Get the knowledge and skills you need to defend yourself and your family — from a 10-year law enforcement veteran, certified firearms instructor, and former undercover narcotics agent.
Years in Law Enforcement
Tactical Operations
Officers Trained
Combining hands-on gun range expertise with a decade of law enforcement to deliver training that's grounded in reality.
Prior to law enforcement, the founder spent 4.5 years working at East Orange Shooting Sports — a busy gun range — shooting pistols competitively, teaching customers how to shoot, and advising on concealed carry options and tactics. That hands-on experience became the foundation for a 10-year career with the Casselberry Police Department.
During that decade, he served as a patrolman (3 years), investigator (3 years), and undercover narcotics agent (4 years). He became a Florida Department of Law Enforcement Certified General Instructor and Firearms Instructor in 2015, and was the lead firearms and tactical instructor for the department for his final five years. He trained all new hires in firearms and tactical shooting, taught building search techniques, traffic stops, felony stops, vehicle assaults, and force-on-force scenario training. He planned and ran annual in-service firearms training and oversaw qualifications for the entire agency.
He spent 9 years on the agency's Special Enforcement Team (a tactical/warrant entry team), reviewed officer-involved shootings from a tactical perspective, and during his final 4 years was cross-sworn with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office undercover narcotics unit — planning hundreds of tactical operations as case agent and participating in more than 2,000 as an assisting agent.
FDLE Certified General Instructor & Firearms Instructor (2015–2024)
NRA Certified Pistol Instructor
Certified AR-15 & Glock Armorer
10 Years — Casselberry Police Department
9 Years — Special Enforcement Team (Tactical / Warrant Entry)
Cross-Sworn — Seminole County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Unit
Every class is designed around the skills required to successfully handle real defensive situations — not just punch paper at the range. The goal is efficient, effective shooting and decision-making, not burning through ammo.
Master the fundamentals of safe firearms handling and get comfortable with pistol operation, grip, stance, and accuracy — perfect for first-time owners and beginners.
Go far beyond getting your permit. Drawing from concealment, situational awareness, legal considerations, holster selection, and the decision-making required in a lethal force encounter.
Taught in progressive levels. Each class must be completed with Tate's Tactical before advancing to the next level.
Not a live-fire class — a focused classroom and walkthrough session covering room clearing fundamentals, fatal funnel avoidance, low-light considerations, family staging plans, and weapon selection for confined spaces.
Get started with tactical rifle fundamentals — proper handling, zeroing your optic, shooting positions, and safe operation of AR-platform and similar rifles.
Learn the basics of shotgun operation, safety, and handling. Ideal for home defense preparation or those new to long guns who want hands-on, expert-guided instruction.
Designed for real estate professionals who meet strangers at properties alone. Covers threat awareness, de-escalation, personal safety tools, and practical protocols to stay safe on the job.
A thorough evaluation of your business's physical security posture. Identifies vulnerabilities, recommends improvements, and develops tailored emergency action plans for your team and facility.
Every class can be booked one-on-one or as a small group. Group rates make quality instruction affordable for families, friends, and teams who want to train together.
Group training is also the ideal way to introduce someone new to firearms in a structured, no-pressure environment — and it's often the most efficient way to bring everyone in a household up to the same level of readiness.
Before every individual training session, we sit down for a short consultation — either in person or over the phone — to understand your experience, your goals, and what you actually need to get out of the class.
The result is a session built around you: efficient, focused, and designed to produce measurable improvement. We're here to make you a better, safer shooter — not to throw rounds downrange for the sake of it.
Too many people own guns without the training to actually defend themselves. That's the gap we fill.
Tate's Tactical was born from a simple observation made over years of working at a gun range and in law enforcement: so many people buy guns for self-defense but are not adequately prepared to use them when it matters.
Customers at the range would buy a firearm for carry or home defense, only to be disappointed or overwhelmed when they shot it for the first time. Meanwhile, the training curriculum at many agencies doesn't adequately reflect real-world defensive scenarios.
That's why every Tate's Tactical class is designed around the skills required to successfully handle a real lethal force situation — combined with a thorough understanding of the laws around self-defense and deadly force.
Years of experience as an investigator working closely with the State Attorney's Office on violent crimes and self-defense cases, combined with deep tactical knowledge, create a uniquely qualified perspective on how to train responsibly and effectively.
Get expert guidance on which weapon systems, holsters, and carry options best fit your needs and lifestyle.
Training based on actual law enforcement scenarios and lethal force encounters — not just target shooting.
Understand self-defense laws and deadly force statutes so you can make informed, legally sound decisions under pressure.
Tate's Tactical is named after the founder's son — a constant reminder that protecting your family starts with proper training.
A career spent training to protect others — now dedicated to training you.
Spent 4.5 years working the gun range — shooting pistols competitively, teaching customers to shoot, and advising on concealed carry options and tactics. This hands-on experience laid the groundwork for a career in law enforcement.
Began law enforcement career as a patrolman, building street-level experience in traffic stops, calls for service, and community policing.
Transitioned to investigations, working closely with the State Attorney's Office on violent crimes, self-defense cases, and death investigations. Earned FDLE Certified General Instructor and Firearms Instructor certifications in 2015.
Cross-sworn with Seminole County Sheriff's Office. Planned hundreds of tactical operations as case agent and participated in 2,000+ tactical operations as assisting agent. Executed hundreds of search warrants. Simultaneously served as lead firearms and tactical instructor for CPD.
Launched Tate's Tactical to share 14+ years of combined range and law enforcement experience with civilians who want to be truly prepared to defend themselves and their families.
Recognition earned over a decade of service with the Casselberry Police Department and the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.
Retired Detective Chris Rich was one of our agency's primary firearms and defensive tactics instructors for 7 years. Chris' commitment to excellence is unmatched and could be relied upon to train our officers, especially our new officers, to a high level of competence. His knowledge, expertise, professionalism, and communication skills made him one of our most effective trainers. He is highly respected and understood the significance of training to our officers and ensured each officer improved their skills, succeeded, and also enjoyed their training.
CPD — Casselberry Police Department · SCSO — Seminole County Sheriff's Office
Real people, real sessions — confident, capable, and safer than they were before they trained with Tate's Tactical.
Recent Student
"Confident, capable, and actually enjoying the process of learning to defend myself."
Every student comes in with different goals — some want the foundations down for the first time, others want to sharpen skills they already have. The common thread is the same: leave the range measurably more capable than you arrived, with the confidence that comes from real repetitions and honest feedback.
Want to see more of our students in action? Follow along on Facebook and Instagram for recent class photos, student milestones, and range-day highlights.
Book Your SessionContinuous professional development ensures the most current and effective training methods.
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Whether you're a first-time gun owner looking for basic safety training, a concealed carry holder who wants to sharpen your skills, or a business seeking a professional threat assessment — we're here to help. Reach out and let's talk about the right training for you.
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