It is commonly known in the “gun world” that the NRA is the Gold Standard in firearms training. Because of this, the gun-shooting public turns to certified NRA Firearms Instructors for most of their needs when it comes to quality training. The title “NRA Certified Instructor” has many benefits. These benefits also come with a certain value, both monetary and status. This is why the title NRA Certified Instructor is so desirable.
There are many reasons individuals become NRA Certified Instructors in the disciplines of Rifle, Pistol, and/or Shotgun. There are five types of students who wish to become NRA Instructors. The 5 types of instructor candidates are: current NRA members; non-NRA members; end-goal students; philanthropic students; and personal growth students.
Current NRA Members
NRA Instructor candidates who make up most of the students who register for my classes, are current NRA members. This is the type of student who believes in the NRA and wants to help others improve their marksmanship. These students are also the ones who do the most to promote the NRA in their communities. NRA Instructor candidates are usually already members of our organization and often proudly wear NRA attire and display NRA buttons, pins, and hats.
NRA Instructor candidates who register for NRA Instructor classes intend to teach NRA Basic Rifle, Pistol, and/or Shotgun courses to the public. Most of these types of students plan to be active firearms instructors and open a related small business. Their small business may be as small as teaching classes on the side for a little extra income or it may be more formal such as starting a “Doing Business As” (DBA) or a “Limited Liability Company” (LLC).
NRA members are the heart and soul of the NRA. This is also true for the NRA Firearms Training Program. NRA Members tend to make the best instructors because they not only believe in the NRA’s message and commitment to the 2nd Amendment, but they also support our organization financially through paying their membership dues. It makes sense that if you believe in the message, you will be a better instructor.
Non-NRA Members
Non-NRA members make up the next largest group of students in my classes, who wish to become certified Instructors. Many of these types of students have a plan for offering firearms instruction or starting their own shooting school but are not sure how to implement it. Most of these non-NRA member instructor candidates are tactical training oriented but look at an NRA Certification as crucial for their success. They understand that many of their potential customers are looking for NRA Certified Rifle, Pistol, or Shotgun Instructors for their firearm training needs.
Many of the non-NRA member students do not plan to ever teach an NRA Basic Firearm Class. Instead, these instructor candidates are using the title “NRA Instructor” to attract students and hope to gain skills from becoming certified, which will help them be a more effective instructor. These students have developed their own courses to teach but want to advertise themselves as NRA Certified Instructors. According to the NRA Basic Instructor Training (BIT) course, instructors can advertise that they are NRA Certified Instructors when teaching non-NRA courses if it follows the NRA’s standards and quality, and the non-NRA course advertisement clearly states that the course being offered is not an NRA Certification Course.
The majority of non-NRA member instructor candidates join and become NRA members during the instructor course or soon after completion. When asked why these instructor candidates are not NRA members, they normally respond that they did not know much about the organization or that they never thought about it. As an NRA Training Counselor, if I properly do my job and educate my student on the history of the NRA and the organization’s commitment to the 2nd Amendment, turning non-NRA members into NRA members should be easy.
End-Goal Student
End-goal students are there for a specific reason. There are many reasons why someone attends an NRA Instructor Course for certification. Some of these reasons may be to satisfy a job requirement, a prerequisite for joining a private gun club, or to become a certified license to carry (LTC), conceal carry (CCW) or concealed handgun license (CHL) instructor in their respective state. There are also instructor candidates who wish to earn their NRA instructor rating to be able to open and run the shooting ranges for youth participants at Boy Scout and other youth camps.
Usually, end-goal instructor candidates are there for a specific reason and never gave any thoughts about conducting an NRA Training Course. Likewise, these students never thought about joining the NRA. When these students complete their instructor training in their desired discipline, they are open to joining the NRA and have the confidence to instruct others in the proper and safe use of firearms.
Philanthropic Student
Philanthropic students attend your instructor class to help others become proficient in firearms. These types of students do not intend to charge or receive any compensation for their services. Philanthropic students want to become certified as an NRA instructor to teach their family and friends. I often hear that the reason this type of student is in class is for no other reason than to know how to properly teach their kids. Others state that they are there to become confident to take co-workers and friends to the range.
Philanthropic students usually are not NRA members and are less likely to become one. They are also less likely to be concerned about the title of Certified Instructor. This type of student just wants the “knowledge, skills, and attitude” necessary to be a safe and effective instructor. Their primary concern is the proper training of their students, not compensation, praise, or titles.
Personal Growth Student
Personal growth students are the most interesting. Personal growth instructor candidates have something to prove to themselves. Sometimes “Credential Collectors” fall under this category. These students make it clear that they are only there to prove to themselves that they can do it (pass the course and be successful on the range to earn the “NRA Instructor” title) or they will come right out and state it is for their own personal growth. They often declare that they will not ever teach a class or other people.
Personal growth students are dedicated to being the best at whatever they do. They are also very committed to the activity they are doing at any given time. Most of these students are already NRA members. Those who are not yet NRA members, quickly join. These students are also more willing to become repeat students “collecting” multiple instructor ratings.
Regardless of the type of student who wishes to become a certified NRA Instructor, it is those NRA Certified Instructors who are the face of the NRA Training Program. This is why it is important to follow the NRA Training Curriculum. These NRA Certified Instructors are the ones who interact with the public through training and advocating for the 2nd Amendment by educating others about the NRA. No matter the type of student, there is one thing that they all have in common: the desire to learn the knowledge, skills, and attitude necessary to teach others the proper handling and safe use of firearms.
