Many non-gun people feel super self conscious when it comes to shopping for guns, having conversations about guns, and starting their journeys to become protectors. Looking at the gun world from outside, there seems to be a secret language for this secret brotherhood and it’s thought that outsiders are looked down upon by those in the brotherhood
This couldn’t be farther from the truth! I’ve never met a gun person who thought poorly of someone who didn’t speak the language or know anything about guns (except, of course, for the Hollywood celebs and politicians who clearly don’t understand guns yet run their mouths anyway).
We are not born holding guns. Guns are a tool and, like any other tool, we must learn how to use them and talk about them. Some people start that process early in life while others, like myself, start much later. Some people are really into them and seem to live, breath, and eat firearms while others have them just in case they need them. Regardless, we all start from the same place – zero knowledge about guns.
One thing I’ve learned on my journey from someone who never handled a gun before to becoming a firearm and concealed carry instructor is that everyone in the gun world is incredibly kind, courteous, and helpful. I was afraid to go into a gun shop and say “I know nothing; where do I start?” What I quickly learned was that “gun people” absolutely LOVE that! We want to bring people into our world and will bend over backwards to help.
For us, it’s a combination of bringing someone into a sport that is challenging, a ton of fun, and can be mastered by anyone regardless of age, sex, or initial ability yet also give us the knowledge and skills we may need someday to save the lives of the people we love. There is nothing else in the world like shooting.
I’ll be perfectly honest; we’d much rather someone tell us that they know nothing than listen to someone try to fake it by using the words they think we use. We want to make sure people know what they’re doing and know what they’re talking about.
This is precisely the reason we offer an Intro to Handguns/Pistol Basics class. We want to give people new to the world of handguns and shooting the information they need to choose a gun that’s right for them and understand how to handle, use, and store it safely. We have absolutely no expectations. It doesn’t matter to us if you’re a 20-something college student or a 70-something grandparent; everybody starts from the same square one at some point in their lives. We want to help you get to square two.
Our Intro course covers revolvers as well as semi-automatics. We talk about the pros and cons for each type as well as how they work. After taking our Intro class, you’ll be able to walk into a gun store already knowing what questions to ask and already having an idea about what you’d like to see. Or, if you already own a handgun, you’ll learn how it works and how to practice shooting.
Speaking of practice, far too many people buy a handgun, take a concealed carry class, and think they’re good to go. I equate this to giving a 16-year-old boy a Porsche and turning him loose on the snow-covered streets of northern Wisconsin or giving a 12-year-old girl a makeup kit and showing her a YouTube video from a ‘makeup artist for the stars’. It’s not going to end well; they have no idea what they’re doing or what the consequences of their actions may be.
Shooting is a skill that must be learned and, like every other skill, practiced. Likewise, understanding how and when to introduce your concealed carry weapon to a deadly situation as well as what the ramifications of that decision may be takes some time to understand and a lot of thought ahead of time.
Part of what we teach includes how to hone your shooting skills as well as the legal, ethical, and moral consequences of using your weapon. While we have no control over what you do after you leave our class, we truly hope you’ll join a conservation or shooting club that gives you the opportunity to practice shooting. We also hope that you’ll listen to the podcasts we recommend that analyze self defense situations and talk about what went right and what went wrong.
The bottom line is this – we don’t care if you don’t know anything about guns, shooting, or concealed carry. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know and set you up to become a competent protector. We (and every other “gun person”) want to welcome you into our world!