New gun owner RFI

[FrankB]

Home defense has legal implications that need to be discussed with those who are unacquainted. Can I shoot through the front door if I hear a scratching noise? Tell them to check their local and state laws, and also look into their DA’s response to self defense shootings. Also, having a firearm upstairs in a safe doesn’t do much good when the front door gets kicked in at 6:00pm.

[psalms144.1]

When I train completely new shooters, I have to mentally prepare for it, because it is SO EASY to take things for granted. To people who have been shooting for a while, things become habitual and ingrained. ABSOLUTELY drill the four safety rules into them, and, if they show any hesitation or lack of seriousness about learning them, stop then and there, before they even handle a firearm.

Do NOT use jargon, use simple, clear terms that non-shooters will understand. For instance, don't talk about "keeping the muzzle downrange" when they don't know what the muzzle is or what/where "downrange" is. Things like that.

Explain HOW the pistols work BEFORE they go to the range, and BEFORE they handle any of your firearms. I try to have a variety of firearms for them to handle in the initial, completely dry training session, so I can determine what they're likely to interact well with, and be able to handle on the firing line. PLEASE bring or borrow a .22 (or several) for them to use before they transition to another platform.

If at all possible, DO NOT take them to an indoor range for the first session. Too many distractions, too loud. I do everything in my power to try to take brand new shooters to a range where they and I will be the only people on the line.

Lastly, and please don't take this as a personal attack, if you are not a certified, competent, experienced firearms instructor, find them one. Teaching incorrect habits can have disastrous long term effects.

Best of luck, and please let us know how it goes?

[NWshooter]

Lots of good stuff here.
I will add that I think an indoor lane rental range is a tough place to instruct. You can't get at your student. The paid classes at the indoor range here start in a classroom setting with dummy guns and pictures. But I don't have access. An outdoor range during off hours is better, you can get him at a bench or table and spread out (empty) guns, diagrams, and such.

Anecdote Alert: A friend and I once had a school teacher take an interest, she saw him watching a video on reloading.
So we provided range side lecture on safe handling, then nomenclature and operation of the double action revolver. When that seemed to have been absorbed, we hung a target and I handed her the M18 and one .22 short at a time. She looked at that little cartridge and said in a quavering voice, "This is the Real Thing." But she got them in the cylinder and fired them all off, and more beside. By the end of summer vacation, she was shooting .38 Specials, almost entirely double action. Back to school, I never saw her again. I figure that was her Summer Adventure in lieu of a continuing education class or time on a beach. Likely did something else the next summer.

I have seen others take shooting as an "Adventure Sport" with the same attitude you might approach the stuff advertised for cruises and resorts. Fun and intriguing in the short run but nothing to keep on with.

I stopped by the range today and asked if they had any changes in the private bay situation and the new shooter class that was scheduled, got cancelled.

So we have the bay to just the four of us, and I told my buddy we still want to do the safety conversation at the house prior, but I am much more comfortable with it just being us in the bay. Way more quiet and controlled.

Can’t say enough about all the comments here. I have made a one page sheet of points to cover, and there is going to be no jargon and just enough to fill that one gallon pail.

[NWshooter]

Huge success due to many of your comments.

Great student and I loved the “gallon pail” metaphor and I stuck with that.

Thanks for all your help.

[Dov]

Lot of good stuff mentioned already.

I'll add something more general, different people have different primary ways of learning like reading vs seeing vs doing, etc.

So for the gun safety and basic gun manipulation I would try to use as many of those different types as possible to hopefully hit the best one for each specific student.

Also repetition is the key to memory and skill development, so doing safe gun handling with Airsoft or Blue gun, or if absolutely required dryfire (I like dryfire but feel it is intermediate to advance level thing as far as SAFETY is concerned) multiple times before first live fire range session is really valuable IMO.


I would also encourage some type of interactive gun safety before first live fire if at all possible. This can be as simple as have them explain gun safety in their own words with non firing "gun" to watching action movie then watching Inrange/Forgotten Weapons youtube of shooting match and have the students point out safe and unsafe gun handling.

Having to explain something aids both memory retention and comprehension based on my experience.

I've had people come back to me after I had pointed out safe and unsafe gun handling in regular movies report back to me that they can't watch movies anymore without noticing it themselves. Which I figure is a good thing.