Joe O’Brien

This is our CPL class that fulfills the Michigan requirements for 5 hours of classroom time and 3 hours of range time. 5 hours may sound like a long time in the classroom, but there are so many things that you need to consider when you start carrying a firearm, and this class will be only the beginning of your concealed carry journey. The goal of this class is to teach you to keep yourself physically, legally, and morally safe while carrying and using a self-defense firearm. We will give you the information you need to get started and answer all of your questions about what carrying a firearm entails.

The shooting portion of this class will be held outdoors. We will shoot in any weather, so please check the forecast and bring appropriate clothing. We will make some accommodations if the weather is particularly bad.

Lunch will not be provided. Make sure you bring snacks and water as well.

Rental guns with ammunition are available for an additional $20 and can be rented at the class. Please let me know in advance if you will be renting a gun, I will need to make arrangements for that.

If you are bringing your own firearm and ammunition, please make sure that your firearm is in serviceable condition and bring 50 rounds of ammunition.

Handgun Level 1 is the place to start learning to shoot a defensive handgun, and it is the next step in our program if you have already taken our CPL class. The purpose of this class is to teach you the skills necessary to use a self-defense handgun safely and effectively in the circumstances you are most likely to encounter as an armed citizen. The average civilian self-defense incident occurs between 3-5 yards and lasts 3 seconds. The priority of the class is to ensure that you can excel in those circumstances, but we will also make sure you can hit what you are aiming at, even at distance, and lay the groundwork for your future training.

This class is designed to teach you to achieve 4 specific, measurable goals by the end of the class:

1. Handle, shoot, and holster, and unholster a handgun safely.
2. Put shots on target at 25 yards consistently.
3. Put shots on target at 7 yards as fast as you can pull the trigger.
4. Put 5 shots on target at 5 yards from concealment in under 3 seconds.

To achieve these goals, we will teach these 6 skills:

1. The universal firearms safety rules.
2. Marksmanship fundamentals.
3. Proper trigger reset.
4. Recoil control.
5. Unsighted rapid fire.
6. Drawing from a concealed holster.

*NOTE: You will need to bring 300 rounds of ammunition.

Handgun Level 1 is the place to start learning to shoot a defensive handgun, and it is the next step in our program if you have already taken our CPL class. The purpose of this class is to teach you the skills necessary to use a self-defense handgun safely and effectively in the circumstances you are most likely to encounter as an armed citizen. The average civilian self-defense incident occurs between 3-5 yards and lasts 3 seconds. The priority of the class is to ensure that you can excel in those circumstances, but we will also make sure you can hit what you are aiming at, even at distance, and lay the groundwork for your future training.

This class is designed to teach you to achieve 4 specific, measurable goals by the end of the class:

1. Handle, shoot, and holster, and unholster a handgun safely.
2. Put shots on target at 25 yards consistently.
3. Put shots on target at 7 yards as fast as you can pull the trigger.
4. Put 5 shots on target at 5 yards from concealment in under 3 seconds.

To achieve these goals, we will teach these 6 skills:

1. The universal firearms safety rules.
2. Marksmanship fundamentals.
3. Proper trigger reset.
4. Recoil control.
5. Unsighted rapid fire.
6. Drawing from a concealed holster.

*NOTE: You will need to bring 300 rounds of ammunition.

Pistol 1 is the place to start learning to shoot a defensive handgun, and it is the next step in our program if you have already taken our CPL class. The purpose of this class is to teach you the skills necessary to use a self-defense handgun safely and effectively.

This class is designed to help you achieve 5 specific goals by the end of the class:

1. Think properly about what a handgun accomplishes for you and how it fits into your context.

2. Handle, shoot, holster, and unholster a handgun safely and efficiently.

3. Put shots on target at 25 yards consistently.

4. Put shots on target at 7 yards as fast as you can pull the trigger.

5. Put 5 shots on target at 5 yards from concealment in under 3 seconds.

To achieve these goals, and to round out your gun handling skills, we will teach the following:

1. The universal firearms safety rules.

2. Marksmanship fundamentals.

3. Proper trigger reset.

4. Recoil control.

5. Unsighted rapid fire.

6. Drawing efficiently & quickly from a concealed holster.

7. Clearing malfunctions.

8. Tactical and emergency reloads.

*NOTE: You will need to bring at least 400 rounds of ammunition.

Handgun Level 2 is the next step after our Handgun Level 1 class. If you have not taken our Handgun Level 1 class, contact me to make sure that your prior training is sufficient. This is not a class you can jump into.

In handgun Level 1 we go over six primary categories:

1. The universal firearms safety rules.
2. Marksmanship fundamentals.
3. Proper trigger reset.
4. Recoil control.
5. Unsighted rapid fire.
6. Drawing from a concealed holster.

In Handgun Level 2, we start by doing an audit of those skills to refresh your memory. After that, we will build on those by training you on the concepts and skills below:

1. Clearing stoppages.
2. Emergency and tactical reloads.
3. One handed drawing and shooting.
4. Target transitions.
5. How to use cover and concealment.
6. Tactics and scenario based training.

You need to bring a sturdy concealment holster, a spare magazine carrier, a stiff belt, kneepads, ear/eye protection, and 400 rounds of ammunition. If you have any questions about what to get, send me a text or an email, or give me a call. I can make recommendations based on your specific needs and may be able to provide something that you could use for the class in some cases.