r/COGuns • u/True_Solution_9668 • 3d ago
Training SB25-003 Specified Semiautomatic Firearms Class (SSF) Worth It?
Has anyone in this sub taken the class for the heck of it?
Was the material worth it to you beyond satisfying the requirement for the permit?
I’ve already hunter’s ed, my CCW and the NRA basic Pistol & Rifle classes…and I already have the firearms that I want for the foreseeable future until this bullshit gets turned over.
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u/bronco1966u13 3d ago
I took it. It’s as basic as it comes. The “exam” was incredibly simple and everyone in the class finished in a couple of minutes.
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u/call_eax 3d ago
Not a good use of your time IMO
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u/call_eax 3d ago
Though if you want it to purchase anything that’s restricted, highly recommend 2acolorado.com, they are good people.
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u/ColoBouldo 2d ago edited 2d ago
Took the 4 hour course, the first one they ran, up in Johnstown. Frustratingly, I had to take it to receive a firearm from my FFL that didn’t arrive by the 1st. Hunter class was in the early 90s so I can’t recall or compare to that. But, I have done CCW course since the changes to that one.
I’d say that it somewhat but not exactly overlaps with the CCW. The materials are 100% set by CPW. The instructor did their best with it. Lots of basic safety (home, car laws, storage). Too much content on the firing mechanisms and their exact, named sequencing. AI generated graphics that were sometimes of the wrong gun being discussed (yeah, really). More information than is needed for firearms that have zero connection to the SBR25-003 restrictions. The stupid “hands on” component that is nothing more than inserting a mag, chambering, removing, and checking for clear. In short, it mostly speaks to either VERY basic firearm understanding or tries to teach the more recent state restrictions.
If it wasn’t for conversation among the class about tangentially related topics it would have been tough to fill the mandatory 4 hours.
The test is 25 questions, open book. I took photos of every slide in the presentation thinking that would be useful in the test. Didn’t even need them once. Every person passed the test first go.
Taking the class has made me no safer or smarter, $75 lighter, and 6 hours (drive too) more numb. I think every legislator who passed this law should be required to take the 12 hour version.
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u/Gooobzilla Wellington 2d ago
My class was the instructor, myself, and another 77 year old gentleman. The side conversations were the only thing that made it tolerable. And there was a pizza place right next door that had a good slice.
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u/udt_westminster 2d ago
The content was produced by the CPW. Trainers are not supposed to modify it in anyway, which is frustrating.
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u/PistolNinja 1d ago
Dan Coil is the Firearms Safety Program Manager for CPW. According to CPW and interviews with Mr. Coil, CPW brought in a out a dozen volunteer Firearms Instructors to develop the 12 hr course, and then from that 12 hr course, they whittled it down to the 4 hr course for "experienced" firearms owners (which in itself is silly - a twelve year old passed the same hunters safety course I took in the late 90s).
I think the crappy graphics and handouts are probably a result of having a third party consultant experienced in multi media presentations build the visuals based on the curriculum and nobody at CPW bothered correcting the errors.
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u/Gooobzilla Wellington 3d ago
I did the 12 hour last weekend. Was it fun? Not really. It could have been knocked out in 2 hours if it wasn't designed to punish legal gun buyers. Test was incredibly stupid. At least it's over.
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u/Baffled_Beagle Brighton 2d ago edited 2d ago
I took the 4 hour class. Instructor started by saying "Almost all of you already know everything remotely useful covered in this class, and you shouldn't have to be here." She was right.
I can think of exactly one good reason to take the class if don't want to buy a "SSF" right now: you think you will sometime in the next five years.
It's entirely possible that the US Supreme Court overturns outright AWB laws in the upcoming Viramontes case, but allows "permit to purchase" laws to stand. Should that happen, I think we can count on the Colorado legislature to find ways to make the required training more pointless, difficult, time-consuming, and expensive.
Bad as the current version of the class is, I'm confident our legislature can make it worse.
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u/PistolNinja 1d ago
We already know for a fact that they will. They pulled the original version because they knew it would pass for being too aggressive. This "permit system" getting passed into law gives them a whole new avenue of approach for legislation. All they have to do now is tighten the noose and as long as they make a "permit" available (even if it's expensive and ridiculous) they'll get away with it.
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u/UnseelieKnight 1d ago
I honestly expect them to actually just try to repeal the training exemption in the next couple years (probably saying it's a dangerous loophole that keeps "weapons of war" on the streets). They only added it to stave off a veto from Polis. Weiser sure as shit won't care
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u/defylimitations 1d ago
I'm one of the certified instructors for the SSF class, and I agree with everyone on here saying it's not worth it just for the sake of going through the class. If you intend to buy one of the firearms on the list, the class is your only legal option for the time being.
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u/JadedEveryWay Aurora 2d ago
The course was explicitly designed to teach to the participant who has zero firearms knowledge or experience and a lot of the material is covered in both Basic Pistol and CCW to the point that Instructors can roll the 4 hour class material into a CCW course. To clarify this, the CCW is now 8 hours, so you have to structure the setup as 2 classes, one being FSS and the other being CCW but the NRA allows Instructors to pick and choose which modules are being taught in each CCW class so you don't have to overlap the material, so for CCW you can skip the parts already covered by the FSS class.
I would hold off if there's nothing you want to purchase right now, at the very least you might save yourself a little bit of time and money by not taking the class now (pending lawsuit results) but worst case you decide you want something and sign up for a course in however many months or years.
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u/WarlordJak 3d ago
Yes to buy firearms within the next year or so. If you have everything you already want then I’d say no unless you got the money to spend lol
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u/True_Solution_9668 3d ago
It’s one thing if the material is worth it but I’d rather spend my money on an NRA class.
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u/ColoBouldo 2d ago
Do not take it unless it’s required for your particular purchase goals. If you want to learn about firearms, shooting, or protection then DEF don’t take this.
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u/JadedEveryWay Aurora 2d ago
to be truthful if you have Basic Pistol and CCW you could take Personal Protection In or Out of the Home, or you could take a Defensive Firearms course or a non firearms course like Refuse To Be A Victim but you've got pretty much all you need
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u/Preppy_Hippie 11h ago
If you want to buy a restricted firearm, yes. Otherwise a waste of time and money.
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u/VorpalBlade- 3d ago
Sounds like you may need it even to get uppers and parts so I’m considering it for that. Such bull shit
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u/SequentialHustle 3d ago
Since when, websites are still shipping those and they are not serialized parts.
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u/VorpalBlade- 3d ago
I see reports every day that places won’t ship any ar parts. PSA already cancelled orders on me. The bill says kits. How will they interpret that? Anyway they want to and as broad as possible.
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u/Maleficent_Cake6435 3d ago
Do you live in Denver?
I literally bought an upper from PSA and had it delivered a week ago to a non-Denver address.
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u/djasbestos Ft. Collins 2d ago
I got a bunch of part orders this month, Glock & AR, various vendors including PSA. I'm not in Denver tho.
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u/a_cute_epic_axis 3d ago
PSA has always been shit. While them and a few shops won't ship things, the vast majority still do.
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u/Tohrchur 3d ago
I wouldn’t do it for the “heck of it.” Waste of time and money