Previously I had posted a thread asking if anyone had attended the TDI Ohio Snubby Revolver Course in West Union, Ohio. One member, RASMITH3442, posted that he had attended many courses at TDI Ohio and that I would not be disappointed.

I just returned from a Thursday and Friday, 2 day Snubby Course there and I am glad I took the advice because I was not disappointed.

The first morning of the class you spent an hour in the classroom at TDI meeting the staff and other attendees. I was impressed with the variety of students, from the retired police SGT from a major department to the average concealed carry holder who was just looking for some good training on their carry weapon of choice.

I found it to be a good sign that the majority of the folks in attendance, and there was 13 of us in the class, had attended classes at TDI previously. That, to me, spoke volumes of the training staff that people continued to return to the facility for a variety of training opportunities. One of the attendees in the class had been attending classes there for 20 years.

I was also able to meet fellow forum member, JEEPS, there and that was a pleasure as he is a stand up guy. It was nice to get a chance to speak with him and his friend that came to training with him about their life experiences and love of shooting. In retrospect I probably should have taken more time to get to know both gentleman because I believe there was a wealth of fascinating stories I missed out on. The ones I didn't miss out on were well worth the price of admission.

After introductions there was an introduction of types of snubby revolvers, holsters, reloading methods and of course the safety rules for the range facilities. The classroom was nice and had kitchen facilities so you could bring your lunch, etc... to class for the day.

Once that was done it was off to the pistol range for some basic shooting drills. The original drills were designed to gauge your skill level with the snubby and give them an opportunity to evaluate the students.

Reloading was emphasized as well at this time because compared to the semi-auto reloading the revolver is a drill that you can never practice enough. I, of course, had the same issues that I have with reloading my semi-auto and that is keeping the gun up in my working space while I reload. This was emphasized and some techniques were shown to make this easier to master. It was something that was driven home repeatedly and I am glad it was because eventually I caught myself when I got lazy and self corrected the problem.

The draw and reload was really up to the student. I chose to draw my 640 PRO from concealment each time I deployed it because I believed I would get the most out of the training that way. Others chose to carry their weapon in a non concealed manner. On the reloads I used both speed loaders and speed strips the first day to get the feel for things. By the second day I had decided to dedicate all my time to the speed strip because that is mostly what I carry and it was an area where I needed the most work.

You did not let your gun run dry there was the mantra and my basic goal. If I fired my rounds I made sure that I had enough for a reload prior to stepping off the line. I did not want to have an empty revolver and it was emphasized that an empty weapon is nothing more than a club as well as keeping the revolver topped off.

During the course of the two days we worked on, and worked on some more, drawing the revolver in the manner that you can fire as soon as you bring the weapon up on line. Of course the draw was emphasized to be brought up to the chest and then punch out as you roll the trigger while going to the full shooting position to fire the round. In a critical situation this will allow you to break the shot sooner if need be and still be on target.

This is something that I always need work on and have developed some bad habits over the years. The owner of TDI, Mr. Benner, took the time to speak with me about this one on one and I truly appreciate it. He spent some time speaking with me to correct this. One thing I will do is consciously make an effort when I draw to remind myself of the importance of the presentation. This is something I have been reminded of during range drills before but the explanation this time actually stuck with me and instead of getting the explanation and then being done with range day I had a chance to continue working on it for a day.

During the two days we were able to work on presentation and shooting targets from various distances and positions. We were shown and allowed to practice shooting up close when a target presents itself up close to your front, right side and left side. These were techniques that I really had not thought about before nor had any instruction on. We practice turning to face the threat when we fire but not always is that practical or the fastest way to do things. The techniques shown gave you a better option that was quicker and just as accurate. Of course these were techniques for up close and personal but that is the primary use of the snubby revolver.

We also discussed and practiced drills for when you are out dinning with friends and family. There were tables and chairs set up and you would work with 1 to 3 other people to establish a way to communicate and respond if a threat presents itself in a place where you may be seated around a table. It also reinforced the importance of having a reaction plan if you are out with family and friends and you are the only one armed. It also showed some of the pitfalls of trying to draw your weapon when seated. All this was done in a safe monitored environment by the staff and was well done.

During the two days you also had a chance to run some movement drills. Here you got a chance to shoot at steel while on the move and it is something that you don't get a chance to do on most stationary ranges. Good training because for those that have practiced shooting on the move it is not as easy as the movies make it appear.

We also were able to make runs through the shoot house. Here you were able to do a house clearing drill with hostage, shoot and don't shoot targets. Good training for the average person because you never know when you will hear that bump in the night and have to clear your residence.

Overall a great two days of training and being around some folks who enjoy shooting the snubby revolver. The class called for 700 rounds of ammunition and I went through about 640 or so. I could have fired the entire 700 but was trying to conserve toward the end because I wasn't sure what else they had planned for us to do.

I brought my 640 PRO and a Lobo Enhanced Pancake for the course and that was a great choice. After spending that much time with the 640 I believe it will become my J Frame of choice going forward. Great platform and very accurate. Like one of the instructors told me that is why you paid extra for those sights and then I promptly reminded myself and him that the key is remembering to use them!

Some of the students brought 442/642 platforms and the number of rounds fired took their toll on the hands and fingers. Many of them had tape and bandages over blisters by the time we were done. I was impressed with the dedication to their chosen platform each of them had. Despite an offer of letting them use an extra 640 I had brought, in case of a malfunction, the users of the airweights stuck with their guns and soldiered on.

I also witnessed, for the first time, revolvers malfunctioning to a level that would have taken them out of a fight. One issue was in a weapon seizing up, eventually believed to be a lack of lubricant and aluminum shavings that had caused the problem. The other was a thumb latch screw backing out and making the weapon a not so effective club. Both problems were expertly fixed by staff and back into the training but it did open my eyes of the possibility of a revolver not being 100% reliable and that things can go wrong. It also emphasized the importance of ongoing maintenance of your firearms regardless of what you may carry.

Sorry for this being a little lengthy but to close out if you get the chance to attend the Snubby Training Class at TDI take it. I have never really attended formal training of this nature before and it was money well spent. They only offer the class once a year but they have many other offerings in the self defense area.

In fact I would not hesitate to recommend any of the classes at TDI. The staff was great and the facilities (and I didn't even see much of the property) were top notch.

As an added bonus while in West Union I dropped off my Shield and a Glock 43 with David Bowie of Bowie Tactical. Great guy to meet and I can't wait to see the magic he works on them. Once I get them returned I may have to look into the Level 1-3 Handgun Course at TDI to put them through their paces.

TDI was great and a real value in the training world.

Thanks to Mr. Benner, John, Forrest and Wyatt for a great 2 days of learning!