NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

1. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol NorthWest Safety and Firearms Education Welcome! NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

2. Preliminaries • Introductions • Registration • Orientation Goal: To provide beginning shooters with an introduction to the knowledge, skills, and attitude necessary to own and use a specific pistol model safely. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

3. Preliminaries • Facilities. • Do you have any firearms with you? • Do you have any live ammunition with you? • Handbooks, brochures and other materials. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

4. Schedule • 10am Lesson I11am Lesson IINoon Lesson III1:30pm Lesson IV • Even asking questions, done by 2pm • Ten minute break between lessons if we have the time. • Shooting portion is in Lesson III NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

5. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol NorthWest Safety and Firearms Education Lesson I Introduction to Pistol Safety, Parts and Operation NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

6. Lesson I: Pistol Safety, Parts, and Operation • As a result of this lesson, you will be able to: • State the goal of the NRA FIRST Steps Pistol Orientation. • Name the three fundamental NRA rules of safe gun handling and demonstrate them with a specific pistol model. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

7. Lesson I: Pistol Safety, Parts, and Operation, cont. • As a result of this lesson, you will also be able to: • Name the three major components of a pistol and describe their functions. • Safely demonstrate loading and unloading procedures for a specific pistol model with training ammunition. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

8. Pistol Safety • What do you think is our primary concern when handling firearms? Safety is always the primary concern when handling firearms. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

9. Pistol Safety, cont. • What do you think are the major causes of gun accidents? IGNORANCE CARELESSNESS NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

10. Pistol Safety, cont. • NRA Rules of Safe Gun Handling (the blue brochure, first fold-out) • Please read the rules aloud… NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

11. #1: ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction • What do you think is meant by a “safe direction”? • Term: safe direction • Term: muzzle If the gun were to discharge, it would not cause injury or damage. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

12. #2: ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot • If your finger is kept off the trigger, where should it be? • Term: trigger • Term: trigger guard • Term: frame The finger should rest outside the trigger guard or along the side of the gun (on the frame). NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

13. #3: Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use • How do you know whether or not a gun is unloaded? • Term: magazine • Term: action • Term: chamber Check that a gun is unloaded by removing the magazine, opening the action, and inspecting the chamber. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

14. Safe Pistol HandlingPractical Exercise • How do you hand a firearm to another person? NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

15. Pistol Parts: Major Components • Turn to Page 1 of the handbook. • Term: frame • Backbone of the pistol to which the other parts are attached • Term: barrel • Metal tube through which the bullet passes on the way to the target • Term: action • Group of moving parts used to load, fire, and unload the pistol NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

16. Revolver: Frame Parts • Grip panels • Backstrap • Trigger guard • Rear sight NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

17. Revolver: Barrel Parts • Bore • Rifling (Handbook Page 2) • Muzzle • Front sight NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

18. Revolver: Action Parts • Trigger • Hammer • Cylinder • Chamber • Cylinder release latch • Loading Gate (on single actions) • Ejector • Ejector rod NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

19. Semi-Automatic: Frame Parts • (Manual) safety • Slide stop (sometimes “slide lock”) • Decocking lever • Grip panels • Backstrap (with tang at the top) • Trigger guard NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

20. Semi-Automatic: Barrel Parts • Bore • Chamber • Rifling (Handbook Page 2) • Muzzle NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

21. Semi-Automatic: Action Parts • Hammer • Slide • Front Sight • Rear Sight • Ejection port • Magazine (in the magazine well) • Magazine release • Trigger NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

22. Pistol Parts Review • What are all the parts on the frame of your gun? • What are all the parts on the barrel of your gun? • What are all the parts on the action of your gun? NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

23. Pistol Operation • Besides “firing,” there are four basic operations of most pistols: • Loading • Cocking • Uncocking • Unloading NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

24. Revolver Loading • Keep the gun in a safe direction, with your finger off the trigger… • Load cartridges into the cylinder, with the muzzle downward. • Close the cylinder (or loading gate on single actions). • Turn the cylinder to index it, if it is not locked. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

25. Semi-Automatic Loading • Keep the gun in a safe direction, with your finger off the trigger… • Load cartridges into the magazine. • Firmly insert the magazine into the magazine well. • Cycle the slide to chamber a cartridge. • Pull the slide to the rear. • Release the slide, don’t “ride” it forward. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

26. Pistol Cocking • Keep the gun in a safe direction, with your finger off the trigger… • Place the hammer under spring tension to prepare it to fire • Semi-automatics: cycling the slide may cock the hammer • Decockers must be disengaged to cock the hammer NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

27. Pistol Decocking • Keep the gun in a safe direction, with your finger off the trigger… • Relax the hammer’s spring tension so it is not in a position to fire the gun. • Term: trigger bar (revolver) • Term: decocker (semi-automatic) • Some guns should not or cannot be decocked. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

28. Revolver Unloading • Keep the gun in a safe direction, with your finger off the trigger… • Release the cylinder and swing it out. • Turn the gun so the chamber mouths are facing downward. • Briskly operate the ejector rod. • Check by sight and feel that all chambers are empty. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

