Look no further, Vince and the team are just simply phenomenal. Top-notch instruction, great experience, and a wealth of industry knowledge. I've taken a few courses from VDC these last few years and they stand out from the rest of the firearm instructors/schools that I've seen in the area. With that said, I'm looking forward to taking more classes on a regular basis to fine tune my skills. Thank you Vince and team! read more

If you would like a quality professional firearms training school then this is your school. Vince and his staff pride themselves on safety and quality courses..I have attended a few of his classes and have never been disappointed. His classroom and training facility are located on the Ceres Police Range so classroom and practical are in one location. 5 stars plus 5 stars read more

If you want a course that trains you to have a CCW, carry a gun and draw that gun in time of need then this is the company to train with. In Monterey county I had to use a different company to get my CCW and 1st renewal. For this I used 2 different companies to help increase my training but sadly they never measured up to Valley Defense. Read the 2 bad reviews and understand there is more to the story than is written. I say two bad reviews because the 2nd and 3rd are most likely the same person read more

If you are looking for ccw course or just need gun training this is the place. Staff is fantastic. read more

Valley Defense Consulting - Shooting range - Gun/Rifle Ranges Near Me

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I received my CCW from Valley Defense and I have renewed it three times with Valley, Defense, Vince and those guys and his wife are great teachers I will continue to come back for as long as I can (keep up the good fight) read more

I was looking for a place to get CCW training, heard great things about Valley Defense, and they were not wrong ! Vince is very knowledgeable and experienced, him and his staff know very well what they are doing, (with a great sense of humor too) :) That takes the stress out of the day.... they made the experience so much fun !! After I took the CCW course I am definitely getting a membership with them .. it's 100% TOTALLY WORTH IT !! read more

Vince is a very experienced trainer with abundant practical knowledge. His classes are great for shooters of all levels. After training at other places for years I still left the class feeling like I had taken away new skills. I'll definitely be continuing training with Valley Defense and signing up for their annual membership as soon as it becomes available! read more

Great place and takes the time to make sure you are handling your firearm in a safe manner as well as the students around you.

I recently completed my CCW class with Vince and his very experienced crew. This is my 3rd time taking the class with Valley Defense and it gets better every time. The classroom portion is informative, well presented, and covers all of the pertinent information needed to build your CCW foundation on. The emphasis is on SAFETY FIRST, and always first. At the range we were given clear and specific instructions to qualify us for our permits and to build on our skill handling firearms. In my opinion there's no better company to take your class from than Valley Defense. read more

Highly Recommend this company! Took a CCW class and had an absolute blast. Not only did I have a good time but I learned a ton. Vince is a great teacher and he and his guys do such a great job making sure you understand and are able to do what is required. They value safety as the number one priority. Vince does a great job at giving you both aspects of handling a gun and having a CCW from a regular citizen and law enforcement prospectives. I will be taking more classes with them in the future. Vince and his team: Thank you for your service and thank you for what you are doing now! read more

If you are looking for CCW or firearm defensive training Valley Defense Consulting is the only place to look! Vince and staff have real life experience from many years of law enforcement service. Vince and his staff hold safety as their #1 priority and there is no compromise! Vince and his staff work with all levels of experience and coaches everyone as needed. I had researched many CCW courses and was recommended to go to Valley Defense by someone in law enforcement as the only class to consider. I am so glad I did. Day 1 Vince gives you so many real life situations to consider and keeps you always thinking and engaged. Extremely valuable information that is critical to have if you will be carrying a firearm. Day 2 was amazing. All other CCW classes I researched you only brought the 30 rounds of ammo needed to qualify for your permit. Vince ask that you bring at least 200 rounds. Day 2 you spend the whole day going through hands on firearm training from no ammo and dry fires. Then moves into beginning shooting and as the day moves on it gets more challenging and they really push you more than what you have ever done before if you have not taken one of Vince's classes before. You perform drills and exercises that you cannot do at indoor ranges. Vince and staff have lots of extra equipment to make your day easier and enjoyable. By the end of day 2, if you make it to the end you will have a great deal of knowledge and confidence in handling your firearm more than you did when you got there. I have shot firearms since I was a kid. However, this type of professional law enforcement type of training is hands down the best. I would really love to continue my training with Vince and his team. And if you are getting your CCW, I would not even consider anyone else since Vince makes sure you get the training you really need if you are ever in a situation that you need to save your life or protect your family. I truly appreciate the training and lessons Vince and his staff provided. They are top notch and the best at what they do. read more

