Increase in NRA Training

In recent years, I’ve met more and more gun owners – people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. It’s no surprise as there has been a steady rise in gun owners over the past few years.

Along with the rise in the popularity of firearms, gun owners have been increasing the demand for firearms training. Whether you are interested in firearms for sport, recreation or personal protection – proper training and education is important to ensure you are a safe and responsible gun owner. And who better to provide that training than the industry leader.

The National Rifle Association was created after all, for firearms education, safety, training and marksmanship.

The numbers don’t lie.

Over the past 5 years, about 1.2 million people have gone through an NRA beginner pistol course.

Last year alone there were nearly 200,000 students, a 165% increase since 2010.

35% of the student population in 2015 were women. Of both men and women, 40% of the students ranged between ages 31 and 54.

However, the two fastest growing age groups were those under age 18 and those over age 65.

Students under the age of 18 increased by 200% from 2010 to 2015, while students age 65 and over increased by 302% during that same time period.

The number of students skyrocketed in 2013 with a 287% increase from 2010, which included almost 4 times as many women and 2.5 times as many men.

Along with the rise in students seeking training, the NRA has seen a rise in Instructors seeking certification. Currently there are over 125,000 Certified Instructors and the NRA is constantly working on new ways to pair students with Instructors.

The NRA Basics of Pistol Shooting is a part of the new blended learning format. The classroom portion of the course is taught online, allowing for more people to learn at their own pace, in the convenience of their own homes. It provides opportunity to reach new demographics, and expand training methodologies while meeting modern day standards of learning.

Students have more time to become familiar and comfortable with the material before heading to the range with an NRA Instructor. Meanwhile, this gives instructors the opportunity to provide more hands-on training.

Be sure to check out the new NRA Basics of Pistol Shooting online training course today!