Gunsite Academy: Keeping Good People Alive for Almost 50 Years

Making good shooters great since 1976, Gunsite Academy in Paulden, Arizona, is a go-to destination for those looking for top-notch firearms training.

Originally formed nearly 50 years ago as the American Pistol Institute by Colonel Jeff Cooper – who famously said "Just because you own a piano does not make one a pianist" when speaking of the need to get firearms training – the academy has been busy been providing basic-to-advanced classes to military personnel, law enforcement officers and free citizens of the United States. Brought into the 21st century during a new era under the ownership of Buz and Sonja Mills – Cooper-era Gunsite graduates – the school has maintained many of the cherished "old ways" while keeping with the times, adding a series of increasingly complex courses to the schedule over the year.

These include not only the standard 150, 250, 350, and 499 Pistol classes but also demanding Carbine, Rifle, and Shotgun courses. Then there are multi-layered Tactical Classes (Active Shooter, BRAVE Carbine, Church Defense, Pre 3 Gun, Defensive 3 Gun, Team Tactics, etc.) as well as armorer courses. For those with a bit more salt and pepper upstairs, there are "Seasoned Citizen" classes in multiple doctrines. Then there are specialty classes such as Defensive Lever Gun and Night Vision courses, Edged Weapons training, Tactical Medicine, and Predator Defense. Added to this are special alumni shoots, a dedicated Jeff Cooper 1911 Anniversary 250 pistol course, the famous Pat Rogers Memorial Revolver Round-Up, and others.

Even if it’s not on the menu, the skilled "cooks" at Gunsite can help whip it up for the demanding customer. For instance, last June, I took a hybrid suppressed carbine course at Gunsite. This year our very own Elizabeth Bienas visited the Academy for SecureIT Fire 2023.

With that, you get the idea that Gunsite, while building on a legacy of instruction that began in the 1970s, by any means isn't stuck in the 1970s. Back when Col. Cooper first opened the facility, he had 162 acres with two square ranges.

The ghost of Colonel Cooper, who passed away in 2006, is felt throughout Gunsite. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com, except where noted)

Cooper's totem, the wise raven, which also appeared on his 1980s Bren Ten handgun design, is always present.

Now, the nearly 3,500-acre facility is open for training year-round with 27 ranges (some out to nearly 2,400 yards), multiple indoor and outdoor simulators, a run-and-gun "Scrambler," shoot houses, and pits in addition to classroom spaces and an on-campus custom gunsmith – and they are in the midst of a $1.3 million expansion project that will continue to build on its longstanding tradition.

Gunsite also has several different indoor and outdoor simulators and shoot houses.

As well as the famed multi-positional shoot-and-move "Scrambler" course that puts the student in several positions including shooting from inside a steel box.

Courses with night and low-light elements are increasingly popular. (Photos: Gunsite)

With over 3,500 acres of land outside of Paulden, Arizona, Gunsite is an experience. For many, it is a pilgrimage.

The facility also has several women’s-only classes, including three-day A Girl and a Gun sessions.

Gunsite's cadre of instructors is dynamic and patient. Most have 20 or more years of firearms instructor experience and years of experience in police, military, and training professions. For mobile training for a group, club, or facility, Gunsite staff are available to hit the road.

We visited the facility and spoke to Sheriff Ken Campbell, Gunsight’s CEO, to see what the academy has set for the future. Campbell has been with the Academy, which he describes as the world's oldest and largest privately-run firearms training facility, since 1993. The growth since then has been exponential, with the Academy seeing seven consecutive record years in terms of student numbers.

"Record student numbers means we need to upgrade the facilities some more," said Campbell.

This means, besides range development, Gunsite will see a new bunkhouse for instructors, a new office, and a giant new 4,900-square-foot Pro Shop. Incidentally, those who show up for a class don't necessarily need to BYOG. The Shop offers a variety of rentals that include holsters, magazine carriers, and spare magazines.

Most of the legacy buildings will be retained and converted back to classroom space.

One of the notable benefits of Gunsite is the on-campus gunsmith, Finks Custom Guns. Besides offering a range of "Gunsite Specials" for sale, the gunsmith is also ready on the scene to accommodate students’ needs. In other words, if you have a gun go down, or need some sort of TLC to get an optic properly zeroed in the middle of a course, Finks has your back. More on Finks in a separate article.

In a time when training from a certified firearms instructor has never been more popular – or available – why take the trip to Gunsite? We asked Campbell that question.

"The training you get here is better than what 95 percent of cops get in the country," explained Campbell. "Where else throughout a five-day course, about 44 hours, are you going to get a night shoot, two runs in a live-fire indoor shoot house, two runs in an outdoor simulator, not to mention the work on the barricades, the gun handling, the marksmanship, and then – what we're famous for – the mindset."

So I suppose the question really is, when are you going to Gunsite?

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