Firearms Academy Of Seattle

What Firearms Academy Of Seattle does

The Firearms Academy of Seattle, Inc. (FAS) is a privately held professional firearms training facility operating at a single private range in Onalaska, Washington, roughly midway between Seattle, WA and Portland, OR. Founded in 1987 by former law enforcement officer Marty Hayes and purchased by Belle McCormack in 2022, FAS is self-described as the longest-established professional firearms training facility in the Pacific Northwest. The range features 360-degree training environments, a dark-house for low light training, building mock-ups, and moving targets, and is not open to the public except for registered class participants.

The core offering is a leveled curriculum across handgun, rifle, and shotgun disciplines, with FAS-branded courses progressing from Level 1 (introductory, e.g., $125 Intro to Handguns) through Level 4 (advanced, e.g., $750 Advanced Defensive Handgun with the FAS Handgun Master Test). Higher-priced specialty programs include the $1,000 four-day MAG-40 and the $1,500 five-day Deadly Force Instructor certification, both taught by Massad Ayoob. Guest instructors (Craig Douglas, AJ Zito) host additional courses on-site. The business monetizes through direct class tuition, private coaching arrangements, and $40-$100 per-person-per-day range fees for guest-instructor events. Customer segments are civilian firearms enthusiasts, law enforcement officers, and active-duty military personnel, with civilians as the primary segment.

The operating model is event-driven: registration via the FAS website or phone (Tuesday–Friday 9am–4pm), with no app, no public social media presence, and no disclosed technology platform beyond the website. Distribution is fully direct-to-consumer within a regional Pacific Northwest footprint. Marketing relies on organic search, alumni word-of-mouth, and cross-promotion through guest inst

Name

Firearms Academy Of Seattle

Legal name

The Firearms Academy of Seattle, Inc.

Website

https://firearmsacademy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Firearms Academy of Seattle (FAS) operates a private live-fire training facility in Onalaska, WA, delivering leveled handgun, rifle, and shotgun courses plus guest-instructor programs to civilian, law enforcement, and military students across the Pacific Northwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Firearms Training

NAICS

Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Technical and Trade Schools (61151)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Firearms, Range Safety & Less-Lethal Weapons Training (EDAOAMAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Armed Security & Firearms Training & Qualification (BPAKAOAB), Law Enforcement & Police Academy Training (EDAOAMAA)

Keywords

• Firearms training services
• Handgun instruction classes
• Rifle training courses
• Shotgun training programs
• Concealed carry education

Headquarters

HQ city

Onalaska

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Class Registration Tuition: Direct payment for course enrollment ranging from $125-$1,500 per course. Includes tiered pricing for groups and retake discounts for select courses.
2. Private Coaching and Classes: Custom one-on-one or group instruction available on case-by-case basis with instructors
3. Guest Instructor Range Fees: Third-party instructors charge separate registration fees through their own platforms, with FAS collecting $40-$100 per person per day range fees

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Firearms Academy of Seattle operates a firearms training facility in Onalaska, Washington, delivering structured handgun, rifle, and shotgun courses across multiple skill levels (Levels 1–4) and specialty clinics taught by nationally recognized guest instructors. The business also runs a small on-site retail store (Outpost 14) supplying students with firearms-related gear and accessories.

Product overview

Firearms Academy of Seattle offers a comprehensive firearms training platform with multi-level curricula for handguns, rifles, and shotguns, progressing from beginner through advanced instructor-level courses. The core program includes FAS-branded courses across four handgun levels, multiple rifle programs, and three shotgun levels, all culminating in optional Master Test certifications. The academy hosts guest instructors including Massad Ayoob Group's MAG series (MAG-40, MAG-20) and Deadly Force Instructor certification, as well as special interest seminars for skill refinement. Additional offerings include Weeklong Handgun intensive courses, Private Coaching, and the Handgun Ballistics & Testing Standards seminar. The training is conducted year-round at their private facility in Onalaska, WA, serving civilians, military, and law enforcement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Multi-Level Firearms Training Curriculum (Levels 1–4) Progressive four-level training program covering handgun, rifle, and shotgun handling, marksmanship, and defensive skills for civilian, law enforcement, and military students.
• Handgun Training Courses Instructional courses focused on pistol operation, marksmanship, and defensive handgun techniques for civilian and professional shooters.
• Rifle Training Courses Instructional courses covering rifle operation, marksmanship, and tactical employment for civilian and professional shooters.
• Shotgun Training Courses Instructional courses covering shotgun handling, patterning, and defensive or sporting applications.
• Concealed Carry Training Instruction designed to prepare civilian permit holders for concealed carry, including legal, safety, and defensive shooting topics.
• Guest Instructor Specialty Clinics Specialty short-format clinics led by nationally recognized guest instructors on topics such as conflict avoidance, low-light tactics, and dry-fire skills.
• Outpost 14 Retail Store On-site retail store providing firearms accessories, training supplies, and related merchandise primarily to enrolled students.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates prepared for real-world armed confrontations through comprehensive training in legal, tactical, and aftermath management aspects

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Tactical Response: Tennessee-based private tactical firearms training facility (James Yeager) offering pistol, rifle, and shotgun courses for civilians and professionals. Comparable to FAS on private-facility, instructor-led, fee-per-class training model.
• EAG Tactical (Larry Vickers): Operator-led tactical firearms training company offering carbine, pistol, and specialized courses for civilians and military/law enforcement. Comparable to FAS on the credentialed-instructor-led live-fire training model and target customer segments.
• Gunsite Academy: Long-running, privately owned firearms training facility in Arizona offering multi-level pistol, rifle, and shotgun courses with a similar destination-academy model. Directly comparable to FAS on curriculum structure, instructor-led live-fire training, and reliance on a strong founder-era brand.
• Thunder Ranch: Clint Smith's tactical firearms training facility offering handgun, carbine, and shotgun courses for civilians, law enforcement, and military. Comparable to FAS on product mix, target customer, and premium instructor-driven live-fire format.
• SIG Sauer Academy: Manufacturer-backed firearms training academy offering multi-level pistol, rifle, and shotgun courses plus instructor certification. Comparable to FAS on curriculum depth and tiered civilian/LEO offerings, though differentiated by SIG Sauer's brand-backed marketing scale.
• Rangemaster (Tom Givens): Tom Givens's firearms training operation focused on concealed carry, defensive pistol, and instructor certification. Comparable to FAS on civilian self-defense emphasis and recurring instructor-certification revenue stream.

Emerging players

• Magpul Dynamics: Magpul-affiliated tactical firearms training program with curriculum-focused courses and strong digital/YouTube presence. Comparable to FAS on training content but differentiated by a much larger digital marketing footprint.
• SureFire Institute: SureFire-sponsored low-light and tactical firearms training facility in Texas. Comparable to FAS on the private-facility model with a distinctive specialization (low-light/no-light training) overlapping FAS's dark-house capability.

Broad incumbents

• USCCA (Concealed Carry Training): Concealed-carry education and training platform with a national instructor network and online curriculum. Comparable to FAS on concealed-carry and self-defense curriculum, but competes primarily in entry-level online/basic training rather than live-fire advanced courses.
• NRA Training (Firearms Training): NRA's nationwide network of certified firearms instructors offering basic and advanced courses. Comparable to FAS as a competing source of firearms instruction, but at much broader, lower-cost, lower-intensity scale rather than destination live-fire training.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/firearms-academy-of-seattle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Firearms Academy Of Seattle