GVFTA – Owning a Firearm Is Not the Same as Knowing How to Use One

My Experience with Gil Vargas Firearms Training Associates

Going shooting has always been something I have both enjoyed and felt a bit nervous about. I have owned firearms for home defense, and I have gone shooting with friends over the years. I knew the basics. I was comfortable enough to go to a range and shoot. But if I am being completely truthful, I never felt like I had mastery, competence, or real confidence with a firearm.

When I went shooting with friends, I was often following someone else’s lead. They knew what to do, so I did what they did. That is certainly better than being careless, but there is a big difference between being able to follow someone else’s instructions and knowing that you can safely and confidently handle a firearm yourself.

I did not fully appreciate that difference until my son and I trained with Gil Vargas Firearms Training Associates, or GVFTA.

By the time our course was finished, I understood something that seems obvious to me now:

Owning a firearm is not the same thing as being trained to use one.

And simply spending time at a shooting range is not necessarily the same thing as training.

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Why I Finally Decided to Get Proper Training

There are millions of people who purchase a firearm for personal or home protection. For many of us, buying the firearm is relatively straightforward.

Learning to become truly comfortable and proficient with it is another matter.

I had reached the point where I wanted more than familiarity. I wanted to understand what I was doing. I wanted good habits rather than habits I had simply picked up over the years. Most importantly, I wanted to feel confident that I could handle my firearm safely without needing someone else beside me telling me what came next.

My 24-year-old son came with me.

I am 55.

What began as firearms training ended up becoming one of those unexpected father-son experiences that I think both of us will remember for a long time.

We were learning together. We could ask questions together. We could see each other improving.

And when it was over, both of us walked away safer, more knowledgeable, more competent, and considerably more confident than when we started.

That alone made the experience worthwhile.

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Meet Gil Vargas and GVFTA

Gil Vargas Firearms Training Associates is based in South Pasadena, California and provides firearms education for students ranging from complete beginners to more experienced shooters looking to develop defensive and advanced skills.

GVFTA offers both NRA certified courses and customized training programs, with safety at the center of its curriculum.

Its instructors are members of the local shooting community and are NRA and/or California Department of Justice certified in firearms instruction and safety.

GVFTA has also joined the National Shooting Sports Foundation, or NSSF, and participates in its First Shots program, which is specifically designed to introduce new shooters to safe and responsible firearm ownership.

That focus on introducing people to firearms is important because one of GVFTA’s strengths is that you do not have to arrive already knowing what you are doing.

In fact, you do not even necessarily have to own a firearm yet.

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Gil Knows How to Teach

There are people who are extremely knowledgeable about a subject.

Then there are people who know how to teach that subject.

Those are two very different skills.

Gil has both.

Some people seem to have been born to teach, and that was my impression of Gil.

He has an ability to make people comfortable without taking the subject lightly. Firearms require seriousness, discipline, and respect. Gil never diminishes any of that. What he does remove is the unnecessary intimidation that can prevent someone from learning.

He was patient.

He was thorough.

He was approachable.

And perhaps most importantly, there was never a moment when I felt uncomfortable asking a question.

That matters much more than people might realize.

When someone is learning about firearms, pretending to understand something because he or she is embarrassed to ask is exactly what you do not want.

Gil created the opposite environment.

Ask the question.

Understand the answer.

Practice it correctly.

Then build upon it.

That is teaching.

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Firearms Should Be Respected, Not Feared

I think there are people who would like to learn about firearms but are intimidated by them.

I understand that.

Even as someone who already owned firearms, there were areas where I lacked confidence.

One of the things Gil did particularly well was separate respect from fear.

A firearm deserves respect because mishandling one can have serious consequences. Safety procedures matter. Good habits matter. Paying attention matters.

But being nervous or intimidated does not make someone safer.

Education does.

Practice does.

Good instruction does.

The more I understood, the less intimidating everything became.

By the end of the course, I did not simply feel relieved that I had completed it.

I wanted to continue.

That might be the best indication of how effective Gil was as an instructor.

