FREE SOUTH CAROLINA CWP CLASS – Limited Dates Available → Reserve Your Seat

Professional handgun training focused on safety, judgment, and real-world responsibility — not hype, shortcuts, or opinions.

SAFETY • KNOWLEDGE • SKILL • ATTITUDE

EXPLORE TRAINING OPTIONS

Why This Training Works

Most people don’t struggle because they don’t practice enough.

They struggle because their practice lacks structure, purpose, and feedback.

Random range time may build confidence, but confidence without consistency fails under pressure. When stress rises, performance drops — sometimes dramatically.

Our training system is designed to build repeatable habits through organization, efficiency, and coaching so your skills hold up when it matters.

This is training with purpose — not guesswork.

The Carry Guy Training System

Our approach combines the critical disciplines of self-protection into one clear, practical system:

Methodology – Knowing what to train and why

Structured Practice – Goals for every session

Professional Feedback – Mistakes corrected before they become habits

Mindset Development – Performing under pressure, not just on the range

This system is built to move skills from conscious effort to unconscious competence.

What We Focus On

Responsible carry requires more than marksmanship. We train students to:

• Think ahead and manage risk

• Understand escalation and de-escalation of force

• Apply non-lethal, less-lethal, and lethal tools appropriately

• Act with legal and ethical responsibility

The goal is sound decision-making — before, during, and after an encounter.

Who This Training Is For

This training is designed for:

• Adults who can legally carry a firearm

• New or experienced handgun owners

• Citizens who value responsibility over hype

• People looking for structured instruction — not shortcuts

If you want real capability, not range entertainment, you’re in the right place.

Our Mission

See. Decide. Survive.

We train students to observe clearly, decide intelligently, and act responsibly — because self-protection is about judgment as much as skill.

Ready to Train the Right Way?

VIEW AVAILABLE TRAINING

At The Carry Guy Firearms Shooting Academy, training is not random, rushed, or improvised.

Every class, private session, and coaching block is delivered with structure, progression, and accountability.

We don’t run “come shoot and see what happens” sessions.
We run purpose-built training designed to develop real capability.

Every student trains within a defined framework:

• Clear learning objectives
• Progressive skill development
• Measurable performance standards
• Real-time correction and coaching

You will always know what you’re training, why you’re training it, and how it applies.

You are not left to “figure it out” on your own.

Training is:
• Observed
• Corrected
• Refined
• Reinforced

This is coaching, not lane supervision.
Mistakes are addressed immediately — before they become habits.

We train for:
• Decision-making under pressure
• Defensive application, not competition theatrics
• Situational awareness and judgment
• Responsible use of force

Everything is tied back to real life, real consequences, and real responsibility.

Most ranges offer one class.
We offer a training path.

Students can move from:
• Basic fundamentals
• To defensive application
• To advanced skill development
• To private coaching and performance refinement

This allows you to grow instead of starting over.

There is no ego culture here.
There is no shortcut culture here.
There is no “good enough” culture here.

There is:
• Expectation
• Discipline
• Standard
• Growth

Because your safety — and the safety of others — deserves that level of seriousness.

Our training is conducted in a controlled environment that allows:
• Focused instruction
• Individual attention
• Real feedback
• Safe progression

This is not a crowded public firing line.
This is a training environment.

It means you don’t just “take a class.”
You develop capability.

It means you don’t just learn mechanics.
You build judgment.

It means you don’t just get certified.
You get prepared.

If you want casual range time, there are plenty of places to get it.

If you want:
• Structure
• Coaching
• Accountability
• Real-world readiness

You belong here.

TRAINING PROGRAMS

At The Carry Guy Firearms Shooting Academy, we don’t offer disconnected classes.
We provide a progressive training pathway designed to build real capability over time.

Each level builds on the last.
Each phase deepens skill, judgment, and performance.

This is not about checking boxes.
This is about becoming capable.

This is where responsible ownership begins.

Students learn:
• Safe firearm handling and range discipline
• Grip, stance, sight alignment, and trigger control
• Loading, unloading, and malfunction awareness
• Basic marksmanship and shot accountability
• Mindset and responsibility as an armed citizen

This phase builds:

Safety first. Confidence second. Skill always.
 

No shortcuts. No rushing. No unsafe habits.

This phase focuses on:
• South Carolina law and legal responsibility
• Use of force principles
• Carry considerations and judgment
• When to act — and when not to

We do not teach “gun rights culture.”
We teach decision responsibility.

