Dates have been set for this summer’s classes in firearms safety and basic and advanced firearm use taught by the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Department. Specially trained sheriff’s deputies provide free instruction to Okanogan County residents.
The Sheriff’s Department offers several hands-on classes:
Essentials: The first (basic) class, with a primary focus on safety. The class also covers stance, grip, trigger control and shooting. The class is a prerequisite for the intermediate and higher-level classes.
Fundamentals: The second (intermediate) class includes a review of safety and covers shooting single shots at single targets, advancing to multiple shots at multiple targets.
Gun Fighting 101: Advanced classes that cover many topics. Some subjects are specifically advertised, such as concealed-carry, low-light, or home defense. Other classes include topics that aren’t regularly covered, such as firearm malfunctions, moving and shooting, using barricades, or leaving an area safely. For safety reasons, topics vary based on enrollment and experience of the students.
Home Defense: The home-defense class combines classroom lecture with instruction in close-in fighting and room clearing.
AR-15 classes: AR classes will cover zeroing, positional shooting, malfunction clearing, distance issues (close- vs. long-range), sight offset, reloading and gear selection.
Class schedule for summer and fall:
Saturday, June 30: Essentials, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Fundamentals, 2 to 6 p.m.
Saturday, July 14: Fundamentals, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Gun Fighting 101, 2 to 6 p.m.
Sunday, July 29: Gun Fighting 101, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Essentials, 2 to 6 p.m. (tentative)
Sunday, Aug. 19: Essentials, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Fundamentals, 2 to 6 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 26: AR-15 Fundamentals, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; AR-15 Advanced, 2 to 6 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 1: Gunfighting 101, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Essentials, 2 to 6 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 16: Home Defense all day (will be scheduling groups)
To register, email instructor Michael Blake at mblake@co.okanogan.wa.us and include the class date and title in the subject line. If you intend to sign up for more than one class, each one must be sent in a separate email, with the date in the subject line. Preference will be given to first-time students.
For more information, go to the Okanogan County Firearms Training Facebook page.
