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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.
FIND ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR INSTRUCTOR COURSES.::
"For I will go before thee and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of brass and will cut in sunder the bars of iron."
- Isaiah 45:2
- Isaiah 45:2
Q. Wow! CCW in Illinois looks like a great way to make money! but I don’t have much experience with pistols…will this pistol instructor course teach me what I need to know to instruct?
A. NO. The NRA Instructor Development Program is not meant to teach you the fundamentals of pistol shooting. It is a discipline specific program that is designed to take your lifetime of experience with pistols and fit it into the mold of the NRA Basic curriculum. This will focus on your ability to articulate the fundamentals of pistol shooting and safety to BASIC students, who are assumed to have never held a firearm before. You will have students attend these courses who have little or no firearms experience, some who are embarrassed about their interest in firearms, some who are uncomfortable, and some who will have such a phobic scale response it will be difficult for them to hold a firearm at first. This is not amateur hour. You will have plenty to absorb without the basics.
Q. If I pay for this course, am I guaranteed a certificate at the end?
A. NO. This is a meritocracy. I will guarantee I will do absolutely everything in my power to see that qualified individuals become instructors. No one will ever question that. If you do not achieve the necessary score on the shooting qualification, I will meet you at the range at another date that works for both of us at no charge… or I will make arrangements with another TC or Instructor we work with to administer the qualification at a range nearer to you. I will also work with any candidate who wishes to allow them to gain additional experience with the curriculum before they teach their own course…and I am always available to answer your questions. That being said, this cannot be an “Everybody Gets a Trophy” event.
Q. Do I need to be an NRA member to become an instructor or RSO?
A. Nope, although the fee structure for accumulating NRA certifications would make it more cost efficient to be an NRA member after the first workshop.
Q. What is NRAINSTRUCTORS.ORG?
A. It is an online tool that can be used by instructors as a means of advertising (posting) their courses, logging their student info, checking course status, organizing their class schedule, order materials, and ultimately submit course reports to the NRA upon completion. It is also used by students to find courses in their area and price range.
Q. What are the Qualifications to become a Pistol Instructor?
A. As a candidate for Pistol Instructor, you should have enough experience to feel comfortable delivering safety and proficiency concepts to students WITHOUT a course. That being said, the official qualifications are as follows:
A. You will need a single action revolver, a double action revolver with a hammer, and a semi-automatic. I would recommend many more…..but this is the minimum. You will have to provide firearms and Ammunition to your students in the NRA basic courses for live fire exercises.
Q. I want to become an NRA instructor, but I think that making the students bring their own firearms and provide their own ammunition would be a lot cheaper. I think I will just do it my way.
A. Save your money and my time. Do not come out. The NRA is in the process of removing instructors and TC’s for failures to adhere to their policies and for the purposes of weeding out those who feel it is appropriate to sacrifice the curriculum they have the PRIVELEDGE of teaching in order to save time and money. I have made it my personal business to assist them in this undertaking. In Illinois, for the next few years, we are in a lifeboat here with everyone watching, and the waves of interest groups that would love to see us fail is going to be a constant presence. Well trained, ethical instructors and TC’s will be worth their weight in gold….. Those that put the rest of us at risk with questionable practices and violations of their agreements with the NRA will have to go over the side. I am OK with this. The NRA courses are the national standard for safety, which is why so many states accept them for CCW. I have no issue whatsoever with new instructors working their way through the curriculum in their own time….that is how we all have to do it!! I do have a problem with those who deliberately subvert the policies of the NRA training and education division.
Q. I am not sure that I will be ready to run out and teach my own courses following this workshop, will you help me?
A. Of course I will. You will have the option of participating in or watching Basic Courses we present in order to find your rhythm in presenting the material yourself. My phone and email are also always available for instructor candidates with questions about course presentation and the NRA instructor program, whether you are one of my students or not.
Q. Why should I take your Instructor workshops?
A. You want to come to my workshop because you know that I am the Training Counselor you would want to have taught the instructors who will someday teach your children. I will do everything within my power to make you the best instructor you can be, and that includes a commitment to you that exists long after you leave the classroom as an instructor. You should want to take my course because you know that you want to do it right, because you love to bring people into the world of shooting and help them do that safely…..and because you believe that by achieving these things, you are positively impacting the lives of your students, and keeping the shooting sports alive for future generations.
