Even in Deep Blue States, Firearms Training Courses Are Packed

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Even in the Democrat-blue New England states like Rhode Island, Americans are telling their governments “You ain’t takin my guns.” In fact, at the Newport Rifle Club in Middletown, RI, instructors simply can’t offer enough classes to meet all the demand for training. The Newport Daily News reports (abridged):

MIDDLETOWN — Interest has been so strong and registration so swift for a February pistol course at the Newport Rifle Club that the club’s chief instructor scheduled an additional class for March.

“I wasn’t planning on holding a class in March,” David Balasco said. But the National Rifle Association Basic Pistol Shooting Course — slated for Feb. 8 and open to both men and women — “filled up immediately,” he said.

“Quite honestly [it’s] very surprising,” Balasco said. The March 14 class is “already almost full” and a women-only class on April 11 is, also, almost at capacity. Classes are usually capped at eight students.

Balasco, who’s been the chief instructor for about two years, said he usually won’t get a class close to full until a few days prior to the course’s start date. Now, “months ahead of time, I’m already full,” he said. …

Plus, “Dave [Balasco] runs a good class,” Jones said; it’s a structured curriculum that offers a more intensive and comprehensive experience for people as opposed to tagging along with a friend for a casual day at the shooting range.

“We’re hardcore on safety,” Jones added.

Carla Panaggio Souza, who’s slated to teach the women-only NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Course in April, guessed that the high interest and class fill-ups could be attributed to a news story The Daily News ran in October. Souza said she was “approached by a lot of people” after the story ran; she was the only female instructor of the NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Course at the Newport Rifle Club at that time and had recently taught her first class.

“I did get a lot of reaction,” she said. “Positive reaction.”

Another potential reason for the spike? “I always think things get more intense when our rights are threatened,” Souza said. “Women get, maybe, nervous about protecting themselves,” she forwarded.