I was signed up for the Basic Pistol course at the NRA range for June, but I work nearby, they had a last minute cancellation and called me, so I started the two day course last night. Official name for the class is 'First Steps: Pistol,' and although they clearly tell you it provides you about 1% of what you would need to know to carry a concealed weapon, the course does meet Virginia's minimum requirements to apply for, and obtain, a CC permit.
I think 18 people in the class. Very nearly half were women. More than half were, seemingly, in their twenties. That surprised me for some reason.
Close to four hours, all classroom. Bring your guns, but no ammo. They gave us dummy bullets for the load/unload portion. I had the only revolver.
Presentations were lively in pace and packed with information. I liked that it was broken up with different presenters handling different subject areas in manageable blocks of time. Started off with an intro to your handgun. Parts, function, etc.
Next was shooting. Grip, stance, breathing, etc. I feel like this was a very useful, well presented segment. The description of how the hands work together, what parts of each hand go where and why. Where and how pressure can be applied for security/stability, without effecting accuracy when pulling the trigger. I think my grip was very close in appearance to the grip I came away with last night, but I am much happier with the small adjustments in placement and larger adjustments in tension (more in some areas, much less in others). I look forward to trying these, as well as the breathing part, tonight in the shooting portion of the class.
Next up: cleaning. A lot of more experienced gun people in the class probably snoozed through this, but I have always felt awkward and inefficient when cleaning my guns. I took a lot away from this portion as well, and made some notes about items I want/need that did not come with my cheapo basic cleaning kit.
Holsters. This is a good basic course for someone wanting to become familiar and comfortable with their handgun, but it is also a requirement for concealed carry. So the third presenter talked about different kinds of holsters, pros and cons of each, how they are used, and some considerations when choosing one. Also women-specific carry considerations.
The last portion of the class covered legal issues, liability, civil responsibility, etc. This was all very interesting, and likely weeded out some in the class who initially raised their hand that they intended to pursue their CCL. You come away from this, if you didn't already have it, with a sense of how very, very serious the responsibility is to carry a concealed weapon. I found it to be invigorating, personally. To consider the possibility that, with training and practice, I can join the ranks of the people here and elsewhere who can take a stand against the wolves if there are sheep in mortal peril. Last night was the first step toward getting my Junior Sheepdog badge!
Tonight I'm really looking forward to: one hour, one-on-one with an instructor on the range. Just dry firing with my improved grip last night gave me some confidence that I will be able to shoot better. We'll see, and I'll post an update after tonight's class!
I think 18 people in the class. Very nearly half were women. More than half were, seemingly, in their twenties. That surprised me for some reason.
Close to four hours, all classroom. Bring your guns, but no ammo. They gave us dummy bullets for the load/unload portion. I had the only revolver.
Presentations were lively in pace and packed with information. I liked that it was broken up with different presenters handling different subject areas in manageable blocks of time. Started off with an intro to your handgun. Parts, function, etc.
Next was shooting. Grip, stance, breathing, etc. I feel like this was a very useful, well presented segment. The description of how the hands work together, what parts of each hand go where and why. Where and how pressure can be applied for security/stability, without effecting accuracy when pulling the trigger. I think my grip was very close in appearance to the grip I came away with last night, but I am much happier with the small adjustments in placement and larger adjustments in tension (more in some areas, much less in others). I look forward to trying these, as well as the breathing part, tonight in the shooting portion of the class.
Next up: cleaning. A lot of more experienced gun people in the class probably snoozed through this, but I have always felt awkward and inefficient when cleaning my guns. I took a lot away from this portion as well, and made some notes about items I want/need that did not come with my cheapo basic cleaning kit.
Holsters. This is a good basic course for someone wanting to become familiar and comfortable with their handgun, but it is also a requirement for concealed carry. So the third presenter talked about different kinds of holsters, pros and cons of each, how they are used, and some considerations when choosing one. Also women-specific carry considerations.
The last portion of the class covered legal issues, liability, civil responsibility, etc. This was all very interesting, and likely weeded out some in the class who initially raised their hand that they intended to pursue their CCL. You come away from this, if you didn't already have it, with a sense of how very, very serious the responsibility is to carry a concealed weapon. I found it to be invigorating, personally. To consider the possibility that, with training and practice, I can join the ranks of the people here and elsewhere who can take a stand against the wolves if there are sheep in mortal peril. Last night was the first step toward getting my Junior Sheepdog badge!
Tonight I'm really looking forward to: one hour, one-on-one with an instructor on the range. Just dry firing with my improved grip last night gave me some confidence that I will be able to shoot better. We'll see, and I'll post an update after tonight's class!
