Editor's Note: If you're never fired a line drill or 'qualification course' under supervision or never used a holster, proceed with caution. Don't be in a hurry to put the gun back into the holster and make full use of the Four Safety Rule, plus whatever rules exist at the range you use. The idea of qualification courses of fire tends to elude me, but I was "brought up bad." While the appeal of one "test" to cover all possible skills is appealing, like honest government, the reality is unlikely. What are we seeking to do? In police agencies, the qualification amounts to little more than an accuracy test. We're told the only pressure can be time and that everyone should have to meet the same standard. For individuals, such tests can be a way to see if we "measure up," assuming the test is executed the same way it would be for someone in service. The basis for the qualification is to collect evidence of skill that could be used in court. I'm not sure that qual scores have ever been used in court. I remember when people jumped to the "pass/fail" and away from numerical scoring. I argued then that not counting for hits and misses was an intentional blind designed to mislead a court and that amounted to obstruction. We didn't go "pass/fail." I like individual standards, something I was first exposed to at the HK International Training Division. They had a qual course but you had to individually perform handling standards for an instructor's approval – that is more to the point for individual development and evidence collection both.

The KLETC KS-Q Target is designed for basic and instructor courses. As KLETC sponsored the GLOCK Instructor Course, the sponsor's targets were used.

Still, I collect these things and it's interesting to try them on. Here's one of them. I've taken the GLOCK Instructor Development Course a couple of times over the years. It was usually ended by students shooting the school's "Evaluation Course," a police-type qualification test. It's an examination to see if students have learned to best use their duty pistols to solve problems their officers will likely face. The last time I was in class – many years back now -- I used the GLOCK 37, a full-size service pistol chambered for the then-new .45 G.A.P cartridge. This cartridge, shorter than the ACP, provided heavy, wide-bullet ballistics in a shorter package. The G37 has the frame of the standard 9mm - .40 - .357 Auto GLOCKs, with the bigger .45-size slide to withstand the recoil and allow consistent function. I used the Galco Combat Master pancake-style holster, concealed under an unbuttoned shirt, and Remington-UMC .45 GAP 230 grain ball, to shoot the GLOCK Evaluation Course under time. With only two magazines (three are required at the training class) and each of those limited by design to 10 rounds, I went over the maximum time on the 25 yard stage. As we were at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, we used the KS-Q target instead of the FBI or IALEFI-Q targets. For this course of fire, hits inside the "4" and "5" scoring rings are counted, in addition to the five required head shots. The course of fire required 12 rounds, 3 fired from standing and kneeling positions at 25 yards from either side of a cover item. I shot around the left side left handed. The time limit was thirty seconds.

If you have the requisite background, the Instructor Evaluation should be shot with duty gear or with concealment gear worn concealed, as shown using the Galco Combat Master holster.

At fifteen yards, 12 rounds with a mandatory "tactical" or magazine-save reload, had to be fired within 20 seconds. Fifteen seconds were allowed for 12 rounds with a slide-lock reload from 7 yards. One hand unsupported shooting was required to deliver two hits to the center in 2.5 seconds, followed by two hits into the head in the same time limit – from four yards. At two yards and the one-hand "weapon retention position," first one shot and then 3 shots were required within 2.5 seconds. Finally, a contact-distance "shove and shoot" (shoving off and backing out) was completed in two phases. The first called for 2 center hits plus one into the head. The second called for 1 chest and two rounds to the head of the target. Each phase allowed 2.5 seconds. I made all the time limits save the long distance effort. The result was a 100% score with the GLOCK 37 and the Galco Combat Master. This is a well balanced course as to distance and speed assuming the shooter uses duty gear or a concealment holster worn concealed. If you're interested in seeing other standards and qualifications, let us know at info@shootingwire.com. -- Rich Grassi