NRA Pistol Instruction
Offered by Keith Manne
 NRA Certified Pistol Instructor
Main Training Page
Pre-course information
Directions to Classroom

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 Mr. Manne is an NRA-Certified, private pistol instructor, specializing in teaching individuals and small groups. The lecture portions of each class are taught in a prepared classroom in the comfort of Mr. Manne's home in Fairfax, VA [Directions]. Due to Fairfax County regulations, the live-fire portions of each course are conducted at the NRA Range in Fairfax, VA.

While other instructors (including the NRA HQ) register large groups for their courses, I specifically limit class size to provide a more personal and more thorough experience for each of my students. I guarantee you will get more out of my classes than from others teaching the "same" NRA courses. Because I prefer you to be safe instead of broke, I charge the same for my longer courses as others charge for half the classtime. Spend the savings on ammo, and PRACTICE! :-)
Jump down on this insanely long webpage...

[Some Interesting Links OFFSITE] - Just come back he-ah, Y'all
[Mr. Manne DOES teach courses for special interest groups] - Special concerns?
[What courses are offered by Mr. Manne] - Order now! operators snoozing nearby
[Scheduled course offerings / Prices] - Order today, and get FREE pre-shot targets!

[What you should expect from an NRA First Steps or Home Safety Course] - The BARE basics
[What you should expect from an NRA Basic Pistol Course] - A "complete" course for all experience levels
[What you should expect from an NRA Personal Protection Course] - Defensive usage for experienced students
[Custom Training] - Training ala carte
[Combat Pistol] - Advanced gunfighting - very restricted enrollment

[Student Comments] - Punchy students get their revenge after 9 hours...

[SIGNING UP FOR A COURSE] - Come on, we know you want to!
[PRE-COURSE INFORMATION] - All the things I haven't told you that I should have
[DIRECTIONS TO COURSE] - How to get to class

[INFO] - Why I'm not a fan of Glock.
[INFO] - Specifically why Glocks are NOT Double Action, and why it matters.
[INFO] - About the Steyr M-series pistols, along with some compare/contrast against Glocks.
[INFO] - Some guidelines on selecting a first/new gun.
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Quick Links:
Application for Virginia's Concealed Handgun Permit, Virginia State Police Form SP-248 (Applicant-printable Adobe Acrobat PDF format)
SP-248 in MS-Word format
>>> A photocopy of the course certificate(s) I issue qualifies for the "proof of competency" requirement on the application <<<

WWW.PACKING.ORG : An excellent site for general Concealed Carry Information, Gun laws, Interstate transport/travel, etc.

VA Firearms laws - A VA-bar licensed attorney summarizes the laws governing firearms possession, usage, carry, etc. - includes 'laymen' explanations as well as case law.

How to get to the classroom location

Pre-course information - After you've signed up, here's what to bring and some other things you need to be aware of before taking a course from Mr. Manne
Is Mr. Manne available to provide training for special-interest groups?

Absolutely! Not only am I available and open to it, but can tailor the course to the particular issues/concerns of your group. In the past I have provided training for such groups as :

The Pink Pistols - a Gay/Lesbian/BDSM/"Just Open Minded" group organized around teaching their members to protect themselves from gay bashing and similar "hate crimes."
Learning Escapes - A singles group organized around meeting one another. Firearm training was a special interest activity.
Individual Pilots - Several separate groups of pilots interested in being trained with firearms following the 9/11 attacks.
Individual Women's groups - Groups concerned about women's safety.
What courses are offered by Mr. Manne?

{There are longer descriptions located below this list}

1) NRA "First Steps"
- Review of VERY basic safety precautions with YOUR gun - 4 Hrs
2) NRA Home Firearms Safety
- Review of safe home storage of firearms - 4 Hrs
3) NRA Basic Pistol
- Handgun Parts, Safety, Marksmanship, Cleaning, Storage - ~10 Hrs, full day of comfortable hands-on up-close training - BEST DEAL!!!
4) NRA Personal Protection
- Methods and legal use of a handgun in self defense - 8Hrs

All courses are $100 for tuition, including books and other materials, snacks and drinks, and fun classtime. Range time, normal meals, and ammo for YOUR guns is not included.

All of Mr. Manne's NRA safety, basic shooting, and Personal Protection courses meet the training requirements for the Virginia Concealed Handgun Permit. See Application link above.

While the above NRA-approved courses follow the same NRA guidelines as competing "assembly line / large group" Trainer Groups, please bear in mind that Mr. Manne offers highly personalized instruction in order to positively ensure every student learns all they can, and is confident of their own safe handling as a result of up-close instruction. If you don't feel confident at the end of my course, we are happy to work with you more. If you have questions after leaving the course, we are always available to past students. If you think you get a deal by saving a few bucks as one of 75 people cramming into a classroom, please consider what level of training you are really getting. Don't take it from me... see the student comments below!!!

5) Non-certificate custom training
- Custom personalized training - $25/hr, schedule flexible.
6) Non-NRA Combat Pistol
- Mr. Manne's personally designed defensive pistol course- Time and price variable
 When are courses provided?

The next Basic Pistol classes are:
>>>Sorry, ALL COURSES CANCELLED WHILE INSTRUCTOR IS MOVING<<<

The next Personal Protection classes are
>>>Sorry, ALL COURSES CANCELLED WHILE INSTRUCTOR IS MOVING<<<

If the above dates are old, email me to update this page!

