Ways to Better Afford Firearms Training
by esrice
by esrice
According to a 2011 INGO poll, 55% of respondents picked "Can't afford it" as their top reason for not taking firearms training classes.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...t_you_take_any_firearms_training_classes.html
As someone who has enjoyed the many benefits of taking firearms training classes, I'd like to share some of my experience and give INGOers some ideas on ways they can afford it.
The Cost of Training
Training is expensive-- no bones about it. My goal here isn't to tell you that its not expensive, but rather to give you some ways to better afford it.
As an example, let's say I wanted to take a 3-day defensive pistol course from Training Company XYZ out in Arizona. Taking this class is going to require a big investment-- especially if I'm new to firearms in general.
$500 - Pistol
$50 - Holster
$25 - Mag pouch
$40 - Gun belt
$80 - Spare magazines
$250 - 1k rounds of ammo
$600 - 3-day defensive pistol course
$500 - Round-trip airfare
$300 - Hotel for 3 nights
So, based on these very rough figures, that's a minimum investment of $2,345 to get you 3-days of professional training.
And the price would continue to go up if you jumped to carbine or precision rifle training, or if you took a longer course farther away.Now I can't really help you when it comes to that first category of expenses. Typically those are things we already have anyway. Its in the second category where you can really find some savings if you're smart about it.
Burning the Candle at Both Ends
There are two ways to better afford training-- 1) cut down on the cost of the training itself, and 2) find creative ways to save up for the training that's within your reach.
Cutting Training Costs
So now we need to cut costs in the second category. The quickest and easiest way to accomplish this is to. . . .
Train Locally
Finding a suitable training company that is within driving distance quickly eliminates any airfare costs, and, depending on its proximity, eliminates the hotel costs also. Sure, there will be some added gasoline cost, but by staying local you just saved yourself ~$800.
Now that we've cut our travel costs, we need to cut down that $600 tuition fee. We can do that by. . . .
Take 1-day Courses
Single-day courses are a great way to train without breaking the bank. They aren't typically as in-depth or involved as the longer courses, but they're often a great value for your dollar. For folks whose #2 reason for not training is "Don't have the time", these are often easier to fit into your busy schedule.
Some outfits are now offering even smaller 4-hour "training blocks" at dirt cheap prices. These often cover very narrow and specific topics, but you can take them for a song.
Seek Out Unique Opportunities
INGO is a fantastic community, and hidden inside you can often find some unique training opportunities for little to no cost. One member has offered, and continues to offer, intro-type pistol classes for FREE. Some training companies offer discounts just for being an INGO member. Others give away courses in contests, or as tuition-free scholarships to those with a special and specific need.
Do you have access to a range or training venue? Do you have contacts that do? Most trainers will offer their course gratis to those who host them and provide them with access to more students. This is a great way to exchange some leg-work on your end for no-cost training. Don't be afraid to think outside the box. Maybe you don't own a suitable shooting range, but you do have access to an area suitable for force-on-force or combatives training. If you can help provide a training company with a place to train, and people to train, they'll gladly let you participate in exchange.
Remember how I said I couldn't really help with the first category of expenses? That isn't exactly true. . . .
Cut out the Equipment Cost
Not sure about firearms but want to test the waters without buying a gun and gear? Borrow it all from a friend. Don't have friends with guns? Get active on INGO and get some.
Or contact the training outfit you are most interested in and inquire about loaners or rentals. Most trainers want to make a way for you to receive proper training-- if you want it, they'll work their best to make it happen. With the advent of Simunitions, AirSoft, UTM, and other realistic marking guns, trainers can now offer force-on-force and combatives courses that require ZERO equipment from you as the student. You show up with a pen, paper, and an open mind-- they provide the rest. Combine this with a 1-day course schedule and you've got yourself a full day of training at the least amount of initial investment.
So we've now gone from a $2,345 total investment to a $150 total investment to a possible $0 total investment.
Saving for Training
Budget for Training
This is the first and most obvious way. In the same way you'd budget for a new roof, or school supplies, or groceries, make training a priority and set aside a few bucks every week or every pay period until you have enough to train where you want to train. You didn't need that extra Big Mac anyway.
Exchange Hardware for Software
I have to give a
to the guys who say in one thread "I can't afford training", but in another say "Check out my new Wilson Combat 1911!" Its not that they can't afford it, its that they hold hardware (guns/gear) as a higher priority than software (skills). Anyone who's been on INGO for more than a day knows I love gear. But gear is useless if I don't have the skills to use it properly and safely. Its useless to me and to anyone I might have hopes and dreams of helping with it. Go to your gun safe. Pull out that dust-laden $300 bought-on-a-whim pistol or rifle and toss it in the INGO classifieds. Take the proceeds and sign up for the class of your choosing. This is by far the easiest way for folks to quickly afford a training class, and the skills learned in that class will certainly outweigh the value of that long-forgotten gun. In fact, such a class will actually enhance the personal value of your other guns, as you will now have a better understanding of how to effectively employ each remaining one.
Above all, making training a priority in your life is the biggest step you can make toward affording training. Once its your priority, things have a way of working themselves out. Whether you take the rest of my advice or not.
If anyone has questions I'd be glad to answer them based on my own experience. I kept things intentionally generalized but I can make specific recommendations for each idea expressed.
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