Real firearms training, not just an auditorium full of people listening to a lecture about gun safety and a little bit of legal considerations as part of a 4-hour Utah “class”. This one involves shooting, gun handling and more shooting by good instructors. Here’s the press release:
TrainIllinois is now teaching concealed carry classes, hosted at SIUC’s Touch of Nature. Our concealed carry classes exceed the minimum requirements established by the Illinois State Police. Our classes enable our students to carry safely and create a large knowledge base so that first-time shooters and experienced firearms users alike can make an educated decision on how to properly incorporate concealed carry with their lifestyle.
TrainIllinois makes these classes available to U.S. Citizens, 20 years of age or older, with a clean criminal record. We provide more than 20 firearms, a variety of holsters, and ammunition in class so that our students can learn to properly handle a pistol and practice with a variety of equipment before investing more money in a purchase. We designed our 16-hour class for the new shooter and offer an 8-hour class module for students that are already comfortable using a firearm and have an Illinois State Police-approved exemption (veterans and other individuals with acceptable training).
TrainIllinois employs two retired police officer trainers, a retired department of corrections officer, a Marine, and two competitive shooters, with over 100 combined years of training experience. Each instructor teaching the carry portion of our classes has been legally carrying for at least eight years.
For registration with a deposit and more information, go to www.TrainIllinois.com or call 618-534-5085.
Tim Giblin, the proprietor of TrainIllinois, added some of his thoughts on why his company agreed to team up with Southern Illinois University to offer these classes. Bringing classes to college students as part of a college or university isn’t without some controversy on the gun rights side as some have articulated that because universities were so aggressive in lobbying against a concealed carry bill, we as gun owners should do precious little to help them now that there’s a law on the books.
People were asking a lot of questions, primarily as to why we opted to teach at a liberal university. I think people are missing the purpose of a university when they ask that question. A universities goal is to provide information and how to evaluate information, and allow the students to think for themselves. Without actual information being presented on campus about firearms, just how are they supposed to come to any conclusion beyond whats pushed by mass media.
If your goal is not to brainwash but think, as a University’s should be they would be very open to allowing opposing points of views to be presented, SIUC has allowed a firearms class at their Touch of Nature facility to allow that. If your belief is that the 2nd amendment and firearms sell themselves, you should appreciate and applaud every school that allows firearms classes on their campus. If your longterm goal is to convince them to see that concealed carry is safe, this is the first step to do so.
Here’s a link to a (not-so-well written) article in the SIUC student newspaper.
Concealed carry classes offered at SIU
Kia Smith Apr 2nd, 2014(Daily Egyptian) – Despite concealed carry being banned on campus, classes are now being offered on SIU property to learn how to conceal and carry firearms.
Train Illinois, a firearms instruction agency, is hosting concealed carry classes at SIU’s Touch of Nature in Makanda.
While it is offered to SIU students, it is not an accredited class funded by the university, Tim Giblin, an instructor at Train Illinois said.
“This class is hosted on campus, however, students cannot take it as an accredited class,” he said. “The classes provide a safe environment for people 20 years old and older to learn how not to shoot yourself.”
Individuals 20 years or older, are provided 16 hours of class training if they are beginners, and eight hours of class training if they are experienced. The classes also allow students to practice with live firearms once classroom time is complete.