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UNDERSTANDING
THE VALUE

The Cost Breakdown of Our Level 1 Pistol Course

When it comes to understanding the cost of quality firearms training, it can be easy to look at the bottom line and wonder about the value you're receiving for your investment. At Capital Defense Group, we pride ourselves in being a boutique firearms training company who gives their clients the best and most seamless experience possible.

 

We also believe in complete transparency and ensuring that each of our clients knows exactly where their tuition for the Level 1 Pistol Course is going. Today, we're going to take a deeper look into the cost breakdown for this course.

THE SHORT VERSION:

Course-Specific Costs
That We Cover

  • Range Rental:

    • $45 per session +

    • $20 per student

  • Ammunition:

    • $30 per student

  • Firearms Safety Certificate:

    • $15 per student

  • Equipment & Safety Gear:

    • Roughly $5 per student

  • Maintenance of firearms

    • Time & Resources​

  • Photography/Videography:

    • $200-$300 per course

Overhead Costs

  • California LLC taxes & Business Licensing

  • Comprehensive Insurance

  • Instructor Certificates

  • Website & Software

  • Marketing: Approximately $200-$400 per month

  • And more...

  • All these costs amount to roughly $469 per month.

The Bottom Line

For a typical class of 6 students, after covering course-specific costs ($670) and monthly overheads ($469), our revenue of $1554 reduces to an approximate profit of $415, primarily used for reinvestment, salaries, and other operating expenses.

THE LONG VERSION:

"Why does it cost $259 for a Level 1 Pistol Course?"

FIREARMS & GEAR

All necessary equipment, safety gear, and firearms for the course are provided. This includes ear protection ($30-$40), eye protection (approximately $5), and firearms, magazines, and holsters for use during the course (firearms valued between $1400-$2500).

RANGE RENTAL FEES

We pay $45 per session plus $20 per student. This guarantees a secure, professional environment for training.

AMMUNITION

We supply each student with 100 rounds of Winchester 9mm ammunition, costing us about $30 per student.

FIREARMS SAFETY CERTIFICATE (FSC)

We proctor the Firearms Safety Certificate exam four our students, which costs us $15 per student. It would cost you $25 if taken elsewhere.

PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY

To provide a high-quality training experience and memories for our students, we hire a professional videographer/photographer for each course, which costs us between $200-$300.

MAINTENANCE

We ensure that the firearms are cleaned before and after use to guarantee proper functioning during training. This involves time, resources, and dedication to ensure safety and optimal performance.

MARKETING

To reach those who can benefit from our courses, we invest about $200-$400 per month on marketing.

CA LLC TAXES & BUSINESS LICENSING

As a registered business in California, we are subject to state LLC taxes and annual business licensing fees.

INSURANCE

To keep our operations safe and secure, we must maintain specific comprehensive insurance coverages.

INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATIONS

All of our instructors are professionally certified by various agencies and organizations, which includes ongoing costs to maintain their qualifications.

WEBSITE & SOFTWARE SUBSCRIPTIONS

We invest in a robust online presence, which involves costs for website maintenance and software support.

+ MORE

There are a host of other costs, such as utilities, staff salaries, office supplies, and continuing education for our team.

Your $259 course fee supports all these elements, ensuring that we can offer top-quality, comprehensive training. It's important to note that the remaining funds after covering these costs is what we use to grow and improve our operations - it's not pure profit.

​

We appreciate that the cost of the course might seem significant initially, but we hope that this breakdown helps you understand the immense value it represents. Your fee isn't just buying you a place in a course; it's an investment in quality instruction, safe and well-maintained equipment, and the support of a local business committed to responsible gun ownership.

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