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Guardian Firearms Academy to offer more training for women
More women than ever before are not only buying guns, but learning how to use them.
According to the Indiana State Police, more than 50,000 Hoosier women have received gun permits over the last three years and with the rise in permits, the Guardian Firearms Academy in Greencastle is also seeing a rise in women seeking self-defense training.
Guardian Firearms Academy, owned by Jerrod Baugh, offers personalized self-defense training with firearms at the Captain Jim Baugh Firearms Range, a range named after his late father.
Currently, the academy offers a variety of classes, including NRA Basic Pistol, Defensive Carry Pistol, Defensive Rifle, Shotgun Home Defense, as well as private instruction.
"There's a big increase in women buying and carrying firearms," Baugh said. "There have been a lot of recent developments in and around the Indianapolis area with home invasions and rape happening in places in open areas. Walmart in Avon had one recently.
I think it's good that women are seeking the skills training that they need. They're not only just purchasing a firearm and sitting it in their house or getting a permit and carrying it with them. I'm glad to hear that they're also seeking to get skills in it."
Baugh has been a police officer for more than 19 years and has spent 16 years in the law enforcement firearms training field. He's certified in multiple firearms training and has won several awards over the years.
It is his many years of training and experience that make the Guardian Firearms Academy a good place for those at any experience level to learn about firearms.
"Just owning a firearm does not make bad people stay away," Baugh noted. "If you purchase a firearm you should get the training so that you have the skills to use it as a tool."
This year, Guardian Firearms Academy has not only added more classes for all levels of experience, but more ladies-only classes as well.
"What we're doing a lot more this year is ladies-only classes," Baugh said. "It has been very, very popular. There's definitely more women in the women's-only class than there are in the open classes. I think that's because they're more comfortable with ladies only. A lot of them share the same experiences or lack of experience with a firearm. Especially those who have never shot before are much more comfortable. They enjoy it more."
Upcoming Pistol Home Defense classes include ladies-only classes on May 18, July 13 and Sept. 14. There is also a June 8 class, which is open to all.
Tuition cost is $80 and participants will be shooting 100 rounds of their own ammunition. An Indiana Handgun License is not needed to take the class.
Those who choose to participate in the class will learn about firearms safety, including home storage, legal issues related to the use of the firearm, safe use of the firearm for personal protection, shot placement on the human body for maximum effectiveness as well as bullet demonstration and selection for self-defense.
"The great success is watching shooters become more comfortable with the use of a firearm through training," Baugh explained. "People that have never shot before are having great success in class.
In the end, they're very happy that they made the decision to come to training, whether it was encouraged by a spouse or by a friend. There is always some reluctance when they first come, but those are some of the biggest successes. They're the ones that get the most from the training."
For more information or to register for a class or private training visit www.guardianfa.com. All classes require pre-registration.