KR Training August 2025 Newsletter
Read about the latest news from KR Training and find training classes to improve your defensive firearms skills.
Archive of entries posted by karlrehn
Home Defense Shooting Drills
We’ve had an unusually high number of basic level students train with us in 2025, but their interest in higher level classes, particularly those focusing on carrying on body outside home, has been low. In response to that trend, I modified our old Home Defense Tactics course into the new Home Defense Tactics and Shooting …
The Cons (and Pros) of Traditional Double Action Pistols
I was a recent guest on the “That Weems Guy” podcast discussing the problems I’ve observed students have with traditional double action handguns. Ernest Langdon was the other guest, covering the advantages from his perspective. The full podcast episode is here Langdon has put together a great set of instructional online programs addressing different common …
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KR Training July 2025 Newsletter
Read about the latest news from KR Training and find training classes to improve your defensive firearms skills.
Lee County GOP Fun Shoot June 28 2025
On June 28, 2025, KR Training hosted a fun shoot event for the Lee County Republican Party. We set up steel targets on multiple bays, and set up a simple shoothouse course. The range was open from 9-11 and then a cease fire was called for lunch (burgers provided by Lee County GOP) and speeches …
KR Training June 2025 Newsletter
Read about the latest news from KR Training and find training classes to improve your defensive firearms skills.
KR Training May 2025 Newsletter
Read about the latest news from KR Training and find training classes to improve your defensive firearms skills.
Tac Con 2025
I was a presenter at the 2025 Rangemaster Tactical Conference. Thanks to Tom Givens who keeps inviting me back to teach. As best I can tell I’ve been to all or part of 24 of the 27 that have been held. This year that was noted on my registration tag. The history of TacCon can …
Austin’s Zilker Park Pistol Range
In the first half of the 20th century, Zilker was home to a police firing range. Built in 1934 near the Zilker Clubhouse along Rollingwood Drive for the Austin Police Department’s pistol marksmanship courses, the range fell into disrepair and stopped being actively used for firearms training in the mid-1970s. This historical photo is from …
KR Training March 2025 Newsletter
Read about the latest news from KR Training and find training classes to improve your defensive firearms skills.
The New Bakersfield PD Qualification
Bob Jewell recently wrote about the updated Bakersfield PD qualification course, and his writeup was picked up by Eric Lamberson of the Sensible Self Defense blog. https://www.sensibleselfdefenseblog.com/2025/02/the-new-bakersfield-police-department.html The original article is here The original target design was tracked down and shared by many with an interest in the history of handgun training. According to Bob …
KR Training January/February 2025 Newsletter
Read about the latest news from KR Training and find training classes to improve your defensive firearms skills.
Book Review: Fireworks (Cooper, 1980)
The first volume in Colonel Cooper’s series of autobiographical reminiscences, philosophical essays, political observations, firearms instruction, and spiritual appreciation for the grand gift of life. FireWorks, originally published in 1980, includes essays published in magazines like True, Toros, Soldier of Fortune, Guns and Ammo, Guns, Road and Track, and Westways Magazine (a car/travel magazine) from …
YeagerFest 2025
On January 11-12, SureFire’s Andy Stanford partnered with Tactical Response to host YeagerFest 2025. Back in 2022, Andy and Tactical Response teamed to host the Surgical Speed Shooting Summit, which brought a dozen trainers together to discuss and teach pistol technique. Andy put together this event specifically to share new ideas with other trainers. While …
The Texas Paper and Iron Pistol Championship
Back in the 1990’s a pistol club in Midland, Texas ran a cool match called the Texas Paper and Iron Championship. Like the Steel Challenge and Bianchi Cup, it featured the same stages each time. It had surprisingly strong sponsorship (including Coors), and a great prize table. Penny and I and others from the KR …
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KR Training December 2024 Newsletter
Read about the latest news from KR Training and find training classes to improve your defensive firearms skills.
KR Training November 2024 Newsletter
Read about the latest news from KR Training and find training classes to improve your defensive firearms skills.
KR Training September 2024 Newsletter
Read about the latest news from KR Training and find training classes to improve your defensive firearms skills.
Hackathorn’s Half Cup Drill
Legendary trainer Dave Spaulding recently posted about a new drill he had received from Ken Hackathorn (inventor of “The Test” aka 10-10-10, the Wizard Drill and many other widely known and used pistol standards). Half Cup Drill Stage 1. 3 yards. On signal draw and fire 1 head shot in 2.0 seconds….STRONG hand only. Stage …
Gun Advice from the 1930’s Pulps
I recently acquired an issue of the Thrilling Western pulp magazine from January 1937. I bought it because it featured an article by Col. John J. Boniface (1874-1943), of the US Cavalry, on “How to Be A Good Pistol Shot”. That article was part of a series he wrote called “Straight Shooting”. In the 1930’s, …