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There Is a Course for the Person Who Has Never Held a Firearm

GVFTA’s Introduction to Firearms course is designed specifically for new firearm owners and people preparing to purchase their first firearm.

The program covers firearms safety, handling, storage, and shooting techniques and combines classroom instruction with range time.

That makes a lot of sense to me.

Someone considering purchasing a firearm should not have to buy one first and figure everything out afterward.

Training can be part of the decision.

GVFTA also offers a First Steps Pistol Orientation course for someone who may have recently purchased a pistol but is not yet familiar or comfortable with that particular firearm.

That is an important distinction.

You can understand firearms in general and still need instruction on the specific firearm you own.

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And There Is Somewhere to Go After the Basics

This is another thing I like about GVFTA.

Training does not end with an introductory class.

Among the courses and programs GVFTA offers are NRA Basic Pistol, NRA Basic Rifle Shooting, NRA CCW, Personal Protection in the Home, Personal Protection Outside the Home, Defensive Pistol, customized skill-building courses, and private training.

For students who have already completed introductory training, GVFTA’s Custom Skill Builder program can be tailored to reinforce safe gun handling while helping students become more comfortable and proficient.

That progression appeals to me because I now view firearms proficiency differently.

I do not think you take a class, receive a certificate, and declare yourself finished.

You build skills.

You reinforce them.

You identify weaknesses.

Then you improve them.

That is exactly what my son and I intend to do.

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California and Arizona CCW Training

GVFTA also offers training designed to meet California Department of Justice requirements for concealed carry applicants and currently provides approved instruction for a number of California jurisdictions.

Because CCW requirements and agency acceptance can vary, GVFTA recommends confirming that its training is accepted by the agency through which you are applying.

GVFTA additionally offers qualification certification for Arizona concealed carry permits, either as a standalone course or as an addition to other training.

For someone interested in concealed carry, I particularly like the idea of viewing CCW instruction as more than simply something you have to complete to satisfy a requirement.

GVFTA describes its California CCW course as an opportunity to improve defensive firearm skills as well.

That is the right mindset.

A certificate may satisfy an administrative requirement.

Competence is something different.

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Rifle Training Too

GVFTA is not limited to handguns.

Its NRA Basic Rifle Shooting course combines classroom and range instruction and covers safe handling, rifle operation, ammunition, shooting fundamentals, range procedures, maintenance, and shooting from multiple positions.

GVFTA also participates in NSSF First Shots for both handgun and rifle instruction.

For families interested in the shooting sports, new rifle owners, or someone who simply wants structured instruction rather than learning informally from friends, there are options beyond pistol training.

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You Don’t Necessarily Need to Bring Everything With You

For a newcomer, equipment can become another source of intimidation.

Which firearm should I buy?

What equipment do I need?

What happens if I do not own everything yet?

GVFTA can provide name-brand equipment for students to use during certain training courses, making it possible to begin learning before investing heavily in equipment.

GVFTA is also licensed to sell ammunition and complete ammunition transfers in California. While it does not operate as a general retail ammunition seller, the company maintains ammunition for its training operations and can arrange special orders to support training, personal defense, and shooting sports.

For someone starting from scratch, that removes another obstacle.

You can focus first on learning.

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Training at the Range Has a Purpose

One of my biggest realizations was that going to a shooting range and receiving firearms training are not interchangeable.

There is certainly value in practicing at the range.

But practice only reinforces whatever you are already doing.

If you are doing something correctly, repetition can make you better.

If you have developed a poor habit, repetition can make you very good at repeating a poor habit.

Instruction brings purpose to the practice.

GVFTA combines classroom education with practical range instruction in a number of its programs and offers training using both indoor and outdoor range facilities.

GVFTA has also expanded its instruction at Angeles Shooting Ranges, giving the organization access to pistol and rifle facilities and the ability to offer a broader variety of training.

There is something very different about firing a round because someone said, “Go ahead,” and understanding why you are doing what you are doing.

For the first time, I left a firearms course with a genuine sense of accomplishment.

I had not simply fired ammunition.

I had learned something.

