Stock assigned instructor Lamonte Kintsel to work one-on-one with this student, and they both took a "get 'er done" attitude. It was amazing to see the ways they worked out for this student to handle reloading, malfunction drills, and other shooting skills. Several of us wanted to whine about the heat or the little blisters on our hands, but we'd look over at our Oklahoma friend and just keep our mouths shut.

Even experienced professionals like Sheriff Wilson can learn new techniques, or refresh their defensive gunhandling skills, with proper instruction.

In addition, attending a defensive handgun school may seem like a "guy thing" to many women. Nothing could be further from the truth. Women should not allow such a false notion to keep them from seeking this valuable, life-saving training.

One of the Gunsite rangemasters is Ms. Il Ling New, and she had this to say, "I'm 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weigh 120 pounds, and I'm not particularly strong. If I can do it, you can. If you've ever cut through a watermelon or a turkey, you have the strength to operate a pistol."

Il Ling went on to say that some women fear they will hold the class back. She quickly pointed out that women are rarely last in the class. Instead, they tend to listen more intently and have far less ego involved in their performance. "Because most women don't pay attention to how their classmates are shooting--much less try to compete with them--they tend to focus on their own performance and, thus, improve faster," she said.

Do you suppose there could be a lesson there for us guys, too?

Because of Col. Cooper's well-founded reliance on the 1911 pistol in .45 ACP, there is a perception that a Gunsite student ought to use one to take the defensive pistol course. Gunsite's staff quickly points out that this is not the case. While the 1911 is certainly a great fighting pistol, the student ought to bring to class a quality-made handgun that fits him and that he shoots well. In my several visits to Gunsite, I have noticed the various rangemasters and instructors using the S&W M&P auto pistols, Browning Hi-Powers, SIG DA semiautomatics, and Glock pistols. In addition, Stock carried a revolver for many years and is quite adept at assisting the student in managing a wheelgun.

To my good knowledge, Gunsite was the first successful defensive handgun school to be founded in this country. And it continues to be one of the top schools that is available today. In our society, we have come to realize the importance of getting good training and planning for continuing education in our chosen field of work. Shouldn't we apply the same thinking to something as important as learning the skills that can save our lives?

I happen to think so, and that is why I'm already checking my schedule to find a week to book another shooting class at Gunsite. Why don't you do the same thing, and I'll see ya there.