My wife is getting me for part of my Christmas present a Tactical Rifle/Carbine class in Jan given by Andy Stanford (Options for Personal Security) here in Baton Rouge.  Since this is the first formal firearms training I’ve attended, except for the limited training I received in the Navy; I am looking for any advice anyone can give me.  What do I need to bring? Any gear that is good to have? What can I do to be ready?  I will be using a Colt AR15 in an M4 configuration and the only aftermarket accessory I have on it is a Surefire Millennium Lighted Fore end.  I don’t want to put a lot of “junk” on my rifle before the class.  I just want to make sure I can get the most that I can from the class.  Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

BP

You can learn alot at these classes, and have some real fun at the same time.

Comfortable clothes that you can kneel, and sqwat in.

If the class dose not involve any low light training, pull the bezzel, and batteries out of your HG, and put the plug in.

Knee and elbow pads are a must. You'll be doing alot of in, and out of prone and kneeling positions.

Some tactical gloves would be nice sence you use your palm while getting into the prone position.

Must have a sling on your rifle.

If you have 20rnd. mags, bring those instead of 30's.

Electronic ear protection is great for hearing commands clearly on the line. If you don't have any, but know someone that dose, see if you could barrow them.

Take a small container of CLP that you can squert into the action if your rifle starts runing rough.

Bring some kind of power bar to snack on during a break in the action.

Hope this helps. Have a great time !

More ideas.

Be sure to bring a belt with mag pouches, and if you can find one of those large mountian climbing rope C hooks ( can't think of the name now ) that has a spring loaded open and close door, put it on the back of your belt. It will come in handy for holding your ear protection when your not using it. Don't go with plugs ! You'll be putting them in and out of your pockets and not be able to find them when you need them. I could'nt find my plugs once and had six guys on my left, and eight on my right unload 32rnd UZI mags on full auto. ( including myself ) Thank God it was only 9mm.

Sight your rifle in ahead of time at a 50-200. I'm sure they will have a sight in period at the begining of the class, but while others are making adjustments, you'll be getting in more shooting time.

The key to doing well, is focusing on what the instructors are teaching.

                      Have fun,
                                  KZ

Have you got any more information on this place or a webiste etc? I am in BR and very interested.

Thanks.

Look [url=http://www.optionsforpersonalsecurity.com/] here[/url]

Best is to check with the instructor teaching the class if possible, on his recommendations as to what you will/wont need. Then go from there with anything addittional you feel you might need/want.

Bring every magazine you have.  I've seen guys take classes with only the required number of magazines, and it isn't pretty.  Having loaded magazines available will give you more time to relax between drills, and you'll enjoy the class a lot more.

The other guys, especially KZ45, have given you some great advice.  I’ll try to add just a few things from my experiences.  

Kneepads, as recommended, are a must-have item.  Elbow pads are optional, depending on the drills you’ll be doing.

A good tactical sling that allows you to position the rifle downward (pointed at the ground) is another must-have item.  A sling that allows you to transition to your weak shoulder might be of added benefit.

Only use good quality magazines and good quality ammo. The classes I’ve taken all used 30-round mags.  Your class might be different. Get a LULA for quick re-loading or use stripper clips.

Make sure your rifle is zeroed before the class.  Make sure it is clean and fully functional before the class.  Bring a cleaning kit and maintain that rifle during breaks.  Most guys will stuff their face with a sandwich during the breaks.  Take the time to check your kit first.  Having spare parts is not a bad idea.  In my case I brought a spare rifle.  [:D]

Bring water.  Have some water on your rig so you can hydrate in the field.  If you have a camelback, use it.  If not, canteens are fine and they are cheap.  Power bars, as suggested, are a great idea.

I echo the comments about comfortable clothing.  I usually wear BDUs (basic black and khaki [;)]) and leave the cargo pockets open so I can drop empty mags in them.  You will need a place to drop your empty mags.  Comfortable boots and some spare socks are a great idea.  Keep your feet dry and comfortable and you won’t become fatigued as quickly.

Put together your web gear now and make sure it is balanced.  If you don’t already have any web gear, don’t spend a huge chunk of change of a high-dollar vest just yet.  A basic H-harness and padded web belt will do just fine.  Get a couple of mags pouches and canteens.  Make sure everything is balanced.  (Yes, I said it again.)  Best thing to do is put your gear together and move around in it to see if it’s balanced okay.  I did 2 and 3 mile aerobics videos in all my gear (even with my unloaded rifle) for two months before the first class I took.  My wife got a big laugh out of it, but it really helped me decide what worked and what didn’t.

To be honest, I’ve seen guys just stick mags in the back pocket of their jeans.  It depends on the drills you’ll be doing.
 
A pen and notebook (the small pocket-sized kind) aren’t a bad idea to take some notes.

Great idea to avoid ear plus; use muffs instead.  But, if you have some earplugs and you do NOT have a gapper on your rifle, bring one earplug with you.  It WILL end up in that gap between the pistol grip and the trigger guard.

Just relax and have a good time.  Take your time at first and get your hits.  Speed will come later.

Enjoy!

Some tips & ideas I found useful (besides the many excellent ones already presented):

1) Bring an open mind and do what the instructor asks of you.  You may learn some techniques/ideas that contradict your military training.  Try the new way you may find you like it - or you might find its more appriate for a lone citizen rather than the military technique which is meant for a soldier in a squad.

2) Ditto on the Knee and Elbow pads - Get Alta's with the buckle for the Knee pads (see Brad at Lightfighter.com).  Order them NOW!

3) Load all your magazines the night before.  I carried mine in a USGI .30 cal ammo can that I put a strap on (like a long sling).  That way I could easily carry the can to the firing line and have all the ammo I needed.  While other guys were loading magazines during breaks, I just pulled out fresh mags and relaxed. I brought enough magazines to load just over 300 rounds.

4) Forget the web-gear unless you plan on using it often or its part of your duty gear.  I found the magazine belt pouch from The Wilderness to be easier to use and more realistic for a citizen (or patrol officer).

5) If your course has a low light component also bring along a handheld flashlight like the G2 or G2Z in addition to your weapon mounted light.

6) Spare batteries (for sights & light - and a spare bulb for the light)

7) Spare rifle is also nice to have, at a minimum you'll want a spare bolt.

As was mentioned before clean & zero the rifle prior to the class.  Have a good time (I'm sure you will).

One last thing.  If you can take notes, so you can write up a nice review.  Send a copy to www.MD-AR15.com and I'll send you a copy of our CD-ROM with all kinds of AR-15 related goodies on it.

[url]http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=118&t=170544&w=searchPop[/url]

Thanks to everyone for their advice, and the Link!

Forest - No problem.  As soon as the class is over I'll write a review.  Maybe even post some pictures if I can.  It doesn't start till Jan 19th.  

BP

The most critical item to bring is an

[center][size=4][b]open mind[/b][/size=4][center]

Don't try to outhink the instructor, try it his way.

Make sure that your weapons [b]system[/b] is reliable or you'll waste a lot of time not learning while others are.

Your instructor should provide a "must have" and "nice to have" list with your packet.