Steps To Become A USCCA Instructor
Click the link below to download a multipage document that outlines the steps to take….

Click the link below to download a multipage document that outlines the steps to take….
(see map below)
**** 11 STUDENTS MAX ****
**Please make sure you CAN attend PRIOR to registering, “There will be NO refunds” as we will guarantee your spot which will not be available to another student. Range fee is PrePaid.
***First come-first served…this training is for ACSD students only***
We will cover basic firearm safety rules. Learn how to safely and properly handle, use and store a handgun. Learn proper basic pistol shooting fundamentals such as aiming, grip, stance, breathing, trigger control, and much more. I will personally work on some areas and will coach and have you join me as well.
**Age Requirement is 18 yrs and older. Children are not allowed on the Range, Only the registered individual may attend the session**
Come range ready with:
NO RELOADED, HAND LOADED, or SURPLUS AMMUNITION ALLOWED.
Use commercial ammunition only. (store/range purchased ammo)
If you are Renting one of OUR firearms, NO STEEL or ALUMINUM Case Ammunition is allowed to be used.
**Please notify the Range Instructor in advance if you need to rent a firearm, first come first serve**
**Please notify the Range Instructor of any medical accommodations required**
**Once you have READ and UNDERSTAND the details, you may submit your payment HERE. #1. Choose $20 Shoot Around with Instructor #2. Choose October 10th Date #3. Make payment. (no other dates are available other than October 10th) DO NOT BOOK UNLESS YOU ARE A PRIOR STUDENT 7 SURE THAT YOU CAN ATTEND **NO REFUNDS**
**Please make sure you CAN attend PRIOR to registering, “There will be NO refunds” as we will guarantee your spot which will not be available to another student. Range fee is also PrePaid.
***First come-first served…this training will NOT be offered at this price again***
We will cover basic firearm safety rules. Learn how to safely and properly handle, use and store a handgun. Learn proper basic pistol shooting fundamentals such as aiming, grip, stance, breathing, trigger control, and much more.
**Age Requirement is 18 yrs and older. Children are not allowed on the Range, Only the registered individual may attend the class**
Come range ready with:
NO RELOADED, HAND LOADED, or SURPLUS AMMUNITION ALLOWED.
Use commercial ammunition only.
If you are Renting one of OUR firearms, NO STEEL or ALUMINUM Case Ammunition is allowed to be used.
**Please notify the Range Instructor in advance if you need to rent a firearm, first come first serve**
**Please notify the Range Instructor of any medical accommodations required**
For anyone who is committed to mastering firearms, the struggle to sharpen their accuracy seems to be a never-ending challenge. Of all the firearms in our arsenal though, the handgun can be the most challenging to master. It is small with a short sight radius and generally has a trigger that requires more pressure than the gun weighs. With so much to wade through, it is time to look at eight simple things anyone can do to improve their overall accuracy with a handgun.
Trigger Control
The first thing to focus on is trigger control. We often hear this phrase used when discussions of accuracy arise. Few times however is it given sufficient attention. The truth is that pistols for the most part are accurate. It’s our manipulation of the weapon that interferes with its ultimate capability. Here are some solid trigger control drills to help you improve.
Dime on the Front Sight Drill
Always easier with the help of a partner, unload your weapon and remove the magazine if possible. Reset the action on your pistol and have your partner balance a dime on the front sight. Now, execute a smooth, clean press of the trigger. If you do this correctly, the front sight will not dip or move and the dime will stay in place. If the dime falls off, you are generally jerking the trigger and causing movement in the gun. That movement translates into missed shots. The key to keeping the dime steady is a smooth continuous trigger press with a clean “break” at the end.
Keep the Slack Out
The more we move the trigger, the higher the probability that we will miss our shot. The trigger press is composed of three stages: the slop, which is the distance the trigger travels freely to the rear before you encounter resistance; the slack, or the distance the trigger will still travel while under tension prior to firing; and the shot, which is where the trigger finishes its’ travel and ultimately fires the weapon. In our initial press of the trigger, we will experience all three stages of the trigger motion. However, after the initial press, the trigger will reset. The distance required for reset generally takes it only as far as the “slack” point. Do not allow the trigger to travel any further forward than is necessary. A great drill for this is to empty your weapon and press the trigger. With your support side hand, rack the slide, and as it is moving forward relax your trigger finger. The tension of the trigger will push forward and allow it to reset. Only let the trigger move as far forward as it has to. Having a partner actually rack the slide for you while you stay pointed in is also very helpful. Continuous dry practice with this drill will familiarize you with how far your trigger needs to travel. At all costs we look to avoid letting the trigger move all the way forward and even worse, our finger comes off the trigger. This generally ends up in a “slap” of the trigger on subsequent shots and will interfere with accuracy.
