When Smith & Wesson closed its Springfield, Mass., based academy in 2017, it appeared that a chapter in the company’s history was coming to a close. For nearly 50 years, the Academy had trained law enforcement and civilians at the location, but in the waning years, civilian training had been phased out and the facility was used mainly for law enforcement training and the occasional IDPA competition. I had the good fortune to attend a Smith & Wesson product launch that included some instruction at the old Academy shortly before it closed, and recently found myself in Maryville, Tenn., to see the next generation get its start.
Smith & Wesson relocated its headquarters to Tennessee in 2023 mainly due to economic and political pressure applied by the state of Massachusetts, home to the firearm giant since 1852. Economic incentives, lower cost of living for employees and a more favorable Second Amendment climate were all cited as reasons for the move, but there was clearly another factor: real estate. The Maryville, Tenn., location comprises well over 200 acres, with plenty of room for expansion as well as last year’s big reveal, the newly reborn Smith & Wesson Academy.
Helmed by retired Navy SEAL Mark Cochiolo, the Academy covers four different areas: a 65-yard pistol and carbine range, a 100-yard-square rifle range, a 300-yard rifle range and a two-story shoothouse. Classes are available for beginner, intermediate and advanced skill levels for pistol, rifle and carbine, and the facility houses a schoolhouse and fitness center in addition to the four ranges. There’s still more planned for the future, with room to expand should additional ranges or facilities be needed down the road.
The 100-yard rifle range is more than just a place to get a good zero on your rifle, though. It’s literally 100 yards square, with opportunities for specialized instruction or competitions made possible by its design. It’s not quite a full 360-degree range as currently configured, but the beauty of the ample space available and modular construction mean it’s not out of the question. Over at the 300-yard range, overhead baffles spaced at regular intervals present an additional measure of safety against rounds leaving the range area. Safety is paramount, and it’s abundantly clear that plenty of consideration was given to mitigate any possible mistakes.
Lastly, there’s an impressive, two-story shoothouse as part of the facility. The 4,000-square-foot facility features movable wall panels to configure both stories to reflect a wide variety of situations, with stairwells, windows, doors, hallways and other obstacles available to create realistic scenarios. Used primarily for law enforcement and military training, it’s still quite instructive to see just how difficult clearing a structure can be.
We had abbreviated instruction on the carbine range using both M&P9 pistols and M&P15 carbines, both at self-defense distances (10 to 15 yards for pistols, 10 to 25 yards for carbines). Since this was a group familiar with the basics, we started out working from the holster—which happened to be excellent retention holsters from Safariland. For me, one of the biggest difficulties was rewiring my brain to draw from the 3-o’clock position rather than appendix, but otherwise without incident.
A quick note about Cochiolo and his staff: It is abundantly clear that this is an instructor who has trained quite a few students (he estimates well into the thousand of Navy SEAL candidates). Don’t take this to mean he’s one of those instructors who expects civilians to act like SEALs, though—the program is very much tailored for the civilian side of things. You won’t be subject to push-ups or running sprints for missing the bullseye or failing to meet the time constraint—they’ll just help you figure out where you can make up time or spot any deficiencies in presentation or trigger press.
As we were told, the Academy is still very much a work in progress. There’s still a covered area to be constructed on the pistol and carbine range for staging, for example; it wasn’t too bad in early May, but I imagine it would be quite beneficial in mid-July and August. There was talk—possibly wistful—of a shotgun range on another undeveloped part of the property, and the 100-yard range has myriad possibilities. Given the ample space on the 100 by 100 yard range, setting up competitive shooting matches is certainly a possibility. And, I have to admit, I’d like to take a Simunitions run through the shoothouse.
What’s the bottom line on the new Smith & Wesson Academy? It certainly appears that the right steps have been and continued to be taken to present a modern facility designed for both law enforcement and armed-citizen training needs. Staff is attentive to class performance without Gunnery Sargeant Hartman-style theatrics, while still providing quality instruction. For anyone within a reasonable radius of Maryville, Tenn., it’s worth a look. Even those with intermediate to advanced skill level with pistol or carbine can learn something. I know I sure did.
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