LTC PREP CLASS
Welcome to the ACA’s handgun familiarization class. One of our top priorities at the ACA is to instill the characteristics necessary for a lifetime of safe, proficient, responsible gun ownership and use. It is our belief that these characteristics are a learned behavior which require a strong foundation and open mind. Our LTC Prep Class is the cornerstone of that strong foundation for our students. For beginners and experienced shooters, this class delivers an education and foundation that creates confidence in your ability to own and operate a handgun. While we consider this a basic handgun course, it is fully loaded with valuable information that even many experienced shooters do not have.
IN THE LICENSE TO CARRY (LTC) PREP CLASS, WE WILL COVER:
- ACA Firearms safety and range rules
- Familiarization with the operations of the semi auto handgun and / or the revolver
- Loading/Unloading Ammo (Magazines & Cylinders)
- Grip, Indexing, trigger finger placement, and trigger control
- Isosceles Stance vs Weaver Stance
- Managing recoil and cadence
- Sight picture and sight alignment (Eye Dominance)
- Proper and efficient mag changes
- Clearing malfunctions / failure drills
At the end of your LTC prep class you will fire from three distances required in the 50 round shooting proficiency test of the License To Carry class. This will give you a great feeling to know were you stand in passing your LTC class.
Bonus Material for Beginners
Give yourself a head start on terminology/definitions/concepts that you will hear in class.
This material will be covered in class but if you are unfamiliar with it then this will be of some benefit.
Ceasefire – Stop Firing your weapon
Cold Range – no handling of firearms, all weapons on the table
Hot Range – firearms can be handled
Magazine NOT clip – a semi-automatic handgun has a magazine also known as a “mag” not a clip. The term clip comes from an old method of holding ammo for certain rifles.
Hammer – not the kind you buy at the hardware store. This refers to the part of a handgun that strikes the firing pin. Some handguns are hammer-less.
Round or rounds – another term for ammo or bullets. “How many rounds do you have left” is the same as how many bullets do you have left.
Chambered – having a round in the chamber
Chambered Indicator – Some handguns have this feature which allows you to see when there is a round in the chamber
Ears – When asked “do you have ears” we are not referring to the two you were born with. We are referring to hearing protection. On the range, you will often hear the question “Everyone have ears?”
Clearing – such as “Clear your weapon” or “Is your weapon clear” means to unload, verify that its unloaded and nothing in the chamber. In most areas you would also remove the magazine and lock back the slide. This is typically done just before a range goes cold and allows people to go down range.
Sweep or Muzzle Sweep – The act of either intentionally or unintentionally pointing your handgun at or in the direction of another person. Both are unacceptable unless your intention is to shoot that person or persons.
Field Strip – To disassemble your weapon, usually only to the point necessary for cleaning and routine maintenance or to replace something minor.
Spent – a round that has been fired.
Stovepipe – One of 3 types of malfunctions a semi auto can have. This happens with the spent brass does not exit the ejection port and stops the slide from closing.
Failure to feed – one of the 3 types of malfunctions a semi auto can have. This happens when a round does not go into the chamber during normal firing operation.
Double feed – another of the 3 types of malfunctions a semi auto can have. This occurs when one round (spent or not) stays in the chamber while a second round is attempting to load into the chamber. There are extra steps to clearing this malfunction.
Single Stack/Double Stack – a single stack semi auto handgun has a magazine that only allows the rounds to be loaded one on top of the other while a double stack allows for rounds to be loaded into the magazine in a side by side configuration. The single stack allows for a narrower profile while the double stack is wider but allows for a larger ammo capacity.
Condition – when asked “what is the present condition of your weapon” means is it loaded and is there a round chambered?