Civilian Arms Training Source

This is by far the most practical and proactive training I have ever had. Instructors are very friendly and patient with all class menbers. My wife and I will definetely be back for more training. A++ Thanks David and Antonio for a great day and keep up the good work.

I highly recommend the courses offered by this company. So far I have taken a handgun and a rifle course, but I intend to take every course they offer eventually. My thinking is this… if you own any type of firearm, and go to the range regularly, good for you. You know how to stand motionless in front of a paper target. But do you know how to USE your firearm under a variety of scenarios, safely? This class teaches a whole different level of firearm training. This class will boost your level of confidence that you can safely use your firearm in multiple situations safely and accurately. Not only that, but you will have a blast while learning. The instructors are knowledgeable and I never felt like I was in an unsafe situation.

I found out about C.A.T.S. while at a las vegas gun show. I truly have to admit I was a but skeptical but decided what have i got to lose. So I did a but more research and learned about Paul Castle and the C.A.R. method and honestly i was still a bit skeptical but decided to keep an open mind.
I took the level 1 class yesterday and was completely changed on my view of the C.A.R. method. Tim and his instructors (Tom and Billy) are a great bunch of guys and kept the class fun and informative. Safety was a number one priority and never once felt unsafe during the class. All i have to say is I’m looking forward to my next class and keep up the great work guys!

safety lapses are a dealbreaker here.
instructors routinely muzzle students and each other while demoing. i was told this was permissible as long as we were in the unloaded, or «cold range,» phase of the class. what?
they also do a little exercise after the lunch break to ‘get the blood flowing.’ students stand in a circle, while a subset of the group jogs around the inside of the circle and field strips their pistols. so basically it’s a chance for the field strippers to muzzle every single other student in the class.
a shame too, because the unconventional shooting method taught here is an intriguing one.
i brought this to the owner of the school, tim george. he said he would review safety with his instructors, but basically defended the muzzling, using the cold range justification. he sent me a refund.

Excellent value received in Handgun Level 1 on October 26. Huge gains in proficiency and confidence from morning to end of day. Instructors were great! Highly recommended! I will likely retake Level 1 before moving on as I am new to handguns and I want to practice and master some of the skills before adding new ones. Don’t hesitate taking this course unless you’ve never handled a weapon of any kind (they have a course for that…).

I’ve been taking classes from CATS for over 10 years (Handgun I & II; Shotgun; Assault Rifle; etc). The staff is friendly, very knowledgeable, the environment is safe, and most of all I enjoy my training time there! I highly recommend taking your tactical training from the CATS team!
The Center Axis Re-​lock System (CARS) technique has completely changed the way I shoot pistol and logically makes sense for CQC situations. I’ve even seen police officers in our classes who were amazed at the increase in accuracy they saw over their more traditionally trained methods.
CATS training is also less expensive than other more well known facilities, which means I can train more often! Shooting is a perishable skill, so it’s important to build and retain that muscle memory. If you find yourself at a local (to Southern California) gun show, be sure to look for their booth, talk to the instructors, get a better understanding of what you will be learning, and don’t forget to buy the hugely discounted class vouchers for even more savings! They are good for any class and do not expire. I always have 2 – 3 extras in case I want to invite friends.

Tactical Shotgun, all day at Angeles Shooting Ranges.
Demanding and outstanding course that covers everything from carrying, multiple presentations, zeroing at various distances, shooting and loading while standing and moving forward and sideways between barricades, shooting left and right sides, shooting and loading while down and one or other arm injured, and approaching/​clearing a threat. Well worth it at twice the price (check them out at gun shows for discounts).
We shot a LOT of ammo and had a tremendously fun time! As an experienced pistol and rifle shooter who has done some skeet, I probably should have taken a basic shotgun course to get a little more proficient in my weapon handling and loading before I showed up at the range. That said, I was (mostly) able to keep up, and this course opened up a whole new skill set to me, much of which I can practice at home without even heading out to the range.
One thing I was unprepared for was the weight of the weapon after constant up-​and-​down to the shoulder firing position throught the day. Would highly recommend that you work on your upper body strength a lot before coming out to the range – it’ll make for a more satisfying day. Also, it’s hot in the summer, so take plenty of fluids and stay hydrated.
Equipment: Check the CAT website for what to bring, although I could have saved a few wasted bucks on unsuitable equipment if they were more specific – email them if you’re unsure. My Tacstar Sidesaddle was a life-​saver for loading while moving – highly recommended. I have a factory speed stock on my Mossberg, but it didn’t help me much – I might improve with practice, but the rounds are easily dislodged by an inadvertent bump of the arm.
In my opinion, the stock blade site on the Mossy 590 is worthless. In a cheek-​to-​stock firing position, the rear loop appears too big, allowing too much area for the front blade to move around in. I got a nice slug grouping by precisely siting during zeroing, but in a tactical situation, I just wouldn’t have the time to align the site to the gnat’s a** with that much «play.» I’m going to remove it and try a bead site to see if that doesn’t work better.
Bottom Line: Guys that say, «Oh, just get a shotgun for home defense, you don’t have to be a good shot» are either underplaying or ignorant of the training and stamina that it takes to properly employ a 12-​Gauge. This is a great course to help you get the most out of your shotgun.
Hog Driver

I took the hand gun defense level 1 course at Burro Canyon and can’t wait to take the level 2 course. I also took the home defense course in La Palma. Safety is their 1^st priority! The instructors are very proffesional, great group of guys. I believe that all families should be armed but most importantly trained. It is better to know how to defend yourself and never have to than not know how to defend yourself and need to.