Bertrand is one awesome, no nonsense guy. First, he was great with the communication via email…read more The class was a full 5 hours and nothing less! He used every minute to teach me the basic fundamental of what I needed to know. He knows his subject and he is very experienced. He got me in a private class in a hurry since I needed the certificate. Thanks man!! I'd definitely refer him to friends and relatives. His class is a must do! He is worth every penny and more (your safety and the people around you when it comes to using firearms).

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 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!

Wayne is a very funny and pleasant person to be around with. He's an excellent teacher.read more

Wayne was an amazing instructor, my first. So chill, yet so knowledgeable. Just a great guy to be…read morearound. RIP Wayne

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.

Clay Disneyland is the best way to describe this place now that it is under new ownership (RIP Tom…read moreEbert founder of Coyote Valley Clays). The facility caters to new and experienced shooters on a beautifully maintained world class shooting facility. The facility offers Trap, Skeet, and of course sporting clays. The pro shop offers FFL transfers, cold beverages for sale, and swag (T-shirts, hats, pins, stickers etc.) to show off your school spirit. The staff is extremely helpful and they have BBQ on the weekends! A+ facility!

Fun place!! People who work here love their jobs and are very helpful. You won't be disappointed.read more

I had a chance today to take the Basic Safety and Marksmanship course with Sgt. Andrew Bowen. In…read moreshort, it was worth every penny. Andrew improved my pistol skills from the ground up. He fixed my stance, my grip, my trigger squeeze, my sight picture and my breathing control. He taught me how fatiguing it can really be to send every round downrange, and more importantly, how to combat that fatigue. My groups went from 12" down to under 6" (at 7 yards) in under 2 hours and less than 200 rounds. I know with more practice and focus on Andrews techniques I can get that group even tighter. I've read the books and watched the videos, but nothing compares to the solid one on one instruction Andrew provides. I can't wait to follow up with his more advanced classes!

Another satisfied customer!! I have to admit I was hesitant to take another basic class, but seeing…read morehow green I am I figured it shouldn't hurt. Lucky for me I think that way because Sgt. Bowen opened my eye and mind to things that were not brought up in my previous basic class. Some gun jams that I haven't heard of and some I have heard of,but haven't seen, and how to clear them . I learned a better stance and better grip that all just made sense. If you are new and serious on learning and improving don't pass an opportunity to get trained by Sgt. Bowen. I am excited to practice what I learned and to move on to tactical training to see what else I can learn and improve on. I also hope to continue to update this review as I work my way through other lessons.

Robert and Matt are some of the best shooting instructors that I've had the pleasure of training…read morewith. They were professional, patient, and their attention to detail is second to none. If you're looking for a premiere firearms instruction company then Silicon valley Tactical is the choice.

Rob always provides a safe place to learn and practice all firearm skills. His courses are dynamic…read moreand interactive. He is knowledgeable on anything related to firearms. Highly recommended.

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.