It was several years ago and it was given at a gun shop. I never followed through in part because my classmates scared the heck out of me. The course was good...basic safety and review of the laws surrounding guns. The instructor had a tremendous respect for guns. He talked about making the decision to use a gun. I remember his saying that if you use a gun against another person, even if you are 100% justified, your lif is basically over. There is overwhelming psychological trauma. There is the police investigation and media attention. And, of course, the inevitable civil suit. I recall the instructor talking about encountering a burglar. He said that if you see a guy carrying your TV out of your house in the middle of the night, it is much better to call the cops an let him go. I came out of the course believing that you could only use deadly force to save your life. Apparently, you can use deadly force to stop a burglar in your home. There was a discussion period where the instructor asked why we were interested in obtaining a pistol. That's when I got scared. One of my classmates wanted a pistol so he could intimidate and protect himself in case a driver cut him off. He then presented scenarios and asked if shooting was justified. My classmates almost always said yes and they were almost always wrong. During a break the instructor showed us the guns that were for sale He said new shooter usually begin with .22 caliber pistols. The Guido's in my class wanted to see these freaking monster cannons. The instructor told them they were special weapons and inappropriate for a new shooter. They didn't care. That's what scared me... the attitude of some people wanting guns.
I never followed through, but maybe I should have.