14 hoursBSIS permit
BSIS Exposed Firearms Permit — Initial
The initial firearms course required before a security officer can carry an exposed firearm on duty in California.
The course a newly hired armed guard starts with.
- Price
- Course price
Firearms training
BSIS firearms training, requalification, and range prep
Delivered to California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services requirements, with qualification records filed as BSIS requires — and the range time that makes qualification day go the way it should.
BSIS permit courses
Exposed firearms permit training
The initial course that makes an officer permit-eligible, and the requalifications that keep the permit alive for the two years it is valid.
4 hoursBSIS permit
BSIS Firearms Requalification
The recurring range qualification and deadly-force training that keeps an existing exposed firearm permit valid.
Missing a window costs the permit — book the next one early.
- Price
- Requalification price — and any company/group rate
The standard
50 rounds. 200 of 250 to qualify.
Fired from 3 to 15 yards across 5 stages, including a reload under time and support-hand shooting. We publish the whole thing — stage by stage, with what each one is testing and what to practise beforehand.
- Rounds fired
- 50
- Perfect score
- 250
- Minimum to pass
- 200
- Misses allowed
- 10
From 3 to 15 yards
5 points per hit
40 hits in the scoring area
Out of 50 rounds
Training & development
Range prep, and going past the minimum
A qualification score is a floor, not a standard. These are the sessions for officers who would rather not find out on the clock what they have not practised.
Half daySkills
Pre-Course Firearms Prep
Range time before qualification day — fundamentals, drawing from the holster, reloads, and accuracy on the actual course of fire.
Run the course of fire before the day it is scored.
- Price
- Pre-course firearms prep price
Course lengthSkillsComing soon
Security Development — Duty Handgun
Handgun training for working armed security professionals, built around the duty rig rather than around a qualification score.
In development with Devin Stout. Register interest for the first date.
- Availability
- Dates to be announced
Training location
Central Valley, at Exeter Gunslingers
Silverline Firearms Training is based in California's Central Valley, with classes conducted at Exeter Gunslingers in Exeter, California.
We provide BSIS exposed firearms training, requalifications, and pre-course firearms prep for security professionals throughout California.
- Range
- Exeter Gunslingers
- Where
- Exeter, CA
Within driving distance of
Visalia · Tulare · Porterville · Fresno · Bakersfield
Exact range details and class instructions are provided upon registration.
Questions
About the courses
Do I need a Guard Card before I can take the firearms course?
Yes. A BSIS Exposed Firearm Permit sits on top of a Security Guard Registration — the permit is not a standalone credential. Silverline does not run the Guard Card course itself, so you will obtain that separately; if your application is already in progress, talk to us before booking so we can sequence your dates properly.
What exactly does the qualification consist of?
50 rounds fired from 3 to 15 yards across five stages, including a reload under time at 10 yards and support-hand shooting at 7. Each qualifying hit is worth 5 points, a perfect score is 250, and 200 is a pass — so 40 of 50 rounds have to land in the scoring area. The full stage-by-stage breakdown is on the course of fire page.
How long is the initial firearms course?
Fourteen hours, normally run across two days: a classroom day covering the legal and safety material, then a range day for live-fire instruction and your qualification.
How often do I have to requalify?
Four times during the two-year life of your permit — two each year, and no sooner than four months apart. Each one is preceded by a two-hour course on the use and avoidance of deadly force, and the fourth also includes a written examination.
What happens if I miss a requalification window?
The four-month spacing means a missed window cannot simply be made up by qualifying twice in quick succession. Contact us as soon as you realise a date has slipped and we will work out where you stand and what your options are — that conversation is much easier before your permit lapses than after.
Can I get extra range time before qualification day?
Yes, and we recommend it. Pre-course firearms prep runs the day before qualification: we run the course of fire the way it is run when it is scored, and work fundamentals, drawing from the holster, reloads, accuracy, and getting comfortable with your duty gun. It is open to anyone with a qualification coming up — including officers qualifying elsewhere.
What should I be practising before I come?
The reload under time at 10 yards and support-hand-only shooting at 7 yards are where most points are lost, because they are the two stages people have never deliberately practised. After that: getting to kneeling and back up in your own duty rig, drawing from the holster you actually wear, and slow accurate rounds at 15 yards. The course of fire page breaks down what every stage is testing.
Do I have to pass the PSI assessment before the course?
No. We recommend passing PSI before the initial course, because it means the only thing left after training is paperwork — but it is not required to attend. You may complete PSI either before or after Silverline training. The BSIS requirement is that PSI is passed before your Initial Firearms Permit application is submitted, not before you train.
What is the PSI assessment, and where do I take it?
It is a BSIS-required assessment of judgment, restraint, and self-control, administered by PSI Services LLC at their testing centres. You book and pay PSI directly — we do not administer or score it. Results are reported to BSIS as “demonstrate” or “did not demonstrate”, and a “did not demonstrate” result can be retaken after 180 days.
Do I bring my own firearm?
Firearm and ammunition policy — rentals available? Rounds included in the price? Calibre restrictions?
Where does training take place?
Exeter Gunslingers in Exeter, CA, in California's Central Valley. We train security professionals from across California. Exact range details and class instructions are provided upon registration.
Do you still offer Guard Card, baton, or pepper spray courses?
Not at present. Silverline is focused on firearms training — the BSIS exposed firearms permit, requalifications, pre-course prep, and duty handgun development. If you need Guard Card, baton, or chemical agents certification, obtain those separately and come to us for the firearms side.
How do I book?
Booking process — online, phone, deposit required?