A Visit to Front Sight Firearms Training Institute – Hands-on Self-Defense Handgun Training

I travel armed – fortunately, to date, I have never felt threatened, but common sense demands I do so. But… growing up in New Jersey, I knew virtually nothing about guns. So… even though I hold a concealed carry license, as I travel across our amazing nation, I KNEW I needed some REAL hand gun training and Front Sight turned out to be “just what the doctor ordered.”

When you enroll via Rick Green’s Patriot Academy, Front Sight is essentially a “two-fer.” You are signing up for two or four days of intensive handgun training AND you get to hear from Rick Green, a gifted and informed speaker who teaches on the United States Constitution, hence the Patriot Academy!

Knowing Pahrump, Nevada is in the desert – not far from Death Valley, I didn’t want to attend in or close to the summer! I chose a mid-October session. It was still hot! That said, upon leaving my “summer home” in the Idaho mountains (I keep finding my way to Valley County) at the end of August, I began to work my way south into Nevada. My route took me through some interesting towns and particularly some ghost towns. Much of this travel is chronicled in the prior few posts here on rvAcrossAmerica.net.

At Front Sight, I chose to attend a 4 day session and ended up shooting over 600 rounds. Over 450 patriots attended that same session, and it was great interacting with other patriots during lunch and evening sessions. Much of each day was spent on a gun range in a group of just under 40 people. There were 3 instructors and there was the opportunity for one-on-one instruction when needed.

As noted, Pahrump is in the Southern Nevada desert, and is not very far from Death Valley and just over an hours drive west of Las Vegas. Even in mid-October, the temperature reached the low to mid 90’s by mid-afternoon. Naturally, summers are far hotter, and winters can be (somewhat) chilly.

Front Sight provided much needed training

As an inexperienced gun owner, I found the Front Sight training to be invaluable. Prior to attending, I had shot perhaps a total of 30 rounds using my P320 Sig Sauer 9mm. Over the 4 day experience, I learned MUCH more about how to handle my weapon, how to shoot accurately (which I was accomplishing some of the time!), how to handle misfires and jams, and how to fire when others were shooting all around me.

We also had the opportunity to “clear a house”, kinda like you see on TV police drama shows! You enter and have an instructor with you. You are “confronted” with images of both bad guys and hostages and have to make split second decisions on whether to shoot or not. It was eye-opening.

At a cost of about $50/day plus ammunition costs, the experience was affordable and highly worthwhile. For anyone who is looking for a great place to get this kind of training, I highly recommend Front Sight. The instructors are patient and knowledgeable.

The Rick Green Constitutional “Icing on the cake”

Rick Green’s resume (check Patriot Academy website) speaks for itself. As an educator myself, I found Rick to be highly informed and engaging as he spoke about the United States Constitution to a roomful of patriots (about 450 of us.)

Rick also shared a bit about his Constitutional Training courses (which are offered online free of charge.) Speaking just for myself, I know that a more in depth understanding of our nation’s Constitution is something I always benefit from.

The one thing I had hoped they would address was how to clean your gun. This was not done, but thanks to YouTube videos, I took care of this important task shortly after leaving Front Sight. Just search youtube for the make/model of your gun and you’ll likely find a video detailing how to clean it. I do suggest however as you dismantle your gun, pay very close attention to EXACTLY how all parts fit together.

Want to save money on diesel fuel?

I just learned about Mudflap and enrolled myself as well. Here’s the basics: Its a free app for your phone. Hundreds of fueling stations participate nationwide (and its growing.) You save up to 50 cents per gallon. There is NO fee to you or I to use this service. You can still use your own credit card to pay for the fuel (and accrue whatever points are earned by using that card.) Enroll by clicking on the image below, use code “rvacrossamerica” and receive $10. in free fuel!

RV Camping Options in Pahrump

I personally stayed at the Preferred RV Resort for about $20/night. This rate is a Passport America rate. Passport America offers an affordable membership and with over 1800 participating campgrounds, you save 50% per night. There are two other Passport America campgrounds in the Pahrump region.

You can also camp just outside of Front Sight on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land for free. There are no facilities at the BLM camping area. It is dispersed camping and is literally in the middle of the desert. While it is next to Front Sight, it is a solid 20 minute drive from anything in Pahrump (shops, grocery, fuel, and restaurants.) Even if you stay just outside of Front Sight’s campus, you will still need to use your vehicle as the shooting ranges are about a mile from the classroom and food service areas.

Update on the RV Industry – Valuable info if you’re planning to purchase a camper anytime soon…

As I write this, we’re now into 2021. Normally, the RV business is quiet at this time of year and outside of Southern Arizona and Florida, it stays that way until mid-March.

This year, even during the Christmas “shopping” season, there are STILL buyers for campers (of all types!) Yes, business has slowed from the torrid “feeding frenzy” pace of May and June (2020), but it is still well above normal for this time of year.

Normally, the current model year (in this case 2021) would have been released in May (give or take a month) and by December, dealers have ordered the 2022’s that would normally deliver in May 2021 and would be thinking about closing out their ’21’s. This year, the ’21’s are still trickling in. Why? Manufacturers have had trouble getting parts for their new campers.

The manufacturers are delivering ’21’s – and since business has slowed, SOME models are in ample supply; some are not. As usual, MANY (most?) buyers are buying poorly made campers (of all types.) Why? Its what most dealers are offering, and getting accurate, unbiased information about the good and bad players in the RV industry is hard to come by.

Remember: For most of my clients, I advise buying used as campers tend to depreciate rapidly in their first two years after manufacture.

For the reasons stated here, this is why my Concierge RV Buying (and Selling) Service is growing (up over 400% this year!) Just check the reviews on my page that details the service. Simply put, my clients have “a guide by their side, who also has their back” and the goal is to get a quality camper that meets their needs at the best possible price. Contact me if you have questions.

For those wishing a more in depth look at 2021 and the RV business – my recent post HERE has been well received as a 2021 RV Buying guide!

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