FIREARM TRAINING

ROSENGARTEN FIREARMS TRAINING 120 E. Main St., Ripon (209) 610-1425 RosengartenFirearm.com

SPOTLIGHT

FOR SOME WOMEN, A FIREARM OFFERS PEACE OF MIND

BY JAMES RAIA

Rosengarten Firearms Training in Ripon has provided beginning and experienced instruction for nearly 25 years. Owner Marcelo Rosengarten enjoys helping men and women in many age groups receive handgun use certification.

An instructor for the Department of Justice (DOJ), Rosengarten, 64, and several additional former police officers and DOJ colleagues, provide the expertise via target and moving scenarios. Women comprise about 40 percent of the enrollment. "Society is changing so dramatically," says Rosengarten. "Many of the women want some sort of protection. They don't have in mind to shoot somebody. They have in mind, 'Ok, I'm going to the store and I have my kids or someone wants to kidnap me, I have to be prepared to defend and protect myself and my family.’”

Conducted on a monthly appointment basis, the training is accepted by San Joaquin County, Calaveras County, Sacramento County, and Stanislaus County, as well as the City of Ripon. Besides firearm training and qualification as mandated by law, instruction includes learning state and federal laws, handgun responsibilities, ethical considerations, basic firearm mechanics and operation, firing stances and position, different types of concealed carry firearms, ammunition, firearm safety, escalation and justifiable force, citizen’s arrest, reciprocity, firearm transport, criminal and civil liability, concealed carry firearm storage, and an accessories overview.

Class sizes vary and have included as many as 16 women. Rosengarten notes female students often prefer female instructors. "Sometimes the ladies feel intimated by the men; they feel more comfortable with other females," he says. "I have two assistant instructors who are female. Some men instructors are more aggressive and try to impress female students. "I have two daughters; I have 25 female cousins, a wife. I understand how females feel about this, especially getting close to the person (student), adjusting the hands, the arms, the body. This is why I have female instructors. I think women feel more comfortable in that situation."

While many enrollees are new, the business also has a large percentage of returning students. Certification renewal is required every two years, including for carrying a concealed weapon.

Classes are available in English and Spanish and are also available for students with special needs.