All courses are provided roughly monthly and/or on-demand :
First Steps is taught 1-1 on demand.
Basic Pistol is taught as a regularly scheduled group course the last Saturday of most months, and upon request by pre-assembled groups.
Personal Protection is taught every few months as sufficient numbers sign up.
 What should you expect from an NRA First Steps or Home Safety Course?

These are both 4 hour courses covering the "bare minimum" for people who have guns in their home. Safe storage and your particular firearm are reviewed. I consider this course MOST suitable for people who have little interest in shooting, such as spouses of gun owners who wish to be more comfortable around guns. If you plan to practice shooting often, which I strongly recommend if you own a gun, the Basic Pistol course is much more complete.

 What should you expect from an NRA Basic Pistol Course?

NRA Basic Pistol is a 10-hour, hands-on course covering :

1) Safe Firearm Handling
2) Firearm parts and operation (both Revolvers and Semi-Autos)
3) Ammunition and it's function
4) Fundamentals of Pistol Marksmanship
5) How to select, clean, and store your handgun and ammunition
6) Review of various shooting activities to help you continue to hone your shooting skills.
7) A LIVE FIRE portion to review and hone Safety and Marksmanship skills

If time permits, additional topics of student interest may be covered. These will be taught in addition to (not in place of) the above "Basics."


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What should you expect from an NRA Personal Protection Course?

Personal Protection is a progress-based course (nominally 8 hours, but lesson checkpoints must be completed to progress)

While Basic Pistol is not strictly required as a prerequisite for Personal Protection, the knowledge covered in that course is. Personal Protection is for students who have mastered the Basic Pistol knowledge, and wish to learn how to utilize a handgun for self defense. The course quickly reviews the basic safe handling covered in the Basic Pistol course, and then covers :

1) Psychology
2) Ethics
3) Defensive Shooting Techniques (Flash Sight, Shooting from Cover, Point Shooting)
4) A LIVE FIRE portion to learn how to apply Defensive Marksmanship
5) Legality of Lethal Force
6) Selecting a defensive handgun
7) Review of various shooting activities to help you continue to hone your shooting skills.

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 Note : photo taken with unmanned tripod camera and unloaded gun --
NEVER point at anything you don't want perforated!!!.
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What is the "Custom Training" you list?

Some people have asked if I can condense the Basic Pistol contents into shorter than 10 hours if they already have a fair amount of experience. Others have asked for additional one-on-one training after taking a group course. This option answers both of those requests. While I cannot issue a CHP-valid certificate unless we were to cover all of the Basic Pistol contents, I am more than happy to provide this more customised training to people who would prefer it.

 What is the "Combat Pistol" Course you list?

I developed this NON-NRA defensive pistol course to cover additional material which may not be included in the NRA Personal Protection course, and to allow for a greater proportion of live fire practice in the course than allotted in the NRA course. This course in advanced gunfighting assumes you already have a good amount of experience with safe handling of firearms.

*** Due to the advanced, tactical nature of this course, and close-contact live fire drills, I will NOT teach this course to people I have not previously instructed in Basic Pistol AND personnally verified "instinctive level" firearms competency.
 What do students have to say about your courses?

At the end of each course, the NRA asks for anonymous feedback on the course you have taken. Below are some of my students' comments.

"I took a "free" course that came with my handgun, and didn't even learn how to clean it correctly! After your [Basic Pistol] course, I'm confident that I know how to handle any malfunctions, and care for my firearms properly. Thank you so much!"

"Having never even seen a gun before, I was really nervous about taking a course like this. You made everything so easy to understand, and I had a great time. Teaching out of your house made everything seem so much "less scary"... thank you!"

"I took the SFI course from the NRA HQ, and still wasn't confident of my skills at all. Having taken your course now, I feel that I could handle myself so much better in a "worst case" scenario. Please don't stop teaching like this!"

"I know I was a real pain to the Instructor asking questions that were somewhat off-topic, but Mr. Manne always took the time to help me with my unusual questions. This course was JUST what I needed to feel comfortable around my husband's guns in my house. Thank you!"

And from one fellow who wanted 1-1 custom training...

"I already knew a fair amount about guns, and just wanted a certificate for my CCW permit. I still learned SO MUCH today it amazes me! No other instructors would let me pick and choose course material from both Basic Pistol and Personal Protection, much less offering one-on-one training at all. You REALLY should have charged me twice what you did! I'll be sending all my friends to you..."

I thank all my former students for their feedback and their kind referrals. I wish you all great luck, and happy shooting... -Keith Manne
To register for a course, email WolfNRose@KeepAndBearArms.com or call (703) 249-9596.

A note on enrollment and payment: We ask that students pre-pay tuition when they register for a course (check via US Post or PayPal to the above address, No credit cards). We intentionally limit class size to keep training more personal, reserve seating, and purchase course materials for each student, so "NO SHOWS" DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. If you really can't make it for some reason (things happen!), just let us know -- we'll be happy to hold a seat in our next class for you.

A note on long, single-day courses: Basic Pistol and Personal Protection are both fairly long courses to complete in one day. While we try to accommodate students who wish to complete the range portion the same day, most students find they prefer to separate the lecture and range portions of the course. By returning to the range later, you can a) leave 2 hours before other students (8A-4PM instead of 8A-6PM for BP), b) take the course book and other materials home for more relaxed review, and c) generally get longer, less-crowded, one-on-one coached time on the range. As a convenience to my students, I am happy to oblige this raindate rangetime AT NO ADDITIONAL COST.

Already registerred? Be sure to read this important pre-course information for what to bring and some other things you need to be aware of before taking a course from Mr. Manne

This page is forever under re-construction. I'd rather be shooting than updating, and it shows. :-)