MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Col. Roger Harvey Coaches World Champions. He'll Coach You.
POST-Certified Firearms Instructor | CIOR World Championship Coach | US Army, Retired
WHO IS ROGER HARVEY
Decorated Soldier. World-Class Coach. Your CCW Instructor.
Col. Roger Harvey (US Army, Retired) is a POST Certified Firearms Instructor and Red Dot Instructor — meeting the same certification standard required of California law enforcement firearms instructors. He is also an NRA Training Counselor, meaning he is certified to train and certify other NRA instructors, not just students.
Roger served as Deputy Chief of Staff – Training in a command of over 10,000 soldiers, where he designed and conducted training workshops for numerous Army commands including the 82nd Airborne Division. He was awarded the Legion of Merit — the Army's second-highest award for distinguished service in peacetime. While assigned to the U.S. Olympic Training Center, he trained military athletes for World Championship competitions. He holds an MA in Kinesiology with a focus on Motor Learning — the science of how humans develop physical skills — and has taught as a University Professor. That academic background isn't incidental: it's the reason his students actually improve, not just comply.
He was a competitor on "Team USA" four times in the annual CIOR Military Pentathlon World Championships — earning podium finishes in Paris (1968), Hanover (1971), and Rome (1973) — and has since coached Team USA to multiple World Championship podium finishes, including at the 2022 Athens and 2023 Helsinki games.
“We teach students — not lessons.”
Every class is personalized, highly interactive, and built around where you are as a shooter — not a one-size-fits-all curriculum. If you just want to check the box, Roger is not your guy.
COACHING TEAM USA TO THE WORLD STAGE.
From World Championships to Your CCW Class.
The CIOR Military World Championships is the Olympic Games of the military world — a grueling multi-event competition held annually among NATO and partner nations. Roger has coached Team USA's pistol athletes to multiple podium finishes. Seven “Team USA” podium finishers from the 2023 CIOR Military World Games in Helsinki, Finland trained under Roger's coaching.
The methods Roger uses in the simulator and on the range are the same ones that produce world-class results under pressure. That edge doesn't disappear when he's teaching a CCW class — it's the foundation of how he teaches everyone.
CERTIFICATIONS & CREDENTIALS.
The record speaks for itself.
POST Certified Firearms Instructor — CA Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (Qualification for law enforcement firearms instructors
Red Dot Instructor — Trained to instruct on red dot optics systems
NRA Training Counselor — Certifies other NRA instructors; highest NRA instructor credential
NRA Pistol Instructor
NRA Personal Protection Inside the Home Instructor
NRA Personal Protection Outside the Home Instructor
CA DOJ Firearms Safety Certificate (FSC) Instructor - Trains DoJ FSC Instructors
CIOR World Championship Coach — Team USA, US Armed Forces
US Army, Retired Col — Numerous Command, General Staff and Training Positions. DoD Program Executive Agent. Pentagon and US Olympic Training Center assignments
Legion of Merit recipient — US Army's second-highest service award for peacetime distinguished service
MA in Kinesiology (Motor Learning) — the science of physical skill development; former University Professor
2024 Huntsman Senior World Games — Gold Medal, Centerfire Pistol; Silver Medal, Rimfire Pistol
Basic Gun Safety offers NRA Personal Protection courses, home defense training, and private instruction by appointment for individuals, couples, and groups. No matter where you're starting, there's a class designed around you.
BEYOND THE RANGE
He's Trained Gold Medalists. He'll Train Your Family.
Roger has worked with military athletes, competitive shooters, families with children as young as 8, and students with zero prior firearms experience. His training approach adapts to whoever walks through the door. That flexibility — built from decades of coaching elite athletes and ordinary soldiers — is what makes his civilian instruction different.
Photo (R) shows Kersti Kaljulaidk, Estonia's first female president, awarding medals to members of TEAM USA at the 2024 World Military Games.
WHAT STUDENTS SAY
Real Results from Southern California Students.
★★★★★
What really sets Roger apart is his depth of experience. His background in the military and as a shooting coach is obvious in the way he teaches. He explains things clearly, gives real world context, and focuses on building safe habits and confidence. You can tell he has spent years training others and knows exactly how to communicate effectively.
The simulator training was one of the most valuable parts. It puts you in realistic situations and forces you to think through decisions, not just focus on shooting. It made the class much more engaging and practical.
Gabriel Q. — CCW Student
★★★★★
Roger was a fabulous instructor. Incredibly generous with his knowledge, expertise and time. I had never held a gun before and by the end of our time together I felt confident handling firearms. I didn't think it would come so easily in so little time but Roger's approach and style is the perfect progression of safety, fundamentals, and practice. The basic principles that Roger instills will last a lifetime.
"Doodle" D. — First-Time Shooter
★★★★★
I have taken two courses from Basic Gun Safety, and will continue to drive the 300+ miles from the Central Coast down to Huntington Beach to learn from Roger
Donna L.— Pistol Instructor Student
Contact Info
13252 Garden Grove Blvd Ste 216
Garden Grove, CA 92843
Phone: (714) 864-0203
Hours: By appointment only
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