Chris and Stuka, if you guys are seriously I'd also be up for a class. I'm thinking handgun would be easier than carbine since getting rounds would be a bitch and handgun is more realistic for us normal folk than carbine.

Then again, Russ has some some great contacts that would probably love to host a TS event...

 

I'd be down too. If this gains traction let me know.

 

I need to look into schedules and costs. And Gobbles and I need to get our work sorted.

 

Dangit, you guys got me itching for some new toys...must fight temptation....

 

That looks like a fun course to go to.

 

Course does look good. Rob, I'm open to whatever. Ashley was over for dinner with his kids week before last, and said he is open to a limited amount of future civilian training if I wanted to invite some more guests. To-date we are still the only civilians that have been through one of his courses at DARC (DARC1.com).

On the other hand, particularly if it was a handgun course, I think it might be good to go somewhere else and have a new experience with new perspectives. Ashley's courses are so Military / Tactical LE oriented, that it would probably be valuable to take one more courses oriented toward scenarios that might be encountered by a civilian. Magpul is a little over the top for me with the drama and showmanship, but I think most of their instruction is solid.

For a carbine course I would definitely want to go to DARC, specifically because it would not be geared for the masses. It would be extremely physically demanding and intense. Most of the people I see in Magpul carbine courses would not be allowed to even start. Likewise at DARC you would be learning true combat carbine from trained warriors.

I found it interesting, after 5,000 rounds at DARC, to hear Ashley say he has never killed anyone with a handgun, although he has deployed one on many occasions. Just further reinforcement of the old adage that a handgun's primary use should be to allow you time / cover to fight your way to a better weapon.

So in sum, I would be up for a Magpul handgun course, but if we're going for carbines, I would strongly prefer DARC.

 

Russ, thank you for gracing us with your presence within this thread! I hope that Ashley is doing well. I also have no preference either way, and the idea of a carbine with DARC completely blows my mind. So, I humbly defer to you, Ashley and the TS folks on what is the most convenient for their schedules assuming we can get something up and running. I just need to know who to send the money to for the class, when the class will be held and how many/type of ammo to bring

Actually, when I think of it. I think DARC would be the better choice because of their facilities; the kind of training you receive (i.e. personal attention); Ashley looks much cooler in person than Costa; and last but not least, Little Rock has some incredibly great guys like you and TJ! Also, with all the publicity Magpul has gotten, I think it will be very unlikely for a group of us to get into a single class. Regardless, the ultimate decisions will rest with you and Ashley if DARC is a go.

 

The other part that might be fun is to do some full-auto / teamwork through a village, and maybe do some hostage rescues using C4 for breach, flash-bangs as you work through the shoot house, and simunitions with some live role-players for bad guys and hostages. It's not real-world practical for civilians, and it wouldn't be cheap, but it sure is fun.

I've taken a group of CEOs out there before for a 1/2-day executive safety briefing, and just standing on the metal grate second floor of a shoot house during a C4 breach and hostage rescue, with flash bangs and simunitions flying, the looks on their faces was great! Like kids in a candy store . . .

 

"Are you a liabilty, or an asset to society?" Really? I probably shouldn't have watched that Magpul video. Those guys make my hair hurt . . .