Provide basic firearms training for those who are new to using firearms or who have never had formal training and provide more advanced training for those who are exercising or considering exercising their right to defend themselves with armed force but do not have the requisite knowledge and skill set to do so.

1.  You need to be safe in everything you do when handling a firearm.  Safety is always the first consideration no matter what you are doing with a firearm.
2.  A good grip is essential for safe gun handling and for marksmanship.  In all of our classes this is the first skill the student learns.
3.  Safe loading, unloading, clearing, and cocking/decocking with some pistols and firing are all critical skills.
4.  Knowledge of how to select the correct and appropriate ammunition is important.
5.  Knowledge of what steps need to be taken if an attempt is made to fire a handgun but the gun does not discharge.
6.  There are five fundamentals of pistol marksmanship.  On order for the shots to hit the aiming point all five fundamentals need to be understood and applied.
7.  All firearms are designed to work best when properly clean and lubricated, therefore the student must know how to disassemble, clean and  lubricate a handgun and know how to do a function check.

When I decided to start teaching these basic handgun and self-defense classes again I determined, based on the best available advice from the scientists that we would conduct the classes without masks.  Well, now the scientists have changed their mind with respect to their recent position that non-symptomatic people are highly unlikely to transmit CV19.  Now the “experts” feel that something like 40% of CV19 infections derive from contact with non-symptomatic or pre-symptomatic people.  

Therefore, my policy with respect to CV19 is as follows until further notice.  

Students will be asked to withdraw from the class if they have symptoms of CV19 or know or suspect that they have been in close contact with someone who has.  Should I fall into that category I will postpone or cancel the class.  Student’s choice.  

We will wear masks and wash our hands at appropriate times.

We will maintain good social distancing. 

Local ranges are using a variety of techniques to deal with social distancing which is likely to mean that we would have to stand around for a while waiting for a shooting lane.  We can discuss this in class, and we may opt to conduct live fire training at South River Gun Club.  It is an outdoor range at which we can use training pits without interference from others.  If we do that, it means that we will have to spend about an hour and a half getting to and from the range and the range fee is $35 per day for non-members.  It may mean that it takes two days rather than one day to finish a course.  
If you want to discuss this, please call me at 4045194331.

The NRA is changing the way its basic pistol course is taught.....AGAIN!

You have the option now to take this course in two different formats.

The first way is to take it as a Blended Training Course (The first part is the Self Learning Module, which is an on-line and self-paced module.  The second part is a Instructor Led Module under the supervision of an NRA certified instructor).  Students will have to complete the Self Learning Module before they can register for the Instructor Led Module.  To register for this course, go to the NRA Basic Pistol website, set up an NRA Training Account, pay $60 for the course and complete it on-line.  When you are done you will receive an PIN from the NRA with which you can select an instructor to teach you the Instructor Led Module. Students who opt to go the Blended Training route will have to learn handgun operation for two types of revolver actions and a semi-automatic pistol.  He can then opt to take the hands-on module with all three types of handguns or just one.
 
The second way is to take it as an Instructor Led Only Course.  The student has the option to take this course with single and double action revolvers AND semi-automatic pistols or only with a revolver OR a pistol.

Recently there has been a rash of Officer Involved Shooting (OIS) incidents.

In something approaching %100 of those incidents there is one common factor and it is not race.  In almost all of those incidents the person being confronted by the officer failed to follow instructions.

The way to avoid disastrous outcomes from encounters between LEO and citizens is for the citizen to OBEY THE OFFICER'S INSTRUCTIONS/COMMANDS.

When a Law Enforcement Officer deals with a citizen in any kind of situation that justifies any interaction at all, the officer is responsible for the safety of everyone on the scene including himself and the person being stopped.

The officer will gain control of the situation.  All of us need to understand that fact of life.  That is his duty and it makes sense.  The officer cannot be expected to tolerate any action by a person who ignores his instructions.  If an officer exceeds his authority and is abusive in any way, the time to address such a grievance is not in the here and now.  Those kinds of issues can and should be addressed in less stressful circumstances by following whatever complaint protocols are in effect. 

