If one were to take a look at the calendar of any national firearms training group, it is unlikely that Iowa would be found on the list. In the past, citizens of the Hawkeye state who wished to improve their shooting and firearm manipulation skills have been forced to travel across state lines to find high caliber (pun intended) trainers. However, this is no longer the case, and the training division at Controlled Chaos Arms is offering a level of training quality which often was unavailable without extensive travel. What follows is a review of the CCA Tactical Pistol I class.

CCA firearm classes are currently held at the Big Springs Range Complex in Searsboro, Iowa. The facility itself is owned by Brownells, Inc, a familiar name to sportsmen and firearms enthusiasts nationwide. The class utilized one of the two pistol bays, with targets consisting of traditional bullseye, IDPA, and steel silhouettes. The overall focus of the course was the effective deployment of a handgun on a target, along with teaching and developing the necessary skills to get the pistol back into the fight in the event of a failure.

The instructor cadre of CCA consists of Rick Largesse as Training Director and Keith Romp as Tactical Training Manager (note: I'm not exactly sure what that title means ). While details of their respective law enforcement credentials are available on the CCA website (http://www.controlledchaosarms.com/bios.html), it is worth noting that in addition to their law enforcement training and certifications, both men have attended training from highly regarded instructors such as Larry Vickers and Pat Mcnamara (among others).

Individual equipment used for the class was varied; both instructors used multiple Glocks in various calibers, with several of the students also using Glocks. At least two H&K models were present, as well as S&W M&P pistols and a Sig P226. Drop-leg retention rigs from various manufacturers were the holsters of choice for more than half the students, with belt holsters and even an IWB concealment rig making up the remainder. Being something of a minimalist, my equipment consisted of a heavily-used M&P9 pistol, a Blade-Tech belt holster on a Wilderness Instructor belt, Ready Tactical mag pouches, and a dump pouch from CSM Industries. This setup proved sufficient for me during the two days of class.

The class began with the expected briefing on rules and expectations, including a briefing on where to find medical equipment in the event of an injury, the location from where the emergency response vehicle would be deployed, and verbiage that would best communicate the nature of the situation to the 911 operator. Having attended classes where the emergency response plan did not factor in or include the students in any way, I felt that the briefing was much more effective in preparing the group as a whole for the possibility of a medical emergency. As the first step in preparing a group of strangers to use deadly weapons around each other, that briefing is vital in making sure everybody is “switched on” and aware of what is expected.

With the safety talk out of the way, we were out on the range by 0900. The initial exercises focused on pure accuracy with no speed requirements. Shooters were given a diagnostic/self-assessment by attempting to put five rounds into a 1-inch paster at the five yard line. This tested the sight alignment/trigger control fundamentals and provided a quick baseline for each shooter. As if to ward off any disgruntled protests that the gear was incapable of such accuracy, a 25-100 yard walkback drill soon followed, with every student making hits on an IDPA-sized steel silhouette at 80 yards and beyond. The lesson was well-received: the handgun platform is not mechanically limited to engagements inside of twenty-five yards.

Precision shooting continued to round out the morning with the students engaging NRA B-3 bullseye targets for score at 25 yards and closer. These exercises proved very challenging, especially when strong hand only and weak hand only portions were added. While I could put five rounds on a paster at close range, this longer range precision shooting revealed a weakness in my abilities which I resolved to supplement in my own practice.
After a break for lunch, the focus shifted to manipulation drills such as type I, II, and III malfunction clearances, firing multiple rounds, drawing from the holster, and various types of reloads. All of these exercises took place at the seven yard line with IDPA targets. CCA stresses accountability for every round fired, and any hit outside of the “-0” section (head box and center circle) was treated as a miss. Students were encouraged to use enough speed to take advantage of the entire scoring zone, but not let any rounds drift outside. This proved to be an effective way for each student to evaluate the pace at which they could go in order to push themselves and their abilities, but not go so fast that they would lose control. Movement drills were also introduced, such as basic turns and steps while drawing from the holster.

Day two was used to tie many of the individual skills from day one into strings and multi-part drills under time pressure. The instructors used varying methods to introduce stress into the drills, such as a shot timer or making the student verbally solve a math problem or tell a joke while waiting for the cue to begin the drill. One of the largest chained exercises involved clearing multiple malfunctions from multiple weapons while on the clock. All of these variations helped to keep the students focused and mentally engaged with the task at hand, and as the level of difficulty increased I noticed every student rise to the challenge and improve their individual performance. The day ended with everyone’s favorite post-class activity: the brass pickup call. The class photo was taken, certificates were handed out, and everyone drove home with full brains and tired trigger fingers. I personally fired almost exactly 900 rounds over the two days of class.

Personal observations: It is no secret that intensive multi-day classes can be an eye-opener regarding gear selection, and this class was no exception. More than student began the day using a pistol with a combination safety/decocker, but after several hours discovered that the controls were very difficult to manipulate while wearing gloves or under time pressure; at least one student switched to a different model part way through the course. Another student discovered that without practice in disengaging the lock, a retention holster is very good at keeping a pistol in the holster even when he really wanted it to come out. While performing a double-feed malfunction drill, the baseplate of my magazine came off and left the body of the magazine in the grip, requiring a little extra effort on my part to finish the drill and a careful inspection of my magazines after the class.

Overall impressions: I appreciated the instructors’ ability to teach every shooter at their own individual skill level and help each shooter improve. While the blocks of instruction were presented to the class as a whole, individual attention was consistent throughout the course, and each student received instruction that helped improve their performance during each drill. The instructors answered questions from their own experience as law enforcement officers and trainers or were able to source their answer from another reputable trainer with whom they had studied. All of their recommendations for “how” or “why” came back to the same objective, which was to get good hits and keep the gun in the fight in the shortest amount of time possible. The pace of the class was appropriate for the number of students in the course, and no one was “left behind” without being able to perform a task or drill successfully.

What could be improved? After having some time to reflect, I think the class could benefit from some “take home” material. For many students, this class was the first time they had been timed on draws, malfunction clearances, ect. I think if those times were recorded and given to the student at the end of the course, they would have that hard data to take home as a reference for their own development using a timer or smart phone app.

My opinion of Controlled Chaos Arms is that it offers high-quality instruction at a reasonable cost from knowledgeable and experienced instructors. If you’re looking to improve your own abilities and be challenged towards becoming more proficient with your firearms, CCA is an excellent choice.

About the author: A friend invited me to a pistol match at the Central Iowa Practical Shooters in 2008, and I have been hooked on competitive shooting ever since. My previous training experiences include Paul Howe (CSAT), Dwight Stearns (Aegis Tactical), the US Shooting Academy, and Pat Rogers (EAG Tactical).

Thanks for the feedback Lane.  I had a blast teaching this one and look forward to seeing you in future courses.