September 10-11 of this year I had the privilege once again to attend the Adaptive Defensive Shooting Summit at Sig Sauer Academy.
A Great Big THANK YOU!
Before I get into telling you about all the fun I had, I want to thank everyone who works all year to make this happen. Trevor Baucom, Chad Barber and his wife, the staff at Sig Sauer, and all the volunteers make this event what it is. In fact right before we left to go home they were already planning next year, They had sponsors lined up, activities in the works, and are planning a much bigger event next year. I also want to thank the sponsors. The firearm industry really goes all out to make this event the best it can be. For the past 2 years, everyone who attended the event has received a free handgun from one of the many sponsors. This year I got the M&P Shield EZ 9 Performance Center model from Smith & Wesson, I am not saying that will continue if this thing gets huge but it is a testament to the amazing support that is given.
OK, let’s get into the fun times that were had by all.
Training Day
The first day each year is training and classifier day. We split into two groups. One group does first aid training and the other does shooting training.
First Aid Training
First aid training is all about stopping a wound from bleeding. Of course, we want to do everything as safely as possible but nothing goes perfect all the time. If a mistake is made it is good to know how to mitigate the problem as quickly as possible. We learned how to apply a tourniquet, how to pack a wound with quick clot gauze, and how to dress a surface wound. The staff at the academy are very knowledgeable which makes learning fun and interesting,
I attended adaptive training at the academy a few weeks before this event. At the training, I decided I would try shooting with one hand while stabilizing myself holding my wheelchair with the other. I also decided to purchase a new Sig Sauer P320 Max handgun that day hoping to be able to practice more. Unfortunately, I only got about 200 rounds through it before the competition.
Dry Fire Practice
During training, each person is given an instructor to work with. I had the honor of working with Keith Hutcheson. He helped me figure out various ways to improve my accuracy, my flinch, and made sure I was being safe. We started with dry fire practice just to get used to the various commands we would hear during the event. This also lets us get used to handling the firearm without the worry of recoil. This is something that gets in my head which is why I am going to work the next year to get past that issue.
Live Fire Practice
After dry fire practice, we went to live fire. We practiced various drills and scenarios that we would face in the competition. Ar the very end we did what is called a 5×5 classifier. This is how that works:
First string: At the start signal, draw and fire five rounds freestyle. (Freestyle means the shooter may use either hand or both hands to control the firearm.)
Second-string: At the signal, draw and fire five shots using only your strong hand.
Third-string: At the signal, draw and fire five rounds. Perform an emergency reload, and fire five more shots freestyle.
Per IDPA rules, an “emergency reload” is when the magazine and chamber are both empty. Therefore, your initial magazine for this string should only be loaded with five rounds.
Fourth string: At the signal, draw and fire four shots to the center of the target, then one shot to the head freestyle.
I did ok with this but I am still very slow. I also was just slightly low on my headshot. All things to work on over the next year.
Demo Tents
Also during the training day, the various firearm companies set up demos. We were able to try out around 30 guns of various types with all free ammo. I definitely took advantage of that. The best part of the demo was getting some pointers from Chris Cernio at the SCCY tent. I tried out one of his guns. He noticed my trigger pull was off and asked if he could put his finger on top of mine. I said sure why not. He pulled the trigger at the same time I did and voila. I instantly had the feeling of what a perfect trigger pull should be. I then went 12 in a row on the steel targets without a miss. That is what this event is all about learning and growing within the sport. There are experts at every tent and every stage. They are all willing to help.
ibot
Thanks to Mobius Mobility we also had the opportunity to try out the ibot wheelchair, This is a power chair that will walk up and downstairs. It will also lift the person to standing height for reaching things or just talking to someone at eye level. This thing is amazing, I tried it out after i was done demoing guns. I had the opportunity to really give it a good test, I went over rocks bigger than my fist, It went through gravel grass and just about every other surface, I was totally impressed, I even got to take it up and down the stairs of the motorhome, they arrived in. They also bought our lunches for the 2 days we were there. One of the many very generous companies that make this event awesome. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any pictures You can check it out here, Mobius Mobility
Competition Day
The following day we met at 7 am under the big tent for safety briefing and breakfast. The competition was on!
The competition day consisted of 10 stages. 4 outside and 6 inside. There were scenarios based on getting gas at a gas station, thanksgiving dinner, Christmas morning, and even shooting under black light and in very low light. The funny part is that the only string I ran perfectly was in the dark haha.
I cant wait to see what they have in store for us next year, I think it is going to be amazing,
Please Join Us
If you are a person with a disability and you don’t shoot but have wanted to try, I encourage you to come next year. You can borrow everything you need from Sig Sauer. If you do shoot but want to hang out with others who share the same passion please come. I have made so many friends in the past 2 years it’s unimaginable. I would compare this community to the rock climbing community. This is a group of people who share a common interest and are all in to help each other succeed. My friend Ed Clark introduced me to Jason Beam who happens to be a member of the Hollis Rod and Gun Club. He has offered to help me train over the next year. My goal is to break into the top 10 shooters of the event. 4 of the top 10 this year are all friends of mine who I will be shooting with also. I just want to get better at it and be a contender or as we say in Maine contendah.
Picture Credits go to my friends Stephen Pento and Joshua Benson
I want to thank the following sponsors for their support of this event:
Stephen Pento
Nice review Enock
Thomas Edison Dunham IV
It was a wonderful time, I was so excited to work with everyone and can’t wait to see everyone next year.