What an amazing and empowering class!!! Thank you Instructor Eric for your expert training. This was positively the best thing I could have done for myself. I decided to take this class (on my own ) to see how I would feel around a weapon. I got so much more out of it. I'm not gonna say that I'm no longer fearful but what I will tell you is im much more AWARE. I'm looking forward to more classes and eventually getting my concealed carry permit and a nice gun. I'm certain the folks at Aegis Academy will help me through this process. Thank You Patrick Henry and your entire staff. I look forward to advancing my training! May God bless each of you BIG!!! read more

Extremely talented instructors, I was a complete newbie going into Pistol 1 and finished the course feeling confident in my knowledge and shooting abilities. Will be back for more courses in the future read more

I first found Aegis Academy when searching for handgun instruction courses in the San Diego Area. The website is very informative and I was very impressed with the instructors' backgrounds. When I called in, I spoke with Pat. I explained to him that I am an experienced shooter, have taken several courses at competing schools, and even entered a few recent competitions. I asked if I could skip the beginners course and go straight into the intermediate. Pat recommended I start in the beginners course for several reasons, but mainly because you can never work on the fundamentals enough to really become proficient. He was absolutely correct. Jumping into the intermediate course would have been a huge mistake, I would have only cheated myself of a ton of classroom knowledge, not learned the tricks Chris taught me to tighten my groups, and been totally lost running the Aegis Drills at the higher level. The course was for three consecutive days, which for me is ideal. We always started with classroom instruction and then went to the range to apply what we learned, practice trigger pull and sights over, over, and over, and debrief. This course easily taught me more than all the other courses I have taken combined. Both Pat and Chris are extremely knowledgeable and very articulate in communicating their knowledge. Not all great shooters are able to explain what makes them great. I will be a a permanent student of theirs, so to speak. Next is Handgun Intermediate, and eventually the Advanced and Carbine courses. Aegis has an amazing Members Only section where Alumni can post drill targets, participate in online coaching events, etc. We are truly lucky to have such a great Academy in SoCal. read more

If I could give Aegis 1000 stars, I would. A little background on me-I am an absolute novice shooter. I've handled guns once before and it was 15 years ago. I don't aspire to own a gun, but I think it's incredibly important to be able to handle one. The thing about Aegis that impressed me the most is how intelligent the course is. Everything is well thought out, very informative and above all, safe. This is not the school that will send you on your way as a certified gun handler via a one day, 2 hour class. The standards are high here, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Pat, Jimmy, Steve, Steve and Howard were absolutely wonderful instructors. They all have extensive experience, are incredibly friendly, and very patient. VERY PATIENT. They did an amazing job at making everyone feel comfortable. Any question you have at all, they had an answer or would find it for you. If you are looking for a course on any kind of gun, Aegis is the place to go. Professional, experienced and thorough education is what you will get here. read more

These instructors are extremely well trained, over a century over experienced combined. They range from Recon Marines to Navy Seals. They are very friendly and patient! Good for beginners and advanced shooters. The fundamental course in very informative and helpful for those who are beginning and those who are curious in what gun to buy. I would recommend this academy to everyone! read more

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I had never shot a gun in my life, but feel like it's something I should know how to do. Do I just go to a range and ask for help? Do I just go with someone that I know has gone at some point? I figured I might as well do this right and signed up for Aegis' firearm familiarization course. Oh wow, it was perfect. First, let me say that these guys are the most professional, friendly and safe guys I could have ever imagined. There was more than a century of military and DoD experience among the instructors there that day, and they were all very helpful the whole afternoon. I was able to fire a number of weapons ranging from shotguns to pistols to carbines and they were there the whole time to answer questions and ensure safety. There was no politics involved, just facts and information tailored, for this class, to home protection. If I were to ever buy a gun, I would definitely do their three day basic pistol course first. Given how good I thought their famiiarization class was, I bet their full multi-day courses are even better. If you're already an experienced shooter, I guarantee you'll learn a LOT from these guys from any of their courses. read more

I have meet Pat and Chris of Aegis Academy and they were super helpful in getting all aspects of my shooting and firearms ability above what I could have ever done on my own. They have a huge depth of experience and the personality and teaching skills to help you be a great student in the learning process. If you are just curious about guns and want to get familiar and be safe or if you are serious and have been at it for years they have something for you! As with almost anything, the best upgrade dollars you can spend is on yourself. Aegis Academy offers that for you! I totally recommend them with total confidence. read more

