M2Carbine wrote:
Just because someone completes the Texas DPS instructor course, doesn't mean they know what they are doing or that they aren't pretender.
if you could only have seen some of the guys in my CHL instructor recertification class i was in a few months back. it is truly amazing to think that some of these guys are making a living (meaning, putting on weekly classes) doing this.
i had a guy requalifying on the DPS range next to me shooting a Bersa or something similar. what didnt make sense to me is that the DPS paperwork said that you had to qualify on the semiauto with a 9mm or larger caliber (even though you can qualify as a CHL permit holder with a .380). anyway this guy shows up with a .380 and he starts shooting, but evidently when he put his gun back together at one point in time he put the spring in backwards that holds the slide catch in the "down" position. so, it was put in to keep the slide catch in the "up" position instead, so it would actuate the slide stop after every round was fired.
so, how does this guy fix it? he removes the slide catch lever from the weapon and sets it on the plastic barrel in front of me. im thinking...does this guy carry this gun and remove the slide catch lever every time he thinks he is about to get into a gunfight, or is he thinking he only needs one round, or...?
so i see the DPS range officer coming down the line and he will put an end to this madness. he stops at the guy's barrel and sees the slide catch lever sitting on the barrel. he asks why that part is missing from the man's gun. the guy explains to him that it is because it is constantly keeping his gun out of battery after every shot.
in my opinion he should have rendered that gun an unsafe weapon and removed the weapon from the line (then he could have put the guy back on the line with a functioning weapon, like one he could have borrowed from another CHL instructor who probably would have been more than happy to lend him his gun). but the DPS range officer let him keep on shooting that way and walked on.
ok....so anyway we finish and they tell us to score each other's targets. so i have to score his target. no biggie, from what i can see the guy has probably qualified (they require CHL instructors to qualify at 90% or better).
so i go up and start counting the holes (to make sure all 50 rounds are on paper, as you're
supposed to score). the guy snaps at me and tells me to just count the rounds in the 5-ring and 4-ring, and the difference is obviously what's left in the 3-ring.
well all of us know that you would then count misses as 3 points instead of zero points. so that is just lazy scoring......and not the approved DPS method, NRA method, or any other method im aware of.
so i score his target and i think he got like a 240/250 or something which was just fine to pass. and by now he's giving me a dirty look because i didn't score his target
his way.
so after lunch we go to the classroom to do the legal updates and i see the same guy is sitting by this table full of "CHL Instructors Association" (or something similar) shwag.
evidently he is the President of the Texas CHL Instructors Association or something and was busy trying to sell other CHL Instructors these shirts, patches, etc. all bearing the logo "CHL INSTRUCTOR."
not a bad idea, but since i don't teach while wearing anything that says "Instructor" on it i didn't see the reason to get a shirt or cap. i figure if they can't figure out after 10+ hours who the Instructor is in the room then they have no business carrying a weapon.
i was just very surprised to see that the guy who's in charge of the CHL Instructor's Association was such a boob on the range.
some of the things i do tell all of the people who take my class:
1. know that the person you take your CHL class from will ultimately be put on the stand and have to testify on your behalf if you ever get into a critical incident. imagine your CHL instructor on the stand in front of a jury representing
you. if you are comfortable knowing that this person will be one of your "expert witnesses" then you are okay. if not, seek another CHL instructor. there are plenty to choose from.
2. that person's credentials will be put to the test and will reflect upon you. having just a CHL instructor's certification is one thing, but remember, your "expert" witness will be put against the State's "expert" witnesses, who will most likely be "professional firearms instructors," i.e. police academy instructors, use of force experts, and the like. guys who teach full time and have made a career out of it. it's good to have your "expert" witness have equal or stronger credentials as the guys the prosecution may put up against you to say that you did something wrong.
that's why i have certifications to teach law enforcement, private security, and private citizens. that way, i have equal or stronger credentials as the other "expert" witnesses out there that may go up on the stand against a CHL holder in a questionable shoot. i have certifications for all three (police, security, and private citizens). currently i hold 10 instructor certifications regarding use of force (getting my 11th in April). that is generally more than most "professional" instructors hold, the ones that the prosecution will put on the stand.
i also teach other related disciplines such as less-lethal (baton, OC, low light) to help show that i have the credentials to explain the correct use of force in whatever situation was presented. as we know a gun isn't the only force option, nor is it always the best option.
3. know that if you do get involved in a critical incident, or even display your weapon in self defense, know what may and probably will happen. the cops will probably be called and you may find yourself getting arrested for doing nothing illegal. does your CHL instructor refer you to a criminal defense attorney whom you can call personally 24/7 to get you out of jail? of course the service is not free or part of the class tuition, but it's good to know that you can put this card in your wallet and call it in the event that you find yourself getting arrested. this attorney also knows that anyone who takes my CHL class is given priority. yes he answers his phone personally 24/7 and yes he will get out of bed at any hour of the day or night to get you out of jail on a Hobby Release. many other attorneys do not answer their phones personally at night. all you get is an answering service.
further i also advocate invoking your Miranda rights immediately. but you must know how to do it correctly. know the legal loopholes that law enforcement has to continue to question you when you think you invoked your 5th Amendment right, but case law says you have
not. if you are interested in this you can research what im talking about (if you don't already know. all of my students know what im talking about).
4. does your CHL instructor go above and beyond what DPS mandates you teach, and go over practical examples of things like the "21 foot rule"? we teach this on the range and in the classroom and give you a very real example of how someone can cut you with a knife from about 21 feet before you can draw and fire. why is this important to see? so you can say you saw this example in real life and so if you are confronted by an aggressor with a knife and if you shot him you can say you knew that there was an imminent threat to your life. this is the same example i would take an entire jury out to see on a firing range so they could see what you have been trained with, so they could make a logical conclusion as to why you chose deadly force at 21 feet.
bottom line: question the credentials of your CHL instructor. if he is offering a cheap class then maybe he has nothing to back it up. if he is talking nonsense on the phone then maybe you don't want him as your instructor. a rambling crazy man in class will be a rambling crazy man on the stand.
