Shasta County CCW Classes

Castella, Shasta County

Christopher Ewens operates Bullseye Tactical Firearms from a private range facility in Castella, serving Redding, Shasta County, Mt. Shasta, and Siskiyou County. The operation limits every class to five students maximum, with Ewens personally instructing each session. Classes run on a private reservation schedule—students can book private instruction for three or more participants at no additional cost. The facility combines classroom and range at a single location, eliminating the multi-site logistics common to area competitors. Full 16-hour initial courses cost $320, with free add-a-gun qualification available typically within one week of course completion. Ewens has trained over 8,000 students across 40 years, including both civilians and law enforcement officers, with zero range accidents recorded during that period. The curriculum includes low-light handgun techniques alongside flashlight use—a component absent from most regional CCW courses. Instruction covers California firearms law, marksmanship fundamentals, malfunction clearing, tactical reloading, and scenario visualization. Students receive three included qualification attempts per handgun, with additional attempts available at $5 each. Courses qualify graduates for California permits and provide bonus eligibility for non-resident permits in Oregon, Arizona, Florida, and Virginia. Ewens has diagnosed and corrected shooting deficiencies in hundreds of students who previously trained with other northern California instructors. State law permits ammunition purchases directly through Bullseye without the background check fees required at retail stores. The private range environment removes distractions from unrelated shooters and eliminates wait times typical of shared public range days.

Shasta County

Rick DeRuyter retired from the Mt. Shasta Police Department after 25 years of firearms experience to focus full-time on firearms instruction through Distinguished Firearms Instruction. He holds NRA certification and California Peace Officers Standards in Training (POST) credentials. Rick and his wife Doris—who handles student paperwork and administrative coordination—have operated the training business together for over 23 years while raising four sons and eight grandchildren. The company serves Modoc, Shasta, and Tehama counties from locations including Redding and Mount Shasta, partnering with Solano's Hunters Hut for range access. Distinguished Firearms offers 16-hour initial CCW courses at $285 that include tactical, CPR, and trauma components compliant with SB2 requirements, and 8-hour renewal courses at $125. Students can add new guns to existing permits at no charge through free qualification sessions. Rick emphasizes customized, small-group instruction where students progress at their own pace regardless of prior shooting experience. The company also coordinates with independent instructors across Northern California who utilize NRA-taught professional techniques. Classes run monthly in Redding, Weed, and Etna with tactical and women-only introductory sessions scheduled periodically.

Redding, Shasta County

Firearms Academy of Redding has been providing firearms training, self defense and CCW instruction to Redding, Shasta County and Northern California for over 30 years. The academy is owned and operated by POST certified firearms instructor Joel Northrup, who is approved by the Shasta County Sheriff's Office as a CCW instructor. They offer comfortable, relaxed training environments for both initial and renewal CCW courses that meet DOJ standards, serving residents of multiple Northern California counties including Shasta, Tehama, Trinity, and Siskiyou.

Redding, Shasta County

Shasta Defense provides CCW instruction in Shingletown, California, with Sheriff permits valid for all of California. Nathan Zeliff, a California Attorney at Law and certified DOJ and NRA firearms instructor, leads small class sizes offering more individual instruction. The company is approved by both Shasta and Tehama County Sheriff's Offices and provides training that exceeds other similar courses, meeting new DOJ training standards.

Red Bluff, Shasta County

State of Jefferson Firearms Training operates from a private range facility at 26950 Manton Road in Red Bluff, serving residents across Tehama, Shasta, Glenn, Trinity, Lassen, and Siskiyou counties in California's North State. Instructor Frank Caltabiano holds California CCW instructor certification #207, NRA Pistol and Personal Protection instructor credentials, and serves as NRA Chief Range Safety Officer and Vice President of Tehama Shooters Association. Caltabiano began teaching firearms safety classes in the late 1980s and established State of Jefferson Firearms Training circa 1995. The company delivers 16-hour initial CCW certification at $295 and 8-hour renewal courses at $150, both combining classroom instruction on firearms law, use of deadly force, and legal responsibility with range qualification sessions. Classes typically complete initial certification over two days and renewals in a single day to minimize travel for rural participants. State of Jefferson Firearms Training recently added certification to teach in Lassen County and now offers non-resident California CCW permit instruction for out-of-state applicants. The Red Bluff range location requires students to qualify with all firearms they wish to carry on their permit, with minimum ammunition requirements of 50 rounds for primary guns and 20 rounds per additional firearm. Training emphasizes safe handling, storage, legal compliance, and personal self-defense skills for responsible firearm ownership.

