Front Sight Firearms Training Institute
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Firearms Training |
| Founded | Bakersfield, California, U.S. (1996) |
| Founder | Ignatius Piazza |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Website | FrontSight.com |
Location
Front Sight Firearms Training Facility is on a 550 acre property between Las Vegas, Nevada and Pahrump Nevada in Nye County.
History
Front Sight Firearms Training Institute was founded in April of 1996, originally on a leased facility near Bakersfield, California by Dr. Ignatius Piazza[1]. There were ten students in the first course. Since inception, it has been open to private citizens and law enforcement/military. It has continued to grow in the number of students every year since 1996. As of 2008, Front Sight's website claims that the institute trains "tens of thousands of students per year" [2].
In 1998, Front Sight purchased a larger property 45 minutes from Las Vegas, Nevada and 20 minutes from Pahrump, Nevada.[3] It continued to operate in both California and Nevada through 2002, then moved exclusively to the Front Sight, Nevada location.
Front Sight Firearms Training Institute is also the place where Mark Wahlberg trained in sniper shooting for the movie Shooter in 2006.
In March 2008 Front Sight received zoning, planning, and tentative map approval from the Nye County Planning Department and Nye County Commissioners for a destination hotel and interval ownership condominium development on their 550 acre facility[4]. From 2002 to 2005 Front Sight had approvals for a residential community, but an uncertified class action lawsuit[5] by less than 1% of the Front Sight membership was settled in 2007[6] and resulted in Front Sight development plans changing to a hotel and interval ownership condominium destination vacation resort.
Activism
Front Sight's purpose is to "restore the second amendment".[7]
Front Sight has, since 2002, supported the Federal Flight Deck Officer Program[8], offering gun training for pilots[9].
Front Sight has also made the news after several school shootings offering firearms training for teachers.[10] [11]. Front Sight offered free firearms training to three teachers per school.[12]
Front Sight is supported by the Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, and the Gun Owners of America. [13] Front Sight also is supported by the Friends of the NRA[14].
Facility
The Front Sight facility is on 550 acres and portions of the property are still under development. As of 2008 the facility includes a 6000 square foot classroom area, 12 shooting ranges, a rifle range, live fire simulators, underground training simulators, a SWAT tower, a pro shop, a gunsmithing facility and armory, a martial arts area and a secluded VIP training space.[15]
The targets used at Front Sight were invented by the founder, Ignatius Piazza.[16]
Training
The majority of Front Sight students come for firearms training, but there are other defense courses available.
- Training Types
Some of these classes are only available by invitation, or to those who have completed necessary prerequisite courses.
Courses
Courses are provided to participants after passing background checks in excess of Federal requirements. Among the firearms courses offered are handgun, shotgun, rifle and submachine gun. Most of these courses are broken up into one, two and four day classes. These are provided on a schedule, and advance registration is required.
Approximately 10% of people attending a course at Front Sight become lifetime members.
Students can bring their own guns or rent guns for the duration of their courses.
Memberships
Front Sight offers Lifetime Memberships with varying degrees of entitlement[18]. Most are available through the website, but some are only offered to those on the newsletter mailing list.
- Publicly available membership types
- Patriot Lifetime Membership
- Challenge Lifetime Membership
- Legacy Lifetime Membership
- Bronze Lifetime Membership
- Silver Lifetime Membership
- Diamond Lifetime Membership (all-inclusive)
These lifetime memberships usually include additional course certificates which allows a student to take their first course at Front Sight for free. The most common ways these certificates are used is:
- Given to family and friends,
- Raffled off in fundraisers,
- Donated to local law enforcement, NRA, etc.
- Sold.
Other Services
- Transcripts of much of the first time attendee's classes have been turned into "Gun Training Reports" that are available on the website without cost when joining the non-exclusive mailing list.
- "Dry Practice" manuals in ammunition-less home practice are available via the website. They are soft cover manuals with black and white photo illustrations.
- Semi-weekly newsletters through the general mailing list, with an initial period of daily gun training reports.
References
- ^ Web Archive Snapshot - Front Sight in Bakersfield
- ^ [1] Front Sight Promotion - >10,000 students.]Retrieved April 5, 2008.
- ^ A 'Sun City' for Gun Enthusiasts New York Times Article retrieved April 5, 2008.
- ^ Pahrump Valley Times Article - March 2008Retrieved April 5, 2008.]
- ^ Pahrump Valley Times ArticleRetrieved April 5, 2008.
- ^ Front Sight Litigation Retrieved May 3, 2007.
- ^ Survival Blog
- ^ FFDO Program
- ^ Centennial Journal Article - 120000 Pilots Still Not Armed in the Cockpit
- ^ Sierra Times Article
- ^ Cybercast News Article
- ^ Courier Press Article
- ^ Video - JPFO, GOA Support
- ^ Friends of the NRA Letter Retrieved April 15, 2008.
- ^ Original plans for Pahrump facility expansion Retrieved April 5, 2008.
- ^ Small Arms Review Article Retrieved April 5, 2008.
- ^ Kiddies With Carbines Forbes.com retrieved April 6, 2008.
- ^ Membership Types