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!

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.

I recently needed to get my NRA Rifle Instructor certification. After looking around, a few people…read morerecommend Dave at Firearm Training Institute. I ended up signing up for two weekend sessions (Basic Instructor Training and a few weeks after that, Rifle Instructor). I have to say, Dave is an amazing instructor, he was well prepared, really knew the material, and overall did a fantastic job. I would highly recommend Firearm Training Institute to anyone (whether you are new to firearms to a seasoned pro).

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!

Had a great experience at this range. The staff were super helpful and welcoming. They gave a great…read morereferral for an instructor. I really appreciated their knowledge and I look forward to coming back.

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 took Fighting Rifle 1 + 2 over the weekend and had a great time and learned a ton. I went from…read morenot knowing how to rack the rifle, to knowing how to zero a rifle, confident with manipulations, and knowing what my limits are in terms of shooting, stress, and movement. It was also a lot of fun Brian really donates all of his energy into this, and goes above and beyond. He's not here to give you a simple low effort easy experience that you can feel good about later. He wants to challenge you. He really wants you to grow as a shooter and share with you his passion for this activity and skill. I saw a few people here post about the drive up so I want to help inform others with this aspect-- I will say that its a very doable drive if you can drive twisties. I have performance driving experience and it took 50 minutes from the base of San Jose. I will say if you are less experienced, budget 1.5 hours. And if you lack confidence driving, budget 2 hours. Its not a difficult drive as in there is no risk, as long as you drive within your limits in terms of speed. Feeling not confident? Just slow down. Some people were driving 15-20mph which is totally fine for these roads. But if you are the type of person that cannot confidently put their car where they want it to go, I would skip this trainer and find a closer place to town. His range itself is off road. I would say its in the beginner off road level of driving. Meaning treat it like driving on road. There isn't really anything that can damage your car. But you will be driving on dirt, and if you are not used to that it might concern you. But don't worry off road is only tricky with hills, ruts, or rocks, which there are none. With a standard sedan, drive up to the bathrooms. Any further and you will get bigger hills. With fwd, if you are a confident driver you can make it down to the classroom building. However I would not suggest driving down to the range unless you have AWD as you may not have enough traction to go back up. I will say that if you do not consider yourself a skilled driver, do not drive back at night. Plan to pack up at 5 and leave at 6 minimum (assuming 7 is sunset). I drove back at night, and had to manage deer (saw two packs), fog, rocks on the road. It was raining that day so maybe my drive back was trickier than normal. These things are not an issue during the day, however at night you do need to be attentive.

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.

Great spot and nobody bugs you RSO are chill and will let…read moreyou be if they see you know what you doing

Came here for a private event and had a really good experience. The range itself is very nice and…read morehas a covered overhang, which was definitely appreciated for staying out of the sun. One thing to keep in mind when you arrive is to take the road that heads to the right, otherwise you may end up over by the sheriff's range. Once you know where you're going, it's pretty easy to find. The private range worked out great for our group and had plenty of space. There's also a public range next door if you're not coming for a private event. Overall, I'd recommend this spot, especially for a group or private event.