This month we had a dust-up cloud on qual's here on CFF. My point of posting this topic is not to kick dirt in anyone's face but my educated view of the topic, how to pick a firearm instructor or class to attend. I will break each category down into four elements,
Qualification
Information
Danger to you
How To Judge Quality
I am ONLY TALKING about things I am qualified to speak on. I have never attended a USCCA Course, Nor am I certified to teach them. The same is true for many other (Qualifications) in the world of firearm instruction that I do not hold. I am no-longer a trainer, but keep my certs alive by paying the fee every 5 years
To verify My Certs, go here NRA Verify Instructor Rating
NRA ID#: 144293875
Last Name: Boyette
North Carolina has a standard course they give to all concealed carry instructors. An instructor could submit a unique POI (Program Of Instruction) to NCDOJ, but most do not. Qualifications for a CCH instructor are listed here.
Information
The course outline is here
Danger to you
Not all people's ability to convey critical information is equal. Here is the crux of the matter, the CCH market is a race to the bottom, money-wise. The whole game for professional instructors is a discount structure for exposer and email contact building. For the most part, the market rate is fixed, not easy for an instructor to make any money on the course.
The issue with CCH classes is not who to get training from but who is in the class with you as fellow students. As a former CCH instructor, I will tell you that all elements of that class have a hazard to one's life. By ranking, the first 30 minutes of the course and the live-fire portion are high hazards.
How To Judge Quality
Reviews on Google,
Less than 15 student class size
more than one Instructor at the course
An RSO (Range Safety Officer) during the live-fire portion
Has taught the lesson more than 30 times; why? Because the same questions come up time and time again. By class four, the Instructor knows the correct answer. By course 10, they give an accurate, quick response.
Is the applicant alive? If yes PASS, if Not, PASS. I was joking, kind of.
The NRA Program is solid. I will say it's the only national accreditation course that you can take that holds any value. (The NC CCH Instructor qualification proves this point)
Every NRA Instructor I ever met was 100% passionate about the role, self identity rapped up in a title and the 5.11 gear they bought.
Information
The new courses dated after 2016 are all great; every class is entirely scrubbed by competition shooters, lawyers, and passionate retired people. The team effort is to educate every American for proper safe firearm handling and sport shooting to the masses.
Danger to you
Personalities of the Instructor can turn you off to the program. The guy with this NRA Instructor hat at the gun store aggravates you. Your perception of him color the NRA program. I enjoy taking the NRA classes, hell I am certified to teach like six courses and have done a lot of classes and instructed to a lot of people before I quit teaching in 2019. The point is, it's a great program if you FIND the right Instructor that fits you and intersects your position on the journey of education.
How To Judge Quality
Location, location, location. I would base my NRA training on where it's being taught at. They must have classroom time. An instructor with the logistics to pull off an NRA class with an airconditioned classroom has their stuff together. Material is bought and given out to the student. Standards are known, PowerPoints are given to the Instructor. So this again boils down to logistics and the personality of the staff.
None.
Information
God only knows.
The deal is this, the top dog military and LE units in the U.S. go to current and past world-ranked competition shooters to learn how to shoot. An SMU team does not go to Jerry Miculek or Julie Golob to learn tactics. They contract out these shooters to learn how to shoot; you should use the same process as well.
As a example, Can a local IDPA shooter ranked Sharpshooter teach you how to shoot? YES, they can.
Can a current or former SEAL teach you how to shoot? YES, he can.
Could a passionate gun enthusiast teach you how to shoot with no experience whatsoever? Sure, at a superficial level of skill development.
It's all based on your position on your journey on a path of education.
Danger to you
Name it; it's a hazard
The deal is this, going to the top of the competition food chain FIRST, is not what I would do if I were you.
I would spend time with local instructors that you think fit your need. They must be able to do one thing and only one thing. Perform the task they require you to do on-demand. They need to shoot with you and SHOW you how not just TELL YOU how.
How To Judge Quality
This is what I do:
Military, Law Enforcement, or Security background. No other qualification exists to teach tactical, NONE.
Information
tac·ti·cal
/ˈtaktək(ə)l/
adjective
You must match the experience of the Instructor to the task you are seeking knowledge for.
For example, if I would take a level 2 Carbine class, do I need to hire a Delta Operator? No, a former Marine who was Infantry and served in combat is more than sufficient if I just started on the path of Carbine Training.
If I have been to a few carbine classes, yes, Pat McNamara will help me improve. But I would not start at Pat's course. I need some foundation to support his teachings and get my money's worth.
Danger to you
Any tactic that is not fleshed out by opposition is a death sentence to the student. Tactical classes are designed to give you a skill. It would help if you had instructors who have used the skill in REAL LIFE and hopefully can teach well.
I would NEVER take a Tactical class from an Ask-hole.
Ask-Hole's are a unique class of sub-humans. You will see them as aThief student who attends every known class in the world but never joined the military, law enforcement, or a security company to put the work in. Then started up a training company to Regurgitate "share knowledge". Upon a deeper look , typically works at UPS for 15 + years and do not dress like an NRA Instructor. More of the shops at REI look.
Do not confuse the 6 year Navy SEAL who works at UPS for a living and teaches local tactical classes for side money. This individual is not an ASK-hole, but a resource to be utilized.
How To Judge Quality
the Instructor must have DONE the WORK in real life, period.
I hope this helps some.
