ShootingClasses.com Blog

How to Disassemble an Askari Elite Series AR Pistol

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 18:53:10 -0400

Watch the field stripping video below to learn how to disassemble an Askari Elite Series AR Pistol in order to clean all of the parts. Veritas Tactical and Dave “Boon” Benton of Threat Management Solutions collaborated to bring you easy, step-by-step instructions, starting with unloading and clearing the firearm.

Learn more about Veritas Tactical, or find shooting classes near you.

How to Disassemble a Veritas Tactical Duty Ready Series Pistol

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 23:54:55 -0400

Watch the video below to learn how to disassemble a Veritas Tactical Pistol in order to clean all of the parts. Veritas Tactical breaks it down with easy step-by-step instructions, starting with unloading and clearing the firearm.

Learn more about Veritas Tactical, or find shooting classes near you.

What should you consider when choosing a firearms instructor?

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 09:18:55 -0400

Training is an ongoing process of learning that takes time to build. In a critical situation, you will always fall back to your lowest level of training. Keep improving your skills by training with a good firearms instructor that fits your needs.

There are three things I consider when choosing a firearms instructor: pricing, quality and experience. Why do I put these at the top of my list? Let’s break it down.

Pricing

Once I have determined the type of firearms training I’m interested in, I want to know what I will be getting in return for what I will be paying. Not all instructors price their courses based on their actual value to students. Do not assume that an instructor charging a premium price for their course means you will get premium training.

I review the instructor’s course description and the topics covered to make sure it will meet my training needs. At that point, I can better evaluate other considerations for the value of the price charged.

Quality

Once I know what’s going to be covered in the class, I want to know more about the instructor. Knowing their background is the biggest factor for me. They could be a civilian with no prior training or certifications. They could be a certified NRA pistol instructor who has received formal training to instruct others and continues their education by attending courses every few months. Or, they could be a military veteran with combat experience. The training an instructor has had will influence how they teach and what you learn. Make sure they have the appropriate background to fit the needs of your training.

Experience

Understanding the instructor’s background gives me insight as to how the learning experience might go. An instructor must have experience, but more experience does not necessarily equate with better quality teaching. Think of it this way: Great athletes don’t always make great coaches, and great coaches were not always great athletes.

If I have never trained with an instructor, I like to talk to students who have trained with them to get their thoughts on the instructor and the course’s value.

These three factors can be covered by simply making a call to the instructor, introducing yourself and letting the instructor know that you are interested in taking one of their courses. Share your training and background and what your expectations are for the course. Confirm with them that your needs are in line with what will be taught.

Training Tips

Whether you’re training with a new instructor or switching up the type of course you take, the following tips can help you make the most of your training.

Leave your ego at the door
Participate with an open mind
Be willing to learn different ways of doing things
Ask questions when you don’t understand
Take notes: mental notes are good, but also write things down
Be respectful of others in the class
Make it a point to practice what you just learned

Finally, the best tip of all is to never stop training. This goes back to what I said in the beginning – training is an ongoing process of learning. You can never be done. So, make sure you find the best instructors for what you want to learn.

ShootingClassees.com is my go-to when travelling or looking for specific courses. I can quickly find instructors and review their background, credentials and years of experience. I can also view all of the courses and curriculums they teach.

Now that you know what to look for in an instructor, you might be wondering: “Where can I find firearm classes near me?” Search for a firearms training course near you.

Charging the Right Price for Your CCW Course

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 09:35:42 -0400

How much does gun training cost? One of the most popular gun courses offered by many firearm instructors across the country is a CCW certification course. Since many of the customers you will encounter may be looking for this type of instruction, it’s critical that you understand the right way to price a CCW class.

As a certified firearms instructor, you’ll be rewarded with the knowledge that you’re having a direct effect on promoting the role of responsible gun ownership in America. And since the demand for quality firearms instruction is at an all-time high, the financial benefit can be substantial as well.

It is imperative that you build a pricing model that fully accounts for your costs and is attractive to your customers to build a sustainable and successful firearms training business.

Accounting for your costs

Being a certified firearms instructor is the culmination of a commitment to gaining the necessary knowledge. The best instructors have easily logged hundreds, if not thousands of hours in their pursuit of providing the best instruction available. And this level of expertise is exactly what your customers are coming to you for, so don’t be afraid to charge for it.

Beside the costs of maintaining your certifications and ongoing education, you’ll incur other direct costs while running a CCW course. Requirements vary state by state but generally dictate that a certified CCW course must include a mix of classroom instruction and range time. And as you certainly know from a lifetime of marksmanship, range time is not free. Some instructors have their students pay the range fees directly, while others roll it into the cost of the course. If you decide on the latter, make sure you’re covered because full-day range rentals can approach several hundreds of dollars.

Will you be providing loaner firearms? Ammo? These are questions you must answer before deciding on your course pricing.

Then there are the classroom expenses to consider. Targets, printouts, pens and pencils—sure, these type of expenses are small but really do add up over time. You’ll want to factor these into your CCW course pricing as well.

Understanding the market

Understanding what other firearms instructors in your area charge is a major factor when deciding the cost of your CCW course. Since every state has unique requirements for a certified CCW course, prices vary significantly by location. Make sure you know what is required so that you can price properly.

The cost of a CCW course ranges from as low as $40, all the way up to $175 or more. However, in most states, students should be able to find a certified course for around $100.

Fight the temptation to price your CCW course too cheaply. Besides being bad for your bottom line, underpricing your services sends a negative signal to your potential clients. A cheaply-priced course will give the impression that you are less qualified than instructors charging a higher price.

Once you have your costs accounted for, price your course according to the value your firearms expertise is really adding.

After you’ve priced your CCW course, take the next step and create a firearms instructor account on Shooting Classes for maximum visibility. That way, when potential students search “Where can I find a concealed carry class near me?” your courses can be easily found.