If the training was free, would you go?

[JJEH]

I think some sort of reward system is better in the long run than offering it for free.

You have to finance it somehow and - like you said - some people don't even value free stuff.

Create a pricing that the avg. blue collar worker can afford. Then reward them with discounted prices for future classes and ammo to purchase. Give out free t-shirts and/or stickers, but don't offer free classes. Unless it's a one time thing like for first time firearm owners that are 21-23 and still in school. Work with colleges, offer such thing and see how the reception is. Then go from there. Just an idea.

Military- and senior citizen discount sound good to me too.

 

[Buford57]

Our state conservation NPO offers wing shooting clinics @ $30 for a half day. The sessions I have attended are always sold out and the shooters on my squad, ranging from novices to old timers all come away commenting on how much we learned/improved. This is BYOSS (shotgun/shells).

CCW classes in the area run the gamut in pricing from $150 for a 16-hour course to $500-600 and I'm betting there are even higher prices out there (especially if you just want the certificate - this is the land where campaign contributions = CDLs, after all).

I think the sweet spot for training between initial qualification and renewal would be somewhere near the midpoint between our $30 outing and a full CCW class. I would think the price is less a consideration than the content and nature of the course. The enrollment form for the wingshooting clinics asks for a self-evaluation of skill level and the coaches try to improve the skills that are already there before moving on to more advanced material.

I would want to know what to expect. As a revolver user tap-rack-slap is a waste of my time (except to confirm my choice of weapon). Someone else might find that training life-altering (or saving). I agree that a deeply discounted (and I consider $7.50/hour a deep discount for professional training) rate for first timers (familiarization/safety) might overcome some initial resistance to any training, but "free" more often equates with "worthless" than "priceless" in people's minds.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

It costs the student time. I think that most people won't go at all unless they feel that they need the course, or at least that it is useful. I think that you are pitching to the crowd that needs the course, but doesn't know it. I'd be surprised if you get many takers even without charge, and I'll bet that almost every one of those would have taken the course if there were a small charge.

If it were in my area, I would probably go, but AFAIK I would put it in the "useful" class. I would be attending primarily because there's always the possibility that I might learn something important, and certainly there's a good chance that I would learn something useful. I have taken LFI-1, LFI-2 and LFI-3 by Massad Ayoob, so I probably do sort of have most of the basics. Of course, a review never hurts.

In short, I believe that you might conceivably be turning away one or two people by making it free, but I doubt that you would add any by making it free.

Just my guess, of course.

 

[dtm_oskar]

I know I need training so I may not be the best to ask, despite being a good shot with my pistols, able to be fairly accurate during rapid fire and working on getting faster drawing, reloading and such. I still acknowledge that shooting is a never ending learning process and taking a class would help a lot!

 

[yeti]

Sign folks up and charge a modest amount like $20 for a class. Or do it for $10 a person..or $5 a person, but I would charge something to cover some of the materials/expense and to get students that will take it seriously and want to be taught.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Depends on the pool of folks being offered a free gun class. To our club members, yes. A public ad offering free gun training, no.

 

[Don 73]

Depends on the pool of folks being offered a free gun class. To our club members, yes. A public ad offering free gun training, no.

ChattanoogaPhil has a good point, I wouldn't want some of these gun owners anywhere near me with a loaded marshmallow stick, let alone a firearm.

That being said, I would jump on it assuming I could get the time off work and away from the wife, because I love to shoot and I like learning new things

 

[Simson-Suhl]

Yes, I am a retired Hazardous Material Technician, (Chemical), with training in Industrial Fire Fighting, Close Confinement/Hazardous Atmosphere Rescue. In every class or seminar I ever attended I learned something. Life in general is a learning experience, and I one of the most important items I learned is "Don't do that again!!" Why do we belong to the S&W Forum, To learn, and as we progress. to teach.

 

[RobertJ.]

Yes, I'd attend.

I've been shooting since I was 9 years old, and I'll be 55 next month. I've had jobs that required gun knowledge and training. However, I'll be the first to admit that I still don't know everything.

Most basic classes probably won't show me anything I don't already know, but there's a chance that they might, and I know I could benefit from more advanced classes, whether it be rifle, shotgun, or handgun.

If I lived in your area, we'd have spoken by now!

 

[nrz]

I'm not going to lie, I skimmed the majority of the thread so if I say something covered I'm sorry.

If I knew the instructor had a good reputation, and it was a free class, I would take time off from work to attend the class, and I put as much effort into as I would if I had paid. It remembers me of a local race track in state, Lime Rock Raceway. They have a driving school program and that program offered up a free 15 minute session with an instructor and some hot laps around the track, it was was a hugely successful event, filling up in short time with 100's of people wanting to attend.

That being said, what probably happened, and what could happen here is that after the "free session" some attendees would want to book a more private lesson and that's where you can make some money.

Maybe I'm in the minority but I would love to learn more about this hobby, and this sounds like a great way to get people like myself into additional training.

 

[Rastoff]

You can't automatically assume every single person who pays will value the class and every single person who doesn't pay just won't care about it.... What the hell kind of logic is that?

