NRA Personal Protection In The Home
The NRA Personal Protection In The Home (PPITH) course is an up to eight-hour program designed for experienced, law-abiding adult firearm owners seeking to develop defensive handgun skills for home defense. This course combines classroom instruction with live-fire range training.
Course Overview
Students learn defensive shooting fundamentals, strategies for home safety, responding to violent confrontations, and the legal considerations surrounding the defensive use of firearms.
Live-fire exercises reinforce skills through structured drills designed to build accuracy, consistency, and safe gun-handling under controlled conditions. Students should expect to shoot approximately 100 rounds of ammunition.
Topics Covered
- Defensive handgun fundamentals
- Strategies for personal and home safety
- Responding to violent confrontations
- Firearms and the law
- Selecting a handgun for self-defense
- Continued skill development and training pathways
Materials Provided
- NRA Guide to the Basics of Personal Protection In The Home handbook
- NRA Gun Safety Rules brochure
- Winchester / NRA Marksmanship Qualification booklet
- Course completion certificate
Eligibility & Prerequisites
This course is intended for experienced shooters who can demonstrate safe gun handling and basic marksmanship skills. Proof of shooting experience may include:
- NRA Basic Pistol course certificate
- NRA FIRST Steps course certificate
- NRA pistol competitive shooting qualification
- Military DD-214 with pistol qualification
- Passing the Pre-Course Assessment
Licensing & Course Approval
This course is approved by the Massachusetts State Police (Code LTC-003) and satisfies the training requirement for Massachusetts License to Carry (LTC) and Firearms Identification (FID) applications.
Required Documentation
All students must download, read, sign, and bring the Liability Waiver to class.
Equipment Required
- Eye and ear protection (electronic hearing protection recommended)
- Comfortable, supportive footwear suitable for outdoor range conditions (no sandals or flip-flops)
- Semi-automatic pistol or revolver (minimum caliber: 9mm or .38 Special)
- At least 100 rounds of factory-new ammunition (NO reloads)
- Two functional magazines (semi-autos) or speed loaders (revolvers)
- Comfortable clothing; knee pads optional
Scheduling & Availability
The NRA Personal Protection In The Home course is offered periodically or by request and is not scheduled as frequently as core licensing classes.
If you are interested in hosting this course, joining a future session, or learning more about availability, please contact us directly.