I took an (AR-15) rifle marksmanship class in preparation for a future military qualification course. Eric taught the class. He clearly enjoys what he does and it shows. Eric made the concepts and principles easy to understand and then patiently worked with me to resolve bad habits. I really can't say enough good things about his ability to teach others and impart his many years of training and experience. Thank you Eric, the class was AWESOME! read more

Aegis Academy at the very least, is a wonderful place to learn the basic's of self awareness and self defense. The firearms familiarization course is great for someone who wants to learn more about firearms, and also wonderful for those who are looking to find out which weapon they would like to own, since they let you fire a huge variety of firearms. After taking the Fam course in Nov 2013 I went out shooting with a friend using her personal pistols, which at that point I decided the Glock 34 9 Mil was my firearm of choice. I just finished the pistol 1,2,3 course last week and I feel great. I know not only how to shoot my gun, but I also know how to clean it, and maintain it. I know what to do if it misfires, as well as the different types of misfires. The class room education is paramount the course. The field training is fun, engaging, and such a confidence maker! Thanks to Jimmy, Chris, (Mr. B who shall remain nameless) and last but not least the leader of the pack, Pat. You are all an inspiration. I will be back soon for the Curved Blades, Universal Disarm courses, not to mention the pistol 4,5,6. Aegis Rocks!! read more

Ok.... After shopping gun ranges and instructors for 6 months, I was pleased to read their ratings.....and boy am I glad I did my homework! Today, I had my shotgun 1 training with Jimmy. 6 stars I I could give them. They know their stuff, learn your goals and over-deliver! I learned history, safety and proper firing- even under certain scenarios. I even leaned how to clean my gun. Although he was the expert, I was extremely comfortable in asking questions. Trust the 5 star ratings. I will be back! Hint- Go before you buy! I might have bought a different gun. But- I know what I will get next. Thanks, Jimmy! -Aaron read more

My wife and I took the weapons familiarization course, our instructors were Chris & Jason. We lucked out and had a small class. The course was well designed and addressed most of my questions before I asked them. Once on the range, we felt very comfortable with the safety of the setting. Safety was taught, reminded, reviewed and the cornerstone of the class (IMHO). The fun part was the shooting. They helped me overcome a vision issue to have me hitting the target every time. I've never fired a shotgun before and they took the "scare" out of it. The highlight came with my last shot of a 12 gauge slug, wow! Both instructors took care to meet the needs of each shooter and their comfort level, allowing some to opt out as requested. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who hasn't shot before or hasn't shot in a while. Great refresher and great instruction. read more

I completed the 3 Day basic handgun course and it was the most fulfilling training I have ever received. I am new to guns and I wanted an immersive experience that would build my confidence in handling guns. I was grateful to have found Aegis in my backyard. I live in San Diego and was surprised to find a complete offering of instruction in Pala. The instructors: Pat, Harold and Jimmy were so pro but also extremely approachable. The instructors took the time to watch and assess our capabilities. Their experience in and enjoyment for teaching shines through in each interaction. The actual training material was outstanding, both in class and on range. The information helped me strengthen my understanding of guns and ownership. The progressive build up of drills helped me to understand not just how to shoot, but how to become an accurate and precise shot. Additionally, the training and support doesn't stop in the the 3 days. Their commitment to building the student's skills is apparent in the info they provide after the course and their availability online via in person and online meetups.I look forward to building my skills and coming back for the other training sessions offered by these folks. It is rare to find professional, compassionate, realistic, practical, approachable, studious, respectful, humble and character building training in any field. I am ever so thankful that in my first gun training experience I received a high level of all of the above from Aegis, Pat, Harold and Jimmy. read more

Kathy and I just went through the Basic Familiarization class of pistols, carbines and shotguns. What a great time we had. The instructors were all extremely knowledgable with years of experience and communicated extremely well. It was a small group setting with personal hands on training. They all took a very personal interest in our comfort, safety and training. I would recommend them to anyone just starting out with guns to advanced levels of training. read more

