If police academies taught the fundamentals of tactical marksmanship the way Gabe presents it in his book then they are getting some really good initial training that could very well save their life. The problem with this book is that it concentrates on the basics of not only marksmanship but practical tactics that can make you a really good and effective shooter but people don't want to do the leg work any more, they want to skip right to advanced techniques that couldn't be executed without having a strong foundation anyway. Then what they ultimately miss out is what this book really does well. It takes you from the basics of marksman ship and fundamental tactics and molds you to a practitioner of a useful skill. It's not the end of your training but part of it. There are so many books and videos out there that promise you what Suarez delivers for a few dollars.

My shooting was frustrating me. I reached a plateau and wasn't improving. I wasn't able to attend a shooting school and I seemed to have more empty casings than holes in my targets. I have had pistol training in the past but it was forgotten and I was just relearning bad habits. The book takes you through the necessary steps you need to make you better and more effective. It is that simple. It is concise, well written, it teaches concepts that are easy to grasp and no matter how good you shoot I would bet that you would be even better after reading and practicing what is taught. I was able to make the jump from practicing a lot to practicing more perfectly a lot. There is a huge difference. My shooting has improved immensely from this study. When I feel I am starting to slip I either re-read it or review the appropriate chapters. I am a better shooter because of it. It is that simple. I still need to learn, I still need to continue to dry fire and then go to the range and validate my practice but I am a better shooter. This book has really motivated me to improve even more. That's what you will get from this book.


What I Learned About Shooting At The Police Academy   January 10, 2004
 11 out of 114 found this review helpful

The contents of this book are largely lifted from Police training manuals, and are not suited for the average citizen, unless you happen to be in a militia or you are a member of Al-Queda. I can't imagine why ordinary gun-enthusiasts would be interested in combat with fellow citizens, clearing and entering houses with hostile foes, and all the other techniques on offer here. Suarez makes a big deal about how he is a decorated officer, but no police officer worth their salt would put out books teaching citizens to be members of a tactical SWAT team.
The author obviously isn't a police officer in good standing anymore because no commanding officer would permit someone to profit off the tactics presented here.
If you are a gun-enthusiast, you would be better off buying something by John Farnam or Andy Stanford. Their books are written for citizen gun owners, and they don't teach how to indiscriminately kill people.


The Truth About Gunfighting   December 6, 2003
 30 out of 33 found this review helpful

As a Federal LEO, I can safely say that I have seen a lot of firearms training and Gabe is in the leage of master Trainers. He tells it like it is in this book and doesn't paint gunfighting with the rose colored glasses that cloud this sometimes PC topic. Gabe's techniques work and they work in the real world. I have used them on duty and they are far better than what is being taught at many of the so called high speed low drag schools.

Gabe teaches Gunfighting, not shooting. real gunfights are violent and while violence seems to offend some of the more timid readers, it is reality and anyone that is carrying a gun ahs a responsibility to be trained in its use. This book is a big step toward that training. Unlike many of his detractore, Gabe has actually been in gunfights and won. He knows what happens when it is time to sling lead and he knows how to win. I highly recomend this book for anyone interested in using a firearm for self defense.


A basic textbook   December 1, 2003
 15 out of 24 found this review helpful

This is the first book I read for Mr Suarez, I respect his views and techniques especially that he studied under the legendry Jeff cooper, this is a basic textbook, a correct one, it is the kind of training you receive the first time you handle a pistol as a policeman or military. I come from a special operation background and frankly we receive in the first 15 days of pistol training information and techniques that bypass any textbook I've read until now and I read a lot of them, which seems normal. One very advanced and real secret Mr Suarez revealed in this book is the dry practice, pass one day with delta force operators anywhere in the world, and what they do when relaxing,dry practice with their 45's, trust me I know what I am talking about.