This is gonna be a bit long winded, but hopefully it helps people make an informed decision.
I've attended other shooting classes before. There was nothing wrong with those instructors. They were all just as friendly and accommodating as the staff at AS. There was also nothing wrong with the content that I was taught at those classes either. In fact, between NRA curriculum based shooting classes and the Carbine 1 class I took at AS, there was a decent amount of overlap.
The point I'm getting at is that whereas a basic pistol class or a basic rifle class is great for establishing fundamentals, very few people in the world have the experience to help a person become proficient with the little tricks and lessons that can only be gained through work experience. After all, if the textbook way worked in life all the time, then why is there a "street" way to do things.
More importantly, you're not just paying for a class, you're paying for a coach who can spot your mistakes and correct you. In the world of shooting, spotting a mistake early can save you 100's of dollars in ammo. If you're into buying all that fancy stuff for your AR 15, these guys will also tell you what works and why. Take my word for it when I say that will also save you 100s of dollars.
For example if you google a magazine coupler. (it basically holds your mags side by side so you can do a faster reload.) It costs about $20 bucks. The instructors I had said you can do the same thing with spent shell cases and duct tape which basically = free. Magpul ranger plates which also cost about $20, the instructors said you can make those using paracord and duct tape. Again, basically = free. Not just that, but having their expertise helps you pick equipment that WORKS. One couple found out that their magazines were causing issues in their weapons.
The instructors are very hands on. They want you to shoot. They are also very supportive and encourage students to grow and develop their skill set. It creates a positive learning environment and when they spot a fault, they don't single out one person but address it as something they saw in the group. So if you're afraid of criticism, don't be because they give it to you constructively.
Even though I myself pay the LEO/Military membership rates, even for the full priced rates, I think that that's actually dirt F$%^#@#% cheap for what you save in the long run. I will give this word of caution on the membership rates. For most people, you're probably better off getting the mid tier of 2 classes and 2 apps classes per month. I think it's the silver level membership. Or you could go for the bronze membership of 1 class and 1 app per month. I'm only saying this because the true expense of attending all these classes is actually the ammo you have to buy. I mean when you're burning through a few hundred pistol rounds and/or rifle rounds a class, the costs add up QUICK. That said, they don't allow steel cased ammo on the range, so you can't save a buck that way.
Now if you decide to watch some of the youtube videos that showcase AS's abilities, I want you guys to keep in mind that compared to other companies that AS's videos may not be as "flashy" or "entertaining", but don't take the flashiness as a correlation to the actual skill level of the instructors demonstrating. I know that sounds counter to what you'd expect of people who are well trained and well rehearsed on tactics, but hear me out. The people at AS are working in a way in their demonstration videos that can be best described as a blend of safety, proper tactics, and proper adjustment of tactics to a chaotic situations that prevent such things. To do that in a smooth and relatively fast manner is much more difficult than people realize.
At the end of the day, these guys know what they're doing. They trained for it at one point in their lives. They used it at one point in their lives. They've refined those skills throughout their lives. they are all essentially quiet professionals. They don't need to advertise like other companies because they do the job right and they let the results speak for themselves. AS is one of those companies that's not widely known because the clientele that they attract is a relatively small circle. Their facility is a DoD (department of defense) facility if that says anything about their reputation. Hell, they even had an offroad vehicle course that had almost the same layout as the one I trained on for the military.
Then again, if you folks choose not to go with Assymetric Solutions, just make sure to do research on the company you do choose to use. Otherwise, you might end up with these guys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bm3GgDxPOM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX6GKntzJbs read more
