Just took the Pistol I and Pistol II class at Appalachian Tactical Academy on July 23 & 24. Took the class even though I have had my CCDW permit for 4 years. 

Hot weather, hard work, and sweated more than I imagined I could. However, I would go again tomorrow at the drop of a hat. 

The Pistol I class is not a normal run of the mill CCDW class. This is the class to take if you want to get your concealed carry license. You get all of the CCDW training for your permit plus real world training for using that concealed weapon if you need to use it, including clearing malfunctions and shooting with your weak hand. [Keep in mind: There is no overlap between the regular state CCDW class and ATA Pistol I. Students don’t watch the videos, read the book, or do anything else that they did in the state class. ATA Pistol I is valuable training, even if you already have your license. That’s what Don is communicating here, but I just wanted to make sure that nobody misunderstands and thinks that this class is only for people who need to get their permit. -Josh] Goal is to make sure you stay in the fight once you’ve committed to be in the fight. 

Pistol II builds on the first class with more shooting and speed drills. Awesome stuff! 

Josh is one of the best instructors I’ve ever worked with. Josh is very knowledgeable and passionate about this subject. Both classes were well organized and moved along at a consistent pace. No wasted time. You get more than your money’s worth! A lot of instruction and drills jammed into 8 hours each day. Shot around 800 rounds between both days. Compare that to my original CCDW class where I shot 20 rounds at the end of the class. 

I recommend both Pistol I and Pistol II without reservation.