July 11th, 2023
6minute read
Buz Mills is a Renaissance Man.
That was obvious to me from our first phone call.
An 80-year-old former Marine (which is, incidentally, a bit like being sort-of pregnant.
The firearms training facility Jeff Cooper birthed is now one of the most respected in the world. Images courtesy of Gunsite.
He made most of his money in cell phones and telecom.
That brought him into contact with the legendary Jeff Cooper.
Colonel Cooper was born in 1920.
Jeff Cooper is the godfather of modern gunfighting. His spirit and memory inspire and drive everything about Gunsite today.
He attended Stanford and then entered the U.S. Marine Corps as an officer in 1941.
He served throughout World War II.
He killed his first Japanese soldier at close range on the island of Kwajalein with a Colt Peacemaker.
Jeff Cooper was a hands-on instructor who spent a lot of time on the range with his students at the original API.
At the time, he falsely believed the vintage wheelgun was more reliable thanhis issue 1911A1.
Cooper went on to serve in Korea as well before leaving the Marines.
Throughout it all, Jeff Cooper meticulously studied gunfighting.
Buz Mills is the human dynamo driving Gunsite today. He is shown here speaking to a class.
Cooper posited that God gave you two hands for a reason.
We might as well use them both to run a handgun.
What resulted was Jeff Coopers Modern Technique of the Pistol.
Jeff Cooper’s color-coded mindset for self-defense is taught around the world today.
In 1976 Cooper bought some land in Arizona and birthed the American Pistol Institute (API).
This was to eventually evolve into Gunsite Academy.
Formalized firearms training is a fairly common thing nowadays.
Buz Mills offers insight and passion in his leadership of Gunsite, making the facility and its curriculum the world-standard in tactical training.
Back in 1976, however, Jeff Coopers API was the only show in town.
Its hard to overstate the impact Jeff Cooper had on the world of practical gunfighting.
In addition to studying the art and science of the craft, Cooper was also a consummate professional teacher.
Today’s Gunsite is in good hands with Buz Mills at the helm.
He infused his extensive real-world practical experience into his courses.
That same gritty ethos drives the curriculum at Gunsite today.
The things those guys can do with a handgun border upon superhuman.
Did you ever wonder where that all started?
Lt. Gen. Boykin shipped his entire crew down to Arizona for a little quality time with Colonel Cooper.
They came back accomplished gunfighters with a near-religious zeal for the 1911 pistol.
Buz described the man as a curmudgeon.
In my experience, most geniuses earn that moniker.
In 1991, Colonel Cooper was 71 years old and ready to pass the reins off to someone else.
He sold the business and the facility to a man named Richard Jee and moved on to greener pastures.
Eight years later, Richard contacted Buz and offered to sell him the Gunsite Academy.
The organization had fallen upon hard times and needed some new blood.
As Buz had made his reputation on fixing things, this seemed right up his alley.
That all turned out OK, but it was an inauspicious beginning.
Things got better from there.
Nowadays, Gunsite is a truly world-class facility with a legendary compulsion for both safety and world-class training.
The campus occupies some 3,200 acres.
They train roughly 3,000 students per year both at Gunsite and in remote training events.
Their cadre of more than 70 adjunct instructors spans the spectrum of law enforcement and military experience.
Since Buz took the controls, he has posted a standing offer to every Gunsite graduate.
If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of your training, he will happily refund your money.
Each years training calendar comes out on 1 September.
A typical class begins on Monday at 0700 and wraps up on Friday at 1600.
Classes are offered in handgun, shotgun, rifle and carbine for both tactical and hunting applications.
Colonel Cooper was a compulsive hunter of dangerous game, and his spirit still drives that train at Gunsite.
While the curricula are standardized, the instructors rotate regularly.
Many folks come back to repeat the same course multiple times just to absorb that disparate flavor.
The explosion of concealed carry in America has meant plenty of business at Gunsite.
Their most popular course is Basic Pistol 250.
In Buzs words, with rights come responsibilities.
As it concerns firearms, that means training.
Not unlike golf or playing the piano, tactical shooting skills are perishable over time.
Without repetitive reinforcement of the basics, you get slow and sloppy.
Slow and sloppy in your golf game means good-hearted ridicule from your buddies.
The same thing in an armed confrontation carries a great deal more gravitas.
Ruminations
Armed combat is the ultimate human crucible.
A cursory study of your typical newsfeed will verify the very real need.
Most any time behind a gun is beneficial.
However, Gunsite is the good stuff.
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