Colorado CCW Training Warning

[Bailey Guns]

OK...an isolated incident. And this person, as poorly as they handled the gun, didn't have an accident and didn't hurt anyone.

I've had a LOT of advanced firearms training and I've been a firearms instructor, either military, police or civilian for over 20 years. And I hate to admit it, but I've had a negligent discharge. In my house of all places. And it scared the hell outta me. But it was because I got complacent...not because of a lack of training. As a matter of fact, it happened DESPITE all the training I'd had.

Have you ever had a ND? If so, should you and I be disqualified from carrying a gun now? Am I one of those people who "pose a danger to everyone around" me because I had an accident?

Training is a wonderful thing. But it doesn't make any human being immune from making a mistake.

I can't think of any profession that requires more training, retraining, ongoing training and recurrent training than airline pilots (ok...maybe astronauts). Airline pilots sometimes get complacent and make mistakes and lots of people die because of it. You can't train all human error out of people.

[Batteriesnare]

OK...an isolated incident. And this person, as poorly as they handled the gun, didn't have an accident and didn't hurt anyone.

I've had a LOT of advanced firearms training and I've been a firearms instructor, either military, police or civilian for over 20 years. And I hate to admit it, but I've had a negligent discharge. In my house of all places. And it scared the hell outta me. But it was because I got complacent...not because of a lack of training. As a matter of fact, it happened DESPITE all the training I'd had.

Have you ever had a ND? If so, should you and I be disqualified from carrying a gun now? Am I one of those people who "pose a danger to everyone around" me because I had an accident?

Training is a wonderful thing. But it doesn't make any human being immune from making a mistake.

I can't think of any profession that requires more training, retraining, ongoing training and recurrent training than airline pilots (ok...maybe astronauts). Airline pilots sometimes get complacent and make mistakes and lots of people die because of it. You can't train all human error out of people.

I agree with you on a lot of what you've said, and please understand that at this point I agree that qualification for permits may be an answer looking for a problem, but I do see in the future it potentially becoming part of the CCW permit process. Although it may have been an isolated incident that I described, I hardly believe it was the only of its type, and since it has happened, it does open the door for discussion using real issues, as opposed to the "feelings" that were brought up earlier.

I will admit that I too have had a ND. For me it was in the woods, and it was because I didn't have proper training. I didn't understand the operation of the safety on the rifle I was carrying (please don't flame me, I know that the first safety is keeping your finger off the trigger, I was 7 at the time, 21 now). It scared the hell out of me as well, and got me a good talking to. I'm not saying that because you made a mistake you are disqualified, but I am saying that if you don't have sufficient training then you may make a mistake under pressure, such as would be presented in a life or death (lethal force) confrontation.

I also agree that training doesn't make a human mistake proof, but it does significantly decrease the likelyhood of a mistake. For example, why do you think insurance companies give a break on car insurance if you've had driver education? Because you've had instruction and real life (on road in this example) experience under the supervision of an instructor, and therefore are less likely to make a mistake that would require a claim. I know nothing is 100%, but the closer you can make it the better I would think it is.

[Bailey Guns]

This reminds me of the perpetual anti-gunner argument about issuing permits in the first place..."the streets will run red with the blood of innocents."

Really? I've heard that argument over and over, year after year. It's never come to pass despite the dire predictions of the anti-gun crowd. Despite the fact that the majority of states require only minimal training, if any at all, to get a permit. As a matter of fact, the number of accidental deaths caused by guns has been on a downward trend for many, many years.

Again...show me a compelling need for all this training and retraining. When I've seen proof there is a compelling need, based on verifiable facts, I'll change my opinion. But right now, it looks like our system is working just fine.

Until then, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.