ESSENTIAL PISTOL

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💥 Essential Pistol: Defensive Pistol Mastery 💥 

Essential Pistol is where everyday gun owners become confident, capable gunfighters: trained for real-world defense. 

This class is right for you if:

✅ You prefer a class environment built around mentorship, camaraderie, approachable instructors, and continuous improvement rather than ego or intimidation.

✅ You own a pistol but aren’t confident you could use it effectively under pressure.
✅ You want to go beyond static range drills and develop real-world defensive skills.
✅ You’re ready to break bad habits and replace them with fight-ready techniques.
✅ You’ve trained before but want to close the gap between knowing how to shoot and winning in a confrontation.
✅ You want a course that blends legal context, technical skill, and decision-making.
✅ You are a civilian, military, or law enforcement professional seeking purposeful, high-quality training. 

NO PREREQUISITES

 Calendar

📅 June 13–14, 2026

📅 November 14–15, 2026

🕗 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM Both days
📍 Mountain Top Gun & Archery Range, 11564 Harrison Ferry Rd, McMinnville, TN

👉 Completion of Essential Pistol fulfills the requirements for the Tennessee Concealed Carry Permit.
👉 Seats are limited — lock in your spot today!

Essential Pistol is more than a typical shooting class: it’s a structured program for developing practical, fight-ready pistol skills. Students will learn proper grip, stance, sight alignment, and recoil management, then apply those fundamentals to dynamic shooting drills. The course also integrates legal considerations and defensive force decision-making, helping participants understand not just how to shoot, but when and why to act under pressure.

The class covers drawing from concealment, shooting from multiple positions, movement, retention, and close-quarters tactics, all in realistic, high-stress scenarios. Essential Pistol is suitable for new shooters, experienced civilians, and current or former military and law enforcement personnel. By the end of the course, participants walk away with the confidence, technical skill, and mindset needed to survive and prevail in real-world defensive situations.

TOPICS COVERED

• All Patriot Training live fire classes have a thorough safety briefing and medical plan. 
• Proper sight picture
• Sight alignment
• Proper grip on the gun
• Good fighting stance
• Recoil control
• Legalities of defensive force 
• Pistol marksmanship
• Safety
• Drawing & presenting the pistol
• Shooting positions and variations,
• Pistol muzzle positions and applications
• Stoppages
• Multiple shots
• Multiple targets
• Shooting & moving, 
• Retention shooting, 
• One and two handed shooting,
• Advanced CQB concepts 

FAQ

• FAMILY DISCOUNTS 
• CURRENT / FORMER MILITARY: This class is designed to complement military training with skills and contexts outside typical service doctrine. 
• CURRENT / FORMER LAW ENFORCEMENT: This class covers practical rifle application and judgment-based problem solving often omitted from traditional LE training. 
• All PATRIOT TRAINING Class pricing includes any applicable range access charges - no surprise "gotcha" fees! 

GUNS & GEAR

• Your carry handgun (9 mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .357 Sig suggested.)  
• Quality holster (kydex or stiff leather - stays open for reholstering)
  • OWB (outside waistband) is OK!
  • IWB (Inside the Waistband) is OK! 
  • AIWB (appendix inside the waistband) is OK!
• No nylon holsters / no SERPA Holsters. 
• The Sig P320 is banned from all Patriot Training classes. 
• 3+ magazines - ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO SHOOT 30 ROUNDS WITHOUT STOPPING TO RELOAD
• 5 Snap caps - ONLY IF YOU ARE NOT USING 9 mm
  • IF you are bringing .45 ACP, bring snap caps. 
  • IF you are bringing .40 S&W, bring snap caps. 
  • IF you are bringing .380, bring snap caps. 
  • etc.
  • We provide loaner 9 mm snap caps. 
• Sturdy Carry belt
• 500 rounds of factory loaded brass cased ammo 
• notepad & pen 
• eye protection & ear protection. 
• Range appropriate clothing
• Food & Water
• Notepad and Pen
• Sunscreen & bug spray
• Hand warmers in cold weather months
• Medical kit / IFAK optional
• Lawn Chairs (optional)
• Shemagh (optional) 
• If you wear prescription lenses / glasses - BRING THEM!  

Patriot Training suggests holsters from:

Vedder Holsters

Blade Tech

We The People

DO NOT  BRING TO CLASS:

• Steel cased ammo for pistols 
• Hand loaded or remanufactured ammunition. Bring factory ammo only. 
• Mixed brands/types of ammo - bring a single brand and type
• Avoid bringing .22 LR Pistols, .25 ACP pistols, .32 ACP pistols (they jam too much - and the only ones that ever jam in class are the ones that "never had a problem before")
• SERPA holsters or any holster requiring the trigger finger to disengage retention are forbidden. 
• Nylon holsters forbidden. 
• Revolvers forbidden for Essential Pistol
• The Sig P320 is banned from all Patriot Training classes. 

FAMILY DISCOUNT OPTION

Add a son / daughter / spouse / father / mother / sibling for a reduced price. 

The family that shoots together... scoots together?

When registering, use the drop down to select family add. 

Why does Patriot Training not allow revolvers in Essential Pistol?

A - Because revolvers are not as reliable as modern semi autos. Check out the schools that do offer revolver classes - they all reduce round counts. And all of them talk about how many revolvers go down in each class. ALSO - revolvers tend to have a shorter sight radius, and a longer, harder trigger pull - making them extremely difficult to shoot well. If you'd like to train with your revolver - Check out our "ESSENTIAL REVOLVER" Class!

Why does Patriot Training not allow Serpa Holsters?

Because they fail, and they get people shot. Please see our FAQ page for details and links!

NOTE: 

Classes are conducted outdoors in all reasonable weather conditions. Come prepared with appropriate clothing, hydration, sun/rain protection, medications, and whatever personal comfort items you require for a full day on the range. We will take a lunch break, but there will not be sufficient time to leave the training facility for food. Bring your lunch, snacks, and anything else you intend to eat during the training day. 

STANDBY / REFUND / RESCHEDULE / TRANSFER / CANCELLATION POLICY

All Patriot Training handgun classes meet or exceed the minimum safety training requirements for the Tennessee Concealed Carry Permit. Please click here if you would like more information.