What You Should Look For in a Concealed Carry Class

Are you considering obtaining your concealed carry permit? One of the first things you’re going to need to do is find the right concealed carry class and instructor. With the growing demand for concealed carry permits, the options for classes and instructors have expanded. Here in the Bozeman area and the Gallatin Valley, it seems that new concealed carry class instructors are being minted every week. All it takes to get your instructor certification is to be a reasonably good shooter, take a two day class, pass a basic test and pay a fee.

However, not all instructors are created equal. To ensure you receive quality training and instruction, it’s essential to know what to look for in a concealed carry class instructor.

• Temperament: When evaluating a concealed carry class instructor, pay attention to their temperament. You want someone who has the heart of a teacher. A good instructor should be patient, understanding, and able to effectively communicate with students of all skill levels and learning styles. The instructor should create a supportive learning environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and seeking clarification on complex topics. Additionally, a calm and composed demeanor is essential, especially during firearms training, where safety is paramount. If the instructor’s website looks like they’re going to train you to become a special forces operative, that might not be the right temperament for a civilian looking to become responsible for their own safety.
• Background: Concealed carry class instructors come from various backgrounds, including ex-military, law enforcement, teachers, lawyers, and medical personnel. Each background brings unique skills, knowledge, experience and perspectives to the classroom, but there are pros and cons to consider:
  • Ex-Military: Former military personnel often have extensive firearms training and experience in high-pressure situations. They may excel in teaching tactical skills and firearm handling techniques. However, they should also possess the ability to adapt their training methods to civilian contexts and emphasize legal and ethical considerations. I’ve seen military instructors who talk about the combat mindset of speed, surprise, and violence of action. Ask yourself how well that applies in the civilian context of a defensive shooting and the aftermath. Does it prepare you to justify the actions you took?
  • Law Enforcement: Instructors with a law enforcement background have firsthand knowledge of situational awareness, self-defense scenarios and the legal use of force. They’ve seen almost everything. Their skills and training often translate much better to the civilian context. They are great for pointing out things concerning situational awareness that you might not have considered. The best defensive move is often to just leave. Their tactics don’t depend upon being able to call in an artillery strike. You want to train to stop the threat, not defeat the enemy.
  • Teachers: Educators bring strong instructional skills and the ability to simplify complex concepts for students. They excel in creating structured lesson plans and fostering a positive learning environment. However, they may require additional firearms training to become proficient instructors in this specialized field. What you should be looking for is someone who has the heart of a teacher, but a great deal of experience in firearms training.
  • Lawyers: Legal professionals can provide in-depth knowledge of firearms laws and regulations, legal use of force and the law of self defense, ensuring students understand their rights and responsibilities as concealed carry permit holders. They can offer valuable guidance on legal issues related to self-defense. However, they should also have practical firearms experience to complement their legal expertise. A lawyer instructor should be able to train you how to evaluate a threat and take the correct lawful action to protect yourself and your loved ones. But they also need to understand the dynamic nature of real-life threat encounters. As an instructor once said, “While you’re deciding on whether your next move is an proportional response to the threat, that bad guy has already decided to kill you.”
  • Medical Personnel: Doctors, nurses, and EMTs all can be excellent instructors. Dealing with high-stress situations is part of the daily routine for medical personnel. Whether it’s in the emergency room or on the scene of an accident, they must remain calm and focused under pressure. If you’re going to learn first aid such as Stop the Bleed, who better to learn it from? Learning shot placement from someone who has actually seen what works to stop a threat and what doesn’t is extremely valuable. Medical personnel also tend to have attention to detail, which is essential for ensuring proper technique and firearm handling. An instructor with a medical background who can effectively communicate these details to students will help them develop safe and effective shooting skills.
• Facilities: The facilities where the concealed carry class is held play a crucial role in the overall learning experience. If you’re taking a class where the classroom and the range are a 15 minute van ride apart, the ability to shift back and forth between the range and the classroom is quite limited. Look for a class that offers a shooting range connected to the classroom, allowing for seamless transition between classroom instruction and practical live-fire application. A well-equipped range provides students with the opportunity to practice shooting under the supervision of qualified instructors. A separate set of tables that are supervised by a Range Safety Officer (RSO) for filling magazines is critical to safety, especially when you have a class with students that may lack familiarity with their firearms. A single instructor who is working with a group of students on the line while others are filling their magazines unsupervised is a recipe for disaster. Additionally, other amenities such as clean restrooms and a kitchen are essential for ensuring comfort and convenience during long training sessions. Having the range and the classroom in the same facility also allows the class to adapt as needed to the highly variable Montana weather. If the first half of the day is in a classroom classroom and then you get in the van to go to a cow pasture miles away for the second half of shooting, there’s a good chance you’re going to spend some of that time cold and wet because there isn’t any flexibility in the schedule.
• Cost: You can find classes that meet the requirement for a Montana Concealed Weapons Permit (CWP) for about $50 for two hours of instruction. If you’re already an expert shooter and you just need the permit, this might be for you. This type of class will give you a quick run through on Montana’s self defense laws, and that’s about it. If you’re just getting into firearms, this type of class is a horrible idea. The old adage of “never go cheap on something upon which your life may depend” holds true. A training facility with classrooms, basic amenities like indoor bathrooms, and professional instructors costs more money. But think about it: If you ever find yourself needing to protect your life or the life of the ones you love, your last thought won’t be “I’m sure glad I saved money on my training!” Now, that doesn’t mean that the most expensive training in the Gallatin Valley is where you should go either. Instead, look for the best staff and facilities for your needs.
• Experience: How long has the training center or the instructor been doing this? It’s not ideal to be the student who serves as the practice ground for a new instructor. Does the training center have a large staff with a variety of backgrounds? Perhaps the training center’s instructors have a background in firearms use, but do they have a background in actually teaching firearms? Do they have a program for bringing in new instructors before they turn them loose on students? Do they have a reputation of hosting national level instructors who come to teach as guest instructors?
• Staff to Student Ratio: For beginners, this is a safety issue. You don’t want to attend a large class with a single instructor. No matter how good the instructor, they don’t have eyes in the back of their head. Especially for beginner shooting courses, you want to see multiple instructors and Range Safety Officers and not just a single “guru” leading a class. Learning proper technique requires 1:1 teaching. It requires a staff to student ratio that allows the instructors to work with individual students, not just show off in front of a class, and with adequate supervision and assistance provided for students not on the firing line.

When you take all of the above into account, there’s really only one choice in Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley for a concealed carry class and firearms training. Montana Tactical Firearms Instruction has a staff of seven instructors, with backgrounds in law enforcement, teachers, lawyers, and medical personnel. There’s some ex-military too, but they did other things in their career before getting into firearms instruction. MTFI is a gentle and welcoming environment to learn how to shoot safely. All of the instructors are extremely skilled shooters, but they also are great teachers. The facility has two classrooms, clean restrooms, a kitchen, an indoor prep bay, an outdoor pistol range with high berms just outside the classroom and bay, and a shotgun and rifle range just beyond the range. The cost of a concealed carry class at MTFI isn’t the least expensive, but it’s certainly reasonable especially for what you get: A full day of classroom AND live fire instruction. MTFI has a program to bring new instructors online — you won’t be taught by someone teaching their first class alone. They have been in operation for more than fifteen years. Every class has an excellent staff to student ratio. World class trainers teach as guest instructors from time to time. They even have a video simulator to teach you real world scenarios for “shoot/don’t shoot” decision making!