Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania

NRA Board of Directors, 2020-25

NRA CCW Course Information

What is this course?

The NRA CCW course is not a state-specific course.  This is a course that teaches the student about carrying a firearm for personal protection.  It is a modular course that can have up to 10 different parts to it, depending on the skill levels of the student.  There is a shooting qualification that is challenging for nearly every handgun shooter of any ability. 

Two modules within the course are fundamentally important.  Mindset is a topic that explores the types of issues someone needs to consider before legally carrying a firearm.  When can I defend myself?  What issues should I consider if I'm in a defensive shooting situation?  Learn terms like "auditory exclusion", "affirmative defense" and much more.


The second foundational module concerns how to properly use a holster.  All students must have a strong-side outside-the-waistband Kydex type holster.  An excellent recommendation is a product from High Noon Holsters, link:  https://highnoonholsters.com/hooker  In addition, students need to have at least three magazines or speed loaders (for either a semi-auto or a revolver) and a carrier for at least two of them,  Magazine carriers such as one found at Black Dog Concealment, link:  https://blackdogconcealment.com/product/double-pistol-mag-carriers/  Your handgun must be of at least .38 Special (revolver) or 9mm caliber - no .380, no .22LR.  Once you have the proper equipment mounted on a sturdy belt, you will learn a multi-step draw process that ensures a safe effort, as well as a re-holster process.  You will learn how to "point shoot" and conduct emergency magazine changes to reload.

What's next?

The course is taught across two Saturdays.  The first class goes through all of the important aspects of defensive shooting.  The second Saturday is the shooting qualifier.  The qualifier is discussed at the time of the event, but essentially the student will load one or more loading devices and then instructed to shoot a number of rounds into a paper target.