Becoming a Concealed Carry Instructor
We get a lot of emails and phone calls from passionate concealed carriers who would like to move to the next level and become an instructor. This is a fantastic way to have a positive effect on our culture since most of the problems gun owners face stem from a lack of education. We have been doing this since 2009 now and have taught thousands of students, so as an experienced instructor and NRA Training Counselor, it is always exciting to welcome new instructors aboard.
The first question you need to ask yourself is, “Am I doing this for the right reasons?” If you plan to quit your job and retire as a firearms instructor, you are probably going to be disappointed. There just isn’t enough profit in it to pay the bills, but it will certainly allow you to buy some ammo and hopefully a new gun occasionally and more training once in a while.
The next question to ask is, “Am I cut out to be a firearm instructor?” You may be an excellent marksman or a great competitive shooter, but that does not make you a good instructor. A concealed carry instructor needs to be very passionate about helping others be as good as they can be. You will be dealing with a wide variety of backgrounds ranging from the brand new shooter to the guy or gal who has been shooting for longer than you. You will need to be prepared to give them both their money’s worth in the same class. You will need to be willing to invest in continuing education regarding shooting, legalities, public speaking, marketing, psychology, conflict resolution, business, and much more if you wish to be successful.
THE BARE MINIMUM
The State of Nebraska requires those of us who are not active law enforcement to begin by obtaining your NRA Pistol Instructor certification and submit a lesson plan along with your application to become a Concealed Handgun Instructor. To become an NRA Pistol instructor you will need to complete the NRA Basic Pistol course, the NRA Basic Instructor Training, and the NRA Pistol instructor course. We offer a weekend course which covers all three of these components in one intense weekend. We typically start on Friday evening and push through Sunday evening to get everything covered. Check our schedule for upcoming Pistol Instructor weekends. You do not need to be an NRA member to be an NRA Instructor, but it will save you some money on the credentialing fees every two years. It takes about a week to get an NRA number assigned, so if you plan to become a member, please use the link on this page and get it done before class.
The curriculum can be the toughest part, since the Nebraska statute merely offers the subjects that must be covered. The state patrol has the final say on whether you have covered the required material adequately in your lesson plan and sometimes you will need to make multiple revisions to meet their requirements. A couple of years ago the patrol was nice enough to publish a pre-approved lesson plan on their website. You are free to use this plan if you’d like, and it would certainly be beneficial to look it over, even if you choose to create your own. The primary advantage of using the pre-approved plan is the waiting period for the state patrol to review your lesson plan it greatly reduced. Many of your questions concerning creating a lesson plan and administering the class records will be answered if you read the entire Concealed Handgun Permit Act.
Finally, you will need the materials and equipment to teach the class once you get approved. This includes a copy of your lesson plan and all of the state statutes regarding firearm ownership, transportation, possession, and use in the state of Nebraska. You will also likely need a projector and screen or a big television screen to display your power point properly. You will need a place to shoot and targets for the warm-up shooting and the qualification. We have had good luck with Targets Online in Omaha. We use the GALEFI-Q target for the preliminary shooting and the FBI-Q target for the qualification shooting.
You will need to be prepared to notify the state patrol at least 10 days prior to each class and report the class roster and scores within 15 days of completing each class. Do not expect a response when you email the correspondence. Just send the schedule request and the class results and have faith that they got them.
Additional Tips
There is inherent risk in everything we do and we live in a very litigious society. It would be very prudent to obtain your Range Safety Officer credentials and look into come liability insurance for firearm instructors. We offer RSO classes several times per year, so please plan on attending one at some point.
Don’t cut corners. Remember, you only have these people for about 8 hours to teach them as much as possible and this will likely be the only formal training most of them will ever get. Don’t let this opportunity go to waste. Everyone should leave with something of value and hopefully they will be intrigued enough to continue training in the future.
You might want to invest in a variety of handguns to use as loaners in case your students shows up with one that does not work for them. Buy a handful of generic ambidextrous holsters and a couple of one-size-fits-all belts as well. Grab a box of foamy ear plugs and a few headsets for those who forget to bring theirs and have some safety glasses on hand as well.
Plan to continue your education. You need to budget for training every year. Not only do you need to stay sharp, but it is always good to have return customers and if you can get certified to teach more advanced classes, you can keep your customers for more than one class. When you go to training, you need to go in with an open mind and learn all you can while you are there. When you complete the training, you can decide what you want to keep for yourself, but put the rest of it in your toolbox for future students who may need it. The firearm training industry is mostly recycled material and no one is re-inventing the wheel these days. You will be able to recycle your instructor’s tools as well, so pay close attention to how to use them effectively.
Get involved! It’s easy to lose touch with the rest of the gun culture if you don’t stay involved with your peers. Volunteer at events and help with youth programs. Stay in touch with the legislative actions as they arise. Join the NFOA and other lobby groups. Become a mentor or a hunter education instructor to help people get started on the right foot.
We wish everyone the best of luck in the exciting journey and we are always glad to help where we can!