Because carrying legally means nothing if you don’t carry intelligently.

This is where mechanics become application.

Students develop:
• Draw stroke and presentation
• Defensive accuracy under pressure
• Target transitions and threat awareness
• Movement, positioning, and balance
• Situational problem-solving

This phase is not about speed for ego.
It is about efficiency for survival.

For students who want more than competence.

This phase emphasizes:
• Performance under stress
• Shot accountability at speed
• Precision at distance
• One-handed and impaired shooting
• Decision-making under pressure

This is where good shooters become reliable shooters.

This is the highest level of instruction offered.

Private coaching is designed for:
• Professionals
• Business owners
• Executives
• Security-minded individuals
• High-responsibility carriers

Training is:
• Personalized
• Performance-driven
• Outcome-focused

This is not “more training.”
This is precision development.

Throughout the pathway, students can also access:

• Women’s Training Programs
• Senior-Focused Training
• Church & Organizational Safety Training
• Wheelchair & Mobility-Limited Training
• Home Defense & Family Protection Modules
• IDPA / Skill Challenge Training

Because responsible carry looks different for different lives.

Most people:
• Take a class
• Shoot occasionally
• Hope they’re ready

Our students:
• Train with purpose
• Build progressive skill
• Develop judgment
• Grow under structure

We don’t train for the range.
We train for real life.

This is a responsibility track.

If you want casual shooting, there are ranges everywhere.
If you want capability, you’re in the right place.

START YOUR TRAINING PATH 

There are many instructors.
There are very few professionals.

Curtis Harwell is not known for hype, volume, or theatrics.
He is known for clarity, control, and consistency.

Students don’t train with Curtis because he is loud.
They train with him because he is right.

Curtis Harwell brings over three decades of experience in firearms handling, instruction, and real-world application.
His approach is disciplined, methodical, and outcome-driven.

No yelling.
No ego.
No shortcuts.

Just clear instruction, direct correction, and measurable progress.

This is not entertainment training.
This is performance training.

Curtis trains the way professionals operate:

• Structured sessions
• Defined objectives
• Clear expectations
• Immediate feedback
• Accountability at every level

Nothing is random.
Nothing is left to chance.

Every drill has a purpose.
Every correction has a reason.

Because performance does not improve by accident.

Real situations are not loud.
They are focused.

Curtis teaches students to:
• Slow down their mind
• Control their actions
• Process information clearly
• Make decisions without panic

This is not range behavior.
This is real-world behavior.

Curtis does not embarrass students.
He does not coddle them either.

Mistakes are addressed directly.
Not emotionally.
Not personally.
Professionally.

Because bad habits become dangerous habits.

And dangerous habits are not acceptable.

Most instructors teach mechanics.

Curtis teaches:
• Judgment
• Timing
• Restraint
• Decision-making

Because knowing how to shoot is not the same as knowing when to act.

Responsible carry is about:

Thinking first. Acting second. Surviving last.
 

Students feel it immediately.

Curtis does not chase attention.
He commands respect.

Not through volume.
Through presence.

Not through intimidation.
Through competence.

This is why professionals, executives, and high-responsibility individuals choose to train with him.

They recognize the difference.

Curtis does not adapt to trends.
He sets the standard.

He does not teach what is popular.
He teaches what is correct.

He does not train for the internet.
He trains for real life.

Curtis is not:
• A social media instructor
• A range entertainer
• A tactical influencer
• A personality brand

He is a professional instructor.

That is intentional.

Curtis trains:
• Responsible adults
• Serious-minded individuals
• Professionals who value competence
• Citizens who understand responsibility
• People who want skill, not approval

If someone is looking for ego validation, this is not the place.
If someone is looking for capability, they are exactly where they should be.

“Most people take classes. Very few develop capability. My job is to make sure you are in the second group.”
— Curtis Harwell

TRAIN WITH CURTIS

The Carry Guy is not a logo.
It is not a slogan.
It is not a marketing concept.

It is a standard.

It reflects how Curtis Harwell trains, how he leads, and how he expects students to perform.

This brand was not built to attract everyone.
It was built to attract the right ones.

The Carry Guy exists because Curtis Harwell does not believe in:
• casual standards
• watered-down instruction
• or feel-good training

He believes in:
• structure
• precision
• and accountability

Every element of The Carry Guy reflects that.

From how students are coached
To how mistakes are corrected
To how progress is measured

There is no separation between the man and the method.

