Services

This non-NRA course is offered with and without a shooting portion.  It is geared for the first time shooter and the gun-curious.  The course has three main goals:1) to familiarize someone with no or limited exposure to firearms in a safe environment at a pace that allows them to ask questions and develop comfort organically 2) to teach the rules of firearms safety as an absolute backdrop that MUST exist behind every single moment that we spend around firearms, and 3) learn to safely load and unload a firearm using dummy (practice/simulated) ammunition, the basics of aiming and gripping the firearm, and then pulling the trigger without moving the sights. It can also be valuable for those who may have had exposure to firearms long ago and are looking to get back into shooting.  If you take this course and then decide to take the CT or MA permit course with me, a $75 credit will be applied to your Permit course.  This two hour (with range time) course is priced at $225 for one on one instruction.  For those not yet interested in firing a gun, the course is also available as a one and a half hour "classroom only" course at $150 without the range portion.  

This course, taught using either the NRA or the Liberal Gun Club's curriculum (Equal Arms Academy will default to the Liberal Gun Club's curriculum if a student has no preference) will provide the student with the fundamental skills and knowledge to safely and confidently handle, load, and shoot a firearm.  It fulfills the requirements of the State of CT (including applicable State law instruction) to apply for your firearms permit. 

This SERIES of courses is intended to take someone from a position of little to no experience with firearms to feeling competent and confident defending themselves with a defensive pistol.  Building slowly and safely through the required skill sets in small groups or private settings, each student will develop at their own pace as appropriate for their own skills and goals.  

Pistol Skills 1

Prerequisites: None, or can be taken after the pistol permit class as a refresher and skills builder. 

Required gear:    A serviceable pistol of any caliber (can be owned or rented if you do not yet own a pistol), preferably of a caliber generally accepted as defensively capable (minimum of 380, 9mm preferred).  If your intent is to develop defensive shooting skills or concealed carry skills, bring the firearm you intend to use for these purposes.  Bringing a target pistol with a defensive shooting goal will be of limited use.  If you are not sure, or do not yet own a pistol, please reach out. Loaner/rental firearms are available.  

This non-NRA, skills-only course follows the same skill-building program as the “I got my permit, now what” (IGMPNW) course, but with less discussion of gear, what first gun might be for you, defensive considerations, etc, and instead focuses purely on the skills surrounding shooting.  Many people who take “IGMPNW” will be able to start with Pistol Skills 2 by passing the final exam below.  

“Final Exam” is FOUR strings of fire, shot one after the other with no more than a minute between strings.  Each string shall consist of: from the low ready position, placing five rounds in a five inch circle at five yards (15 feet) in no more than 10 seconds per string of fire.  

One hour: $150 (plus cost of ammunition), or $200 for two people

One and a half hours: $200 (Plus cost of ammunition), or $250 or two people

Pistol Skills 2

Prerequisites: Pistol Skills 1 or ability to show safe loading/unloading, handling and firing of the chosen pistol , as well as ability to complete the shooting requirement “final exam” of Pistol 1 on TWO of the first THREE attempts.  

This non-NRA course is the logical continuation of the skills developed in Pistol Skills 1.  We will work on honing your accuracy and repeatable precision, and diagnose any consistent OR occasional errors that cause bad shots or loose groupings.  Distances will push out further than you’ve experienced.  We will also start to work on faster follow up shots as well as transitioning between targets that are still close to each other, but force you to re-develop a sight picture between trigger presses.  

“Final exam”:

Stage 1:  at 45 feet, UNTIMED, place 60% of hits (12 out of 20) inside an 8” portion of the  target and 90% of those same 20 (18/20) rounds inside  a 12” target.   

(If 45 foot target is not available, at 25 feet  60% [12 out of 20] shots inside a 4.5” circle, and 90% of those same 20 [18/20] inside a 6.66” circle) 

Stage 2:  From 7 yards: From the low ready, on command address 6” target placed in upper left corner of target backing with two shots, switch to target on opposite top corner of target backing and address with two more shots, back to first target with one shot, within 8 seconds.  Repeat THREE times.  A miss adds one second to your time.  Two misses in any five shot string of fire is a failure.  If you fail one string of fire, you can still pass if you complete the drill successfully three out of five times. 

One hour: $150 (plus ammunition costs), or $200 for two people

One and a half hours: $200 (plus ammunition costs), or $250 or two people

Pistol skills 3:  This non-NRA course will continue to focus on practical accuracy using an “aim small miss small” mindset.  We will then use those skills to achieve acceptable defensive accuracy when under aggressive time constraints.  The point of this class is to have the skills firmly established from the moment that sights are on target until pressing the trigger and follow up shots, so that in the CCW classes or defensive pistol classes, we can focus on the defensive mindset and GETTING the pistol into play promptly and effectively.  Of course, we will continue to hone and refine the shooting skills in those classes as well.  

Prerequisites: Pistol Skills 2 or instructor approval AND passing the final exam of Pistol Skills 2

Final Exam: 5X5X5 from low ready.  Complete twice in a row or or 3 times out of 5.

One hour: $150 (plus ammunition costs), or $200 for two people

One and a half hours: $200 (plus ammunition costs), or $250 or two people

Basic CCW 1: In this non-NRA course, we will introduce carrying a concealed firearm (in the state of CT, other than in extremely limited circumstances, a firearm MUST be concealed while carrying).  A firearm may be carried either inside the waistband (IWB) or Outside the waistband (OWB) during this course, however, in either position, the cover garment must fully conceal the firearm. 

