The short descriptions below provide a comprehensive snapshot of the many, many programs taught at the Firearms Academy of Seattle, Inc. Please see our Where Should I Start My Training page or contact us for a custom training plan. The starting points for our curriculum are indicated below.
For more details or to register for the classes below, please click on the title, which links to the full class description and will give you information about prerequisites, tuition costs, equipment lists and a lot more.
In 2018, voters approved Initiative 1639, which among other things, requires any person who desires to purchase a semi-automatic rifle in the state of Washington, to have taken a firearms safety training course. This special class has been developed and is being offered to satisfy this need. Course content includes Basic Firearms Safety Rules, Firearms and Children (including secure gun storage and talking to children about gun safety), Firearms and Suicide Prevention, WA State Use of Deadly Force Law, Secure Gun Storage (to prevent unauthorized access and use), Safe Handling of Firearms, and State & Federal Firearms Laws (including prohibited firearms transfers). Proof of training to satisfy the requirements of I-1639 will be provided at the end of the 4-hour course of instruction. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description. Cost: $50.00
Handgun
Our affordable Intro to Handguns class consists of six hours of classroom and range training designed to teach the armed citizen how to safely handle handguns, the laws regarding use of a handgun for self-defense, and the laws regarding carrying and possessing handguns in Washington. After class students have the option to stay for an added session about selecting a gun that will fit properly and work well for the individual. Pre-registration strictly required. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
This one-day class is specifically designed for the Intro to Handguns graduate who keeps a handgun at home for self-defense, but does not necessarily carry a gun in public. Learn about safe storage of handguns, home security, bullet penetration in modern housing construction, children and guns, interacting with home intruders and interacting with police. On the range, practice use of cover shooting, strong hand only shooting, distances out to 10 yards, low light shooting and use of flashlight with handguns. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
Eight hours of training and information for the civilian who is preparing to carry a concealed handgun for protection. Building on information taught in Intro to Handguns (this class is a non-negotiable pre-requisite for participation), students explore self-defense and concealed carry handgun skills, holster selection and carry methods, drawing from concealment, concealed carry wardrobe options, reloading and malfunction clearing, ammunition selection, and a variety of marksmanship skill building drills. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
Two days of range instruction teach the techniques of defensive handgunning covering handgun accuracy for self defense, safe draw stroke, reloads and malfunction clearing, low light shooting, shooting at moving targets, shooting while moving and shoot/don't shoot scenarios. Classroom discussion covers gun safety, legal considerations concerning use of deadly force, crime awareness, preattack indicators, aftermath issues including role play instruction on interacting with law enforcement. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
Building on the skills learned in Defensive Handgun, Tactical Handgun exposes the student to life-saving tactical principles such as 360-degree target engagement, multiple targets, moving targets and shooting while moving. Also included in this two-day course are the subjects of building search principles both in daylight and low light conditions, taking criminal suspects at gunpoint and understanding the Tueller Principle. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
This class is specifically geared to prepare students for the possibility of defending against an active shooter in an urban environment and will involve shooting exercises designed to test skills necessary for active shooter interdiction, along with force on force training to prepare the armed citizen to be able to respond as effectively as possible if they ever have to face an armed assailant bent on shooting numerous victims. The class will also address the legal issues involved in this type of a defensive handgun use. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
Intensive three day class combines advanced gun handling skill development with advanced tactical decision making, and includes high-speed handgun shooting and tactical decision making taught through role-play in preparation for defending one’s actions in court. It is the culmination of Firearms Academy’s handgun training curriculum. Students will also test their skills against the FAS Handgun Master test at the end of the first day. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
Combining the curriculum of Level 2: Defensive Handgun and Level 3: Tactical Handgun classes, along with the Special Interest Seminar Wounded/Downed Defender into a very worthwhile, week-long training course for the student who can take a full week away from their jobs and families. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
Taught by Zach Campbell (an IDPA multiple handgun Master and several time WA State Champion) this three-day, 1,000 round count course will take the Marksman’s or Sharpshooter’s performance to the next level (or even next two levels!). For Experts, no guarantee to get you to Master, but we will try! Enrollment limited to the first 12 sign ups. Must be an IDPA member AND hold at least a Marksman classification to participate. This is not a beginner-level class. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
A one-day training course covering a broad range of topics dealing with general rifle or carbine use. Designed for the student who has little or no experience shooting rifles or carbines, class starts at the beginning with basic rifle marksmanship principles, sighting in and establishing a “zero” for your rifle, plus rifle maintenance and cleaning, and moves on to different shooting positions and various distances. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
