The late, great gun guru Jeff Cooper popularized the Robert Heinlein quote “An armed society is a polite society.” Polite Society a few years ago became the name of a group dedicated to responsible, professional training with defensive firearms. Led by Tom Givens, who runs the excellent Rangemaster facility in Memphis, the Polite Society hosts an annual Tactical Conference. It was held this year at the outstanding United States Shooting Academy (USSA) adjacent to the Tulsa Police Academy in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

About a hundred twenty-five men and women from all over the country attended, most also shooting the challenging Polite Society defensive handgun match. Training included live fire on the splendid range complex, under the masterful tutelage of instructors such as Will Andrews, Mike Brown, Steve Moses, T.J. Pilling, Rob Pincus, and the undercover cop known as “Southnarc.” Karl Rehn led a bloc of live-action force-on-force training.

In the classrooms, Paul Gomez addressed immediate treatment (including self-treatment) of gunshot injury. Psychologists William Aprill and Glenn Meyer gave insights from their profession as related to the world of the gun and threat management, while Skip Gochenour gave additional insights into criminal behavior. Marty Hayes delivered a powerful bloc on reducing firearms instructors’ liability; Hany Mahmoud did a superb job of clarifying the tangled world of Middle Eastern terrorist dogma; John Farnam taught an overview of the urban rifle concept; John Hearne delivered an in-depth analysis of a classic gunfight and its lessons for both armed citizens and law enforcement personnel; and this writer addressed management of wrongful accusations in court after justified use of deadly force.

Tom Givens’ Rangemaster crew did an awesome job managing the diverse Polite Society match. A live-fire shoot-house with realistic 3-D manikins was set up to duplicate a Mumbai hotel, and each practitioner had to shoot his way to the exit past “terrorist” targets sprinkled among many “innocents.” On the square range we met a fifty-round skill test of high-speed shooting free-style and with either hand only, from three to twenty yards, then a speed run on Pepper Popper falling plates, and finally a rescue scenario, all live fire.

Congratulations to the winners. Hany Mahmoud captured the backup gun match…Gail Pepin won High Lady…and 63-year-old Myrin Young used his STI Trojan .45 auto to earn the overall Polite Society Championship. If old age and treachery really do beat youth and skill, then Myrin’s combination of old age and skill may be indomitable.

I enjoyed my first Polite Society/Tactical Conference event and hope to return next year. Police instructors and SWAT operators trained and competed alongside their natural allies, the responsible armed citizens, and you can join them next year. Information can be found at the websites for Rangemaster and USSA . I hope to return to USSA this fall to compete in the National Championships of the International Defensive Pistol Association.

With dummy “baby” secured behind wheel, Mas engages targets on right out of view as Polite Society range officer holds electronic timer. Pistol is Glock 9mm with white light unit attached.

Gail Pepin fires a 9mm Glock from kneeling position during Standards phase of the event. She won the high lady award.

Psychology professor Glenn Meyer gave a dynamic lecture that tied his field into shooting and the way guns and gun people are perceived by the public and the jury pool.

Event coordinator Tom Givens, right, presents the top shooter award to Myrin Young, left.

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