Colorado Gun Owner Briefing – August 2026
August 2026 Colorado Gun Owner Briefing
Firearm-law updates, practical training information, student questions and responsible gun-owner education from Have Gun Will Train Colorado.
Featured Article
Before You Press the Trigger…
Every defensive encounter begins with incomplete information.
A person may see a gun, hear shouting, or walk into the middle of an incident already in progress. The first armed person they see may be the criminal—but it could also be a store owner, an armed citizen, or an off-duty police officer responding to the same threat.
That uncertainty is the focus of our newest article, Before You Press the Trigger.
The story begins with an ordinary stop at a Southern Colorado convenience store. Within seconds, a concealed carrier must decide whether to move, wait, draw, or gather more information.
What don’t you know yet?
The article examines mistaken identity, positive identification, armed citizens arriving late and why making a permanent decision before understanding what is happening can create another victim.
If you carry a firearm for personal protection, I encourage you to read the complete article.
Colorado Firearms Safety System Update
Before You Pay for a Background Check
Colorado’s Firearms Safety System takes effect August 1, 2026, and the application process includes several separate requirements.
The process may include:
- An application through the applicant’s county sheriff
- A name-based background check from a third-party provider
- County and state fees
- A four-hour or twelve-hour state-approved course
- A final examination requiring a score of at least 90 percent
Check With Your Sheriff First
Do not pay for a name-based background check until you know what your county sheriff will accept.
Sheriff offices may differ in the vendors, reports, attestations or documentation they accept.
Paying for a report that does not satisfy your sheriff’s requirements could mean paying for another background check later.
Contact your county sheriff before spending money and ask exactly what that office currently requires.
You can contact me, and I can tell you what some applicants have used.
Helpful Resources
- Colorado Firearms Safety System Overview
- Step-by-Step Application Walkthrough
- Colorado Firearms Safety System FAQ
- Four-Hour vs. Twelve-Hour Course
- Colorado SSF Resources and Official Links
Training Spotlight
Primary Handgun Skills
One thing I’ve noticed after teaching thousands of students is that many concealed carry permit holders were never taught the primary handgun skills every gun owner should have.
Some completed their original concealed carry class with very little—or no—hands-on gun handling. Others simply have not had an opportunity to practice those skills since taking their original class.
As a result, I regularly see uncertainty during routine tasks such as loading, unloading, verifying that a handgun is unloaded, and safely returning it to the holster.
That is why I developed Primary Handgun Skills.
This course focuses on:
- Administrative gun handling
- Safe loading and unloading
- Verifying that a firearm is unloaded
- Safe holster use
- Muzzle discipline
- Trigger-finger discipline
- Safe and repeatable handling habits
These are not advanced tactical skills.
They are the fundamental skills every responsible handgun owner should possess.
Renewal Student Special
Students taking my Colorado Concealed Handgun Renewal/Refresher course receive $25 off Primary Handgun Skills.
My goal is not simply to help you renew your permit. My goal is to help you become a safer, more confident and more responsible armed citizen.
LEARN MORE ABOUT PRIMARY HANDGUN SKILLS →
Student Question of the Month
Can I Pull My Handgun Just to Scare Someone Away?
This is one of the most common questions I hear.
In most situations, the answer is no.
Your handgun is a lifesaving tool—not a communication device.
Displaying a firearm simply to intimidate another person can create serious legal consequences. It can also escalate an argument into a deadly-force encounter.
Your firearm is not there to win an argument, stop ordinary trespassing, teach someone a lesson or convince another person that you are serious.
If You Wouldn’t Shoot, Don’t Show.
The Gun Is Not a Communication Device.
Talk First. Shoot Last.
Knowing when not to draw is every bit as important as knowing how to draw.
Training Schedule
Choose the Training You Need
Have Gun Will Train Colorado offers flexible scheduling, small classes, practical instruction, and live-fire training with an emphasis on safety, judgment, responsible gun ownership, and Colorado law.
Current training includes concealed carry classes, renewal/refresher training, Primary Handgun Skills, Draw From the Holster and Colorado Firearms Safety System courses.
Easy registration with no payment required in advance.
Book Corner
Wanna or Hafta?
Are you pulling the gun because you wanna—or because you hafta?
The law cares. So will a district attorney. And a jury.
Wanna or Hafta? examines the decisions armed citizens face before, during and after a deadly-force encounter.
It challenges readers to think beyond marksmanship and consider judgment, responsibility, avoidance and the consequences of every decision.
The downloadable edition is available for $6.95.
LEARN MORE ABOUT WANNA OR HAFTA →
Looking Ahead
Draw From the Holster
One of the most important skills a concealed carry permit holder can learn is drawing from the holster.
It is also one of the most commonly self-taught skills.
Unfortunately, that often means practicing bad habits without ever realizing it.
Drawing a handgun from the holster is one of the most dangerous gun-handling tasks you will ever perform.
Our Draw From the Holster course begins with safety—not speed.
Students learn proper grip, garment clearing, trigger-finger discipline, presentation and safe reholstering. Only after those fundamentals become consistent do we begin working on efficiency.
Fast comes from doing it correctly—over and over again.
Watch for updated Draw From the Holster course information and future training materials.
LEARN ABOUT DRAW FROM THE HOLSTER →
Thank You for Reading
Thank you for spending a few minutes with the Colorado Gun Owner Briefing.
Our goal is to provide practical training information, safety reminders and straightforward explanations of Colorado firearm laws so you can make informed decisions before you ever need to make critical ones.
Owning a firearm is a right. Carrying one is a responsibility. The decisions you make before an incident often matter more than the actions you take during one.
Stay safe. Stay trained. Stay informed.
Have a question you would like answered in a future issue? Send it through our website, and it may become a future Student Question of the Month.
Have Gun Will Train Colorado
Firearms Training in Pueblo, Colorado
This newsletter is provided for general educational and informational purposes and is not individual legal advice. Firearm laws, agency procedures and local requirements may change. Consult the applicable government agency or a qualified Colorado attorney regarding your particular circumstances.
© 2026 Have Gun Will Train Colorado. All rights reserved.
