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Pistol 101

In this series, you'll learn the basics of becoming a safe, responsible, and capable pistol shooter.

Are Pistols Right for Me?

Learn when pistols can be the right choice for home defense, concealed carry, duty carry, or bear defense.
Why pistols? For home defense, concealed carry, duty carry, or bear defense, they're often your best bet. Find out why.


Rules of Gun Safety

You may know the rules of gun safety, but do you understand the why behind each rule? We illustrate the rules with real-world video examples and statistics, to help you understand how and why to become a safe, responsible gun owner.
Learn gun safety with clear examples and the why behind each rule.

Learn the rules of gun safety and the reasons behind them


A woman wearing ear protection.

Ear Protection

Learn how ear protection prevents permanent hearing loss, and how to choose how much you need before you go shooting.

A man, wearing eye protection that has a ricochet lodged in it. His eyes were saved from certain doom.

Eye Protection

Learn which eye protection will protect your eyes when shooting (most won't), and how to pick the best for you.



Pistol Cleaning and Maintenance

Learn how often you should clean your pistols (it will surprise you), what products you really need (will also surprise you), how to tell good ones from bad, and where to use them on your pistol.
A preview of our maintenance guide. It shows the start of our section on what to look for in protective grease for long-term storage.

Learn about pistol maintenance to save time and money


Secure your guns from unauthorized access with a gun safe.

Best Gun Safes for Pistol Owners
If you have children, or are just concerned about theft, you need a gun safe. We picked the best gun safes for different roles: Quick-access, budget, long-term storage, high-security, and more. Learn the shocking truth about gun safes, how to really secure your pistols at home, and how to find the right safe for you.


Gun belts are made thicker, stiffer, and tougher than normal belts. They bear the weight of a pistol with ease.

Best Belts for Concealed Carry
If you want to conceal carry in comfort, a good belt makes all the difference.
A bad holster will cause your pistol to slip out at the worst time. Get a quality holster.

Best Holsters for Concealed Carry
If you want to draw your pistol quickly and safely, you need a good holster.


Flashlights are handy in self-defense and everyday life. See the best available today for pistol shooters.

Flashlights for Carry and Home Defense
It may seem weird at first, but a strong light is a core self-defense item that's also great for everyday life. Learn what makes a good light for self-defense, how they make you a safer shooter, and how they can give you the edge in a real gunfight.







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