Vince and his team were great. I left the class with more knowledge and confidence in my ability to carry safely. They had patience for myself and other beginners plus one MAJOR IDIOT. No one was made to feel stupid or belittled. This group of guys did all they could to help us through this course, even loaning a magazine when someone needed it. I definitely recommend this course and plan on taking another course with Valley Defense. read more

Valley Defense Consulting is top-notch in every way. Vince, Christie and the instructors are what you want when it comes to safety, knowledge, instruction, patience, and expertise. They are incredible! I've gone through several years of the CCW renewals as well as we have used them in our business to provide education, to our clients. In my opinion there is no one better. I highly recommend Valley Defense Consulting if you're considering your CCW, CCW renewal or for overall firearms instruction. They are worth the time and energy and provide a extremely valuable service. Thanks, Vince and Christie. Ken Boone, Kenneth Boone Wealth Management read more

This was my first firearm defensive training class and I enrolled after purchasing my first handgun. The instructors were professional, extremely knowledgeable and very patient. Safety was clearly the priority, so I felt safe and was able to learn a lot. It was an excellent class and I plan to take it again with my husband. read more

Valley Defense Consulting was referred to me by a friend. I have to say I was nothing but extremely impressed in regards to how this business ran the class and conducted themselves. I left the class better informed and more confident in using my weapon. It was a safe atmosphere while leaving enough room to enjoy myself. I will return to them in the future and recommend them to anyone. read more

I am a female backpacker and finally gave into the idea of carrying a handgun in the backcountry. VDC came highly recommended by friends and I couldn't be happier! I bought my handgun back in June, but because I had ZERO experience with even holding a handgun, it stayed in its lock box for 4 months. (Also partly because in Stanislaus county where I reside, there are very little handgun classes for newbies like me). I finally emailed this concern to VDC and they assured me that even taking their CCW Initial class would be great experience for me because it is similar to their Defensive Handgun 1 class (which they occasionally offer). So, with that said, I signed up. I was really lucky...there were only 5 people in our class, but the class before mine, had something like 26! (We were told that a class that size will usually have at least 3 instructors). Vince was our instructor and he was AMAZING! Day one, was held in their classroom. He went over a lot of info, law and especially case scenarios! Day two was at the range and this is where I really enjoyed Vince's style of instruction...I don't know how he did it, but somehow my fear of even holding my handgun seemed to disappear. He was really big on safety and did a lot of "dry drills" with us before moving to live ammo. Because we were a smaller class, he did A LOT of different drills with us...it was actually really fun! By the end of our class I was so excited that I want to join their membership and go out shooting regularly! BTW, I passed the class and exactly 1 week later, I got to pick up my actual license at the Stanislaus Co. Sheriff's Office! Thank you VDC, and I"ll see you in 2018!! Maureen Welsh read more

Initial/New CCW class! I can't say enough Great things about these guys!!! I am SO glad we decided to go with them for our first time! Vince was our instructor who made our 8 hours in class feel like 2! He is laid back & serious! he gave us real life scenarios to think about, which was great because he used locations in our town that we would actually be able to see our selves at. Day 2 at the range was interesting we concurred the rain, hail and freezing cold. All the instructors there were very patient, helpful & made everyone feel very comfortable! I personally had a fractured hand (my dominant hand) and everyone made sure to check in with me to make sure I was okay and didn't need a break, and were also supportive when I did finally need a break. Thank you guys for the jokes the seriousness the fun and the knowledge!!! You will definitely see me for my renewal read more

