Question for Certified Firearms Instructors

[radioflyer]

A friend of mine in my IDPA group told me of a CFI class being taught locally that he's going to take and suggested I sign up to get the group rate price. He is a shooting tactics teacher so my question is:

How does getting a CFI affect your privileges in teaching that you would normally not have?

[Skiprr]

I'm not sure I completely follow the question, but I’ll give it a go. There is no single “Certified Firearms Instructor” credential. Most well-known firearms instructors/schools offer their own credentials as certified to teach their system, or a part of it; examples are Gunsite, the Sig Sauer Academy, John Farnam, Gabe Suarez, Brian Hoffner, and others.

The closest thing to broadly recognized, national credentials are NRA instructor certifications, and I’m thinking that’s what you mean. But if so, there are multiple NRA certifications specific to type of firearm and a discipline in the use of that firearm type. You can become an NRA certified instructor, but there is no encompassing “CFI.” For example, I am an NRA Certified Pistol and Personal Protection in the Home instructor. But I’m not certified to teach rifle or shotgun.

There is a basic NRA instructor’s training course, referred to as the “BIT,” that is a prerequisite to obtain any of the discipline-specific instructor certifications. So there are always at least two courses in order to gain any instructor certification. Some instructor certifications also require that you already posses the student certification for the specific discipline. For example--and I’m going only by memory here--to become a Personal Protection in the Home instructor you must have the BIT certificate, the Personal Protection in the Home student certificate, the Pistol instructor’s certificate, and then the Personal Protection in the Home instructor’s certificate.

I’m a big supporter of the NRA instruction program, and if that’s the route you’re talking about, I highly recommend it.

When you teach an NRA-authorized course, you need to do so in accordance with the policies, procedures, and guidelines of the NRA and its courseware. You must follow NRA rules because you are teaching an NRA course.

However, nothing prevents you from teaching other courses outside the NRA syllabus so long as nothing about those courses is represented as being authorized by the NRA. For example, there is no conflict in an instructor teaching an NRA authorized course one weekend, and teaching a Texas CHL class the next. The two are distinct and taught under different auspices.

Is that at least close to an answer?

[radioflyer]

Pretty close.

Perhaps what I'm trying to say is, When you become certified (in any of the NRA, FBI etc schools) What are you now legally allowed to do as far as teaching that you couldn't legally do before?

I'm all for helping people understand and safely use firearms, but I'm trying to understand if certification is required to do this versus just being a seasoned shooter.

[OldCannon]

Pretty close.

Perhaps what I'm trying to say is, When you become certified (in any of the NRA, FBI etc schools) What are you now legally allowed to do as far as teaching that you couldn't legally do before?

Short answer: Nothing, really.

You can teach people how to safely own and operate firearms. Which, technically, you can do withOUT an NRA certification as well. In some states (Ohio, and I think Florida), you must be an NRA Certified Instructor before you can teach concealed carry courses.

There are many people (and organizations that have "group" shooting classes, like churches) that find comfort in the fact that somebody has invested the money and time to be a certified instructor, and I (for many reasons beside the obvious) encourage people to take courses backed by a certified instructor.

So, an NRA Certified instructor gains the benefit of having had training in _how_ to teach students, access to training materials, and a structured outline to ensure students can move forward at a pace that leaves nobody behind. Just like the best football player doesn't make the best coach, the fastest/best shooter/most-killer-of-bad-guys doesn't make the best instructor. Good instructors have patience, know how to recognize a host of trigger press/sight picture issues, and SHOULD be able to show a lefty (or righty, if they're a lefty) how to manipulate a pistol properly and maintain good shooting posture. They know how to spot the "Wyatt Earps" in the class and know how to control the classroom conversation to stay on topic (even if they themselves want to jump in and talk about the merits of the 10mm vs the .45 ACP), and can engage even the most timid shooter in a way that instills confidence. These are generally NOT things you see in your average "experienced shooter."

So, no, you gain nothing from a legal stance (other than the added glory of being required to carry liability insurance if you teach ). I'd daresay that a certified instructor might even have less legal footing in some courtrooms if you have a hostile DA.

[radioflyer]

Understood. Thank you for the explanation.

[OldCannon]

Its a credibility thing - if a novice wants to get some basic firearms instruction, be should look for somebody that is certified by somebody - NRA is a great start. next would be to go to a well known school with good reviews (Gunsite, TigerSwan, Viking Tactics, etc) that hires Instructors that can teach AND demo. i have been teaching and advising for years but it is based on my experience ( retired SOF) not because sombody certified me. Thats where the difficulty lies - how do you sort out who is a good teacher and who is posing next to some certificates?

I've met several SOF guys that couldn't teach somebody how to make a peanut butter sandwich. I have met a lot more that are top-notch, so I'm not dinging SOF people in general. I think the key lies in instructional ability, not in gobs of tacticool smarts.

I definitely agree that it's hard, especially for novices, to sort the wheat from the chaff. Too bad there's nothing like Yelp for firearms instructors :)

[punkndisorderly]

In Texas, the only two instructor certifications that i'm aware of that allow you to teach something you otherwise wouldn't are the chk and tclose certifications that allow you to teach state managed concealed carry and law enforcement classes.

The nra designation allows you to act as a sanctioned instructor of their specific curriculum. You don't have to have any certifications or credentials to teach firearms related skills.

[The Annoyed Man]

I am an NRA certified Basic Pistol instructor, and all it gives you "the right" to do is to bill yourself as an NRA Certified Basic Pistol Instructor. However, the class has more value than just that, as the goal is to teach you how to teach others. I had already taught a number of people to shoot before I ever took the class, but I still learned valuable teaching skills that I will use going forward.