Shasta County

Instructors: Kevin Johnson

Chico, Shasta County

Down Range operates from 13407 Garner Lane in Chico as Northern California's premier indoor firearms training center, featuring the region's only 25-yard range accommodating pistols, rifles, and shotguns. The facility handles calibers up to .50 caliber at velocities of 4,200 fps or less, providing controlled environment practice for handgun, rifle, and shotgun users. A team of instructors including Brian Gonsalves, Rhiley Harrison, Stephen Dyke, Sean Evans, Damian Georgiou, and Rob Kearbey delivers California CCW initial and renewal courses alongside advanced pistol training and specialized programs for women and youth. Down Range serves Glenn, Lassen, Plumas, Shasta, Tehama, and Yuba counties from its Chico location, which operates Monday through Friday from 6am to 8pm and Saturday through Sunday from 7am to 9pm. The facility houses a full-line firearms retail store offering ammunition, accessories, optics, holsters, and shooting gear, with an on-site gunsmith providing firearms repair and customization services. Following its acquisition of Uniforms, Tuxedos and More, Down Range now operates as the North State's only full-service uniform supplier for police, fire, EMS, and professional service workers, handling embroidery, heat press, and screen printing for public safety academies and businesses. Membership programs offer shooting and training benefits with retail and online discounts, while the facility's "Bargain Cave" features discounted tactical equipment and shooting accessories. Contact options include phone at 530-896-1992 or email at Registration@DownRangeChico.com, brian@downrangechico.com, or info@downrangechico.com.

Shasta County

Echo Whiskey Tactical provides firearms instruction and workplace safety training across Northern California and Oregon, led by Walt Bullington. The company operates as a veteran-owned business with all instructors drawn from certified law enforcement and military veteran backgrounds who bring real-world critical incident experience to their teaching. Instructors hold both California Peace Officer Standards & Training (POST) and NRA instructor certifications. The company serves Butte, Plumas, and Shasta counties, with operations based in Durham and Red Bluff. Course offerings include CCW initial courses requiring 16 hours and CCW renewal courses requiring 8 hours, with instruction covering California and federal concealed weapons carry laws, legal definitions of self-defense, and societal issues relevant to carrying concealed firearms. Echo Whiskey Tactical also delivers tactical pistol training, workplace violence and active shooter response training, and customized private firearms courses requiring a minimum of eight students and two weeks advance notice. The company holds authorization as an instructor for the State of Arizona non-resident concealed weapons permit. Additional service areas include Siskiyou, Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, and Sacramento counties in Northern California. Contact is available at 530-262-1672, 530-690-5599, or info@echowhiskeytactical.com.

Shasta County

Instructors: Evan Macivor

Shasta County

Instructors: John Panger

Anderson, Shasta County

Gibb Tactical is a firearms training provider in Anderson, CA dedicated to teaching skills and fundamentals to make students safe and confident shooters at all levels. They offer CCW classes for both new applicants and renewals, including online courses available through their partnership platform. Beyond CCW certification, they provide Everyday Carry (EDC) classes focused on real-world defensive scenarios, as well as pistol and rifle training ranging from basic fundamentals to advanced techniques.

Shasta County

Instructors: Rick Greco

Shasta County

Marshall Jones has operated Jones Fort in Redding since 1962, combining gun shop services with CCW instruction. With nearly 50 years of firearms experience, Marshall works as both a gunsmith and instructor, teaching CCW courses described as informative and engaging. The family-owned business employs a staff that includes Patrick, a hunter and expert trap shooter with extensive shotgun and handgun knowledge; Jacque, who specializes in concealed carry holsters and handgun selection; John, who joined in 1998 and brings tournament trap shooting experience plus curio and relic firearms expertise; and Jake, a collector focused on WWI and WWII military rifles. Jones Fort serves Shasta County gun owners from its 1600 E Cypress Ave location, offering firearms sales, consignments with a guaranteed-sale-or-purchase policy, transfers, and gunsmithing alongside Marshall's CCW training. The shop maintains a 1-Year warranty on all rifle, shotgun, and handgun sales, handling new, used, and collector firearms with inventory that changes frequently. Staff members provide firsthand hunting and shooting experience to guide firearm selection, and the business assists customers with California regulatory compliance.

Shasta County

K2 Defense Academy provides professional, family-friendly firearms training by NRA and DOJ certified instructors serving Shasta, Tehama, Butte County, and surrounding areas in Northern California. They offer NRA certified courses including Basic Pistol, Basic Rifle, and Personal Protection training, along with CCW certification classes for initial certification and renewals. The academy focuses on empowering individuals through comprehensive training in firearms and less lethal products for personal safety and confidence.

Shasta County

Instructors: Joe Copher

French Gulch, Shasta County

Instructors: John Laws

Redding, Shasta County

Instructors: Stan Nuetze

Redding, Shasta County

Nice Shot is a premier indoor shooting range and firearms training facility in Redding featuring twelve shooting lanes and extensive rental firearm options. They offer CCW permit training for multiple Northern California counties including Shasta, Tehama, Lassen, and others, with instruction from experienced law enforcement professionals. The facility emphasizes safety and provides a welcoming environment for both new and experienced shooters, offering everything from basic firearms training to advanced defensive tactics and competitive shooting opportunities.

Redding, Shasta County

Instructors: Todd Hansen

Redding, Shasta County

Northern Firearms Instruction is a team of highly experienced NRA credentialed and DOJ licensed instructors operating throughout California. They specialize in California CCW courses for new and experienced shooters, serving over 50 counties and cities with private ranges and classrooms. NFI teaches courses in a stress-free learning environment and is considered the authority on CCW law and firearm training throughout California.

Redding, Shasta County

Instructors: Christopher Haggerty

Shasta County

Instructors: Tyler Thompson

Shasta County

Instructors: Ryan Watters

Shasta County

Instructors: Bryan Cowan

Shasta County

Instructors: Sean Patterson