Sig Academy in NH

spartus · October 10, 2004, 08:22 PM

Any one got any input on the sigacademy. a couple of buddies and i were thinking of takeing a course there or at S&W but Sig.

Phil306 · October 10, 2004, 08:53 PM

I've taken the High Performance Pistol Course at the Sig Academy. It was worth the travel from California there. I've never taken a course at SW, so I cannot compare the two. However, if I recall right, SW had some problems recently; meaning, they were working toward some sort of gun control or siding with gun control advocates. I may be off base, however it had something to do with that.

If you go to the Sig Academy, you won't be disappointed. At least I wasn't.

Thin The Herd

MK11 · October 11, 2004, 08:15 AM

I've taken several courses at Sig Academy but that was back when Bank Miller ran it. Since then a new crew has taken over and I think they closed the separate facility Sig had for training and they now run classes at the Sig headquarters.

My impressions at the time were that it was solid training at a reasonable price. If you're in the Northeast, I say it's definitely worth it.

M1911 · October 15, 2004, 05:40 PM

I took a couple classes several years back but the entire instructor staff has turned over since then, so I can't comment on the current staff.

knowledgegreen · October 16, 2004, 10:39 PM

I went through one of the pistol classes last year when Bank Miller ran the show, it was definitely worth the money spent. Our instructor then was Ben Kurata and Tim Connell. Tim is now the head of the Academy IIRC. If you do go to the Academy stay at Lamie's Inn, plenty of beer and good food!

templar333 · October 20, 2004, 10:07 PM

spartus, where are you located? 'Cos if you're on the West Coast, you have a good number of places you can go to. For starters, try ITTS and if you think you wanna jazz up your weapons handling skill, you can even try Matt Burkett in AZ. For combative pistol, I think Jeff Gonzales is outta AZ. Like I said, there are a good number of folks all over. However, if you're in the vicinity then I don't see why the SIG Academy shouldn't be a consideration.

Need to ask yourself as to what kinda training you're looking for? I've come to the point where I've separated the kinda training available in defense / combative, tactics OR skills development / weapons handling. Seen far too many folks who jump into defense, tactics, etc without a solid core in weapons handling.

Phil306, a quick update for you......that S&W thing is a truly a thing of the past. The folks at S&W have been out there busting their chops to support the shooting sports this year. They've put in money and donations to almost every single state event I've been to. Not only that, they've been getting out themselves and shooting some of these events. It's a long story about what happened a couple of years ago and I'm sure you can find tons of info on the forums.

That said, as for their training, unfortunately I have no experience with that

Telperion · October 21, 2004, 10:34 AM

I trained there last year, travelling from California. I have family close by in NH, so it made the trip convenient. It was excellent training and they had great facilities. Still, it was pretty expensive. I know they change staff a lot but I didn't hear about them moving back to Sig's main facilities. It seems the high-profile trainer-operator types have a tendency jump ship a lot.

DT Guy · October 21, 2004, 07:43 PM

I have nothing against the SIG Academy-their reputation is very good. But if you get the chance to train with Matt Burkett, by all means jump at it. There's something to be said about personal instruction from a GrandMaster, and Burkett can TEACH as well as he can shoot, which is a rarity.

Larry

M1911 · October 21, 2004, 08:12 PM

Quote:

However, if I recall right, SW had some problems recently; meaning, they were working toward some sort of gun control or siding with gun control advocates. I may be off base, however it had something to do with that.

IMHO, you are way off base. Under previous ownership, S&W signed a consent decree with Clinton administration. S&W, like many manufacturers, was being bled dry by lawsuits from cities and states. They settled with attorney general to avoid yet another lawsuit. Many folks, including me, were not happy with their actions.

That, however, was done by the previous owners. S&W has since been sold and the management team has turned over.

If you are going to boycott a company (and advocate that others do the same), I suggest that you do some research, so that you know what you are boycotting...

DT Guy · October 23, 2004, 08:39 AM

I was under the impression that the current president or chairman of S+W is a felon, and couldn't legally own a gun?

I admit I'm not clear on the details, and would welcome a clarification or correction.

Larry

spartus · October 26, 2004, 06:27 PM

I'm in manchester, nh which is about a 30 min drive to sig. so its really convienent

M1911 · October 27, 2004, 03:33 PM

Quote:

I was under the impression that the current president or chairman of S+W is a felon, and couldn't legally own a gun?

