Yesterday morning I took the Home Firearm Safety course put together by the NRA. I'm glad I went; found I learned quite a bit. Granted for the line on the sign in sheet that says "previous experience" mine said "none" .

Class was only 8 people, and covered basics including safety, common types of firearms (pistols, rifles, shotguns), ammunition, storage, and cleaning. There was one instructor and one helper.

The most interesting part to me was after 2/3 of the class was completed and the instructor said, "ok, now that we've gone over these basic steps: point in a safe direction, put on the safety if possible, remove and/or empty the magazine, check & clear the chamber leaving the action locked open if possible, put on the safety if possible now, here's a suitcase full of different firearms, I want every one of them opened and cleared." The instructor and the helper then watched us do just that.

I just wanted to feel more comfortable around firearms in general (in fact several people in the class had the same goal). It was all classroom, no live ammunition involved.

I started out thinking guns are scary. I think I've progressed to, people who don't know what they're doing with guns are scary, lol. Seriously though, in general I would recommend the course to anyone who doesn't have any experience with firearms. Even if you never plan on owning one, it's good information to know and keeps the unknown from being so scary.

I agree that a course like that can make you less fearful of guns. I still don't handle them all that often and actually received a 45 caliber smith and wesson for my 30th birthday. I can't say that I've done much shooting since.

This past year I took a concealed weapons course since my last one expired. It still took some getting used to, but I have to say that using a 9mm is my preference. I am not sure what my husband was thinking when he bought me a 45??????????? I think the most valuable part of the class was all the scenario's that the instructor talked to us about in relation to using the gun safely. Many people use their weapons when they think it's appropriate, but often (as he has seen being a police officer) things were not as they appeared). There were a lot of good lessons to learn about the responsibility of carrying a gun.

Knowing that I can handle a gun essentially made me less fearful of having them in the house (which was the purpose I got a license 7 years ago). We have them, we don't go shooting and they are locked up in a gun safe. I enjoy shooting, but it can be an expensive hobby.

Just my two cents.

I have considered doing the same thing, I am not truly comfortable with guns, and have never shot anything besides a BB and pellet gun.

But I would like to learn, to me it sort of goes along with fire building as a survival type skill that everyone should know.

I've always been uncomfortable around guns too but bought my very first one yesterday. I still haven't fired it because I'm not ready. I'm still getting familiar with it and reading the instruction book that came with it. I bought a Ruger .380 LCP on the recommendation of the guy at the gun shop I went to. I'm also conditioning my dog to it at the same time as I get familiar with the pistol. I've been letting her sniff the gun, the gun case, the bullets and listen to the clip going in and out as well as me working the slide. Ladybug (my dog) will be in the house when I do fire my pistol for the first time or she could run out of fear of the noise.

I took an NRA fire arms safety class when I was in high school, about 40 years ago. Man, it is really strange to be talking about something I did 40 years ago!

The class was all about safety. I've never owned a firearm, but that class left me with a very favorable impression of the NRA that I still have today.