Gary Behr has authored a comprehensive compendium of firearms lore called Firearm Fundamentals.

Certified by the NRA as an Instructor and Range Safety Officer and by the Wisconsin Department of Justice as a Defensive and Arrest Tactics and Law Enforcement Security instructor, Behr has put together a solid one-stop resource for all things related to the gun at nearly 400 pages with over 200 illustrations and 600 terms and relevant descriptions. Behr started writing the book initially as a way to organize his training notes from various classes to help organize his own students. “There are a tremendous number of exceptional instructors and trainers out there and I want to give them one more tool to allow them to do their job more easily and effectively,” he says.

This book is divided into three major parts. Part I is an introduction for new gun owners. This section is an overview of the technology and basic usage of firearms with an emphasis on how to safely begin shooting. Intended as a quick and easy initial reference, this will familiarize anyone with the fundamentals of firearms by offering an overview of getting started and sets an initial stage for formal training of a beginner’s introduction to firearms, such as leading up to a formal course.

Part II delves into concealed carry and gets into the things needed for a person planning to safely and legally carry daily. Obviously, effective training needs both classroom and range exercises and a book by itself can not be a complete tactical or defensive course. Part III contains more detailed information, expanding into rifles, shotguns, sighting methods and more. This is followed by a glossary referencing about 600 useful firearm terms and concepts, and eighteen appendices covering topics such as sighting, zeroing and ballistic data, as well as training overviews. A quick reference guide rounds out the coverage.

Firearm Fundamentals is available in a number of editions for specific locations. In addition to an all-state overview, there are also state-specific editions for Florida, Utah, Texas, Wisconsin, and Washington covering legal concerns unique to each area.

Dealer pricing starts with a 25% discount below MSRP when ordering six books for your shop and an additional five percent discount for every additional half dozen books ordered. Details are at firearmfundamentals.net.

Read more in our April 2015 issue. Back issues are available.

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