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My husband and I did the Pistol 1 training class here and it was excellent. We didn't think we needed to start in the beginning class, but we were wrong. This course is great for all shooters and helps eliminate bad habits and retrains you to perform each step the right way. They also provide you with a list of activities to practice at home after the course to keep you sharp. Looking forward to doing more classes with these guys. read more

After 2 weeks of researching firearm safety training facilities I decided to move forward with Aegis Academy in Pala after reading multiple reviews from other women. I am a mommy of 2 kids. With that said, I feel a responsibility to my family to have the necessary tools in my home should anyone try and harm or enter forcefully. In addition, safety of having a firearm with small children is a must!! Nervously I went to my 1st day of training at Aegis. I was kind of expecting a bunch of intimidating retired military men with no personality. It's funny how completely wrong I was! When I first arrived I was happy to see that there were several other women in the class-relief #1 for me. We started the day with introductions of each other and the instructors. It was cool hearing the different reasons why people were there. The instructors immediately became real people to me by telling us who they were and where they came from. I enjoyed hearing stories throughout my training of experiences they had during their service. They were all professional, witty and made me feel like this place was more of a family business, which won me over. After two days of training from 9-5, I went from feeling completely clueless to operating and shooting a pistol, to wanting to get my own and not only having it just to protect my family, but also making it a hobby! I had originally planned just the one day, but after that I signed up to be a member and also added on the second day! I look forward to taking Pistol 3 & 4 in the next month or so and continuing on from there! read more

I have had pistol training with a different organization and have gone to the range dozens of times before I took the Aegis Academy Pistol One course. I started course work with Aegis for two main reasons. They have a well defined "path" for learning skills and that path leads all the way to courses for Competition pistol. I didn't think I would learn much in this introductory course. I figured the instructor(s) would spend most of their time with the participants that were brand new to firearms. In that sense, I was right, they did spend most of their time with the "newbies", and I totally agreed with their focus! It made me feel more safe in the class with the great attention the new shooters were given. Although the class definition talked about experienced shooters "breaking bad habits", I wasn't expecting much of an improvement in my skills from this course. I was wrong! I got two major "Ahha's" from this course. One from a drill they ran. Another from a couple of grip change tips I got from instructors Chris and Josh. Talking about Chris and Josh, they were great. (Check their bios on their web site... wow!) They dealt with the participants at the level needed to improve their skills. They helped each participant understand the proper controls for their individual pistol. They were "hands on" when needed to help get the best results. I saw them take a "newbie" from being nervous to even handle her new Glock (price tag still on it!) to hitting almost half her shots in the 1 inch square on her last drill! They were also able to give myself and one other "more experienced" shooter very good tips to truly break some bad habits. The focus on the students safety was very good. The additional direction on improving technique was really great. The classroom instruction was in a very nice conference room. The setup on the range was also very good. They had a ice chest with bottles of water, large sun shade, chairs for everyone, rugs to shoot from. All unexpected and very appreciated. I look forward to taking several more courses with Aegis. Hopefully many with Chris and Josh. Aegis provides a great training opportunity with instructors that have the technical skills and experience to really improve your shooting skills. And, they are damn nice guys! read more

Great class!! Very instructive. This was the Firearms Safety course. The instructor, Eric T., was great. He took the time with each of us to make sure we understood and internalized the knowledge from the course. He spent time teaching us the basics and was truly happy to see improvements that we made. Will definitely be back for more training!! One more thing. I looked at a number of different schools for Firearm Training. I had heard about this school from a co-worker. Did some research and found that their instructors are some of the best in the field. The classes are a great value as well. Have already recommended this school to 3 others for their training. read more

Best firearms and personal security training available. I'm a repeat customer that has taken all of their firearms classes and tactical medicine courses. Top notch instructors, facilities and service. I always leave their courses with an improved skill set and a big smile on my face. read more

Great Class and Super Instruction. These guys know their stuff. I definitely recommend this program. read more

Aegis Academy - Handgun instruction - Firearm Training Near Me - Pala, California

I've only shot a couple of times, and always outside for fun. After going through a day with these guys, I actually know how to handle a firearm. I also now know how to aim, which I thought I did before, but really didn't. This could be easily be determined by after....I could actually hit the target! It was also fun to be able to fire several totally different guns. A couple different pistols, an AR-15 and 2 shotguns. I even learned a stance that enabled me to not have my shoulder hurt after firing a 12 gauge shotgun. OK so I'm a novice, but they made it easy to learn. Thanks guys! read more

