Gun Safety Classes

Guns can be lethal and you should always receive proper education on how to use and handle them. Gun safety courses are intended to prevent accidental injury, death or damage relating to gun use. Courses are available from a variety of agencies, and the courses themselves cover any gun-related topic from pistols and shotguns to hunting. In some cases, you are required to take a gun safety class prior to purchasing a gun.

  1. Basic Pistol Course

    • This pistol course is geared specifically toward the safety and proper handling of pistols. Students are taught the basic principles of gun safety: the first is to keep the gun pointed away from people, animals or objects you do not intend to shoot. The second major rule is to remove your finger from the trigger, and out of the trigger cage, until prepared to shoot. Third, load the gun only when you are ready to use it. Students learn how to safely operate revolvers and semi-automatic pistols in a course that is at least 8 hours long.

    Basic Rifle Course

    • In this course, students will also learn the basic principles of gun safety. Further, students learn how to safely operate and handle rifles. This course is at least 14 hours long, and students will learn how to safely fire a rifle in different positions, such as kneeling or shooting from a bench rest.

    Basic Shotgun Course

    • The shotgun course teaches students the basic safety principles along with how to safely shoot shotguns at moving targets. Students will also learn to safely shoot straight away and at angled targets in this course that lasts 10 or more hours.

    Personal Protection

    • One primary purpose of guns is for personal protection, and these classes teach students how to safely operate a gun as a means to personal protection. One course focuses on in-home personal protection and the other on personal protection outside the home. To attend these courses, students must already be advanced gun handlers. In this eight-hour course, students learn gun safety regarding instances of personal defense, violent confrontation and general gun safety in or outside the home. During the outside-the-home course, students also learn to safely maneuver and shoot in multiple shooting positions and how to safely use a holster with a trigger cover.

    Home Safety

    • In this four-hour course, students learn how to safely handle their weapon in the home. This includes how to avoid common firearm accidents and how to safely unload weapons. Additionally, this course teaches students how and where to safely store their guns in the home.

    Reloading Courses

    • These courses teach students how to safely reload a gun. Reloading courses are available for different gun types, such as a basic metallic cartridge reloading course or a shotgun shell reloading course. The classes are taught in a classroom and are eight hours long.

    Hunting Safety

    • Hunting is among the most common reasons for owning a gun. Safety courses teach students the specific gun-related dangers of hunting and how to avoid them. Some states require you to attend a safety course before receiving a hunting license.