Basic Defensive Handgun is a basic, practical, hands-on class in the use of a handgun in self defense. Jeff Cooper, the legendary founder of Gunsite Academy, is quoted as having said, “Owning a handgun doesn’t make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician.” And although basic marksmanship skill is critical to the ability to use a handgun in self defense, marksmanship alone is not sufficient.

This class addresses the basic skills and situations required to use a handgun effectively as a self defense tool. This includes shoot/no-shoot decision making, discriminating targets, multiple-targets, low-light shooting, basic moving targets, and use of cover. It also covers reloading under pressure, and clearing basic malfunctions. Legal, psychological, and law-enforcement response issues are covered in a separate Indy Arms classroom course, Fundamentals of Armed Self-Defense.

Carrying, drawing, and the associated equipment are covered in a separate Indy Arms hands-on course, Concealed Carry, both of which serve as companion courses to this class. This course will consist of about and hour of classroom and dry handling and drills, and about two hours of live-fire range time. The class is nominally three hours in length, but may be expected to run longer, as there are usually numerous questions.

This class has been developed by experts on Indy Arms staff, including nationally recognized authors and presenters, and career firearms instructors and law-enforcement trainers, and will be taught by experts in this field. The class will include the use of a rental gun at no additional cost, if desired. Students will receive a detailed course handout and additional information on available resources.