I bought my husband this Living Social special thinking it was a gift for him when at the end of the day it was probably more a gift for me. I had a really great time today at the shooting range and learned A LOT ... thanks to all the guys for making me feel safe!!! I learned a lot and feel like I can manage my fears instead of having them manage me. We'll be back for more training! Thank you!!! read more

I recently completed the Basic Handgun Course at Aegis Academy. I walked away with much more than I had initially expected to gain as a beginner. The instructors were highly qualified, very approachable, informative, encouraging and fun to be around. They did a thorough job of teaching and also demonstrating each concept in the classroom as well as on the range. All of my instructors provided me with guidance and specific feedback in effort to help me develop a solid foundation. I was really impressed with their ability to diagnose and clearly articulate exactly what changes I needed to make to resolve issues and continually improve. Following the course, I'm reinforcing everything I learned in class as I complete the assigned "Drill of the Day". I also enjoyed my classmates and am keeping in touch with them as we share our progress. We had such a good time we've made plans to return for the Intermediate Course! read more

These guys are great. Made me feel comfortable and safe during the fundamentals course, both important to me as I have had a lot of apprehension about fire arms. Learned a lot. read more

What a great experience! We went for a team building for work and everyone left extremely comfortable with the guns and we learned so much about safety. Thanks for a great day and I'm sure we'll be back for some more training! read more

As a neophyte I found the basic course exceptional! I started the course missing the broadside of the barn and ended on target in motion. Pat is a generous and knowledgeable teacher who leaves you wanting more information and confident you can do what he assures you you will. Jimmy is a blast, energetic, confidence inspiring, funny and an excellent teacher. If you are new to guns, not a "mall-ninja" or "tacti-cool" dude this is a program that will inspire you to learn more and have confidence to become a better more responsible gun owner. read more

I have now taken three courses from Aegis, Firearm Familiarization, Shotgun 1 and Carbine 1. The constant attention to safety is one of the things that has impressed me the most. Jimmy(Shotgun and Carbine) did a great job of molding the course to teach us what we didn't know and improve what we already did. The depth of real world experience really shows through in the training. I would highly recommend these folks if you actually want to learn safe and effective firearms handling and techniques. read more

My recent course at Aegis was literally one of the most exciting things I've ever done for myself. Though, while I may have had a lot of fun, I'd like my review to reflect a more serious tone. Especially given the things going on in this country at this time. I'm a 32 year old mother of 2 little ones. I had never handled a firearm before taking a course at Aegis Academy. Everything changed for me after the birth of my first son and I felt a strong urge to protect him no matter what. My husband bought a couple of firearms to keep in the house, but he was a novice shooter himself and I was very apprehensive about touching them without having proper training first. I found Aegis and decided to take the familiarization course. Josh was my instructor. I was so impressed with Josh's professionalism and patience. The course was so organized and well thought out from start to finish. I felt comfortable to ask any question I had and Josh always gave a very thorough response. I got to try shooting a wide variety of handguns, rifles, and shotguns. I loved every minute of it! I left feeling confident when the course was over that if I ever have to face an intruder that I will at the very least feel comfortable operating a firearm. I feel empowered to protect myself and my family in a defensive situation. All of the guys here are extensively trained and are the best of the best! Rest assured you'll be in excellent hands. I plan on taking all of the courses that Aegis offers! read more

Have known about Aegis for a couple years, but, even though one of my friends is an instructor, I had not been involved in any of the training until this weekend, when Aegis hosted a shooting event for a local Carlsbad establishment, Señor Grubby's. Everyone had a great time and learned a lot in the process, no matter their level of competence prior to the event. I have shot rifles and shotguns most of my life and didn't anticipate I would learn much that would really apply to my casual enjoyment of those types of firearms, but I was wrong. A simple suggestion on improving my stance was an eye-opener, in terms of how something so basic could have such a positive effect. Thank you Chris, Josh and Eric for a fun and educational day on the range and I look forward to seeing everyone out there again! read more

