Artemis Defense Institute in Lake Forest offers a wide array of self defense training including CCW…read moreinitial and renewal courses and virtual strategic defense skills in their modern high tech and well run facility. Their website goes into detail relative to courses and they also offer memberships with ongoing training opportunities inclusive of live fire range skills and shooting. I took my initial CCW 16 hour two day course with Artemis Defense Institute and it was comprehensive, rewarding and even fun. Steven and Sandy Lieberman have this coursework mastered. Steven led the class and has vast knowledge in concealed carry and constitutional law. It was refreshing listening to the legal parameters as it relates to 1st, 2nd and 14th amendment issues and recent changes affecting concealed carry and future insights and possibilities. The class is enlightening and held in a comfortable and well designed conference classroom. Steven outlines the doctrine of necessity, Cooper's colors, the importance of mastering at skill at arms and the preservation of human life as core essentials. Professionalism at arms and the preservation of existence was a true focal point during the coursework. I so enjoyed Steven's style of teaching with real world scenarios, application and of course humor. This class is a must for anyone looking at a first time CCW, renewal or refresher, it's fantastic. Steven covers all aspects of SB2 (AB1078), philosophical doctrine, constitutional law, threat cycle, strategic and tactical environment characteristics and so much more. Sarah who manages the front end, provides training, handles all documentation inclusive of applications for additional CCW states such at AZ and UT and so much more. Sarah is phenomenal and another key player and pleasure to have in your corner. The team at Artemis is highly skilled, knowledgable, professional, helpful and caring. Kavon was our live fire qualification instructor and what an amazing professional and quality individual. Kavon is skilled in all aspects of firearms safety and operation and is another key staff member to compliment this amazing defense institute. Sandy was not present during our training due to a family emergency but Steven provided a summary of her background and skill traits as co-owner of the facility and her skills are quite impressive as well. I also purchased Steven's book which is available on Amazon titled Sword and Quill co-authored by Steve Tarani another self defense professional. I highly recommend this coursework through Artemis Defense Institute as this was rewarding and I plan to take additional training throughout the year when my wife and I are not traveling. 5 stars plus

Artemis is the place to go if you're looking to get qualified for your CCW or get training. From…read morethe class to the staff, everything was amazing. Steven was thorough, knowledgeable and made sure everyone's questions were answered and his funny jokes were an added bonus! Sandy ran the whole operation with great professionalism and made sure everything went well from start to finish. The workers were amazing as well! You can tell everyone there genuinely enjoys what they do, and it shows in how they treat their students. Will definitely be back for my renewal!

Amazing service and response time. Did great work on short notice. Price was way more affordable…read morecompared to many other gunsmith in the area. Will definitely be back for other services.

Great guy, quality service, reasonable prices, highly recommend! Handled well all the different…read morethings I asked of him.

I was visiting from out of town (Oakland, CA) and stopped in to shoot. It was a weekend afternoon,…read moreso there was a bit of a wait. All in all, it was worth the wait. The staff were welcoming and friendly. It sounded like they made special accommodations for myself and some other shooters, by opening up the "tactical" range, since there were no members shooting at that time. That was awesome, because it got me on the range sooner. I also brought with me a new firearm - Canik Mete MC9LS with a new optic. I forgot my regular range bag with my tools; however, the range staff allowed me to use one of their tools to adjust my new optic. I don't know how the targets move on the regular range, but on the tactical range, you can push buttons to automatically set the targets at a specified distance, move the targets manually back and forth, and automatically have the target return. Best of all, the prices were very reasonable. $20 per lane and $0.50 targets - WAAAAAY better than prices in the Bay Area. If I were a resident of the area, I'd definitely become a member. (I overheard one of the staff members informing another customer of the benefits and price.). Top Notch outfit in my opinion.

I was interested in learning proper firearms etiquette, and had an opportunity to do so at Evan's…read moreGun World. I attended their intro to handguns class, covering the basics of safety and proper form, and getting in some introductory shooting experience. John, our instructor, was very engaging and great at commanding attention when needed and building up the class's confidence. Afterward, I took them up on their 'newbie' offer of free range time and rental after class. Kevin signed me up for a lane, let me rent a couple of handgun models I researched previously, and critiqued my targets, giving some general feedback and advice. He also pointed me toward a couple other models that are known to be more friendly to left-handed shooters that I can test out in the future. Great place; a little on the older and smaller sides, but staff was extremely friendly, helpful, and attentive. I get the feeling that as I 'shop around' for my go-to range there's a strong chance I will gravitate back here, since these guys are passionate about what they do, and seem to want to inspire that passion in others. Definitely will make it a point to stop by again.

I recently took a training and qualification course with Firearms Academy and had a great…read moreexperience overall. The instructor was solid, knowledgeable, patient, and did a really good job breaking everything down without overcomplicating it. The class itself was well run, and I felt like I actually learned something useful rather than just checking a box. They also sell guns, accessories, ammo and offer additional classes and trainings, plus they provide FFL services. I'd definitely recommend them! -Michael

I went in to get a background check for a job . The service…read morewas fast and courteous . I will continue to do my background checks here .