Tactical Rifle is geared for the patrol officer or armed citizen wanting to increase proficiency with the semi-auto rifle/carbine. Instruction includes use of cover, multiple targets, rapid fire, long range shooting (out to 200 yards), malfunction clearing, speed reloading, moving and shooting and shooting on moving targets, along with use of the rifle in low-light environments. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
Close Quarters Carbine, introduced first in 2007, centers on using the .223 semi-auto carbine in close-range encounters, from 3 to 25 yards. Subject matter includes movement, moving targets, 360-degree awareness and target engagement, along with multiple targets, low light shooting, search techniques, transition to handgun and hostage rescue concerns. Use of cover and stress exercises are also included. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
This new class is designed to allow the hunter, soldier, law enforcement officer or armed citizen to work with their scoped centerfire rifle in simulated field positions. It fills the gap between Level One Rifle and Precision Rifle, and complements the Tactical Rifle curriculum. Shooting from a bench or prone is great for shooting little groups, but in the field, a bench is usually absent and grass or brush typically negate the prone shot. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
We have combined our Precision Rifle 1 and Precision Rifle 2 classes into one intensive, 3-day course of instruction. By combining sessions we do not have to spend a half a day on review and re-zeroing, and with the new improved rifle ranges, we should be able to accomplish all we did before with this one course. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
Shotgun
Many myths surround the combat shotgun. This eight hour course will dispel these myths, replacing them with the correct knowledge and skills necessary to use the shotgun for self-defense or law enforcement duty. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
Training in long range shotgunning, moving targets, transition from shotgun to handgun, multiple targets, multiple hits, low light, use of horizontal and vertical cover both strong side and weak side, dynamic search techniques, moving and shooting and man-on-man competitions, leading to true mastery of the combat shotgun. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
Other Topics
Do you know how to defend your handgun against a large, aggressive attacker or what to do if a street thug sticks a gun in your face during an assault and threatens to blow your head off? The answers are the basis of this one-day seminar. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
An extension of our popular Handgun retention and disarming class, students will get a review of the core handgun retention and disarming techniques. Also covered: long-gun retention and disarming, dynamic non-scripted attacks to drawn and holstered gun, defending against multiple attackers, and low light retention. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
An eight hour course in the use of the Kubaton mini-baton and oleoresin capsicum spray for self-defense, including when pepper spray is effective and when it is not, footwork, tactics and practice with inert spray canisters. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
What can be done to staunch life-threatening blood loss and similar injuries after you have stopped the attack against you or against a loved one or companion? The program begins with an introduction to the mindset for seeing traumatic injuries and breaking the tunnel vision so you can treat those injuries. Learn to recognize injuries and triage them by severity and treat them without wasting precious time. You will get to see and use equipment that is cutting edge for trauma care. This class will not only help you but your family also as injuries can occur anytime and anywhere. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
It is one thing to carry a firearm for protection but it is another to be able to hit the areas on the threat that effect the quickest stop! Having the best knowledge of the equipment to fit your needs and the know-how to use your firearm effectively is critical. In addition to the role of shot placement in stopping an assailant, armed citizens are obligated not to shoot indiscriminately and endanger others. Click on the class title above for class dates and to see the full course description.
Several years ago, F.A.S. introduced a variety of special training seminars, focused in-depth on individual components and ancillary aspects of defensive firearms use. The special interest seminars review and refine skills taught in our weekend courses, and are offered to provide the chance to practice specific skills the student learned in the prerequisite Firearms Academy class, without spending an entire weekend.
These Level 3, one-day, 6-hour seminars are designed for students to practice what they already have been taught in the prerequisite F.A.S. class, but perhaps have not practiced for a while. They are NOT stand-alone training. If you have not met the pre-requisites listed for each seminar, please do not ask for a waiver of the pre-requisite, but rather, we respectfully request that you consider taking the class listed as the prerequisite, as it contains instruction on the topics contained in the Special Interest Seminar, plus lots more. Special Interest Seminars put in-depth focus on individual components and ancillary aspects of defensive firearms use. Seminar emphasis is on skill building and repetition, that the student may gain an appreciable degree of proficiency in the specified skill. The special interest seminars review and refine skills taught in our weekend courses, and are offered to provide the chance to return to F.A.S. for focused practice on specific skills, without having to spend the time to go through an entire weekend class.
Please click on the class titles below for class dates and to see the full course descriptions.
