Will never go anywhere else for a training class! Martin has the best little private range on a dairy farm. He was very informative. If your just starting out or an experienced shooter, he's your guy! read more

If you are reading this and you are interested in getting firearms training, let me save you some time. Martin is the guy you are looking for. You can stop researching and just schedule with AIM Firearms Training right now. (And no, Martin didn't pay me to say this...I don't know him outside of the 5 hours we spent together last Weds) My story... My husband purchased a handgun a few months ago and neither one of us have any experience with guns. We both didn't even want to touch it until we got training. My husband scheduled a private Level 1: Handgun Fundamentals training session (he picked AIM Firearms Training based on the Yelp reviews). We drove over an hour (from the bay area) and met Martin at the Chevron gas station. Then followed him to his private shooting range at the Shadow Grove Dairy. Martin really took his time with us. From safety to range etiquette to how the gun works. He taught us how to handle it and maintain it. Always making sure we were completely comfortable with each step before we moved on. Noting he even spent an extra hour with us and allowed us to try shooting a few different guns. This was something I was really excited about. I had wanted to do that BEFORE we bought a gun but hey, sometimes things happen out of order. So even though we already owned our 1911, I was really happy to have the opportunity to get a feel for 3 different guns during the training. It honestly was the perfect training for us. We felt safe with Martin, the location was ideal, and even the portapotty was so clean. We arrived with zero experience and left totally confident. We both really enjoyed the experience and would do it again in a heartbeat. I highly recommend Martin. read more

Best classes and CCW class. I took a pistol 1 class and my CCW course with Martin and he is amazing. Hands down best instructor. I watched him work with beginners who had never shot a gun to advanced ex military and made everyone feel comfortable and confident. He drives home safely and basic practices that helps any level of shooter. I will continue my training with him. As a female it was a little nerve racking not being a super advanced shot with a large group of men but the whole demeanor of the class that Martin set forth put me directly at ease. And Yes the port-a potty at the range is the cleanest I have ever used!! read more

Context: I took a 4-hour private lesson for red dot fundamentals. I have taken CQB for handgun, Defensive handgun, low level light handgun, home defense, dozen's of hours of one to one private lessons with local instructors and a FBI SWAT team leader.s I traveled 3 hours from out of town to work with Martin Mapa. This was my first red dot class. Pros: -Amazing! Amazing! Amazing instruction!!! -Humble and amiable person who uses every minute to help you understand and improve your firearm skills. -Helped make my draw stroke significantly shorter while elevating my accuracy. -Able to break things down to my level and not talk over my head. -Overwhelmingly convinced me of the value of red dot optic sights and the need to transition to this system. -Created scenarios for me toward the end to help simulate active shooter situation. -Outdoor range, so little to no concerns about covid for me. Cons: -He is out of town for me. Wish he lived in my hometown!!!. read more

Had been about 10 years since I had seriously shot handguns. In that time have shot a bit, but nothing serious. Booked a 1:1 training with Martin to help get back into things. Best use of time and money for firearms you can do! Helped correct a few subtle things, and spent time finding a better grip. Focuses on what works for you, while giving pointers. Great patience as well! Will recommend to friends and book another class in the future. read more

We took a private class with a group of 3 for the Handgun Fundamentals Course and it was well worth it. If you are considering, just do it!! Martin has so much patience, talks you through every step of the class, and ensures you leave confident in all of the skills you have learned that day. Loved the class and look forward to future classes with AIM Firearm Training. read more

Martin is the man! Did my initial ccw course this weekend! Very personable, safe and knowledgeable! Definitely recommend! I will be returning for more of his classes very soon! Thank you again Martin! I really appreciate you and your classes! read more

10/10 recc Highly recommend aim firearm training if You are a beginner or have been shooting for years you will leave with more knowledge about guns/shooting , great environment and just great people read more

