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 took the BPS (Basic Pistol Shooting) course with Bertrand, who was recommended to me by friends…read morethat had taken courses with him before. Bertrand is extremely knowledgeable and meticulous in his lessons, with safety always at the forefront of everything he teaches. You'll likely walk out with newfound confidence and competency about using firearms, I certainly did. The BPS course was broken up into 4 parts - a self-paced online course, an in-person classroom session, 2 hour private range practice time, and 1 hour gun cleaning session (sometimes the gun cleaning is done at the range, though that'll depending on timing). Detailed information about each section will be provided once you sign up for the course. The classroom session was a group session, and it went almost 6 hours for our class (you basically go over everything that was taught in the online course, and then do some dry-firing exercises). The range time was great because it was a private coaching session, and usually done at non-public hours at the range, so there are no other distractions. One caveat - Bertrand is a bit of a drill sergeant, and while this approach may work for some people, others might prefer a softer touch. That being said, he does make sure you walk out with a wealth of knowledge and is extremely passionate about teaching. I had previously tried shooting once before, and I was taught next to nothing compared to what I learned through this course. An excellent surprise bonus to this course was how well I was able to shoot in our range session, and I definitely give kudos to Bertrand for his excellent course and training. He offers a wide variety of courses and is super responsive. If you're looking to safely learn how to use a firearm, SFE is the way to go.

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.

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.

Truly one of the best gun stores in the entire Bay Area. Extremely knowledgeable, approachable,…read morefriendly, and experienced staff who will help you. If you are brand new to the firearm world there is probably not a better place to start than this shop. If you are just looking to buy just go in there let them know or ask their opinions and in my experience they will help you get what you want if its within their ability to do so. If your looking for more they can easily direct you to staff who offer group and private lessons who can take a novice shooter and make you better in a couple hours and are very supportive throughout the process. I really hope that Manzano keeps going and can set the standard for all other shops to strive for.

Absolutely top-tier FFL shop. From the second you walk in, you're treated like family. Warm,…read morewelcoming, and genuinely happy to help. The staff behind the counter are incredibly knowledgeable and more importantly, they're actual shooters with real experience. You can tell right away these guys live the lifestyle and know their gear inside and out, not just random internet keyboard warriors pretending to know what they're talking about. They take the time to answer questions, give honest advice, and make sure you leave confident in your purchase. No pressure, no ego, just solid people who care about their customers and the shooting community. Rare to find a shop with this level of professionalism and authenticity these days. Easily one of the best FFL experiences I've had. Highly recommend supporting this place. I've been coming back since they opened and the service has stayed consistent

Stay away! It is most likely a scam and the other reviews are fake. I have paid a week ago, and…read morestill have not received my training. They claim after paying for the security guard training you will get email in 4-8 hours. After that it will be 24 hours, and after that it turned out to be 48 or more. Than you get a link and they make you pay again! And they never answer you calls or call you back. update: Take www.valleyguardonline.com instead, non of that waiting bullsh, that one starts immediately

I highly recommend Cody S & Associates. I was required to get a guard card for a new job…read more Confused, annoyed and strained for time Cody S & Associates walked me through the experience and went above and beyond to help me with my time constraints. They also responded to my emails faster than any other online service I have ever used. Thank you guys. Jaime

As a first-timer that only got the level one guard card class for now, my experience was pretty…read morestraightforward and neutral since I arrived early and on a Saturday. When I was scheduling, it said that there was like 25 spots open so I jumped in on it. When you actually get there though on a Saturday, there's actually a decent amount of students. There will be a line to get checked in. There is a lot of parking and a 7-Eleven across the street if you get hungry during one of the couple of breaks that they give you during the class. Everything was extremely efficient from my point of view. They were able to condense 8 hours of material into around four to five. I mean, level 1 is extremely common sense as some say, but I did learn some things about the do's and don'ts about being a security guard. Not a lot of people had questions so it went by pretty quick. The test itself is pretty easy so as long as you're taking notes on important things and pay attention to the practice questions. I'm looking forward to my level two and three guard card classes and will update my review accordingly

So I was sent to this location to complete training for a job I'm doing which requires the powers…read moreto arrest certificate and live scan services. Pro: the class is offered Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 7am. Con: I came on a Saturday and the class was ridiculously packed. I mean, it's a cramped little office space with people in every square inch. Pro: the course, exam, certificate and live scan services are all done at the same location "at the same time." Pro: the staff is friendly, patient and very efficient in their operations in spite of the crazy amount of people. McGraw & Associates offers more than powers to arrest training. They also offer firearms training, baton, CPR and so much more. Definitely worth looking into if you have any training requirements for your line of work. Definitely the best bang for your buck!

Jeff and the crew of instructors were friendly and professional…read more They provided great instructions on the course materials and made the course very interactive. 10/10 would recommend.

One other lady and myself experienced a very poor course lead by an instructor that had horseshoe…read morebaldness but blonde hair. He made the course particularly difficult for me, resulting in my failing the class when I have been an instructor for a few years. He pushed heavily on the need for more NRA Training Councelors, if this was my only experience with the NRA I would never have anything to do with the NRA again. Fortunately, there are other NRA instructors in the area who have been a much better experience. As a female I would and will pursue training elsewhere.

They were Very helpful and professional They gave Prompt…read moreresponse They offer exceptional service service and were very timely during the entire process.

Great company, they always get everybody through the classes fast and their certificates approved…read moreas soon as possible. Complete professionals in the classroom who teach, detailed and engaging content to better serve the security guards on their next assignment. I often refer people to go here because it's simple easy and the process is well laid out. I work for Inter-Con and send everyone here for speed, content delivery and ease of process. The services rendered for the value are well matched.

*DISCLOSURE* I am a competitor to STM…read more STM is one of the VERY few companies that I refer people to when I can't take on a particular client or don't have any openings for new employees. It's rare in this industry to find a company with respectable management, leaders, and employees. Even being a competitor, Larry has been a pleasure to work with and I know his company is top notch. If I were looking to hire security, STM would be my first stop.

Great Place to work!…read more Strategic Threat Management offers a great deal of experience in the security professional field and will train anyone willing to put in a meaningful days worth of effort into their work, and will reward you with plentiful training. If you are someone looking to become a professional security guard, STM has everything that you need, all you need to do is apply! As a current employee of STM, I see first hand the dedication STM puts into their employees to ensure that we are equipped, ready, and able to carry out our job duties and ensure the safety of the people and materials we are assigned to, wherever we are posted.

Protégée has done a great job with helping me build up my skills as a model. After working with…read morethem, I found myself doing poses I normally wouldn't do during shoots. I would highly recommend Protégée to anyone looking to better their skills, whether you are just starting or have walked a few runways.

From the owner: Need some one-on-one training? Sign up for a one-on-one session. They are 2 hours long, briefly…read morecovering topics that are important in the modeling agency. This also includes the ability to focus on one particular topic that you will like extra help on. This does not include studio session! Topics includes and not limited to: Posing Runway Resume building Social media building Makeup We also offer studio sessions with our lead photographer and one of our lead model coaches! $150 deposit for Makeup Artist to be on site. Session is up to 5 hours (makeup time included), two outfit changes, and water and refreshments.