I love being a pistol instructor.

I’ve been teaching for almost 6 years now, and I’m always surprised when someone tells me they’ve never handled a pistol. Sometimes it’s because they haven’t had the opportunity, sometimes they are scared.

I can’t stress enough the importance of safety. Safety. Safety. Always keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to destroy whatever is in front of you. YOU are the safety on any firearm.

My parents went target shooting one time when I was a kid. My mom had never been shooting before, and as she held the pistol down to her side, my dad told her to keep her finger off the trigger. Too late. She ended up shooting herself in the leg. I can remember the little bottle of bullet fragments she kept in the bathroom closet. When people would say they didn’t believe it, we would go retrieve it to show them. She got lucky!

One of the reasons I enjoy being a pistol instructor is the look of empowerment. When you learn how to safely handle a firearm, you have more confidence. From there I can help my students fine tune their skills. There really is alot of work that goes into shooting. You have stance, grip, sight alignment, sight picture, breath control, trigger pull…. Sometimes it can be overwhelming. I try to make sure my students are relaxed. When they can relax, they do better and have fun. I want them to have fun.

My husband tells me how impressed he always is when he watches me teach. He says I am so patient. I want my students to enjoy their experience. I want them to say they had fun and learned a lot. And if they decide not to carry a firearm, it’s not because they are scared of it. It is a huge responsibility to choose to carry. It’s not for everyone.

Continue to practice. It’s spring and time to hit the range!