I'm really happy I found this place. I recently needed a DROS done on a firearm being shipped in…read morefrom an online retailer. Had it sent to VC Armory. A lot of dealers these days arent keen on doing that these days. I called them, and they said no problem. They notified me less than an hour after I got the UPS notice that the package arrived at their location. I showed up just a short while later to start the process. Its a nice small shop in a quiet part of town. I really appreciated how chill the atmosphere was. I think it took all of 10 minutes to get the paperwork done, and off I went. 10 days wrapped, and I went for my pickup today. Again, the shop was super chill. Took less than 10 minutes to wrap everything up. Start to finish, the process was painless. Most gun shops are typically not places I'm super comfortable at. They tend to have semi aggressive staff, customers, or both. And they also tend to be very vocal about their political affiliations. VC Armory had none of those things. That alone is going to make them my go to LGS from here on out.

I see a lot of good reviews. And I understand why. My issue was a technicality in their wrong…read moreinterpretation of the law. Here is the real problem I have with them. They do not understand all gun laws and there for make their customer jump through more legal hoops than need be. I don't expect every customer to know the laws so they are unaware VC is slightly incompetent. I even pointed out their error but they just raised their voices and yelled at me. In California , when buying a rifle, it is NOT necessary to show two forms of ID. If you have a California True ID (Golden Bear in corner with no restrictions) that is all you need. They insisted I needed more. Here's the law: Only if you have restrictions or are purchasing a hand gun or it's a PO box address etc... is a secondary ID proving address required). But they are so arrogant and elitist blow-hards they wouldn't even turn the page on the form that they used as their proof showing me. I said on the first page it states NO secondary ID required for rifles. But he refused to even look at the 1st page and read where it clearly states the secondary ID rule is ONLY for hand gun sales. So lazy. So every single rifle purchaser that had a California DL True ID with no restrictions and their address correct on the iD was and is made to show a secondary ID. Completely unnecessary so I asked them to send my "receiver(rifle) to their competitor down the street who is up on the law. And they're cheaper too (and very friendly with no attitude. VC waste their customer's time making them jump through hoops needlessly and are very argumentative when you show them the law. Shame. By the way...I had lost my registration for my car and was in the process of renewing my registration so I didn't have it as secondary proof handy and I wasn't going to stand in line at the DMV just to get a copy when they would send me my new one a couple weeks later. Nope. I rather deal with the competent FFL guys down the street. My history: Gun collector of 50 years with over 350 purchases over a lifetime. I was an FFL myself and I am very familiar with the laws. Most gun buyers will assume their FFL knows the laws. Fact: Not all ffl's understand things they read and need it explained to them. We're all human. But when they get arrogant, loud and insistent by refusing to acknowledge they misread their own DOJ documents in front of them....that's just a ignorance and incompetence. These are guys I would think should not be doing their own Taxes let alone filling out gun transfers.

Jeff was a pro throughout the whole experience. Punctual, communicative and a nice guy. He made the…read morewhole process simple and easy. Thanks Jeff!

Always a pleasure doing business with CGS. Jeff really knows…read morehis stuff and gets the job done quickly. Thanks for another great transfer!

Supportive training environment, helping improve your confidence. I would recommend this facility.read more

I took the NRA Basic Pistol Course with Cheryl and it was amazing. I had never shot a pistol before…read moreso I was going into this class as a complete beginner. Cheryl was very engaging, funny, and informative. Most of the class consists of a classroom portion where Cheryl will inform you of important and relevant laws to be aware of when it comes to your firearm. You'd think this info would be boring but Cheryl taught the information in such an engaging way that made it easy to retain the info. The last part of the class consists of actually shooting a pistol at a nearby shooting range. My first time shooting a pistol and while it was nerve wracking at first, I felt completely safe with Cheryl! I highly recommend Cheryl and CAS & Sons Protective Group for their basic pistol class. I've already referred it to my friends and family as well! Well worth the price.

We hired Overwatch Defense for a corporate event and the communication start to finish was…read moreimpeccable. They walked us through the plan, how many people would be on site and their capabilities. Nick was really communicative and made the whole process easy! We will 100% use Overwatch again!

Veteran run with exceptional service. Top of the tier security services for HOAs. If you're…read morestruggling with your current security provider for your homes, there really is no other alternative than these guys. They also provide exceptional training and education for all folks interested. Plus, when it comes to HOA security, they have very reasonable pricing. Can't beat that!

Mike is a great teacher! And he really helped me fall in love with hand gun shooting and ignited a…read morequest for learning and improving my skills in tactical defense.

Knowledgeable. Professional. To the point. Run by men's men. Very generous with their time and…read moreinstruction. Will be coming back for many more classes and products in the future.

I needed flowers for my Dad's memorial and had very specific requirements for the arrangements and…read morecolors. I decided to visit this place to check it out, and I'm so glad I did. I was greeted by Crystal, who went above and beyond to ensure the floral arrangements were exactly as I envisioned. She showed me several options and color selections. During this difficult time, she was incredibly sensitive and compassionate, fully understanding how important these arrangements were to me. Crystal sent me pictures of the first set she put together and asked for my feedback, incorporating any changes I requested to make them perfect. My pickup was scheduled for Thanksgiving Day, and I was concerned about whether the order would be ready on time because of the holiday. To my reassurance, Crystal called me two hours ahead of the set time to let me know the arrangements were ready for pickup. Later, she called me again and offered to deliver them to my home--a thoughtful gesture I wasn't expecting. Crystal's kindness, attention to detail, and genuine care made all the difference during such a challenging moment. The florals were so very pretty, beyond my expectations . I can't thank her enough for her compassion and professionalism.

Cute new florist. They helped me with a last minute order. Beautiful corsage and boutonnière.read more