Description

Defensive Shotgun Fundamentals

The defensive shotgun remains one of the most versatile firearms available for home protection and personal preparedness—but using one safely and effectively requires more than simply knowing how to fire it.

Defensive Shotgun Fundamentals from Coastal Training Group is a hands-on Blue Belt course designed for students who already understand basic firearm safety and want to develop greater confidence with the defensive shotgun.

Students will learn the operating characteristics of common defensive shotguns, safe loading and unloading procedures, ammunition considerations, ready positions, recoil management, patterning concepts, safe movement and muzzle management, malfunction recognition, and practical considerations for responsible home-defense use.

The emphasis throughout the course is on safe handling, deliberate decision-making, firearm control, and responsible defensive preparedness rather than speed or competition.

Live-fire exercises allow students to become familiar with the characteristics of their own shotgun while receiving individualized coaching from the instructor.

CTG Belt Level

Blue Belt — Advanced Application

Students entering the Blue Belt level should already demonstrate safe firearm-handling habits and a working knowledge of basic firearm operation.

What Students Will Learn

• Fundamental shotgun safety and muzzle discipline
• Major shotgun components and operating systems
• Pump-action and semi-automatic shotgun differences
• Safe loading, unloading, and condition verification
• Ready and safe-storage conditions
• Shotgun ammunition fundamentals
• Understanding birdshot, buckshot, and slugs at a general level
• Patterning concepts and why individual shotguns may perform differently
• Proper stance, mounting, and firearm control
• Recoil-management fundamentals
• Safe operation from common ready positions
• Maintaining awareness of muzzle direction during handling
• Recognizing common operating problems and safely resolving stoppages
• Responsible storage and staging considerations
• Home-defense planning considerations
• Target identification and decision-making
• Continued practice and skill-development recommendations

I would not build room-clearing instruction into this Fundamentals class. Your Home Defense course already addresses household planning, awareness, communication, family response, and decision-making. Keeping this course centered on safe shotgun competency makes the catalog much cleaner.

Prerequisites

I recommend:

Required: Student must demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental firearm-safety rules and be capable of safely handling a firearm under instructor supervision.

Recommended: Firearms 101: Home & Family Safety or equivalent prior firearm-safety experience.

Experience Level: Intermediate

I would not require First Shots Handgun, because handgun experience is not necessarily relevant to shotgun competency.

Equipment Requirements

Students should bring an operable defensive-style shotgun suitable for the course, eye and hearing protection, appropriate range clothing, and the ammunition quantity/type specified in the pre-course instructions.

Do not bring ammunition into the classroom unless specifically directed by the instructor.