why more people are getting into firearms and training

Rule #1 is every gun is loaded, treat it as such. If you're going to pontificate on the "4" rules please don't leave out the 1st and most important rule.
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Yes - the "every gun is loaded" is the Internet gun forum super-meme of choice used to embarrass and beat people with safety whenever possible - as you've proven.

Specifically - and for, your reference, I was citing the NRA Safety Rules Card in my post. Perhaps you missed the connection...

Here's the link for the NRA Safety Rules Card for your reference.

I've seen the same thing where a husband or boyfriend is trying to teach his lady and pontificates endlessly to the point of driving any interest at all out of the person he's trying to teach.
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That's not a safety rule problem - that's a bad teaching problem. However, given a choice between no safety information and too much - my feeling is that it is better they get bored by safety rules than not know them at all.

If they don't know how to teach safety concisely and effectively - then they probably don't know how to teach shooting either; and probably shouldn't be attempting to teach anyone at all.

I can tell you that I've been part of concealed carry classes as a range officer / observer where the safety rules have been gone over before shooting the qualification portion of the class.

After having everyone acknowledge they fully understand the safety rules - I have had to remind shooters to take their finger off of the trigger until ready to shoot.

At one point, I had to physically tap a person on the shoulder and point at their finger ON THE TRIGGER before they were ready to shoot.

Perhaps boring him to death with a safety lecture might have helped as going over the rules and having them acknowledge them prior to even picking up their gun to shoot the qualification didn't work.
 
Let's not turn this thread into a debate about the rules of safe gun handling. We've done that topic often enough, and the focus of this thread is entirely different.
 
We have quite a few couples and families with older teenagers attend our Basic Handgun class together. Since this is largely an urban environment most of the men, as well as the women, are complete novices. Home defense is probably the most common reason for their interest.

Probably 80% to 90% of our students had never touched a real gun before. Our class enrollment runs 20% to 40% female. We have students of all ages from early 20s to us more seasoned types.

In addition to the core lectures, we do a lot of "hands-on" work with the students. The students handle a variety of revolvers and semi-autos under direct supervision, one-on-one, of an instructor. They use dummy rounds to load and unload the guns, dry fire and generally learn how things work and feel, and they get continual safety reinforcement.

These initial hands-on exercises help students get familiar with handling gun and lay a foundation for safe gun handling habits. Working one-on-one with an instructor in this way we can continually reinforce safe gun handling by pinting out gently, but immediately, a lapse.

Then in preparation for live fire, and after the "marksmanship" lecture, we work one-on-one with students on grip and stance using "blue" inert training guns.

Before going to live fire with .22s, the students shoot airsoft (the quality type) in the classroom so they can get a feel for sight alignment and trigger control (and reset) without the noise and intimidation factor (for beginners) of firing real ammunition.

After the students fire their 25 rounds of .22 (working one-on-one with an instructor), we put out a variety of guns from 9mm to .44 Magnum so the students can get the experience of firing the larger calibers. Shooting the centerfire guns is at each student's option. Most fire them all, but some choose not to.

When someone has gone through our program, it's not uncommon for her/him to be shooting 1.5 to 2.0 inch groups at seven yards with the heavy calibers. A few months ago, a petite young woman who had never fired any type of gun before out shot everyone, including her husband, with the .44 Magnum -- putting three rounds into about an inch at 7 yards.

This group (six rounds at seven yards) was fired during the last part of the live fire period at one of our Basic Handgun classes. It was fired by a middle aged woman who attended our class with her two adult daughters. She had never fired a handgun before our class; she had fired a rifle only a few times. It was fired with a Ruger Red Hawk -- three rounds in .44 Special and three in .44 Magnum.


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And here is one of her daughters looking with an instructor at a group of six shots she had just fired at seven yards with a Colt Python (three rounds of .38 Special and three of .357 Magnum). She had never fired a gun before.


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What I hear from many new sudents/ new shooters:

1. At first -- it's curiosity about guns / they may want to own a gun & want more info...

2. They have a gun - lack experience: they want to understand how to shoot better, did they buy the right gun, maybe they want to carry - tried to improve on their own & it's not working too well / learn how to practice.../ defense comes up but they haven't read much or thought it thru much....they think they want to carry, but have no clue on how...

3. Intermediate levels - they want to get better, improve skills, some want to compete, want to compare their skills to others & get feedback on equipment, etc....

Majority get permits ( to negate waiting period on new gun purchases / only a minority end up carrying much). Home defense comes up a lot....vs carrying. I hear a lot about what they should buy next - what's better - what's new that'll help them get better - / basic stuff - they want to be part of gun community. Cost of practice comes up a lot....less than 10% go much past the basics....even though feedback is good ( they didn't see costs involved in practice ) ....interesting to see who comes to range on a regular basis....

It's an interesting dynamic to talk with them as they go thru it..../ some will come back later...intro and basic 2 day classes continue with heavy demand and range mgmnt adding classes all the time to meet demand. Less than 10% go to intermediate levels of instruction...
 
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My wife was never to big into guns but as soon as we had our first kid she wanted to be able to defend our boy and herself. That's when she wanted training and since then is hooked. Guess ya could say it made her feel empowered and a stronger protector of our boy. I always go over scenarios and drills for our house protection and from a vehicle.
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Well she should make sure she doesn't keep it somewhere that can be hazardous, such as her purse. There was a case of a careless mom being killed with her own handgun when her toddler pulled it out of her purse and shot her with it, probably not knowing what it was.
 
I heard about that story she was not very smart and it's people like her that give us a bad rap. We take gun safety and handling very seriously.
 
@kraigwy. ..I don't teach my wife anything..... I much rather teach women than men as they don't come, most often, wit h the baggage men have. Guys think they know about guns even if they haven't ever shot one.
 
why more people are getting into firearms training

I was kind of surprised to find that everyone in my extended family, has cary permits except my wife. She just doesn't want to.
As far as training they took the course and fired 100 rounds.
Real life tactics are not a hot subject, in the family.
Everyone, or just about, grew up with firearms and knew how and when to use them, and when not to, before puberty.
The problems we hear of in the Northeast and Atlantic Coast states, Illinois and California is the reason, well founded, imo tht people are arming themselves.
We have some problems with break ins etc, but far below, anywhere else on the planet.
Now, they have the permits they carry everywhere. Strange once you start carrying you realize the responsibilities and consequencies of every having to use one. So they practice and they think.
 
Why more people are getting into firearms and training

I wish people WERE equally into training, as they are into getting guns.

I don't frequent public ranges because of the goofballs waving loaded handguns, because they don't know basic rules and now own a gun. I joined a club or two, where at least the people have decent range knowledge and skills, or they're banned.

Respect for the guns and proper handling are not required for ownership, and loaded guns are in the hands of a LOT of new shooters.

Everyone on the road has a drivers license, too, but you KNOW what's out there.....


BE CAREFUL
 
In being a self employed firearms Instructor since 1980, starting in Ontario Canada, there is a huge difference in teaching IPSC sports shooters, and teaching Police/Security/Military.

A good friend of mine, Toronto Police Officer, asked me to train his Wife, she was going to apply for employment with an other Police Dept.

She was a natural! I trained her in Revolver, and Glock 19 and 17.

When she was accepted to the Police Academy, in Aylmer Ontario, my advice, "Do not say you have ever fired a firearm!" Esp. Trained by me!

She took this advice, out of 40 students, she was first or second, all the time.

When she passed out second, the Chief Instructor said to her, "You know when you said you had not fired before? You are so full of SXXX Brenda"

She never did let the cat out of the bag.
 
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