WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016   ■   INDUSTRY

Gunsite Academy to Celebrate 40th Anniversary October 1

CHINO VALLEY, AZ - Gunsite Academy, the worlds oldest continually operating firearms training school, is celebrating its 40th anniversary on October 1, 2016.

Founded by the late Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper and his wife Janelle, the first course was offered in late September 1976 at the then- "American Pistol Institute." Col. and Mrs. Cooper found the rolling hills and high desert of northern Arizona near Prescott to be the ideal location for their long dreamed-of shooting school. Beginning with two ranges and one live-fire shoot house on 160 acres, today Gunsite has grown to over 20 ranges and simulators scattered over 2,800 acres.

Current Gunsite owners Buz and Sonja Mills purchased the school in 1999 and embarked on a program of improvements including additional acreage, new ranges named after Medal of Honor recipients, upgraded roads and more.

Gunsite is known throughout the world for the finest and most realistic, real-world-based training. Classes offered include various levels of pistol, carbine, shotgun, general rifle and long-range rifle; hunting instruction, Close Quarters Battle (CQB), edged and impact weapon, "Citizen Response to Active Shooters" classes, Tactical Emergency Medicine and more. The school's faculty members are all world-class instructors and subject-matter experts from across the United States.

Training at Gunsite takes place on both traditional "square" ranges and specialized simulators and shoot houses. In the simulators, challenging asymmetrical indoor and outdoor environments, students must safely and successfully negotiate a variety of ever-changing tactical problems. In some courses, these simulators are also utilized at night to further test student skills and some advanced classes even include "force-on-force" engagements. Gunsite classes are also offered at select locations throughout the United States.

Gunsite graduates are a cross section of responsible firearms users, ranging from inexperienced shooters to members of the most elite military and law enforcement forces in the world. Many celebrities, such as Tom Selleck, and well-known world leaders are also among the ranks of Gunsite graduates.

To learn more about the facility, training courses or the Gunsite 40th Anniversary, please visit our web page athttp://www.gunsite.com.