UNDER STRESS YOU DO NOT RISE TO THE OCCASSION. YOU FALL TO WHATEVER YOU DRILLED.
RANK 5 OF 7
4 hours · low light module · malfunctions under time · 100 rounds graded
“I CAN PERFORM IN THE DARK, UNDER STRESS, WITH A PLAN.”
Who this is for
The committed owner who has done the daylight work and has never had it tested. Everything before this rank is shot on a square range with the lights on. This one is not — and it needs a range with light control to run honestly.
What changes
You stop hoping you would perform and start having evidence that you can.
YOUR DARK
You have run it with a light in your hand and no overheads, in a room you did not get to arrange first.
YOUR MALFUNCTIONS
Two induced failures on the clock. Clearing them becomes a reflex rather than a decision you have to make under pressure.
YOUR MOVEMENT
You have moved and shot, and been scored on it, so the first step you take in this house is not the first time you have taken one.
Before & after
Same person. One dark afternoon apart.
BEFORE
X Every round you have ever fired was in daylight with the lights on
X A malfunction is something you have read about and seen on video
X You have never moved with a loaded firearm and had it graded
X “Under stress” is an assumption you make about yourself, not a measurement
AFTER
✓ 100 rounds fired low-light, graded, on the clock
✓ Two induced malfunctions, each cleared in under 5 seconds
✓ A movement string scored, not merely attempted
✓ 80 of 100 inside the 8-ring when you could not see the sights clearly
What’s included
✓ Course hours: 4 hours — the low-light and movement module (requires a range with light control)
✓ Malfunction clearance under time: two induced failures, scored individually
✓ Round count: 100 rounds, graded, fired low-light, including one movement string
✓ Graded qualification: the score is recorded against the published standard on this page, not against the class average
✓ The Step-Up Kit 5 + medal
NOT INCLUDED
– ammunition
– a weapon-mounted or handheld light you do not already own
– a holster and a range that allows movement, if you are not supplying your own
– other fees where applicable
The standard – published in full
Every rank is earned against a published standard, scored by an instructor and signed. This is Rank 5’s, in full.
| Assessment | What you must do | Pass threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Low-light and movement module | 4 hours on a range with light control, shooting with a light in hand | Attendance. The range condition is the point of the module |
| Induced malfunctions | Two failures induced under time, cleared by the student | Both malfunctions cleared in under 5 seconds each |
| 100-round graded qualification | 100 rounds, low light, including two induced malfunctions and one movement string | 80 of 100 inside the 8-ring and both malfunctions cleared in under 5 seconds each |
| NRA MQP benchmark | Your fifth qualification, and it is legible outside this company | Expert — “Benchmarked to NRA Expert.” |
Any safety violation fails the rank outright, regardless of score. A muzzle direction fault during the movement string ends the day, not the string.
This is the rank that separates the hobbyist from the committed — the manual says so directly. It is also the one you cannot run in a standard indoor bay: you need a range where the lights can actually go out.
The award
Awards are presented formally, at a graduation – not handed over in a parking lot. That is what makes them worth earning.
- Embroidered patch – the Rank 5 insignia
- Rocker arc – “Home Defender”
- Certificate
- Yellow Rose Tactical Coin
- Presentation Box
Yellow Rose Tactical awards are Yellow Rose Tactical issued. Nothing in this kit is an NRA award, and no part of it implies an official NRA program. NRA Marksmanship Qualification awards are purchased separately by the student from the NRA Program Materials Center.
Prerequisites & bypass
PREREQUISITE
RANK 4 – FAMILY PROTECTOR
Home Defender is the performance rank. It assumes the basics are already automatic — the draw from Carry Ready, the household plan from Family Protector — because there is no room to teach fundamentals in the dark.
BYPASS – FOR EXPERIENCED SHOOTERS
Private Skills Check – $149
(90 minutes)
You do not have to start at Rank 1 to enter the Path. The Skills Check places you at the rank you have already earned, so an operator is never sent back to First Steps.
FIND OUT WHAT YOU ACTUALLY DO WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT.
Not ready for this? See Family Protector.