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I just took my first ever formal handgun training with the guys over at KR Training (Manheim, TX). I can't say enough good things about these guys and the classes they ran for us today.

I've had my CHL training, safe handling instruction from when I was a kid, and some plinking time with my dad (again, when I was a kid); but I've never had formal training on a handgun. The Army made sure I knew how to use an M16, but they never bothered with a pistol. I took the Basic Pistol 2 and Defensive Pistol Skills 1 (DPS1) courses today. The instructors were Karl, Tom, John, and Joe. Above all else, these guys run a safe course but still ask you to do a lot of stuff that would get you thrown off most public ranges.

The BP2 course was great. Even though I was one of the only people in the class who already had my CHL, there was still a good bit I picked up from the classroom session. The real benefit to me was the teaching and application of the fundamentals of stance, grip, sight picture, and trigger pull. They did a great job of walking you through these things step by step. My accuracy and consistency improved almost immediately when they got me putting everything in the right place. This improvement carried over into the afternoon course (DPS1). If you've never had any formal training with a pistol, I highly recommend attending this course; even if you already have your CHL.

The second course (DPS1) was just a lot of fun! In this course, you learn proper technique for safe drawing, drawing from concealment, moving and then shooting, shooting from retention, and a host of other skills. This course was more intense than BP2. The pace was faster, there was a lot more ammo going down range, and the students were asked to do a lot more with their weapons. While a few of us had the usual malfunctions and brain-farts, the instructors kept everyone behaving in a safe manner. We'd stop frequently and use those as teachable moments. I didn't think the instructors were hard on anyone even though some of us probably deserved some more colorful language and guidance.

As I said, I can't recommend these guys enough. If you're around Austin then they are a no-brainer. I will definitely be taking more training from them in the near future!