Things you wish were taught in your ccw class

[Steve22]

Anyone have some knowledge after carrying concealed for a while that wasn't taught in your CCW class you wish was? Such as maybe a little holster demonstrations, recommendations for CCW friendly guns, how to safely carry in different situations such as cars, summer time, winter time, etc?

 

[Randy (OHGO)]

unless you want your class to last for an entire week then you should look for the information you are looking for in other places. Holster and gun suggestions should be asked at a quality store, the safe carry in situations can be found with additional training. They lowered the hours for your basic ccw class there is just not enough time for these type of questions to be answered in a single class.

 

[RangerTim]

I'm a firm believer in you get what you pay for when it comes to classes and training. You can either choose for a basic run of the mill "CCW" class or a focused handgun training class. The courses designed around the NRA basic pistol classes are good for what they are, but they will give you the bare bones of necessary information to legally carry. It's one of the reasons I structured my Handgun Level 1 as a 10 hour class, and I don't even feel like that is enough to give students what they really need to know. Talking to gun shops, even good ones, can only give you so much. They likely don't have extensive experience with every holster or gun option out there. Seek out additional training from a reputable instructor. In my experience, the advantage of talking with instructors is that while they too haven't used all the different holsters and carry guns out there, they have likely seen the vast majority come through one of the classes. They see what works and what doesn't. What gear or guns cause issues for the shooter and which ones function without a hitch. There is no one perfect source for all the information one would love to have.

 

[~ZENAS~]

I'm with Chris. We cover pretty much everything you mentioned in our CCW classes. Research your instructors before just responding to an ad for a guy teaching the class for $50. Unfortunately many people are out there just giving out certificates or using the NRA Basic Pistol class entirely and nothing else. For my class, the Basic Pistol class is just the very first part of the class. That gets people ready for the range and ensures me, as the instructor, we can be safe out there. The rest of the class is geared toward everyday carry concerns and concealed carry legal concerns. We spend around 2 hours just talking about carry options/clothing options/gun selection, etc... and 3 hours in the Attorney General book.

 

[MyWifeSaidYes]

I dropped the NRA Basic Pistol from my classes last year just because it took up too much time. Yes, it was a good curriculum, but I can teach someone what the grip is without teaching them what the forestrap and backstrap are.


Now that Basic Pistol has gone 'blended', if someone wants the NRA credential, I can add a few hours of practical information to the range time and still have a short day.