What an incredible experience attending the 2 day, CCW course offered here. Eye-opening, enlightening, educational and informative. Well presented. I would highly recommend to anyone. Money well spent on gun handling and self-protection tactics. I especially enjoyed watching the 5 engaging videos prior to class session. Protection Plus takes its seriously. Well done! read more

Best pewpew store I've been to. Helen, Drew and Alex really are the best people you could possibly deal with. A nice close family feel, not like other stores where you might feel judged or pressured. This shop genuinely wants you to find what's best for you or what you're looking for. Prices are fantastic with the customer service rivaling it. I will never go anywhere else. Plus good luck finding their pistol selection anywhere in NorCal. read more

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I took the CCW class in the last thing I thought would happen was I was going to leave being inspired. Helen, the owner gave the mental health section of it, and it truly left me inspired when I left. Buck with an awesome instructor in the classroom and on the range I was shooting well within qualifications and he still gave me tips and techniques on how to tighten my group up. He also made sure everybody was being really safe at the range which for me was a big deal because the different levels of shooting ability. read more

Great people great environment. Super helpful folks very knowledgeable and kind. I would recommend anyone to come to this store!!

Took my renewal with Alex over at Dillman Rifle Club. It was great. Helen was amazing with her communication throughout getting me registered for the renewal. They are great people. I know for sure I selected the right company to do my renewal through. Look forward to working with them again. read more

Recently did a CCW renewal course with Alex. Course information was clear and relevant, and Alex was professional. The store was well stocked and well staffed. I was saddened to hear of Don's passing. He was passionate man in all aspects, and a true one-of-kind guy. He will live-on in the internet, continuing his quest for education through his YouTube training videos. read more

Protection plus tactics is an outstanding business. They are very knowledgeable and professional. They have everything you would need including outstanding training classes and an Awsome gun store that has a great selection of everything and great prices. I highly recommend this business . Check it out you won't be disappointed read more

I don't think I could recommend Don and Helen at Protection Tactics Plus enough. My father and I had been talking about starting the process of getting our CCWs for quite a while and it just wasn't ever a good time to jump in. But California politicians have a unique way of pushing you to do something sometimes hahaha.... so them changing the requirements at the beginning of the new year, kinda lit a fire under our seat cushions and we just decided to get it done. So now it's a race against time. We are looking around and trying to decide where to go to take the class. A man that my dad knows, that had just gotten his ccw recently told him about PTP and that it was in Loomis (so not far away) and that it was a really great place to go for the class. We looked it up, had some questions before hand, trying to make sure of a few things. They responded as thoroughly as they and that was that. We signed up for the next available class. Just happened to be one of the last ones before the changes. Ok, enough with back story. I now tell anyone that shows interest in taking a class to go to PTP. Once you sign up, they send you a email with a little homework to do before the class and it's to watch some very thorough and well thought out videos, with a lot of cool and new information that you probably don't know. We didn't haha and to download the curriculum booklet that also had a lot of good information, basic gun stuff most of us know and some new stuff that you might not. I should mention, that once you sign up for a class, you have forever access to their videos and all the new videos they make The class was great. And informal relaxed setting at their building. Much different than the first class I took while getting my guard card many years ago. Don, can come off as intense to some people, but in reality he is just very passionate about teaching and passing on his knowledge that he's collected over the years and experiences he's had. He just wants those that take a class from him to be prepared and at the best they can be after making the decision to protect themselves and those around them. He wants you to know that it's serious and important, but he will also make you laugh and not be too serious about everything at the same time. Helen is just amazing. She's a little less intense than Don, specially during a class haha. She helped me with all the info before the class and after the class when there was an issue with my certificate. Her and Don compliment each other very well. They are both very personable, professional and willing to help with any information you may need. They have just recently opened up their own gun/gear store. I would recommend everyone going to check it out. They put a ton (literally, there's a lot of steel in there haha) of work into it and it looks amazing. I look forward to picking up my new purchase with them soon. I'll definitely support them as much as can and look into buying new gear, maybe some new armor plates package and taking other classes with them If you're in the market for a new pew pew or gear or taking a ccw/first aid/tactical class... go to PTP and support them! You won't be disappointed read more

First time ccw renewal with protection plus. Very refreshing new look at things. Very professional and organized. And the store is a great break time place to spend to much money. read more

