Why Training Is an Investment in Your Life (ft. Tre’Von Barber)

Tre'Von Barber joins State of the Second hosts Kaylee and John to make the case that firearms training is an investment in your life, not an optional extra. Barber walks through his own path: born and raised in Rock Hill, South Carolina, he grew up wrestling and in Boy Scouts, wrestled through college at USC Upstate, and got into guns at 21. After a back injury ended his wrestling, he went straight into competition, found a competition coach on YouTube, and started teaching concealed weapon permit and basic handgun classes about two years into gun ownership before moving up to higher-level marksmanship for competitors and law enforcement. The conversation centers on new gun owners and how to start right. Barber explains where to find local competitions (practiscore.com), how a squad will walk a first-timer through the rules, and why reliability matters more than chasing the cheapest option. His line for cheap-gun shoppers is blunt: how cheap is your life? He pushes education over impulse buys, says there is no such thing as a girl gun, only a gun that fits your hand, and stresses that South Carolina's constitutional carry removes the permit requirement but not the responsibility to know the laws and operate safely. Kaylee ties this to GOA's view of personal responsibility, framing training, ammo, the optic, and the holster as an investment in your own value and safety. Barber covers self-defense insurance through Right to Bear, where he now manages social media, influencers, affiliates, and content. He explains it covers both civil and criminal defense, includes a member portal and attorney access within 24 to 48 hours, and costs about $17 a month. He shares his three most-skipped drills (the five by five, the bill drill, and strong-hand/weak-hand shooting), recommends trainers and facilities like AR Tactics in Charlotte and Buck Doyle in Utah, and lays out his gear gripes as an instructor: no SERPA holsters, no cloth holsters, and always bring a belt. The episode closes on the firearms community itself, the people who lend a battery or a belt when something breaks, and Barber plugging his own business, Barber Training Solutions. Questions this episode answers Where should someone interested in competition shooting actually start, and how do they find local matches? Tre'Von Barber points new shooters to practiscore.com to find local competitions. At a first match, the squad walks the newcomer through the rules, so you can show up and learn the format on the spot. How much should a first-time buyer spend on a reliable handgun, and is a cheap gun worth the savings? Barber says reliability matters more than chasing the cheapest option, and challenges cheap-gun shoppers with the question of how cheap your life is. He frames the gun, ammo, optic, and holster as an investment in your own safety rather than a place to cut corners. What is the biggest mistake new firearm owners make when buying their first gun? Barber says new owners make impulse buys instead of educating themselves first. He stresses that there is no such thing as a girl gun, only a gun that fits your hand and recoils in a way you can control. Does constitutional carry mean you no longer need any training or education? No. Barber explains that South Carolina's constitutional carry removes the permit requirement but not the responsibility to know the laws and operate safely. It is your right to defend yourself, but you still need to educate yourself. What does Right to Bear's self-defense insurance cover, and how much does it cost? Right to Bear's self-defense coverage handles both civil and criminal defense, includes a member portal and attorney access within 24 to 48 hours, and costs about $17 a month. Barber now manages social media, influencers, affiliates, and content for the company. What are the top three drills most people leave out of their training? Barber's three most-skipped drills are the five by five, the bill drill, and strong-hand/weak-hand shooting. He points to these as the work people tend to avoid but shouldn't. Which trainers and facilities does Tre'Von Barber recommend for situational and long-range training? Barber recommends AR Tactics in Charlotte and Buck Doyle in Utah. He runs his own instruction through Barber Training Solutions, based out of Rock Hill, South Carolina. What gear do instructors not want to see in a class, and why? As an instructor, Barber's gear gripes are no SERPA holsters, no cloth holsters, and always bring a belt. These are the details that get in the way of running a safe, smooth class. Chapters 00:00 — Welcome and rapid fire 01:54 — Tre'Von's background and path into guns 05:18 — Getting started in competition shooting 07:21 — Two-gun matches and PRS goals 08:33 — Writing PSA's training curriculums 09:38 — From first firearm to first class 10:53 — Budget, reliability, and the value of your life 14:00 — Biggest mistakes new buyers make 15:39 — Personal responsibility and knowing the laws 18:35 — Why self-defense insurance matters 22:56 — From the Soapbox: top three drills 29:19 — Recommended trainers and facilities 33:46 — Instructor gripes: holsters, guns, and belts 37:39 — The community and wrap-up About the guest Tre'Von Barber was born and raised in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and grew up wrestling and in Boy Scouts. He wrestled through college at the University of South Carolina Upstate. He got into guns at 21 and moved into competition shooting after a back injury ended his wrestling. About two years into gun ownership he began teaching concealed weapon permit and basic handgun classes, and about two years after that he started teaching higher-level marksmanship to competitors and law enforcement. After meeting Frank Cannon, a president and one of the owners of Right to Bear, he came on to run the training program at Palmetto State Armory (Right to Bear's sister company), writing new curriculums and hiring staff, then moved into a full-time Right to Bear role managing social media, influencers, affiliates, and content. He owns and runs Barber Training Solutions, based out of Rock Hill, South Carolina. He has a five-year-old child. Key quotes "There's no such thing as a girl gun. There's a gun that fits your hand, there's a gun that recoils in a way that you can control it." — Tre'Von Barber "how cheap is your life? Is your life 300 bucks or is your life 500 bucks?" — Tre'Von Barber "when you're investing into your carry gun, you are investing into your value as a person as well and protecting that value." — Kaylee "It's your right to defend yourself. However, you need to educate yourself." — Tre'Von Barber "someone who takes personal responsibility not only in the use of their firearms, but in the defense of their right to own them." — Kaylee