Review: NRA Basic Pistol @ NCCSC with Paul & Dean Barr

[CountryStyle]

I attended the NRA Basic Pistol Class yesterday that was taught by Paul and Dean Barr at Northern Chester County Sportsman's Club. Let me start by saying that I am new to pistol shooting (mostly a shotgun guy) and now fully have the confidence to go and rent (every single thing at targetmaster) before purchasing my first handgun.

Some things about the class:
1. Their real world experience clearly showed by going well beyond the book when teaching certain parts of the class.
2. There were many different confidence levels in the class, some people fully admitting that they fear firearms. They took the time and had the understanding to ensure that everyone felt 100% confident by the end of the class.
3. The price for the class ($125) was lower than some, but by them providing ALL weapons and ALL ammunition along with a full Wegmans lunch and snacks, goes well beyond what I have seen any of the other courses come close too. Basically, the deal was more than excellent
4. The knew every person by name 5 minutes in, called everyone by name and treated everyone with absolute respect and professionalism.
5. They kept the course moving through the day very well and really hammered home the important parts so that we were all the SAFEST gun handlers I can imagine.
6. Time was managed very well, the course started and ended exactly on time, yet never felt rushed.

In summary, it was VERY well done. If you want to take what I believe to be one of the best Basic Pistol classes out there, want to learn from two ex-marines that bring a wealth of knowledge to the classroom, and get the most bang from your buck. Go with these guys.

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with the club nor instructors. I was just that impressed that I needed to share how it was for others that may be looking into taking the course.

Now, where did I put that "To Buy" list of pistols?.....

[EandGWZ]

Thanks for taking the time to provide us with a review. We have one of those courses coming to Mercer, looks like people have the best experience when it is conducted by two instructors.

[PaTom]

I agree. My wife and I were there as well and we really liked it.

Paul and Dean put on a great class. They helped several people become more confident in handling firearms. They also had a good back-and-forth rhythm that sometimes a pair of instructors can lack.

It was a good mix of classroom, dry, and live fire exercises. By using 22 revolver & semi-auto's, people could learn and practice without worrying about full recoil. By the end of the day, you could see the confidence and safe practices (especially keeping the muzzle downrange) increasing among the folks who had less firearms experience.

Of course, they also spoiled us with nice revolvers (S&W 617)

I've been a handgun guy for 15 years and I found a few bad habits that I had, like that I tend to turn the gun sideways (pointing it across the range) when I'm putting the magazine. Not right at the person next to me, but at a pretty sharp angle. I didn't even realize I was doing it.

The only "downside" of the day is that my wife was unhappy with her shooting accuracy and she was obsessing over it the whole way home. Of course, the up side is that now she wants to go to the range and practice more often :-)

[kimber 22]

Wow! Thanks guys!! We're really glad you enjoyed the class. Like we said, anytime you have questions, hit us up.

Dan - need any help with that list?

[Metz]

them providing ALL weapons

Kudos for taking the class, but didn't they teach you NOT to use the word "weapon"?

[CountryStyle]

Wow! Thanks guys!! We're really glad you enjoyed the class. Like we said, anytime you have questions, hit us up.

Dan - need any help with that list?

I only need help removing things but I am starting to see how bad this buying habit can be....

[CountryStyle]

Kudos for taking the class, but didn't they teach you NOT to use the word "weapon"?

Wrote it on my phone, didn't even notice. But now I'm tempted to edit

[dqdean]

Thank you Dan! Glad you enjoyed the course and that it was beneficial for you. We understand how much of a time commitment it can be to devote a full training day.
Please keep us posted on your purchasing decision. We'll be more than happy to help you break in any new pistols

[CountryStyle]

It was well worth the time. I would now consider myself 100% range capable with a pistol, even one that is not familiar to me. Let me get a few thousand rounds downrange and I will be back to take a more advanced course.

[PaTom]

After shooting your 22's, Shelli and I are looking at the Browning Buckmark. She didn't like the Ruger but liked the idea of a 22 target pistol (and the 617, as nice as it is, is a bit pricey).