After Action.net attended Charles Heller’s Arizona CCW class on Tucson’s east side in May 2007. After half a dozen CCW classes, there were still new things to learn in this one.
Course overview
- Instructor: Charles Heller, radio talk show host and a founding member and secretary of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL)
- Location: Heller’s living room on Tucson’s east side, more comfortable and better lit than most classrooms, or at the student’s location
- Schedule: usually the last weekend of the month, Friday night and Saturday, finishing at a nearby range
- Students: two men and five women, plus two students from an earlier class making up hours they had missed
- Cost at the time: $80 for the class plus range fees; the state permit was $65 and lasted five years
What the class covers
- Use of force in self defense, safety, carry methods and firearm selection.
- The draw, dealing with police after a use of force, situational awareness and preparedness.
- Range etiquette and gun cleaning, then a written test and a shooting test. No gun is needed for class; loaners were available at the range for the cost of ammunition.
How it ran
- Heller is easy to hear and understand. He teaches from notes but knows the material cold, so the class moved at a steady pace with room for questions and no wasted time.
- Visual aids and real stories explained bullet types, security and how a bullet works.
- Students practiced with non-firing training replicas to learn the sights before going to the range.
- He showed extra holster options suited to women but otherwise ran the class exactly as he would for any group.
- Qualification and fingerprints were handled at the range in a few minutes. Students from the earlier class qualified with a rented .22 while the others did fingerprints.
Advice not heard in other CCW classes
- Take thorough notes, keep a photocopy, and mail the originals to yourself by certified mail. Leave the envelope sealed as proof of training if you ever have to defend a use of force in court.
- Set up a phone tree to use if you are ever taken into custody, with specific advice on handling that phone call.
Observations
- Given Heller’s work with AzCDL, a strong legal section was expected; the surprise was how interesting he made it, using real experiences and current news.
Takeaways
- Even permit holders benefit from retaking a CCW class as a refresher.
- Plan ahead for what happens after a defensive shooting, not just during it.
- Arizona law has changed dramatically since 2007, including constitutional carry in 2010, which AzCDL campaigned for. Always check current law.
Originally published on After Action.net on May 19, 2007. Rebuilt from the archived report; the original photos were not preserved. See every class in the Training Log, or share your own training experience.
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