Posted: 3/20/2008 4:46:52 PM EDT
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Well here's my question..i have been a carpenter for 10 years now and im no longer happy with the work...My ideal job (im sure yours too) would be to shoot guns all day! What kind of work is available in this line? or.... What is a realistic pay scale for a firearm instructor? Can you make a full time living doing it...or is it more of a part time income type deal you do on the weekends? Thanks guys. |
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From 2002-2004 I worked as a Civilian instructor for the USN, teaching Force Protection/Security/Marksmanship/Tactical Shooting. I don't suppose the USN is doing anything like that at Great Lakes, or that you live nearby... That was a full time, salaried job, with bennies, but I suspect that's pretty rare in most places. I think doing classes on the weekends is far more common. If you can build some experience or specialize in something, it's easier to do it full time. Also, depending on where you are, check out if there are any positions available at Blackwater North (that's somewhere in IL). I have no idea what they pay instructors in the States. I have to admit that, when I was NOT an instructor, part of my weekend routine was to go to the range on Saturday afternoon and burn a hundred rounds of .45; after it became my job, it was exactly that - a "job". Ever since then I have shot far less. It can also get very frustrating when a student isn't able to shoot as well as you want him/her too, even as a beginner. What seems deceptively simple to us after years of shooting can be very difficult for a novice, and that's easy to forget. You probably need to have either e military or LE background, even if it was a long time ago; in my experience they aren't so keen on pure "range" guys, though it's more likely to be acceptable to the USN than it is BW. Since 2004 I've been working as a security contractor overseas, so I've got plenty of opportunities to shoot - in fact there are some requirements... But, I'd have to say a pretty sweet gig would be writing full time for Guns and Ammo or something (like Patrick Sweeney). I just remembered that I recently saw that Cheaper than Dirt is hiring people to shoot and write - do you have any interest in moving to TX? Hope this helped... |
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Well there are actually a few places in this state..BWN is about 2 hours away,so thats out of the question...I am considering moving to Indian within the next 2 years. I know the frustrations will be there teaching people,i have taught alot at my job now,its something im prepared to deal with. I have alot of clsses under my belt,i dont know if it will be worth shelling out the money for instructor classes though...i mean,if the work doesnt pay off after. 1 guy i know told me he makes a few grand a month as an NRA instructor,,,but he's one of those guys that you can only belive 1/3 of what comes out of his mouth. |
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In order to get good money as an instructor, you have to have some sort of background that impresses people. Most (but certainly not all) instructors have military or police background and that certainly looks good on the resume. I had a friend who worked for a big name firearms manufacturer/gunsmith. I won't mention the name of the company but will say that it is a well known company and people here would immediately recognize the name. His full time job there for awhile was to test fire guns. All he did was shoot and I can say that he was a phenomenal shot! So that's a possiblilty to look at for you. If you don't intend to join the military or police but still want to pursue this avenue, you need to look into it as a part time job until you get some name recognition. Then, try to get on as an assistant instructor for a big name company and work your way up. Basically it will probably take you years but it certainly can be done. Just don't expect a job that you can live on to happen overnight. Good luck. 
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