Martin is great!!! We took a private lesson with him and he took his time and he was very patient with my wife and I. He went thru the basics on handguns, made improvements to how well we both shoot and we definitely looking forward to taking another class with him. read more

AIM Firearms Training - Firearm Training Near Me

I have had pistol training at a couple different outfits. I have to say the training I received from Martin Mapa is hands down the best! Martin is very knowledgeable when it's comes to firearms handling/shooting. He takes his time with each student to ensure you can properly handle and discharge their firearm safely. Martin and Brandon thank you for taking the time with me to humbly point out the areas I need work in. I will be doing all my future training with AIM Firearms Training. Thanks again! read more

Highly recommend Martin and his team! My husband and I signed up to take the Pistol 1 course to learn the basics. Our 16 year old wanted to join as well and we had a great day family day. We learned a lot and felt safe the whole time. It was a class size of seven with Martin and two additional instructors. We all really enjoyed the structure of the course and are already talking about signing up for the Pistol 2 course. We drove 1.5 hours each way and it was so worth it! read more

I have taken level 1 and level 2 training with Martin, I am fairly new to guns and everything that they entail. I was very impressed with both classes. I felt safe and supported during each class. I am excited to take level three and four with him and his team. If you are looking for a safe and competent instructor I would strongly recommend taking classes with him. read more

I found Martin/AIM Firearms initially through yelp reviews when searching for handgun 101 classes and I am so glad that I did. I started with an interest in personal safety in February, purchased my firearm in March, practiced every week, attended my first class with Martin in May, and obtained my CCW by September.  Personally, as a woman, I felt a little intimidated taking classes. I've been to all of Sacramento's gun ranges and looked at classes, but none of them felt like a good fit for me. I read all of the reviews about Martin, e-mailed him, and signed up for and paid for the class before he even agreed to the class. He's been so easy to communicate with and so accommodating. He even gave me a 1:1 basic level handgun training because I couldn't make any of his weekend classes. When I didn't think I was ready for CCW qualifications, he encouraged me and I passed in the practice round! Whatever it is you want to improve on: accuracy, comfort with your grip, stance, anything at all, he is willing to stop and focus on it until it's resolved. His number one goal at all times is safety. He ensures that he and all of his students are safe at all times. If you've ever been to a range, you may have seen some questionable behavior and decisions made by people in possession of a loaded firearm. Not with Martin. He sets a great example of how you should handle your firearms. Quick chamber check and point the muzzle in a safe direction. Something he always says, "I teach A way, not THE way". What I really like about  Martin is that he doesn't think there's a wrong way (unless it's unsafe) and encourages you to do what works for you. Also, he is always willing to learn. He tries to learn from his students as much as he tries to teach and is always striving to be better. In fact, I think he's going back to the Sig academy to become a master pistol instructor. I'm really thankful I found such a great instructor the first time around. I have every intention of continuing my training with Martin and I can't recommend him enough. read more

Signed up & took my CCW renewal course with Martin at Aim Firearms Training in November. It was a relaxed and fun experience. First off, Martin intentionally keeps his class sizes small which makes for a more personalized & relaxed experience. I really liked that. I never felt rushed. Martin is very relaxed and respectful & runs a safe class. All my other classmates had prior shooting experience and operated in a safe manner so we all finished up our qualifications in the first 4 hours. I was free to leave with my qualification certificate at that point but Martin invited us to stay and have some fun running some shooting drills. We spent the next 3 hours practicing shooting on the move, shooting weak hand, shooting steel and seeing how fast we could draw our firearm & hit steel. Overall it was a great experience for me & I highly recommend Martin & Aim Firearms Training for your ccw course. read more

1) safety 2) knowledge 3) application 4) results Just finished the red dot pistol class and I can't wait to try the other courses that are available. Martin and his team is very patient. I had zero experience with red dots other than YouTube. By the end of the class I was shooting steel targets with confidence. read more

