Basic Pistol / LTC Completion
Course Description: This teaches the essential skills necessary for defensive use of a handgun.
This course also meets state requirements for online LTC course completion.
This course is part of our 40 hour Defensive Pistol Skills Program.
Topics: The essential skills required for defensive use of a pistol. Those skills include:
- safe, disciplined gunhandling with constant attention to and awareness of trigger finger and muzzle direction
- learning the difference between an alert defensive ready position and low ready/"my gun is heavy" position
- learning to initiate the trigger press as the gun comes from a ready position to the target, when a shot is intended
- learning proper use of DA/SA style pistols (guns with decocking levers), decocking the gun when coming back to a ready position, shooting double-action for all first shots (for those with DA/SA type pistols)
- bringing the gun from ready to the target and firing accurate shots with CHL-test time limits
These skills are the essential foundation that every pistol owner should learn, whether the person is new to shooting or has a lifetime of informal recreational shooting but has never taken a formal training course. These are also the skills necessary to shoot a 90% or higher score on the Texas CHL shooting qualification course.
Length: 3-4 hours, depending on class size
For prices and upcoming course dates, check the schedule page.
Prerequisites: None. Rental equipment is available for those that don't yet own their own handgun. Information about handgun selection is now included in the course material
Required Equipment: A handgun and 100 rounds of ammunition, eye and ear protection. Students should also bring a baseball cap (to deflect spent brass), pen and paper.
Optional Equipment: none
Taught by: Karl Rehn, Penny Riggs, or other staff NRA certified instructor
Facility: A-Zone Range
Additional information:
Here are some photos from previous Basic Pistol courses.
Trying to decide what kind of pistol to buy? Read our Handgun Selection Guide.
Trying to decide if you need to take this class before you take a higher level course? Points to consider here.
Class after action reports: