The guy who's never held a firearm in his life

[Guest kj4gxu]

I wasn't quite that guy when I bought my first handgun, but I was close.  I had fired a 22 rifle numerous times and lots of pellet/bb rifles but never an actual handgun.

 

I was aware of my own ignorance and pretty much kept it unloaded and put away until I was able to get it out on the range some and learn how it worked and also sought out some guidance from a friend  who took the time first to talk about basic gun safety, then moved on into basic aiming and accuracy and eventually we talked about self defense techniques and drills and training techniques.

The problem I see is that the TN handgun safety course for a HCP is way to "High Level"  You can easily take that class and walk out and not have the knowledge you need to avoid potentially lethal screw-ups.  Yes you show that you have at least a basic degree of accuracy and in my class at least the instructor was VERY quick to point out issues with grip or technique and he said ahead of time at least that if anyone pointed their muzzle in an unsafe direction at any time it would be an automatic fail and they'd be asked to leave the range immediately, I didn't see that one put to the test.

 

I know there are more advanced hand gun classes for technique and principles, but does anyone know of anyone providing a "So you've never held a gun before" type class out there?  Something that teaches everything you really should know before you walk out of the gun store.

I've gotten beyond that stage, but it seems like there are a lot of people who need this and hopefully who'd take advantage before purchasing a firearm.

 

On a positive note, now that I am more confident in my ability to handle the weapon safely and hit what I aim at I have now completed all the paperwork and steps in the process to get my HCP, I'm just waiting on the background check now.  

Edited May 23, 2013 by kj4gxu

[peejman]

Congrats!

 

Yes, the HCP course is a joke in that regard.  It's intended to educate you on the laws with respect to carrying.  Its not intended to teach you how to shoot or handle a firearm. 

 

Lots of ranges offer some very basic handgun classes.  While I don't know of one near you, I feel sure there is. 

[mk19]

There should be certified instructors around your area, who would be able to teach you the proper basics of handgun handling and more. 

[Guest 270win]

Have you thought about getting a 22 pistol or revolver?  You will improve your skills greatly with a 22.

[peejman]

This might help point you in the right direction...  http://www.nra.org/nralocal.aspx

[BigK]

You might check out www.NSSF.org; they have geographic listings for all kinds if safety, marksmanship, and defense courses.

 

I'm glad to hear that you realized that having a handgun and getting your HCP aren't enough. If they were, anyone could buy a hammer, saw, and nails, read some basic directions, and call themselves a carpenter.

Edited May 23, 2013 by BigK

[Guest Emtdaddy1980]

Not sure of your location, but I believe Shooters Depot in chattanooga has a class along those lines. Its listed on their website separately from the HCP class.

[bigwakes]

I have taught numerous safety and shooting classes for my church for free. If there is someone around church or work that you know is former LEO or competent shooter ask them to take you to the range and teach you the basics. Most guys love to teach what they have learned over the years. It's really the kind of thing you need to pick up actually shooting with people that know what they are doing, not necessarily a 4 hour class and then you are good to go.

[Guest kj4gxu]

Have you thought about getting a 22 pistol or revolver?  You will improve your skills greatly with a 22.

I've been considering it for a while, but not going to move on it until I actually start seeing some 22 ammo on the shelf on a regular basis.  At least with the 9mm I have now and the 40 I'll probably be getting shortly I can find the supplies on a fairly regular basis and reload even if I can't find decent priced ammo.  22 I'd be out of luck when I can't find it on the shelf.

[gregintenn]

I would suggest a TWRA hunter safety education course. It teaches the very basics of firearm operation, as well as firearm safety. It is also FREE if I remember correctly.

[xjsnake]

http://clarksvillegunsandarchery.com/content.php?page=policies

 

 

Scroll to the bottom of the page and you'll find the information on their NRA "First Steps" class.

 

$50 and it teaches safety, basics of handgun handling, proper handgun shooting and you get the NRA basics book to boot.

[Guest ndhill1976]

I think too many people take the HCP class as a "I've never held a gun" class. The HCP class is a class for people to carry a handgun. In my opinion people should be very familiar with their handgun before they start carrying it.

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[StPatrick]

kj4xu,

 

Start here, with Jeff Cooper's famous 4 Rules of Gun Safety (typing from memory, so consider them paraphrased):

 

1. All guns are always loaded.  what this means is that until you, yourself, nobody else, has verified a weapon is clear, treat it as if it were loaded
2. Never point your weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot (sometimes phrased as "keep your weapon pointed in a safe direction at all times").  This is self-explanatory, and protects against failures to observe rule 1.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to hit your target.  This protects against failures to observe the first 2 rules, in that if you don't touch the trigger, no bullet from the weapon you were sure was clear will strike whatever you were pointing at for whatever reason.
4. Know your target and what is beyond it.  Every round you fire, intentionally or otherwise, is your responsibility.  Know and understand where they will land before trigger and finger come in contact.

 

Observe those four rules at all times, and the likelihood of you ever harming yourself or others accidentally approaches 0%.  Once you have that down, you get to enjoy shooting however you like, with whatever weapons you enjoy, and if the shooters you associate with do the same, you'll have many good days out at the range.

 

Good luck in your progress!