Great gun shop and weapons training. Helen is so friendly and knowledgeable, and Alex made what could have been an incredibly boring 8-hr CCW renewal fun, engaging, and informative. Helen spoke from her heart for her mental health portion, and it was touching and heartfelt. Great selection of body armor, IFAK's, and some really awesome guns and ammo. (Collector's Garand Sets, anyone?) I'll admit, that until my renewal course, I didn't know the shop existed- but after the way they treated me, I won't shop anywhere else. Other shops can have an elitist vibe, where they "know more than you do, and if you don't like it, you can leave", or worse, know absolutely nothing about what they are selling. You won't find either case here. Absolutely loved my experience here. Truly saddened to hear of Don's sudden passing. I was looking forward to meeting him. But he left a great legacy in this store and his family, and I will continue to support them from now on. Skip the chain stores, shop local, and support this amazing family. read more

This is a gun store in a discreet location at 3877 Shawn Way inside the building suite 100. They have a good selection of firearms, personal protection and critical aid products. What make them different is their knowledge and focus on safety and proven tactics for self defense. Helen and Alex are also certified to instruct on firearm safety, tactics and provide certifications for conceal carry. They are great people, and you can tell that they care about you and your safety. I suggest a visit to their facility to find out for yourself the difference in the service and care they provide while making sure you are prepared for any defense situation. read more

Don and Helen run a quality firearm store. They care about education with safety first and foremost. The training that Don offers is easily understood, comprehensive and thorough. There are videos for every aspect of the program. The knowledge that was offered far exceeded my expectations. If you're looking to educate yourself in the use and safety of firearms, this is where I recommend you go. While you're there you can purchase some very reasonable priced items from locking gun cases to a variety of weapons. read more

I would highly recommend Protection Plus Tactics. Helen and Alex have incredible customer service skills, super friendly, and go above and beyond. CCW classes are run very smoothly and safely. Any follow-up questions were addressed immediately and thoroughly. This is a professional business that prides themselves in knowledge and safety. read more

Great quality and highly qualified training, whether it be CCW or beyond. The service is also superb and they can get you answers to most any question and are great at resolving concerns and filling your wish lists with their selection and or ability to help you find it. :) I fully recommend checking this place out and or getting some training you will surely value. read more

If you are looking for a class to get or renew a CCW permit look no farther than Protection Plus Tactics. Excellent presentation by very knowledgeable staff. Highly recommended. read more

Just qualified for my ccw renewal yesterday. I have been to other well known classes, but have to say that Don's instruction and field training is the best by far. My daughter also attended yesterday for her new ccw certification. I'm so glad that she went through the Protection plus Tactics class. Her takeaways are life saving not only for her, but her family too! Thank you Don, and Helen Hank read more

Awesome family owned shop in Loomis. A small location with a great all around selection of new firearms and consignment guns too. Don and Alex are very knowledgeable on their products and aren't going to waist your time. They are there to serve your needs. This place is the whole package. A definite go to one stop shop for guns, ammo, gear, and training. read more

I recently renewed my CCW with Protection Plus Tactics. I wasn't sure what to expect since this was my first time renewing my CCW with PPT. I can tell you they exceeded my expectations and I learned more in this renewal session than I have ever learned in any of my previous renewal sessions with other CCW renewal businesses. Our instructor Don was very good at raising our awareness of what is required to be a firearm owner and CCW permit holder. Don covers more than just CCW requirements he educates you the mindset you need to have in overall self defense with a firearm or other weapons. Be sure to check out the PPT website and look into the Training/PPT Prep and watch the "free" videos, it's time well spent. https://www.protectionplustactics.com/online-academy Our time at the shooting range was efficient considering the amount of time we had to get through the various shooting distances required for CCW qualification. You will learn how to safely handle and shoot your firearm. Check them if you want some serious self defense training or products. Thanks again to Don and his team for their quality of work and dedication towards the services they provide. read more

Don is a passionate professional and eager to educate anyone who is willing to learn. In addition to all of the content, there were real world examples mixed in to help the students understand the responsibilities associated with firearms. If you are new to firearms and want to start with excellent training while building confidence and foundational skills, Don is your guy. If you are a tactical expert, he's still your guy. Additionally, Helen and the rest of the team were all extremely knowledgeable and assisted keeping everyone on point. Loki has to be one of the best range dogs too. Invest in yourself, increase your confidence and skills with Don and the team at Protection + Tactics. I look forward to additional training using Protection + Tactics. read more

I called to find a Tacticon Med Pouch for my Ronin Battle belt and Helen answered the phone wile she was training. She was amazing and customer service obviously comes first. I will be ordering more from them and referring my team to order from them as well. 5 stars ***** Chris Amato U.S. Army Veteran 101st AB read more

