Someone on rec.guns asked:
# The title line says it all. I want to become a NRA certified Pistol # Instructor. I am, of course, a NRA member. Any info will be appreciated.I'm ideally qualified (if I do say so myself) to speak to this topic, because I just completed the NRA pistol instructor certification course. I'm posting my experiences since they may be of general interest to the readership. Besides, the commit- ment to safety and proficiency required of instructors makes them valuable assets to the entire shooting community, and I would like to encourage all responsible shooters to consider instructing.
Actually, although NRA membership is desirable on general principles, one need not be an NRA member in order to become an NRA-certified instructor. The certification simply allows you to teach the official NRA curriculum, which is a recognized standard in the shooting community, and to use the NRA name and/or logo in your advertising (e.g., on a business card). Thus, the training you give to your students as a certified instructor carries the full authority of a long-established and respected organization. (Even our legislative adversaries acknowledge the quality of NRA's instructional and safety ma- terials.)
I'll describe the pistol instructor certification process, since that's what you asked about, but you should be aware that there are several other certifications available. The complete list is as follows:
The most important part of the certification process is the Instructor Training Course. You must take this course, in person, from an NRA Training Counselor. Since you must attend the course in person, you'll want to find a training counselor who lives near you. NRA Member Services can give you a list of training counselors in your geographical area. You will pay a fee for the course, which is separate from the NRA processing fee mentioned above. Training counselors can charge whatever they want, but they're reasonable people who have an interest in developing the sport, and I wouldn't expect you to pay much more than $100. Certainly no one gets rich as a Training Coun- selor (or, for that matter, as an instructor).
The course itself consists of seventeen hours of instruc- tion, broken into two parts. The first part is six hours long and deals with instructional methods; this is a core segment, which all instructor candidates take. The second part of the course is discipline-specific. For pistol, it is eleven hours long and covers semi-automatics, double-action revolvers, and single-action revolvers. If, in order to satisfy requirement (b), above, you need to demonstrate your own proficiency, this part may include a trip to the range. (My Training Counselor had his own pellet-pistol range, which comes in handy if the candidate is already a pretty good shot and doesn't need much coaching.) You could complete the course in two long days, or even one extremely long day, but more typically it might be conducted over three or four Saturdays.
Once you pass the course, you submit your application to the NRA and wait four to six weeks for your credentials. BE SURE TO KEEP A COPY OF YOUR APPLICATION PACKAGE in case the original gets lost in the shuffle.
As a certified instructor, you can order training mater- ials from NRA which are not available to the general public. NRA's curriculum, and available instructional aids, are first- rate, and will definitely help beginning shooters get off on the right foot. You are responsible for organizing your own classes, and you may set your own fees. Your Training Counselor is supposed to put you in contact with an established instruc- tor with whom you can team up, but this is not always possible, so you must be prepared to do everything on your own. It's also likely that NRA will institute currency requirements in the near future, so that you'll have to conduct some training each year or lose your certification.
The program is a good one, and I hope you'll sign up for it. Once you're a certified instructor, you command increased respect in shooting circles, as well as in letters to the edi- tor and letters to public officials. There are also benefits which are specific to your state of residence; in California, for example, certified instructors are among the classes of people specifically exempt from having to take a state course before purchasing a firearm.
If you have any further questions, contact NRA Member Ser- vices and talk to one of the Training Counselors in your area. (Reminder to net.readers: Even if you aren't an NRA member, you are welcome to ask the NRA about participating in its instruc- tor program.) If all else fails, send email to me, and I'll try to help.