Follow Through
Follow-through is the act of keeping the gun steady to send follow up shots on target. The challenge faced comes in the way of anticipation or flinch. Especially true with newer shooters, the anticipation of the next shot can cause a flinch response to the weapon firing. This causes muzzle dip and is never helps to accuracy. To deal with this challenge try this proven drill.
Ball and Dummy
One of the most classic pistol drills, the ball and dummy drill is designed to help eliminate flinch. The drill is generally done with a partner to assist. While the shooter is turned away, the partner will place their weapon in a state of readiness. It will either be set with a round in the chamber or reset without around. Either way, the trigger will function. The shooter has turned back around and given the weapon. They point in and press as if they were shooting a bull’s eye. If the weapon is unloaded, the trigger will “click” yet the muzzle should not dip. If there is a noticeable dip, it is a sign of anticipating the shot. Continue this drill with an occasional live round placed in the chamber so as to keep the shooter off balance. Approximately 75% of the time it should be empty, however. This is a solid drill for learning to overcome the anticipation of the shot firing.
Sight Picture and Alignment
The last part of our accuracy formula looks at sight picture and alignment. There are many theories and methods of shooting when it comes to the world of sites. At the most fundamental and reliable level though we look to align the sights on target while intently focusing on the front sight. The rear sights should be slightly blurry as will be the target. The front sight should be crystal clear. A few reliable drills to build confidence are these:
Bench Shooting
One of the best ways to learn certain components of shooting is to minimize the need to focus on other parts. By shooting from a benched position you are able to eliminate the need to stabilize yourself in order to make good shots. This is a confidence builder as well as a drill to help you build good sight alignment habits. Sit at a bench with your arms resting on a shooting bag. Acquire a solid sight picture and alignment. Take your time and fire shots with the intent of managing perfect sights throughout the process.
Figure 8 Drill
One of the challenges we face is the feeling that our sights are all over the place as we begin to make a shot. For the most part that is just our perception and not reality. With good mechanics, you can make good accurate shots consistently. A drill to show you this, as well as to work on trigger control is the figure 8 drill. At about six yards point in at your target, now take all of the slop and slack out of the trigger. Intentionally move the front sight six to eight inches in figure 8 over the bull’s eye. Now, as you come across the bull’s eye, break your shot and reset your trigger to shoot again. Continue this for five or six shots. What you will find is that you are much more accurate than you may think. By managing the trigger well, it allows for quite a bit of motion and you still maintain good accuracy.
The goal is always to bring these components together. Unless you are a static bull’s eye shooter, there will be many moving parts to making a shot. Here are a few drills designed to start mixing components without overwhelming yourself:
Bring Them All Together
Ragged Hole Drill
The ragged hole drill is another classic. From six yards, you will slow fire five rounds into a single point on your target. Do your best to focus on a small portion of the target. Better yet, get a target that has one to two-inch dots on it as focus points. Take your time and use the exact same point of aim each time. Do not chase your shots or try to make corrections. If you manage your trigger and sights well, you should end up with a single ragged hole. If your shots are spread out, it is a sign that you need to polish up on one or more of the basics.
Shrinking Targets
Similar to the ragged hole drill, the goal is to start shrinking your shot groups. Find or make a target that has three or four circles on it each a little smaller than the previous one. From six yards, fire five rounds into each circle. The goal is to have all the rounds inside the circle. As you master one circle, move to the next smaller and so on. This is as much a confidence builder as it is a skill builder.
Shooting a handgun can be a challenge. As with all shooting, it always comes back to the fundamentals. By practicing these drills you can improve individual portions and ultimately bring them all together. In the end, like all complex motor skills, shooting is a perishable skill. The practice must be ongoing but with practice comes skill!
Need help with your new firearm? Enroll in our Basic Pistol 101 Class….
What Level or Type of Shooter are you?
