The only thing that will ultimately protect 2nd Amendment rights is to make it politically non-viable. There is no longer any debate women's suffrage, and any candidate that suggested the issue be revisited would be slitting his own throat.

The way to get there is to create more voters that see gun rights as being as essential and fundamental as free speech or equal protection. This begins with more shooters and gun owners. Introducing people to firearms in a safe and responsible manner is the best way to do this.

Safety has to be the first thing that new shooters are introduced to. In addition to the Universal Firearms Handling Rules, begin by limiting the ammunition in the magazine. New shooters fatigue quickly due to stress, and shooting shorter strings allows for more breaks. Three to five rounds at a time is plenty in the beginning, and adjust from there.

People like to see results. Since new shooters are not trained marksmen they need big, close, confidence building targets. Remember that this is not "training", this is just "familiarization." Most new shooters assume that a hit anywhere in the black on a B27 is "pretty good shooting", and at this stage there is no reason to convince them otherwise.

If they show an interest in shooting better explain a little bit about sight alignment and trigger press. By no means turn this into an ad hoc training session. Give them a couple of tips and leave it at that. If they are really interested then you accomplished the mission, and refer them to a class. I teach for a living and I can't put together a complete class on the fly. I try to give enough to tips to keep them satisfied, but beyond that they really need formal instruction.

Keep in mind that the goal is for them to shoot, not necessarily for you to shoot. Shoot a few rounds, make a nice group, and let them have at it. In order to be a good coach or safety you need to be within arms length watching their manipulation of the gun. You don't really even need to look at the target (it looks like swiss cheese) you do need to watch the shooter for safety and stress. You need to be calm and prepared for them to try to turn around with the gun in hand. Don't allow them to do that, but don't punish them for the mistake.

New shooters might have a fear of the noise, recoil, and muzzle flash. Use both ear plugs and ear muffs to cut down on the noise. Start your shooting with .22LR and get them comfortable with the process before moving to larger calibers. The worst thing you can do is start them off with some kind of punishing cannon and let it beat them up. Let them decide when they are ready to move up to something a little more exciting.

Men seem to think that they are supposed to know how to shoot, that it is a talent rather than a skill. Don't put them in a situation that will create more performance anxiety. You probably don't want to sandwich the newbie in a booth between two IPSC master class shooters.

Above all, remember that the purpose is a safe and entertaining range session. It is giving somebody a first hand experience of what responsible firearms ownership looks like. Be prepared to answer questions (even stupid ones) about the mechanics, laws, politics, and ethics related to shooting. Discuss but don't lecture.