Guides

These guides are the actual training materials used in in-person firearms safety classes in Texas, covering everything from selecting your first handgun to starting your own range day. Have questions or feedback? Contact us at contact@armyourfriends.com.
How to Properly Clean a Polymer Striker-Fired Pistol
How to Properly Clean a Polymer Striker-Fired Pistol
Keeping your polymer striker-fired pistol clean is essential for reliability, safety, and long-term performance. This guide walks you through proper field stripping, barrel and slide cleaning, lubrication, inspection, and safe... Read more...
How to Choose Between the AR Platform and the AK Platform
How to Choose Between the AR Platform and the AK Platform
Before we start, let’s be very clear about what this article is and is not. This is not an evaluation of aesthetics, symbolism, political identity, or historical mythology. Firearms are... Read more...
How to Choose Body Armor (A Guide to "Bullet Proof Vests")
How to Choose Body Armor (A Guide to "Bullet Proof Vests")
The Real Guide to “Bulletproof Vests” and Body Armor Most people use the term “bulletproof vest” without realizing it is technically incorrect. No personal armor is truly bulletproof. Body armor... Read more...
How to Store Your Weapons Safely: A Practical Guide for Responsible Owners
How to Store Your Weapons Safely: A Practical Guide for Responsible Owners
How to Safely Store Firearms: A Practical Guide for Responsible Owners Safe firearm storage is not about fear, politics, or optics. It is about responsibility. A firearm that is not... Read more...
How To Buy a Handgun: A Guide for First time Gun Owners
How To Buy a Handgun: A Guide for First time Gun Owners
Here's our practical,guide to buying your first handgun. Learn how to choose the right size, caliber, and platform, compare trusted brands like Glock and Sig Sauer, and avoid common mistakes... Read more...
How to Shoot a Handgun (Basics of Pistol Shooting + Safety Fundamentals Course Guide)
How to Shoot a Handgun (Basics of Pistol Shooting + Safety Fundamentals Course Guide)
A step-by-step guide to the basics of pistol shooting. Learn firearm safety, stance, grip, trigger control, breathing, and what to expect in our Houston fundamentals class so you can shoot... Read more...
SLIP 2000: MAINTENANCE, RESPONSIBILITY, AND WHY CLEANING YOUR FIREARM MATTERS
SLIP 2000: MAINTENANCE, RESPONSIBILITY, AND WHY CLEANING YOUR FIREARM MATTERS
Discipline is Maintenance: Why We Partner With SLIP 2000 Owning a firearm isn't just about training; it’s about discipline. A weapon you don't maintain is a weapon you cannot trust.... Read more...
ALIEN GEAR HOLSTERS: RELIABLE, AFFORDABLE, AND READY FOR REAL-WORLD COMMUNITY DEFENSE
ALIEN GEAR HOLSTERS: RELIABLE, AFFORDABLE, AND READY FOR REAL-WORLD COMMUNITY DEFENSE
Your Holster is Your Lifeline: Why We Trust Alien Gear Carrying a firearm is about control, consistency, and confidence. None of that matters if your holster fails. For community organizers... Read more...
FARADAY BAGS: WHY THEY MATTER FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS AND COMMUNITY DEFENSE
FARADAY BAGS: WHY THEY MATTER FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS AND COMMUNITY DEFENSE
Phones are the strongest tool most of us carry. They are also the easiest way for someone else to track us. Anyone doing real community work already knows that your... Read more...
Dry Fire Workshop: Structure, Safety, and Course of Fire
Dry Fire Workshop: Structure, Safety, and Course of Fire
Our Dry Fire Workshop is designed to give both new and experienced shooters a safe space to build and refine their skills. This is a free, no-live-ammunition training event. All... Read more...
Intermediate Rifle + Self-Defense Concepts – Houston Class Guide
Intermediate Rifle + Self-Defense Concepts – Houston Class Guide
This class is for students who have completed Basics of Rifle Shooting and are ready to develop real-world handling skills with their personal AR-15 platform. We introduce working from ready positions,... Read more...
Intermediate Pistol Shooting + Self Defense Concepts – Houston Class Guide
Intermediate Pistol Shooting + Self Defense Concepts – Houston Class Guide
This class is designed for students who have completed Basics of Pistol Shooting + Safety Fundamentals and are ready to build on those fundamentals. You’ll learn to work from ready... Read more...
How to Shoot a Rifle (Basics of Rifle Shooting + Safety Fundamentals Course Guide)
How to Shoot a Rifle (Basics of Rifle Shooting + Safety Fundamentals Course Guide)
This class is designed for new or first-time rifle shooters who want to learn the fundamentals of safely operating and accurately shooting an AR-15 pattern rifle. Students will learn how... Read more...
How to Build a Local Training Operation
How to Build a Local Training Operation
If you want to build a training operation in your city, you are in the right place.If you are here because you want to have an operation that simply copies... Read more...
How to Pick Your First Rifle
How to Pick Your First Rifle
Choosing your first rifle does not need to be intimidating, political, or performative. At its core, a firearm is a tool. It is a method of delivering a bullet to... Read more...