Frequently asked questions

Not at all.

I prefer that you don't buy a gun before taking a proper lesson. It's like buying a car before you learn how to drive -- how dangerous is that?

PISTOL 101: Safety and Fundamentals is all inclusive and we provide guns and ammo and eye and electronic noise-cancelling hearing protection, for the most comfort especially for those with sensitivity to loud noise.

I encourage taking a lesson before deciding on purchasing your first gun, so you can make the most informed decision.

After taking Pistol 101, returning students can book PISTOL 102: Buying First Gun private lesson to help you decide to buy your 1st handgun by trying a selection of the most popular 9mm handguns. 

We highly recommend you try as many different models and sizes before making a purchasing decision. Many beginners make the wrong uninformed choices, such as buying a compact gun, thinking it's more convenient to have around, or easier to shoot, when smaller guns are actually harder to shoot, because there's less mass to mitigate the recoil, and not as much area to grip the gun efficiently, depending on your hand size.

Also remember that gun stores are like car dealers -- they're not there to advise you on the most ideal gun. Their job is to make a profit, selling you whatever gun they can get off their shelves, and I and many instructors have been disappointed and shocked at the kind of guns being sold to first time gun buyers, like women with smaller hands and elderly folks with limited hand strength, being sold guns too small, with triggers too heavy to squeeze and too much recoil to manage.

For students who already own a gun, we encourage you to bring it to the lesson so you can train and learn to be proficient with it.

Yes, it has been possible to get a CCW permit in L.A. County since 2020 when good cause was relaxed, and even easier after the 2022 Supreme Court Bruen decision which said good cause was no longer required.

We offer a private webinar to show you the entire process to get your CCW permit: how to fill out the application, what to expect at the interview, and training requirements, as well as avoiding common mistakes people are making to get their applications delayed or denied.

As a L.A. County authorized CCW training provider, we provide monthly group and private required training for initial and renewal applicants with LASD, LAPD, and most police departments in L.A. County.

We teach at 2 outdoor range locations in L.A. County:

We are available for outdoor private lessons Tue-Thu and Sat-Sun 9am-4pm and monthly weekend group lessons at Burro Canyon Shooting Park in Azusa.

We are also available for outdoor private lessons Wed-Thu and Sat-Sun 10am-3pm at Oak Tree Gun Club in Newhall, to better serve San Fernando and Santa Clarita valley areas and Ventura County, as well as folk who require accommodation with wheelchair parking and access.

We do not teach at indoor ranges for the following reasons: 1) Toxic lead exposure via inhalation and contamination on hands, hair, clothing and shoes. 2) Close proximity to unsafe general public. 3) Loudness of gunshots indoors which is not an ideal learning environment.

Payment is made online using your credit or debit card. Due to heavy demand for our lessons and reserving a classroom or private range in advance, payment is required in advance to confirm your lesson and is non-refundable.

You can read our cancellation policy at our terms and conditions.

Absolutely. This is the whole reason why we started, as an inclusive and non-judgmental space, and teaching in a non-intimidating and welcoming manner. We know that BIPOC, progressive and queer folks often don't feel welcome in conservative gun spaces, so our lessons are safe spaces for anyone who doesn't feel welcome elsewhere.

Our passion is demystifying and destigmatizing what firearms are, in a safe and comfortable way, so anyone who wants to learn, even if they may not particularly like guns, can get the information they need to be safe and responsible around them. 

Recognizing that some people may just want to learn gun safety information, with no interest in or not yet ready to actually fire a gun, we introduced Friendly Introduction to Firearms in 2023, as a non-intimidating, affordable way to learn about guns in a comfortable, quiet classroom.

After a lesson with us, you may be surprised how much your view on them has changed, and how much more confident and empowered you'll feel afterwards.

You can read our reviews on Yelp, Google and Facebook for feedback on our lessons. Read about our students featured in L.A. Times, CNN, TIME Magazine, KQED, and listen to podcasts on the history of our inclusive, welcoming gun community, and our teaching philosophy on our Press page.

