Press release · July 27, 2026
2,454 Women Learned to Shoot Free in One Weekend in Metro Detroit
Record turnout at the 15th annual free shooting lesson for women, hosted at Recoil Firearms in Taylor and staffed entirely by volunteers
TAYLOR, Mich., July 27, 2026 - A total of 2,454 women took a free shooting lesson over two days at Recoil Firearms in Taylor, Michigan on July 25 and 26, the largest turnout in the 15-year history of the event.
Every woman who attended received one-on-one instruction from a certified volunteer coach, fired live ammunition on the range, and paid nothing. The pistol, the ammunition, the targets, and the eye and ear protection were all provided.
More than 50 volunteer instructors, range safety officers, and support staff worked each day, coming from across the country, including Florida, Texas, Indiana, and Ohio, to donate the weekend. Recoil Firearms closed to the public for the full two days so that every lane in the building belonged to the event.
The lesson began in 2012, when Detroit firearms instructor Rick Ector read about a woman who was attacked and left for dead on a Detroit street. His response was to teach women to defend themselves and to charge them nothing. More than 14,000 women have now taken the lesson.
"From 12 to 112 years old, they are welcome," said Tanisha Moner, one of the event coordinators and NRA Women's 2026 Woman of the Year.
Attendees ranged from grandmothers to college students, nurses, veterans, and women who had never touched a firearm before that morning. Most walked out carrying the first target they ever shot.
The weekend was underwritten by Firearms Legal Protection, the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners, Michigan Gun Owners, ATEi, Recoil Firearms, and CCW Hub. Bought at market rates, the instruction, range time, and equipment given away over the two days would run more than $180,000.
Registration, session scheduling, e-ticketing, online waivers, and door check-in for all 2,454 attendees ran on CCW Hub, the platform that supports firearms instructors nationwide.
A full record of the weekend, including attendance figures, the volunteer roster, sponsors, and photographs, is published at https://www.ccwhub.com/free-lesson/2026.
Future events will be announced at https://www.ccwhub.com/free-lesson.
About Legally Armed In Detroit
Legally Armed In Detroit was founded by firearms instructor Rick Ector and has offered a free shooting lesson for women every summer since 2012. The event is funded entirely by sponsors and staffed entirely by volunteers.
About CCW Hub
CCW Hub is the booking and operations platform for firearms instructors, handling class listings, registration, payments, waivers, and student communication. Learn more at https://www.ccwhub.com.
The full record of the event, with attendance, the volunteer roster, sponsors, and photographs, is published at ccwhub.com/free-lesson/2026.
Photos
Photos by the event team, free for editorial use with credit to the event organizers. Click any photo to download it, and if you need something specific from the weekend that isn't here, just ask.
The queue wrapping around the corner of the building, dozens of women waiting along the wall
A line of women stretching along the side of the building and out toward the parking lot on event morning
The sales floor packed with women waiting to check in for their session
Women practicing their grip and stance with training pistols, an instructor coaching the line
An instructor coaching a shooter one on one at lane 7, both in ear protection
Volunteers working the indoor range floor while an attendee holds up the target she just shot
The numbered indoor lanes in use, one attendee carrying her target back from the firing line
Facts and figures
The numbers of record for the 2026 free shooting lesson for women. You'll find every figure here on the permanent record page too, so the two always agree.
- Event
- Free Shooting Lesson for Women (15th annual)
- Dates
- Saturday July 25 and Sunday July 26, 2026
- Location
- Recoil Firearms, 22509 Ecorse Rd, Taylor, MI 48180
- Attendance
- 2,454 women over the two days
- Demand
- Every session filled, and 833 more people joined the waitlist
- Cost to attend
- Free, including the pistol, ammunition, and eye and ear protection
- Volunteers
- More than 50 instructors, range safety officers, and support staff each day
- Founded
- 2012, by Detroit firearms instructor Rick Ector
- Host organization
- Legally Armed In Detroit
- Registration platform
- CCW Hub
Media contact
Will, CCW Hub
will@usgunclasses.comPhotographs, interviews with organizers and volunteers, and additional figures available on request.