Armed Safety CCW & Firearms Instruction

At Armed Safety, we offer Concealed Weapons Certification classes and renewal courses, as well as basic, intermediate & advanced pistol, shotgun, carbine & long-rifle training. All of our courses are taught by local, retired and current law enforcement officers with SWAT experience. Safety is always our main focus, as well as teaching to the expectations of Sheriff Tom Bosenko, Sheriff Dave Hencratt and Chief Kyle Sanders. Our courses are approved and accepted by the Shasta County Sheriff's Office, the Tehama County Sheriff's Office and the Red Bluff Police Department.

Our Lead Instructor, Kevin Johnston, is a retired Police Sergeant who holds a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice Management. Kevin served as the Range Master/ Firearms Instructor for two police agencies, the Butte College Police Academy, as well as the Tactical Instructor for the local drug task force. Kevin served many years on SWAT as a Paramedic, SWAT Operator, Sniper, and eventually Sniper Team Leader. He graduated from the FBI's SWAT school and and an FBI-instructed Sniper school, as well as many other Range Master/ Firearms Instructor and SWAT-related trainings and updates. He is also a certified Glock armorer. Kevin was also responsible for all weapons maintenance, ordering, as well as ammunition ordering and ammunition testing (to determine the most, and more importantly, least-effective ammunition) for two police agencies.

Kevin served as a member of the Tehama County Officer-Involved Shooting Investigation Team. As such, he investigated officer-involved shootings. During his time as a Police Officer, Detective & Sergeant, Kevin investigated many shootings & homicides for both civilians and police officers. Kevin was also personally involved in several shootings, including being shot at. This experience gives Kevin the unique ability to explain what a person can expect to experience before, during and after a shooting that few others can offer.

All of our shooting is done one shooter at a time. We've found that having other shooters far back from the firing line not only increases safety, but it allows each individual shooter and the instructor to concentrate on the shooter's technique. This significantly reduces the shooter's anxiety and allows him/her to relax and focus on their technique in a private setting.

Our range instruction is taught at local, private ranges. This also increases safety and reduces the chance of people who are not involved in the class being present. For an additional $25 fee per individual, we can use the Record Range, private law enforcement range in Redding. We are unable, however, to use metal targets at the Record Range. We find that metal targets are particularly useful (and fun), especially for the intermediate and advanced pistol courses, as they allow instant notification of target hits and misses while working on more advanced shooting techniques.

Our prices are the lowest we know of in the area. A new CCW Certification Course costs $100, while renewals are only $50. We offer discounts for veterans and CCW courses are always free for: Sworn law enforcement spouses, non-sworn law enforcement employees, teachers and members of the Cottonwood Community Watch. We are happy to provide private courses for your group, as well as ladies-only and beginner-only courses as needed.

If you want to be taught the most current and advanced shooting techniques, a complete and current, while easy to understand, explanation of the laws regarding firearms and the use of force, as well as a first-hand explanation of what you can expect to experience and how to properly prepare for a life-threatening situation, all in a relaxed environment with one-on-one shooting instruction, and paying less money, come to Armed Safety for your training.