Let’s be honest with each other, how often have you went and got training? I am not talking about just going to the range and training. I am talking about going to a class and get pushed on your skills and critiqued. Have you looked for advance training? How often have you trained? Advanced training is useful after the fundamentals are consistently mastered. It can reinforce safe decision-making under stress, improve accuracy and handling without sacrificing safety, address low-light or unusual situations in a controlled setting, and help identify bad habits. For armed professionals, hunters, or lawful concealed carriers, specialized instruction may also cover responsibilities specific to their role.
Training should be taken from a credentialed, safety-focused instructor who emphasizes that a firearm is a last resort—not a substitute for awareness, secure storage, avoidance, or contacting emergency services. Skills also fade, so periodic supervised practice and refresher courses are important.
The main question here is, are you really practicing right? Can you do better?
@Todd30 ,
You are 100 percent on point with this. I myself have taken classes and have sometimes found myself so busy doing other things that I haven’t found time to train. I can do better. As an instructor I tell students to train all the time, to never quit and stay sharp. Sometimes life just catches up and we get lazy and complaisant . I agree that we need to continue to train and teach others as much as we can.
What are you training for? The potential of something that most likely will never happen in your lifetime. Only 9.5% of people are ever involved in gun violence in their lifetime. Now I am all for training and education when it comes to anything that you do, including firearms and driving, with a big emphasis on the driving. Something most people do every day, unlike having to defend themselves in an armed conflict.
77% of drivers will be involved in an accident in their lifetime.
Personally, I like shooting and training from time to time; it is a personal thing I enjoy like most things in life. Continuous education befits the individual and those around them.
This is why I am favor of programs like NJ’s range certification to get a carry permit. I’ve seen too many people with carry permits that can’t hit the side of a barn. This is not a hard test…
Range Certification Requirements (NJ CCARE Protocol):
Course of Fire: Fire 50 total rounds at targets (using FBI “Q” targets) from distances of 15, 10, 7, 5, and 3 yards, including drawing from a holster.
Passing Score: Hit the target at least 40 out of 50 times (80%).
Safety & Proficiency: Demonstrate safe handling, loading, and drawing from concealment (strong-side hip or inside/outside-the-waistband holster) throughout the test.
“PERMITS” nothing but gun-control permission slips. Criminal FELON murderers carry freely exercising LOST RIGHTS and law-abiding citizens are REQUIRED to have “PERMITS”. I’m all for training and everyone wanting to own firearms should (must) train and take classes. BUT I’m totally against ANY gun-control agenda INCLUDING anything requiring “PERMITS.” Right to bear arms BUT YOU MUST GET A PERMIT that’s a “NO”.
Yes, there has been documented prison tapes showing inmates practicing the movements to overcome and escape police officers while being handcuffed. Look at what happen to Officer Kim Potter who was assisting another officer to place Donte Wright into handcuffs while being arrested based on an outstanding warrant. Once again non-compliance resulted in tragedy for everyone. Yes, I understand I am writing about law enforcement training for LEOs, but the fact remains we could all find ourselves in a real pickle. While in Military Law Enforcement (25 years) I never had to stop a threat by shooting. Yet we constantly train because we never know when a situation may arise, defensive firearms are used approximately two million times by civilian gun owners according to Dr. John Lott, a court expert witness who has been studying mass shootings for decades in the United States and abroad. On a personal note my wife and I take a gun training vacation each year to Gunsite Firearm Academy, Arizona, in addition to our competition schedule with the Minnesota VFW Pistol Tournaments.
I like you’re thinking on this but is it not like a driver’s license? And now they make it a privilege and not a right? I understand the importance of training. Even in Washington State we will be having to take classes, do range time, then pass a background test to buy a gun little less to be able to conceal carry.
I do it for myself, my city has changed as far as shady people, CA drivers, and self centered unstable individuals who cannot control their emotions when seeing a red hat and any word starting with the letter T.
Carried firearms for much of my military life but haven’t carried concealed until this year. So far, taken the Concealed Handgun Permit course in April, took the Basic Handgun course in July, and am scheduled for the next Handgun Level 1 course in October. I am lucky to have so many great instructors in my area!
I have found ChatGPT to be an excellent tool for planning training trips to the range on my own. I plug in the fundamental I wish to work on, the number of rounds I want to shoot, the gun I am using, and the distance I want to focus on and it will give me a detailed range plan for the day. Afterward, I can upload photos of my targets after each phase and it will give me advice. It won’t replace a good instructor but it’s been great for giving me focus on my range days.
What I’ve noticed for last few years - firearm training is, for most regular people, just addition to their lives. Sometimes it can be habit, sometimes a passion - all depends on the character.
Nothing to blame - everyone is the master of their own fate, deciding what is best for themselves.
I’ve been taught all my life → if you do something - do it right. This applies to use of firearms for self defense as well. Beginnings are always hard, but after 7 years I created my own routines that worked for me. The goal was to make it my second nature.
Pattern is simple, but requires compromises… as everything in our lives
I attend “advanced training” (indoor, 2 hrs, with Instructor) every other weekday (3 days). At least one Saturday per month is dedicated for outdoor 8 hrs training. At least every 6 months I attend 3 - 5 days outdoor firearm classes out of of Illinois (that is my relaxing time without thinking about work).
I do dry fire every evening for 5 - 10 minutes.
Hopefully it doesn’t show I’m weirdo… I’m actually doing this to avoid being paranoid and make my life safer - I know, when I will need my skills to be deployed I won’t need to rethink everything in my head. Proper and swift execution is key to a long and happy life.
Yes, a very rare occurrence; most criminals are not very educated who would use a firearm in this way. Would you not agree it is ignorant to conduct yourself in this manner that could potentially land you either in the grave or incarcerated? Either one is a life sentence.
Take into consideration that 10% of all gun violence is domestic, with women being 5 times more likely to be murdered by the person they live with; the numbers shrink a little more, and that it would happen to you.
Again, please keep in mind I am all for training and believe in it; this being said, driving skills would aid you better in life. Just being real, it might also reduce the number of road rage incidents.
Agreed, for those in the middle of Iowa, it is much less of a concern. It is why I spelled it out with numbers. If I wasn’t a little lazy and had a life, I would have broken it down to where it is most likely to occur. like the windy city, but demographically most of us live all over this great country.
On a side note, I really do enjoy the commentary about my life and how things work. It goes more to the psychotic nature of the person’s mind and how and what coping mechanisms they use to try to make sense of a world they are ill-equipped to mentally handle. It is a great look into the cavernous mental construct they call a reality.
I’m actually doing this to avoid being paranoid and make my life safer - I know, when I will need my skills to be deployed I won’t need to rethink everything in my head. Proper and swift execution is key to a long and happy life. 
