How to Choose a Training Class

The right class is the one that fits your goal, your skill level and your schedule, taught by an instructor with a clean safety record. Use this guide before you pay a deposit.

1. Start with your goal

Your goal	A good first class	Look for
New to shooting	Basic pistol or an NRA Basic Pistol course	Safety, fundamentals, small class size
Concealed carry	Defensive pistol 1 or a state carry-permit course	Drawing from concealment, the law of self-defense
Home defense	Home defense pistol, shotgun or carbine	Low light, moving inside a home, family plans
Competition	A match-prep or intro to USPSA or IDPA class	Movement, reloads, range commands, safe procedures
Building on a foundation	Intermediate pistol, carbine, low light or force on force	Measured standards, a clear prerequisite

2. Vet the instructor

• Where they learned. Ask who trained them and what they have taught. The Firearm Instructors directory covers many of the best known.
• Safety record. A safety brief at the start of every class, a medical plan and a designated person with a trauma kit are the minimum.
• Student-to-instructor ratio. Fewer students per instructor on the line means more coaching and safer live fire.
• Reviews. Read after action reports from past students, including the Course List on this site.
• Legal content. Use-of-force law should come from someone qualified to teach it for your state.

3. Read the details before you pay

• Round count, and whether ammunition is included
• Gear list: holster type, magazines, eye and ear protection, belt
• Prerequisites, and whether a skills check is required
• Class size, start times and total hours
• Range location, shade, restrooms and weather plan
• Physical demands such as kneeling, prone and moving
• Refund and rain policy

4. Red flags

• No safety brief or medical plan
• Muzzle or trigger-finger mistakes tolerated on the line
• Promises of advanced skills in a single day
• Instructors who will not answer questions or explain why
• Pressure to buy gear from the instructor before class

Find a school in the Training Schools guide or on the Training Schools Map.

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