Citizens' Handgun Safety | Westmoreland County Community College, Youngwood, Pennsylvania

Gun Safety, Home Safety and Personal Protection

Students in these courses will learn about the legal aspects of self-protection while also obtaining basic and advanced skills with various weapons. 

These courses are in high demand, therefore early registration is highly recommended. 

To register for classes, search under personal enrichment after clicking here. 

Students at the shooting range

Basic Handgun Familiarization for Women

Women can learn the very basics of weapons (handguns) and the appropriate handling of the handgun they choose to train with while being in class with other women with similar knowledge/experience. The classroom portion will consist of disassembly, reassembly, cleaning the weapon, ammunition and other instruction to help the student understand their weapon or the weapon they may choose at a later date. Donald Hess, $42.00 tuition + $2 Material fee, .3 CEU’s

 

Spring Class

  • Thursday, March 20,  2025, 6 - 10 p.m. (Business & Industry Center Room 4404 - Youngwood Campus)

 

Handguns - Beginners Home Safety & Personal Protection

Applicable “use of force” issues and information, self-protection tips, knowledge of civil liability issues and information on various gun permits are the focus of this course. Class includes six hours of shooting at our firearms range. Bring your own handgun and at least 150 rounds of factory ammunition. No hand-loaded ammunition is permitted on range. Shooting is not required, but you will attend the range sessions to be exposed to weapons, understand how they function and appreciate their capabilities and limitations. Bring a holster that fits your handgun and wear a belt to the range portion of the class. Donald Hess, $125 tuition + $10 material fee, 1.6 CEUs

Spring Class

  • Tuesday and Thursday, April 1 & 3 (Business & Industry Center Room 4404 - Youngwood Campus) 6 - 10 p.m. and Saturday, April 5, 2025 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Public Safey Training Center, 65 Public Safety Dr. Smithton, PA).

 

Advanced Handguns I - Home Safety & Personal Protection

Further develop your marksmanship, decision-making skills, personal survival skills and knowledge of use of force issues. Topics covered will include legal ramifications, shooting from behind cover, effective target acquisition, shooting while stationary and on the move, and practical applications of tactical shooting. Class includes six hours of shooting on Westmoreland’s firearms range. Bring your own handgun and at least 150 rounds of factory ammunition. No handloaded ammunition is permitted on the range. Bring a holster that fits your handgun and wear a belt to the range portion of the class. Pre-requisite: Handguns-Home Safety and Personal Protection. Donald Hess, $65 tuition + $10 material fee, .8 CEUs

Spring Class

  • Sunday, May 18, 2025, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Public Safety Training Center - 65 Public Safety Dr. Smithton, PA)

 

Advanced Handguns II

Continue your handgun training by shooting from various locations including the close confines of a vehicle using advanced target acquisition methods, shooting on the move, shooting from cover and speed shooting with accuracy. Prerequisite: Advanced Handguns. Donald Hess, $65 tuition + $10 material fee, .8 CEUs

Spring  Class

  • Sunday, May 25, 2025, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Public Safety Training Center - 65 Public Safety Dr. Smithton, PA)

 

Dim Light/Darkness Shooting 

Master the challenges of dim light shooting that adds a whole new dimension to firearms handling. Most crimes involving firearms occur in the evening hours or later, when darkness provides easy cover to criminals. Skills learned will increase marksmanship and decision making as it relates to survival and use of deadly force. Have the edge when it comes to target acquisition and skills when it counts the most and know your rights. Prerequisite: Advanced Handguns-Home Safety & Personal Protection. Donald Hess, $75 tuition + $2 material fee, .6 CEUs