PHASE 1 · SKILL

Defensive Handgun

Build practical handgun skill beyond the basic qualification.

Defensive Handgun is a six-hour skill-development course for responsible handgun owners who want better control, stronger fundamentals, and more confidence with the handgun they actually carry.

This is not a one-time pass/fail class. The goal is simple: train with purpose and leave more capable than you arrived.

Length: 5-6 Hours
Tuition: $200
Class Size: Maximum 15 Students
Program Placement: Phase 1 · Skill Development

What This Class Is About

Learn where your current limits are—and start pushing them forward.

Owning a handgun and carrying one responsibly are only the beginning.

Defensive Handgun is designed to help you become safer, smoother, and more efficient with the gun you rely on. We work on balancing speed with accuracy, building repeatable gun-handling skills, and exposing weaknesses that can be difficult to identify during slow, static shooting.

Every class is built around the students in front of us. The core skills remain consistent, but the drills, pace, and emphasis may change based on what instructors observe during the training day.

What We Train

Practical skills you can continue building after class.

Presentation & Control

• Draw and presentation from concealment

• Grip, recoil control, and follow-up shots

• Balancing speed and precision

• Understanding your individual performance limits

Gun Handling

• Emergency and tactical reloads

• Malfunction clearing

• One-handed handgun skills

• Efficient weapon manipulation

Movement & Position

• Lateral and controlled movement

• Shooting while moving

• Use-of-cover concepts

• Practical shooting positions

Applied Drills

• Practical defensive shooting drills

• Decision-making under increased pressure

• Performance feedback and instructor coaching

• Additional drills based on class needs and student performance

Built to Be Repeated

This is not a one-and-done class.

The core skills remain consistent, but Defensive Handgun is not locked into a rigid drill schedule.

The amount of time spent on each topic, the drills we use, and the level of difficulty can change based on the students in front of us and what instructors are seeing on the range.

As your skills improve, the course can continue to challenge you in different ways. No two Defensive Handgun classes are exactly the same, which makes the course valuable to take more than once as your abilities continue to develop.

“The standard is not whether you passed a class. The standard is whether you are better than you were when you walked in.”

Course Details

Know what to expect.

Length: 5-6 Hours

Standalone Tuition: $200

Class Size: Maximum 15 Students

Prerequisite: Michigan CPL course or documented equivalent handgun training

Program Placement: Phase 1 · Skill

Equipment Requirements

Bring the handgun you actually intend to carry every day.

Students should bring:

• The handgun you actually intend to carry every day, in safe working condition

• Your everyday-carry holster for that handgun — not a battle belt setup

• At least 3 magazines for that handgun

• At least 250 rounds of reliable ammunition

• Eye protection

• Hearing protection

• Appropriate range clothing

• Sturdy closed-toe footwear

• Ball cap or other brimmed hat

• Water and snacks for the training day

Final equipment requirements may vary slightly depending on the training location and scheduled course date.

Need Ammo or Equipment?

Get what you need before class.

If you need ammunition, eye or hearing protection, magazines, medical gear, or other training equipment, many of the items used in our courses are available through the Sentry Concepts store.

We recommend purchasing required equipment in advance so you have time to confirm fit, function, and compatibility with your handgun before arriving at class.

Common items students may need include:

• Training ammunition

• Eye protection

• Hearing protection

• Spare magazines

• Magazine carriers

• Handgun lights and accessories

• Individual trauma and medical equipment

• Other range and training gear

Shop Ammo & Training Equipment: [LINK TO SENTRY CONCEPTS STORE]

If you are unsure whether a specific item will work for the course, contact us before purchasing and we can help you determine what you need.

Before You Arrive

Please confirm that your handgun, holster, magazines, and ammunition function properly before class. Arriving with reliable equipment allows you to spend the training day developing skill rather than troubleshooting avoidable equipment problems.