POLL: how much training have you had?

[Scratch]

I'm just looking for honest answers here. No need to post any comments at all, and would actually prefer that you don't post anything, unless you have a question about how you should answer it, as to not skew the answers, and get people voting as more experienced than they actually are. Please be truthful.

Just wondering how much training people actually have. Not how much shooting experience, but how much actual professional training you've had. Could be military training, LEO training, or private. I don't care about if it's taken you 2 months or twenty years to accumulate this training.

Please don't be embarrassed about how much training you've had, just looking for honest answers here.


Option 1:
Zero professional training.

Option 2:
Something like a hunter safety class only, possibly even from when you were a kid.

Option 3:
Took a class for either basic firearm safety, or whatever type of carry class was needed to get your states conceal carry, open carry, license or permit.

Option 4:
Two or less professional training classes. Handgun, rifle or combination of both. Include your states conceal carry, open carry, license or permit as a class.

Option 5:
Three to five professional training classes. Handgun, rifle or combination of both. Include your states conceal carry, open carry, license or permit as a class.

Option 6:
Six or more professional training classes. Handgun, rifle or combination of both. Include your states conceal carry, open carry, license or permit as a class.

[20mm]

Do video games or simulators count?

[Scratch]

Do video games or simulators count?

Not unless they were part of a class.

[BBeckwith]

.

[Scratch]

You don't have to post your vote, just enter it on the poll.

I don't want people to know who voted what.

[BBeckwith]

Aghhhhhh just so you know in Tap-A-Talk it does not show the voting option.

[Scratch]

Freaking Tapatalk....

If you can't see the voting options because of it, please PM me your vote, with the subject: POLL and I'll make note of it, and include it in the poll.

[cobb]

Option 6.

[PhilaBOR]

Option 6

[PhilaBOR]

Got to thinking about it and was surprised when I listed all the classes I could remember. (Dates are approx.)
Firearms training
1969 or so —Hunter safety @ Junior Rifle Club: Marksman First Class
2004 — Hunter safety instructor MN DNR
2008- MN conceal carry
2009 - Don Larson defensive handgun 1
2012- Don Larson defensive handgun 1
2012- second day of handgun class w local trainers and Front Sight instructor
2012- Sealed Mindset level 1 classes
2012- Appleseed shoot
2013- carbine one on one at Sealed Mindset
2013- Mag40
2014- Pakeiser force on force
2014- Farnam 2 day advanced pistol
2014- NRA instructor- basic pistol & home defense

[Rip Van Winkle]

I don't see an option for military service.

Also, maybe I'm being nit picky but I'd hardly consider DNR Firearm Safety classes "professional training".

[Lumpy]

Option 3, and I really wish I had more training. But I got my first PTC in 2009, just before my employment status crashed through the floor and has never really recovered. I do practice what I can by myself (clearing & drawing from concealed, dry fire trigger practice, reading) but I really wish I could afford to live-fire more, and to take home defense and tactical defense courses. Heck, I'd be thrilled just to be able to afford a laser target system. I sign up regularly online for chances to win free firearms, and if I ever did win an AR-15 for example I couldn't afford to feed it; I'd probably end up seeing if I could barter it for classes or a range membership.

[Scratch]

I don't see an option for military service.

Also, maybe I'm being nit picky but I'd hardly consider DNR Firearm Safety classes "professional training".

My poll, my rules!


And as far as military service...
I was never in the military, so I could be, and often am wrong... But don't they train you pretty well on firearms? I would think if you were to add up all the hours you get trained on rifles and handguns in the military, it would be more than 50 hours worth of instruction.
With some civilian classes being 8 hours, and six 8 hour classes would put you in option 6, so I would assume option 6 for military.

Please let me know if I'm wrong.

If I am wrong, maybe just consider how much training did the military give you? If you got about 8 hours of training, for this poll, you would have one class under your belt.

[jdege]

Thinking back on classes - how many here took a carry class from Darrell Mulroy, back in the day?

[IDPA Shooter]

I don't see an option for military service.

Also, maybe I'm being nit picky but I'd hardly consider DNR Firearm Safety classes "professional training".

My poll, my rules!

As you say, your poll, your rules. I also don't have military service in my background, but as a trainer I'll tell you in firearms training varies greatly depending on branch and speciality, with few getting much handgun training. The other issue I have is a 3 hr permit renewal class counts the same as a week at week at Gunsite, everyone would agree that is not the same thing. Last is the length of time since the training, as methods and tactics change and evolve over time.

But since I don't want to do my own poll, I'll stop with this. Several time s a year we get a permit student in who let's us know he is quite the shooter and is self or video trained. We tend to watch them closely and are generally impressed with their failure to get even the basics of grip, stance and sight picture. They generally shoot poorly compared to folks who actually listen in class and try what we show them.