This foundational class is designed to help you build safe habits and avoid common—and potentially tragic—mistakes. Whether you’re brand new to firearms or looking to refresh your safety knowledge, this course will sharpen your awareness and reinforce critical safety principles.

Part 1: Essential Safety Practices

Learn how to handle firearms responsibly—without endangering yourself or others. We begin with the universal rules of firearm safety, going beyond simple “don’ts” to cover real-world best practices that help prevent accidents. Topics include:

• The role of ignorance, carelessness, and complacency in firearms incidents

• Understanding the difference between negligent and accidental discharges

• How mechanical safeties work—and why they’re not enough on their own

You’ll handle inert (non-firing) training pistols during this session to reinforce hands-on safe handling techniques.

Part 2: Hidden Hazards and Risk Management

Firearms safety doesn’t end with basic handling. In this segment, we dive into the unexpected dangers that can arise when handling firearms—or even standing nearby. Through analysis of real-world incident videos, we’ll examine:

• The root causes of common safety failures and how to avoid them

• The risks of holstering and reholstering, and how to do it safely

• Dangerous holster designs, hot brass burns, bad ammo, mechanical failures, and more

Learn about pistols and how they operate, including their parts, external contols, recoil-based cycling and the different types of pistol actions.

Learn how to load magazines and pistols, unload them, and how to check to see whether they are loaded or not.

Learn about recoil and muzzle flip, and the fundamentals of how to shoot a handgun well, including stance, grip, sighting, trigger manipulation and the shooting cycle.

Have you recently purchased, inherited, or been gifted a handgun—but aren’t quite sure what to do next? This introductory session is designed to help you build confidence and understanding in a safe, supportive environment.

You’ll learn how to identify, safely handle, and maintain your specific firearm, regardless of make or model. We’ll cover the fundamentals of firearm safety, walk through the essential functions and controls of your handgun, and teach you how to verify that it’s unloaded and safe. You’ll also gain clarity on ammunition compatibility, dry handling techniques, basic cleaning procedures, and safe storage solutions.

Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, curious, or just cautious, this session will give you the clarity and competence to move forward with confidence.