Qualification
Information
Danger to you
How To Judge Quality
I am ONLY TALKING about things I am qualified to speak on. I have never attended a USCCA Course, Nor am I certified to teach them. The same is true for many other (Qualifications) in the world of firearm instruction that I do not hold. I am no-longer a trainer, but keep my certs alive by paying the fee every 5 years
To verify My Certs, go here NRA Verify Instructor Rating
NRA ID#: 144293875
Last Name: Boyette
Concealed Carry
QualificationNorth Carolina has a standard course they give to all concealed carry instructors. An instructor could submit a unique POI (Program Of Instruction) to NCDOJ, but most do not. Qualifications for a CCH instructor are listed here.
Information
The course outline is here
Danger to you
Not all people's ability to convey critical information is equal. Here is the crux of the matter, the CCH market is a race to the bottom, money-wise. The whole game for professional instructors is a discount structure for exposer and email contact building. For the most part, the market rate is fixed, not easy for an instructor to make any money on the course.
The issue with CCH classes is not who to get training from but who is in the class with you as fellow students. As a former CCH instructor, I will tell you that all elements of that class have a hazard to one's life. By ranking, the first 30 minutes of the course and the live-fire portion are high hazards.
How To Judge Quality
Reviews on Google,
Less than 15 student class size
more than one Instructor at the course
An RSO (Range Safety Officer) during the live-fire portion
Has taught the lesson more than 30 times; why? Because the same questions come up time and time again. By class four, the Instructor knows the correct answer. By course 10, they give an accurate, quick response.
NRA Instructors
QualificationIs the applicant alive? If yes PASS, if Not, PASS. I was joking, kind of.
The NRA Program is solid. I will say it's the only national accreditation course that you can take that holds any value. (The NC CCH Instructor qualification proves this point)
Every NRA Instructor I ever met was 100% passionate about the role, self identity rapped up in a title and the 5.11 gear they bought.
Information
The new courses dated after 2016 are all great; every class is entirely scrubbed by competition shooters, lawyers, and passionate retired people. The team effort is to educate every American for proper safe firearm handling and sport shooting to the masses.
Danger to you
Personalities of the Instructor can turn you off to the program. The guy with this NRA Instructor hat at the gun store aggravates you. Your perception of him color the NRA program. I enjoy taking the NRA classes, hell I am certified to teach like six courses and have done a lot of classes and instructed to a lot of people before I quit teaching in 2019. The point is, it's a great program if you FIND the right Instructor that fits you and intersects your position on the journey of education.
How To Judge Quality
Location, location, location. I would base my NRA training on where it's being taught at. They must have classroom time. An instructor with the logistics to pull off an NRA class with an airconditioned classroom has their stuff together. Material is bought and given out to the student. Standards are known, PowerPoints are given to the Instructor. So this again boils down to logistics and the personality of the staff.
Shooting Instructors
QualificationNone.
Information
God only knows.
The deal is this, the top dog military and LE units in the U.S. go to current and past world-ranked competition shooters to learn how to shoot. An SMU team does not go to Jerry Miculek or Julie Golob to learn tactics. They contract out these shooters to learn how to shoot; you should use the same process as well.
As a example, Can a local IDPA shooter ranked Sharpshooter teach you how to shoot? YES, they can.
Can a current or former SEAL teach you how to shoot? YES, he can.
Could a passionate gun enthusiast teach you how to shoot with no experience whatsoever? Sure, at a superficial level of skill development.
It's all based on your position on your journey on a path of education.
Danger to you
Name it; it's a hazard
The deal is this, going to the top of the competition food chain FIRST, is not what I would do if I were you.
I would spend time with local instructors that you think fit your need. They must be able to do one thing and only one thing. Perform the task they require you to do on-demand. They need to shoot with you and SHOW you how not just TELL YOU how.
How To Judge Quality
This is what I do:
- Reviews you can find from other people, not them.
- Years teaching with a long trail of data to search
- Are they Insured? ASK for the insurance company by name
- Logistics to put on the class
- History of performance that you find appealing
- Shooting competition ranking?
- Military Service?
- Law Enforcement / Security background?
- Hairstyle?
Tactical Instructors
QualificationMilitary, Law Enforcement, or Security background. No other qualification exists to teach tactical, NONE.
Information
tac·ti·cal
/ˈtaktək(ə)l/
adjective
- relating to or constituting actions carefully planned to gain a specific military end.
You must match the experience of the Instructor to the task you are seeking knowledge for.
For example, if I would take a level 2 Carbine class, do I need to hire a Delta Operator? No, a former Marine who was Infantry and served in combat is more than sufficient if I just started on the path of Carbine Training.
If I have been to a few carbine classes, yes, Pat McNamara will help me improve. But I would not start at Pat's course. I need some foundation to support his teachings and get my money's worth.
Danger to you
Any tactic that is not fleshed out by opposition is a death sentence to the student. Tactical classes are designed to give you a skill. It would help if you had instructors who have used the skill in REAL LIFE and hopefully can teach well.
I would NEVER take a Tactical class from an Ask-hole.
Ask-Hole's are a unique class of sub-humans. You will see them as a
Do not confuse the 6 year Navy SEAL who works at UPS for a living and teaches local tactical classes for side money. This individual is not an ASK-hole, but a resource to be utilized.
How To Judge Quality
the Instructor must have DONE the WORK in real life, period.
I hope this helps some.
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