Defensive Pistol 1: Where Shooting Meets Survival
By the Director of Training – C2 Tactical
You can teach someone to hit a target in a day. You can teach them to group tight and look good on paper over a weekend. But teaching someone to fight with a gun — to think, decide, and shoot under real pressure — that is a different animal entirely.
That is what Defensive Pistol 1 (DP100) is for.
This course isn’t about marksmanship trophies or punching holes in cardboard. It’s about developing the mindset, judgment, and skill to prevail when the worst-case scenario lands in your lap.
DP1 takes graduates of our Intro, Basic and Intermediate (P100-P300) Handgun programs and sharpens them into competent defensive shooters — people who can recognize danger, process it under stress, and respond decisively when deadly force becomes the only option.
We start with what really matters: shot placement and defensive effectiveness. Hitting paper isn’t the goal — stopping a lethal threat is. You’ll learn the anatomy of a fight, where your rounds actually make a difference, and how to manage your volume of fire with precision rather than panic.
From there, we dig into the legal and ethical weight of using deadly force. It’s one thing to shoot well; it’s another to make the right call when lives hang in the balance. You’ll learn not only what the law says, but how to articulate your decisions in the aftermath — because surviving the fight is only half the battle.
Then comes the fun part — shoot/no-shoot scenarios, environmental challenges, and stress shooting. You’ll feel your heart rate spike, your fine motor skills start to fade, and your brain fight to keep up. And that’s exactly the point. We’re inoculating you to stress so that when chaos hits, your training kicks in automatically.
DP1 blends one hour of classroom time, one hour in our high-fidelity simulator, and two hours on the range. It’s a full-spectrum training evolution — from thought process to trigger press. You will walk away with a better understanding of why you shoot, when not to shoot, and how to do it effectively.
Bring your own handgun, three magazines, eye and ear protection, and 250 to 300 rounds of range-approved ammo. More importantly, bring your attention. This class demands it.
If are a graduate of the P300 course, and you’re ready for a deeper challenge — one that tests your skill, judgment, and composure — DP1 is your next step. It’s where responsible citizens become capable defenders.
Because in a real defensive encounter, accuracy alone doesn’t save lives. Awareness, discipline, and lawful action do. And that’s what we teach here — how to not just shoot, but survive and justify every round you fire.