Unless you have mastered shooting a handgun without flinching, gaining skills in the other areas of defensive handgun use is very difficult. With this in mind, students are drilled and coached on how to shoot very accurately with the handgun. Not very sexy, but very necessary!
This special interest seminar is the most action-packed, full of smoke-and-brass seminar we teach. At completion, the student should be able to do one second draws, double taps in a quarter of a second, and engage 3 targets from the holster in under 2 seconds. Not only pushing the envelope for speed, but also acceptable accuracy, with emphasis on A-zone hits for all shots fired.
Shooting at moving targets and shooting while moving are two of the more difficult aspects of defensive handgunning. It is also one that is nearly impossible to practice on a public range, so this special interest seminar gives F.A.S. graduates the chance to refresh these skills under the watchful eye of our instructors.
The dirty little secret in defensive handgunning, is that even the gurus at times slip a small gun in the pocket for those times where a full-sized gun just isn’t viable. With this in mind, we are going to train with these guns for a hard 6 hours, pushing their capabilities and exploring “pocket gun” tactics.
Do you know the capabilities of your defensive handgun ammunition? Since the “Bullet Wars” of the 1990’s, development of good defensive handgun ammunition has been on a steep upward climb, as far as reliability and performance. FAS believes that what is important is a good expanding hollowpoint traveling 1100 feet per second, and one that does not overpenetrate, regardless of the caliber. Can your ammunition, from your gun meet this criteria? We will find out, by both chronographing AND shooting into gelatin, and the comparing your bullet’s performance against the others in the class. We will also explore and discuss the different theories regarding the effectiveness of handgun ammunition. Students will have the opportunity to test 4 different bullets in ballistic gelatin.
FAS brings "big names" from the firearms training business to the Pacific Northwest, making it easier for local shooters to receive nationally-recognized training. 2019's guest instructors are Massad Ayoob, John Farnam, Ed Monk, and Karl Rehn. For more details, cick on one of the classes below.
The Academy hosted Tom Givens for the 2018 NW Regional Rangemaster Tactical Conference. Check back for details for 2020. This event brought over a dozen well known instructors from across the country to teach a myriad of topics related to self defense.
A high intensity, four-day, 40-hour immersion course in rules of engagement for armed law-abiding private citizens, emphasizing legal issues, tactical issues, and aftermath management. Classroom topics will include interacting with suspects, witnesses, responding police officers, threat recognition and mind-set, management of social and psychological aftermath after having had to use lethal force in defense of self or others and preparing beforehand for legal repercussions and minimizing exposure to them. Situations in the home, at the place of business, or "on the street" will all be covered.
An intensive study of defensive firearms that teaches extreme speed for hits, and includes shooting at greater distances, and management of such contingencies as weak hand draws, one-hand only reloads and malfunction clearing if wounded, etc. Students receive several hours of hands-on training in handgun disarming, and in countering attempts by an attacker to disarm them. Shooting while moving, and use of long guns for defense, are among the areas covered.
This class is designed to prepare armed citizens against the threat of terrorist violence and other active-shooter events. We have seen the need to develop this specialized firearms course with a focus on armed response to these unique dangers in our modern world. Classroom instruction will cover practical options and tactics intended to give individual operators the life-saving mindset and skill sets for prevailing against such attacks. This is a combined rifle and pistol course, with heavy emphasis on pistol.
The purpose of this 3-day class is to improve the capability of the armed citizen and law enforcement officer to quickly identify and stop an Active Shooter. Instruction covers knowledge, mental preparation, gear, skills, tactics, and other considerations.
A 2-day force on force defensive tactics class with Airsoft. The focus of this course is giving the student a more realistic understanding of what can and will occur during and after a violent encounter. While it has no live-fire component, most students find this course more stressful (and more educational) than additional courses that consist of live fire drills against paper targets.
This offsite class is a unique introduction to Gunsite training. The 150 Pistol class is 3 days of Gunsite teaching methods covering the Modern Technique of the pistol!
This is an excellent opportunity for first time students to learn Gunsite doctrine. It is also a great refresher for our alumni graduates. If you have always wanted the Gunsite Experience, this is your chance to do so while limiting your travel and time.
We will cover the Combat Triad – marksmanship, gun handling and mindset. As with all our courses, safety will drive everything we do as you progress during 3 days of the world‘s premier pistol training..
Pre-registration required for all classes.
To register, please follow one of the links above to register online or call us at 360-978-6100.
Want to learn more?
Call us at 360-978-6100 or contact us at The Firearms Academy of Seattle, Inc. with your questions or click on "Class" links above.