I want to go to Gun School like the cool kids do. But I don’t want to go to the wrong gun school, and I sure as hell don’t want to go to a gun school where I’m that guy. You know, the guy who is hopelessly lost and causes the entire class to have to slow down so he can catch up- if he does at all.
I have heard things about schools, and some of them are fairly intimidating. I tend to lump schools into , lets say, five different categories, and here they are, grossly oversimplified.

1: Basic NRA class. My amigo Mr B teaches these, and they constitute safe firearms handling and basic shooting. I have not attended one though I have witnessed enough of them to understand that’s where everyone ought to begin.
2: Basic marksmanship. Still very simplistic but emphasizing grip, and sight picture and target acquisition, and what sort of habits not to develop and what sort of habits to break. This, I think, is what I need the very most right now.
3: Gun use and the law style classes, which go into detail as to what you should be doing in a live fire situation, how to do it, how to survive it, and what to avoid. This, I get the impression, is the Massad Ayoob specialty. I want very much to take one of these classes, but not until I have mastered #2.
4: Advanced training in simulated situations by actual professionals who have lived the life and are willing to pass on their experience. I know I am nowhere near able to do any of this, at least in part due to some physical limitations but also because of my total lack of #2 and #3.
5: Tactiderp. In this category I include most out of state concealed carry classes. The Utah cc class I went to, the instructor taught everyone to teacup and told us the weaver stance was so we could easily weave back and forth out of the way of incoming fire. Ok, Neo. Also in this category are any gunstores who sponsor classes to show the “Little Ladies” how to handle mean old guns and put things like 38 special Plus P loads in pink gripped Smith scandium frame revolvers and hand them to 90 lb elderly aunts. Finally in this category is the expensive tactical school where you will learn what will and won’t get you killed on the street from some mall ninja.

I know this is a really gross oversimplification, but I’m hoping someone I know will take this subject and do it right, and put together a list of the good, the bad, and the ugly, and the people who teach them and what they are like, and what sort of skill levels you need to get into them, etc. and what the most useful ones are for all skill levels.