We will teach children on a case-by-case basis, depending on their maturity level and the attention span and seriousness that is required for learning how to shoot firearms.

You are more than welcome to bring your children of any age, to observe the lesson, as long as they don't disrupt the class or distract you from the lesson.

Absolutely! We specialize in demystifying guns and making the experience fun and educational, with an emphasis on safety and comfort. Know someone who's always wanted to learn, or who wants to take their skills to the next level? Give the gift of a lesson for your family and friends here.

The 1st part of the lesson is a 3 hour lecture, where I teach you the basic safety rules, explain how a semi-automatic pistol works, and the fundamentals of how to shoot one accurately and consistently.

There is a lot of hands-on practice with unloaded pistols, so you can ask any questions, and are comfortable and confident, before we head to the final part of the lesson: a 1 hour live fire portion. 

During live fire practice, I also have you start with .22 caliber, which has very little recoil, and is less intimidating for people learning to shoot guns their first time. Then, as you build your confidence, I let you shoot 9mm.

My teaching philosophy is very methodical, to ensure each student understands and is confident at each step, before moving on to the next step. This is different than some instructors, who do the entire lesson at the firing area, where it can be intimidating and hard to hear through ear muffs and with all the folks firing guns around them.

I also limit myself to only teaching 1 class per day, so I can go at a comfortable pace for the student and not watch the clock. It's more important for me as instructor, to take our time with our lesson together, and give students in each day's lesson, my full and undivided attention and focus, so students get the knowledge and training they need. 

You have many choices where to take firearms lessons, and I highly encourage you to carefully vet me and any instructor or school you are considering. 

It only takes 16 hours to get certified as a basic firearms instructor, and many instructors with law enforcement or military experience are only teaching what they learned decades ago and not updating their knowledge.

As the founder & lead instructor, I am a CA DOJ certified Carry Concealed Weapon (CCW) instructor, P.O.S.T. certified Tactical Handgun instructor, NRA-certified Pistol/Rifle/Personal Protection in the Home Instructor & Range Safety Officer and USCCA-certified Concealed Carry & Home Defense Instructor. 

No matter what an instructor's credentials are, the best question to ask before considering their class and putting your safety in their hands, is "When was the last time you were a student?"

In any profession with responsibility for people's safety, continuing education is critical to not become complacent.  When I'm not teaching, I'm continually training and honing my craft with nationally known instructors, to make sure I'm delivering our students the latest knowledge and most updated techniques. I have trained under and continue to train with Modern Samurai Project, Tim Herron, My Own Defender, Raven Wing, and Tap Rack Bang Training.

I have been shooting firearms since the late 80s and got certified to instruct in 2020, to address the need for a safe and inclusive space for politically liberal and progressive, queer and BIPOC folks to learn how to exercise their 2nd amendment rights. Our firearms instruction business is a fully insured LLC, and is a minority and immigrant-owned small business.

I have a passion for teaching and breaking everything down to the fundamentals so anyone, no matter their background and ability, can learn to shoot safely and responsibly. I have been teaching adults and children in physical disciplines since the 90s.

I believe that the ability to own and operate firearms is a constitutional right, everyone and anyone, no matter their ability or disability, should be able to exercise if they choose to. I think it's important to be up-to-date on the latest innovations and techniques to help folks of different abilities. For example, I have trained to be an ambidextrous shooter to instruct left-handed people and people who are cross eye dominant. I make videos about tools to help folks with limited hand strength and invested in red dot optics so from day 1 of learning to shoot a gun, all folks are able to aim more naturally, especially folks with vision challenges. 

I teach one class of new shooters per day, so I can go at a comfortable pace for every student. Even in a group setting, I recognize that everyone learns differently, and every student gets one on one individual attention. 

As with any instructor and school, safety should always be paramount, and there is zero tolerance for unsafe gun handling in our classes. I restrict beginner class sizes so there is always a one-to-one instructor to student ratio at the firing line for utmost safety while handling loaded firearms. I am 1st Aid/CPR/AED/Stop The Bleed certified. 