29. Semi-Automatic Unloading • Keep the gun in a safe direction, with your finger off the trigger… • Press the magazine release, and remove the magazine. • Cycle the slide. • Lock the slide open. • Check by sight and feel that the chamber is empty. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

30. Pistol Operation Practical Exercise • What are the three rules of safe gun handling? • Demonstrate the correct loading, cocking, uncocking, and unloading procedures for your pistol. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

31. Lesson I Summary • What is the goal of the FIRST Steps Pistol Orientation? • What are the NRA’s three rules for safe gun handling? • What are the three major components of a pistol and what are their functions? NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

32. Lesson I Summary • How do you load and unload your pistol? • What are your questions? • Take a break until 11am! We’ll continue with more lecture on ammunition and the fundamentals of pistol shooting. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

33. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol NorthWest Safety and Firearms Education Lesson II Introduction to Ammunitionand the Fundamentalsof Pistol Shooting NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

34. Lesson II: Ammunition • As a result of the first part of this lesson, you will be able to: • Identify the three items you need to check to determine the proper ammunition for your pistol. • Identify the three major types of cartridge malfunctions, and how to respond to them. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

35. Lesson II: Fundamentals of Pistol Shooting • As a result of the second part of this lesson, you will also be able to: • Determine your dominant eye. • Explain the six fundamentals of pistol shooting. • Demonstrate the six fundamentals from the benchrest position. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

36. Pistol Ammunition • In the blue brochure, read the rule: “Use only the correct ammunition for your gun.” • How do you know what type of ammunition should be used for a particular gun? • Most firearms have the ammunition type stamped on the gun itself (often on the barrel). NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

37. Pistol Ammunition, cont. • How do you know whether the ammunition you have is the correct type for your gun? • Ammunition type is identified on the box and sometimes on the base of the cartridge as well. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

38. Pistol Ammunition, cont. • What three items should be checked to be sure that you are using the correct ammunition for your gun? • The barrel of the gun • The box of ammunition • The base of the cartridge NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

39. Pistol Ammunition, cont. • Be aware that certain ammunition with different designations may be compatible with certain guns. • .357 Magnum and .38 Special • 9mm Parabellum, 9mm Luger, 9x19 • Refer to your owner’s manual! NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

40. Cartridge Malfunctions • Turn to Page 17 and read the definitions of the three cartridge malfunction types • Term: misfire • A failure of the cartridge to fire after the primer has been struck by the firing pin. • Term: hangfire • A perceptible delay in the ignition of a cartridge after the primer has been struck by the firing pin. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

41. Cartridge Malfunctions, cont. • If the cartridge fails to fire immediately, what should you do? • You don’t know if it’s a hangfire or a misfire: • Keep the gun pointed in a safe direction; • Wait 30 seconds; • Then unload safely. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

42. Cartridge Malfunctions, cont. • Term: squib load • Development of less than normal pressure or velocity after ignition of the cartridge. • What may indicate that a squib load may have been fired? • Unusual recoil or noise. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

43. Cartridge Malfunctions, cont. • What action should be taken if a squib load is suspected? • Stop firing immediately. • Keep the gun pointed in a safe direction, and your finger off the trigger. • Unload the gun. • Determine if a bullet is lodged in the barrel with a cleaning rod. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

44. Determining the Dominant Eye • Each individual has a dominant eye, which should be used to aim the pistol. • Handbook Page 57. • How many participants are cross-dominant? • Try to use your dominant eye, but in general use the hand and eye that’s most comfortable. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

45. Fundamentals of Pistol Shooting • What does the word “fundamental” mean? • Basic • Essential • Fundamentals are the essential elements of performing a skill. • In the case of shooting, the skill is “firing a shot.” NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

46. Fundamentals of Pistol Shooting, cont. • In brief, the fundamentals of pistol shooting are: • Position • Grip • Breath Control • Sight Alignment • Trigger Control • Follow-Through NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

47. Position • What do we mean by “position?” • Position refers to the way you hold your body when firing a shot • We will cover two positions in this course: • Benchrest position • Two-handed standing position NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

48. Position, cont. • A position should be comfortable, balanced, relaxed, and properly aligned with the target. • Benchrest, Handbook Pages 70-71 • Sit behind the bench or table facing the target. • Both arms extended fully in front. • Wrists are supports by sandbags. • The head is erect. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

49. Grip • What do we mean by “grip?” • The grip is the manner by which the pistol is grasped and held. • Handbook Pages 59-60. • Keeping the gun pointed in a safe direction, and finger off the trigger, use the non-shooting hand to place the pistol in the shooting hand. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol

50. Grip, cont. • Fit the web of the hand as high as possible on the backstrap or tang. • Align the gun with the wrist and forearm. • Grip the pistol with the base of the thumb and lower three fingers of the shooting hand. • Pressure of the grip is directed straight towards the rear. NRA FIRST Steps Pistol