I know we've had some discussions about Front Sight Firearms training in Pahrump, Nevada, over the years. It was a nice facility, but the good doctor Piazza was a huckster, running what looked similar to a Ponzi scheme. He sold lifetime memberships, and didn't really charge for classes. Members were inundated with emails and/or phone calls urging them to buy the latest and greatest super duper membership.

Anyway, things finally caught up to him (took forever), and I just got an email that Front Sight was bought out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy by an outfit called PrairieFire. FAQs say that Piazza has nothing to do with the new entity.

I thought some here may be interested to see how this develops. Here's a link:

https://www.prairiefire.com/pr...apter-11-bankruptcy/

LAS VEGAS, Dec. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — PrairieFire today announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Front Sight from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which is the first step in creating the “Home of American Shooting” in Pahrump, Nevada. The United States Bankruptcy Court approved the plan to purchase the business on November 29, 2022, and the sale closed on December 2, 2022.

Effective immediately, PrairieFire will take over operations of the former Front Sight facility. Now granted its initial access to the business, PrairieFire will implement a four-month transition plan. During this transition period, the pre-existing training classes will continue for all legacy Front Sight members under the recent fee structure and online scheduling.

Sal Siino, Chairman of PrairieFire commented, “Bankruptcy is a tough process for all involved. We are grateful to the staff who held the business together, to the members who have not given up, and to the local community and leadership who have welcomed and encouraged us to make Nye County the Home of American Shooting. If there is any saving grace, PrairieFire was able to get a plan of reorganization approved where we purchased the Front Sight business, and exited bankruptcy in about six months, an incredibly short time for a chapter 11 proceeding. We can now put our energies toward making PrairieFire Nevada the greatest shooting experience in the world.”

In Spring 2023, the company will launch PrairieFire Nevada through its Grand Opening event where it will unveil the initial phase of the business, which will include three core offerings and open its membership program. PrairieFire Nevada will center around world-class training with its Q Academy training curriculum, thrilling Specialty Shooting Experiences designed by elite military veterans, and a friendly Competition Series open to all levels of shooters.

The development of PrairieFire Nevada is a long-term activity and future phases will include further range development, introduction of additional gun ranges (e.g., shotgun and helo shooting), a member’s clubhouse, gun storage and gunsmithing services, dining options, and eventually, lodging via its sister company, Stagecoach Outpost.

PrairieFire Nevada aims to deliver to everyone passionate about shooting sports the very best training, experiences, and competitions, typically only available to military and law enforcement heroes. PrairieFire Nevada will be a community for all those interested in developing their skills and seeking new adventures in a fun and safe environment.

Lanny Barnes, Chief Experience Officer, explained, “PrairieFire Nevada will offer the most exciting training courses and the most unique experiences anywhere in the world. These will include handgun, rifle, shotgun, and multi gun courses. Our goal is to build a fun and welcoming environment. We expect everyone to leave with a big smile on their face!” She added, “We can’t wait to build the Home of American Shooting!”

Todd Reid, CEO of PrairieFire’s sister company, Stagecoach Outpost, added, “With this acquisition, we have launched our plans to make the beautiful Pahrump Valley a destination for those interested in an adventure-seeking outdoor lifestyle. We plan to invest heavily in the location’s real estate, lodging, and hospitality assets. Our goal is to create a vibrant community of possibilities as expansive and uniquely American as the breathtaking terrain it is built upon.”

ABOUT PRAIRIEFIRE
PrairieFire Nevada is creating the Home of American Shooting by building spectacular range assets and providing its members a unique three-part offering: the exclusive Q-Academy Training Curriculum, PrairieFire Specialty Shooting Experiences, and a Competition Series open to all levels of proficiency. PrairieFire Nevada will cater to everyone from first-time gun owners to seasoned shooters. It aims to build an authentic community where all members can challenge themselves and enjoy shared experiences. PrairieFire Nevada strives to have each member leave with a big smile, new-found confidence, and a renewed joy in the sport of shooting. This past Fall, PrairieFire successfully debuted its shooting championships at its facility in Texas with the world’s largest shooting prizes for law enforcement and amateurs.

ABOUT STAGECOACH
Our vision is to establish Stagecoach Outpost as the American destination for those who want a bold, adventure-seeking lifestyle. Stagecoach Outpost is more than a place to live. It is a community that embodies the frontier spirit that resides in so many Americans. Stagecoach residents and guests can live the outdoor experience while enjoying modern amenities and an assortment of housing options that cater to all types of adventure seekers.

