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This question was asked elsewhere re: someone getting ready for their first rifle class. Here is some helpful info-
A couple things gear related but no like your expecting-
A class isn't always the place to "try out" new things. Not directing this to you just in general. We have had guys show up with all kinds of jacked up ARs- one wouldn't even fit a Pmag in the well. First we thought "OK he did the usual 31 round BS" nope. Tried TWELVE Pmags and not a one of them fit in the magazine well- his, ours, other guys in class. Who TF brings a rifle that they haven't even ever put a magazine in??? Same with 80%, OK your upper might be BCM and this part might be decent, etc. but if you haven't shot the weapon a helluva lot and KNOW (not think, KNOW) it's very reliable then maybe bring a different rifle to class.
I have watched students not take this advice and they struggle trying to clear jams over and over. It's very often that some rifles don't make it past the FIRST DRILLS of the day. Let alone through Day 2 or 3 and 1000 or more rounds.
Bring a spare rifle. some of the PSA rifles a helluva better than people give them credit for, nevertheless, bring a spare rifle. If your rifle shits the bed more than once, or if the instructor says "do you have another rifle to switch to?" That's a eff'in clue, use the backup rifle. It's the semi polite way of saying "your f'in holding up class with a jacked up rifle, fix it." Remember, while you paid for the class, so did 8-12 others and someone playing eff eff games with their jacked up rifle WILL hold up class. We bring with us 3 BCMs and a couple of cheaper ARs to class every time for us to shoot as well as backups- we have had classes where EVERY ONE OF THESE LOANER RIFLES WERE IN USE BY STUDENTS!!! That is how often rifles go down in classes.
Bring support equipment- hard rod to beat a stuck casing out, LUBE and lube often, count your rounds going into your magazines- putting 31 in a 30 round magazine isn't a "bonus round" it's a mag that won't lock in your gun and falls out and you look like a dunskie... 28 is a good number. Lube your rifle often and I again say lube...
Before you go, try your equipment with your rifle, are you mags set up intelligently? I.e, all facing the same way, easy to access, etc. Often you see magazines in all kinds of out of order configurations, "throwing gang signs"- then when dude goes to access it he's doing all kinds of flips and acrobatics in his hand with the magazine. Also if they are all put the same manner, then the FEEL of them is the same (think nighttime). Now if you re-stow an empty or a partial (tac reload) you place it bullets up in the pouch/chest rig etc. Then when you go by FEEL to retrieve a mag you immediately can tell it's NOT a full mag - cause it's placed in the pouch upside down. You shouldn't need to look at the gear to change mags and at night that's tough even with NODs.
"Back in the day" one of the things we would do was be made to strip down our rifles and our BCG at night, no flashlight, etc. in the field. Your options were dropping the little parts inside your upside down hat on the ground, or place them in your mouth so you wouldn't lose them. You learned to work by FEEL versus sight. Similar with mag changes. Get a full compliment of EMPTY mags in your rifle and while watching TV or similar, sit/stand there and work your mag changes over and over, slowly and deliberately. The TV is there so you don't look at your mags/pouches.
Slings.... not sure I want to go there, people worship their sling choices... Suffice to say be flexible on this, especially if your in a class working ambidextrous, more pistol transitions than the standard 1 only option most places show, etc. Let's just say your sling could hinder you in certain situations.
In class, don't be that guy that wants to "rush" through everything. For safety reasons, we are watching the guys that are "rushy" more than others as they are usually too amped up or trying too hard to SEEM fast. Your there to learn not to impress others, just work the drills slowly and efficiently unless speed is part of the drill (timer, etc.) We call it the "I don't know what to do so I'll do it fast" syndrome and we try to squash it and let people know it's ok to go slow and actually learn the manipulations versus trying to play cool guy shit for IG or whatever TF.
Drink a lot of water, more than you think. We tell people to bring a gallon every day plus gatorade, some caffeine (10-12 hours well into the night) for the night phase of class, etc.
For a lot of students, they will be STANDING a helluva lot more than they are used to in "regular life." Not all classes are like that but ours are and we try to warn people about that.
Quality ammo. Once again you paid money for the class, bringing shit home made ammo and having issues constantly WILL hinder your learning. Your lesser ammo you use in practice on your own, where you won't hold up the whole class every time your shit takes a dump... Bring decent ammo so that you get the most out of class and can be training the whole time versus tinkering with fixing shit.
Have fun, get a lot of rest and hydration before, have a teachable attitude and come to learn- that's the best advice I can give you to get the most out of class.
