Thread: Mountain Safety Council Firearms Course

I recently took the firearms safety course run by the Mountain Safety Council at Auckland Central Police Station.

After hearing and reading some information about the course, I was looking forward to it. I felt that this course would be well structured and thought out. Offering a sound foundation for new shooters, instructing them in the types of firearms, their safe handling and an outline of the legislative act.

I could not have been further from the truth.

The course appeared to have no structure at all. If their were any learning outcomes other than the seven firearm rules, they were not presented or achieved. Much of the time spent discussing the seven firearm rules was utilized on a story, which was often drawn out so long and convoluted that I had to refer to the manual several times to remember what we had began to discuss. Yes, storytelling can be a useful way to provide an example of real world use or accidents, but it must easily connected to the topic.

Some vital information, required for the test, was only briefly touched on as the tests were handed out. Once again, this information was presented in a confusing and convoluted manner.

Information presented was often misleading or incorrect, such as:

• Students were told that it was allowed to leave a firearm unattended in a vehicle.
• Thumb hole stocks made a semi automatic an E Category firearm-Example shown was a Ruger10/22.
• People shouldn't use safeties.
• Firearms must be stored out of sight
• Hunting permits must be applied for months in advance and you must record the make, model and serial number of firearm to be used. If you buy a firearm after you apply, to not even think about taking it with you.
• Semi automatics are a poor choice for hunting.
• Display ammunition was often loaded and cycled though the action. Students were not informed that they were display only and could have easily believed that it was acceptable to cycle live ammunition through your firearm in a building.
• Shooting at night is perfectly safe. No mention was made, that it is illegal to shoot at night in State forests or National Parks.

Information that should have been included, but was not included or mentioned only in passing includes:

• Licence category's
• Firearm types-This was briefly covered with examples of most types of actions shown. I do not believe it was to an acceptable standard.
• Types of ammunition-A wide range of ammunition was on display, but was not really covered. One person asked a question of what is the difference between a centerfire and a rimfire, the answer "One kills better".
• Use of accessories that would change a firearm to a different category, such as a magazine holding more than 7 rds of center fire ammunition in a semi automatic.
• Duties and obligations of a firearm owner and user

This course is often many peoples first contact with firearms. If information is delivered to them in a haphazard manner or the information conveyed is false or misleading, it defeats the purpose of the course. People will not achieve the learning outcome(be safe and responsible firearms owners) and may face future criminal charges due to being presented with false information.

I feel that a practical skills test, such as what is in place in the Canadian Firearms Safety Course, would be hugely beneficial.

The way that this course was delivered, two men sitting at the front of a large class talking at the class, is not conducive to an adult learning environment and does not cater for the 3 types of learners; auditory, visual and kinesthetic .

I believe that this course needs an urgent assessment on its suitability and relevancy to the required information. Instructors need further training, and need to be assessed on their competency to deliver this training in accordance NZQA framework.