David is a very experienced trainer. Great classroom presentations. Answers everyone's questions…read more Jay R.

My first time going through my CCW journey and while looking for a firearms trainer I came across…read more831Shooter from the MCSO approved list. Fast forward, I managed to get into his two classes, classroom and the qualifications class (range)for my CCW. Classroom was very informative and definitely learned a lot. I like the way he teaches because he goes in depth on what it is to be a CCW holder and the responsibility one bears while carrying. Now the fun part, Range. I honestly thought I was just going to shoot and qualify with my firearms and call it a day... boy was I wrong. As the training went on throughout the day I thought I was traing for special forces or something. We did various firearm drills ect; one handed shooting, stove pipe drills, click no bang, shooting behind barrels, we were on the ground, shooting while on our knees, we did some walking while shooting too. I can go on, class was very fun and highly recommend attending. The Battle Rattle at the end was my favorite you basically rapid fire 2 mags on steel. The passion and dedication this man has for the 2A Community is incredible, you will definitely be surprised at all the knowledge you will get if you attend his classes. I can't forget about the staff , very friendly, helpful they give you feedback on your shooting, tips, they will definitely point out your flaws but don't take it personal its just to make you a better shooter. SAFETY is nothing to play with here so if you make a mistake you will be hearing it from the staff. Overall 5 star rating, highly recommend and would be back for renewal once that time comes in the future.

I took the BPS class with my three daughters. Bertrand was extremely knowledgeable and very patient…read morewith us. The course was all about safety, which made me feel much better since I had no prior experience with guns. We all enjoyed our class. Thank you Bertrand!

I took the BPS (Basic Pistol Shooting) course with Bertrand, who was recommended to me by friends…read morethat had taken courses with him before. Bertrand is extremely knowledgeable and meticulous in his lessons, with safety always at the forefront of everything he teaches. You'll likely walk out with newfound confidence and competency about using firearms, I certainly did. The BPS course was broken up into 4 parts - a self-paced online course, an in-person classroom session, 2 hour private range practice time, and 1 hour gun cleaning session (sometimes the gun cleaning is done at the range, though that'll depending on timing). Detailed information about each section will be provided once you sign up for the course. The classroom session was a group session, and it went almost 6 hours for our class (you basically go over everything that was taught in the online course, and then do some dry-firing exercises). The range time was great because it was a private coaching session, and usually done at non-public hours at the range, so there are no other distractions. One caveat - Bertrand is a bit of a drill sergeant, and while this approach may work for some people, others might prefer a softer touch. That being said, he does make sure you walk out with a wealth of knowledge and is extremely passionate about teaching. I had previously tried shooting once before, and I was taught next to nothing compared to what I learned through this course. An excellent surprise bonus to this course was how well I was able to shoot in our range session, and I definitely give kudos to Bertrand for his excellent course and training. He offers a wide variety of courses and is super responsive. If you're looking to safely learn how to use a firearm, SFE is the way to go.

I don't write many 2-star reviews, but I think this experience warrants it. I took the firearm…read moresafety class with Brian, and unfortunately I can't recommend it. Brian was unprofessional, rude, and had a habit of belittling students. He made the learning environment uncomfortable by embarrassing people rather than constructively correcting them. While I understand that it's not an instructor's job to be friendly or to "hold our hands," there's a difference between being direct and being outright disrespectful--and Brian crossed that line. In terms of content, the class was heavily skewed toward theoretical discussions, such as legal frameworks for self-defense and broad topics on conflict and society. While some of this information was interesting and well-explained, it dominated the day, leaving little time for actual hands-on firearm training. The balance between theory and practical instruction was way off. Additionally, while Brian welcomed questions, he often responded by making students feel stupid instead of providing clear, direct answers. This approach, combined with his condescending attitude, discouraged people from asking questions at all. A firearms class should foster confidence and competence--not intimidation. I gave it 1 extra star because instructor Spencer was amazing. Overall, I did not gain much practical, in-depth knowledge about firearms or safety. If you're looking for a class that prioritizes hands-on training and a professional learning environment, I'd suggest looking elsewhere.

While I do think Brian had knowledge to share, the way he goes about sharing it was fairly off…read moreputting. He prides himself in using a "Socratic method" of teaching by responding to students' questions with another question. Even if he considers himself some sort of philosopher I would personally appreciated it if a simple question from a student such as "how does this work?" could be addressed more directly instead of being answered with "how do YOU think it works?" Simply said, it would have been a more efficient and pleasant experience for everyone if he could just put his narcissism and fragile ego aside. All in all, I have some gratitude towards Monarch because I did learn something over the course of my time there. However, since then I've moved away and sought training elsewhere I've realized that there are many training centers and instructors out there that are much much better, both in teaching methodologies and credentials, especially you're willing to leave California.

