What a great experience! From calling and talking with Anne and her working with me to get me in there as soon as possible (when every other place was only doing classes twice or 4 time a month and booked two weeks out) all the way to the end. I went for my CCW class and was greeted by Dennis who was my instructor. Only taking up to two students at a time for the moment. Unless you are family or roommates. He also checks temp with the temp gun. The space for the class has two desks that are socially distanced (10 ft apart) with a plexi glass sort of shield around them so you don't have to worry about wearing your mask the whole class.along with hand sanitizer. There is also hepa air filtration running all the time and UV light treatment every night which I thought was cool. Basically this will be the most secure location to take a class right now from a health standpoint. As for the material and the instructor.. it is a lot of material to cover but It was very clear and explained in layman's terms on stuff that is the legal jargon of it all. You walk away feeling a whole lot better about your knowledge of the laws regarding self defense and your ability to carry safely, securely, and comfortably! They even leave you with your own study guide that you can take notes on and take home for you to freshen up your knowledge before you take your renewal class every two years. You can go other places closer and pay a little less. But the quality is key, definitely worth the small premium. They go above and beyond for their customers and have a nice mom and pop shop sort of vibe a lot different than some of thee gun ranges or class instructors that don't care to ask you about your day much less remember your name. So in conclusion I'd say if you are in butte county or surrounding are and need to take your CCW class, I highly recommend Black Oak Training. read more

Black Oak Training is an excellent place to receive training for a CCW. Dennis is very knowledgeable in gun use and safety. The class material is delivered in an easy to follow format. The discussions are structured in parallel with real life situations that my occur. The law and reasoning behind the questions on the CCW test are explained in detail. All instruction is provided in a comfortable and professional setting. At the range, Dennis gave great instruction that helped me stay on target. He is generally interested in helping you stay safe and be the best shooter possible. Anne is provides everything you need for the permit requirements, and more. If you want to qualify for your CCW, then this is the place. If you want to qualify and then learn even more about shooting, then this is still the place. Definitely professional. read more

Read this! Anne and Dennis' Black Oak Training is a really excellent training company. As owners and instructors, their vision for safety firmly anchors their excellent professional and personal approach to realistic firearms training courses. Their personal approach and the individual attention one gets in their class makes all the difference. Be it quietly carrying with your CCW for personal protection, or honing your target aquisition and trigger control skills for competitive marksmanship, Black Oak Training can make you safer, better, and you'll have big fun along the way. They have a great depth of experience, and a respect for the individual student. I've had decades of instructors teach me many different aspects of civilian, military, and law enforcement firearms skills, and Black Oak Training is a Bullseye! read more

I have taken two classes with Dennis (RSO and CCW Renewal). For every class I've taken, I've come away with knowledge that I didn't have prior to the class. Dennis goes above and beyond in his training classes and the experience is very pleasant. You can tell that he truly enjoys teaching and emparting what he has learned in a long career to each one of his students. His wife, Anne, is also wonderful to work with. She is quick to get your certificates to you and is a wealth of knowledge herself, often providing all the information you could ever need in order to take the next step in your certifications. I would highly recommend Black Oak Training. read more

Not only was Black Oak attentive to my questions, but they had a wealth of knowledge that superseded my expectations. They are very friendly, knowledgeable and extremely helpful in guiding anyone through the process. I enjoyed the training facility and presentation a lot. The class is not only informative, but fun and very well organized and put together. They are also there after the training via email or a phone call for any questions and have wonderful reference material. I highly recommend. Also, support your local trainers. I thank Black Oak for their valuable training and will definitely be going back. read more

My wife and I drove up from Sacramento to attend a beginning Firearms class with Black Oak Training. It ended up being just the 2 of us and the customer service was great. Dennis is very knowlegeable and explained things out very well. At the range we went through safety procedures a few times until we had it right. While we were shooting he would watch and correct any flaws. The one on one service was fantastic. We ended up making a day of it and shopped the fruit stands on hwy 70 on the way home. read more

