Chief Instructor Chris "Sparrow" is a life long hunter and shooting sports enthusiast with over 30 years of firearms experience.
Chris grew up hunting small game, upland birds & waterfowl, learning many valuable lessons in shotgunning & wing shooting in some of the most pristine habitats of the Pacific Flyway, mountains and high deserts.
Self-defense via martial arts and pistol became a sincere passion throughout his young adult life due in part to several conflicts, including surviving a gang attack. Continually desiring to improve his training and passion for self-defense , Chris would train regularly with close friends in various law enforcement & military entities.
Moving to the great state of Colorado in 2007, Chris continued his prior tradition of taking new friends, co-workers, and first time shooters to the range; often times playing the role of Range Safety Officer and Instructor. His devotion to sharing the joy of our second amendment, firearms safety and self-defense grew immensely the more he shared. Chris' desire to formalize his instructor certifications came to fruition as his daughters came of age, and it became apparent that there was no one better suited to train them for their Colorado Concealed Handgun Permit, than himself. Upon becoming a certified NRA Basics of Pistol Shooting Instructor, Chris dedicated himself to continued training with various NRA Training Counselors, law enforcement, prior military and tactical instructors. Chris has added additional instructor certifications to his repertoire to include the NRA Personal Protection Inside the Home, NRA Personal Protection Outside the Home, NRA Defensive Pistol, NRA Basics of Shotgun Shooting, and many more.
Chris is an active world business traveler, often moving into less permissive environments, where options for self defense are limited and even frowned upon, allowing for years of experience in situational awareness & de-escalation. When not traveling, he participates regularly in recreational pistol shooting challenges including IPSC & USPSA style competitions.
Chris also is a certified Hunter Education Instructor & Huntsman, actively volunteering monthly with the Colorado Parks & Wildlife division, teaching hunter Education courses in Colorado Springs, and assisting and leading novice hunts throughout the state.
Additional Trainings & Certifications:
Stop the Bleed
First Aid & CPR
TCCC
General Amateur Radio (HAM - Whiskey-0-Charlie-Papa-Tango) operator & Instructor
Technical Expert in RF (802.11 & 47 C.F.R, Part 97, & 15)
Epee & Foil Fencing Instructor
Senior Instructor - Chris "Sparrow"
NRA
Certified Instructor
NRA
Certified Range Safety Officer
Teaching Safety and Respect of Firearms
Courses Offered
The NRA Basics of Pistol Shooting is intended for all individuals regardless of previous shooting experience. The course takes place in a traditional classroom and range environment. This course may be completed in a single day format or over several days with smaller blocks of instruction.
Upcoming Course Dates:(Click on the dates to register)
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Course topics include: gun safety rules, proper operation of revolvers and semi-automatic pistols, ammunition knowledge and selection, pistol selection and storage, shooting fundamentals, pistol inspection and maintenance, marksmanship, and shooting range safety. Additionally, students will complete live fire training and a nationally standardized shooting qualification while on the range with an NRA Certified Instructor. Students will receive the NRA Guide: Basics of Pistol Shooting handbook, take a Basics of Pistol Shooting Student Examination and receive a course completion certificate bearing the signature of the NRA Secretary and your NRA Certified Instructor.
Course Goal: Teaches the basic knowledge, skills and attitude necessary to carry a concealed pistol for personal defense. The NRA CCW Course is intended for all individuals regardless of previous shooting experience or NRA-affiliation. This instructor-led only course gives you direct instruction from an NRA-certified instructor from beginning to end and may be conducted in a classroom and on a shooting range with an Instructor.
Upcoming Course Dates:(Click on the dates to register)
More Details:
Course topics include: Firearm Safety (Mandatory), Pistol Nomenclature and Selecting a Pistol for Self-Defense, Basic Defensive Pistol Skills, Drawing from Concealment, Loading and Stoppage Remediation, Mindset, Carry Modes and Pistol Concealment, Firearm Cleaning, and Sport Shooting and Training Activities. Course length is determined by the Instructor, to meet your State’s requirements for a CCW permit. Additionally, students may complete live fire training and a nationally standardized shooting qualification while on the range with an NRA Certified Instructor. Students will receive reference books, take a NRA CCW Student Examination and receive a course completion certificate bearing the signature of the NRA Secretary and your NRA Certified Instructor.