I am not what you might call a "gun person" and am essentially self-taught with all the typical bad habits. I decided to get a CCW permit in 2019 because of my job. I have gone to the gun range a few times, but let's be honest...all that means is that I spent more time reinforcing those bad habits. This time around, when my CCW renewal came up, I called Protection Plus Tactics, LLC, and signed up for and completed both their marksmanship class along with their CCW class. Simply put, it was a great decision. Don Ratkowski is extraordinary in that he has both an enormous knowledge base and technical skill in all things firearms, but he is also a very gifted teacher & coach. Someone with this combination is rare, and it shows itself when he sees someone shoot only once and somehow knows exactly where they are in their learning curve. He will then coach them on the right macro and micro-adjustments needed. Helen and Alex round out the team and also deserve a shout-out. They are both willing to help and are very supportive of your learning. It can be a little intimidating when you first walk out onto the firing range, but at the end of the day, three very competent and skilled experts were on my team, guiding me in bettering my skill level. I may never be an avid "gun person," but I can honestly say I am no longer just "self-taught." Through Don's observant coaching, the team's spot-on encouragement, and them not letting anyone get away with doing it the wrong way, I clearly made strides in my marksmanship and confidence level. I now have a more solid foundation for further growth. Thank you, PPT. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED read more

Don the owner and Helen got me all signed up to take their ccw class during a very pleasant phone call I had with Helen. I was very happy first of all with the excellent phone manners plus the great details about the class I received within the initial call, 5 stars for that! I did not call anywhere else after contacting PROTECTION PLUS TACTICS! Then the day of the class was very informative and I learned a great deal just in the first hour! The shooting part of it was excellent and was very fun! Overall I give this ccw course a full 5 stars, you guys know your stuff. Don is an excellent and very knowledgeable ccw course instructor! I would def. recommend this business to anyone I know wanting a ccw or training. plse go to their website to learn more and watch the academy videos, topnotch!!! David from North Highlands Ca read more

We had the absolute BEST experience with Don & Alex at Protection Plus Tactics! My Dad and I took a private lesson with them and it was worth every penny! I had only ever shot guns once before (5 years ago), and my Dad had shot throughout his life, but again, it had been a very long time. We left that day feeling so confident! Don and Alex are patient, encouraging, beyond knowledgeable, excellent teachers, and they made it fun at the same time. We will be back for more training soon and plan to stick with them to hone our skills! Thank you Don, Alex & Helen for an awesome day and getting us started RIGHT! read more

My husband and I train with Don. He is very informative and walks you thru the task. The medical classes are one of the best around. Learning from Don has made us both better shooters. I highly recommend the online training videos. read more

I am a woman. I had next to zero experience around firearms. The phrase "gun shy" literally described me to a T. But I knew I wanted a weapon for self-defense. I also knew a pat on the back and a piece of paper was not sufficient for me. If I was doing this, I wanted to know I was learning how to be safe and learning the details of how everything works; I wanted confidence. Don did a wonderful job sharing his knowledge and experience without making me feel dumb. He took a serious topic and made it fun but more importantly, I was able to get comfortable handling numerous firearms well before we headed to the range. By the time I was facing the target, my fear was gone and it felt more like a golf lesson. This private instruction was worth every penny! I would highly recommend this company's services to anyone who values gun safety, and wants to increase their knowledge and skill. read more

Awesome instruction, kind and fun instructor, tailored to your needs, great for women! I recently started hunting at the age of 33, I started as an upland game hunter and learned shotgun but I signed up for a cow elk hunt like a crazy person and have about a year to become proficient with a rifle. As a kid my dad taught me about guns and how to use them but I fell out of practice through my teens and 20's. So I am practically a newbie but not quite, I need specific instruction not just some cookie cutter "I've never shot a gun before" beginners course. I've taken a few trap shooting courses, and a few rifle courses but NONE of them were as informative, tailored and relaxed as the one I took with Jake! He broke down the lesson into digestible parts and worked with me as long as i needed to get me into my most comfortable shooting squat. He showed me all the tips and tricks to get perfect alignment, to stop muscling the gun, and get consistency. Jake helped me unlock a huge block in my rifle work! I feel natural behind a rifle now, which I did not just a few weeks ago. He taught us all about MOA and how it related to sighting in our firearms, I now understand MOA completely whereas I just couldn't quite get it by reading about it online. Jake also helped me understand when i'd choose a .308 over a .243 and why, and helped me understand generally how grain and velocity effect the performance of ammunition. I now feel like I know enough not to be worried about sounding like an idiot at the gun store. Jake was not only understanding and non-judgmental of my novice-ness, he was excited to explain it to me and was stoked when it clicked for me. The icing for me is that Jake has the experience and training of an ex-marine but without the "intensity" of some gun enthusiasts I've worked with, he is light hearted and fun to be around. I highly recommend PPT, they are the real deal. read more

