Front Sight 4th of July Reunion

Summer is the time for family reunions and celebrating the birth of our nation. This year, Ignatius Piazza, the flamboyant founder and director of the Front Sight Firearms Training Institute, threw one of the biggest family reunions in the firearms world for his "First Family" members. There are over 530First Family memberships in Front Sight and a good two thirds of them came to the party held at the new 550-acre site being developed near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Front Sight is in its Phase One stage of development and Piazza has been training students on a regular basis at the site since late last year. When Phase One is completed, there will be a classroom, pro shop, administration buildings, armory, gourmet restaurant and ten ranges. Piazza anticipates holding a Grand Opening for Phase One this fall.

For these First Family members who have been instrumental in providing the support for Front Sights development, Piazza held a giant party for them and their families. On site in air-conditioned, $100,000 temporary structure that serves as the current classroom, Piazza served appetizers and cold beverages while Lucky the Clown performed magic tricks and made balloon sculptures for the children.

But what would a family reunion be without games? Of course, at Front Sight, those were shooting games. They were for everyone from youngsters breaking balloons to mom making a golf ball leap in the air with Remington .22 rifles. But the hallmark of Front Sight has been their free sub-machine gun classes, and for his First Family members, Range One was devoted to a sub-gun extravaganza. Dan She brought part of his Long Mountain sub-machine gun collection to Las Vegas. There were 25 different sub-machine guns spanning the period from World War Ito the present with a lecture on the history of them.

The lines were, at times, twenty people deep behind the tables of sub-machine guns as the First Family members lined up to try the sub-guns under the watchful eyes of Front Sight Instructors. The sub-machine gun range never shut down, not even for the catered steak and chicken barbecue buffet.

It did finally close when the time came for the singing of the National Anthem and the tribute to our Founding Fathers. When the power generators temporarily went off during the emotional presentation, the podium was quickly lit as the instructors whipped out their Laser Products 6P lights.

The Fourth of July would not be complete without a fireworks display. The evening celebration culminated with a $10,000 professional fireworks show over the Nevada desert.