Shooting Course Pre-Screening?

[revchuck38]

I'm unsure where this should go. Mods, please move as appropriate.

I've been doing most of my training in Texas since that's where I've been able to find what I need. I hadn't looked in Louisiana for a while and I'm getting tired of paying for one or two nights in a motel in addition to everything else, so I tried a search and actually found a course I'm interested in that's pretty close (45-minute drive). It's listed as an intermediate-to-advanced level course. But before I could register for the class, I had to go there and demonstrate that I could find my ass with both hands:

Prerequisite:
Must complete an Instructors Safety Evaluation to include:
a) The ability to safely draw, shoot and reholster from concealment.
b) The ability to safely clear level one, two and three malfunctions of a pistol.
c) The ability to safely complete administrative, tactical and combat reloads of a pistol.

That went okay, and I was encouraged that the guy instructed me to reholster reluctantly.

I can understand the reasoning behind it - Louisiana is one of those places where saying "I've been around guns all my life" is thought to be a high-level qualification. I've never seen this requirement anywhere else. Is this becoming a thing?

[Jim Watson]

An area rental range requires a $35 dry fire "Drawstroke" class to learn how to draw a pistol before advancing to a class or competition that starts with a holstered gun. Is that for safety, liability, or revenue? I was told that my USPSA membership would cover the prerequisite, but I will want a positive statement before I make the drive.

[TGS]

The forum's late founder required shooters to step off to the side before class began and demonstrate proper draw and holstering if they were carrying AIWB.

I imagine his motivation was two fold: 1) Ensuring safety on his range given the higher likelihood of serious injury in case of ND, 2) As a major proponent of bringing AIWB back into the mainstream, I think he genuinely wanted "the movement" to put its best foot forward, and make sure anyone carrying AIWB was representing its advocates well with regards to intelligent techniques.

[JCN]

The only class I've taken was a required holster draw class in order to use one at the local range.

It was a good idea because the other people in the class were super scary in their gun handling and jamming their loaded guns back into their belly rolls with increasing alacrity when they couldn't find the right hole immediately.

They should know the proper technique is push the folds away from the hole before trying to jam something into it....

[0ddl0t]

Only 2 nearby for-profit ranges even allow drawing from a holster and both of them require a "drawing from holster" intro class before taking anything more advanced. LE and competitive shooters are usually allowed to demonstrate competency instead though.

[Crazy Dane]

I had to preform A and C to be able to use a state run range and be able to do those tasks while shooting. If one chooses, they can shoot from the "bench" without going through the evals.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Before I could shoot the local USPSA matches, I had to meet a SO on the range and demonstrate safe holstering, drawing, racking, loading, etc. Works for me. A local, new SATX range made you demonstrate competency if you wanted to draw and fire on their range.

Just go to range (I'm sure we all have) and look the rounds into the ceiling right above you. The scariest, I've told before, was a horizontal hit on the bulletproof 'glass' partition between lanes.

I wore my GSSF range officer hat to one range and the person behind the counter sighed in relief.

[AMC]

The nearby USPSA clubs all require the 'Safe Handgunner' class before attending a competition, which includes demonstrating safe presentation and reholstering. There is no 'out'. LE, military, etc are still required to attend the class before competing.

[jetfire]

When I ran a gun range I required anyone who wanted to work from the holster to get a check-ride with either myself or one of my staff instructors that I trusted first. It's not an unreasonable proposition.

As far as classes, in my open enrollment classes I like to put a series of drills right at the very front of the live fire session so I can get a one-on-one eyeball on everyone's ability to draw, holster, and otherwise safely manipulate the gun.

[TGS]

Additional thoughts that popped up in my head. Similar to what others have already mentioned...

When I lived in northern NJ, my go-to handgun range was RTSP in Randolph. They required a check-ride for drawing from the holster, unless you were a LEO. I believe it was marked in our accounts, and if drawing from the holster you had to hang a red tag at your lane so the RSOs knew you were blessed off on.

As @jetfire said, this seems completely reasonable. A similar thought process and practices exists in long range shooting....at Peacemaker National Training Center in West Virginia, before being allowed to shoot on the 600-1000 yard ranges you have to pass a shooting test under supervision and submit a copy of your dope book (with an attached grouping from the supervised shoot) to the range committee. Just as range proprietors don't want people being unsafe while drawing and holstering, range proprietors don't want you engaging in long range shooting if you're patently unsafe at doing such because you don't know what you're doing and send rounds off into the wild blue yonder.