Inexperienced in Class

[NavAir]

I know what the OP means. In my CHL class there was a lady who couldn't figure out which hand to pick up the pistol with! She was clearly very apprehensive about handling the weapon, and the 50 rounds she put (mostly) downrange won't make her a lot better. I support her 2A right, but she needs some more training before she can responsibly exercise that right. Currently she is a danger to herself and others.

By the way, she passed the class...

[DFWTT]

I've attended exactly two CHL courses. In each one, I encountered what I felt were more inexperienced shooters than I was comfortable with.

I know what you mean. There is a lot of inexperience in the initial classes. Students who have never read the penal code. While I am all for 2A and a citizens right to carry, I can't help but feel a little uneasy thinking about all the people carrying with very little to nil training on the weapons laws, legal justifications for force and deadly force, carry / no carry situations and so on. Obeying the law is my concern. Knowing what I know now about all of these things and how easy it is to make the wrong move or decision, I can't understand how a prudent person would make the decision to come to class so utterly unprepared. I believe that some will choose to continue their education after class, but what about those that don't?

Is that my original post, cut and pasted with your words inserted? That's just...wierd.

[03Lightningrocks]

I have a similar story. A young lady in my class had never shot a gun in her life. Her brother and dad coerced her into taking the class because she had to cross through unsavory areas to and from work. The handgun she had was still in the factory box and the instructor had to walk her through loading it and firing it. Her brother had loaned it to her for the class. She mentioned she would probably not carry but if it made her family feel better, she would get the license. Our class was small...LOL... just her and I and two fellers who were renewing. This allowed the instructor to help her. She was doing well enough with that thing after 50 practice rounds and managed to pass. I had mixed feelings about it all. Not for her right to be armed, but with her family making her do something she was not wanting to do.

How many other wives, sisters, daughters, mothers...ect. are coerced into a CHL because a man in her life was worried about her safety? I bet a lot! Then you have the "victims" who are taking the class because something has happened in their world to scare them into wanting a "magic sword". These profiles are the most likely to go through all the movements and not actually carry a weapon. All of these folks have the same rights as a person who has been around guns all their life.

It is already an insult for us to be forced to seek permission from big gubbermint to carry concealed. Further restrictions by way of qualification or monetary expense is unacceptable. Just MHO.

[rbrecount]

I like Teamless's attitude. I've seen careless and ill-handling at the range, and chided them about it. There are others wise enough to learn to shoot so they will have some knowledge and experience before arrive at CHL class. Let's remember that we all began from ignorance so let' s help each other. I've been shooting for nine months and I'm not near smart enough yet so I look to you old hands for good advice..

[stevie_d_64]

In the beginning...ahem...

From the onset the Texas CHL has done nothing but create a fantastic experience for those who are new or experienced to the overall idea of self defense...Sure, it has had its ups and downs in the eccentricities of the law, and for the most part it has been very friendly to those new to shooting...The main part of that is because of folks like us who have been shooting most of their lives...

Physically and mentally, our presense in those classes simply elevate the play of those around us, and simply encourage many to seek additional training, or just to get out and shoot more...

When the law was changed to give the option for those of us with multiple renewals to skip the shooting portion of the class, I actually opposed that change, as I felt it should remain a requirement to renew...Sure we can shoot, but like I was illuding to earlier, we demonstrate our proficiency, and safety to those who are new to the whole idea...

My wife will be renewing her CHL for the third time tomorrow...She will be attending the classroom only portion with Professor Emeritus "El Gato", but before she goes to the required classroom time, she'll be going in the range to pop off about 50, just to get her head on straight...She believes that her experience level rubs off on other women who may be new to shooting, and she has a wonderful ability to encourage other women to get with the program and learn and practice all they can...

I for one am not inconvienienced or put off by the time it takes to get through a course of fire at a CHL class...I believe we should all adopt an attitude of humbleness and demonstrate a patience that gives these new folks a chance to absorb and be eager to get back to the range as soon as possible for more practice...

Self defense in my opinion is 90% mental, 8% physical and 2% hardware...

[WildBill]

My wife will be renewing her CHL for the third time tomorrow...She will be attending the classroom only portion with Professor Emeritus "El Gato", but before she goes to the required classroom time, she'll be going in the range to pop off about 50, just to get her head on straight...She believes that her experience level rubs off on other women who may be new to shooting, and she has a wonderful ability to encourage other women to get with the program and learn and practice all they can...