A. NO. The NRA Instructor Development Program is not meant to teach you the fundamentals of pistol shooting. It is a discipline specific program that is designed to take your lifetime of experience with pistols and fit it into the mold of the NRA Basic curriculum. This will focus on your ability to articulate the fundamentals of pistol shooting and safety to BASIC students, who are assumed to have never held a firearm before. You will have students attend these courses who have little or no firearms experience, some who are embarrassed about their interest in firearms, some who are uncomfortable, and some who will have such a phobic scale response it will be difficult for them to hold a firearm at first. This is not amateur hour. You will have plenty to absorb without the basics.
Q. If I pay for this course, am I guaranteed a certificate at the end?
A. NO. This is a meritocracy. I will guarantee I will do absolutely everything in my power to see that qualified individuals become instructors. No one will ever question that. If you do not achieve the necessary score on the shooting qualification, I will meet you at the range at another date that works for both of us at no charge… or I will make arrangements with another TC or Instructor we work with to administer the qualification at a range nearer to you. I will also work with any candidate who wishes to allow them to gain additional experience with the curriculum before they teach their own course…and I am always available to answer your questions. That being said, this cannot be an “Everybody Gets a Trophy” event.
Q. Do I need to be an NRA member to become an instructor or RSO?
A. Nope, although the fee structure for accumulating NRA certifications would make it more cost efficient to be an NRA member after the first workshop.
Q. What is NRAINSTRUCTORS.ORG?
A. It is an online tool that can be used by instructors as a means of advertising (posting) their courses, logging their student info, checking course status, organizing their class schedule, order materials, and ultimately submit course reports to the NRA upon completion. It is also used by students to find courses in their area and price range.
Q. What are the Qualifications to become a Pistol Instructor?
A. As a candidate for Pistol Instructor, you should have enough experience to feel comfortable delivering safety and proficiency concepts to students WITHOUT a course. That being said, the official qualifications are as follows:
- Proper identification and display of proficiency in loading, unloading, and clearing basic malfunctions in the three primary pistol action types(single action revolver, double action revolver, and semi-automatic) while maintaining a demonstrable understanding of safety.
- A score of 90% or above on the written exam.
- 20 rounds fired into an 8X11 sheet of paper, 18 of which must present within a six-inch group at 45 feet. (any caliber pistol is appropriate, provided it is not the pistol variant of a rifle, and is not equipped with a laser aiming device.)
- Display of Safety throughout the course, as well as a good attitude and the willingness to present the NRA material as the NRA intends it to be presented.
A. You will need a single action revolver, a double action revolver with a hammer, and a semi-automatic. I would recommend many more…..but this is the minimum. You will have to provide firearms and Ammunition to your students in the NRA basic courses for live fire exercises.
Q. I want to become an NRA instructor, but I think that making the students bring their own firearms and provide their own ammunition would be a lot cheaper. I think I will just do it my way.
A. Save your money and my time. Do not come out. The NRA is in the process of removing instructors and TC’s for failures to adhere to their policies and for the purposes of weeding out those who feel it is appropriate to sacrifice the curriculum they have the PRIVELEDGE of teaching in order to save time and money. I have made it my personal business to assist them in this undertaking. In Illinois, for the next few years, we are in a lifeboat here with everyone watching, and the waves of interest groups that would love to see us fail is going to be a constant presence. Well trained, ethical instructors and TC’s will be worth their weight in gold….. Those that put the rest of us at risk with questionable practices and violations of their agreements with the NRA will have to go over the side. I am OK with this. The NRA courses are the national standard for safety, which is why so many states accept them for CCW. I have no issue whatsoever with new instructors working their way through the curriculum in their own time….that is how we all have to do it!! I do have a problem with those who deliberately subvert the policies of the NRA training and education division.
Q. I am not sure that I will be ready to run out and teach my own courses following this workshop, will you help me?
A. Of course I will. You will have the option of participating in or watching Basic Courses we present in order to find your rhythm in presenting the material yourself. My phone and email are also always available for instructor candidates with questions about course presentation and the NRA instructor program, whether you are one of my students or not.
Q. Why should I take your Instructor workshops?
A. You want to come to my workshop because you know that I am the Training Counselor you would want to have taught the instructors who will someday teach your children. I will do everything within my power to make you the best instructor you can be, and that includes a commitment to you that exists long after you leave the classroom as an instructor. You should want to take my course because you know that you want to do it right, because you love to bring people into the world of shooting and help them do that safely…..and because you believe that by achieving these things, you are positively impacting the lives of your students, and keeping the shooting sports alive for future generations.
Black Flag Firearms Training offers courses for law enforcement, families and beginners year round. See our calendar or email us for more info on classes, locations, and instructors. Find out more.
