Once you've decided to get some basic firearms training, or to get concealed carry training, you'll need to find a qualified instructor. Luckily there are now a large number of available instructors.
To find an Instructor, you could:
- Search the Internet
- Browse through the Illinois Concealed Carry Instructor List
- Contact a local gun shop
We recommend that you contact a local gun shop; they will know several instructors and be able to recommend some that are in your area. Generally, gun shops only recommend reputable instructors.
Here are some local shops you can contact:
- Article II in Lombard (west of Chicago)
- Chucks Gun Shop in Riverdale (south of Chicago)
- Eagle Sports in Oak Forest (southwest of Chicago)
- Midwest Guns & Pistol Range in Lyons (southwest of Chicago)
- Maxon Shooters' Supply in Des Plaines (northwest of Chicago)
- Point Blank in Hodgkins (southwest of Chicago)
- Shore Galleries in Lincolnwood (north of Chicago)
- Sporting Arms and Supply in Posen (south of Chicago)
There are more shops which you can find using your favorite map tool.
Why Aren't there Any Training Facilities in Chicago?
Chicago used to have a ban on gun shops and gun ranges. Even though the ban was struck down in 2011, the city continued to make it so difficult and expensive to build one that no one did it.
Those restrictions are now gone with the closure of Ezell v Chicago.
Instructor Credentials
Once you find an instructor, make sure their credentials are valid by checking the revoked instructor list.