I for one am not inconvienienced or put off by the time it takes to get through a course of fire at a CHL class...I believe we should all adopt an attitude of humbleness and demonstrate a patience that gives these new folks a chance to absorb and be eager to get back to the range as soon as possible for more practice...

Self defense in my opinion is 90% mental, 8% physical and 2% hardware...

And if you need some help getting humble, just watch ElGato shoot sometime.

[Teamless]

just watch ElGato shoot sometime.

When my wife and I took our class with him, WOW! That man can shoot a gun!
We were in awe and we only saw him shoot 4 or 5 rounds as his target blew over (Texas City Range) and the range was obviously hot, he couldnt go set it back up.
He is a joy to see shoot, even those few shots we got to witness

[WildBill]

just watch ElGato shoot sometime.

When my wife and I took our class with him, WOW! That man can shoot a gun!
We were in awe and we only saw him shoot 4 or 5 rounds as his target blew over (Texas City Range) and the range was obviously hot, he couldnt go set it back up.
He is a joy to see shoot, even those few shots we got to witness

During my class he came over to look at my new 380-AT Sphinx which I had just purchased. He had never seen one before, let alone fired one. After we were done qualifying shooting, he came back to score the targets and looked at it again. I asked him if he would like to try it. At first he said "no thanks", but a few minutes later he came back with five rounds of ammo and asked if he could try it. The target was still at the 15 yard line and he started shooting at the little silhouette at the top left of the target.
The first shot was off a couple of inches to the right, but the rest of them hit the little guy.

[tacticool]

Some of the students had never pulled a trigger.

Did they pass? Were they safe?

New shooters don't worry me as much as the guys who think they know everything already.

[jframe.38]

At every CHL class that I have gone to I have seen a large number of people in one of the following categories:

1. utterly ignorant or lacking in the ability to conceal, carry, draw, hold and use a firearm confidently and safely
2. utterly ignorant of gun laws
3. utterly ignorant of self-defense laws

The good news is that by the time these individuals leave a ten hour course with like minded people and a qualified instructor they usually improve in one if not all of the areas listed above.

By the way over the years at the ranges and course that I have seen, I have also seen military, peace officers and commissioned security guards exhibit some of the three listed above and improve. That's why it is called training.

[WildBill]

At every CHL class that I have gone to I have seen a large number of people in one of the following categories:

1. utterly ignorant or lacking in the ability to conceal, carry, draw, hold and use a firearm confidently and safely
2. utterly ignorant of gun laws
3. utterly ignorant of self-defense laws

The good news is that by the time these individuals leave a ten hour course with like minded people and a qualified instructor they usually improve in one if not all of the areas listed above.

Isn't that the purpose of the classes?

[WildBill]

I think the more people that exercise the 2A, the better chance we have of defending it. It's kind of a good thing, bad thing. Also I don't see a driver's license correlation - driving is a privilege, not a constitutional right.

I agree with your post, except that I think that driving is a right, not a privilege.

[DFWTT]

Some of the students had never pulled a trigger.

Did they pass? Were they safe?

New shooters don't worry me as much as the guys who think they know everything already.

Answers: 1) Yes 2) No. absolutely not.

Aren't you in a sense taking a similar stand to the anti's when you say that a person can exercise a 2A act, but only under certain conditions? I agree that inexperienced people with a gun is a scary thing, but how can you support 2A and restrict the right to bear arms? I've read similar threads and according to them I should go ahead and just send back my CHL.

No, I am not taking any anti stand and I am offended that you would even suggest that. Apparently you did not read the entire thread before chiming in with an uninformed opinion. To RESTATE: I am not for any type of further restrictions. This is a personal responsibility issue that should be addressed either by the individual or the course staff prior to arrival at said course. Your choice. As has been discovered WITHIN the thread, so reponsible CHL instructors are already taking steps to correct the initial deficiency and thus both avoiding incident and increasing the comfort level of those persons attending. Some, however, are not. Those two topics are the ones under discussion, personal responsibility and course( non regulated) responsibility, not what you ave suggested. As for your CHL, I could care less.

[SwimFan85]

Some of the students had never pulled a trigger.

Did they pass? Were they safe?

New shooters don't worry me as much as the guys who think they know everything already.

Answers: 1) Yes 2) No. absolutely not.

If they're not safe, a good instructor would DQ them and remove them from the range.

I agree a hundred percent someone should not pass if they're not safe.