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Portrait of Jeff Hirschman, owner and lead instructor at QC Hunting & Outdoor Sports

Jeff Hirschman

Owner & Lead Instructor

Firearms instructor, licensed dealer and gunsmith, and public safety trainer who has worked alongside agencies from Nassau and Suffolk to the federal level.

  • NRA Chief Range Safety Officer
  • NRA Pistol · Rifle · Shotgun Instructor
  • NYS & Multi-State CCW Instructor
  • FFL Dealer · Gunsmith · Certified Glock Armorer
4NRA ratings: Chief RSO, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun
12+states, plus NYC & Westchester, for CCW licensing help
3federal licenses: FFL 01, FFL 07 & SOT
35+years diving, since the late 1980s

Local Roots & Background

Jeff Hirschman is a lifelong Long Island resident and the owner of QC Hunting & Outdoor Sports and QC Scuba. He opened QC Scuba in 2006 and QC Hunting & Outdoor Sports in 2018, both as brick-and-mortar stores built around training, sales and service.

Jeff earned his BS at Queens College, City University of New York, switching his major from computer science to physical education with a double minor that included secondary education. He holds a New York State provisional teacher's license and still counts his Queens College professor, Dr. H. Harry Hoehn, as a mentor. The teaching background shows in his classes: Jeff is patient, adapts to the way each student learns, and treats education as a lifelong pursuit.

Before turning his passions into full-time businesses, Jeff spent roughly two decades in business leadership, as chief operating officer of a national concession distributor and as chief information officer of i9 Interactive, an IBM premier business partner.

Working With Law Enforcement & Public Safety

Jeff has worked closely with law enforcement and public safety agencies at the local, county, state and federal levels, experience he brings to every class. He is also an ERDI instructor trainer for public safety dive teams and offers HERO programs for law enforcement and fire department personnel.

Police Departments

  • New York City Police Department (NYPD)
  • Nassau County Police Department
  • Suffolk County Police Department

Sheriff's Offices

  • New York City Sheriff's Office
  • Nassau County Sheriff's Office
  • Suffolk County Sheriff's Office

State

  • New York State Police (Troopers)
  • Agencies in Florida, Connecticut and New Jersey

Federal

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • U.S. Secret Service

Fire & Rescue

  • Fire Department of New York (FDNY)
  • Many local fire and public safety groups

Firearms Credentials

  • NRA Chief Range Safety Officer.
  • NRA Certified Instructor: Pistol, Rifle and Shotgun. Jeff is also an NRA Sharpshooter.
  • NYS CCW Pistol Instructor teaching the New York State 18-hour concealed carry course.
  • Multi-state CCW instructor for Florida, New Jersey, Maryland, South Carolina, Connecticut, Utah and others, with licensing help for NYC, Westchester NY, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Maine, New Hampshire and Virginia (see below).
  • Federal Firearms Licensee: Type 01 dealer/gunsmith, Type 07 manufacturer and SOT.
  • New York State and Nassau County licensed firearms dealer and gunsmith.
  • Certified Glock Armorer, plus armorer and gunsmith.

CCW Instructor for Multiple States

Jeff teaches the New York State concealed carry course and CCW courses for Florida, New Jersey, Maryland, South Carolina, Connecticut, Utah and other states, and QC helps with licenses for NYC, Westchester NY, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Maine, New Hampshire and Virginia. Students can build a multi-state permit portfolio in one place:

  • New York
  • NYC
  • Westchester NY
  • New Jersey
  • Connecticut
  • Maryland
  • Pennsylvania
  • Virginia
  • Florida
  • South Carolina
  • Utah
  • Arizona
  • Maine
  • New Hampshire
  • & more

Course details, pricing and combo packages are on the Training page.

Jeff Hirschman standing in front of a wall of framed photos and an American flag, answering student questions during a concealed carry license class.
Jeff answering student questions during a concealed carry license class.Photo: Armed Citizens' Legal Defense Network eJournal (opens in a new tab), February 2023.

In the Classroom

In February 2023, the Armed Citizens' Legal Defense Network featured Jeff and QC Hunting & Outdoor Sports in its eJournal as one of its affiliated instructors. The profile highlighted his growing student enrollments and two fully outfitted classrooms for students completing the state-mandated training to apply for or renew a concealed carry license.

“In Jeff and his team, they find new mentors.”Gila Hayes, Armed Citizens' Legal Defense Network eJournal, February 2023

Read the article (opens in a new tab) →

Safety & First Aid

  • Red Cross, ASHI, Medic First Aid and Emergency First Response instructor and instructor trainer.
  • DAN Instructor Trainer, plus public safety scuba instructor trainer credentials.
  • Experience with swift water and water rescues.

Dive Instruction

Jeff is also a career instructor and instructor trainer in the dive world, with credentials from PADI, SDI, TDI, ERDI, SSI, IANTD and DAN. He has been a TDI member since its 1994 inception and an SDI member since its 1998 inception, and serves as an SDI Instructor Trainer Ambassador.

  • PADI Master Instructor
  • PADI IDC Staff Instructor
  • SDI/TDI/ERDI Instructor Trainer #347
  • SDI Course Director
  • IANTD Instructor Trainer #247
  • DAN Instructor Trainer

Read Jeff's full diving bio and certification record →

Education & Background

  • BS, City University of New York, Queens College, and a New York State provisional teacher's license.
  • Past president of the Queens College Scuba Club and past vice president of the Queens College Ski Club.
  • Boater with experience safely operating vessels up to 100 tons; skier and all-around outdoorsman.
  • Technician for multiple scuba manufacturers' life-support lines.
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