• The Restricted Endorsement – more important than ever?

    Following the announcement by the federal Liberal Party on May 30th 2022 to restrict the sale, transfer and import of handguns in Canada, many of our students have asked “What’s the point in taking the restricted endorsement if I can’t buy a handgun?” It is a fair question.

    Since we started teaching the CFSC and CRFSC in 2014, we have encouraged every student to consider taking the additional restricted endorsement. While it sounded to some like an upsell, our rationale was clear; when it comes to sensitive public topics such as firearms ownership, change is constant and it is better to have the license and not use it than to want it and not be able to get it. Better still is having the license when you NEED it.

    The May announcement shocked many and there has been huge demand from those that suddenly found themselves without an endless ‘runway’ to achieve the endorsement. COVID reduced staffing levels at CFP and the announcement led to a complete sellout of Canadian handgun inventory in the 72 hours following the statement. With each transaction requiring a transfer approval, CFP rapidly became overwhelmed. We heard from several past alumni and the message was the same; “I should have listened. I never thought this would happen!”.

    Despite the fact that the window for a student to take the CRFSC, submit an application, have it processed and then buy a handgun from a rapidly-declining stock inventory following the August 16 2022 announcement to freeze imports of handguns is almost non-existent, our advice to students is still ‘take the course!’. More upsell? You decide…

    Students have a notion that CRFSC/Restricted endorsement is all about handguns and that is profoundly incorrect. The restricted endorsement covers a great many long guns in addition to all handguns that are not classified as antique or prohibited. Taking the course and gaining the endorsement isn’t about what you can currently BUY with it but what you can OWN with it. There is a difference.

    Our biggest driver for pressing the continued need for taking CRFSC is that we believe there is a strong possibility in the future that the federal Liberals will move ALL semi-automatic rifles to restricted status. If you only have a PAL without restricted endorsement if that happens, you will need to make alternative arrangements for any semi-automatic firearms you own in order to stay legal. Of course, we have heard the retort that ‘it will never happen!’ but we heard that about the handgun issue too and, here we are. Our advocacy for the CRFSC is not based on what you can buy right now but on what you will need the license for in the future, including for firearms you may already own.

    Our second biggest driver is that we believe, at some point in the next decade, we will once again see a majority federal Conservative government and it is likely that they would overturn the Liberals restrictions on handguns but the requirement for a restricted license requirement will stay. Obtaining the endorsement ahead of that event will prevent the delays that will inevitably occur when others take advantage of a change in the law.

    We will continue to offer the CRFSC and we hope our case for doing so makes sense to you as a student. It is unlikely that you will regret the cost or the time in the future but it is quite possible you may regret not spending both should you need it.

  • March 12/13 2022 Course Update

    Another sold-out CFSC course!

    The CFSC seats for March 12th & 13th 2022 are now sold out although some places remain for the CRFSC (restricted endorsement) on Sunday 13th.

    To be added to the waitlist for cancellations or deferrals, please use the button at the bottom of the page to register your interest.

    Next courses will likely be the end of March or early April, subject to demand.

  • Firearms Safety Courses – 2022/031

    March 12th & 13th 2022

    Registration is now open for CFSC and CRFSC training and also CORE challenges. These courses sell out quickly!

    Click the link at the bottom of the page to register your interest for future courses or to book a seat.

  • January 2022 Updates

    2021 was an incredibly busy year for us with many months seeing us run two and sometimes three CFSC/CRFSC courses a month across the Kootenay region. With so many facilities closed for COVID, finding training locations was a challenge sometimes but we made it work the best we could.

    One thing that became very clear was that we needed to streamline our process from marketing to delivery both for our own sanity and also to ensure students received the best experience possible. Through our work in other sectors, we understand that not everyone wants to pick up the phone to talk so we have taken some time over winter to focus on enhancing our internal systems as a foundation to develop our business over 2022 and beyond. We have installed a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to better manage our waitlist and make sure no student gets missed when we are scheduling. We are also moving our website to a more functional platform that will allow us to develop and expand our services.

    While we seek to deliver the same high-quality of service to all propsective students, the high-volume of demand during 2021 made clear that we are better placed to provide excellent service when we can manage that demand in advance, rather than reactively. You have probably noticed from our Facebook posts and local posters around the Creston area that we are strongly encouraging students to pre-register their interest with us. There is no cost to do so, and you can register online or by calling us or simply sending us a text message. Even if you are not looking to take a course until later in the year, the earlier that you register, the better we can serve you.

    Demand for 2022 is already strong and our January and February courses sold out in less than 2 days. March is always a strange month for demand due to Spring Break; sometimes it is busier than ever and sometimes we simply use the time to clear down the waitlist. This year looks like there is still strong demand so there is the possibility of seeing 2 courses scheduled if the dates work for people. If you haven’t contacted us to register and are looking to take your CFSC, CRFSC or CORE in 2022, click here to complete the form and we will make contact with you.