Why Most Gun Owners Skip Serious Firearms Training
By Jeff Young
I get asked all the time: Why is it so hard to convince gun owners to take serious firearms training? Here’s my take, rooted in how our society has changed over the decades.
Before World War II, life in America was vastly different. The Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and other hardships shaped a population of just 140 million in 1945, mostly living in rural areas. During those lean years, many families relied on hunting to put food on the table. Every shot mattered—wasting a cartridge could mean an empty stomach. Firearms training back then wasn’t always formal, but it was practical, driven by necessity rather than trophies. People didn’t just sit around; there was no TV or internet to keep them glued to screens. Instead, they went outside, and gun sports like skeet, trap, rifle, and handgun shooting were wildly popular. Many of the gun clubs still standing today were built in the post-war years when enthusiasm for shooting was at its peak.
Fast forward, and the country’s population exploded:
• 1965: 194 million
• 1995: 266 million
• 2024: 327 million
In just 50 years after WWII, the U.S. nearly doubled in size, and most of that growth packed into cities. By the 1980s, we shifted from a majority rural to a majority urban population. For many, hunting became a thing of the past—younger generations weren’t tasked with harvesting game, and finding a safe, legal place to shoot often meant a long drive out of the city.
Then came the rise of TV and the internet, turning us into a nation of spectators. We watch football, basketball, NASCAR, wrestling—you name it—rather than doing. And TV has had a sneaky, powerful influence on how we view guns. On screen, someone with zero experience can pick up a firearm, fire a single shot, and drop their target instantly. Studies estimate that by age 12, a child has seen 100,000 such “kills” on TV. That kind of repetition shapes perception, convincing most people that guns are point-and-shoot magic wands that always hit their mark.
So, here we are: a nation of watchers, conditioned to think firearms require no skill, no training, no effort. The result? Only the proactive, the curious, and the intelligent seek out serious firearms training. I once heard 25 years ago, “We’ve already trained all the smart ones.”
At Lone Pine Tactical, we’re here to change that. Training isn’t just about shooting straighter—it’s about building the mindset and skills to handle firearms responsibly and effectively. Ready to break the mold and take your skills to the next level? Join us for a class and see what real training can do.
Lone Pine Tactical: Empowering Responsible Gun Ownership Through Training