Some things you do, its best to learn to do it right from the start. Just talking to Martin at AIM and you'll know you'll be getting high quality training. Just a few moments talking to him and he gave me great advice about self defense training. He answered questions I had very intelligently and logically. For instance, do you think about how you're going to draw your firearm if you're in your driver's seat and buckled in when/if being attacked? Ask him and be amazed at his answer. I suggest Martin and AIM to anyone looking for quality training. Update: spent another day with Martin at the range. He showed us how to best fine tune what we knew. And then showed us better concepts to be more efficient and proficient. Practice with purpose and train for real life. His training session leveled up our skills ten fold. No doubt he knows his stuff and definitely knows how to teach others to learn them as well. read more

See all

Excellent training!! I believe ANYONE who owns a gun should participate in this class!!

I strongly recommend AIM again. This has been my third time to renew my CCW permit. Martin is best of the best amongst the firearm trainers in Sacramento area, and may be in the states. I attended a 4-hour CCW Renewal Course at AIM 2 years ago. Martin's professionalism made me feel I learned more than what I expected. I decided to come back and learn much more from Martin this year. My skill is greatly improved. Amazing! Martin is passionated in firearm training. If you want every penny you spend beyond your expectations and learn more shooting skills than a normal CCW teach, you have no choice . Just Martin of AIM. Martin, you rock! read more

Martin and his team has been awesome. Been training with them for the past couple of classes. A very good trainer, does not intimidate his students. Very impressed with his teaching methodology.I learned a lot about firearms, safety, and how to be responsible. I enjoyed every lesson and will be signing up for more classes. Would definitely recommend AIM Firearms to everyone. Its fun, safe and very informative, you will learn a lot. To Martin and his team, keep it up, you are all doing awesome job! read more

Had a great class with Martin today. Class started with a good safety briefing. He was able to tailor his teaching methods to fit the varied experience levels of the class. That made it a good learning environment for all. Zero'd in on small but important elements to help everyone advance. I've already signed up for more training with AIM. I would definitely recommend. read more

Just took the CCW initial class, Martin is a great instructor with a heavy emphasis on safety. Exactly what you want, especially if you're not very familiar with firearms. Classes are kept small to promote participation and interaction, again exactly what you want. Martin makes everyone comfortable and nothing is intimidating. No question is dumb here. Range day is awesome, very very safe, comfortable and very informative. This is now my go to, even though I have a feeling his classes are going to get harder to schedule due to popularity, I'll wait,he's that good. I'm going to send my wife and daughter through his ladies class. I would never entrust their safety to someone I'm not comfortable with. That's how GOOD he is! On a side note as others have stated, I think he might really be a ninja!! read more

Was referred here for my CCW training course by a friend and was glad I did. Martin was an awesome instructor, him and his crew were very friendly and knowledgeable. Made it as simple as possible but went above and beyond with the course. Definitely learned a lot and will definitely come back for one of his regular training course! read more

AIM Training's initial 16hr CCW course was, without a doubt, the most informative course I've ever taken. The in-class day was informative and insightful, while being full of laughs and fun. Martin gave us plenty to think about should we find ourselves in a real life situation. The range day was amazing! Thanks to Martin and his team, our class was super engaged. The vibe was encouraging, safe and positive, with everyone rooting for each other. Martin's instructions were very effective and made the practical application much easier. Draw times and accuracy improved for everyone, even the more advanced shooters. With his easy to understand instructions and his focus on safety, our class even moved into more advanced trainings which mimicked some of the stresses you'd likely feel in a real life situation. I left a much better shooter than I was when I started. This won't be the last class I take from Martin. read more

