steve and which permitted them to enhance their skills.  If you’re uncertain about taking the level 1 courses due to wondering if “you’re skilled enough”, the proper mindset is to be committed to one’s own skills development rather than have any concern about how your skill level will compare to another more experienced student.  When I take these courses, I’m never the best shooter and I don’t stress over that.   The objective is personal improvement as the “competition” is with yourself.  On the other hand, assume there’s an experienced shooter who thinks a level 1 handgun, carbine, or shotgun course would not benefit them because of their current level of skill and performance.  My thinking is such a shooter could still benefit from a level 1 course by the coaching they’d receive and by pushing themselves to improve by learning to shoot even faster without sacrificing safety and acceptable accuracy.

 

FYI, typically, these courses are taken by 70% to 75% civilians, who are not current military or law enforcement personnel.   It’s not just a “man’s game” either.  Women are increasingly taking and enjoying the courses.

 

If you desire a specific waiver of one of the above eligibility criteria so you or a loved one can take the course, please contact Steve McDaniel directly.   Steve will make a decision on an individual case basis on whether the person is eligible.  Steve’s contact info is at the end of this email.

 

When Must I Pay Alaska Tactical The Full Cost For The Course(s), What Are The Acceptable Payment Methods & What Are Other Administrative Things To Know?

As stated earlier, Alaska Tactical’s website is updated for the courses being held at DPRC and the registration, application and payment process is now open.  The deadline to complete the registration and payment process via that website is currently set at 8/1/25.  You may separately email Steve your signed, dated, and completed application as a pdf file and any other documentation required by the application.  There are no refunds.  There’s a good reason for that.  Steve incurs substantial expenses to travel from Anchorage, Alaska to NC to teach and non-refundable airline tickets are purchased by him months in advance to obtain the best price.

 

How Nice Are The Facilities At DPRC?

DPRC is an excellent facility with multiple shooting ranges.  There is also a clubhouse with nice, separate restroom facilities for women and men, and there are tables and chairs for the meeting space. 

 

There is a refrigerator stocked with soft drinks, bottled water and snacks, all of which are available at a very nominal cost.

 

Who Is Tom Browning And What Is Your Role?

I’ve been a member of DPRC since the 1990’s and, like many of you, took multiple courses at DPRC from Louis Awerbuck before he passed away.  After Louis passed, I’d taken no professional training until Steve McDaniel started teaching taught at DPRC in May 2018.   Shooting is a learned skill and skills become diminished unless appropriate training is undertaken.  I volunteered to become the North Carolina liaison for Steve McDaniel to help with various administrative items.  I am not employed by nor am I contracted by Steve McDaniel and Alaska Tactical.  I am not receiving any of the money from the trainees as it will be paid directly to Alaska Tactical as noted above.

 

What If I Do Not Want To Receive Any More Emails About This Training Or Any Future Training?

Simply email me and request to not receive future mailings.

 

The remainder of this email is to promote your thinking in advance of the training so you can evaluate what you need for the course.

 

What Type Of Handguns Can Be Used During This Training To Meet Alaska Tactical Requirements?

Full-size semi-automatic pistols or revolvers can be used with a caliber of 9mm or larger.   Steve does not want any sub-compact guns or any pocket pistols.  An example of an acceptable, minimally sized “full-size” handgun for purposes of this class is a Glock model 19 or larger.  Glock was used just as an example as you may prefer any of a number of full-size handguns from other excellent manufacturers.  As long as it’s full-size, it’s recommended you use what you currently carry or intend to carry or train with after this training.   Commonly on such courses, the most popular handgun caliber is 9mm.  However, you may elect to shoot 40 S&W, 45 ACP, 45 GAP, 357 Sig, or 10mm.  It is highly recommended for a student to bring two handguns in case your primary firearm experiences some type of malfunction or a part breaks during the course.  If you bring two handguns in case your primary handgun becomes inoperable, it may be helpful for the second gun to be the same make, model and caliber.  That would make your management of ammunition and holsters much easier to continue the course.  However, those decisions are up to the trainee.

 

What Type Of Handgun Holster Can Be Used During This Training?

Steve expects all trainees to use a handgun holster that is sturdy and able to withstand the numerous draw strokes from and into the holster.  It is recommended to go with kydex or leather.  Cloth and nylon holsters are not recommended.  The type of holster Steve is requiring at the beginning of the course is a strong side, outside the waistband (OWB) holster with a trigger guard and the holster mounted on the hip or just behind the hip bone.  If you need to buy a holster(s) for this training, there are many excellent manufacturers.  A few of them include Red Hill Tactical, JM Custom Kydex, Blade-Tech Industries, Fobus, and BlackHawk.  However, there are many other manufacturers and sellers of quality holsters.  If you want to use a different style holster, please contact Steve directly.

