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Defensive AR and Pistol classes have started at ARPC. You start with classes on fundamentals and then move up to Level 1. If you don't think that you need the fundamentals, they let you do a safety and skills evaluation so you can skip those. The skills evaluations are on the last two Thursdays of the month, check the club calendar. The first Level 1 classes were this month and the next are scheduled for October. Here are links to the Handgun (30th) and AR (3rd) classes in October. I was told yesterday ,that if they have enough interest, they may be able to schedule additional classes.

I haven't been to a class yet but did pass my safety and skills evaluation yesterday.
 
What are they looking at in the eval?

Basic stuff? Not sweeping, basic operation of the rifle, etc?
Sorry I didn't see your post earlier. The eval seemed to be about safety, basic firearms handling, and being able to perform basic functions safely like loading and firing firearms, operating the safety, mag release, and bolt release. My take on it was that they want to be able to get going on the class without worrying about if a person knows basic safety and operation.

ETA: Looks like there is a skills evaluation on the 7th. Calendar
 
Last Edited:
Went to the AR Level 1 class yesterday. Had a combination of classroom, dry fire, and live fire drills and exercises. Excellent lesson plan and instructors. In the end, the class showed me that I need to be spending time on drills if I want to get the most out of the experience.

Highly recommend the class. Also signed up for the pistol class at the end of the month and plan on taking the Level 2 class in November.
 
Any updates to this, thinking of trying these classes.
Keep an eye on the ARPC calendar. There are several classes scheduled for November and December including the basic classes and skills evaluation. You need to sign up online for these in advance.

An added feature is the free skills clinic. After you take a class, you can go to a free skills clinic to work on anything that you think needs improvement. The clinic helped me refine some of the lessons learned in the Level 1 course. I went from a 1.2 to 1.5 second first round on target to 0.5 to 0.7 seconds with an AR. The difference was a significant improvement on my speed steel scores and placement last Sunday.
 
Participated in the Level 1 defensive handgun course today. Like the level 1 AR course, there was a lot to absorb and I've got to say that I was challenged and humbled by some of the drills and exercises. There is a solid mix of classroom, dry fire, and live fire drills. Instruction was well thought out and well executed. Really glad to see this type of course available at the club at a reasonable price.
 
Just completed Level 2 defensive AR. Once again, professionally developed and presented course. Excellent mix of classroom, dryfire practice, and live fire. This got into the nitty gritty of real world situations and included malfunction drills, transition from strong side to weak side firing and then back. Lots of firing while moving, malfunctions, shooting around barriers, and transitioning from positions. Spent some time with the V-Tac barrier. For those not familiar, you can do a search and discover that the V-Tac is actually a torture device that challenges your ability to shoot while playing twister! o_O Maybe not that bad, but it's definitely a way to test and improve multitude skills. Check the ARPC club calendar for upcoming classes. Feel free to ask any questions. I'll answer any that I can.
 
Just completed Level 2 defensive AR. Once again, professionally developed and presented course. Excellent mix of classroom, dryfire practice, and live fire. This got into the nitty gritty of real world situations and included malfunction drills, transition from strong side to weak side firing and then back. Lots of firing while moving, malfunctions, shooting around barriers, and transitioning from positions. Spent some time with the V-Tac barrier. For those not familiar, you can do a search and discover that the V-Tac is actually a torture device that challenges your ability to shoot while playing twister! o_O Maybe not that bad, but it's definitely a way to test and improve multitude skills. Check the ARPC club calendar for upcoming classes. Feel free to ask any questions. I'll answer any that I can.
I saw on the website they don't allow reloads at their classes, did they check your ammo at the door or is that mostly a lip service thing?
 
As an FYI, you don't have to be a member to take the class. In fact, most all of the courses are available to the general public.
I need to join anyways, I've put it off for a while now and really have no good access to an outdoors spot (I have a mid life crisis car that can't get in the woods).

Plus, I was a member of a similar club back in Ohio about a decade ago and I really enjoyed it.
 
Just completed Level 2 defensive AR. Once again, professionally developed and presented course. Excellent mix of classroom, dryfire practice, and live fire. This got into the nitty gritty of real world situations and included malfunction drills, transition from strong side to weak side firing and then back. Lots of firing while moving, malfunctions, shooting around barriers, and transitioning from positions. Spent some time with the V-Tac barrier. For those not familiar, you can do a search and discover that the V-Tac is actually a torture device that challenges your ability to shoot while playing twister! o_O Maybe not that bad, but it's definitely a way to test and improve multitude skills. Check the ARPC club calendar for upcoming classes. Feel free to ask any questions. I'll answer any that I can.
So I just looked through the class schedule for November and December, and didn't see anything labeled "deffensive AR" saw some defensive pistol classes, what are the AR classes listed as?


Also is it AR only? Or could it be defensive carbine? My nephew is living up in Albany and taking a defensive carbine class with him would be cool. But I only have 1 AR at the moment, I do have an AK as well, though so could bring AR and AK.
 
They're listed as AR and handgun classes on the calendar. There is the fundamentals course and then Level 1 and Level 2. Best bet is to send an email to the chief instructor asking about rifle selection and ammo. His address is in the course description. They do check your ammo in the classroom and then keep it separate during until you go out for the live fire portions.

One of the things I noticed right away is the safety aspect. They check your firearm clear before taking it into the classroom and you turn in your ammo. Since you will be using your gun for dry fire, they want to verify clear and make sure ammo is separate from all the guns.

@BGP1776, there are a ton of activities at the club. I've found it well worth it.
 
Here is a recent reply I received from the ARPC office.

Hello C———,
I checked with Jim Gallant our Chief Instructor and you can use an AR chambered with 9mm or .22lr, but keep in mind that if you want to take the higher level AR classes you will have to use a AR-15 with .223 or 5.56 ammo only.
You can bring minors to the class but they have to take the class with a Guardian.

Sarah Rogers
Office Specialist
Albany Rifle & Pistol Club
541-491-3755

Please disregard the last sentence above and read the following post below.
 
Hello C———,
Due to policy changes, we no longer allow Minors to participate in ANY of ARPC classes. Sorry for any inconvenience.
If you would still like to be added to our AR Fundamentals Class I would need the following information before we can bill you and get you signed up for this course.

  • Are you a current member with the club?
  • What is your full name?
  • What is your address?
  • What is your phone number?
  • What is your age?
  • How did you hear about the Class?

(Please note that the following information is gathered for no other purpose then to assist the instructor in preparing for class)

  • What Make and Model is your Rifle
  • Is it a new Rifle, and have you fired it before
  • What caliber is the ammo

Sarah Rogers
Office Specialist
Albany Rifle & Pistol Club
541-491-3755
 
There is also a skills assessment class (for those that feel their skill level is more advanced than the fundamentals class) where they will run you through some basic drills. If they sign off on you, then you can skip the fundamentals and go right to level 1.

They don't offer that on a day that works for my schedule, So at some point in the future, I'll just take the AR fundamentals and go from there. Hope this info is of some help to those interested. Thanks to @PiratePast40 for starting this thread. :)
 

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