Completed my initial CCW course yesterday with Martin and his team. First off, Martin (owner) is a master at his craft. He is a great and friendly instructor that is very knowledgeable in all aspects of firearms, regulations, training, and most importantly, SAFETY. As a CCW holder, you are accountable for what comes out of that muzzle so it's imperative to make every shot count. Here, you will learn not only how to shoot your firearm, but different tactics that other classes will NOT teach you - firing under stress, moving and static drills, and more. Not only to mention, class sizes are kept small so that we have a great student:instructor ratio - and that's for our benefit (my class was 2:1). Don't want to be a spoiler so you must take the class to find out the rest. As a beginner, I left the class with confidence and proficiency in my firearm (Sig 229 .40) in addition to a different mindset about the privilege of becoming a CCW holder. Martin teaches more than just CCW courses - basic pistol, Advanced, etc., in which I will be coming back for more in the future. If you want to learn and train in a safe environment, Martin is the way to go no matter what skill level you are. I highly recommend this class to anyone and everyone who is interested in firearms. Btw - this class is still open during the shelter in place restrictions - this class is definitely essential!! read more

Martin and his team are fantastic. I took the level 1 class and even though I have been shooting for awhile still benefited from his teachings. He is very down to earth and encourages questions putting people in a safe environment conducive to learning. I plan in going back for many more classes and recommend that you go too! read more

Really enjoyed training with Martin. He was very clear and concise and provided logical examples that helped make my experience and overall skill level stronger. I highly recommend AIM for anyone starting off needing basic experience, going thru the ccw process and/or renewing their permits. Definitely plan to use AIM again to further develop my skills. Also the entire firearms safety staff were great too! read more

This is the best local kept secret (for me!). Had my requals; Martin and his crew were straightforward in their business of keeping the range fun but safe. Martin was thorough in his instructions that I kept learning new things from him. Can't wait to get on with his other courses, time permitting. read more

Martin is an excellent instructor. He makes sure and remind you throughout the course about safety and safe handling. I went to a private class and like Martin's attention to detail and is very patient in making sure you're comfortable and I appreciate that a lot. At first I was very nervous but Martin with his knowledge and experience I became acclimated in a short period of time. My first time handling a gun was actually a positive experience, I felt more at ease when when I knew what I was doing! Thank you Martin. read more

Let me start out by saying this is a learning experience that you won't regret and you'll be able to use it for the rest of your life. Martin and his team of instructors are top notch, professionals. They have a passion for gun safety and knowledge and from that you can truly build off of and continue to develop skill through his many offered classes. In my personal experience I took his level 1 class with my husband ( who already had fun knowledge) and we both had a great time! The small classes got you lots of personalized attention and that's very important to me. I take gun safety and knowledge very important, as should anyone, especially in the state of CA. The demeanor of the instructors allows you to feel comfortable and walk away ready for your next class. Start your journey today with Martin and his team, I promise you won't forget it. Sincerely, A woman/ Mom/ Wife/ Healthcare professional read more

After looking at all my options, I landed on Aim Firearms Training. I'm glad I made that choice. Instructor Martin went above and beyond if you asked me. Not only did he teach us the basics for initial ccw, but he also incorporated bits from his higher training levels. You can tell it's his passion to pass on the knowledge. I am very impressed and thankful for what I acquired taking his class and will definitely be looking into some future training with him. Check them out. read more

My wife and I took a private Pistol 1 class from Martin and couldn't have been more satisfied. We got individual training on handgun safety, grip, sighting, loading and unloading, and fired many clips of ammunition at targets. Martin was patient, clear and informative on all aspects of using our firearm, especially focusing on safety. We would definitely take another class with him. read more

Took a training course this weekend and had a blast!!! Martin is an excellent instructor and all the Safety Range Officer were very helpful and encouraging. I highly recommend Aim Firearms Training and look forward to continue Training with them!!! read more

I had the absolute honor of training privately with Martin. I have trained with many instructors and I can tell you he is the best. I can't believe the progress I achieved with just one day of training. The range is great, his style is out of the world... pretty sure he's a mind reader and a pistol ninja in some other dimension. Not all of my past firearm instruction was worth the money but I will put my name as a referral on Martin because he is legit. If you want to improve your firearm skills, call him now! This training could save your life one day. read more