And once that hit the press, he resigned very quickly. Google is your friend:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...=Google+Search

From that search, I quickly found this:

http://www.qctimes.com/internal.php?...s&c=31,1024933

which reads, in part,

Quote:

Smith & Wesson’s parent company named a new chairman Friday to replace James Joseph Minder, who resigned after it was revealed that he had been convicted of a string of armed robberies and a prison escape in the 1950s and 1960s.

DT Guy · October 27, 2004, 07:59 PM

Well, Google is more of an acquaintance...LOL.

Thanks for the clarification, M1911.

Is it just me, or is it astounding that a corporation the size of S&W that is in the business of MAKING FIREARMS would overlook something like that.

Larry

Jeff22 · November 13, 2004, 07:35 AM

I took a SigArms Academy class in Illinois in April of 2004.

I didn't get a graduation certificate until late July. This was after multiple phone calls and emails and several letters sent through the US Mail.

Several other attendees from that class had the same problem, although nobody had to wait that long for a certificate.

The instructor was Stefan "Stef" Theodore, and he was competent and a good instructor and did a good job. Unfortunately, the administration at the Sig Academy is in flux and doesn't seem to know what they're doing. Apparently there has been a lot of confusion and disorganization since Bank Miller left to take a job at Action Target.

They might be more organized if you take a class at their facility, but their off site training seems to be in considerable disarray right now.

Wes Doss · December 2, 2004, 07:52 PM

Guys, this is from a former staff instructor at the Sig academy.

Yes, currently in flux (more like a civil war). Bank had an uphill battle when he was running it and when they let him go, it all went down hill.

I have heard that they are trying to get it up and running again, but the majority of there "talent" is local to the academy, so view points and experience levels can be a little weak.

When I was there, otside of Bank, I was the only instructor with real world experience.

as always, regardless of who's training you buy, "buyer beware", do your research and spend your hard earned money wisely.

Take care

Wes Doss
President & General Operating Manager
Khyber Interactive Associates, LLC

www.khybertraining.com

"Training Warriors to Win"

October 10, 2004, 08:22 PM	#1
spartus Junior Member Join Date: August 25, 2004 Posts: 11	Sig Academy in NH Any one got any input on the sigacademy. a couple of buddies and i were thinking of takeing a course there or at S&W but Sig.

October 10, 2004, 08:53 PM	#2
Phil306 Member Join Date: May 24, 2004 Location: Dublin, California Posts: 76	I've taken the High Performance Pistol Course at the Sig Academy. It was worth the travel from California there. I've never taken a course at SW, so I cannot compare the two. However, if I recall right, SW had some problems recently; meaning, they were working toward some sort of gun control or siding with gun control advocates. I may be off base, however it had something to do with that. If you go to the Sig Academy, you won't be disappointed. At least I wasn't. Thin The Herd __________________ "You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life." Sir Winston Churchill

October 20, 2004, 10:07 PM	#6
templar333 Member Join Date: October 13, 2001 Location: NoVA Posts: 72	spartus, where are you located? 'Cos if you're on the West Coast, you have a good number of places you can go to. For starters, try ITTS and if you think you wanna jazz up your weapons handling skill, you can even try Matt Burkett in AZ. For combative pistol, I think Jeff Gonzales is outta AZ. Like I said, there are a good number of folks all over. However, if you're in the vicinity then I don't see why the SIG Academy shouldn't be a consideration. Need to ask yourself as to what kinda training you're looking for? I've come to the point where I've separated the kinda training available in defense / combative, tactics OR skills development / weapons handling. Seen far too many folks who jump into defense, tactics, etc without a solid core in weapons handling. Phil306, a quick update for you......that S&W thing is a truly a thing of the past. The folks at S&W have been out there busting their chops to support the shooting sports this year. They've put in money and donations to almost every single state event I've been to. Not only that, they've been getting out themselves and shooting some of these events. It's a long story about what happened a couple of years ago and I'm sure you can find tons of info on the forums. That said, as for their training, unfortunately I have no experience with that __________________ Helmie Ashiblie i-SHOT Shooting Sports www.ishot-inc.com S.E.R.T. System www.sertsystem.com Last edited by templar333; October 21, 2004 at 09:40 AM.