Aegis training is very good. I can't say enough about how good it is. Their staff is very experienced, one of my instructors was an ex seal. So they only get the best. The teaching staff really stress gun safety, firearm awareness as well as expect all their students to behave like rational adults. The level of respect they had for firearms rubs off on the students. I feel more confident in my abilities and my safety around my pistol. One nice thing about the approach Aegis takes is that they don't try to fit you into a box to shoot like the pros, but show you what the pros do, then help you find what works for you to get the best result. I would take this class again to catch anything I might have missed, as well as the next classes to learn more. read more

If I could give more than 5-stars, I would so without hesitation. As everyone before me has said, Aegis Academy is top-notch, amazing in everything they do, true professionals, dedicated to providing an exceptional experience, and truly passionate about what they do. As Jimmy said through the course, "just one more". That's what I would give it for stars, just one more! (However he was actually talking about front sight focus...I'm talking about ratings!) I recently completed the 3-day course, Basic Pistol, which was held Sept. 24th - 26th. As a more seasoned shooter, this was my first, formal shooting instruction. I am a self-taught shooter. I wanted to test myself and find out how bad/good of a shooter I was and to also learn how to better train. In my class there were only 4 of us total. We had a gentleman who had only fired 100 rounds in his entire life but who wanted to have a better understanding, familiarity, and confidence before he made his first firearm purchase. We had another gentleman who had owned and shot before, but who like myself, wanted to further his skills. And our final attendee was actually Jimmy's nephew; here as a college graduation present! Needless to say he was confident with a firearm but still truly appreciated the guidance and the direction. He, unfortunately for him, was the butt of many jokes throughout the 3-days; however he was a good sport and it allowed for a comfortable, comical, and light environment. I cannot say enough about Jimmy & Chris; our instructors for the course. These guys are 110% class-acts. They where patient when needed, they pushed us ever so much to better ourselves, but kept the class as I said light and energetic. The messages they conveyed were real. Every evolution we went through was not only explained to us in terms of technical skills but also in terms of real life applications. They also would walk us through the evolution, shoot the evolution to allow us to see how it was done, then coached us through our progression. If we need extra time, we took it. If we felt we got it, we moved on. The speed of progression through the course was right on! It flowed very well between the classroom material and the range portion. All the time throughout they were asking for any comments, questions, concerns in an effort to better the course for others. At times, we even "rewrote" the curriculum so that each evolution had a natural progression; i.e. working on tactical/emergency reloads prior to working on pivots/turns. You are going to encounter a reloading opportunity while working through pivots/turns so why not master that skill and build upon it. I am truly looking forward to taking the Intermediate Course next year and looking forward to the continued education provided through emails and tips of the week that get emailed to all Aegis Academy "alumni". They want to ensure you continuing training properly; not just pat you on the shoulder, say "job well done" and push you through the door. I am now part of a community. If/when I need assistance, they will be there for me! Plus, I can also piggy back with them on range days to have further instruction from any of their premier instructors. Thank you all so very much! It was truly an amazing experience and I cannot wait for the next one! Keep up the exceptional work! read more

Just wrapped up three days in their Basic Handgun course and couldn't be more pleased. The curriculum was a balanced of classroom instruction and range drills focused on first understanding the fundamentals, then learning to apply those fundamentals. Our class of nine had three instructors with over 60 years combined military experience. Pat, Jimmy, and Howard were professional, thorough, patient, and personable. They took the time to ensure each student understood each drill before it began and also held a number of post-drill debriefs to help assess each person's shooting and offer suggestions on technique improvement. We had six men and three women in our class, ranging in age from early thirties to mid-seventies. Executives, engineers and other professionals, retired folks, and even a married couple. Each learned a lot and really enjoyed the course (by their own admissions, not my assessment). If you're looking for a defensive handgun class to start developing proficiency and taking responsibility for your family's safety, I highly recommend Aegis. read more

My wife signed me up and I'm glad that she did. As a 5 year shooter without any professional lessons, I developed a lot of bad habits that needed to be corrected. Three days in just the basic pistol class improved my accuracy and speed unbelievably. I was surprised and very happy with the results and I will certainly attend the advanced pistol and carbine courses this year. The staff is professional and highly competent. Safety is a priority and the accommodations, (food, facility, etc), were very good. My class had only five students, but I believe that they accept a higher student count. However, in that case they bring on additional line instructors so that the ratio of students to trainers is about 5 to 1. We had students of every level in the class from first time shooters to experienced service veterans to long-term gun enthusiasts, and everyone felt welcome, had fun and learned a lot! Another nice feature is the continuing self-training that is included in the cost. Students have access to their website where they find Tips of the Day and practice exercises to continue with their training. Students are encouraged to log their self-training on the website in order to track their technical improvement and keep with a program. I strongly recommend the Basic Pistol class. read more

