NRA Classes

We offer the following NRA class types:

  • Home Firearms Safety
  • Basic Pistol
  • Basic Rifle
  • Basic Shotgun
  • Personal Protection In the Home
  • Personal Protection Outside the Home
  • Defensive Pistol (advanced course)
  • Range Safety Officer
  • Chief Range Safety Officer (instructor level)
  • Refuse To Be A Victim (groups, seminars, and Instructor Development Workshops)
  • Instructor Courses

Descriptions of each class type are included below.

Home Firearms Safety

Short Description : Non-shooting course and teaches students the basic knowledge, skills, and to explain the attitude necessary for the safe handling and storage of firearms and ammunition in the home.
More Details: This is a four-hour course for safe gun handling that is conducted in the classroom only. Students are taught NRA’s three rules for safe gun handling; primary causes of firearms accidents; firearm parts; how to unload certain action types; ammunition components; cleaning; care; safe storage of firearms in the home; and the benefits of becoming an active participant in the shooting sports. Students will receive the NRA Home Firearm Safety handbook, NRA Gun Safety Rules brochure, Basic Firearm Training Program brochure, course completion certificate.

Basic Pistol

 Teaches the basic knowledge, skills, and attitude for owning and operating a pistol safely.

There is now a choice about how you can take the primary classroom instruction for the NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Course. 

(1) There is the traditional 1 day / 8 hour course conducted by NRA instructors. It includes classroom and range instruction with instructors for each phase of instruction. Students learn NRA’s rules for safe gun handling; pistol parts and operation; ammunition; shooting fundamentals; range rules; shooting from the bench rest position, and two handed standing positions; cleaning the pistol; and continued opportunities for skill development

(2)  There is now a 2 phase  course of study. Phase I is computer self paced study.  Phase II is a combination of classroom and range activities.. Students learn NRA’s rules for safe gun handling; pistol parts and operation; ammunition; shooting fundamentals; range rules; shooting from the bench rest position, and two handed standing positions; cleaning the pistol; and continued opportunities for skill development. Students will receive the NRA study materials once they have signed up for Phase I .  www.nrainstructors.org/search.aspx  

For more information contact the instructors listed on this site.

Basic Rifle

Short Description : Teaches the basic knowledge, skills, and attitude necessary for the safe use of a rifle in target shooting.

More Details: This course is at least 14 hours long and includes classroom and range time learning to shoot rifles. Students learn NRA’s rules for safe gun handling; rifle parts and operation; ammunition; shooting fundamentals; range rules; shooting from the bench rest, prone, sitting, standing and kneeling positions; cleaning, and continued opportunities for skill development. Students will receive the Basics of Rifle Shooting handbook, NRA Gun Safety Rules brochure, Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification booklet, take a Basics of Rifle Shooting Student Examination, and course completion certificate.

Basic Shotgun

Short Description : Teaches the basic knowledge, skills, and attitude for the safe and proper use of a shotgun in shooting a moving target.

More Details: This course is at least ten-hours long and includes classroom and range time learning how to shoot shotguns at moving targets. Students learn NRA’s rules for safe gun handling; shotgun parts and operation; shotgun shell components; shotgun shell malfunctions; shooting fundamentals; range rules; shooting at straight away and angled targets; cleaning; and continued opportunities for skill development. Students will receive the Basics of Shotgun Shooting handbook, NRA Gun Safety Rules brochure, Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification booklet, take a Basics of Shotgun Shooting Student Examination, and course completion certificate.

Basic Personal Protection in the Home

Short Description : Teaches the basic knowledge, skills, and attitude essential to the safe and efficient use of a handgun for protection of self and family, and to provide information on the law-abiding individual’s right to self-defense.

More Details: This is an eight-hour course. Students should expect to shoot approximately 100 rounds of ammunition. Students will learn basic defensive shooting skills, strategies for home safety and responding to a violent confrontation, firearms and the law, how to choose a handgun for self-defense, and continued opportunities for skill development. Students will receive the NRA Guide to the Basics of Personal Protection In The Home handbook, NRA Gun Safety Rules brochure, the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification booklet, and course completion certificate.(Lesson Plan, revised 08/11)

NRA Basic Personal Protection In The Home course is for law-abiding adult citizens, as defined by applicable federal, state, or local law, and experienced shooters (shooters able to show mastery of the basic skills of safe gun handling, shooting a group, zeroing the firearm, and cleaning the firearm) to maximize what can be learned from this course. Proof of shooting experience can be one of the following: NRA Basic Pistol Course Certificate, NRA FIRST Steps Course Certificate, NRA pistol competitive shooting qualification card, military DD 214 with pistol qualification, or passing the Pre-Course Assessment.

Personal Protection Outside the Home

Short Description : Comprehensive and intensive in its approach to equip the defensive shooting candidate with the skills needed to survive serious adversity.

