Gun safety classes · Booked near you

Never handled one? That is exactly who the first class is for.

AGO gives you a learning path and an NRA-certified instructor in your area. The beginner course assumes you know nothing about firearms, because most people who book it do not. You learn how it works, how to hold it, and how to hit what you are aiming at, with range time the same day.

See the learning paths Watch how it works

✓ In person, near you✓ Beginner to concealed carry✓ NRA-certified instructors

A new gun owner in St. George, UT learning firearm safety with an NRA-certified instructor

128,000+

NRA-certified instructors in the network

A few of the learning paths

These are three of the paths inside the training portal, and they are a sample. There are more paths on the site, plus a catalog of individual courses that sit outside the paths entirely, taught by a national network of more than 128,000 NRA-certified instructors. Each one books with someone near you.

Path 01

Mastering your handgun

Four courses, beginner through concealed carry.

Basics of Pistol ShootingInstructor led · start hereHandling, how your firearm actually works, and the shooting basics, with classroom time and hands-on range time.

Basic Personal Protection In The Home8 hours, one dayDefensive shooting skills, home strategy, and the legal side of defending yourself at home. Built for people who have already shot before.

Basics of Personal Protection Outside The HomeLevel one about 9 hours, level two adds 5Carrying concealed in public: reading situations, the legal use of force, and defensive skills on the range.

Defensive Pistol CourseOne full dayCarry and draw from a holster, awareness, and clearing the common malfunctions. Taught by NRA-certified advanced pistol instructors.

Path 02

Mastering your shotgun

Two courses, first day through moving targets.

First Steps Shotgun Orientation3 hours · start hereHandling, basic operation, the shooting fundamentals, and how to clean it. Classroom plus range time.

Basic Shotgun Shooting Course10 hoursShooting moving targets, ammunition, and the fundamentals that make you accurate rather than lucky.

Path 03

Online education

Start from home, no range required.

Gun Safety Seminar45 to 60 minutes · distance learningThe essential rules, storage, and what ownership actually asks of you. Done with an instructor over distance learning, so you can start tonight and book range time later.

Choose a learning path, or view all the courses on the site.View all courses

Going for a concealed carry permit? The portal carries step by step permit guides for California and New Mexico, starting with the step most people skip: calling your local sheriff or police department to find out which training courses they accept.

See the training portal

Ninety seconds on how booking works: pick your path, find an instructor by location, and book the class. Requirements vary a little by state, though the coursework matches.

Browse every course

Training access, booked from anywhere

How it works

Three steps, and the first one takes about a minute.

Pick your pathHandgun, shotgun, or online education if you would rather start at the kitchen table.

Find your instructorSearch the portal by location and book straight into a class that has room.

Show upClassroom time, then range time, with someone next to you who has taught this a few hundred times.

Want more on training access?

Drop your email and we will send you how training access works at American Gun Owners, what the learning paths cover, and new course dates as instructors open them up near you.

On its way. You will get the rundown on training access, and new course dates near you as instructors post them.

Training information and course dates. Nothing else, and we never sell your information.

Questions people ask first

I have never touched a firearm. Where do I start?Basics of Pistol Shooting, or First Steps Shotgun Orientation if a shotgun is what you have. If you would rather start at home, the Gun Safety Seminar runs 45 to 60 minutes over distance learning.

Who teaches these?NRA-certified instructors, from a network of more than 128,000 nationwide. You book by location, so it is someone local to you.

How do I get into the training portal?Log into your AGO account after a kit purchase. The learning paths and the booking are both in there.

Do the courses change depending on my state?Some requirements shift by state and county, though the coursework itself matches. For a carry permit, confirm with your local sheriff or police department which courses they accept before you book.

Book the class that assumes you know nothing.

Three paths, seven courses, and an instructor near you. Start with the one that matches what you own.

See the learning paths