October 21, 2004, 07:43 PM	#8
DT Guy Senior Member Join Date: February 4, 2001 Posts: 959	I have nothing against the SIG Academy-their reputation is very good. But if you get the chance to train with Matt Burkett, by all means jump at it. There's something to be said about personal instruction from a GrandMaster, and Burkett can TEACH as well as he can shoot, which is a rarity. Larry __________________ He who fights and runs away had better run pretty damn fast. Government, Anarchy and Chaos

October 23, 2004, 08:39 AM	#10
DT Guy Senior Member Join Date: February 4, 2001 Posts: 959	I was under the impression that the current president or chairman of S+W is a felon, and couldn't legally own a gun? I admit I'm not clear on the details, and would welcome a clarification or correction. Larry __________________ He who fights and runs away had better run pretty damn fast. Government, Anarchy and Chaos

October 11, 2004, 08:15 AM	#3
MK11 Senior Member Join Date: April 26, 2001 Posts: 577	I've taken several courses at Sig Academy but that was back when Bank Miller ran it. Since then a new crew has taken over and I think they closed the separate facility Sig had for training and they now run classes at the Sig headquarters. My impressions at the time were that it was solid training at a reasonable price. If you're in the Northeast, I say it's definitely worth it.

October 15, 2004, 05:40 PM	#4
M1911 Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 2000 Posts: 4,055	I took a couple classes several years back but the entire instructor staff has turned over since then, so I can't comment on the current staff.

October 16, 2004, 10:39 PM	#5
knowledgegreen Member Join Date: November 4, 2001 Posts: 34	I went through one of the pistol classes last year when Bank Miller ran the show, it was definitely worth the money spent. Our instructor then was Ben Kurata and Tim Connell. Tim is now the head of the Academy IIRC. If you do go to the Academy stay at Lamie's Inn, plenty of beer and good food!

October 21, 2004, 10:34 AM	#7
Telperion Member Join Date: May 17, 2004 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 38	I trained there last year, travelling from California. I have family close by in NH, so it made the trip convenient. It was excellent training and they had great facilities. Still, it was pretty expensive. I know they change staff a lot but I didn't hear about them moving back to Sig's main facilities. It seems the high-profile trainer-operator types have a tendency jump ship a lot.

October 26, 2004, 06:27 PM	#11
spartus Junior Member Join Date: August 25, 2004 Posts: 11	I'm in manchester, nh which is about a 30 min drive to sig. so its really convienent

October 27, 2004, 07:59 PM	#13
DT Guy Senior Member Join Date: February 4, 2001 Posts: 959	Well, Google is more of an acquaintance...LOL. Thanks for the clarification, M1911. Is it just me, or is it astounding that a corporation the size of S&W that is in the business of MAKING FIREARMS would overlook something like that. Larry __________________ He who fights and runs away had better run pretty damn fast. Government, Anarchy and Chaos

November 13, 2004, 07:35 AM	#14
Jeff22 Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2004 Location: Madison, Wisconsin Posts: 715	SigArms Academy I took a SigArms Academy class in Illinois in April of 2004. I didn't get a graduation certificate until late July. This was after multiple phone calls and emails and several letters sent through the US Mail. Several other attendees from that class had the same problem, although nobody had to wait that long for a certificate. The instructor was Stefan "Stef" Theodore, and he was competent and a good instructor and did a good job. Unfortunately, the administration at the Sig Academy is in flux and doesn't seem to know what they're doing. Apparently there has been a lot of confusion and disorganization since Bank Miller left to take a job at Action Target. They might be more organized if you take a class at their facility, but their off site training seems to be in considerable disarray right now.

December 2, 2004, 07:52 PM	#15
Wes Doss Junior Member Join Date: December 2, 2004 Location: Arizona's west coast Posts: 2	Former Sig employee Guys, this is from a former staff instructor at the Sig academy. Yes, currently in flux (more like a civil war). Bank had an uphill battle when he was running it and when they let him go, it all went down hill. I have heard that they are trying to get it up and running again, but the majority of there "talent" is local to the academy, so view points and experience levels can be a little weak. When I was there, otside of Bank, I was the only instructor with real world experience. as always, regardless of who's training you buy, "buyer beware", do your research and spend your hard earned money wisely. Take care Wes Doss President & General Operating Manager Khyber Interactive Associates, LLC www.khybertraining.com "Training Warriors to Win"