Gunsite GLOCK Service Pistol

Let There Be Light

Let’s start at the beginning. The earth formed, the rocks cooled, there was a bunch of history and then Col. Jeff Cooper showed up on our planet.

For the unenlightened and unwashed, Col. Jeff Cooper is “the” guy when it comes to shooting a handgun. Let’s go full stop right there. Contrary to what the latest bearded-wonder spouts on his online video channel, Col. Cooper was the person who finally codified and popularized the idea that shooting a pistol one-handed from a bladed stance, or alternatively, from the hip in a “combat crouch,” wasn’t the best way to put holes in an adversary who was attempting to do the same to you. He then systemized it into the Modern Technique, opened Gunsite and the rest is shooting history.

During Col. Cooper’s lifetime, he became known as a staunch advocate of certain things regarding defensive use of firearms. In fact, he could be quite outspoken in this regard, which gave his detractors plenty of poison-pen ammo.

Yet there was an even greater concept at work for those who took the time to understand Cooper, Gunsite and the Modern Technique. According to current Gunsite honcho Ken Campbell, the Colonel wasn’t the troglodyte his critics often claimed. “Years ago, Jeff Cooper was a proponent of the Weaver stance, the 1911 pistol and the .45 caliber,” Campbell explained. “He was a leader in his field and very forward-thinking at the time when the Modern Technique was developed, and those things were the best choices available. However, things have changed and evolved, so likewise the Modern Technique has evolved.” Thus, Campbell and Gunsite Owner Buz Mills firmly believe Cooper would embrace the perceived transformation the new Gunsite pistol represents.

Campbell knows the new gun could be a lightning rod but is unswervingly unapologetic. “Some folks are going to be aggravated because it’s a GLOCK and it’s not a .45,” he said, “but aside from the practical features, I think this will also help reinforce the idea we’re not the Southwest Dinosaur League as some folks on the internet like to claim.”

In fact, Gunsite was and remains the first-call gunfighter school so the focus has always been on technique and tactics rather than the particular flavor of firearm a student carries. Thus, the choice of 9mm likewise shouldn’t raise any eyebrows. Campbell pointed out, “Col. Cooper often said ‘It’s the man, not the gun,’ and the 9mm isn’t what it used to be in the 1980s and ’90s. Many people shoot the 9mm better than the .45 ACP, and considering shot placement is key, if someone can shoot the nine more effectively, more accurately, more quickly and get better hits, are they gaining anything by going to a larger caliber?”