Ideas for a beginner's training course.

[tahunua001]

hello all,
so a little background. I am former military, but have very little formal live fire weapons training due to my occupation and the branch I was in, however I shoot OK. I completed all the prerequisite courses to become a small arms instructor in my branch, but never was given the opportunity because of the size of my command, and again, it wasn't in my job description. I usually have a couple people each year ask me to train them in the use of small arms and I usually end up putting them through a mock Navy qualification battery with a semi automatic handgun because of how simple it is and the time limits are fair(in my opinion). lately I've been thinking of creating a standardized training course and putting together a qualification battery at the end to gauge how they are retaining the information.

this is not a practical defense course, mind you and is intended for people who are fairly new to firearms but need to build marksman skills, and rapid response. the course would involve about 2 hours of weapon familiarization, safety rules, shooting positions (isosceles, weaver, and kneeling) and readiness condition levels. after that some basic dry fire exorcises and remedial action. this would be followed by slow fire live fire at fairly close distances(think 5 yards). if I notice they are flinching or pushing the muzzle I like to mix in a couple snap caps in a live mag to demonstrate how they are doing it wrong when they hit the snap cap and to help them notice what they are doing wrong. finally when it looks like they have got a decent understanding of the basic operation I usually put them through a qualification battery similar to what is used in the navy for the M9 and M11 handguns but lately I've been thinking about making my own course based on the USMC handgun qualification course, the US Navy handgun qualification course, and incorporating a little personal spin on it.

the course I've been considering is as follows: 48 rounds total, B27 target, maximum score 480, with a 360 being the lowest score to be considered proficient(or 75%, same as USMC and USN).

first battery: two magazines loaded with 6 rounds each, target set at 5 yards, shooter standing, isosceles, handgun in condition 1 and holstered. the shooter must complete the following sets:
draw and fire two shots in 4 seconds. make safe and holster when finished.
draw and fire two shots in 4 seconds. make safe and holster when finished.
draw and fire two shots, reload, and fire 2 shots in 10 seconds. make safe and holster when finished.
draw and fire 2 shots with strong hand(supported), switch to weak hand(supported), and fire two more shots in 10 seconds. ensure cleared and holster in condition 4.

second battery: two magazines loaded with 12 rounds each, target set at 15 yards, shooter standing, handgun in condition 1 and holstered. the shooter must complete the following sets:
draw and fire four shots in 8 seconds(isosceles). make safe and holster when finished.
draw and fire four shots in 8 seconds(weaver). make safe and holster when finished.
draw and fire four shots, reload, and fire an additional 4 shots(isosceles) in 12 seconds. make safe and holster when finished.
drop to kneeling, draw, fire 8 rounds in 20 seconds. ensure cleared and holster in condition 4.

third battery: one magazine loaded with 12 rounds, target set at 25 yards, shooter standing, handgun in condition 1 and holstered. the shooter must complete the following set:
draw, fire 12 rounds in 12 minutes. ensure cleared and holster in condition 4.

I know a lot of people aren't fans of holster work with beginners but it should be a non-issue as long as I do my part while teaching trigger discipline and safety. besides that, is there any constructive criticism for this course? does it seem too advanced for a beginner? I'm open to criticisms or comments. I am also trying to figure out an alternative for revolver owners.

 

[Telekinesis]

I am former military, but have very little formal live fire weapons training

[...]

lately I've been thinking of creating a standardized training course and putting together a qualification battery at the end to gauge how they are retaining the information.

Well, this is my personal opinion and it's worth what you paid for it... I wouldn't start training people formally without getting some real training for yourself. Military training doesn't cut it unless you were a shooting instructor for some high speed, low drag units, or were on something like the AMU. You owe it to your future students to be as knowledgable as possible, and any instructor who isn't willing to work to better himself by taking classes from other instructors is lazy and will soon have training that becomes irrelevant. You don't have to be an alumnus of every good training school in the US, but you need a few courses. As someone who tries to get training as often as finances allow, I look at the instructor's resume before deciding if I wanted to train with them. In all honesty, "I took all the classes but never instructed, and I shoot OK" would not be something I'd want to see.

Start with a NRA Pistol instructor certification. It's a basic class that not only covers your stated goals as an intro class, but it also gets you access to insurance, marketing, and credibility.

In my opinion, "qualification" courses are useless for people who are not in the military or law enforcement. The time spent running students through a qualification course is time that could be better spent either teaching them more material or getting more reps of drills you've already put them through. Generally a qualification is where the student demonstrates a level of mastery of a topic, it is not where they learn the material.

If you want to use it as a course outline for actually teaching the material, drop the time limits and scoring. Your students will already be striving for accuracy and you can use your judgement on how fast they should go. If their bullet holes are touching, have them speed up. If they're shooting wildly, have them slow down.

Having students (even beginners) draw from the holster for drills is fine, but you need to actually teach them the steps of the draw. Don't just bring them out to the range and tell them "ok, draw your gun as fast as you can" (which is what you're telling them to do if you put them on a time limit). That is how accidents happen.

Sorry this is a bit harsh. I know it's not what you're looking for but I wanted to give you an honest opinion. Good luck!

 

[tahunua001]

not harsh at all, and perhaps I should be a little more clear on the training I've had. I took my pistol qualifications twice, the first time I was not allowed on the range for medical reasons so I received classroom and lab training only. the second time I took it at Camp Allen VA from civilian instructors. both times I learned quite a bit. also like I said I took much of the prerequisite and annual required training for small arms instructors so I know a lot of the bad habits to avoid and which to reinforce. I also have taken a couple NRA pistol courses, both of which I consider a travesty, neither involved any weapons familiarity or any actual marksmanship training, both involved standing at point blank range firing at a giant piece of unmarked paper and when it was finished the instructors didn't even bother checking to make sure all of our rounds hit the target. as much as I hate credentialism, I will be looking into getting an NRA certification, but that will only be once I've decided whether to take this public, or whether I decider merely to use it for myself and for helping friends become proficient.