Valley Defense Consulting. An Amazing group of highly skilled and professional people. Safety is always their top priority. If you have never taken one of their classes I would highly recommend doing so. I recently took the Initial CCW training and really enjoyed it. I am by no means a novice but learned a great deal from Vince and his group. I come from a military family, my father served in the Army as a sergeant and in the Navy as a Chief Gunners Mate (last tour) on the Battleship the USS New Jersey. Both in the Army and Navy my father oversaw the Armory as well as fire arms training, He was an expert with the .45 ACP (1911) as well as with various carbines. I have been around guns more than most and I'm happy to say learned many of my Firearms habits from him. For fun I now work part time at a Local Gun range as an NRA certified Range Safety Officer but even with my level of exposure to firearms I learned a great deal from Vince and the Valley Defense Group. If you decide to buy a firearm for Safety or for Plinking, you have a responsibility to learn to operate it and use it in a safe manner. I recommend taking some structured professional training and I highly recommend taking a class with Valley Defense, you owe it to yourself and to your family to do so. Great Group and I will be signing up for more classes soon. read more

Valley Defense Consulting - Gun/Rifle Ranges Near Me

Awesome experience with Vince and his crew! Great class to take when getting your CCW. Came to the class with low confidence in handling a gun.Finished the class very confident in shooting and all around handling of my gun .All the training exercises we did were great highly recommended .Thanks again Vince looking forward to taking some more classes with VDC. read more

After completing the CCW course, I took a couple weeks to fully digest my experience before writing a review. I was a bit nervous with a big class of people I didn't know. This class was perfect for me as a beginner, but also good for the more experienced gun owners in the class. Day 1 was classroom and the 8 hours went by fast. Vince gave us situational information as well as rule/guidelines and laws needed to be successful as a CCW permit holder. The 2nd day on the range, again, safety was drilled into our head and with 2 other instructors helping, any hint of wrong doing was corrected. I highly recommend this class. read more

I was looking for a class to fulfill the requirements for new CCW applicants. From the list the Sheriff's Department gave me, I decided to go with Valley Defense Consulting. I didn't know what to expect, being in Commiefornia. (I have the right to say that. I was born in a Communist country and I am now a US citizen for that very reason! Don't ruin it! Three generations of my family suffered in Communist prisons in Romania because of the desire for natural freedoms and rights and I thank God for our Second Amendment right in the USA to prevent such tyranny here.) I went to the first day of class and had about a million questions, but with the way Vince teaches the class, I didn't need to raise my hand once. He covers absolutely everything you need to know: gun safety, how a gun works, laws, and even liabilities associated with carrying a gun every day. He went over several possible scenarios a concealed carrier might encounter. The main point I got is "don't be a hero, it ain't like in the movies." A gun is for self-defense. Period. The next day, at the range, Vince went over safety again, what to do in case of emergency, more safety, first aid, safety, and then some safety to finish up. I loved that he did that! If someone did anything remotely unsafe, boy, you could hear Vince tell 'em! One thing I'd highly, highly recommend is at least knowing how your personal firearm functions BEFORE taking the class. Read the manual that comes with your gun, watch some instructional videos, and get familiar with your gun. There was a lady in our class who didn't even know how to insert her magazine properly or to switch the safety to off before attempting to fire. Let's just say I was glad that, when we were split into two groups, I was not in her group. Her fumbling with her gun made me feel uneasy, to say the least. I was relieved that one of the four range officers decided to stand by her and walk her through everything, safely. Yes, with Valley Defense Consulting's training, even she passed the test after an entire day of drills and instruction. I'm currently taking extra steps to legally be able to carry my firearm in other states. Valley Defense Consulting has made everything a breeze. Vince went above and beyond in helping me with all the paperwork. You simply don't find customer service like that anymore. I look forward to taking more classes with Vince at Valley Defense Consulting and highly recommend them! read more

I love this place. Went to take my ccw class .Vince and the gang were very professional and informative. The training course were fun and educational as well. I will be returning to do some more classes.i can't wait read more

