Straight Shot Firearms Training — Attraction in Las Vegas

Today I took my CCW class with Dave, the instructor. Dave was all class and a professional. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. I am not a shill either, I have written many reviews of businesses. Dave interacted with a petulant customer who was clearly not in a state of mind to handle a firearm today, let alone take a CCW firearm “safety” class.

I could tell the lady who he had to deal with today was looking for trouble to begin with. She held an impression of superiority about her and seemed to have a chip on her shoulder. I think she is/was a paralegal or watched too many episodes of Matlock. Her legalese interruptions were gibberish at best to me when Dave was giving a talk about which states allowed CCW. I sat in the back and had a view of the whole room.

The instructor began the class with explaining situations where we could be exposed to danger. As the session proceeded, the lady remained standoffish. Maybe she had a bad day, a bad week, a bad month, who knows? I don’t want to know. About 2.5 hours into the session, the lady erupts about what the point of the class was; she stated that she was more scared than we began. I think this caught the instructor by surprise, as were the rest of us. He was just showing videos and giving examples of where one could be in danger. What’s the class supposed to show? Ponies, rainbows, and guns? Dave apologized if that’s what her take-away was from his presentation, and immediately offered her money back AND to give her a one on one session with him, even after hours.

Who does that? Personally, I thought that was an incredible offer. The lady then refused to leave after insulting the instructor and his course. Dave explained to her that maybe his course was not right for her if she did not feel like she was getting what she had signed up for. She then refused to leave after she got her money back. Incredible.

Our afternoon session involved going to the range later that day. I would not feel comfortable around that lady with a live firearm. This is a CCW class for self defensive usage not an offensive usage class. If you are not in a good state of mind, it’s better not to be holding a firearm. It’s not a toy.

I don’t know what else Dave could’ve done to appease this lady. But, you can’t satisfy everyone. After the lady left, Dave apologized to the class throughout the rest of the session, even though every one of us in the classroom told him it was not his fault and we were unanimous that we felt better after she left the room. We all collectively breathed a sign of relief.

At the range, and in class, Dave took his time to teach us how to hold and use a firearm safely. I have been taught how to use a firearm and have gone to the county range with my friends but it’s been a few years since I held a weapon. I don’t want to ever have to use a firearm, but I want to be prepared if I ever need one.

The drama was more than I bargained for but the majority of the good reviews speak for themselves about Dave even without my $0.02. I expanded on my review because don’t like when innocent people get slandered on no fault of their own. If you want to be safe, feel you need some basic training to keep you safe, then stop by. Dave is not a chauvinist or treats a woman any differently from a man. The man is a grandfather, husband, and father to a grandchild, woman, and daughter. To think he disrespects a female is nonsense. I don’t think Dave needs any referrals, but if you are looking for one, here is one you can bank on.

Oh, by the way, one of the guys arrived by Uber. Dave gave him a lift to the range and took him home...

Not recommended for women whatsoever! Lots of fear mongering and chest-pounding without adding information to help build confidence, alleviate anxiety or enhance/provide skills.

First half of the class was talking about all the ways you could be robbed, raped, kidnapped, killed, threatened, etc. Yeah --- already aware of these things; that's why I signed up for the class in the first place!

When I mentioned that the class was exacerbating the anxiety I had about firearms and being a small, middle-aged woman in Vegas, and I was looking forward to the second part where the training would REDUCE same and start to help build confidence, Dave threw my money back on the table at me in front of the class halfway through the lesson and asked me to leave or come back for private instruction. He said he didnt want "that kind of animosity" in his class.

I begged him to continue and explained it was my anxiety that was the issue but that I was sure I could continue. He refused. It was embarrassing, offensive, a bit misogynistic (I was the only woman in a 4 person class), but ultimately --- ego aside ----- he failed me as a teacher.

I would NEVER trust him to teach me one-on-one. He lost my trust forever with that response after having shared my...

First let me say this, I grew up in the South with an old school mama who taught us, "If you ain't using your fists, you ain't really fighting." So when it came to guns? I was terrified. Loud noises, anything sounding like a shot—it rooted fear in me early on.

After nearly losing my life 3 years ago, I made a promise: I would learn how to protect myself and my kids. Even though I was still afraid, I signed up for this self-defense class—and I'm SO proud I did.

This class was life-changing. 🙌 The course material was powerful and practical, and Mr. David’s teaching style made everything easy to grasp. He broke it down with patience, clarity, and so much care.

My classmates also shared stories that touched my soul. Their strength gave me the courage to keep going—even when fear tried to stop me.

When we stepped into the gun range, I froze. Had to step outside, breathe, and ask myself if I could really do this. And I did. I went back in—and hit the target 8 times. 🎯

Thank you so so much Mr. David and everyone in our class: THANK YOU ALL. This class really helped me face my fears and fix them. I’ll never forget this experience. Best...