Don and his son Alex were absolutely amazing! Initially, I was intimidated and anxious to do it, but they put us right at ease. Course started out in a classroom like setting where they got you familiarized with gun concepts and handling. Going out to the shooting area was very fun where they put you in real life situations to make you feel comfortable. You will not get this experience anywhere else, and it is nothing like a gun range. Even if you've shot guns before, you will he surprised to find out there's a better way. You can tell he has a lot of experience and is great at teaching without making you feel dumb. read more

Don and team of professionals are true professionals. After purchasing my first handgun I know I wanted to get trained, shoot many practice rounds, then apply for a concealed Carrie permit. I asked around and after several recommendation to Don, I called, made a appointment and met him at his company head quarters. Super impressed with him and his awards in the military, plus his highly talented team. Lets just say I have taken many classes and want to take more. Please visit them and you will be impressed. there is many options, including a simulator there to train on and ect. ect. too much to list. Terry at Rocklin armory is great as well. Dennis J. read more

My husband and I booked the private training and went into it with no experience with firearms. We were required to watch some of the videos on Don's website prior to the training day and that alone was already so much good knowledge we didn't before. We wanted to learn how to operate a gun safely for self defense. At the end of the day we learned so much and had so much fun!! read more

This is a wonderful place to go and train. The staff here are knowledgeable, courteous, and compassionate. If you are a beginner, this is a great place to start. If you are a casual shooter, this is great place to gain knowledge. If you are experienced shooter, you will find out how much more you need to learn. I am grateful for finding an excellent place to train with the staff, friends, and colleagues. read more

Easily the best, most detailed CCW course I've ever taken. Recommending to family and friends 100%. If you're going to carry, it's good to know all aspects of the responsibilities that come with it. read more

Don is the best! I am very grateful for my private lesson and will be back. I had very little experience and was referred to Don and PPT from a good friend. I now feel confident in the fundamentals I learned and am excited to continue learning. Look no further it is a great time to learn from a great patriot like Don. read more

Great training from Don and his team. I'm impressed with his passion and desire to teach.

Went here for my concealed carry class. I have a concealed carry permit through the state of North Carolina so have been to a class before. Don and his son had a great curriculum and go over lots of relevant info. I also like that they had great deals on tourniquets as well, and covered the aspect of having a solid first aid kit for your home. If you have not practiced shooting you need to do so before you go to this class or you will have trouble with the qual. I really enjoyed their teaching methods and how they conducted themselves at the range, I always felt safe but also had a good time. read more

What an awesome class!! I have been in other CCW classes before but this was by far the best one I have ever had the pleasure to be in. Don is a great instructor and teacher. Between Don,Jake, and Alex you are in great hands. I would recommend this place to anyone that I know read more

Incredible experience...The owner Don is an excellent instructor! Just took my first private handgun training course along with my best friend and his wife...and absolutely feel like it was worth every penny and then some. Don's demeanor and training style is very supportive and positive...I was very impressed with Don's ability to teach...and I look forward to him instructing my entire family including wife and kids...he is one of the rare people that actually have a personality that can reach all ages/skill sets. His private range is awesome and a huge benefit to the student...so crucial for personal protection training, in a huge reason why I will continue to use him in the future. Don trained us on real-world scenarios which is completely different from what I've been trained in the past. You will not be disappointed!!! read more

These guys are great. They make training so much fun. They are also exceptionally good with women. Taught my wife firearm safety and shooting. She was very nervous and they gave her so much confidence over the course of two days that she is now 100% self-reliant and does not have any anxiety about handling weapons. read more

Absolutely thrilled with the leadership, time and knowledge of Don and Helen. Do yourself a favor and get trained by the best in the county (and possibly the state for that matter). Be sure to read all instructions and be prepared before your class. If you are a beginner, I highly recommend the private lessons to start. read more

Fantastic experience, My wife and I took the private training with little to no experience with firearms. Don was patient and very technical on the how's and why's for firearm safety. The combination of his passionate person training coupled with the website videos left us with a wealth of knowledge and increased confidence. We understand there is still a lot to learn, but this experience makes us excited to learn more and move forward with additional training's from Don and his exemplary team. read more

I simply cannot say enough good things about this company. I was referred to Don for a CCW class and got so much more than I expected. I quickly realized I needed more training and have already taken 4 of the plethora of options they offer (every single instructor I interacted with was fantastic). You can learn marksmanship, self defense, precision long range shooting, and casualty care from combat-experienced veterans. They have something to offer for every skill level and will get you thinking about things in a whole new way. There's a phrase used often at Protection Plus Tactics, "we don't train victims." You should absolutely come see how true that statement is. read more