A record-setting 2,454 women received free shooting lessons at Recoil Firearms in Taylor, Mich.—located in the Detroit metropolitan area—on July 25 and 26. It was the largest turnout for the annual effort, which was launched by Rick Ector in 2012. Now, in its 15th year, this annual training event has provided safe, hands-on instruction to more than 14,000 women.
Each attendee receives one-on-one instruction from a certified volunteer coach, fires live ammunition on the range and pays nothing. The pistol, ammunition, targets and the eye and ear protection are provided.
More than 50 instructors, range safety officers and support staff gathered from across the nation—including Florida, Texas, Indiana and Ohio—and donated their time and expertise to support the 2026 gathering. Recoil Firearms closed to the public for the full two days, ensuring every lane in the building belonged to the event.
Ector, a Detroit firearm instructor, launched the program after reading about a woman who was attacked and left for dead on a Detroit street. His response was to establish the program and teach women to defend themselves for free.
Each year, attendees range from grandmothers to college students, nurses, veterans and women who have never touched a firearm. Most walk out carrying the first target they ever shot. “From 12 to 112 years old, they are welcome,” said Tanisha Moner, one of the event coordinators and recipient of the NRA Women 2026 Golden Bullseye Woman of the Year award.
The weekend was made possible by the support of Firearms Legal Protection, the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners, Michigan Gun Owners, ATEi, Recoil Firearms and CCW Hub—a platform that supports firearm instructors nationwide. Despite the record-setting turnout, CCW Hub kept things running smoothly both days, handling registration, session scheduling, e-ticketing, online waivers and door check-in. The instruction, range time and equipment given away over the two days is valued at more than $180,000.
A full record of the weekend, including photographs, attendance figures, the volunteer roster and sponsors is available online. Women in the Detroit area who missed July’s free instruction are encouraged to keep an eye on this webpage for future events.
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