Real Avid and Doug Koenig’s Range Ready Handgun Series Starts Before the First Shot

Real Avid’s latest Range Ready installment covers handguns, with 21-time Bianchi Cup Champion Doug Koenig making the case that a good range day is decided at the bench.

by
posted on August 31, 2026
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Realavid DK Rangereadypistol 2
The Range Ready Handgun series is a foundational study for all responsible handgun owners seeking more confidence on the range.
Photo courtesy Real Avid

Real Avid’s Range Ready Handgun series, hosted on the company’s YouTube channel, puts Doug Koenig in front of a camera to walk through what happens before a handgun owner ever gets to the firing line.

Koenig, an eight-time World Action Pistol champion with 21 Bianchi Cup titles behind him, is pitching this one at recreational shooters, first-time handgun owners and carry permit holders, along with experienced shooters who suspect their range sessions have stopped producing much.

Doug Koenig seated at an outdoor range bench with a disassembled pistol, Real Avid cleaning tools, a bench vise and a can of Tri-Max CLP in front of him
Doug Koenig works through handgun cleaning and inspection at the bench, the portion of the Range Ready video series that treats maintenance as part of being ready to shoot rather than a chore for afterward. (Photo courtesy Real Avid)

 

“You do not have to be a professional shooter to be prepared,” Koenig said. “You just have to care about the process. Whether someone is new to handgun shooting or has been practicing for years, confidence comes from safe habits, preparation and doing the fundamentals the right way every time.”

Several themes recur across the series. Koenig treats the range session as something that begins at home, with equipment checks, a gear inventory and a plan for what the day is supposed to accomplish. Practice, in his framing, is not round count. A session without a goal and a way to measure progress against it is just noise, and that idea shows up repeatedly.

Fundamentals get the expected attention—grip, stance, sight alignment, trigger control and follow-through. Maintenance gets equal billing, which is unsurprising given what Real Avid sells, though the company frames cleaning, inspection, lubrication and post-range care as part of the same readiness question rather than a separate chore.

The Range Ready Handgun series is available now on Real Avid’s YouTube channel. Learn more about the company’s tools for do-it-yourself firearm owners and gunsmiths at realavid.com.

Latest

Daisy Bone Collector 1
Daisy Bone Collector 1

Daisy Puts Bone Collector Branding On Its 1999 Lever Action

Daisy’s Bone Collector 1999 Lever Action BB gun brings True Timber camo and Bone Collector branding to a sub-$50 youth trainer.

Connor Daniel Wins Junior Crown at 2026 NSCA U.S. Open

Team Winchester/White Flyer shooter Connor Daniel broke 187 of 200 to win the junior title at the 2026 NSCA U.S. Open in Hudson, Wisconsin.

Jessie Harrison Captures Ladies Open Title at 2026 USPSA Race Gun Nationals

Jessie Harrison topped Ladies Open at the 2026 USPSA Race Gun Nationals, finishing more than 30 points clear of the runner-up.

A New Era Begins: 1996 National Matches

Congress privatized the Civilian Marksmanship Program in 1996 as first-time champions Brian Zins, Tom Whitaker and Web Wright, III, claimed titles at the National Matches.

Remington Adds Three Subsonic Rifle Loads for Suppressor Use

Remington expands its Subsonic Rifle line with 360 Buckhammer, .308 Win. and .45-70 Gov't loads, all now shipping to dealers.

New: Springfield Armory 1911 DS Prodigy 3.5" AOS 9 mm

Springfield Armory’s 1911 DS Prodigy 3.5" AOS pairs a short bull barrel with a full-length grip module for 18+1 capacity, all for less than $1,600.

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Sports USA delivered to your inbox.