Learning, for a good cause should be definitely a top priority for anyone hands down! Vince and his team provided me helpful knowledgeable information in my recent May2019 CCW class. I strongly recommend VDC to anyone thats a first time gun owner / shooter, and or a decently experienced shooter like myself! "I now have the confidence in myself carrying my firearm on me every day to day basis!"Whats next to come? It wound have to be defensive hand gun classes in the near future for me and possibly qualify more handguns to my certificate. Definitely bringing business to this excellent team! REMEMBER THERE IS NO CAP ON KNOWLEDGE! Keep learning and keep training!! Thanks a ton VDC! read more

All right, here goes. I grew up around shotguns and rifles, as I started hunting birds and deer starting at age 12. Beginning at age 19, I shot rifles, machine guns, and other big guns when I served in the Army, and earned the sharpshooter's badge every time. I did carry a sidearm as an ROTC cadet in a military police unit, but never actually got to shoot it. I should be comfortable around firearms, right? Fast forward nearly 15 years after my discharge, and I was VERY nervous about shooting a handgun. I hadn't forgotten the basic rules of firearms and range safety, but concepts like holstering, drawing, etc, were completely new to me. I also knew that the "rules of engagement" were definitely different than what I was used to. Even the terminology used was somewhat different. With all of this in mind, I began my training with an open mind, figuring I could always learn something new. The classroom training was about what I expected; for me, the only new information involved knowledge of California laws and CCW-specific practices. I did appreciate that numerous real-life scenarios were shared during the course of the instruction, as it put some of the new concepts in perspective. By the time the class went to the range, I had a much better idea of what to expect. As the class progressed through the various drills, it got a lot easier for me to relax and focus. It was very helpful that the 3 instructors that day were very patient with me and helped me work through my hand dexterity issues. There was also the matter of trying to not fall back into my ingrained military training; even after nearly 20 years, my reflexes were automatic, and needed to be adjusted for some scenarios. In all, I had a positive experience, and I most certainly feel more confident after taking this course. I would recommend this firm to anyone who is willing to learn, no matter his/her skill level. I look forward to taking more classes when time and money permit. read more

I chose valley defense due to availability. I do have to say after completing the class I would highly recommend them. The owner/instructor is very knowledgeable and experienced. I definitely will use them for my renewal when that time comes. read more

Valley Defense Consulting - New CCW training 2/22/17 - Gun/Rifle Ranges Near Me

Did my initial CCW class with this great group of people and just completed another class . Vince and the guys who work with him are knowledgeable and extremely helpful in teaching proper gun safety . I would recommend this business to anyone who wants to walk away with more of an education about your gun and skills to always be safe and and prepared.Thanks valley defense!! read more

WORST place EVER. So rude and judging. I have been to so many CCW places and this was the first to tell me "We aren't here to teach you about your gun." Oh really? So how the hell am gonna get my license? On top of that. Christi talked to me like was a DOG. What, you don't like the color of my skin? Never coming back here again. DO NOT let the awesome 5.0 stars fool you. All these people want is your money. We didn't even learn shit in class because she was too busy talking about her personal life when we were there to learn about guns. All that useless talking and we were still stuck on page 2. What a waste of my time. read more

Myself and my wife took Vinces class. I was recommended by a friend to not go anywhere else and I'm so glad I listened. Him and his wife as well as the other gentlemen all have a terrific demeanor that is relaxing and fun. And you will learn alot. Don't even bother looking elsewhere. read more

If anyone wants to take a CCW class or just refreshing your skills this is the place, look no further! Vince, John and Vern are amazing guys. Their background makes them perfect for the courses. The skills that I acquired are phenomenal! Sure there are other places, but the things that stand out is Vince is patience, tells it how it is and is very helpful. A+++++++ for Skills, Patience and Very Knowledgeable! Highly recommend Valley Defense Consulting. read more

