About the Course
This 4-hour class is required for all renewal permits (except for SFPD which requires a total of 16 hours). The class covers the following topics:
Firearm safety rules
Laws concerning firearms possession, storage, and self-defense
Post-shooting procedures
Fundamentals of shooting
Live-fire qualification
Required equipment:
Handgun with holster
2+ magazines
100 rounds of ammunition for each pistol
Eye and ear protection
Your Instructor
Dan Butler and Barry Grove
Dan retired from federal law enforcement after 24 years of service. He is skilled in crisis management, criminal investigation, intelligence, and law enforcement training. His assignments included SWAT Senior Team Leader (tactical commander), Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordinator, Chairman of the Bay Area Terrorism Working Group (BATWinG) and Supervisory Special Agent. Over the last 20 years, he has provided tactical/firearms instruction to hundreds of local, federal, and foreign law enforcement officers. He is certified as a firearms instructor by multiple agencies including the California Department of Justice. Dan has a Ph.D in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of California and is a nationally-registered Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
Barry retired after serving 30 years as a prosecutor for the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office. During his career, he has reviewed hundreds of self-defense and officer-involved shooting cases. To better understand the limits of human performance with a handgun, he completed firearms training with several local police departments and the FBI. He educated numerous California police agencies regarding use-of-force and was recognized as an expert in this area when he retired in early 2021. Barry sought instruction from top competitive shooters and Grandmasters such as Bruce Gray, Ron Avery, Mike Seeklander, Frank Proctor and Mike Pannone. He continues to shoot competitively and seek out advanced training opportunities. He is currently the range master at the United Sportsmen Incorporated shooting range in Concord. He is an NRA-certified Basic Pistol Instructor and Range Safety Officer. He is also a California DOJ Certified Firearms Instructor. He owns "The Better Method Handgun Instruction, LLC." Barry is also a member of the attorney network at the USCCA.