Intentionally Incompetent
A classic example of Intentionally Incompetent gun owners are those who are aware of organized shooting events,
but refuse to attend or even acknowledge the potential benefits.
Typically, these individuals mislead themselves and others by fabricating lies justifying non-participation or below average
results: You may hear them say things like…
“Competition shooting will get you killed.”
“Organized/target shooting isn’t real shooting.”
“Marksmanship is for soldiers/police/hunters and very different than marksmanship for competition.”
“I’m horrible on paper targets, but I’m deadly in the field.”
UNCONSCIOUSLY INCOMPETENT
The UI does not know what he or she does not know. The UI represents the majority of all gun owners and includes people
(police and military) who carry a gun for a living. The UI is incompetent but does not know he or she is incompetent
because he or she had no training or low-level training and has not yet experienced a situation exposing his or her
inadequacies.
Examples of the UI can be found everywhere:
**The officer who only practices shooting his weapon a few times per year only to pass the POST or department
mandatory range qualifications is UI.
**The gun owner who buys a gun and box of ammo, only attends mandatory CCW classes, fires a few shots at the
range and then places the gun in his closet, confident he or she can use it effectively to protect him or herself is UI.
**The hunter who only attends mandatory hunter safety and only shoots once a year to sight-in his or her rifle before going
hunting is UI. **Most plinkers are UI. **Military personnel who only shoot the same course of fire as in Basic training
(even with an “Expert” qualification) are still UI. **Any gun owner who has never attended an organized shooting
event beyond a mandated safety/basic training course is UI.
CONSCIOUSLY INCOMPETENT
The next level of competence hits you like a ton of bricks because you immediately become aware that you know very little, or
previously held notions are incorrect, and that there is so much to learn. This often happens when the UI
attends his/her first organized shooting event. This is the quickest, cheapest and safest way to figure this out.
CONSCIOUSLY COMPETENT
If the CI makes the effort to learn, through study, proper training and practice, the CI develops into the CC. The
length of time needed to develop from CI to CC is directly related to the quality of the training or events attended
and the motivation of the student. Study brings you to the level of theoretical knowledge. You understand the
concepts, but to apply them, you have to think about them. In a lot of subjects or skills, you might never move
beyond this level. Every decision and action occurs as a result of an intricate thought process and has not yet
reached the reflex response level.
UNCONSCIOUSLY COMPETENT
The speed of reflex. Riding a bike, driving a car, touch, typing and speaking in your native tongue are common
skills most people are Unconsciously Competent in. At this level, theoretical knowledge is transformed into practical
knowledge. Study might get you to CC, but only proper practice and training will get you to UC.
The UC has programmed his mind and body (after thousands of correct repetitions) to react in a fraction of a
second with consistent responses that require no perceivable thought process. The UC functions flawlessly even
under stressful situations because the UC’s extensive training overrides his conscious thought process. As you can
imagine, the UC is not common in today’s society.
CONSCIOUS UNCONSCIOUSLY COMPETENT (very rare & often not considered a sixth level)
The highest level of competence is the ability to do something without thinking about it, yet retain a level of
awareness of how you do it. This level of competence enables you to teach the skill to someone else and is the
identity of a true Master. Many people who are experts at something find it difficult explaining it to someone less skilled.
They are so unconsciously competent, that they don’t know how they do it. They just do it. The CUC is a UC who can effectively teach others to reach a similar level of skill.
There are three standard fees when going through the process to receive a Texas License-To-Carry card. They are as follows:
License To Carry a Handgun (LTC) applicants may be eligible for a discount and/or certain exemption(s) based on what condition they apply under.
As of September 1, 2017 the following application fees apply:
Application Conditions
Standard Condition
Individuals who do not meet the requirements for any discount.
Original/New Application Fee = The initial license is $40.00 and is issued for a period of 4 years. The initial license expires on your next birthday following a 4-year period. On renewal, the standard license fee is $40.00 for a 5-year license, which will expire on your birthday.
Renewal Application Fee = $40
Active Judicial Officer/Supervision or Juvenile Probation Officer
Individuals who are serving as judges or justices of the supreme court, the court of criminal appeals, a court of appeals, a district court, a criminal district court, a constitutional county court, a statutory county court, a justice court, or a municipal court; or a federal judge who is resident of Texas; or persons appointed and serving as associate judges; or a Texas Supervision or Juvenile Probation officer.
