There are many things I want to learn or do (see my To-Do list on my About page), and learning how to shoot and handle a gun was one that I have had in mind for a few years. My Dad is a retired sheriff so yeah, we have guns around the house which made me feel safe when my Dad was there, but what if he wasn’t at home? The thought of myself holding a gun scared me. I felt like if I were to be put in a situation (heaven forbid) where I’d have to use a gun to protect myself… I would not know what to do.

Lucky for me, my Dad felt the same way and signed me up for a NRA Basic Pistol course. My boyfriend and I attended the course together. The pistol course is designed to give students the basic skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for owning and using a handgun safely. We learned about safe firearm handling, firearm parts and operation for both revolvers and Semi-Autos, ammunition and it’s function, and the fundamentals of pistol marksmanship. The instructor also covered how to select, clean, and store your handgun and ammunition.

He also explained the California gun laws and told us situations where we should or shouldn’t use a gun. Basically if you are at home and someone breaks in, you should try to get out safely. Using a gun for defense should be your last resort because unfortunately there have been cases where the homeowner was sued for harming the BURGLAR! Imagine that? So if you could get out, get out. If you’re trapped, then you have reasonable cause to protect yourself. I hear courts are more lenient with women, but more strict with men. I guess because guys are stronger and have more options or something? Who knows.

So anyways, after the lessons the whole class went to the firing range to practice shooting! I was really nervous in the morning. But during the day the instructor was so thorough with everything he was teaching and made sure that we understood all of the information we were being given. So that eased my nerves. By the time we were at the range I felt comfortable holding and handling the gun. I really had a great time and plan on going back to the shooting range just for fun.

I recommend the NRA Basic Pistol Course to anyone who wants to learn how to handle and shoot a gun. Not only do I feel comfortable with guns, I also received a HSC (Handgun Safety) Certificate which is required to purchase a handgun. The class met the standards for the training and our instructor was DOJ certified to issue the test and certificate.

Once again – highly recommended! For information about NRA courses, including the pistol course, click here for NRA Basic Firearm Training info. I definitely plan on taking other classes in the future, especially the rifle one! If you want to know where I took the course and who my instructor was, feel free to contact me.