About Us and Our Expertise

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The Code Behind Our Training Approach

All our instructors subscribe to and follow the Professional Code of Defensive Shooting Instructors.

  • We are committed to the safety of our students and hold that the expected benefit of any training activity must significantly outweigh any known or perceived risk of that activity.
  • We believe that it is our responsibility to understand not just what we are teaching, but WHY we are teaching any technique or concept or offering specific advice.
  • We recognize that defensive shooting skills, along with the drills and gear used, are inherently specialized and usually distinct from those of target shooting, competition, and hunting endeavors.
  • We will encourage our students to ask questions about course material, and we will answer them with thorough and objective explanations.
  • We understand that integrity and professionalism are subjective traits, and we strive to maintain high levels of both. We are capable of, and willing to, articulate the reasons for the way we conduct our courses and how we interact with students & peers.
  • We believe that it is valuable to engage our peers in constructive conversation about differences in technique and concept, with the goal of mutual education and evolution.
  • We believe that the best instructor is an avid student, and we will strive to continually upgrade our own skills and knowledge. As part of this belief, we understand that our own teachings need to be subject to critique and open to evolution.

Meet Our Instructors

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Dave Ritchie

Founder and Lead Instructor

Mr. Ritchie has been a certified firearms instructor since 2013, when he started instructing as an adjunct instructor for Innovative Defensive Solutions in VA until 2018, when he decided to branch off on his own and open FreeState Firearms Training. 

Mr. Ritchie has a passion for teaching and developing the firearm skills of students and instructors. He has extensive experience teaching new students the confidence, skills, and responsibility required to own and safely use a firearm. 

 Credentials:

  • USCCA Training Counselor
  • USCCA Certified Instructor
  • USCCA Certified Defensive Shooting Fundamentals Level 1 Instructor
  • USCCA Certified Countering the Mass Shooter Instructor
  • USCCA AR-15 Fundamentals Instructor
  • NRA Chief Range Safety Officer
  • NRA Pistol Instructor
  • MSP Red Dot Instructor
  • Concealed Carry Scenario, Force-on-Force Instructor
  • Universal Training Munitions (UTM) Civilian Force-on-Force Instructor
  • Maryland State Police Certified Handgun Instructor
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David Casson

Adjunct Instructor

With more than 12 years of firearms instructor experience, Mr. Casson is certified as a USCCA CCW instructor as well as an NRA Chief RSO, Rifle, Pistol, and Shotgun instructor. He is also certified to teach the Maryland CCW and HQL classes. He is a BSA Merit Badge counselor for shooting sports and can teach the Merit Badges for both rifle and shotgun.

His extensive knowledge and over 40 years of shooting sports experience are a great asset to any firearms class.

Credentials:

  • NRA Certified Rifle Instructor
  • NRA Certified Pistol Instructor
  • NRA Certified Shotgun Instructor
  • NRA Certified Chief Range Safety Officer
  • USCCA Certified Instructor
  • Maryland State Police Certified Handgun Instructor
  • BSA Rifle and Shotgun Certified Merit Badge Counselor