The criteria to be an instructor for the North Carolina Concealed Handgun Class is not very stringent. No law enforcement experience is required. You only need an NRA Basic Pistol Instructor certification and a four-hour class presented by the NC Department of Justice. There are many new instructors teaching this class, and many are just minimally qualified.
The NRA Basic Pistol Instructor’s course does not teach ANY legal issues, nor does it require prior law enforcement experience. It is all about safety and firearms. I can assure you that without a substantial law enforcement background or many hours of legal training, an instructor cannot correctly answer the many, many questions that arise in class about the use of deadly force.
Your training will be an important part of your defense if you are ever charged with violating the Use of Deadly Force laws. A competent instructor — one with many hours of courtroom experience — will be a valuable asset for you and your attorney if you have to appear in court as a result of your use of deadly force.
All too often, citizens who use deadly force end up being convicted of manslaughter because they did not meet all the requirements of perfect self-defense. Their imperfect defense is usually the result of not having sufficient knowledge of the law and therefore violating the self-defense criteria for a perfect self-defense case. Proper training will usually prevent such a situation from occurring.
Chris Raper — my background
- Over 40 years of law enforcement
- Four years as a Security Police Officer (K-9), USAF — Vietnam service 1966–1967
- Certified by the NC Department of Justice as a Firearms Safety Instructor
- National Rifle Association instructor for the Basic Pistol, Rifle and Basic Shotgun courses
- Certified NRA Range Safety Officer
- Graduate of Massad Ayoob’s Lethal Force Institute
- Graduate of firearms classes by world-class instructors: Larry Vickers (Vickers Tactical), Bruce Gray (Gray Guns), Scott Warren (Warren Tactical), Randy Harris (Suarez International), Rob Haught (shotgun)
Dianne Raper — assistant instructor
My wife, Dianne, serves as my assistant and is a retired educator, having taught in the NC public school system for 34 years. Dianne is also an avid shooter and a graduate of Massad Ayoob’s Lethal Force Institute.
LFI is the most intensive and premier training course in the nation for citizens who want the absolute best training in the Judicious Use of Deadly Force and StressFire. StressFire is a method of shooting developed by leading firearms expert and noted author Massad Ayoob, and involves the use of firearms under extreme stress.
Instructors I have trained under
I wish everyone could have the opportunity to train under the skillful and watchful eye of Massad Ayoob. Anyone who considers a firearm for defense should train with him. In his career, Massad has authored over ten books and written over one thousand magazine articles. He continues to serve as an expert witness on the use of deadly force in numerous criminal trials throughout the country. I consider Mas to be THE nation’s expert on the use of deadly force.
Bruce is a master of his trade, and anyone who has a chance to train under him should not allow the opportunity to pass. Bruce is a master gunsmith specializing in Sig Sauer firearms (grayguns.com). Bruce has been competing for more than three decades and holds the highest classifications in all three action shooting disciplines: NRA Action, USPSA/IPSC and IDPA. He has won gold medals on several world-championship teams and a number of state, regional and national titles, shooting as a sponsored shooter for Heckler & Koch and Sig Arms. Bruce has also worked as an overseas contractor and as a firearms instructor for a federal agency as well as law enforcement.
Larry Vickers is a US Army retired Sergeant Major who served 15 years on a Delta Force assault team and is one of the founding members of the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA). As the owner of Vickers Tactical, he offers world-class firearms training. I consider it an honor and privilege to have trained under his guidance. Larry is as good at his AR-15 shooting classes as he is at pistol — I completed both his pistol and AR-15 classes in 2011. He teaches “real world” shooting methods.
Scott is a retired FBI agent, having been a lead firearms instructor for many years. He also served on the FBI Hostage Rescue Team. Scott has made great strides in developing combat sights for handguns. I consider it an honor and privilege to have had the opportunity to train under his guidance and expertise.
Rob Haught is THE expert shotgun instructor for Grey Group Training. Rob teaches a method of shotgun recoil mitigation that will make anyone a believer. After nearly 400 rounds of shotgun shells over two days and no sore shoulder, I am a believer! It is the method we teach in our Shotgun for Home Defense class.
Before you select an instructor, COMPARE FIRST! Then see our NC Concealed Handgun Carry Class or call 252-937-8198.