I just finished up the first day of Tactical Shotgun training last weekend, and like the three days of pistol that I've completed thus far, was fantastic. I learned a lot that not only gives me a solid baseline knowledge, but will help me improve in the future. Both the instructors (Jimmy and Chris) were top notch. Experienced, knowledgeable, and perhaps most importantly down to earth genuinely nice guys that walk the talk, but not with a huge chip on their shoulders. I'm looking forward to Tactical Shotgun 2 next weekend! read more

Initially I had different firearms training facilities vetted by a friend who is retired military. Without hesitation he selected AEGIS as they employed a guy that my friend had known for over 30 years. Both are ex SEALS, so with his direction I began with AEGIS. I am not new to firearms, but I quickly found out that I didn't know near what i thought i did. Under their instruction my depth of understanding ballistics and firearms has grown tremendously. Added to that my operation skill set is far beyond what i thought I could attain in such a short period of time. Once you really think about who you are being trained by, this is a rare opportunity. This isnt a bunch of retired mall cops teaching you, these are special operations guys with enormous amounts of real time behind a firearm. I almost still cant believe that the public has such an opportunity at their finger tips. I;m taking every course at every given chance, you ought to too! read more

I'm a girl that never grew up around guns and have always been intimidated by them. I took the gun familiarization course to face my fears and was immediately impressed by the instructors experience and attitude. You were constantly reminded that the gun is a tool and it's not right for everyone but if you want one then you need to respect it and be skilled at using it. The course itself was fantastic, getting a chance to handle and shoot a range of popular hand guns, shotguns and carbines. And if you didn't want to shoot them that was ok too! I'm so pleased I had the guts to sign up for this and I'd recommend this school to anyone that is nervous of firearms. read more

Took the Firearms Familiarization course & it was fantastic. Being a total newbie who's never fired anything, it was a great intro to many different types of firearms. Instructors are incredibly knowledgable & everything was done with safety in mind. Definitely recommend the class. read more

My wife and I took the familiarization course a couple weeks ago and really had a fantastic experience. In short, I highly recommend Pat and his crew at Aegis, and in particular would recommend the familiarization course for anyone who is looking for an introductory experience to firearms or thinking about purchasing their first firearm. My wife had never shot before, and the way they handle the subject matter and interacted with each individual really made for a positive experience for her (even in light of some personal things she had to overcome). A broad amount of material is covered and there was ample opportunity to have every question answered. The instruction you will receive from these guys is second to none (just check out their experience on the Aegis website) and we certainly left feeling like there's nowhere else we would want to train. It may be a bit spendy, but I guarantee you will feel that you're getting every cent of your money's worth--and really, when it comes to firearms, you want to get it right and develop solid safety habits and technique. I purchased membership, so I plan to go back for multiple classes over the next year and my wife will be heading back for basic pistol. The guys at Aegis are great and truly in a league of their own--you won't regret your time spent with them, so if you're reading this review and debating whether to sign up for a course, just do it! read more

Simply done right... experts in their field, courteous, patient, fun. If you are a beginner, this type of class is invaluable. If you haven't shot in a while, it's a great way to brush up on your skills. Awesome class! read more

I just completed the firearms familiarization course, I can say that I highly recommend this school. This course teaches basic safety, and you are given the opportunity to try out multiple guns in three separate categories (handgun, shotgun, carbine). They take their time with each individual student and help you with grip, aim, and safe handling. For anyone new to shooting or just wanting to be safe in an emergency, this course is essential. read more

Just recently completed the Advanced Concealed Carry course - had a great time and learned a lot! Really enjoyed the night session part of the class, since there aren't many places that you can shoot at night and especially while going through possibly "real-life" tactical situations for self-defense. I definitely recommend Aegis Academy to anyone looking to learn or advance their knowledge and skills with firearms. read more