For further information about PrairieFire, please visit www.prairiefire.com or contact info@prairiefire.com

quote:

Originally posted by honestlou:
It was a nice facility, but the good doctor Piazza was a huckster, running what looked similar to a Ponzi scheme.

That's putting it mildly.

quote:

FAQs say that Piazza has nothing to do with the new entity.

Great news.


I wonder if, under the new owners, they'll still force their shooter to use the Weaver stance, or have they decided to move forward and start adopting the handgun tactics of the 1990s?


Also, are we taking bets on how long it'll be before a certain mustachioed chiropractor starts flooding your email inbox again, exhorting you to buy a Platinum Membership to his brand new cutting-edge Sont Fright facility in Prerump, Nebraska, and offering to send you a free HiPoint .380 with complimentary mustache grooming kit in return?

Was that the fella trying to setup some self sufficient 2nd Amendment Commune property or something like that?

Been through Pahrump, it's the place you go to hump in NV, lots of whore houses there, or, gentlemen's clubs, The Chicken Ranch Brothel famous on HBO's Cathouse: the series...

Interesting to see how they incorporate the plans to create the Stagecoach lifestyle for people to live there, it's one out in the middle of know where last place on earth type area.

Great to ride a motorcycle out there though, you kinda figure you'll run into Kowalski in a 71 Challenger though

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
Was that the fella trying to setup some self sufficient 2nd Amendment Commune property or something like that?

That was one of the benefits of the Ultra Titanium Double Secret Field Marshall membership package. For a mere quarter million dollars, you'd get the opportunity to eventually build a house in the middle of the desert near their training facility.

(You think I'm kidding, but I'm mostly not.)

But fear not! From the end of that press release in the OP, it sounds like the new owners are continuing on with that plan, or something like it, under the new name of "Stagecoach Outpost". So you still have a shot at snagging some highly in demand property in beautiful Pahrump.


Here's a news story from 2001 explaining the Front Sight commune plan. Needless to say, the full sized town that was supposed to be built by 2005 never materialized. That was one (of many) issues that led to a number of class action lawsuits over the past couple decades after Piazza repeatedly failed to follow through with promised benefits of high dollar memberships and did all kinds of other underhanded financial tricks, which eventually caught up with and bankrupted Front Sight.

From https://www.sfgate.com/news/ar...ge-owner-2907105.php :

quote:

Front Sight, Nev. -- On a hard-baked patch of Nevada desert, a Valhalla is taking shape for people who believe gun control is being able to hit your target.

It's called Front Sight.

Its founder, the elegantly named Ignatius Piazza, promises Front Sight will become a "Pebble Beach for gun enthusiasts" - a luxury golf course-style community complete with homes, a supermarket, community center and gourmet restaurant.

Instead of golf courses and driving ranges, the 550-acre gated community will feature 22 shooting ranges, where residents will be able to pull the triggers of fully automatic Uzis, scale a five-story SWAT tower, practice live- fire drills from a car - and take the kids to school and shop for groceries, all before lunch.

And if that doesn't raise eyebrows among gun control advocates, the community's private K-12 school surely will - the teachers will be armed, as Piazza explains, to reduce the risk of campus shootings.

"Front Sight will be the safest community in America," boasts Piazza, a tanned and muscular 41-year-old Santa Cruz County resident who keeps a .40- caliber Glock strapped to his hip when he's in the desert. "There will be no crime at Front Sight."

Today, Front Sight, located 50 minutes west of Las Vegas, consists only of a dozen thriving shooting ranges carved into the desert floor along with some cargo containers the size of freight cars and a temporary, air-conditioned hut where firearms training classes are held.

In about four years, if Piazza's vision is realized, 177 homes and 350 condominiums will line "Second Amendment Drive," "Sense of Duty Way" and similarly named streets. Less than a mile away will be a pro shop stocked with weapons, a martial arts gym, a defensive-driving track, a rappelling course, a landing strip and the gun ranges.

Piazza insists his $40 million resort - a veritable Disneyland for the lock- and-load set, as he calls it - is not for "gun nuts" living on society's fringe.

His target, he says, is affluent, fun-loving and responsible gun owners who are repelled by ever-more restrictive gun laws in states like California, which recently cracked down on privately owned assault weapons.

"I thought if we did something that would be on a resort-quality standard, so that people would want to come to it . . . because it's a beautiful place, it's an enjoyable place . . . people would flock to it," said Piazza.

