This article from Florida:
Gun safety instructor sees dramatic drop in students after Florida law takes effect
Since permitless carry became law in Florida, Tampa Bay area firearms instructors say more gun owners are choosing not to go through the safety training previously required to own a gun in Florida.
“You do not understand how to use a firearm properly unless you’ve taken extensive firearms training,” said Ryan G. Thomas, owner of Tampa Carry, which offers the previously required concealed firearms training, and more advanced training courses as well.
Before the permitless carry law went into effect, Thomas said about 1,000 people would take the concealed carry class every month. Since the law went into effect July 1, Thomas said the number of people taking the course significantly dropped, with only about 200 people a month.
“It upsets me at how many people think that owning a firearm is a game,” Thomas said. “They think all they need to do is buy a gun, walk into a gun range, and they’re just going to figure this out on their own.”
“The CWP classes, I’ve heard from colleagues in multiple counties across the state, and from the NRA at the state level, are down significantly,” said Jeff Davis, owner of GUNSAFETY4U.
“When you go through the licensing process, number one, you have to be trained and then certified by an instructor as being safe per the Florida rules,” Davis said. “What it really provides you with is portability, it allows you to go beyond the borders of Florida.”
I will absolutely agree that firearms training is important and people should get as much of it as they can.
Also, I just spent eight hours going through the Massachusetts LTC permit class hsving previously going through the four hour Florida class, eight hour Arizona, Utah, North Carolina, and Nebraska classes, and the sixteen hour Illinois class, sixteen hours of NRA pistol instructor certification, and several days at the Sig Academy and Thunder Ranch.
That eight hour course taught me nothing I didn’t already know and have taught to others.
Another mandatory class was just a time suck for me.
I had a buddy move to FL. He had to sut through the FL CCW class and he was a C-class USPSA shooter and an RSO.
I highly recommend training for new shooters.
I hate mandatory training for CCW permits because I don’t like the idea of having to pay someone for a piece of paper to exercise a right.
Also, this guy could sound a lot less like a dick who’s chaffed that a guaranteed source of income was taken from him.
If you’re a firearm instructor in Florida, try and sell your training services as some added value, instead of insulting people.
Hmmm, as a firearms trainer and teacher in Florida, I have experienced the exact opposite trend. But I never offered the previously state mandated CCP classes and never wanted to engage in that part of the industry. I have friends who were in that sector of the industry, and they too had their classes diminish in numbers. But all of them have transitioned to elemental to advanced training offerings and are doing quite well.
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I have surveyed the customers I have since July and have found that the money they were going to use to get the license was reallocated to training anyway. The reality here in Central Florida is that new conceal carry gun owners want to learn responsible lawful conceal carry. And I do encourage all customers to go ahead and get Florida state certified training anyway because of the additional benefits they’ll have with a CCP. The students who want to travel out of state do acquire their CCP.
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The artificial monopoly is over and it’s time for guys like the one in this story to adapt and excel, promoting the freedoms the Constitution protects. Follow the market and be a part of the solution.
Rat wants his chunk of that Government Cheese.
He is probably has a safe full of NFA Full Auto and is against the repeal of the Hughes Amendment too.
You read my mind.
The same thing happened to me here in Maine, I spent money and time training to be an NRA certified instructor and right after I completed it we got Constitution carry. Now, Im not whining because I lost income, my basic firearm course is $25.and includes Maine LAWS. And I do alot of free stuff. But permitless carry means “I can carry a gun now so BLEEP the course”.
Simple solution: Offer value so that people want to spend their time and money on your instruction.
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If your entire business model is based on, “It’s required by law, so people have to take the class,” you’re doing it wrong. Your customer base is mile-wide and puddle-deep; a lot of people will pay for the required class because it’s required, and then never darken your doorstep again.
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If you offered something more, they might come back for additional training beyond what’s required by law, and you wouldn’t be in this position.
True. I haven’t pushed instruction as I have a “real” job and other stuff going on..
Exactly right Archer. When I did my market research almost thirteen years ago in my county, it was clear that no one was providing training beyond what was required by the state to obtain a CCP. I began to market a product that would address real life gun-crime news stories, offering training scenarios which mimicked what they saw in videos of those crimes in their news feeds. My product also included Florida self-defense law as a guide, a base, upon which to implement self-defense tactics which would serve to educate them on lawful use of deadly force in those situations. My customer base has grown every year. and with the passing of constitutional carry here this year, my part-time 25-30 hr. a week business is now consuming all my time. I don’t expect this wave to continue but I could be wrong due to the leftist agenda producing fear throughout my region. People are spending their extra cash on gun, ammo and tactical training instead of golf, fishing, and dining out, which are all taking a huge hit right now.
I have a simple view on this guy or any other gun guy who supports government restrictions — be they mandated training, “universal background check” or anything else like that — they need to go out of business. Selling your soul to the enemies of freedom in exchange for a quick buck or or guaranteed paycheck is despicable, and I am not going to cut any slack to people who do such things.
A local gun store/indoor range that was the go-to guy for the local media learned that one the hard way. In 2015, he said he was all in favor of “mandatory gun safety classes” before you could buy a gun. In 2016 when the “Universal Background Check” was being pushed hard by Obama, the he stated in an interview that he was in favor of it because “closing the gun show loophole” and making people go through dealers would “even the playing field”.
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The blowback was immediate and fierce. Actions by whoever was managing the place’s social media didn’t help and they ended up nuking their social media until it blew over. Many locals swore the place off, but I imagine the transient nature of the town have kept him in business in the years since.
“… safety training previously required to own a gun in Florida.”
What?
Safety training was not required to own a gun in Florida.
A little propaganda in that news article, just mentioned in passing.
Was it required to get a concealed carry permit?
I think so. Gun shows would often reserve a room for the training and a nominal fee.
Or a DD214. And prints.
I’m betting that only 200 of his former 1000 were there to actually learn and the other 800 were there watching the clock to fulfill a requirement. And it requires EXTENSIVE training to use a firearm properly? Really? If he was selling that idea in the required course he was, in my opinion, using that course as a profit enhancement tool.