Voices of the SMITH & WESSON ACADEMY

Guns Magazine, Sept, 1999 by Christopher Springmann

A personal look at the complex lessons learned in S& W's prestigious Advanced Defensive Handgun class.

From all around the country people come to the state-of-the-art Smith & Wesson Academy for courses ranging from basic handgun safety to the intensive "Advanced Defensive Handgun for Personal, Family and Small Group Protection (ADH)." Their motives are as varied as their backgrounds, but certain themes and sentiments echo throughout the classes.

Taught by seasoned police professionals Brent Purucker and Bill Porter, ADH is an advanced, highintensity course, requiring safe, smooth gun handling and decision making. The program utilizes the same techniques and tactics taught to those assigned to professional protective duties and details.

Put more simply: constant movement, threat assessment and an appropriate response designed to solve the problem without making the situation worse. No mistakes, please. Got your lawyer's telephone number handy?

Firearms Reality 101

"This class is about close confrontation shooting with the front sight only, both eyes open, shooting before your arm is fully extended," said Purucker, the Academy's training coordinator. "The threat is in your face, on your case, maybe a couple of arm's lengths away. You've got maybe 1.5 seconds to draw and get off two shots while aggressively protecting someone. That's a lot to respond to. We train people to think and react quickly."

Porter hammers away on the legalities of concealed carry. With two prerequisite classes at the Academy prior to ADH, the students have heard all the doom and gloom stories about handgun ownership in Massachusetts. Yet, they listen intently.

The message always needs repeating. "It's just not a matter of strapping on a gun and thinking you can protect yourself and your family," said Porter. "It's affitude, mind-set and visualization. Carrying a pistol is a way of life and it demands a heightened sense of awareness, responsibility and respect. Never forget the power of what you hold in your hands."

Folksy wisdom, cop-shop stories and insights into human behavior are Porter's specialty. "Commitment is like the difference between eggs and bacon," Porter said. "The chicken is involved but the pig is a real player!"

Tactical Tornado

Smith & Wesson Academy civilian students are the beneficiaries of finely tuned instruction developed for the Academy's thousands of police and military graduates. That fact becomes apparent as former FBI special agent Bob Taubert leads his black-on-black SWAT squad through their ballistic shield exercises, "securing" a staircase at the Academy near our classroom.

MP5s and Colt SMGs slung, heavy shields held high, Taubert's Raiders look like an armor plated centipede as they snake up to the second floor. Sweating profusely despite the winter weather, the "men in black" take the high ground only to have Taubert suggest they "try it again" to a chorus of groans from the team.

The Social Range

Wendell Prior, an Academy and National Firearms Training Center training coordinator, has an enviable problem. Prior's stunningly beautiful range is almost too social.

This truly "state-of-the-art" facility, with 20, 4foot-wide lanes divided by crystal-clear Lexagard partitions (designed to stop a .44 Mag.), encourages curiosity, conversation and the inevitable sharing of firearms. With 1,000 members, that could be a problem.

"We solved that issue very quickly by requiring that all weapons be moved from lane to lane in baskets," said Prior. "Of course, the gun must be in a safe condition with the action conspicuously open. The same baskets are used to pass firearms from the store into the range and back."

Over 80 Smith & Wesson pistols and revolvers are available to sample at the range or in classes, a bonus for Academy students who frequently arrive without firearms or are eager to find a gun that fits their needs or lifestyle.

The adjacent, elegant Smith & Wesson store resembles a cross between Nordstrom's and a Harley-Davidson dealership, with handsome displays of Smith & Wesson products plus accessories and clothing, even the ubiquitous "Protected by Smith & Wesson" signs.

What kind of person attends the Smith & Wesson Academy - and why? GUNS interviewed three students in Advanced Defensive Handgun for these highly personal answers.

The Reluctant Warrior

Devorah Landa, age 43

Occupation: Jeweler

GUNS: What pistol did you bring to class?

Landa: A S&W 3953 but I also have a new S&W "Shorty .40." My first pistol was a Walther PPK, James Bond's gun. It was a nice size, fit my hand and I liked the way it looked but it scared me. I thought, "Wow, I don't know how to use this thing," and signed up for an Academy course. After cuffing my hands from trying to use the Walther, I switched to the 9mm Smith.

GUNS: Why do you carry a gun?

Landa: There are a number of reasons. The first is that I own a jewelry store in a target area. The only reason I would use the pistol would be to defend my life. I can't imagine a police officer being able to protect me. And if I did call for help, I have little faith that some of the police officers I've met would be capable of really protecting me.