So far, Piazza has sold nearly 50 "Platinum" memberships for up to $350,000 apiece. That buys a one-acre lot where a home will eventually be built and lifetime use of the ranges, firearms courses and other amenities. With each sale, an African safari and an Uzi are thrown in to sweeten the deal.

"We're not selling dirt in the desert," Piazza said. "We're selling exclusive membership in the world's first and only gun resort."

We trained at Front Sight many times with mostly positive experiences. The advanced classes were fun and challenging.
I was never pressured to use the Weaver stance in the pistol classes, but that is what they taught new shooters.
I think we all knew Iggy's business model wasn't sustainable and were not surprised by the bankruptcy. Hopefully Prairie Fire does well. I'm sure Pahrump would like to see the new venture succeed.

quote:

We trained at Front Sight many times with mostly positive experiences. The advanced classes were fun and challenging.

I haven't read or heard anything bad about the quality of their actual training.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:

quote:

We trained at Front Sight many times with mostly positive experiences. The advanced classes were fun and challenging.

I haven't read or heard anything bad about the quality of their actual training.

I know three individuals that trained at Front Sight back in the 90s, they all had good things to say about the training. Two of the individuals had a pretty good background in training from different instructors/facilities too.

Hope the new venture works out.

FS has - the last time I looked - a motto, "Any gun will do if you will do." Obviously you shouldn't bring a POS gun, it means they will work with the gun you have and are not wedded to or pushing one kind of gun over another. Some trainers tend to be "gun snobs."

What about the memberships that are held previous to the buyout? Will they be honored? I don't have one, just wondering.

quote:

Originally posted by gunnutty:
What about the memberships that are held previous to the buyout? Will they be honored? I don't have one, just wondering.

From their website:

quote:

Is my membership the exact same as it was before under Front Sight ownership?

As part of the bankruptcy process, the US Bankruptcy court terminated all former Front Sight memberships. Legacy Front Sight members are very important to PrairieFire. As a result, legacy Front Sight members will be offered special access and benefits.

As stated in the Plan of Reorganization approved by the bankruptcy court, every current Front Sight Member will become a PrairieFire Frontier Member for two years at no cost. This membership will allow members to continue many of the activities they enjoy today at Front Sight. It includes access to unlimited shooting on two dedicated ranges with basic instruction. We want to give every legacy Front Sight member a chance to evaluate PrairieFire and decide whether they want to be a part of our exciting future without incurring any costs.

Long-term, the PrairieFire Frontier Membership will only cost a one-time initiation fee of $200 and a $200 annual membership fee. Legacy Front Sight members will have their initiation fee waived if they convert to becoming paying members prior to the expiration of the free two-year membership. Additionally, PrairieFire Nevada will provide each legacy Front Sight member with one free day of Q Academy training for themselves and a guest.



Are Front Sight Bucks, Coins, Gifted Memberships, and other similar Front Sight benefits still valid?

No. As a part of the US Bankruptcy Court proceedings all those and similar features were voided.

My certificate to a three day course is now a worthless piece of paper.

quote:

Originally posted by Rawny:
My certificate to a three day course is now a worthless piece of paper.

Perhaps you could use it in the bathroom?

I've been to FS 27 times. My all-in cost for the memberships is $1,950. I incurred no other costs with Front Sight.

Those 27 separate visits were for rifle, precision rifle, pistol, shotgun and rope and rappel. With just a few exceptions the instructors were excellent. In the case of the rope and rappel I learned things I hadn't even considered and the safety practices I learned were revelations. I also learned how to Australian rappel. Every time it was fun to be there.

I upgraded my membership twice. Once, to get free lodging when the resort was built (obviously, this was money wasted) and then to the "President of Front Sight" level, which allowed me to bring two people with me for a private class. I brought at least 12 other people with me for the private classes, all of which were two days long.

The business model at Front Sight collapsed when COVID shut down the facility. One of the instructors told me they covered the operating cost of the place by selling the "once fired brass". On an average weekend they had 500-700 shooters, each expending about 200 rounds per day.

The steady flow of email from the owner was irritating and I think that soured his image. For me, I just blocked his emails. I think there were aspects of a "Ponzi scheme" in the way the "vapor ware" of Front Sight was promoted but the cost of membership was minimal (I gave away at least 40 memberships and paid the cost of the background checks with my Front Sight Credits).

I think I got great value for the money I spent. I'm a significantly better marksman and am much better in the manual of arms than I was.

I did a 2 day defensive handgun class (my first experience in a shoot house [recommended]) and a 1 day uzi class. Great experience. All I paid for was airfare and hotel. Won the classes at a NWTF banquet...