I am interested in taking classes to become a certified firearms safety instructor

[Frankenstein1870]

Does anyone know where in MA I would go to take classes to get certified to become a certified firearms safety instructor? If so; where, and do you know aprox what the cost is to do so?

 

[Knob Creek]

Jon Green @ GOAL

 

[namedpipes]

Not to be Captain Obvious, but start with taking the sort of classes you intend to teach from a variety of instructors. See how each teaches and which are more effective. DON'T take their handouts as your own. They were someone else's hard work. And Toastmasters.

The key there is "certified". By whom? The state? Which state? Etc. Their website will have contact info to ask on the certification process. But you'll be a terrible teacher if you don't go through those first steps.

 

[Buck F]

Jon Green @ GOAL

100%! Jon runs a great NRA Home Firearms Safety Instructor class. Got my cert from him a few years ago so don't know if he's still teaching that one, but it was a blast. He taught a lot of cool stuff that was off curriculum as well.

Also Bill Dalpe of Patriot Firearms School in Rehoboth teaches a great NRA Pistol Instructor course and allows his certified instructors to sit in on the class again for free. Again, this was a few years ago and I did his class the 2nd time too, not sure if he's still doing that.

Not to be Captain Obvious, but start with taking the sort of classes you intend to teach from a variety of instructors. See how each teaches and which are more effective. DON'T take their handouts as your own. They were someone else's hard work. And Toastmasters.

The key there is "certified". By whom? The state? Which state? Etc. Their website will have contact info to ask on the certification process. But you'll be a terrible teacher if you don't go through those first steps.

If you get NRA Certified, which is probably the most recognized certification, you have to take whichever class you want to get your instructor cert in i.e. If you want to get an NRA Pistol Instructor cert you have to take NRA Basic Pistol class first. Be careful though, not everyone who's certified to teach NRA classes is also certified to teach the instructor course.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Only a very small percentage of NRA instructors are "Training Counselors" and able to grant "NRA instructor certification". The investment in time and money to become a Training Counselor is non-trivial (generally travel out of town a few days for the class), with the resule being that instructor courses tend to be priced as a business, not a club level with volunteers teaching. Expect to pay around $300 or so for the class.

The only certification that "counts" in MA is issued by the state police - $50 for 10 years and you need to prove you are qualified to be an instructor. While not the only proof accepted, an NRA instructor certificate makes for a very smooth path to approval by the MSP. Only state "Basic Firearms Safety" instructors can issue the certificate required to obtain an LTC or FID in MA.

I'm MA BFS instructor #7, and there are still two people with lower number current certifications.

 

[Buck F]

I'm MA BFS instructor #7, and there are still two people with lower number current certifications.

I'm only around 5,500 higher than you....