Gun School Suggestions

From a reader:
"Can you get back on the subject of guns? I agree with you on Babies' rights, but come to your blog for guns."

Will do.


From another reader:
"I have come to the realization that I need training. What company should I train with? What company should I avoid?"

Outstanding questions.

As there are two questions, they will be answered separately. Q1 was "what company should I train with?" The reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, is in Tennessee. Here is a list, in no particular order, of firearms training companies I recommend:
 Valor Ridge 
 Tactical Response 
 Citizens Safety Academy 
 Middle Tennessee Firearms Training 
 Patriot Training - you knew this one would be here.

The second question was "what company should I avoid?" The answer to this question presents some ethical problems. This author knows of two companies in Tennessee that should be avoided for good reason.  However, it is also this author's firm belief that speaking in a derogatory manner about another firearms training school is unprofessional. Therefore, this question was answered directly to that reader, but the companies will not be listed here. 

More importantly, why are there two companies that this author feels you should not train with?

The first company is known to not carry insurance. This author took a class or two with them, and in private discussions with the owner and head instructor, discovered he does not carry professional liability insurance.  That is one of three primary ways an instructor can commit negligence (the other two are failing to be prepared to render medical aid, and failing to continue education).

The second company that is not recommended finds itself in that spot because the owner regularly disparages other schools online. In fact, in one particular instance, he disparaged another school for one of its modules on shooting on the move, then made a YouTube video showing what he teaches instead. In that video, he runs laterally across the range and fires several shots into two different targets. Immediately after, he explained that he did not aim at either, but used the "point-shooting" method to achieve hits and gave his rationale why.

Rule 3 (Cooper's safety rules) states "Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target and you are ready to fire." This instructor stated he was 10 yards away from the targets as this exercise was performed. While point-shooting can effectively be done at close range, this author firmly believes that instructor was negligent in doing or teaching that sort of point shooting with that level of speed. And with the cuts in the filming, it is not guaranteed that the hits were actually even achieved during the performance.

So, this second school is particularly problematic.  This author cannot, in good conscience, suggest them. The instructor displays a lack of moral integrity (disparages other schools), and a lack of proper safety. As the video is more recent, one might ask if this author deselected the school prior to the video. The answer is yes. The integrity issue is enough.  It is simply highlighted by the safety issue.