My husband and I took a class with Black Oak Training and we are very satisfied with the experience. We are planning to take more classes with them. The proper protocols were taken for everyone's safety. The class was paced very well, informative, relevant, and I liked the fact that politics was kept to a bare minimum. Anne is very on point with communicating and setting up everything for us. Dennis is a very good instructor and made me feel comfortable asking questions. Thank you guys! read more

I had the pleasure of taking my CCW class through this company. Dennis taught me new techniques to hold my gun which helped me shoot more accurately. He is very knowledgeable and wants to share everything he knows to his students to insure we are safe and accurate. As a women, I felt nervous about having a male instructor however, Dennis made me feel safe and comfortable during my time with him. I highly recommend this company and I look forward to taking their marksmanship class. read more

Second time I have called on Dennis and Black oak training for assistance with my ccw. This time it was an ad on. simple painless procedure. The best thing for me is how much Dennis knows. He is not just there to make sure you can handle the gun he is there to make sure you can protect yourself if you need to. he is always providing more knowledge about the gun you are using and how to be accurate. Dennis is just fun to talk to and a wealth of information. Thanks again Rich Jones read more

This was a terrific experience! I took New Shooter I and New Shooter II with Dennis. He was very patient and clear with all of his training and helped me find the perfect gun for me. At the shooting range, I felt absolutely safe and empowered thanks to his instructions and training and I had so much fun! Anne was always so sweet and on top of things when it came to scheduling, emails and calls. If you're looking for gun safety training, I would DEFINITELY recommend coming here! read more

I was a little nervous about doing this class. I didn't really know what content it would introduce. By the end of the class I came out with more knowledge than I had before. Dennis is such a great instructor, he made me feel at home and taught me more about firearms than I had learned in a long time. It was such a please. I could only imagine his CCW classes being top of the line. Thank you so much for the time and experience you shared with me. Cole L. read more

Dennis and Anne are the best. Anne handles the paperwork side of things and Dennis is a great instructor keeping us students up to date on everything going on in California that is gun related. Does a great job of explaining things in depth and is a great instructor for shooting as well. I can't imagine a better experience when renewing my CCW. Class sizes are generally small which makes for a much better experience. Thanks Dennis and Anne, Seth read more

Just finished my third or fourth CCW renewal with Black Oak Training. We all felt a huge loss with the passing of Dennis Barrett late last year but family friend and instructor Steve Silber has stepped in and made the transition seamless. Steve is very knowledgeable and has the ability to keep things moving as well as interesting. If you are looking for quality CCW training I would not hesitate recommending the folks at Black Oak Training. read more

I have training in evaluating instruction, and Black Oak Training provides the best detailed lessons and discussion that I have ever seen. Dennis makes the extra effort to ensure that every student's understanding is perfectly clear. Dennis' classes are top notch. I wouldn't go any place else. If you must travel any distance to get to his training facility, it is well worth the drive!! read more

Anne and Dennis were wonderful to work with on my journey to my new CCW. The class was well organized and at a good pace plus I learned several key pieces of information I hadn't from my previous training. Communications are key and they delivered!! I look forward to my continued training with Dennis. read more

Dennis took his time to explain the right way to shoot my handgun. He's a man with a lot of patience and a great sense of humor. Which helps when teaching someone who has never shot a gun. I left the range feeling like I learned the basic's and could continue to train for my CCW. read more

I would recommend Black Oak Training for anyone, from the new shooter to someone that would like to enhance their shooting skills. The training is very professional yet easy to comprehend. Ann and Dennis work hard to acuminate your schedule. read more

Dennis is an amazing instructor with lots of classroom interaction. The material is presented and broken down so it's easy to absorb and understand. Definitely learned allot about firearms and safety I didn't know . read more

Dennis and Anne are very knowledgeable, professional and helpful. The training is comfortable, questions are encouraged and thoroughly addressed. Excellent training for enthusiasts at all levels. read more