First Certified as a Firearms Instructor 41 Years Ago

The image speaks for itself.   It was 1973, the first time I was officially certified as an instructor.   As is often the case, being born into the gun culture, with over a decade of hunting, reloading and shooting experience already, and three years on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team, I knew quite a bit more about the subject than the person giving the certification course.

I did not snipe, kept my observations limited to appropriate levels, and got certified.   Not that the class was worthless.  Far from it.  First, we are obsessed, as a society, with credentialism.   Second, I learned valuable things, such as the procedures to deal with paperwork for the NRA, worthwhile administrative knowledge, and tips on teaching classes that added a bit to the college coursework that I already had.   The military training far surpassed what the week long course offered, but value is value.  Lastly, knowledge of your own level compared to others is not always apparent, and of extreme worth.    It is easy to underestimate yourself, though you can err in the opposite direction as well.

Now that I have over four decades of experience under my belt, I understand that there are few absolute answers to complex questions, and many ways of getting to desired solutions.   I do not teach single techiniques as "the best" and I recognize that different things work for different people in different situations and times.

©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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