Manzano Tactical: The Efficiency Course That Gets You HOOKED!…read more I initially joined Manzano Tactical just to enjoy my range days, but their Rifle Efficiency Course on September 27th completely changed the game--I'm now hooked on competition and eagerly look forward to participating in the member pistol matches and 2-Gun matches they host with the club! This course is a must-do if you are serious about improving. The course description holds true: they immediately incorporate fundamentals with serious movement and variable challenges. We spent the day pushing our limits with demanding standards, striving for those "Demigod gold standards" while shooting both handguns and rifles. The training gave me a clear, honest assessment of my current abilities and showed me exactly where my weaknesses lie. What truly set this apart was the personalized instruction from the lead instructor, Kyle. He is a master at identifying specific struggles, even managing to see and correct my flaws while I was on the move. Kyle carved out time to help solidify those exact skill sets. I walked away learning to shoot efficiently, mastering reloads and weapon manipulation on the move, fixing frustrating ammo misfeeds under pressure, and achieving seriously fast target acquisition with my optics. They even provided insightful feedback on flaws in my equipment setup! The course was fun, incredibly safe, and, by the end of the day, I had gained massive confidence in my skills. If you want to move past casual shooting and get a clear, detailed path to mastery, book this course. Highly recommended!

Kyle and the guys at Manzano legit brought 2A to the bay…read more Gun shops have always seemed intimidating, but all the staff over at Manzano are extremly knowledgeable and happy to answer all sorts of questions. They aren't salesman, they are shooters trying to help, regardless of our skill levels. I was luckily enough to take their Pistol Match Efficiency class, Jake put together a solid class with an abundant amount of information and drills to get introduced to shooting at a pace that was productive in learning. Being a member has its perks too where we can really try to better our skills in a variety of ways. Rapid fire, holster work, and even comp days. With more than competitive pricing, the ability to source things that aren't available in the shop to get products we want, Safety is also a top priority. Kyle and the team educate and demonstrate how to be efficient with firearms.

Sunny is an amazing instructor, very knowledgeable and detailed, gave a smooth and easy training…read moresession. I would recommend to anyone new wanting to learn about handgun training !

This is mostly an MSRP Plus type shop. Most prices are MSRP…read moreor higher. Small selection of in stock firearms. Staff is fairly friendly. There are bigger shops with better prices. Search gungenie, short drive saves you big money elsewhere. I spent the saved money on ammo last time. This time $223 over MSRP for a 357? Colt Python sure but yikes. I used that $223 for deposit on another firearm.

The ASP firearm training was excellent. The instructors were knowledgeable, professional, and…read morecreated a welcoming learning environment. As a female participant, I especially appreciated the respect, encouragement, and professionalism shown throughout the course. I felt comfortable asking questions and was treated with the same level of support and respect as everyone else. The hands on training was valuable, and I left feeling more confident in my knowledge and skills. I highly recommend this training to anyone looking for high-quality firearm instruction.

I had such a great experience with ASP Firearm Training. My instructor was extremely patient,…read moreprofessional, and knowledgeable--I learned so much in just a short period of time. The CCW training was especially valuable. It was very informative, with clear explanations and practical tips on how to be a responsible and confident concealed carry permit holder. I'm really glad I had the opportunity to train with this company. If you want to get quality firearm and CCW training in San Jose, I highly recommend ASP Firearm Training!

Andrew the owner is awesome!!! It was the grand opening for this digital gun range and the gun shop…read morenext door so my cousin and I dropped in. Incredibly my cousin bough some similar gear Andrew had they geeked out! He showed him everything as I looked through all the realistic guns that the sensors go in. They had quite a bit including my favorites from CZ, Beretta, Smith & Wesson, including rifles and shit guns. Everything was real except the sensors and there was even realistic blowback!!! We both tried it out and liked it. I am more accuracy based versus speed but it was. Ice to try. We had several rounds and heck we just did the $10 half hour gig...Andrew though took his time and gave us the whirlwind tour. Everything from point of contact to speed was legit and we even got to see Andrew take a turn and he was lightening fast! It was fun experience and I could see myself doing this...Alas, I live in the SF Bay Area and this is down in Salinas... However, if you are looking for a unique and fun date, Tru shot is worth going to. If you like shooting but do not want all the noise and hassle of live fire...True Shot is the place. If you are looking for a variety of target scenarios from day time, to competitive to night shooting, True Shot is the place. Basically this is an awesome place to go to practice shooting, try new shooting games and just have fun with a cool owner! Thank you Andrew for an awesome time!

Great experience and extremely friendly/ helpful staff. Will absolutely be going back and soon!…read moreTons of fun with the realistic shooting simulator and a great way to practice while saving A LOT on ammo

I am not rating Dave Matthews. He appears to be a good trainer and owner based on the other…read morereviews. I am rating one of the other trainers who I randomly got for my ccw course. The good: He provided good information, was knowledgeable, and got the training done. The bad: No way would I use him again. I'm all for safety, but he was constantly threatening the class to throw us out for a mild infraction of safety protocols. Not all protocols are the same level. Yes, I would agree with him if someone pointed a l.g. at someone due to negligence. But he was maniacal with well intentioned people. Another insanity after every firing drill, looking over both shoulders. Someone is going to get a neck kink this way. It's fine to teach it, but after every firing round, this is just dumb. He just used threats to drive behavior which drove us crazy. Update: 2 star to 5 star...spoke with Dave the owner. He graciously called me to find out what happened, a sign of someone who cares. I think this particular instructor cares too and maybe was just new and a little rigid, which isn't always a bad thing when it comes to safety. I will definitely after this interaction consider FTI for my future training needs.

Not clear info about the class (CCW), tell you just sign up then ask the instructor. That is not…read morebeing clear and helpful. Go somewhere else!