This class meets Minnesota's requirement to receive instruction in the fundamentals of pistol use, and the fundamental legal aspects of pistol possession, carry, and use, including self-defense and the restrictions on the use of deadly force.  Students will also be required to complete a live fire qualification exercise.

Students will need to bring a hand gun and at least 50 round of ammunition.   All other material will be provided.

Cost is $100

If you do not have a handgun,  we do have a couple of class handguns available for you to use.

What to bring to the class

1. A pistol - There is no caliber requirements (do not bring any guns or ammo into the classroom)

2. Ammo - 50 rounds

3. Safety Glasses

4. Ear Plugs &/or Muffs

5. Dress for the weather - most of the class will be in a class room, but the shooting component will be out doors

This class also meets the class requirements needed to apply for the Florida non resident permit to carry, which gives you seven additional states.  Delaware, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Texas. 

Upcoming Classes

Dawson - Saturday March 9th At 8:30 a.m.

Classroom portion will be held at the Riverside Townhall in Dawson, MN at 8:30 am. Located on Highway 212 and 9th St.

This is at least a 4 hour class, with the shooting portion to follow If you can make the class, but not the shooting portion, that is ok, we can schedule a time that works for you to shoot

Canby - Saturday April 13th at 8:30 a.m.

Will be held at the Canby Sportsman’s Club located at the north End of the Fairgrounds

Madison Classes

Will be held at the Lac qui parle County multimedia room - West wing of the Madison elementary school (422 5th ave)

Testimonials

"Firearms have always been a tool my family used. They were always there and you respected what they could do. I knew firearms but not all the legal issues facing us today. I was able to learn a lot about the laws pertaining to firearm ownership and responsibility; something I was unaware of. A darn good class!! "

Lynn W.

"Great class and instructor...Cole. the classroom was very interesting didn't seem like we were in class for 4 hours. Son in law liked the small class size. Had taken the class the first time with 30 people. He said it was much nicer in a small group. I will definitely recommend to others "

Kathy B.

"I learned alot about the MN regs on conceal/carry in this course. Cole was very informative and answered all questions completely. Although the handout outline given out in class was hard to read because of the small font, Cole had the outline on the overhead so it was easier to see and touched on the important points of each item. Going over the law and legal aspects of gun ownership/use was invaluable. Not many people are aware of the legal/physical repercussions of discharging a firearm in a real life situation. I really enjoyed the live-fire time. I now understand why so many go into sport-shooting!"

Christy W.

"I really enjoyed the class. Cole did a very nice job with the instruction. Even though the curriculum of the class was serious, the atmosphere was relaxed and easy to learn. I enjoyed the conversation that went back and forth between the students and the instructor. I highly recommend class to anyone who is considering a permit to carry."

Mike S.

"Great class, Cole was our instructor very patient with new people. Highly recommend."

Scott W.

"Highly recommend the class! The variety of information Cole shared was helpful (safety, legal awareness, self defense/protection in the event need to use your weapon, etc.). It was more than I expected and left me feeling comfortable with my decision to pursue a permit to carry."

Melissa H.

"Definitely recommend this course. There is so much to learn and Cole is a great teacher! Traveled from the cities and enjoyed the day. The wind and cold we could have done without but I feel much more informed and prepared. Thanks Cole

Tami P."

"About a year ago I attended a MN Permit to Carry class from another instructor. Recently I was able to attend a class at Ballistic Defense with Cole in Madison. I have to agree with the other testimonials given. Even after taking a class 1 year ago I feel that the class taught by Cole was very informative, easy to follow and I learned something. When we went to the range to do the shooting qualification it was very controlled and I felt safe the whole time I was there. Cole also followed up with us to see if we had any questions, which was nice since it is a lot of information to digest. Whether you are going to conceal carry or just have firearms in your home this is a good class to take with good information. When it's time to renew my permit I will be signing up with Ballistic Defense.
Thanks"

Dave T.

"I was very impressed with the information, legalities and situation example with the conceal to carry class. I would give Cole and his team 5 stars. Would highly recommend the coarse. "

Jeanette A.

"The class I took was taught by Cole. Being a woman I felt very comfortable in the class in the ability to ask questions and share. I never felt talked down to. I was afraid the class would be boring and too long but it actually went very quickly and I learned a lot of tips that I would have never thought about. I would easily recommend this class to anyone, even if you've never shot a gun before. Great class! "

Traci O.

"I wasn't sure what to expect going into this class. I feared it would be a full day of boring statistics, legal discussion, or pro-gun propaganda. I was pleasantly surprised. The class was very interactive and contained a lot of 'real world' scenarios and open discussion. Cole allowed plenty of time for specific questions and discussion. I've already recommend this class to a few friends and plan to use Ballistic Defense when it is time to renew my permit"

Terry O.

"Really good class they cover the information from ground up. I would recommend this class to everyone, even if you don't want to carry I think it's good information to know. The instructor did a good job too. He made the information easy to learn and had good answers for any questions you had."

Jonathn K.

"Well taught. Good for people who have never shot a gun, to people have have been shooting guns for many years. Videos and discussions made the time seem to go by fast so it didn't get boring."

DeAnn W.

"Just finished the class with Cole. It was very good, he did an amazing job of making it easy to understand. This was my first experience with a gun of any sort and he made it very easy for me. I would recommend this class to anyone interested in conceal and carry!!! We are very lucky to have someone trained and as dedicated as him in our area!!"

Angie D.

"Went to the class Saturday taught by Cole and it was so great. Learned so much and really enjoyed the shooting part. Great job Cole!!"

Gayle S.