- 2007? – Rick’s Firearm Academy of Detroit
- 2014 Gun Advocate of the Year – Michigan Coalition of Responsible Gun Owners (MCRGO)
- 2016 Defender of Freedom Award – Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC)
Rick Ector speaking at the GRPC in Phoenix, AZ on the importance of providing women with free firearm training
Rick Ector – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com › channel
About Rick Ector
Rick Ector is a Detroit firearms instructor, founder of Rick’s Firearm Academy of Detroit and founder of Legally Armed in Detroit, a gun rights and training organization. He is best known for the free annual women’s firearms lesson he started in 2012 after reading about a Detroit woman who was attacked and left for dead. Ector has also served on the NRA Board of Directors and has been backed by groups including Gun Owners of America for his advocacy in Michigan.
The free lesson has grown from about 200 women in its third year to one of the largest single firearms training events in the country. Every participant receives one-on-one coaching from a certified volunteer instructor, with the pistol, ammunition, targets and eye and ear protection provided at no cost. Attendance reached 1,938 women in 2020 despite COVID-19 restrictions and more than 1,800 at the 14th annual event in 2025. On July 25-26, 2026, the event drew 2,454 women to Recoil Firearms in Taylor, Michigan, the largest turnout in its 15-year history, bringing the cumulative total to more than 14,000 women trained.
Key Facts
- 2012: Started the free annual women’s firearms lesson in metro Detroit
- 2014: About 200 women attended the event’s third year
- 2020: 1,938 women attended despite COVID-19 restrictions
- July 2025: 14th annual event drew more than 1,800 women
- July 25-26, 2026: Record 2,454 women trained; more than 14,000 in total since 2012
Sources
- NRA Women: Downrange with Detroit’s LAIDies (2025)
- Shooting Industry: 2,454 Women Learned to Shoot Free in One Weekend (2026)
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