cleveland
Regular Member
In anticipation of CCW passing in WI, I took Micheal Bender's PPA class yesterday. I took the UT carry class that is combined with the Handgun 1 course.
The H1 class was essentially a recover of Hunter's Ed. Instead of covering gun and hunting, it covered gun and defense. Instead of what signs to look for in the woods while hunting, it was what signs to look for on the street while commuting, etc... I have been shooting for some time, and most of this was just a recap. There were a few guys in the class that have not, this H1 class was designed for guys like them as an intro to firearms. I think it is perfect for any non-hunter that is looking for an intro into firearms without the hunting info given in Hunter's Ed.
The UT carry part of the class went over legal issues. When to pull your pistol and when not to pull it. Why avoiding a situation is your best defense. Even if you shoot someone in clear self defense, you'll likely spend $10K defending yourself in court if you win. If it's not clear self defense (even if you feel it was) you'll likely spend more then $10K on defense and the rest of your life in prison. He gave a lot of info on why stopping the threat is the beginning of your fight, not the end.
The topic that I was most interested in hearing was concealed vs open. He made some good arguments why open carry is much more dangerous then concealed carry. Not bringing attention to yourself or making yourself a target, not obligating you to become involved in a situation, not informing "the bad guy" that you are armed, etc... He did however make it clear that open carrying is your right and protected by the 2nd.
I think taking this class is a good idea for anyone that is considering carrying, even openly carrying.
The H1 class was essentially a recover of Hunter's Ed. Instead of covering gun and hunting, it covered gun and defense. Instead of what signs to look for in the woods while hunting, it was what signs to look for on the street while commuting, etc... I have been shooting for some time, and most of this was just a recap. There were a few guys in the class that have not, this H1 class was designed for guys like them as an intro to firearms. I think it is perfect for any non-hunter that is looking for an intro into firearms without the hunting info given in Hunter's Ed.
The UT carry part of the class went over legal issues. When to pull your pistol and when not to pull it. Why avoiding a situation is your best defense. Even if you shoot someone in clear self defense, you'll likely spend $10K defending yourself in court if you win. If it's not clear self defense (even if you feel it was) you'll likely spend more then $10K on defense and the rest of your life in prison. He gave a lot of info on why stopping the threat is the beginning of your fight, not the end.
The topic that I was most interested in hearing was concealed vs open. He made some good arguments why open carry is much more dangerous then concealed carry. Not bringing attention to yourself or making yourself a target, not obligating you to become involved in a situation, not informing "the bad guy" that you are armed, etc... He did however make it clear that open carrying is your right and protected by the 2nd.
I think taking this class is a good idea for anyone that is considering carrying, even openly carrying.