I'm not sure if you directed this at me or not, but I'll respond to it regardless.

First of all, no one said "every single person." What I said was, based on my experience, those who pay for a thing tend to value it more. Maybe I should say it a different way; those who work for a thing value it more. So, it follows that those who work hard for their money, value what it buys. Those who don't work for their money, or get stuff for free, tend to value it less. Not everyone is that way, just most people.

Does that make more sense?

 

[Rastoff]

OK, I'm going to put something together. I'm not sure how I will run it, but I'm thinking a 3 hour seminar will be the ticket. Keep the class size limited to 10 or 20 (depending on available help for safety purposes) and we can have some fun and learn a little while we're at it.

My goal is to promote shooting as a fun activity by teaching gun safety, marksmanship and proper attitude toward the sport. I admit that I will use it to advertise more in-depth training, but would never be a hard sell.

 

[Rastoff]

Yes, I'd attend.

I've been shooting since I was 9 years old, and I'll be 55 next month. I've had jobs that required gun knowledge and training. However, I'll be the first to admit that I still don't know everything.

Most basic classes probably won't show me anything I don't already know, but there's a chance that they might, and I know I could benefit from more advanced classes, whether it be rifle, shotgun, or handgun.

If I lived in your area, we'd have spoken by now!

RobertJ, thank you for this and I appreciate your attitude.

Now, let me put you on the spot if I may with some rhetorical questions. These are what I ask when someone tells me they are an "advanced" level shooter and don't need the basic class:

What are the 6 attributes of pistol shooting?
What is the 5 step presentation from the holster?
What are the four colors/levels of awareness?

Please don't answer them here. I just want y'all to think about them. There are several variations I'd accept so, the answers don't have to be perfect. If you can't answer these without looking them up, you're a candidate for the basic defensive pistol class.


I'm not "calling you out" RobertJ, you just provided the construct for this kind of discussion. Actually, I'll bet you'd be able to answer them.

 

[TucsonMTB]

. . . My experience with training (over 13 years as a professional and many more as an extra duty) shows that if people don't pay for it, they don't value it. Thus, the training doesn't sink is as well if it's free. Even so, I've considered running a seminar at my local gun club. I would do it completely free of charge.

Would you go? Or is is a waste of my time?

You probably won't get too many responses from folks like me who would choose NOT to waste your time.

We have BUG matches each month at our local Pima Pistol Club. I believe they are excellent training for real life situations and were a lot of fun. I eventually stopped going when it became clear to me that my progress had stopped and that I was impeding the rest of the group who are too polite to complain.

At some point, old guys like me are like old dogs who don't learn new tricks. No worries! I still shoot a lot and enjoy it. Training . . . not so much.

 

[JohnSW]

Time is also an issue. Not everyone can easily set aside a multi-hour block of time for training classes.

 

[Watchdog]

There are a lot who don't feel they need training. There are those who don't think they have the money or can't afford it. So, would you go if it were free?

Most definitely, even though I'm already qualified. And I'd go especially if it involved live firing that would help me hone my shooting skills.

We all have our own techniques and skill sets, but there's nothing says they can't be improved upon.

So...free? Yeah, sign me up.

 

[rappa29]

This has come up a few times. I'm an instructor, but my goal is not to make a bunch of money. Rather I want to see people do well with the firearms they own.

There are a lot who don't feel they need training. There are those who don't think they have the money or can't afford it. So, would you go if it were free?

ABSOFREAKINLUTELY!!!! I'm an average shmoe, but I've been shooting since I was 18 (43 now). However, I never took formal training. I'd show up to a free training course at any time, ready to learn and fully loaded!!

 

[JohnSW]

I recall seeing a news story about a "flipped classroom". The students watched teacher lecture videos at home on their computer. When they got to school, teachers helped them with their homework.

The same principle could be applied to firearms training. Anything that is lecture-only could be handled by video. Classroom time could be reserved for hands-on subjects or range instruction.

 

[Rastoff]

I recall seeing a news story about a "flipped classroom". The students watched teacher lecture videos at home on their computer. When they got to school, teachers helped them with their homework.

The NRA is going to this method of training for their Basic Pistol course. The idea is that most of the wrote lecture stuff is done on line. Then the shooting is done with a live instructor. They call it "Blended Learning."

I have mixed emotions about it. I am willing to see how it goes though. That is not what the class I'm proposing will be about. My goal with this is to limit the talking as much as possible and get people shooting safely.

 

[Louchia]

The NRA is going to this method of training for their Basic Pistol course. The idea is that most of the wrote lecture stuff is done on line. Then the shooting is done with a live instructor. They call it "Blended Learning."

I have mixed emotions about it. I am willing to see how it goes though. That is not what the class I'm proposing will be about. My goal with this is to limit the talking as much as possible and get people shooting safely.

Depends on skill level. If it's newbies, a lot of talk in needed to get the safty issues across and get people into the right frame of mind( it's serious, not a toy). After that , the more range time the better, with a instructor.