Distinguished Firearms Instructions

Trinity 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 owner and instructor, Joel Northrup, is a POST certified firearms instructor who meets DOJ certification requirements and is approved by the Shasta County Sheriff's Office. They offer initial and renewal CCW classes that meet the new DOJ training standards, along with advanced defensive pistol training and non-resident CCW training for Florida, Arizona and other states.

Trinity County

Morgan Dant operates as an NRA, DOJ, and Range Safety Officer certified instructor through Crossed Star Firearms, serving Trinity County and fourteen additional Northern California counties from Butte to Yolo. Based in Northern California, Dant conducts classes at an outdoor private range with monitored student-teacher ratios to ensure quality instruction. The company offers 16-hour initial CCW courses priced at $300 and 8-hour renewal courses at $175, along with multi-state CCW options and non-resident California CCW instruction. Beyond standard concealed carry training, Crossed Star Firearms provides specialized programming including ladies-only pistol instruction, situational awareness courses designed for real estate professionals, and introduction classes covering pistols, rifles, and shotguns. Dant's curriculum addresses shooting fundamentals, malfunction remediation, defensive encounter management, ammunition knowledge, and the aftermath of defensive situations. Classes are approved by issuing agencies in Butte, Contra Costa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Benito, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo, and Yuba counties. Student testimonials highlight Dant's approachable instruction style and the difficulty of finding female firearms instructors in the region.

Red Bluff, Trinity County

Frank Caltabiano operates State of Jefferson Firearms Training from Red Bluff, serving Glenn, Siskiyou, Tehama, Trinity, Lassen, and Shasta counties across northern California. Caltabiano holds California CCW instructor certification #207 and has been teaching firearms safety classes since the late 1980s, with the business established circa 1995. He maintains NRA certifications as a Pistol Instructor, Personal Protection Instructor, and Chief Range Safety Officer, and currently serves as Vice President of the Tehama Shooters Association. The company recently added certification to teach in Lassen County and now offers non-resident California CCW permit classes for out-of-state applicants seeking California credentials. Classes take place at 26950 Manton Road in Red Bluff, where the facility combines classroom instruction with private range access. Initial 16-hour courses cost $295 and typically span two days, while 8-hour renewal courses run $150 and usually complete in a single day session starting at 7:45 AM. Both formats cover firearms law, use of deadly force, and range qualification with all firearms intended for the permit. Students provide their own ammunition—minimum 50 rounds for primary firearms in initial courses, 20 rounds per gun for renewals—along with eye and ear protection. Caltabiano also holds law enforcement instructor certification and competes in pistol and rifle disciplines, bringing active shooting experience to the curriculum.