The issue of safety and the whole debate about gun control versus gun rights are far from settled, but even in this dubious climate it would be understandable why anyone would seek out the right to gun training. Even admitting that gun access should be better regulated somehow – and even if we can’t really agree on what “better” means – there still need to be people who know how to handle guns. You may want to apply for gun training for a variety of reasons: either you’re a security enforcement professional and need to sharpen your skills, or you’re simply concerned with personal safety, or even for recreational purposes and so on. Well, you’ve come to the right place, since we’ve put together for you a short introduction on how to get started.

First of all, you should choose from our list below whether you mean to apply for gun training in order to learn how to shoot a gun (to be a trainee), or you mean to apply to become a gun training instructor yourself. Both options require a bit of a legal hassle, but nothing insurmountable.

Apply for Gun Training to Be a Trainee

There is currently a huge variety of courses offered related to gun training, either aimed at one of the various types of weapons, or aimed at specific issues of safety, or crime prevention, or courses for children teaching them how to safely behave around fire arms and so on. There are specific courses for the young, and courses for aspiring hunters, and even courses for gunsmithing! You can definitely have your pick, whatever your would-be-hobby is. The first thing you need to do before applying is to research the offer of gun training courses in your area, then choose one that seems more appealing or better suits your needs. Make sure you read through some prior customer reviews of the course you have in mind, to be certain that other participants had nothing to complain about.

Once you’ve managed to set your mind on a desired course, get in touch with their public relation office and ask what paperwork you should gather for the application. It may differ from state to state slightly, but be prepared for all or some of the following: a few passport-type pictures of yourself, a copy of your hopefully clear criminal record, a certificate of good mental health issued by a medical office, the proof of payment for their tuition fee and so on. Most of the time, you need to contact the school in order to obtain the exact list of required documents, so make up your mind on a course and give them a call.

Apply for Gun Training to Be an Instructor

For this kind of profession, you need some prior experience in handling guns, obviously. A beginner that doesn’t know many things himself or

gun training class

ready, aim, FIRE!

herself can’t train others, obviously. But rest assured, it’s not mandatory to be a retired law enforcement officer to be able to become a gun training instructor. There isn’t a specific amount of experience formally stated and required in the application requirements issued by the NRA, but it is stated that all applicants should be able to demonstrate intimate knowledge about each type of weapon and each action type in the discipline where they want to get certified, as well as a vast experience with shooting and gun usage. The way it’s formulated hints more to being able to show that you know your way with guns, and not necessarily hint at a formal period of gun usage as part of an official job or anything like it.

The most important part in becoming a gun training instructor is being able not only to shoot guns, but also to have the know-how to teach others how to handle guns. To acquire this know-how and get through all the hoops, you need to successfully complete an NRA training course for instructors. After the certificate of completion from that course is obtained, you also need to pass a number of other examinations evaluating your knowledge of handling weapons safely, of teaching, role-playing, public speaking and other required skills. You will also need to demonstrate how well you’ve internalized the philosophy that NRA stands for, to make sure you meet the ethical requirements of someone who will be around weapons and so on. The exam to be an instructor (comprising all these evaluations) will need a 90% completion as a passing mark.

 

Article sources and useful links for candidates:

For trainees:

– https://training.nra.org/

– https://www.shootsafelearning.com/courses/index.lasso

– https://practicalfirearmstraining.com/Register-for-Courses/ (see training application)

For instructors:

– https://training.nra.org/instructors/become-an-instructor.aspx

– https://www.usacarry.com/how-to-become-a-firearms-instructor/

– https://www.usacarry.com/directory/category/firearm-instructors/