Teaches the basic knowledge, skills, and attitude essential to the safe and efficient use of a handgun for protection of self and family, and to provide information on the law-abiding individual’s right to self-defense.
Prerequisite:This course is for law-abiding adult citizens, as defined by applicable federal, state, or local law, and experienced shooters (shooters able to show mastery of the basic skills of safe gun handling, shooting a group, zeroing the firearm, and cleaning the firearm). Prospective participants can demonstrate that they have the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes by producing an NRA Basic Pistol Course Certificate, NRA FIRST Steps Course Certificate, NRA pistol competitive shooting qualification card, military DD 214 with pistol qualification, or passing the Pre-Course Assessment.
Description: This is an eight-hour course. Students should expect to shoot approximately 100 rounds of ammunition. Students will learn basic defensive shooting skills, strategies for home safety and responding to a violent confrontation, firearms and the law, how to choose a handgun for self-defense, and continued opportunities for skill development. Students will receive the NRA Guide to the Basics of Personal Protection In The Home handbook, NRA Gun Safety Rules brochure, the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification booklet, and course completion certificate.
Teaches students the knowledge, skills and attitude essential for avoiding dangerous confrontations and for the safe, effective and responsible use of a concealed pistol for self-defense outside the home.
Prerequisite:This course is for adult individuals who are not disqualified from possessing a firearm as defined by applicable federal, state, or local law and are of good repute and possess defensive pistol skills presented in the NRA Basics of Personal Protection In The Home Course. Participants must also understand the basic legal concepts relating to the use of firearms in self-defense, and must know and observe not only general gun safety rules, but also those safety principles that are specific to defensive situations. Prospective participants can demonstrate that they have the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes by producing an NRA Basic Personal Protection In The Home Course Certificate, or by passing the pre-course evaluation. Description: The course is divided into two levels. Level one is nine-hours and offers the essential knowledge and skills that must be mastered in order to carry, store, and use a firearm safely and effectively for personal protection outside the home. Students spend several hours on the range and shoot approximately 100 rounds of ammunition during level one. Upon completion, students may choose to attend level two, which is an additional five hours on the range and approximately 115 rounds of ammunition learning advanced shooting skills. Time and ammunition requirements are minimum, and may be exceeded. Students will receive the NRA Guide to the Basics of Personal Protection Outside The Home handbook, NRA Gun Safety Rules brochure and appropriate (level one/level two) course completion certificates(s)
Teaches the knowledge, skills, and attitude to carry and use a concealed pistol ethically, responsibly, and with confidence.
The NRA Defensive Pistol Course will focus on the techniques needed to develop a defensive mindset. The goal of the course will be to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitude necessary to carry and use a concealed pistol ethically, responsibly, and with confidence. As a result of participating in this course, the student will be able to explain and demonstrate the following: How to apply the NRA Rules for Safe Gun Handling when carrying a concealed firearm, basic principles of concealment, the difference between cover and concealment, drawing from the holster, levels of mental awareness, developing the proper mindset when using a pistol for personal protection, clearing common stoppages, use of pocket pistols, and more. Students will receive the NRA Guide to the Basics of Personal Protection Outside The Home handbook, NRA Gun Safety Rules brochure and the NRA Defensive Pistol certificate. This course is only conducted by NRA Certified Advanced Pistol Instructors.
Teaches the basic knowledge, skills, and attitude for the safe and proper use of a shotgun in shooting a moving target.
This course is at least ten-hours long and includes classroom and range time learning how to shoot shotguns at moving targets. Students learn NRA’s rules for safe gun handling; shotgun parts and operation; shotgun shell components; shotgun shell malfunctions; shooting fundamentals; range rules; shooting at straight away and angled targets; cleaning; and continued opportunities for skill development. Students will receive the Basics of Shotgun Shooting handbook, NRA Gun Safety Rules brochure, Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification booklet, take a Basics of Shotgun Shooting Student Examination, and receive a course completion certificate.
The basic purpose of a Hunter Education class is to teach hunters to be safe, legal and responsible. Topics covered include wildlife management, wildlife identification, ethics, laws and regulations, and firearms safety
and handling. While Hunter Education classes enable safer hunting, they also help hunters to be more successful in their hunts – and emphasize ethical hunting behavior.
Upcoming Course Dates:(Click on the dates to register)