I can't recommend Valley Defense enough for anyone looking to get their CCW certification. I had no clue what to expect going into the CCW class offered by Valley Defense, but I definitely wasn't looking forward to spending 8 hours in a classroom and then 8 more hours on the range with a group of people I didn't know. I walked into the classroom on the first day dreading sitting there for 8 long hours, but to my surprise the first day flew by and I learned a lot. The second day of the course was spent at the range. I feel I left the range a much better shooter than I was prior to the course. I also had a lot of fun. Vince and Christie are great trainers with a good sense of humor and a knack for keeping things light-hearted but on-topic at the same time. They also do a great job of keeping things safe on the range. In the end, I left with my certificate and will be able to get my CCW permit, and I can't thank Valley Defense enough for that. If you're looking for somewhere to get certified or you want gun handling and marksmanship training, you're looking in the right place! read more

Vince and Christie offer an exceptional level of instruction and safety. I recently completed my concealed carry course there and was incredibly impressed with how well the staff accommodated all levels of experience, taught new skills, broke bad habits, and managed safety incredibly well. I will be back! --Mark C. read more

Vince and Christie at Valley Defense Consulting provide excellent gun handling and marksmanship training. Training with them has been an incredible experience for me; they are super professional, knowledgeable about firearms and safety, and they have a great personality with a good sense of humor. I am really impressed with how thorough and patient they are when teaching an individual or a whole group on how to improve your skills and I am even more impressed on how well they manage safety! If you are looking for gun handling classes with excellent instructors, Valley Defense is the best choice in my opinion. You will be glad you did:)) read more

Valley defense has great training. Vince and the guys that help him on the range are amazing. They work with you, and make sure you understand what you are doing. I will be taking other classes with valley defense again. read more

Just finished my initial CCW class with Valley Defense. Vince is an excellent teacher. Because of his experience, he had a story for just about everything he needed to teach us, which makes the learning more fun and effective. After a day in the classroom, we were ready for the range. He runs a tight (and safe) ship, all the while maintaining the fun atmosphere. My martial arts training had me wanting to call out "Yes Sir!" with each of his commands. I could see lots of improvement in many of the students' performance, including my own. I also realize how much more there is to learn, so I'll be looking to take more advanced classes and won't go anywhere other than Valley Defense. read more

Vince and his Range Instructors are the best! You will learn more than just the basic requirements for your CCW Permit. Their fee is the more expensive than others in Stanislaus County which is well deserved. Remember you get what you pay for! read more

Just had my CCW class last weekend and it was such an awesome experience. Vince, Bob and Julio were great. They pushed you to do things you didn't think you would ever do. It was a lot of fun! I was a little nervous about shooting right next to complete strangers (very close proximity) but safety is extremely important to the the Valley Defense team and that helped calm my nerves. Their great sense of humor also helped. I highly recommend them and can't wait to take another class. read more

My husband and I took our CCW class/training at Valley defense. We left with so much more knowledge than we expected. Vince makes the class interesting with his real life experiences he shares. He really gets you to think about things and situations in a whole new light. Our day on the range also was a great experience. Vince and all the instructors were great especially Bob! We highly recommend Valley defense! We look forward to taking more classes with Vince. read more

I went to CCW training at Valley Defense yesterday - my first time there. Vince and his staff we amazing- very knowledgeable, safe and made it a fun day too! I learned a lot! Highly recommended. Cathy read more

Took a Defensive Handgun class on January 31 and just have to say I feel so much more competent on how to handle a gun and how to protect myself and my family should such an instance arise. The first part of the class was in a classroom and definitely a must especially for beginners such as myself. Thank you Vince for all of the invaluable information that I will be able to use from here on out! I let some of my co-workers know about the class I took and got a few questions about cost. I told them and they asked if I thought it was worth it, my answer to them was...I could never put a price on the protection of myself and my family. Looking forward to my appt with Stan Co Sheriff next week so I can sign up for my CCW Course through Valley Defense. read more

Excellent people to work with everyone was nice and love that the key factor is safety i learned alot from the ccw class will be taking more with them thanks for all the knowledge read more