Michael E. Conti

Mike Conti is an internationally recognized police firearms instructor, veteran law enforcement professional, and author. Across a distinguished career spanning military service, state police commands, and academic training roles, Conti has pioneered reality-based training methodologies that continue to reshape modern tactical pistolcraft.

Law Enforcement & Military Career

Conti’s commitment to service began with three years in the U.S. Army before joining the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) in 1986. Over more than 24 years of active duty, his assignments spanned patrol, investigations, and tactical and security operations. During this time, he was privileged to work alongside some of the most dedicated and conscientious professionals in the field.

In 2000, Conti was assigned to found and direct the MSP’s first full-time Firearms Training Unit (FTU) at the State Police Academy. Following the events of September 11, 2001, he was assigned to Logan International Airport in Boston as the Director of Aviation Security Policy & Training. In this role, he spearheaded the development and training of the nation's first Airport Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU) and established a specialized security element (CSU). His MSP commands ultimately included the FTU, ATU, CSU, the Leominster Barracks (C-4), and the Troop F Logan Airport Tactical Operations Section—overseeing operations for the Bomb Squad, EOD K-9 Unit, Marine Unit, CAT, and Compliance Unit.

Post-Retirement & Academia

Retiring from the MSP in 2010 with the rank of Lieutenant, Conti accepted the position of Rangemaster and Physical Education Firearms Instructor at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA. At MIT, he was grateful for the opportunity to teach and work alongside some of the world's brightest minds and hardest-working individuals.

Conti retired from MIT in 2021 to fully devote his time to directing the operations of Saber Group, Inc. and Saber Press, while continuing his extensive research and writing. Today, alongside his professional tactical and literary pursuits, he is happily focused on a historic restoration project, breathing new life into a 200-year-old hotel and stagecoach stop in the mountains of New Hampshire.

Saber Group & Saber Press

In 1994, Conti founded Saber Group, Inc. (SGI) to research and create documentable, reality-based training programs. To ensure critical training information could be delivered directly to the first responder community without compromising on content or form, he established Saber Press in 2006.

Tactical Manuals & Professional Works

Conti has authored over 100 professional articles and multiple definitive manuals rooted in his "New Paradigm of Police Firearms Training" system established in 2000:

Police Pistolcraft (2006): Details the reality-based New Paradigm program specifically from the instructor's perspective.

The Officer’s Guide to Police Pistolcraft (2009): The definitive "bible" for both novice and veteran line officers.

In the Line of Fire (1997) & Beyond Pepper Spray (2002): Definitive early tactical guides originally published by Paladin Press.

As a publisher and editor, Conti also collaborated with legendary former U.S. Marine and retired FBI Special Agent Bob Taubert to release the modern close-quarters classic, Rattenkrieg! The Art and Science of Close Quarters Battle Pistol (2012).

Historical Fiction: The Jelly Bryce Trilogy

Beyond technical instruction, Conti is the author of the critically acclaimed Jelly Bryce Trilogy, a series of historical fiction novels inspired by the incredible life of legendary 1920s OCPD lawman and FBI Agent Delf "Jelly" Bryce:

Jelly Bryce: The Legend Begins (2014) – 5 Stars, Readers' Favorite.

Jelly Bryce: FBI Odyssey (2015) – 5 Stars, Readers' Favorite; Global Ebook Award Winner.

Jelly Bryce: The Man in the Mirror (2016) – 5 Stars, Readers' Favorite; Global Ebook Award Winner.

Following the success of the trilogy, Conti was featured as an expert interviewee on the American Heroes Channel docudrama series American Lawman.