Please explain to this ignorant one just how "no ammunition and all firearms cleared before class starts" is a primary safety rule.
I would think that "Keep your booger finger off the bang switch" and "Do not finger-[expletive deleted] your gun" would be more in the area of primary safety rules.
Have you ever been on a "hot" range? What, if any, problems did you witness there? And if you are a proponent of "cold" ranges, please explain just how students are to gain any experience in moving about and doing all sorts of other thing while paying no heed to that loaded, lethal, death-ray on their hips as opposed to being indoctrinated and inculcated with the notion that guns are so inherently dangerous that you should never have a loaded one near you unless you are at the firing line of a square range?
Aren't we saying that we carry for self defense? How does one learn to carry for self defense and not finger-[expletive deleted] and otherwise mess with the gun unless they practice doing that in the classroom? Or are you in favor of sending them out into the world fully trained in the mechanics of shooting at paper targets but totally inexperienced in walking around with a gun on their hip and no paranoia about "what might happen" by merely walking around with that implement of death and destruction on their hip?
stay safe.
Skid, all the classes I have taken or taught start with the
classroom portion, in which no ammunition is allowed and all firearms are cleared. In that way both the instructor's firearms and any brought in by the students are considered safe, but also handled as if they are loaded, e.g., keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction means no sweeping of the instructor or students. When we move to the range portion, where what we learned or taught and practiced in the classroom becomes a "live" exercise with live ammunition and close supervision by the instructor and RSOs.
Please keep in mind that most of the classes we teach are Basic classes and the students are mostly new to firearms. We are teaching the basics, adhering to the three primary rules of firearm safety, augmented by the additional rules that follow on: Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target, Keep the firearm unloaded until ready to use, Know what's beyond your target, etc. Students in my classes get to handle and display understanding of handling firearms including stance, grip, trigger control, breath control, sight alignment and sight picture, and once they have been exposed to the fundamentals, we go onto the range where they practice what they have learned in the classroom. Many, if not most, students are handling firearms for the first time.
Even in advanced classes such as Defensive Pistol, the same
classroom rules apply: no ammo, cleared firearms. What differs, since the students are more advanced shooters, are the practical drills on the firing line: timed exercises, drawing from concealment, tap/rack/assess drills, handling misfires/malfunctions using a mix of live/dummy ammunition, tactical reloads, moving while shooting, shooting from cover/concealment, etc.
Yes, I have shot on an outdoor "hot" range, and I have seen people break the red line trying to recover something that has fallen from the bench. Most of the outdoor ranges where I shoot have "Cold range" periodically to allow shooters to examine their targets or to post new ones.
Of course we carry for self-defense. The skills you talk about in your last paragraph are best taught and practiced in advanced classes and in competitions such as IDPA.
Don't you want your fellow shooters to have a good understanding of the procedures and mechanics of the firearm they are going to be carrying before they begin to carry or attempt advanced courses? Comfort and familiarity with firearms is achieved in a variety of settings -- classroom and range -- and over time.
As far as becoming acclimated to OC or CC a loaded firearm, that can only be accomplished by actual experience. How many times have we read on here how paranoid the new carrier can be, thinking that everyone is staring at him/her? It's not until they have the experience of actually carrying openly and often, that they begin to become comfortable doing so, but with heightened situational awareness.
We both want the same thing, Skid: people who understand and appreciate the responsibilities and tactics of carrying firearms.