Having taught firearm familiarization, safety and handling to over 7,000 students over the past 30 years, we are well-versed in the basic principles of safe firearm handling. There can be mitigating factors in the improper use of a firearm such as insufficient or inappropriate training; unsafe handling technique; and human factors (operator/machine/environment interface) deficiency.

There are three possibilities with respect to instructor qualification. There are those credentialed by a reputable agency such as the National Rifle Association, the National Sporting Clays Association and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers’ Firearms Training Program. There are those that hold credentials from organizations that are not nationally recognized and those that hold no credentials.

When it comes to training accidents, it is important to know the appropriateness of the instructor’s certification, if any. Similarly, such organizations often have their own training programs that are professionally developed. The question is the appropriateness of the training program, the effectiveness of the delivery and the competence of the instructor(s). Such determinations are based upon years of experience in the industry.

Use-of-force law and concealed carry privileges and limitations are a key factor in a significant number of firearm-related litigation. It is important to understand the psychological and physiological issues that affect an individual when in a stressful situation. The accidental discharge of a firearm can easily be precipitated under stress. Other symptoms of a potentially lethal confrontation are tunnel vision, auditory exclusion, selective attention, short-term memory loss and accidental discharge as an outcome of the sympathetic nervous system.

Indoor and outdoor shooting ranges are potentially rife with hazards and subject to stringent federal, state and local laws and ordinances. We have consulted with county zoning departments and assisted with the development of shooting range ordinances.

Issues that come into play with respect to litigation are lead remediation; facility environmental issues; bullet containment; a safety management system; shooting range design, development and maintenance; shooting range Standard Operating Procedures; and instructor qualification. Having run shooting facilities for many years as large as 280 acres with 2500 members and dealing with all of these issues at one time or another, we are well-positioned to deal with such subjects.