We have a range that has ccw classes. It’s several evenings or a weekend and a couple hundred dollars.
They also have many other training programs.
If you go to a private ccw class, you get a day 6-7 hours of class/range time, depending on if you qualified first or last at the range. The paper test I took years ago was really only a few questions and most were common sense for anyone who grew up around guns. Maybe not so much if you didn’t. I don’t believe that the state wanted the scores. It was an informative, but limited class.
It would be a nice thing if gun shops either offered, or had information for, teaching basics to brand new gun owners at a very reasonable price. Only real newbies would take advantage of this, but it might save quite a few accidental discharges…. Maybe they do? I never asked…
I paid 100$ many years ago for my ccw class. Not sure what the rate is now for private ccw classes. If there are no state mandated curricula, I can see people charging way less and really skimping on the quality. I don’t know what Michigan requires, if anything…
I think for most newbie’s, even though they are new to firearms, are still, intelligent and self aware enough, to not just start packing a pistol with no experience or basic training. I’m sure there are those ignorant and foolish outlier’s out there who will. Those are the ones who scare the hell out of me.
However, in saying this, a new gun owner with no experience, is and can be, totally capable of self learning, self teaching and self discovery with their new pistol, totally independent from any paid professional training. Learning basic firearms nomenclature and operating procedures from their owners manual and practice manual of arms in the privacy of their own home with an empty pistol and dummy rounds, is a perfectly viable replacement and/or addition for/to paid professional training.
After independently becoming familiar and practiced in the operating procedures of their pistol, they can watch YouTube videos on safety and shooting basics such as sight alignment, trigger control, recoil, etc?
And they can take this newfound knowledge and experience from practicing independently; now, to the gun range and put into practice safely with live fire at the range. I would even make the statement of, I can almost bet money, this is exactly how many of us old timers and enthusiasts started ourselves back in the day?
Why? Because, if there isn’t many professional training options now, there wasn’t then? Also, just because many are new to firearms, they already develop an desire and keen interest in firearms in general, or at least in the pistol they purchased long before even purchasing it.
We have had quite a few examples of this in this very sub forum? I know I have personally assisted or given advice in threads and PM’s to several newcomers right here at B&B. Every one of them on their own, seemed to be very interested in learning, researching and becoming knowledgeable with their pistols. In fact, they showed a hungry desire for seeking out this knowledge. This younger generation’s intelligence, foresight and perseverance in seeking out and obtaining the things they are interested in, impresses me greatly.
While firearms training should be taken very seriously, at the same time, basic firearms nomenclature and manual of arms training IS NOT rocket science. Professional training one can afford is a GOOD THING. But it is NOT necessary and one can be perfectly CAPABLE of independently seeking out and learning the basics, practicing those basics at home with an empty pistol and dummy rounds and a holster. And then going to the range and simply transfer what they learned safely at home? To just safely implementing it at the range now with live ammunition and fire down range.
Most of us experienced aficionado’s did it this way. Newbie’s need to understand, it is not the boogeyman we make it out to be sometimes.
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