A Brief History of Gunsite
Training at Gunsite is a bucket list type of experience if you’re into shooting. It’s the oldest private firearms training facility in the United States, and the staff is not shy about proclaiming that it provides the best firearms training in the world. After spending a few days there, I would have to agree with them.
If you’ve never heard of Gunsite, let me give you a brief history lesson. USMC Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper founded it in 1976. Yes, the same Jeff Cooper of “Cooper’s Colors” fame. Lt. Col. Cooper is credited with developing the Modern Technique of the Pistol, and he founded Gunsite as a vehicle to spread those teachings.
Cooper once said, “Owning a handgun doesn’t make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician.” The way to become armed is to learn and practice continuously – and Gunsite offers a class for just about anything you want to learn. The list is about a mile long and ranges from basic beginner pistol to active shooter situations to tactical medicine.
Related: Q&A with Dave Hartman, Director of Training for Gunsite Academy
The First FIRE Event
I was able to visit Gunsite thanks to SecureIt Gun Storage, which generously hosted the FIRE 2023 event. Founded by Tom Kubiniec in 2001, SecureIt is the global leader in military weapon storage and armory design. In the residential space, they’ve developed products to shake up how we think about storing guns in our homes.
The event was the brainchild of SecureIt’s Business Development Manager, Karen Hunter. Chances are, if you regularly read articles about guns, you’ve read something she’s written. She’s been in the industry for many years and has contributed a lot.
Hunter says, “The goal was to come together to revolutionize and change the norm. To bring forth collaborations and ideas that will ultimately impact the everyday gun owner looking for sound knowledge, direction, products, and, most importantly, proper training. To also highlight strong women who are genuinely making an impact with their own journeys.”
So, she brought together 10 women and over 20 generous sponsors to connect through a mutual passion for firearms and self-defense. I knew a few of the women “virtually” from my years of posting on Instagram. Meeting them in person was a highlight for me as well as making some new friends.
I’m grateful to SecureIt for putting this event on and allowing me to connect with other like-minded women. The firearms world can sometimes feel heavily male-dominated, and being with other girls in the industry was fun.
Bucket List Training Experience
Over two days, we took a defensive pistol class taught by three of Gunsite’s best instructors. I called them “the best” because they were the most suited for our group. Training is much more effective if the instructor is a good match.
Day one started in the classroom with a brief overview of Gunsite and its history. They showed us a map of the massive 2,800-acre facility, which even has a campground with hookups, hot showers, and laundry facilities. We stayed off-site, but it’s pretty far away from any town, so I can see how staying on the grounds makes sense.
We met our instructors and learned about their backgrounds, each more impressive than the last. They walked us through our schedule for the next two days and told us what to expect. We also spent some time on the Universal Firearm Safety Rules.
Next, we met Linda Powell, Mossberg's Director of Media Relations. She brought out a stack of MC2SC pistols with Primary Arms optics installed and handed one to each of us. Now we’re getting to the good stuff! Mossberg kindly provided the pistols for us to train with, and after the event, they were ours to keep.
On The Range
Most of day one on the range was spent reviewing the basics and working on fundamentals. Some of us had been shooting for years, and we handle our weapons daily, and others were new or less experienced. We were all working with a pistol we hadn’t shot before, so we took some time to get to know it.
Since we were all at varying degrees of experience, our instructors drilled down the fundamentals to get us all on the same page. We worked on the following:
- Mindset and situational awareness
- Learning the best spot on the body to shoot a threat
- Clearing garments before drawing
- Breaking down the four-step draw process
- Making headshots count
- Reaction time
Safety is a major theme at Gunsite, as it should be during any training class. The instructors watch everything and correct as needed. They don’t let anything slip, and that’s precisely what you want for a safe training environment.
Day two started bright and early on the range, and the instructors were ready to crank up the heat on us. It was all about adding stress to expose flaws you need improve. We spent a few minutes getting warmed up, and then we moved on to the fun stuff like:
- Clearing malfunctions
- Tactical versus administrative reloading
- Shooting on the move
- Shooting at drop turner targets
- Friendly competition with other shooters
- Completing a timed drill
The instructors encouraged us the entire time, and they also pushed us to get better. Overall, I learned more in two days than in any other class. And we only got a taste of what the entire defensive shooting class is like.
I even got one-on-one help for an issue I’ve been struggling with that we cleared up in about 20 minutes. I left with renewed confidence and many nuggets of wisdom to use as I continue to develop my skills. I can’t wait to go back for another class.
Shooting The Mossberg MC2sc
Normally when you get training, you’d use your own pistol, but for this class, we had something new. Mossberg provided us each with an MC2sc that was ours to keep. You don’t have to ask me twice if I’d like a new pistol, even if it does take some extra time to get used to it.
The Mossberg MC2sc is the sub-compact version of the MC2c, and it’s a great little pistol. I loved how it felt in my hands, especially with the 14+1 magazine that gives extra grip length.
Speaking of the grip, I’m a fan. The texturing is not all over, but rather is placed in a few key areas. It’s aggressive as heck but doesn’t feel excessive since it’s not continuous. There’s also a cool little textured patch on the frame for indexing your trigger finger, and it’s ambidextrous.
If we were going to shoot something new, the Mossberg MC2sc was a great choice, especially for the beginners in our class. It’s easy to control, doesn’t have much recoil for a small gun, and shoots accurately. I like the trigger a lot, too. There’s not much take-up, a clean break, and a nice, short reset.
I had zero issues or malfunctions while shooting mine. Early in the first day, a few of the women experienced some hitches, which were all cleared up by a simple oiling. It’s very dry in Arizona, and after getting some oil, they all ran fine.
The MC2sc came pre-installed with a Primary Arms Classic Series 21mm Micro Reflex Sight. This was a plus for me. All my carry guns have optics, and I prefer them over irons. The Micro Reflex mounts directly to the MC2sc and is a 3-MOA dot with a slim profile that’s perfect for subcompacts.
It’s in the “entry level” category, so it’s missing some cool features that I’m used to, like “shake to wake” and auto-off. The window is a little smaller than what I’m accustomed to, but the dot is nice and bright. I had no issues picking it up on the first or subsequent shots. Overall, it’s a great basic optic.
Conclusion
FIRE 2023 was an experience I’ll never forget. Training at Gunsite Academy should be a bucket list item for all shooters. You won’t find another facility like it; the instructors are top-notch; and there’s a class for you regardless of your shooting experience.
