Wyoming statutes set the standards required for “Proof of Firearms Familiarization” and the relevant portion in our context is having taken a class from an NRA Certified Instructor. (Technically, an NRA Certified Instructor could provide a drunken 30-second “class” and offer a certificate at the end! Yikes! There are many 10’s of thousands of NRA Instructors in the country, and over a thousand of them are pretty good.
Here at the Jackson Hole Shooting Experience, our standards are far higher than those of the NRA or the State of Wyoming. Our pistol coaches are world class, far more advanced than the NRA Instructor’s standards. Some of our coaches spend the needed couple of days getting their NRA Instructor certifications, and another couple of days traveling to and from. Other excellent instructors do not participate in this bureaucratic step. If, when you booked your lesson or experience with us, you told the Booking Guru that you wanted a certificate of completion of CFP application purposes, you were matched with an instructor who is NRA Certified. If you did not make this request, perhaps your coach was not NRA certified.
Days, months or years later, if you then request, “Proof of firearms familiarization” from us for purposes of applying for a CFP; we want to be able to give it to you, however we do need to comply with government dictates. Since we would need to pay our coaches for their time and effort if they provided a follow-up session, we have decided on a different method. One of our owners, Shepard Humphries, has volunteered his time for a short testing session. This is ONLY available to former students who have paid for full-price lessons or experiences with us.
Contact our Booking Gurus to schedule a 5-minute Zoom call with Shepard, and he will ask you to demonstrate a number of things taken from the below list.
Safety!!!
- Remove all ammunition from the room prior to the Zoom call.
- You will need to have a pistol & a magazine.
Shepard will ask you to demonstrate a handful of knowledge/skills with your pistol, taken from the below list. You will need a pistol and a magazine. Remove all ammunition from the room prior to the Zoom call.
Things a Student Should Know How To Demonstrate for Pistol Operation Familiarity
All demonstrations will be done without any live ammunition in the room.
- Safety First:
- Keep the finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
- Point the pistol in a safe direction at all times.
- Always keep the pistol unloaded until ready to use.
- Always treat the pistol as if it’s loaded.
- Proper Grip:
- Demonstrate how to hold the pistol correctly, with both hands where applicable, ensuring a firm but not overly tight grip. (Not 1960’s cup & saucer)
- Loading and Unloading:
- Properly insert and remove a magazine.
- Show where on your pistol the caliber is engraved.
- Load and unload rounds from the magazine. (We will not do this – you must not have ANY ammunition in the same room during our Zoom)
- Chamber and extract a round safely. (We will not do this – you must not have ANY ammunition in the same room during our Zoom)
- Sight Alignment:
- Properly align the front and rear sights.
- Demonstrate a correct sight picture.
- Should ocular focus be on the rear sight, front sight or target?
- Stance:
- Adopt a stable shooting stance.
- Trigger Control:
- Press the trigger smoothly without jerking or disturbing the sight alignment.
- Clearing Malfunctions:
- Demonstrate how to safely clear common pistol malfunctions, like stovepipes, misfires, and double feeds. (We will not do this – you must not have ANY ammunition in the same room during our Zoom)
- Safe Storage:
- Explain how to store the pistol safely when not in use.
- Understanding of Ammunition:
- Differentiate between different types of ammunition.
- Select the correct ammunition for the specific pistol.
- Familiarity with Controls:
- Identify and operate the safety, slide lock, magazine release, and other pertinent controls.
- Range Etiquette:
- Demonstrate understanding of range rules and commands.
- Discuss how to behave safely on a shooting range.
- Basic Shooting Techniques:
- Demonstrate different shooting techniques like slow fire, rapid fire, and controlled pairs.
- Awareness of Legal Aspects:
- Show understanding of local, state, and federal laws related to pistol ownership, transportation, and use. (Based on information from these videos.
- Holster Use (if applicable):
- Safely draw and re-holster the pistol without flagging oneself or others.
- Demonstrate the correct use of a holster’s retention devices.
All demonstrations will be done without any live ammunition in the room.