Range officer course

[Sabertooth]

Can anybody let me know if there is any way of finding somewhere local to me (Essex) that holds an officially recognised Range Officer course.
This info is probably available on this wonderful forum but I have no idea where to look for it.

[dromia]

Look on the NRA website for RCO courses. They should also know of locally run courses as they accredit the assessors and it is their paper work that is used, so worth a phone call.

[Sabertooth]

Thanks Dromia. Had a look, not cheap are they.

[RDC]

They aren't cheap, no. However any decent club would pay for it. After all the qual is in the interests of the club.

[phaedra1106]

And of course you may have to pay for the RSO course before you're allowed to take the RCO course.

[RDC]

And of course you may have to pay for the RSO course before you're allowed to take the RCO course.

I still find that disgusting. I've yet to speak to anyone who doesn't see it as another NRA money making scheme, and that includes a range warden on a large MoD range.

[dromia]

I know that at the time of its introduction there was a lot of rightful opposition to this, did it come to nothing?

What was the NRA's response to this?

Especially the key question as to what content was in the RSO course that isn't covered in the RCO course and why could this content not be just included in the RCO course?

[RDC]

The argument our Secretary got back from the NRA was that the MoD demanded it. Quite why they would demand a qualification adding that can't be used on MoD ranges remains to be seen.

Allegedly, the MoD complaint revolved around the length of time it takes to get the original RCO qual. However 6 months of OJT before going on the course would seem just as sufficient, if not more so, than the drawn out MoD one.

[dromia]

So the NRA is charging for an extra course that teaches you nothing that isn't already in the existing RCO course just because the MoD demands it be longer.

The level of discussion 'tween the NRA and the MoD must at the level of two year olds without the coloured pencils and paper, this is a damning indictment of the level of ineptitude of both organisations.

Off course the NRA rolls over at such stupidity takes another shafting on our behalf and the membership pays for it and another barrier is put in way of legal firearms ownership and shooting.

The NRA is truly sh!te and seems to care not a jot that it is blatantly obvious, its attitude to its members is purely arrogant and cynical.

This whole episode is beyond the absurd.

[Maggot]

I have to say I dont get the system and I am not normally into knocking the NRA but.....

The RCO course is supposed to qualify you to sign for and run MOD range, but above and beyond that, its stuff you should be aware of as a safe shooter anyway, it just means you will take responsibility for "not so" safe shooters. A 24 hour open book exam course.

The RSO course seems to be effectively a safety supervisors course. We all safety supervise every time we double up on a CSR match....does this qualify us as RSOs then?

All this said, the training I had at Warminster as a skilly was over 2 months, 2 weeks of which was range safety and supervison uncluding live field firing (section attacks etc, bloody hard work as a safety bod or RCO). The course was 2 parts.

Instruction (including methods of, or MOIT) and Ranges. Fail ranges and you fail both, pass ranges and fail instruction, you keep ranges. None of this is taken into account.

It makes no sense, train every bugger as an RCO, arse covered, responsibility palmed off, job jobbed. Of course some see this as being qualified to be loud, and fairly obnoxious safety police There are ways and means.

Club instructor again is 24hrs IIRC.

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