A couple things gear related but no like your expecting-
A class isn't always the place to "try out" new things. Not directing this to you just in general. We have had guys show up with all kinds of jacked up ARs- one wouldn't even fit a Pmag in the well. First we thought "OK he did the usual 31 round BS" nope. Tried TWELVE Pmags and not a one of them fit in the magazine well- his, ours, other guys in class. Who TF brings a rifle that they haven't even ever put a magazine in??? Same with 80%, OK your upper might be BCM and this part might be decent, etc. but if you haven't shot the weapon a helluva lot and KNOW (not think, KNOW) it's very reliable then maybe bring a different rifle to class.
I have watched students not take this advice and they struggle trying to clear jams over and over. It's very often that some rifles don't make it past the FIRST DRILLS of the day. Let alone through Day 2 or 3 and 1000 or more rounds.
Bring a spare rifle. some of the PSA rifles a helluva better than people give them credit for, nevertheless, bring a spare rifle. If your rifle shits the bed more than once, or if the instructor says "do you have another rifle to switch to?" That's a eff'in clue, use the backup rifle. It's the semi polite way of saying "your f'in holding up class with a jacked up rifle, fix it." Remember, while you paid for the class, so did 8-12 others and someone playing eff eff games with their jacked up rifle WILL hold up class. We bring with us 3 BCMs and a couple of cheaper ARs to class every time for us to shoot as well as backups- we have had classes where EVERY ONE OF THESE LOANER RIFLES WERE IN USE BY STUDENTS!!! That is how often rifles go down in classes.
Bring support equipment- hard rod to beat a stuck casing out, LUBE and lube often, count your rounds going into your magazines- putting 31 in a 30 round magazine isn't a "bonus round" it's a mag that won't lock in your gun and falls out and you look like a dunskie... 28 is a good number. Lube your rifle often and I again say lube...
Before you go, try your equipment with your rifle, are you mags set up intelligently? I.e, all facing the same way, easy to access, etc. Often you see magazines in all kinds of out of order configurations, "throwing gang signs"- then when dude goes to access it he's doing all kinds of flips and acrobatics in his hand with the magazine. Also if they are all put the same manner, then the FEEL of them is the same (think nighttime). Now if you re-stow an empty or a partial (tac reload) you place it bullets up in the pouch/chest rig etc. Then when you go by FEEL to retrieve a mag you immediately can tell it's NOT a full mag - cause it's placed in the pouch upside down. You shouldn't need to look at the gear to change mags and at night that's tough even with NODs.
"Back in the day" one of the things we would do was be made to strip down our rifles and our BCG at night, no flashlight, etc. in the field. Your options were dropping the little parts inside your upside down hat on the ground, or place them in your mouth so you wouldn't lose them. You learned to work by FEEL versus sight. Similar with mag changes. Get a full compliment of EMPTY mags in your rifle and while watching TV or similar, sit/stand there and work your mag changes over and over, slowly and deliberately. The TV is there so you don't look at your mags/pouches.
Slings.... not sure I want to go there, people worship their sling choices... Suffice to say be flexible on this, especially if your in a class working ambidextrous, more pistol transitions than the standard 1 only option most places show, etc. Let's just say your sling could hinder you in certain situations.
In class, don't be that guy that wants to "rush" through everything. For safety reasons, we are watching the guys that are "rushy" more than others as they are usually too amped up or trying too hard to SEEM fast. Your there to learn not to impress others, just work the drills slowly and efficiently unless speed is part of the drill (timer, etc.) We call it the "I don't know what to do so I'll do it fast" syndrome and we try to squash it and let people know it's ok to go slow and actually learn the manipulations versus trying to play cool guy shit for IG or whatever TF.
Drink a lot of water, more than you think. We tell people to bring a gallon every day plus gatorade, some caffeine (10-12 hours well into the night) for the night phase of class, etc.
For a lot of students, they will be STANDING a helluva lot more than they are used to in "regular life." Not all classes are like that but ours are and we try to warn people about that.
Quality ammo. Once again you paid money for the class, bringing shit home made ammo and having issues constantly WILL hinder your learning. Your lesser ammo you use in practice on your own, where you won't hold up the whole class every time your shit takes a dump... Bring decent ammo so that you get the most out of class and can be training the whole time versus tinkering with fixing shit.
Have fun, get a lot of rest and hydration before, have a teachable attitude and come to learn- that's the best advice I can give you to get the most out of class.