More Details: The course teaches students the knowledge, skills and attitude essential for avoiding dangerous confrontations and for the safe, effective and responsible use of a concealed pistol for self-defense outside the home. Students have the opportunity to attend this course using a quality strong side hip holster that covers the trigger, or a holster purse. From a review of safe firearms handling and proper mindset to presentation from concealment and multiple shooting positions, this course contains the essential skills and techniques needed to prevail in a life-threatening situation.

The NRA Personal Protection Outside the Home is divided into two levels (basic and advanced). Level one is a nine-hour course and offers the essential knowledge and skills that must be mastered in order to carry, store, and use a firearm safely and effectively for personal protection outside the home. Upon completion of level one, students may choose to attend level two, which is an additional five hours of range training and teaches advanced shooting skills. After the classroom portion, students should expect to spend several hours on the range and shoot approximately 100 rounds of ammunition during level one. Level two involves five additional hours on the range and approximately 115 rounds of ammunition. The ammunition requirements are minimum and may be exceeded. Students will receive the NRA Guide to the Basics of Personal Protection Outside The Home handbook, NRA Gun Safety Rules brochure and the appropriate course completion certificates(s), NRA Basic Personal Protection Outside The Home (identifies strong-side hip holster or purse use) certificate, and NRA Advanced Personal Protection Outside The Home certificate.(Lesson Plan 2006, revised 4-09)

The NRA Basics of Personal Protection Outside The Home is for adult individuals who are not disqualified from possessing a firearm as defined by applicable federal, state, or local law and are of good repute and possess defensive pistol skills presented in the NRA Basics of Personal Protection In The Home Course. Participants must also understand the basic legal concepts relating to the use of firearms in self-defense, and must know and observe not only general gun safety rules, but also those safety principles that are specific to defensive situations. Prospective participants can demonstrate that they have the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes by producing an NRA Basic Personal Protection In The Home Course Certificate, or by passing the pre-course evaluation.

Note: The Lesson III of the Personal Protection In and Outside The Home courses Firearms and the Law, and Legal Aspects of Self-Defense is conducted by an attorney licensed to practice law within the state in which this course is given and who is familiar with this area of the law, a Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) who possesses an intermediate or higher Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certificate granted within the state, or an individual currently certified to instruct in this area of the law by the state in which this course is presented.

NRA Certified Instructors may conduct this lesson only if they meet the requirements stated above and then only in their capacity as an attorney, or other state certified individual not in their capacity as an NRA Certified Instructor.

Defensive Pistol

Short Description : Teaches the knowledge, skills, and attitude to carry and use a concealed pistol ethically, responsibly, and with confidence.

More Details: The NRA Defensive Pistol Course will focus on the techniques needed to develop a defensive mindset. The goal of the course will be to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitude necessary to carry and use a concealed pistol ethically, responsibly, and with confidence. As a result of participating in this course, the student will be able to explain and demonstrate the following: How to apply the NRA Rules for Safe Gun Handling when carrying a concealed firearm, basic principles of concealment, the difference between cover and concealment, drawing from the holster, levels of mental awareness, developing the proper mindset when using a pistol for personal protection, clearing common stoppages, use of pocket pistols, and more. Students will receive the NRA Guide to the Basics of Personal Protection Outside The Home handbook, NRA Gun Safety Rules brochure and the NRA Defensive Pistol certificate. This course is only conducted by NRA Certified Advanced Pistol Instructors.

Range Safety Officer

Short Description : Develops NRA Certified Range Safety Officers with the knowledge, skills, and attitude essential to organizing, conducting, and supervising safe shooting activities and range operations.

More Details: This course is nine hours long and is conducted in a classroom and at a shooting facility. Range Safety Officer candidates will learn roles and responsibilities of an RSO; Range Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs); range inspection; range rules; range briefings; emergency procedures; and firearm stoppages and malfunctions. Each Range Safety Officer Candidate will receive an RSO Student Study Guide, a Basic Firearm Training Program brochure, an NRA Gun Safety Rules brochure, an Instructor Application/Course Evaluation form.

Chief Range Safety Officer

NRA Chief Range Safety Officers are people who possess the knowledge, skills, and attitude essential to organizing, conducting, and supervising safe shooting activities and range operations. This course requires the NRA Range Safety Officer certifications as a prerequisite.

The successful completion of this course will allow individuals to educate, train, and certify NRA Range Safety Officers.

This course is nine (9) hours min. in duration.

Those individuals who do not hold a NRA trainer rating:

  • Must attend a Range Safety Officer course / a nine (9) hour course that consists of classroom time and practical exercises conducted on a range.
  • This is an instructor-level course, so the Training Counselor must make sure that the individual has been through the current NRA Basic Instructor Training (BIT), which is a minimum of six (6) hours.

Certified Range Safety Officers:

  • may attend a Chief Range Safety Officer course put on by an NRA Training Counselor who also holds the Chief Range Safety Officer certification;
  • This is an instructor-level course, so the Training Counselor must make sure that the individual has been through the NRA Basic Instructor Training, which is a minimum of six (6) hours

Refuse To Be A Victim

(groups, seminars and Instructor Development Workshops)