We will begin in the classroom usually, working with an unloaded firearm or using “dummy” ammunition, developing proper mechanics and gaining familiarity with the process of carrying concealed and drawing from the holster.  The draw is broken down into seven fundamental “steps” that can be practiced on their own, and then put together to make a SMOOTH and safe draw.  

Access

Grip

Pull

Rotate

Join

Extend/present

Fire

Once these basic steps are understood and practiced, we will work from “faux concealment” drawing an unloaded firearm from an IWB holster and presenting to a target and engaging in dryfire practice.  We will then introduce the cover garment, and practice with a cover garment.  Once comfortable, we will move to the range, and practice the same drills with live ammunition.  The emphasis will ALWAYS be on safety.  Speed is only an acceptable goal when it comes with experience and a SMOOTH and SAFE draw.   You will realize throughout CCW1 and most of CCW2 that  no shot timer is used, even if it has been in basic pistol skills.  The reason for this should be obvious.  Safety comes from smooth, slow practice.  

 [A note on Appendix Inside Waistband (AIWB) carry:  While AIWB carry has become extremely popular, and is a perfectly viable option, it is the opinion of Equal Arms Academy that it is best taught AFTER a student has a solid understanding of carrying and the mechanics of a SAFE and consistent draw.  AIWB carry has certain advantages, but also brings with it some rather obvious risks and concerns.  For this reason, until a student has PASSED CCW1 and is ALSO deemed sufficiently proficient at safely executing the mechanics of drawing and presenting a firearm, ALL work from the holster will be from the hip (at least “2 o’clock” in common parlance if on the right hip).  Generally, AIWB will be introduced in CCW 2 using dry-fire or snap-cap drills until both student and instructor are sufficiently comfortable moving to live fire.] 

Final Exam:  Repeat the final exams from Pistol Skills 2 and 3, now from the holster.  

Two to Three Hours: One Person: $300, two people $400 plus ammunition costs

Basic CCW 2:

We will now take everything from CCW1, review and drill it (and review what you have surely been dry-fire practicing at home….RIGHT?). This class is about taking the SMOOTH and SAFE draw that you have been drilling and then honing it to become crisp and sharp, allowing us to slowly and safely increase the tempo of our drills.   This is NOT a speed shooting class.  If you compare the drills below to some of the aggressive time constraints you will see in other online pistol shooting, you will notice that this is about developing the required skills safely that can THEN be turned into high speed shooting.  

Final Exam: 

1. 5X5X5 from concealment.  Five shots in a five inch target from five yards in five seconds, twice in a row.  

2. FAST Drill in 10 seconds.  (load two magazines, one with 2 rounds, one with four rounds, insert 2 round magazine into pistol, four round magazine into a magazine carrier).  On command, at SEVEN yards, from holster, shoot two rounds into 3X5 target, slide will lock back, perform emergency reload, fire four rounds at 8” plate/target.  Misses on 3X5 are 2 second penalty, misses on 8” are 1 second penalty

3. “Cold Heat” - Two tries to pass.  From concealment, draw and fire “in the black” on a B8 (25 yard) target at 15 feet within 2.0 seconds from command (shot timer).  This should be relatively easy for anyone that is consistently hitting the 5x5x5 OR the FAST drill, but the fact is, if you are of above average speed fast with the other portions of those drills, it is possible to still not have  2 seconds concealed draw.  This time is considered a fair standard for a responsible concealed carrier.  

Three to Four Hours (can be more, and can be split over more than one day) : One Person: $400, two people $500 plus ammunition costs

This NRA course is exactly what it sounds like.  After you have taken the required course for CT (or many other states), there is a great deal of information and experience that you may not have.  You may not feel comfortable jumping straight to carrying, bringing a firearm into the home, or perhaps even making the decision regarding which firearm is best for you.  This course, offered both in a group setting and private/semi/small groups, can go a long way to answering those questions and guiding you towards making these important decisions in a safe and informed manner.

This NRA course introduces the concepts and skills required to safely and effectively carry a pistol for personal protection.  Over eight hours of classroom and range instruction, this course offers a fnatastic introduction to the fundamental skills required to carry a firearm.  It can be combined with the Basic Pistol Course over a few days for those who do not yet have their permit into a two-day course. 

This is NOT a beginner course, students should have a solid understanding of their firearm, clearing malfunctions, firearms safety, and the fundamentals of shooting.  This non-NRA class will cover working from a holster, shooting while moving, the difference between cover and concealment, and much more.  This class can build on the Beginning CCW course by introducing timed/stress drills, using/shooting from behind cover and concealment, addressing multiple attackers and shooting while moving, and moving between shooting positions, as well as different reloading tactics and why/when to use them.  

What are your goals?  Higher precision shooting?  Entering the world of competitive shooting?  Developing a home or personal defense plan?  WE CAN HELP! 

Picking out your first (or next) gun can be confusing, exciting, intimidating, and a combination of all of these!

In this non-NRA course, I can help you define the PURPOSE for which you are purchasing a firearm, which is absolutely critical in narrowing down the broad universe of available options.  I will guide you as you try different options to see which fit your purpose well, which fit your hand well, and which you seem to shoot better naturally.  

Considerations of the type of action, the caliber, the size, and more will be reviewed to help get you to the right first gun for you.   

This course can be between 60-90 minutes depending on the number of options you would like to test.