Interestingly enough, over on Facebook, "Active Self Protection" just posted this:
"
In my opinion, every CCW holder should be able to pass this test. Every single one. Being able to shoot to pass the FBI qualification test would be a good thing to be able to prove you can do if ever you are in a defensive shooting!"
The link he added was to Greg Ellifritz's discussion of the new FBI Qualification. (Greg's company is "Active Response Training" which is NOT the same group as "Active Self Protection," by the way.)
http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/shooting-drill-fbi-qualification-testIn there, Greg ALSO suggests something I mentioned in my Rule Two article:
I regularly advise students to shoot their local police qualification course, have it signed and witnessed by a shooting partner (or even better a police instructor), and save the target. It’s an idea I got from Massad Ayoob. If you have to shoot someone in self defense and your abilities are questioned by the court, it makes a pretty powerful statement to say:
“As a responsible gun owner, I didn’t feel comfortable carrying my gun in public until my skill level was at least as good as the police officers who patrol my community. I took several training classes and I successfully completed the state’s police pistol qualification course. Here’s the target to prove it.”...and that also clears up where I first heard of that idea, which was Massad Ayoob. I knew I had gotten that idea from someone else who had experience with court testimony, but I didn't remember who! (Off to go add the attribution for the idea to my article....)
Now, that isn't a "you shouldn't carry a gun if you can't meet this standard!" comment. Quite the contrary, I believe that self-defense is an inherent right, and with that being true, it is ALSO an inherent right to have access to the tools most effective for self-defense. Even though I'm a state-certified CCW class instructor, I don't actually LIKE the idea that people have to prove anything to the government before they are allowed the best tools with which to defend themselves.
That is separate from
things that will help you in court.
Ayoob (and Ellifritz) suggest doing this with your state's LEO qualification. My article said the CCW qual, but that is because I am working from a Rule Two perspective. The LEO qual would be a MUCH stronger statement in court, because that is the level we require of all law enforcement in Nebraska. Questions regarding your skill are then simply met by the statement: I demonstrated the ability that every police officer in Nebraska is required to have.
It IS true that once you've done the CCW qual and the state LEO qual for witnessed score, the new FBI qualification is another good one. If nothing else, it is also a good test of basic skills, and will tell you what fundamentals you should work on. True, there are some things in there that are less of a priority for citizens than LEOs, but overall it is a good check on your gun-handling and shooting skills.
Do I think the FBI Qualification is a good test of Rule 2? Eh.....not really. Rule Two really is a
base level for legal knowledge and gun-handling skills. The FBI qual is probably a step higher, at least with respect to getting a 100%. Our state LEO Qualification really is, to my way of thinking, a decent test of whether or not you are following Rule 2. (But at the least, you should be able to get a 100% on the CCW qualification.)
