First off, welcome to Gun Land! We’re happy to have you:)

We get how daunting and overwhelming jumping into a new world can be - especially a world filled with unfamiliar scary things and boat loads of stigmatization. Fear not newcomer, you are in the right place!

Learning how to be safe and proficient with firearms is similar to learning how to drive a car. It’s not a one and done lesson and you’re good to go. It’s a collection of sessions dedicated towards learning specific subject material, exposure, destigmatization, and hands-on learning in a controlled/ safe environment, followed by LOTS of repetition. Proficiency is achieved thru repetition. Remember that we are building muscle memory every time we touch a firearm - be it good or bad. Practice does not make perfect - Perfect practice makes perfect. We want to ensure that we’re practicing intentionally so we don’t solidify sloppy or unsafe gun handling practices. Starting off your firearms journey with guided instruction is a great way to build a foundation of safe practices, confidence, and proficiency. A Private Lesson or Pistol 101 class are great for first time users.

A FOID card is a Firearm Owner Identification card. It is required to purchase, possess, and transport firearms and ammunition. You can apply for a FOID card here.

Nope! But we encourage you to get your own at some point :) 

A FOID card allows a person to purchase, possess, and transport firearms (and ammo) in an UNLOADED state. A CCL or Concealed Carry License allows a person to carry a LOADED firearm on or about their person or in their vehicle. Meaning if you only have your FOID make sure your ammo is separate from your firearm when you are transporting it.

In order to earn your concealed carry permit you must attend a  state mandated 16 hour course, taught over two 8 hour days or four 4 hour days. During which you will learn about firearms safety, transportation, storage, cleaning, state & federal laws pertaining to ownership of firearms, and much more. There will be a shooting qualification held after the 1st day of class. The shooting qualification will consists of 10 shots at 5 yards, 10 shots at 7 yards, and 10 shots at 10 yards. You need 21/30 to pass. Upon completion the class you will receive your certificate. You can then use your certificate to apply for your CCL on the Illinois State Police website.

Pretty similar to a normal CCL class, except we would meet on days/times and at a location that work best for your group.

Not a problem at all! We’re happy for you to attend a CCL class. Whether you don’t own a gun yet or you don’t plan on carrying a gun everyday once you get your CCL, we’re happy to meet you where you’re at. We have a number of rental firearms available for folks to try and find out what works best for them before committing to a purchase.

You sure don’t! Actually, it’s best to not jump into purchasing a firearm until you get a chance to shoot a number of different brands/models. Doing so allows you to make an informed choice when purchasing, instead of spending hundreds of dollars on something that doesn’t suit your needs or isn’t comfortable for you to shoot. We have a number of different firearms available for rental for students to figure out what works best for them.

Maybe. Maybe not. Not everyone is meant to carry a gun and that’s perfectly fine. If there’s a small part of you that thinks that you may want or need to carry a firearm at some point, join us for a CCL class. It’s better to have and not need, than to need and not have. If you’re firm on not wanting to carry but still are interested in taking classes, there’s a few routes you can take. Schedule a free 20 min video consultation to discuss your training options.

Absolutely! There’s no such thing as the “best beginner gun,” “best gun for women,” “best gun for ______”. There’s too many variables from person to person to suggest a purchase prior to handling. Failure to try before you buy could potentially result in you owning a several hundred dollar paper weight that you hate:/

Book a Private Lesson and we’ll have you try a bunch of different pistols. From there you can make a list of the features you like and don’t like. This will help narrow down the selection pool so you can make an informed and educated purchase.