In April 2021, our team of students won 1st and 2nd place in the Amateur Civilian division of Glock Sport Shooting Foundation competition. I also achieved B Class ranking in Carry Optics within 8 months of USPSA pistol competition and have shooting standards to help motivate our students to continue improving their skills.

You can read our reviews on Yelp, Google, USCCA, and Facebook for feedback on our lessons. Read about us and our students featured on CNN, The Guardian, TIME Magazine, KQED, and listen to podcasts on the history of our inclusive, welcoming gun community, and our teaching philosophy on our Press page.

Whether you've been shooting guns all your life, never taken a formal lesson, or it's been years since your last lesson, shooting techniques are constantly evolving and progressing, and you don't know what you don't know.

I learned to shoot with Weaver stance in the 90s, and when I returned to shooting in 2019, I had to relearn the thumbs forward grip, and isosceles stance. Then, I started USPSA competition shooting in 2021, which requires a more relaxed, efficient stance in order to be dynamic and fluid while shooting on the move.

I was already a consistent and accurate shooter with Weaver stance, but I was open-minded enough to learn something new, and I explain the pros and cons of each stance. 

You may also have friends and family who've been shooting as long or longer than I have, and showing you obsolete techniques they learned in their military and law enforcement service decades ago. Also, as well intentioned as they are, teaching you military or law enforcement tactics is not ideal and often inappropriate for the civilian self-defensive mindset.

If your friends and family aren't constantly refreshing their knowledge with the latest shooting techniques as well as maintaining strict safety protocols as good professionals do, they may be passing on their bad habits to you, instead of giving you a solid and modern foundation as a new shooter. 

Also, for first time shooters who are apprehensive and anxious, your first impression is everything -- it can go well or turn you off on guns, if you have a bad first experience. And that would be the fault of whoever is teaching you, in maybe not the most patient or informed way, or if relationship dynamics get in the way, instead of learning from an objective certified professional.

As an instructor, I do not believe in dogma or orthodoxy, or teaching students to do something just because that's how everyone does it. Whatever you are being taught needs to make sense to you, and there is always more to learn and improve in your shooting skills.

I am constantly questioning and challenging prevailing techniques, and making sure they make sense both for me and my students, as well as adapting them, depending on student's different abilities and individual circumstances.

So, if you have reached a plateau in your shooting, or aren't able to shoot accurately and consistently, or you never learned or have forgotten the fundamentals, a lesson or refresher will always help you. 

I can assess where you are at currently in your shooting techniques and skills, and then help you get to the next level in your development as a pistol shooter. If you're an experienced shooter, you can take my PISTOL 103: Accuracy & Best Practices class, offered privately and in a monthly weekend group.

Congratulations! If you've taken the 1st step in taking a lesson with me, you're now a different shooter than the majority of folks you see at the public ranges who haven't invested in a formal lesson from a certified professional.

Once you understand the fundamentals, when you shoot well, you know what you did right, and you can repeat it. When you shoot badly, you know what you did wrong, and you can correct it. And as with any skill you learn, shooting firearms well is a perishable skill, if you don't practice regularly and consistently.

Also, being competent with your firearm doesn't end at just 1 lesson, especially if you intend to purchase one for home defense. Buying a gun for home defense requires more knowledge and practice than just shooting slowly at a paper target. 

We also offer Pistol 201: Speed & Performance privately and monthly weekend group class, to practice realistic shooting drills not allowed at public ranges, like rapid fire, holster draw and shooting on the move. Here's a preview of the course lecture and live fire drills.

When there is enough demand, we offer Home Defense 101 online webinar, where you will learn the ethical, legal and practical reasons for developing a thorough home defense strategy, to deter becoming a target in the first place, using your firearm as a last resort, and dealing with the aftermath of a defensive incident. 

Returning clients can also book me for 2 hour private coaching sessions, to work on anything they want, or if they hit roadblocks, or if they want an introductory lesson on rifles and shotguns.

Once you're a student, you'll also receive a newsletter in your email, and you can always reach me at tom@laprogressiveshooters.com or 323-900-5277, and follow our community on Instagram and Facebook.