 

Due to safety being paramount and Steve needing time to assess the handgun handling and safety proficiency of each student, Steve is not approving the use (when other trainees are also on the firing line) of shoulder holsters, ankle holsters, inside the waistband holsters, fanny packs, cross draw holsters, small of the back holsters, and holsters positioned in front of the hip bone in what has become known as the appendix carry position.  However, if a student wants to bring one of the holsters covered in the preceding sentence, Steve will gladly evaluate your use (involving live fire) of such a holster during a break or lunch time when others are not on the firing line.  In such a case, only Steve and the one trainee would be on the firing line for safety purposes.  However, Steve may authorize an exception to what is covered in this paragraph and the preceding paragraph on an individual case basis if he has trained the person for several years and knows the trainee’s professional proficiency.

 

It’s recommended you have a gun belt specifically designed and made to carry the weight of your holster, handgun, magazine carrier(s), and three or more spare magazines, and/or other equipment.  Using a light weight belt not specifically designed and constructed as a gun belt will cause problems as it will not comfortably and reliably support the weight of what the belt must carry.

 

Equipment You Need To Bring (some of this has been covered above):

• A safe, properly functioning, full-size handgun as previously described (two are very strongly recommended in case your primary handgun experiences a parts breakage or some other malfunction that cannot be quickly fixed; see the above discussion).
• If you’ll be shooting with a red dot sight, ensure the battery is fresh and have a new, back-up battery and any tools that may be necessary to change the battery.
• Holster(s); see the discussion above; it’s not a bad idea to bring two holsters for your primary handgun in case your primary holster experiences a malfunction.  Chicago screws (or other fasteners) can loosen and fall out, old Kydex can crack, etc.   If your holster has fasteners (such as Chicago screws) that can work loose, it’s recommended you use some blue Loctite on those screws, train with the holster(s) and ensure such fasteners do not loosen.  Take those steps well in advance of taking the course.
• Ammunition appropriate for the firearm(s) you bring.   It’s recommended to use service, “ball” ammunition that you know functions flawlessly in your firearms.  Handloads/reloaded ammunition are permitted but no tracer, incendiary, explosive or armor piercing rounds may be used.   Don’t try and save money by utilizing cheap but questionable ammo.
• Belt mounted magazine carrier(s) and a minimum of five spare handgun magazines you know work flawlessly.  Remember that magazines can become defective (feed lips getting “bent”, springs becoming weak and failing to properly feed the ammunition, etc.).  If you’re going to shoot a revolver rather than a semi-automatic pistol, bring speed loaders and associated, belt mounted carrying cases.  If you’ll be taking the carbine or shotgun course(s), have extra carbine magazines and magazine carriers and a way to efficiently carry the rifle or shotgun ammunition on your body.
• Appropriate gun belt as covered above.  Wilderness Tactical Products belts from Arizona, Kramer Handgun Leather,  Beltman, Inc., MitchRosen.com, Blade-Tech Industries and other manufacturers make excellent gun belts.  You may also want to check out High Speed Gear as they offer excellent belts, magazine carriers, etc.
• Hearing protection.  Can be plugs, muffs or both.
• Eye protection.  Can be safety or shooting glasses.
• Appropriate clothing (remember, we’ll shoot “rain or shine”).  You may also wish to wear a hat with a brim and a shirt you can button at the neck to prevent a shooting buddy’s hot, ejected brass from going down your shirt and burning you multiple times during the course.
• Brass container. Something to hold empty cartridge cases
• To reiterate -- ensure you have ammo and a holster suitable for your spare/back-up firearm.

 

Advisable Equipment & Some Recommendations:

• Pack stool or folding chair. There will be seating at the firing range 100 yards away from the back berm.  You may want to bring a pack stool or folding chair for when we’re closer to the berm for a period of time, and you’re not on the firing line, and you want to sit and “rest your feet”.
• When we shoot long guns from a prone position at 100 yards and we’re laying on concrete, you may want to bring a shooting mat or piece of carpet to avoid the abrasion of the concrete.
• Water, soft drinks and snacks.  As a reminder, the DPRC clubhouse has some of this available at a very nominal price.  Packing your lunch and eating at the range is highly recommended as it is much quicker and less expensive than leaving the range.  If you are not a DPRC member, the gate will be closed/locked after everyone arrives and it would be troublesome for a non-DPRC member to quickly get back on the DPRC range in time if you leave at lunch.
• Sunglasses and lens cleaning materials.
• Sun protection - lotion, hat
• Clean-up gear – handi-wipes, towels, soap, etc.
• Firearms fix-it gear – screwdrivers, cleaning equipment, lubricants, etc. Most firearms require some lubrication in order to function optimally.
• Clean clothes for after shooting, or dry clothes in case you get wet in a rain shower.
• Band-aids, any needed medications, aspirin, etc.
• Sturdy, comfortable footwear.
• To reiterate, rain gear for bad weather – you shoot rain or shine.
• Insect repellant and ointment.
• Electronic hearing protectors such as the Peltor models Tactical 6 or 7, Pro-Ears, etc.  These do seem to help some folks hear range commands.
• Belt hook for earmuffs. This has a nominal cost and helps keep your hands free.
• Spare firearm(s) and associated holster(s) in case your primary equipment becomes non-operational.
• A small notebook and pen for questions/answers or notes on specific recommendations or sources of equipment or services.
• Cell phone. Reception at the range is adequate with most service providers. During the safety briefing at the beginning of a class, Steve will talk about cell phone usage while on the range (and many other topics).