 

[Curator]

Tahunua001:

I am sorry your experience with the NRA Basic Pistol course was with one of the 10% of NRA Instructors who did not follow the course curriculum. Having been a NRA trainer for almost 50 years, I know some of them are only interested in getting the money as quickly and easily as possible, not doing the job right. Properly taught the NRA Basic Pistol is excellent training in safety, the fundamentals of marksmanship, and the requisite knowledge to shoot and maintain a handgun. All types of currently popular handguns are covered, not just the instructor's favorite. The NRA also offers personal protection in the home and outside the home classes that are very good training for someone contemplating using a handgun for home defense or concealed carry out in public. There is also a new "Defensive Pistol" class that is a somewhat abbreviated version of the two personal protection courses.
Check into NRA Instructor training in your area and find one of the really good NRA Training Counselors to mentor you. Since you are in Idaho, that may involve some travel to a more populated area. Don't try to reinvent your version of the wheel. As Telekinensis advises, the NRA training provides credibility, professionalism, insurance, quality training materials, and a proven, tested course curriculum. Here's a link to finding a course near you: www.nrainstructors.org

 

[strambo]

If you can get into it, the NRA law enforcement instructor course is very good and the cert. is a lot more credible than the civilian ones. Not just LE credentials will get you in, also private security and military including Guard and Reserves.

I agree with not spending time or ammo on a "qual" (unless it's a really short one), spend the time and ammo on more training.

 

[tahunua001]

all good advice, keep it coming.

 

[bangswitch]

Tahunua001:

I am sorry your experience with the NRA Basic Pistol course was with one of the 10% of NRA Instructors who did not follow the course curriculum. Having been a NRA trainer for almost 50 years, I know some of them are only interested in getting the money as quickly and easily as possible, not doing the job right. Properly taught the NRA Basic Pistol is excellent training in safety, the fundamentals of marksmanship, and the requisite knowledge to shoot and maintain a handgun. All types of currently popular handguns are covered, not just the instructor's favorite. The NRA also offers personal protection in the home and outside the home classes that are very good training for someone contemplating using a handgun for home defense or concealed carry out in public. There is also a new "Defensive Pistol" class that is a somewhat abbreviated version of the two personal protection courses.
Check into NRA Instructor training in your area and find one of the really good NRA Training Counselors to mentor you. Since you are in Idaho, that may involve some travel to a more populated area. Don't try to reinvent your version of the wheel. As Telekinensis advises, the NRA training provides credibility, professionalism, insurance, quality training materials, and a proven, tested course curriculum. Here's a link to finding a course near you: www.nrainstructors.org

Excellent post, and as a fellow NRA Instructor, I agree 100% with what you've said, including the bit about the 10 percenters. For the OP, it's important to have some type of certificated formal training yourself, to validate your training of others. To say, "I learned from a certified NRA Instructor", means a lot more than saying "I learned to shoot from Uncle John/ a retired police officer/ a guy who used to be a sniper", etc. Any of them may have been excellent teachers with lots of experience and training of their own, but that means little to someone trying to determine if their student got a good education in order to allow them a club membership, or rights to shoot at a public range, or for something like a CCP. NRA training is done to a standard that is consistent throughout the instructor organization, covers everything needed to make the student a safe and conscientious shooter. That said, no one can guarantee what that student will become afterwards if they don't utilize their lessons and practice them.

 

[Craig_AR]

I am interpreting the OP's kick-off message here that he wants to design and teach his own version of a familiarization and marksmanship program. Several thoughts come to mind. First, I agree with earlier recommendation to get properly formally trained and certified AS AN INSTRUCTOR, not just as a shooter. Second, do not develop and implement your own custom curriculum until you have extensive experience using (and following completely) a well established curriculum such as the several NRA courses. Finally, for any curriculum aimed at brand new shooters, use .22LR guns for the initial shooting experience. This lets you work with the students on form and process without also having to deal with notable kick or recoil. Move the students to reasonable center-fire self defense caliber (9mm, .45ACP, .380) in follow-up lessons.
On a personal note, the NRA Basic Pistol Course I took with my wife several years ago was adequate, but not great. The low-experience two-instructor team did follow the curriculum (good). They also used .22LR for the live fire portion (good). However, the gun used was a Glock 9mm with the .22LR adapter kit (not so good). The result was a lot of hang-fires because the .22 ammunition was not consistently able to cycle the slide. The instructor repeatedly accused the students of causing the problem by "limp-wristng" the shots. Even if "limp-wristing" is a real thing and really can cause slide-cycle problems (I have my doubts, but am not sure), the teaching conditions should be optimized for student success in these initial courses.

 

[herrwalther]

Brief background on myself before giving feedback. I am combat arms military. And have run military and civilian training. One of our big missions on deployments was training locals how to be soldiers and police officers. It is a world of difference training someone how to shoot when they don't speak English. In the United States alone I trained about 200 people per year in one on one classes.

When training, I have never started off my students with holster work, scoring, times, or number of shots. I always started very basic and worked up with whatever tools, range time, funds etc that I had to work with. My typical first day with a new student with a live weapon was usually here is one or two magazines, there is your target. Shoot all your ammo at your own pace. Holster work, timing, scores and all the fun stuff came later if the student stuck with the course for an extended period of time. Your training idea is more along the lines of something I would do as a final test after a period of instruction after the student felt familiar and capable with firearms.