Original/New Application Fee = $25
Renewal Application Fee = $25
Retired Judicial Officer
Individuals who were serving as judges or justices of the supreme court, the court of criminal appeals, a court of appeals, a district court, a criminal district court, a constitutional county court, a statutory county court, a justice court, or a municipal court; or a federal judge who is resident of Texas; or persons appointed and serving as associate judges.
Original/New Application Fee = $25
Renewal Application Fee = $25
Active Military/Active Texas Military Member/Active Texas Peace Officer/State Correctional Officer (TDCJ)/ County Jailer
Individuals currently serving in the military OR who were honorably discharged within the last 365 days; or Licensed peace officers under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, and are employed as a peace officer by a Texas law enforcement agency; or Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Correctional Officer; or an Active Texas Military Member; or County Jailer.
Original/New Application Fee = $0
Renewal Application Fee = $0
Honorably Retired Texas Peace Officer
Individuals who were licensed as peace officers under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, and who were honorably retired from having been employed full-time or as a reserve peace officer by a Texas law enforcement agency.
Original/New Application Fee = $25
Renewal Application Fee = $25
Retired Federal Officer
Individuals who are honorably retired Officers of the United States who were eligible to carry a firearm in the discharge of the officer’s official duties.
Original/New Application Fee = $25
Renewal Application Fee = $25
Senior Citizen
Individuals who are at least 60 years of age at the time of application.
Original/New Application Fee = $40
Renewal Application Fee = $35
Indigent
Individuals who fall below the poverty threshold as set forth by the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
Original/New Application Fee = $40
Renewal Application Fee = $35
Felony Prosecuting Attorney/United States attorney/Assistant United States Attorney/Texas Attorney General/ Assistant Texas Attorney General
Individuals who are elected or employed attorneys representing the state in the prosecution of felony cases; or an United States attorney; or an Assistant United States Attorney; or a Texas Attorney General; or an Assistant Texas Attorney General
Original/New Application Fee = $0
Renewal Application Fee = $0
Veteran (Honorably Discharged)
Individuals honorably discharged from military service.
Original/New Application Fee = $25
Renewal Application Fee = $25
Other / Assistant Prosecutor/
Individuals who are prosecuting attorneys or assistant prosecuting attorneys
Original/New Application Fee = $40
Renewal Application Fee = $40
Instructor Certification/Online Course Provider
Certified Instructors are individuals trained and certified by Texas Department of Public Safety to instruct the License To Carry a Handgun training courses to the public; Online Course Providers are individuals trained and certified by the Texas Department of Public Safety to instruct, online, the classroom portion of the License to Carry Handgun Proficiency Course.
Original/New Application Fee = $100
Renewal Application Fee = $100
I really enjoyed Steve & Kim’s direction. I was pretty nervous but that all went away soon. They were very helpful and I will definitely be taking more classes with them. Highly recommended for anyone who owns a weapon and is not as confident as they wish to be with it or anyone who plans to own one someday!
Just finished my first firearm safety class with Steve and Kim and I was impressed! As someone who’s never even held a gun before, Steve was thorough with the safety and precautions needed, ensuring my mother and I understood before handling the gun. They provided ear protection, googles, and guns if needed.
Initially shaking before my first shot, I now feel so much more comfortable handling and shooting a firearm. I would definitely recommend this team!
The info shared was very informative and made me feel that the value for the class was good. The instructors Steve and Kim were very knowledgeable and patient and made me feel comfortable. Their attention to detail and instruction were great. Overall I gained more confidence about handing a firearm and firearm safety. I definitely recommend this class and these Instructors.
We run a relaxed and stress free classroom and range environment. We specialize in training new shooters. All firearms classes are taught by NRA and/or USCCA certified Instructors. Our self defense courses teach specific strategies and techniques that can effectively combat the kind of threats you’re likely to encounter.
COVID-19 Update:Your health an safety is very important to us. Social Distancing and Masks are required.
Address: 850 Schneider
Suite G
Cibolo, TX 78108
Showroom Hours:
10a-6p M,W-F
10a-5p Tues
10a-2p Sat
Tel: (800) 808-0815
11950 Starcrest
Suite #207F
San Antonio TX 78247
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