Handgun safety and self defense

**Pastor Ron** · August 10th, 2012, 11:01 AM

Trying to find handgun safety and self defense course/class with certified instructor(s) in the Altoona area. Asked at several gun shops..... they all said to check with local sportsmans clubs. for two weeks I've stopped by several local sportsmans clubs and have yet to find anybody there to talk to! Have checked websites.... nothing listed. Suggestions?

**Mtbkski** · August 10th, 2012, 11:11 AM

There isn't a regularly scheduled class anywhere around here. Every once in a while East Coast Gun Shop use to throw one together. But they are no more.

Holidaysburg Rifle Club has one every once in a while. But not very often.

Closet place that has them regularly is F.I.R.E Institute at the Pitcairn/Monroeville Range. They do a good job. But it is about a two to three hour drive to get there.

**Greywolf** · August 10th, 2012, 04:24 PM

NRA courses can be found here: http://nrainstructors.org/CourseCatalog.aspx

You could look at the Basic Pistol class ... it includes a lot about handgun safety. There is, of course, the "Home Firearms Safety" course. And a notch up from those would be the "Personal Protection in the Home" and 'Personal Protection Outside the Home" courses, both of which are more oriented toward defensive use of a firearm and which should not be taken as a first firearms safety class.

From the link above, click the "Find A Course" tab, enter your zip code and the radius within which you're willing to travel (remember, this is a map radius, not driving distance), and hit "Search"