Take a guess how many states require gun owners to go through a gun safety course. The answer is, surprisingly, only nine states. That means there are millions of gun owners out there who may not even understand the basic principles of gun safety.
We don’t need to tell you why gun safety is so important. Guns are tools, ones that can seriously injure or kill other people when used improperly. Everyone would be better off if they dropped by a nearby indoor gun range for a lesson on gun training–and there is evidence to back up that assertion.
Not convinced? Here are 11 reasons why everyone can benefit from taking gun safety courses at your local shooting range.
1. A Gun Safety Course Teaches You How to Properly Store Your Firearm
It may come as a surprise that the lessons you learn while on the shooting range apply at home as well. Gun safety courses can educate you on general principles about handling firearms, on and off the range.
For example, many new gun owners may not realize that it’s not enough to simply lock up their guns. They should unload them before hand, and store the ammo in a separate, locked container. Most people know the value of locking up your weapons, but not many realize how important it is to keep the ammunition separate, too.
It’s clear that people need this education. You don’t need to look far for stories of children finding their parents’ firearms and playing with them. A gun safety course is a step in the right direction for gun handling in your personal life.
2. It Teaches You Essential Safety Principles
Do you know what the first rule of handling a firearm is? Many do not. That rule is this: never point a firearm at another person, even when joking, and even if the weapon is empty.
There are many other little rules here and there about gun safety. Making sure never to step out onto the range to collect targets if someone else is firing, or never firing a weapon into the air.
A shooting range makes for an excellent place to demonstrate all of these rules. It’s very difficult to teach them with an online article or video. It’s only until you hold a weapon in your hand, and feel how powerful it is (and potentially how dangerous) that you truly internalize the gravity of gun safety.
3. It Dispels Firearm Myths
Video games and movies make firearms look so easy to use. You just pick one up, cock the action, and pull the trigger. But for a first timer, a firearm will not be so simple and intuitive right out of the box.
Many movies teach things that are flat out wrong about firearms. For example, think of how often a hero with a loaded weapon will rack the action as a warning. It looks cool on the silver screen, but in reality, it would eject a fresh round from your weapon for no good reason.
Popular culture has taught people a lot of things that are simply false. A gun training course will get these incorrect ideas out of your head and replace them with the reality.
4. It Teaches You Basic Firearm Handling
Firearms require a considerable amount of training just to use them at their most basic level. Let’s take a handgun as an example. Many novices do not realize that there is a proper way to hold it, one that you need an instructor to teach you.
Then there are other little techniques, such as your stance and lining up iron sights. Firearms also require you to control your breathing and account for bullet drop off. It has never been as simple as pointing it down range and shooting.
Plus, every firearm requires a very different technique. How you handle a 12-gauge shotgun will be very different from how you handle a bolt action rifle.
5. It May Influence Your Purchasing Decisions for the Better
Many people purchase a firearm as a means of self-defense. But before you settle on a weapon, you may want to actually fire it on the range. While taking a course for license to carry, you may discover you prefer the handling of other weapons.
One common question that people deal with when purchasing a self-defense weapon is which caliber to get. The two most common calibers for handguns are 9 mm and .45.
.45 has impressive stopping power at the expense of some jarring kickback. 9 mm doesn’t give nearly as much recoil, which makes for a more comfortable shooting experience. But in home defense situations, you may require more shots to down an intruder with that smaller caliber.
At your gun training course, you will often handle weapons of many different caliber types. This will better inform your purchasing decisions when you finally do settle on a self-defense weapon.
6. It Improves Your Confidence When Handling Weapons
If you have never used a firearm before in your life, then your first experience using one may result in some shock. As we said before, there’s a huge difference between fiction and real life. Holding a firearm in your hands and shooting it will wake you up to the reality of how powerful such a small tool can be.
As a consequence of this first experience, many people struggle to feel comfortable handling a weapon. It is only after frequent practice that the initial shock wears off. By the end of a gun safety course, you will be ready to pick up your firearm on a whim and use it as needed without reservations.
7. It Gives You a Chance to Ask a Questions from a Professional
Questions are an excellent way to learn, and gun safety courses at a shooting range are the perfect place to ask them. Ever wondered whether or not you can use your AirPods as hearing protection (Hint: you can’t)? Now is the time to air out any doubts you may have.
If you are coming in for a gun safety course, bring all of your questions with you! You will never get a better chance again to get this information directly from a professional.
8. It’s a Great Place to Teach Your Children
Perhaps you have kids that are coming of age soon. You want nothing more than for them to have proper firearm knowledge. After all, there are one too many stories of teens misusing firearms to their detriment.
Any child that may handle a firearm will benefit from a gun safety course. This is an excellent opportunity for you and yours to get up to spec on gun safety rules.
Plus, it is a comfortable and inviting environment for your children to learn about these tools. Instructors are friendly and patient, and will give your children an excellent run-through on everything they need to know.
9. It Makes People More Comfortable Around You
Many states require no license to carry. It’s understandable then that non-gun owners might feel uncomfortable around someone who is carrying and who has no formal training. Now imagine how they would feel if they knew that person had undergone a gun safety course.
Of course, a gun safety course won’t magically make someone more responsible. But it does provide peace of mind for those around you. It shows your commitment to safety and your willingness to be mature and responsible with these tools.
10. It’s Easier Than You Might Think
When you think of a gun safety course, you may be imagining something like a college course. A commitment that will require many hours out of your week on top of your busy schedule. But the great thing about gun training is it’s quick and easy.
You can drop into a gun safety course and be out not long after. And in most cases, you’ll be able to find free timeslots for your busy schedule. Gun instructors are flexible, and will allow you to change the time as needed.
11. It’s a Lot of Fun, Too
We’ve only mentioned the benefits of gun safety courses for your knowledge and education. But aside from all of that, a gun safety course is fun.
Your instructor won’t make this a boring, rote lesson on gun safety. This will be an experience that you remember as being entertaining, the sort that you look forward to for your next lesson.
Come in for Your Gun Safety Course at Texas Gun Club
Gun safety courses are something that any firearm owner can benefit from, even those with firearm experience. This course can teach you the basics of firearm usage and storage, and improve your confidence with them. After you take it, you will be more than ready to go out into the world as a responsible gun owner.
Texas Gun Club is your local indoor gun range and gun safety course all balled into one. Take a look at the training courses we provide and drop by for your first lesson.