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Safety Extends Beyond Pulling the Trigger

Another aspect of GVFTA that caught my attention is that its philosophy of personal preparedness extends beyond firearm operation.

Its instructors participate in continued professional development, and GVFTA has hosted or participated in emergency preparedness instruction including Gunshot Lifesaver training addressing gunshot and stabbing injuries, trauma treatment, and emergency response.

I think that reflects an important philosophy.

Responsible firearm ownership should not begin and end with marksmanship.

Safety, judgment, storage, preparation, awareness, and knowing what to do when something goes wrong are all part of the larger responsibility.

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Training Can Also Be Something You Do Together

GVFTA even promotes a regular Couples Special because learning safe firearm handling does not have to be a solitary experience.

That concept immediately made sense to me because of what happened with my son and me.

I did not expect our course to become a bonding experience.

It did.

At 24 and 55, we are obviously at very different stages of our lives, but for those hours we were students together.

We learned together.

We improved together.

We laughed.

We asked questions.

And we both walked away having accomplished something.

Whether it is a husband and wife, father and son, mother and daughter, partners, friends, or other family members, I can see real value in learning together.

If there are firearms in a household, having more than one responsible adult who understands firearm safety is probably not a bad thing either.

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Who Do I Think Should Consider Professional Firearms Training?

Before taking the course, I might have assumed professional firearms instruction was mainly for one of two groups: complete beginners or people who were extremely serious about shooting.

I do not think that anymore.

I would recommend instruction to someone who has never handled a firearm before.

I would recommend it to someone considering buying a first firearm.

I would recommend it to someone who inherited a firearm and does not know what to do with it.

I would recommend it to a person who owns a firearm for home defense but rarely practices with it.

I would recommend it to someone who has gone shooting with friends for years but has never received structured instruction.

That last person was me.

There is also plenty of room for experienced shooters who want to improve defensive skills, transition into more advanced training, participate in shooting sports, or simply identify areas where their skills can improve.

You do not have to be afraid of firearms to benefit from training.

You also do not have to be inexperienced.

Sometimes it takes training to discover how much you still have to learn.

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Confidence Is Earned

There is a word I keep coming back to when I think about our experience.

Confidence.

Not bravado.

Not feeling invincible.

Not believing that taking one class suddenly makes you an expert.

Real confidence comes from competence.

It comes from knowing what to do because you have learned how to do it correctly.

It comes from understanding the responsibility that accompanies firearm ownership.

And it comes from realizing that becoming proficient is a process rather than a destination.

Gil gave me more of that confidence in one course than I had developed through years of occasionally going to a range with friends.

More importantly, he made me want to continue developing it.

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Would I Recommend Gil Vargas Firearms Training Associates?

Absolutely.

I would especially recommend GVFTA to someone who feels a little intimidated about taking that first step.

You are not expected to walk through the door already knowing everything.

That is why you are there.

Gil Vargas has an unusual ability to take a serious subject and make the process of learning it comfortable, practical, and enjoyable without ever losing sight of the responsibility involved.

My son and I went into the experience wanting to become better with firearms.

We came away more confident, more competent, more safety-conscious, and with a shared experience that I did not expect when we signed up.

And we are not finished.

We will absolutely be training with Gil again.

For me, that says more than any five-star rating could.

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About Gil Vargas Firearms Training Associates

Gil Vargas Firearms Training Associates provides firearms safety and shooting instruction in Southern California. Its programs include introductory firearms training, pistol and rifle instruction, NRA certified courses, defensive firearms training, custom skill-building programs, private classes, Firearm Safety Certificate testing, and qualifying California and Arizona CCW instruction.

GVFTA instructors are NRA and/or California DOJ certified, and the organization is a member of the National Shooting Sports Foundation and participates in the NSSF First Shots program.

Training is available by appointment, with classroom and range options including instruction at Angeles Shooting Ranges.

Gil Vargas Firearms Training Associates
South Pasadena, California 91030
gilv@gvfta.com
gvfta.com

Course schedules, CCW agency approvals, pricing, availability, and program requirements can change, so prospective students should contact GVFTA directly for current information.

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