There is absolutely nothing to be gained by getting into a heated argument with a cop who is trying to do his job while he is trying to do his job.  The same thing is true even if the officer is acting against established policy and the law.  There is a significant downside to doing that.

The incident in Charlotte, NC is a case in point.  If Mr. Scott got out of his vehicle with his pistol in his hand and ignored the lawful order to drop the gun his actions would have seemed to any cop to present a clear risk to the life of the officer.  We have seen the video and it does not provide definitive proof that Scott had a gun in his hand.  The chief of police is very clear that Scott was armed and a gun was found at the scene with his finger prints and DNA on it.

No experienced cop would tolerate that kind of behavior.  Any person who is at all knowledgeable about the concept of reactionary gap understands that delaying his own action until a gun is pointed at the officer makes no sense at all.  Wait that long and the subject gets off  the first shot or shots.  There is an excellent YouTube example of what can happen if an officer allows a subject to ignore his instructions with a Georgia officer who was shot by a guy because the officer did not act until it was too late.

I wish it were the case that all state laws required firearms legally carried in public be carried in a holster that covers the trigger guard while the pistol is holstered.  As it is, North Carolina does not require that.  For any number of reasons carrying a pistol in hand in public is an absolutely stupid idea. 

What follows is my opinion but I believe there are many reasons why it makes sense.  Displaying a firearm in hand when dealing with an LEO is downright stupid especially if the officer has issued commands to drop the weapon.  Doing something stupid like that and getting results like what happened to Mr. Scott should not shock anyone.  What should shock people is that Scott ignored reasonable instructions.  If he did so because he was mentally incapacitated then it was a tragedy.

The point is that from the evidence I see now, Scott would be with us today had he done as instructed.

Interesting question that one.  The answer depends on several factors. 

The first one would be why are you interested in shooting handguns? 

Next would be what firearms training courses if any you already have attended and with what  firearms? 

Next would be how happy are you with your current gun handling and shooting abilities? 

Finally you might ask yourself what you know about legal restrictions that affect your use of the firearm. 

Please click here for a discussion what sort of training might be appropriate for you.

No single course you can take will produce real competence with a handgun.  Firearm courses teach knowledge, skills and attitude but competence takes time, sometimes a lot of time and it takes high quality practice.  A good example in another field would be golf.  You can take all of the golf lessons you want but if you do not go out and play on a regular basis you will not be a good golfer.  The same holds true for shooting a handgun.

The logical progression depends on your current state of competence and your goals.  Please click here for a more detailed discussion.

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The second amendment is supposed to protect the right of citizens to keep and bear arms.  It does that to some extent, however since the Bill of Rights became law states, counties and cities have restricted that right to one extent or another.

Federal law specifies some restrictions as to what kind of handguns can be kept, how they must be purchased and who can legally purchase one.  There are also some federal laws that affect transport of firearms.

Most laws that address how we keep and use firearms in are addressed in state statutes.  That is the way it is in Georgia.

Georgia is one of the more gun friendly states but there are restrictions in effect and if you are not aware of them you could end up being charged with an offense about which you were completely unaware and which could negate your right to keep and bear arms and lead to criminal charges.

If you have included firearms in your personal protection strategy you really need to understand what your rights are with respect to the use of force, specifically the use of deadly force.  If you do not understand these laws and you end up using or threatening to use a firearm in what you believe to be a clear instance of self-defense you could easily end up being convicted of a felony simply because you were operating under the assumption that common sense should prevail.

Common sense and the law occasionally but not always intersect.  It is not something that should be left to chance.  Click here to see how we address these issues with a five hour, sixty five dollar class.

What do you think is going to happen immediately after you have prevailed in a self-defense shooting? 

Most likely you will want legal counsel.  Can you handle the expense of that on your own?  

There are several organizations which offer services to assist with a justified self-defense incident.  It might be worth your time to click here and check out what these folks offer.

Incidentally nobody is going to insure you for an unjustified shooting.