Introducing Fieldcraft Survival's Gunfighter Program: BCM Carbine Package

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The nice thing about vacationing at an all-inclusive resort is that everything is paid for up front. You can stuff your face with as much food as your stomach can handle and drink to your heart’s content. While such gluttony may be enjoyable, it’s not the healthiest way to spend a few days. When you leave, all you’ll take with you are memories and a few extra pounds. Applying the all-inclusive concept to firearms training is a novel idea that will send you home with firearms, accessories, and training that can help keep you and yours safe. Such is the impetus for Fieldcraft Survival’s Gunfighter Program, which includes Pistol, Carbine, and DMR (Designated Marksman Rifle) courses.

Fieldcraft Survival’s owner, Mike Glover, spent 18 years in the U.S. Army and as a government contractor for OGA. He served as a SGM in Special Forces in various positions and deployed multiple times to combat theaters. He is an expert in Counter-Terrorism, Security, and Crisis Management Operations. You’d be hard pressed to find an instructor with more real-world experience.

Having graduated form numerous survival schools, Glover recognized the need for such training in the private sector. While deployed overseas, Glover often operated solo, with no support — like a private citizen may be forced to respond to a threat on the home front. Fieldcraft Survival doesn’t just provide firearms training but also fosters a culture of preparedness, fitness, and planning.

“We developed a methodology for private citizens and created a community that didn’t exist, where survival is addressed in its totality,” said Glover. Through training, shared meals, and fireside chats, Glover strives to foster a sense of camaraderie in his students like he experienced during his military service. This approach has garnered Fieldcraft Survival a loyal following.

Glover, who is affiliated with but not paid by Bravo Company Manufacturing (BCM), approached the company with the idea for a set of training courses where tuition would cover not just instruction but also mission specific guns, ammunition, and gear, so students would derive maximum benefit from the training. This approach makes sense on multiple fronts.

“Having the same firearm and gear helps ensure everyone is on the same sheet of music,” said Glover. At typical open-enrollment courses, there are students who struggle to keep up. If the instructor isn’t careful, the rest of the class can suffer as the instructor holds back to accommodate the least skilled student. When each student starts from scratch, with quality gear, it helps the flow of the course. But delivering a top-level course takes more than standardized gear.

A student who lacks proper training can bring even the most high-speed course to a screeching halt. Having experienced this phenomenon firsthand at many private citizen firearms courses, Glover structures his courses to provide a solid, consistent foundation. This helps ensure students aren’t left in the dust and saves the most skilled students from boredom. In the DMR (Designated Marksman Rifle) and Carbine Gunfighter Program courses, Glover helps students set up their equipment and shows them how to zero their rifle.

“Since there’s no standardization for establishing zero, a student might show up to a class assuming that having shot a watermelon at a particular distance is good enough,” said Glover. Having students zero their rifles under Glover’s tutelage ensures consistency and eliminates a slew of potential problems. Glover’s co-instructor, Greg Lapin, is a 20-year veteran of law enforcement and government special ops. He’s also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt and Fieldcraft Survival’s head BJJ professor. Glover and Lapin personally teach every course, with the assistance of other Fieldcraft Survival instructors.

A three-to-one student-to-instructor ratio is almost unheard of, but that’s standard for a Gunfighter Program course. Class size is capped at 12 students, so there’s plenty of individual instruction. The goal of attending a training course should be to improve, but that’s easier said than done when you’re just one of many on a crowded firing line.

Capping the class size speaks to Glover’s commitment to providing the best training experience possible. He could fill classes with two or three times as many students, but how much would they really learn with Glover and his instructor’s attention spread so thin? As you might expect, there are prerequisites for the Gunfighter Program to ensure the students are set up for success. Once you have completed Fieldcraft Survival’s Pistol and Carbine courses, you are considered alumni and are eligible to enroll in a Gunfighter Program course to advance your skills.

According to BCM’s founder and owner, Paul Buffoni, “When students arrive at Fieldcraft Survival’s Utah facility, all their equipment will be waiting for them.” For the DMR and Carbine courses, this includes a MK2 AR lower receiver with an RMS recoil mitigation system, a new M3 stock, as well as one of three upper receivers. There’s a 16-inch, 14.5-inch, and an 11.5-inch upper receiver for a SBR or AR pistol. All are Cerakoted with a unique color and serialized based on the student’s roster number in the class. These are only available from Fieldcraft Survival’s Gunfighter Program.

The lower receiver features the Fieldcraft Survival logo, making it an excellent keepsake. But the real benefit is taking your firearms and accessories home, where you can continue to practice what you were taught during the course. Since students can’t be expected to master new skills in three days, maintenance training is a must. Buffoni said BCM and other companies who provide accessories for the Gunfighter Program do so at a discount to keep student costs down. BCM benefits from the exposure and feedback provided by Glover and crew.

“Glover is not compensated by BCM, but he’s been affiliated with us for about a decade as a member of our American Gunfighter cadre,” said Buffoni. “The training he and his company provide is critical for the American public to experience.” When asked why he chose to partner with BCM for the Gunfighter Program, Glover said, “Reliability, repeatability, and durability.” He stressed that BCM rifles are combat tested and that after running them for over a decade and having several in his classes, the only malfunctions he’s seen have been user-induced.

Speaking of creating malfunctions, Glover mentioned that one of the most common errors he sees in class is for a student to insert a fully loaded magazine into their rifle with the bolt forward. To remedy this, he teaches administrative loading with the bolt open. This exemplifies the foundational skills that Glover addresses to ensure consistency and to maximize student success.

Regarding the three upper receivers included with the Gunfighter Program, Glover stressed the importance of having the right tool for the task at hand. The 16-inch-barreled upper fills the bill as a DMR and is ideal for long-range shooting. Its stainless barrel and tight tolerances maximize the competency of that weapon system. It features a BCM MCMR-15 handguard, MK2 charging handle, and a 556 Mod 2 flash hider. It’s topped with a Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8x24 scope. A Harris bipod provides a stable platform for increased accuracy at a distance.

The mid-length upper, with its 14.5-inch barrel, serves as an all-purpose carbine. It sports a BCM MCMR-13 handguard, MCMR rail covers, a sling mount, a Mod 3 vertical foregrip, and MK2 charging handle. Your signature is minimized by a permanently mounted SureFire WARCOMP flash hider. It’s equipped with a Streamlight ProTac light for low-light deployment. For intuitive aiming, the middy wears a Vortex AMG UH-1 Gen II holographic sight. An Umbris Designs chest rig is also included.

The 11.5-inch-barreled upper is the perfect choice for CQB. The short barrel makes for a wieldy firearm, allowing you to quickly snap the muzzle up to the target. Its compact, lightweight design also makes it easy to transition from one target to the next without swinging past. It features a BCM MCMR-10 handguard, MCMR rail covers, a sling mount, a Mod 3 vertical grip, and a MK2 charging handle. Like the mid-length upper receiver, it sports a SureFire WARCOMP flash hider. A Unity mount secures an Aimpoint Micro T-2 to the receiver for rapid target acquisition. Regardless of the upper receiver you’re using, a Ferro Concepts “Slingster” sling enables you to free up both hands and aids in transitioning from carbine to pistol.

For the Gunfighter Program Pistol course, students are given a Glock 47 topped with a Vortex Defender red-dot sight. When not in hand, your Glock will be housed in an Umbris Designs belt holster. You’ll also receive magazine baseplates, magazine pouches, and a dump pouch. An all-inclusive training experience like Fieldcraft Survival’s Gunfighter Program makes a ton of sense. The participants start out with quality equipment they are taught to set up and use properly. During the course, they receive elite-level training with plenty of individualized attention. After the course, the student takes all their equipment home where they can maintain and hopefully improve their skills.

Gunfighter Program courses are two and a half days. They can be attended in any order. Four courses for Pistol, Carbine, and DMR will be offered. Each course costs between $3,000 to $6,000, but that includes lodging, meals, firearms, magazines, ammunition, and gear. Visit 
fieldcraftsurvival.com for more information.

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