Becoming an NRA Instructor

My gun club runs such courses from time to time. Decades ago I took the courses became a pistol instructor but dropped it when the NRA started requiring an activity list for license renewal.

If memory serves me, the course was 10 or 12 hours of class room and maybe two or so range.

Just as a comment, if one wants to become a higher level instructor, the NRA courses are just a first step. One needs more. Various folks and companies offer such - Tom Givens, Mas Ayoob, Sig Academy.

One also should be quite competent with firearms and a good competition history would help.

Here's some URL - that might be helpful - https://www.nrainstructors.org/
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/rangemaster-instructor-development-course
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/good-instructors-have-more-than-just-shooting-skills
https://rangemaster.com/training/instructor-development-course/

Such classes will truly certify competency.

@NuShootr, the timing of your post is propitious. I just finished my first steps on the route last Sunday.
NRA has a separate instructor certification for each NRA course. In most case you must have passed the instructor led version, as opposed to the online or blended (part online/part instruct led) course, before you can take the instructor certification course.
Folks certified to train instructors are called NRA Training Counselors.
Start by looking at the NRA Training page at
https://www.nrainstructors.org
Use the information that page and the search page to find for who is offering a Basic Pistol Instructor course at a location and timing that works for you. Contact that school or counselor directly to ask if your past course will count toward the instructor course pre-requisite. Explain to them you are missing the certificate, and ask if they can assist you in getting a new copy from NRA. You may have to shop a few counselors to find one who will accept your old course completion. Otherwise, take the current instructor led version and then the instructor class.

Next thing to know: Another pre-requisite to taking any instructor course is completion within the past two years of NRA's one-day Basic Instructor Training (BIT) course. This is a how to teach the NRA way class, and does not involve any specific firearms. The trick is that some schools or counselors offer it as a separate class, while others incorporate it into the instructor course. That is, one school will offer a one day BIT class and a one day Basic Pistol Instructor course, while another school will offer only a two-day Basic Pistol Instructor class, which has both classes in the sequence.

The third part of passing the Basic Pistol Instructor course is putting at least 16 of 20 shots in a 6 inch group inside an 8 inch circular target (no bullseye) with any caliber handgun at 15 yards. See my other post and thread for the discussion. Practice enough before arriving for the instructor class so you have no difficulty with that range work. A counselor may or may not be flexible in allowing more than one attempt.

Finally, I took my courses, BIT and Basic Pistol Instructor, from Level 1 FireArms Training. Owners David and Nicki Streb travel the country in an RV and pick-up with trailer, offering a wide range of NRA courses. In some cases you can take multiple classes in one week with their Hell Week offerings.

Good luck!

Craig

In order to become a NRA Instructor, you need to contact a NRA Training Counselor in your area. Call the NRA and they will put you in touch with one or more.

Or, use this link:
https://www.nrainstructors.org/search.aspx

Craig_VA said:

Folks certified to train instructors are called NRA Counselors.

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FWIW, the correct title is Training Counselor

NuShootr said:

Many years ago, I did take the Basic Pistol NRA course, but the certificate is nowhere to be found.

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I should have mentioned this before.......................

If you remember the name of the instructor for that course, he will have a record that you took the course. NRA Instructors and Training Counselors keep records of each course they teach. Give him a call.

whughett said:

Decades ago I took the courses became a pistol instructor but dropped it when the NRA started requiring an activity list for license renewal.
If memory serves me, the course was 10 or 12 hours of class room and maybe two or so range.

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NRA has updated the Basic Pistol Course three times since 2006 when I took it. Each time that course is updated, they have to update the Instructor course, also. There may have been additional updates to either the BIT or the Basic Pistol Instructor course. As I described above, the nominal course length is currently one day for BIT and one day for Pistol Instructor, but the Training Counselor emphasized that the actual standard is to cover all student performance steps, rather than meet a minimum time. Course can often run a bit longer than the average.

Regarding renewal, you have to renew (pay a new instructor fee) every two years. Our Training Counselor told us Sunday that occasionally NRA has said they were considering requiring training activity to renew, but so far have not enforced such a requirement.

Craig_VA said:

NRA has updated the Basic Pistol Course three times since 2006 when I took it. Each time that course is updated, they have to update the Instructor course, also. There may have been additional updates to either the BIT or the Basic Pistol Instructor course. As I described above, the nominal course length is currently one day for BIT and one day for Pistol Instructor, but the Training Counselor emphasized that the actual standard is to cover all student performance steps, rather than meet a minimum time. Course can often run a bit longer than the average.

Regarding renewal, you have to renew (pay a new instructor fee) every two years. Our Training Counselor told us Sunday that occasionally NRA has said they were considering requiring training activity to renew, but so far have not enforced such a requirement.

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I dropped mine somewhere around 2010 and the online renewal ask for training activity. I never had any intention of training. I wanted it for assistance in obtaining a carry permit in RI. Never got that here but it allowed me to obtain my Florida permit with no additional study. Of course being a veteran qualified me also.

I was an Instructor for several years. It is a waste of time and money. Teach all that you can but don't waste your time on the NRA Certification. Their mission is a noble cause but they are pretty much a bunch of greedy used car salesmen trying to make some money - just look what has happened to the NRA. They want everyone to believe that they are on our side - they are not - they are on their side.

I gave references above on how to become a serious instructor. You need a good deal of training and experience. As I said, Givens, Ayoob, Sig Academy, Gunsite and others run programs to produce quality instructors. If you haven't taken a slew of basic and advanced firearms usage courses, you are not ready to take instructor courses.

The NRA courses, with no offense, are at the lowest level of certification.

GEM said:

The NRA courses, with no offense, are at the lowest level of certification.

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I fully agree with GEM on this statement.
NRA instructor courses like the one I just finished teach only how to instruct one specific NRA course each. Further, many of the NRA courses for which you can get instructor certification are basic introductory courses for the topic. The NRA Basic Pistol Course in my certification is designed to take an inexperienced new shooter or new owner and set them up for fundamental knowledge of handguns, gun and range safety, and only the most basic physical skills of handling, sighting, and firing a handgun in one, maybe two, stances. The goal is a safe shooter, not a skilled shooter.

That said, some other goals such as being an approved CCW/CHP instructor for your state may require a certification from NRA as part of the state instructor license.

GEM said:

If you haven't taken a slew of basic and advanced firearms usage courses, you are not ready to take instructor courses.

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I would modify to say "to take instructor course from the above schools." Following my comment above about NRA courses for basic skills, you can enter those early in your efforts.


Craig