Across the country, Americans are waking up to something citizens of this nation have long known: You need to be your own first responder. As a result, they’re not just buying guns—they’re learning how to use them responsibly and effectively.
Gun training courses across the nation are seeing a dramatic surge in enrollment. According to the NRA, participation in NRA-certified instructors’ firearms training courses have grown and grown. In 2020 alone, NRA instructors trained over 1.2 million Americans, a 100% increase from the previous year. That number has only grown in the years since, with steady growth in demand for personal protection and concealed carry training courses. People are going to NRAinstructors.org and searching for nearby instructors and courses.
Many of these citizens are first-time buyers. Many come from demographics the mainstream media tells us don’t traditionally own guns.
“You can’t just buy a gun and think you are good to go,” says Katherine Brown, who bought her first firearm last year. “Proper training makes all the difference, not just in accuracy, but in confidence. Your life could depend on it.”
That wisdom is catching fire across the country. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), more than 26 million Americans have become first-time gun owners since 2020. And this isn’t a temporary trend—it’s a transformation in how America thinks about safety.
The social unrest and instability in previous years led to record-breaking gun sales. But, unlike previous surges, many buyers aren’t stopping at the gun counter. They’re enrolling in NRA Basic Pistol Courses, Personal Protection in the Home and the NRA’s Refuse To Be A Victim program, which teaches strategies to avoid confrontation and criminal targeting.
Instructors emphasize real-life scenario training, responsible carry habits and legal education, ensuring participants leave with more than technical skills—they leave confidently. A good instructor will also reinforce that firearms are not magic talismans; guns are tools that require discipline, practice and respect. The program drives home the same message: You must train like your life—and your family’s life—depends on it, because someday, it might.
As this occurs, the face of American gun ownership is changing. Women are leading the charge. NRA data shows a significant increase in female enrollment across all training programs. According to the NSSF, women account for nearly 50% of new gun owners since 2020.
Why? Because women recognize what they’ve always known—when seconds count, they are often their own first responders. Whether for home defense or personal carry, women are training in record numbers, demanding both empowerment and preparedness.
“It is all about safety. I have seen several friends purchase firearms and acquire their permits,” said Ivonne Michaels, a forty-something Second Amendment supporter. “The indoor range we frequent has expanded its ladies-only classes. Despite what Hollywood and modern feminists tell us, we still feel vulnerable, so securing ourselves and our families is a priority. Especially since ‘defund police’ policies started taking off in some cities.”
Programs like the NRA’s Women On Target offer a safe, supportive environment for new female shooters to learn foundational skills from certified instructors, and NRA Women offers a lot of information.
With the return of the Trump administration and an environment where gun owners are not demonized, the cultural stigma around gun ownership is breaking down. While the anti-gun lobby clings to tired narratives, Americans are increasingly rejecting the idea that owning a firearm is radical or reckless.
Training courses once thought of as “for ex-military” or “tactical junkies” are now full of soccer moms, office workers and senior citizens. The idea that personal defense is somehow political is being replaced with a more honest truth: self-reliance is a civic virtue.
Recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings and state-level constitutional carry laws have made the Second Amendment more accessible and secure than ever. Americans are embracing that right—not just in theory but in practice.
This surge in training does not look like a passing fad. It’s part of a broader movement in which Americans are no longer content to depend on 911 calls or hope someone else will intervene. They’re investing in themselves and training to do it right.
Whether it’s a single mother protecting her children, a senior learning to defend his home or a young woman preparing for concealed carry, the message is the same: I will not be a victim.
The Second Amendment doesn’t just guarantee the right to bear arms—it challenges us to be worthy of that right. Training is how we rise to that challenge.
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