NRA Pistol Instructor Course

[Middle Age Russ]

Regarding the use of the slide stop, consider this... The NRA course materials are designed to work for as many attendees as possible, with as many different types of equipment as possible. Students run the gamut from burly former/current military men to "frail" old men and women with arthritis and little hand strength. Equipment ranges from well-worn, precisely machined, high-end pistols to brand-new, inexpensively made, bargain basement guns. Couple someone with limited hand strength and arthritis with an inexpensive brand-new pistol, and using the slide stop as a slide release is a non-starter - they simply don't have the thumb strength to overcome the tight springs and gritty surfaces. This is why NRA promotes and teaches the sling-shot method of returning the pistol to battery. It is likely to be more often be effective for nearly anyone.

I agree with the OP that someone taking the instructor course should have sufficient ability with their own hardware to successfully complete the live-fire portion of the class. Having a stand-by gun on hand, either their own or someone else's, to use in the event of a breakage is also a good idea.

It is indeed a good idea for instructors to work with different actions and feature sets to be able to assist students as needed.

[Skiprr]

I did learn some good stuff.
I was doing the class in order to get my LTC instructor cert, but after taking the NRA instructor class, I think I will try to teach some NRA classes too - get people into shooting safely.

A number of LTC instructors continue to offer the "NRA Basics of Pistol Shooting" course as a preliminary class for those interested (or potentially interested) in getting their license, but who have little familiarity with handguns. Makes a valuable combination for the student, and gives you another class offering.

Depending on your situation regarding access to range and classroom time, now that you have your basic NRA certifications, you might also want to look into one or all of NRA Basics of Personal Protection in the Home, Basics of Personal Protection Outside the Home, and Defensive Pistol courses. None of these are advanced curricula like you can find with well-known tactical training schools like Gunsite, Rangemaster, Thunder Ranch, CSAT, etc., but they're a pretty good set of next-step trainings for new LTCs looking to get some additional instruction, can offer a bridge to more advanced training, and have the advantage that you're teaching an NRA course that results in an NRA certificate. So you're not trying to establish your own curriculum, you're presenting one that's nationally established.