Instructor meets idiot.

Interesting post indeed! Allow me to paraphrase one of the statements included in EVERY NRA basic firearms course:

"... the two leading causes of firearms accidents are ignorance and carelessness."

The account shared in the initial post provided examples of both. I have been instructing since VA became a shall-issue CC state and I have personally instructed well over 1,000 individuals and I totally agree the Instructor in the first post could and should have avoided the incident. Had the Instructor conducted themself and the session differently, I believe the student could have avoided any unsafe actions, completed the introductory session successfully, and even ultimately become a safe, competent, and confident shooter and another positive ambassador for the shooting sports and firearm community.

I could go on and on about those specifics but I would prefer to point out the following quote the Instructor apparently made after the incident:

"From now on, if a student has no prior firearm experience, I will not
allow a loaded magazine in a gun. It will be single shot only until
the student proves he or she is capable of firearm safety. "

Many of you would argue, and I agree, that an experienced Instructor should have already embraced that philosphy beforehand and avoided such an incident. Perhaps, the Instructor was never properly trained themselves. Either way, I am pleased to note that learning occurred and, hopefully, that Instructor will never make the same mistake. Please understand I am choosing to look at the silver lining of this cloud- I am just as horrified as anyone else that such an incident happened and could have been avoided.

As an Instructor, *I* am even further to the other end of the spectrum where I always err on the side of caution and safety. Regardless of an individual's prior experience, if they come to one of my classes... the first 5 (five) shots at the range are fired single shot with only one cartridge being loaded at a time and then fired. This is after classroom instruction which includes loading/unloading and dry-firing real firearms with inert catridges. That normally affords the opportunity for the student and myself to achieve a comfort level with their safe operation of the firearm in the first 5 (five) shots of live ammunition at the range. If necessary, additional cartridges are loaded and fired single shot until that comfort level is achieved.

I hope this thread encourages everyone to turn a negative into a positive and prompts those of you with experience to share your expertise and love of the shooting sports and teach others... whether it be in an organized NRA course of one-on-one as a coach or a friend/acquaintance. The only way for us to combat ignorance and carelessness about firearms and shooting is to get the right information out there to more people and that takes time and effort!

Kind regards,

~Harvester
 
Kelly Green said:
I will not allow a loaded magazine in a gun. It will be single shot only until the student proves he or she is capable of firearm safety.
Click to expand...
I'm not a firearms instructor so have never taught a course of instruction in firearms.

I did, however, introduce my wife and grandson to handgun shooting and that is exactly how I treated them.

Come to think of it, the DI's at Parris Island never let any of us recruits handle loaded firearms until we were proficient in their safe handling.

:eek:
 
Seems to me (my opinion) that people are getting dumber and dumber everywhere. From the local Walmart to Governmental entities. No one knows anything and can't figure out much. Too many chemicals in the food?
 
instructor

True story...Years ago my practical pistol club rented the local Sheriff's range to have our weekly matches. One day( not a club nite) the Instructor shot one of his trainees. Happened this way. Student had finished shooting a string of 5 shots on the range and walked out into the lounge area. Student stuck his revolver in his pants waistband in front. Instructor told him to never carry his gun that way as some one could grab it and shoot him with it, and then the instructor proceeded to show him by grabbing the gun and pulling the trigger. What the instructor didn't know was the trainee had loaded SIX rounds in his revolver. Trainee shot, horribly wounded but did survive. Upshot of this was our club was banned from the range because "if a trained instructor can have an accident, think how dangerous you cowboys are!"

BR
 
Farmboy said:
... Instructor told him to never carry his gun that way as some one could grab it and shoot him with it, and then the instructor proceeded to show him by grabbing the gun and pulling the trigger. ...Trainee shot, horribly wounded but did survive. ..
Click to expand...

I think we have a winner for world's most incompetent instructor... Unbelievable.. :(
 
UNbelievable!?! OK... in the case of the Instructor Farmboy mentioned, a new thread could be started and titled: "Instructor MEANS idiot!"
 
Beemer-mark said:
"From now on, if a student has no prior firearm experience, I will not allow a loaded magazine in a gun. It will be single shot only until the student proves he or she is capable of firearm safety."

That might be a good idea with every new student until you have the chance to observe them at the range.
Click to expand...


I dont want to point fingers or hijack the thread but you should know this already.

Any time I take a new shooter to the range. After I give them a lesson and safety rules. I put one shot in the gun and tell them to point it at the target and squeeze. I dont care if they hit anything as long as it is in the right direction. I want them to feel the power of the weapon.
Then it is one shot at a time until they are relaxed. Then we go to two. After all is well we start with a full gun.

Not being a jerk but as an instructor you should have known this already.

Good luck remember most people are morons. Look at what is going on in this country. That will prove it.
 
I love how people want to call this woman an idiot for being totally unfamiliar with proper gun handling. Yeah, it is dangerous and there is not much if any margin for error. It is my opinion that the instructor is to blame for much of the outcome of this situation.

If people are to be considered an idiot for asking "dumb" questions and showing little knowledge of a subject that they are just learning about, then I've met many idiots and have been one myself (some may say I still am but they can jam it in their jello).

I'm a flight instructor and practically every student I've taught had to learn many new things. One of the first things you have to learn about handling an airplane is taxiing. When taxiing most training airplanes, steering is accomplished through the rudder pedals and differential braking. I can't think of one student that I've taught that when getting the airplane moving on the ground for the first time, didn't try to use the flight control yoke to steer the airplane. They would turn the yoke left or right and the plane would go straight no matter how sharp they turned the control wheel. This is after a prefight briefing discussing what we would be learning that flight, including taxiing. This happens even while you are telling them what to do before and while they are doing it.

As someone already pointed out, ignorance and stupidity are not the same thing.
 
Vulcan Bob said:
It would seem that a percentage of the new gen types out there are incapable of recieving information. So sure they are of thier right to keep and hold on to thier idea's even if proved wrong. Perhaps this is how we wound up with the current administration in Washington?
Click to expand...



excellent point.
 
A show of hands for everyone who has been muzzle swept on the range by "experienced" shooters. This novice was no more or less dangerous than plenty of others who are simply careless, stupid, and/or uninformed about firearms operation and safety.

This quote was noteworthy: "I asked, “why a Glock”, and she replied that her boyfriend had picked it out. He thought that carrying a Glock would be really cool."

No doubt this joker sprays his Glock one-handed and sideways, just like they do in the movies.
 
Vulcan Bob said:
It would seem that a percentage of the new gen types out there are incapable of recieving information. So sure they are of thier right to keep and hold on to thier idea's even if proved wrong. Perhaps this is how we wound up with the current administration in Washington?
Click to expand...

This statement could apply to every generation AND administration.

By the way, I've taught students from the age of 16 up to 70 and guess who picked up the training more quickly and with less trouble? That's right, the younger ones.
 
I don't understand... She was standing behind her and knew it was her first ever shot. Why did she let her turn around? Seems the whole event could have been easily prevented.
 
For those cases I think system in Czech republic is not to bad - you have to pass exams consisted of writen test, safe gun handling and shooting, to get a license - then you can buy and carry a firearm.

But even with that system we have a lot of people as described above. Mainly between hunters.

Sadly most of the people after getting their license and gun, do not pracitec handling and shooting it at all and then accidents happends. And each of that accidents is very good for anti-gun people, to get us stripped of our rights :(
 
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