This course meets the training requirement for Concealed Pistol License (CPL) applicants in Michigan (and most states). This is not a beginner safety course; participants must be experienced shooters with the basic skills of safe gun handling, shooting and cleaning the firearm; proof of these skills, or passing a pre-course assessment, may be required. This course is designed to develop the students basic knowledge, skills, and attitude essential to the safe and efficient use of a handgun for protection of self and family, and to provide information on the law-abiding citizen’s right to self-defense. This course also covers defensive shooting; basic defensive handgun skills; firearms and the law -- including possession, ownership, and the use of deadly force; strategies for home safety and responding to a violent confrontation; selecting a handgun for self-defense and more. Ammunition and range fees not included in course fee.

This course is a prerequisite to Personal Protection in the Home for students with little or no firearms handling and shooting experience. This course teaches firearm instruction, responsibility, and safety, and is the first NRA program designed for the new shooter/purchaser. First Steps teaches only the most basic shooting skills, and is not a complete course in the traditional sense of the word. It is, however, a hands-on introduction to the safe handling and proper orientation of a pistol, as well as an introduction to pistol safety, parts, and operation; ammunition and the fundamentals of pistol shooting; and an introduction to pistol cleaning, storage, and training opportunities. These skills require regular practice, and this orientation encourages students to obtain additional training, such as the NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Course. Ammunition and range fees not included in course fee.

In accordance with Michigan’s Concealed Pistol License Public Act 381, an individual licensed after July 1, 2001, and subsequently applying for a renewal, is required to complete at least three (3) hours of review of the pistol safety training course, along with at least one (1) hour of firing range time in the six (6) months immediately preceding the renewal application. The review of the Pistol Safety Training Course takes place on the same dates as Personal Protection in the Home, however, the review time is determined by the schedule of our attorney/guest speaker. Ammunition and range fees not included in the firing range review fee.

Motor City Marksman Firearms Training Academy, Inc., has a selection of pistols that are available for use during the live fire exercises, and may be rented for an additional fee. A release of liability waiver will be required at the beginning of class for all firearm rentals.

The student will be responsible for purchasing the correct caliber ammunition for the firearm rented, on the day of the course, prior to the live fire exercises.

It is strongly suggested that you use your personal pistol during the course, however, if you do not have a pistol, or access to one that you can use (the registered owner must be present at the range to use another person's firearm), rental pistols are available.

The firearms listed below are available for rent on a first come, first served basis, for $40 per class:

• Beretta 92FS 9mm
• Smith & Wesson 3913 9mm
• Smith & Wesson 686 .357 Magnum
• Sig Sauer P232 .380
• .357 S&W 686 Revolver