Martin Mapa is an outstanding instructor. He has a passion for teaching and genuinely cares about his students. Martin goes above and beyond what is expected and makes sure his students leave his class "better than how we came in." On top of that he makes it fun. read more

Martin at AIM is a great instructor. He's very safety conscious and his way of reaching makes it really easy to absorb and apply. Discussions of philosophy and mindset really promote effective learning and the responsibility of proper firearm ownership and use. Martin includes a lot of dynamic movement, audible drills and high level techniques. All of this combines to create a superb training environment with great results. I fully intend to be a regular trainee of AIM and will refer anyone looking to become proficient or learn advanced skills. From a lifelong firearm owner, shooter and alumni of quite a few other training/certification courses in firearms I would fully recommend AIM to anyone. read more

If you're looking to learn Firearms and want the proper training, you won't find better then Martin at AIM Firearms Training. He has the best teaching skills of any trainer I've met. He will give you the most practical and effective methods for real world skills you'll need. AIM offers a wide variety of courses and classes that anyone can benefit from. He has a way of teaching that makes you feel safe and comfortable while handling Firearms. His methods are effective and the way he teaches just makes sense. If you are looking for basic hand gun course or if you want to learn how to shoot while moving, sitting etc He offers it. If you've never even touched a gun, they will explain it all and have the compassion of your favorite teacher, to make sure you understand the importance of safety and technique. The crew he has helping him, they all have the abilities to improve your confidence and skills when it comes to handling a gun. If you're a novice or a seasoned pro, they can help improve your game and take you to the next level. I couldn't recommend them enough, I would take my grandmother to them. Looking for more then average ccw class, they got you covered. Looking for specialized skills, they got that covered too. From pistol levels 1-4, low light training, AR-15 fundamentals and private lessons they got you covered. I went to Martin for my ccw class and was blown away by his professionalism and methods of communication. No, I don't work for him or have any affiliation with them, I'm just a customer who was impressed enough to write this lengthy review. I will be back for more classes with AIM Firearms Training so I can be more proficient and learn as much as they have to offer. Thank you Martin and the guys at AIM Firearms Training, you have a fan,customer and student who wants to learn everything you have to teach and couldn't be happier with the product you have to offer, thank you so much! read more

My wife and I attended the Handgun 101 - Fundamentals class. Martin was great. He was very patient and clear with his instruction. Safety was his priority as it should be. In the end we were much more comfortable in the handling of a handgun. We will be taking more training sessions with Martin very soon. read more

Martin and his team are the absolute best! I recently bought my first firearm for home protection and I had never shot a gun. The class was so beneficial for me. I went from knowing nothing to basic gun safety, safely checking my gun, loading and unloading my weapon, and firing. I am so excited to get back to the range and practice what I learned. Martin and his team are so patient and are great teachers. I'm definitely taking more classes with Martin. read more

I took Martin's CCW class November 2021, I felt at home right away first time meeting him in person. His class room lecture is very informative and me being always on a turbo mode, I was engaged the whole time and was not bored. The day of qualification, I like how he gives each students the attention they need to help to successfully pass their counties qualification. With tons of classes I have taken, I felt pretty comfortable on the line (range) with the newer individuals with the help of Martin's range safety officers everyone was safe with handling their firearms. I couldn't be more happy taking this ccw program of his, well structured. Great instructor, Money well spent. See you at the renewal! read more

Martin and his crew were extremely respectful, informative, patient and great teachers! They were very aware of the class at all times & made it very safe and effective in respect to training. I found the pace and class size to be just right (I think 8 people). I received a lot of one-on-one training during the class (ok, I was obviously the least experienced shooter in the group, but Martin and other AIM employees were very encouraging & taught me more than I thought I would learn in just one class. Although this was my first class with AIM Firearms Training, I believe anybody would have an equally great experience & learn a lot. I will definitely take more classes from AIM. read more