This is not a replicated program.
This is not a packaged curriculum.
This is not outsourced instruction.

Every standard, every drill, every progression has been shaped by Curtis’s experience, expectations, and philosophy.

This is personal instruction at institutional level.

That combination is rare.

The Carry Guy brand does not chase trends.
It does not mirror influencers.
It does not follow internet tactics.

It is built on:
• what works
• what lasts
• and what performs under pressure

Because real life does not reward style.
It rewards competence.

There is no chaos here.
No shouting.
No theatrics.
No ego culture.

Just:
• calm direction
• clear expectations
• and consistent execution

This is intentional.

Professionals do not need noise.
They need clarity.

Most training brands are built on:
• speed
• aggression
• image
• and intensity

The Carry Guy is built on:
• judgment
• restraint
• preparation
• and responsibility

Because the most dangerous thing in the world is not a gun.
It is a poorly trained person with one.

That is why standards matter here.

It is not for:
• ego shooters
• attention seekers
• or validation hunters

It is for:
• serious adults
• disciplined thinkers
• and people who understand what it means to carry responsibility

If someone is looking for entertainment, they will be uncomfortable here.
If someone is looking for capability, they will feel at home.

The Carry Guy does not have multiple personalities.
It does not change tone.
It does not adjust for trends.

It reflects Curtis Harwell — consistently.

Calm.
Direct.
Professional.
Uncompromising on standards.

That is the difference.

“The Carry Guy is not about guns. It is about the person behind them.”
— Curtis Harwell

Authority is not claimed.
It is earned.

Curtis Harwell has spent decades building a reputation based on discipline, consistency, and results. His work is not measured by volume or visibility. It is measured by outcomes.

Students return because it works.

Professionals refer because it performs.

Communities trust because standards are enforced.

This is not popularity.

This is credibility.

Curtis Harwell brings over 35 years of firearms handling and instruction experience to every student interaction. That experience is not theoretical. It is practical, applied, and continuously refined.

No recycled material.
No outdated doctrine.
No trend-based instruction.

Only methods that have proven effective over time.

Consistency is not accidental.
It is built.

The Carry Guy Firearms Shooting Academy is trusted by:

• Responsible citizens seeking real capability
• Professionals who carry responsibility beyond themselves
• Individuals who value discipline over display
• Families who take protection seriously

This trust is not built through advertising.
It is built through performance.

Curtis and The Carry Guy Firearms Shooting Academy maintain relationships with respected organizations, manufacturers, and industry professionals. This is not about logos. It is about alignment with standards and professionalism.

When serious people recognize serious work, it matters.

“This is the first time I felt like someone was actually coaching me, not just watching me shoot.”

“The difference is structure. Everything has a purpose.”

“I didn’t just learn how to shoot. I learned how to think.”

These are not marketing lines.
They are consistent observations.

That consistency is the point.

Curtis Harwell is not a traveling instructor who passes through.
He is embedded in the community.

That matters.

Because trust is built over time — not transactions.

The Carry Guy Firearms Shooting Academy exists to serve, develop, and protect the people who live here.

That responsibility is taken seriously.

There are instructors who are known online.
There are instructors who are known in the community.

Curtis Harwell is known for:
• professionalism
• clarity
• discipline
• and results

No noise.
No flash.
No theatrics.

Just consistent, repeatable performance.

When you train, you are not just investing in skill.
You are investing in judgment.
You are investing in decision-making.
You are investing in responsibility.

That deserves more than guesswork.

It deserves a professional.

“Trust is built when people see the same standard, the same discipline, and the same professionalism — every time.”
— Curtis Harwell

At this point, you already know if this is for you.

If you believe:
• Responsibility matters
• Preparation is not optional
• Judgment is as important as skill
• And standards should be high

Then you belong here.

Not because you were convinced.
Because you recognize it.

Most people talk about being ready.
Very few commit to becoming capable.

Carrying a firearm is not a right-only decision.
It is a responsibility decision.

That responsibility deserves:
• structure
• discipline
• and professional guidance

That is what is offered here.

There is no shortage of information.
There is no shortage of internet advice.
There is no shortage of voices.

What is rare is:
• clarity
• consistency
• and correct instruction

This is not a place to debate.
This is a place to develop.

No hype.
No theatrics.
No noise.

Just:
• real training
• real standards
• real accountability

This is where skill is built.
This is where judgment is trained.
This is where capability is developed.

Final Statement

“Responsibility is not something you claim. It is something you prove.”
— Curtis Harwell