Becoming a Certified Firearms Instructor

[ViperGTS19801]

Hey guys,

I posted about this on my OC Log, but I think it's also appropriate here.

After four separate people came to me asking for advice on firearms and related safety and responsibility, I have decided to pursue my certifications as a firearms instructor! Now, I am going to get them one way or another, though it may take a bit of time thanks to money restrictions. As such, and since I consider this a way of contributing back to my community, I have started a GoFundMe page for those who happen to be so inclined to help me along in the process.

The link to the page is here - any and all donations to it will go directly to the stated purpose and nothing else. The faster I am able to get certified and flesh out my firearms education, the sooner I can get started with some of the "So You Want to Buy a Gun?" style classes. I'll start there, anyway.

Thanks in advance for anyone who happens to feel the urge to help me with this.

[Joe88XJ]

are you kidding me?

[alpacaheat]

What's your problem? He's one of the more knowledgeable people on this forum and would make a great instructor, and after all of his police confrontations, he has proven he has the patience for it too.

I've seen far worse GoFundMe requests.

[Orlov556]

Good luck. I have seen less worthy campaigns get attention. If this is what you want to do and have an interest in i hope you succeed.

[PeteG]

"The first step to understanding is to call things by their right names."

Wanting to instruct is a calling. If you have the calling, more power to you.

But "certified?" Certified by whom, to do what?

Certification, in the firearms instruction business, is rarely meaningful. Unfortunately, the consuming public does not generally know this. So it goes on the pile of meaningless "qualifications" used to sell.

So do yourself a favor, and do all of us a favor: if and when you become "certified," be sure to be up front about who certified you and to do what.

And good luck.

[ViperGTS19801]

"The first step to understanding is to call things by their right names."

Wanting to instruct is a calling. If you have the calling, more power to you.

But "certified?" Certified by whom, to do what?

Certification, in the firearms instruction business, is rarely meaningful. Unfortunately, the consuming public does not generally know this. So it goes on the pile of meaningless "qualifications" used to sell.

So do yourself a favor, and do all of us a favor: if and when you become "certified," be sure to be up front about who certified you and to do what.

And good luck.

As an IT professional in my primary career path, I understand this very well - my experience as a volunteer firefighter lends to this as well. Thanks for pointing this out.

Right now I am considering going through USCCA for my instructor's certifications, due to several people's advice regarding going through, say the NRA instead. I am still deciding on who I am going to invest myself into, and am continuing to collect information on each organization that is a viable possibility. If I am going to obtain a certification that says I know what I am doing, it will be one that is as respectable as possible.

I also have no plans to simply "obtain and train" - continued education is important to me.

Thanks for the well wishes.

[alpacaheat]

USCCA is a reputable organization that I'm a big fan of. They provide a ton of training materials and do certify trainers also.

https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/instructors/

[Brian Ahearn]

If you are going to teach you will need about a million dollars in coverage cause shit happens everyday and you have protect your family and yourself. Most ranges want a copy of your policy before they will allow you to teach on their property. In addition most ranges require a fee for you to use their property to teach at. Teaching without insurance put you at a severe risk level.

[JoshIronshaft]

That's one reason to get certified through the NRA as an instructor. Then you can buy the insurance they offer to instructors.

[Hawk]

NRA certification is well...OK, if you plan on teaching NRA curriculum. They (the NRA) frown on certified NRA instructors who deviate from the official NRA curriculum. Personally, I found the courses to be very "dry".

If I was really gung-ho to to go down this path, I would attend every mainline "well known instructor's" (like Larry Vickers, Giles Stock, Randy Cain, etc) seminars that my time and bank account would allow. I'd probably attend the ones I really liked multiple times over a few years time so I could better absorb the doctrine. Theirs a guy on this forum named Shawn.L who did just that. PeteG knows him well.

We have a pretty decent school over hear in Western Pa. that used to host all the big names. I think they went a different direction lately.
http://www.fireinstitute.org/