Z Pistol Basics LLC

Connecticut Pistol Permit Classes

Testimonials

I would like to thank you again for such an insightful and incredible one on one lesson yesterday. I have been a member of the State Police for 27 years, and year in and year out we get familiarized training in firearms and tactics. A lot of time, we are told to come and practice at the range and understand that is very helpful. What I learned in 60 minutes with you truly has changed my perspective on my abilities to confidently do what has to be done, should the time come. As a former instructor, I found the information short, concise and adaptable in real-time. Re-enforcement of the basic was consistent and encouragement was always paramount. truly learned more in your one lesson than I did in my previous full-day class with a different instructor. I see why people come to you for training the information is truly invaluable. Anyone who listens to you for five minutes can easily tell this is something that you truly and care about. It’s so good to know that I can reach out to you at any time for advice and assistance and when I get more proficient advanced training. I highly recommend you very highly, whether it competition shooting, learning the basics are sharpen your skills. George, you are THE MAN.

John C.

We took our permit classes back in June in a large group but really did not feel comfortable on the range. We reached out to find an instructor who could help change that and George came highly recommended. After spending a couple of hours with George last night, we feel confident and excited to get back to the range to continue to improve our shooting. George is a wonderful instructor who simplifies the shooting process to the most basic levels. Right from the start he was able to analyze our targets and fine tune our mechanics to get us consistently clustering our shots. The difference in completed targets from the beginning to the end was incredible. George even offered some tips on how we could work at home to improve our shooting. We cannot recommend George highly enough. What you get for your money is a better understanding of firearms and simple instructions that you can repeat on your own to continue to improve. We will undoubtedly schedule another session with George as we continue to progress. There is no need to look anywhere else if you are looking to improve your shooting!

Alan and Donna

I would like to thank you again for such an incredible one on one lesson yesterday. I truly learned more in your one lesson than I did in my previous full day class with a different instructor. You made me feel comfortable and gave me the confidence I was so badly needing. You are an amazing teacher George! I look forward to practicing frequently on my own now. It’s so good to know that I can reach out to you at anytime for advice and assistance and when I get more proficient, advanced training. I will recommend you very highly. I also want to say that I really enjoy training at Wolf’s Indoor Range. Everyone there makes me feel comfortable and they are always very helpful, especially to beginners like me 😊 And most importantly, I feel safe there. It’s a long drive for me, but I won’t go anywhere else. Thank you again George! You are the best! I will remember everything you taught me and practice, practice, practice! I’ll be seeing you again and hope to dazzle you with my skill!😁 Enjoy your day and your summer!

Lydia C.

I’m a new shooter and was nervous, intimidated, shaking, and not having fun shooting. I meet George for some basic training and I can’t believe how easy he makes the learning process. No BS, no ego, no intimidation. Before I met George I was shooting all over the target and even missing the paper at 25 feet. After 45 minutes, 3 different pistols, approx 100 rounds of mostly 9mm and some .22, I only had four shots outside the red bulls eye. So many of my shots when thru the same previous bullet holes in the bulls eye. I couldn’t believe it. THANK YOU GEORGE...I can’t wait to get back to the range and apply the simple steps you taught me.

Todd M.

I went to the range with some friends to practice shooting to improve our accuracy. The staff recommended we watch and talk to an instructor that happened to be shooting that day (I’m glad they did). We talked with George after watching the center of his target disappear during some rapid firing. I followed up with him and scheduled an appointment for an hour of his pistol basics course. In the single hour Mr. Zownir taught me how to be a safe and confident shooter. The 1 on 1 training with him was full of techniques that helped me shoot accurately and helped me stay in focus. I will definitely be recommending Z Pistol Basics to my friends, family and anyone interested in meeting a knowledgeable and humble Pistol instructor.

Felix R.

I can’t thank George and Ron enough for the amazing job they did with teaching me as well as my brother and dad today! When George says “I can help you” he's not joking. I showed up today with no pistol experience at all and after all of the hands on training and classroom time I hit the bullseye just about every time when we went to the range. I would highly recommend any beginner to take his basic pistol course, believe me you'll get more than you pay for with George. Great teacher

Dan V.

If you’re looking to get your pistol permit or to improve your shooting skills, I would recommend Z Pistol in heartbeat! George is an amazing instructor!

I came to George with zero experience and I was pretty uncomfortable around guns, by the end of the day I was 100% confident and even shooting bullseyes. But most importantly, I truly learned every aspect of gun safety. I didn’t want a class that just pushed people through and handed out certificates, I wanted an education to assure I’d know how to safely handle my firearms, and that’s exactly what I got at Z Pistol! Learning proper shooting techniques was a major bonus!

I was also fortunate enough to be in George’s first class using his new personally developed state approved course materials. I think the fact that he wrote his own course says it all!

Take a look at my target as a first time shooter! That wasn’t beginners luck, that was top notch instruction!

Eric C.
Eric’s target

I contacted George as a surprise gift for my daughter and her boyfriend who are both in the USMC. They were coming home from California for a visit prior to their next deployment to the middle east. Although both were trained with rifles they were inexperienced when it came to pistols. George had us meet outside of the range and spent around an hour going through the basics of safety, grip, stance, breathing, aiming and trigger pull. Although I’ve had a permit for several years I learned a lot myself and immediately corrected some bad habits. He then packed up 5 of his own pistols and two rifles and we headed to the range. His patience and personal guidance were remarkable. He had our two Marines shooting tight clusters in the center red circle in no time. They were “naturals” but only because he made sure they had the fundamentals down cold and provided clear instruction and coaching as they progressed through the two hours we spend together at the range. I’ve never been a great shooter, partially due to a hand injury (which during the course of our training I compensated for by switching from a right hand grip to a left hand grip), but my performance improved dramatically and I was even shooting mostly tight center clusters by the end of our time together. To top things off, out of his respect of the arms service, George gave us a special gift and gave his time to my marines gratuitously. A great guy, a patriotic and a great instructor. I plan to arrange for my wife to spend time training with George in the very near future. Thank you George!

Gary G.

I am new to the pistol world, wasn’t 100% comfortable going to a range by myself for the first time, and because of that someone recomended giving George a call for a 1-1 hour lesson. I can not tell you enough how much it is worth it to work with George. Right from the start we spoke on the phone so he could get a better idea of what I was looking for and when we met a few days later at the range he had everything ready for me based on that conversation. He takes his time explaining everything and saftey is his #1 priority. His techniques are simple to follow and it will improve your marksmanship. Well worth the money and time spent. Thank you George.

Paul P.

I just wanted to thank you for the awesome training you provide my wife and me. Our levels of confidence have gone up tremendously since we started working with you! I would absolutely recommend to everyone considering getting a permit, to meet with you first to get familiarized with firearms. When I was initially given your name and number, I was told you were the best. I completely see why!

Joe K.

George is not only an expert shooter, he is a master teacher. I came to him with some experience, and in short order, he helped me tighten up my groups, speed up my follow-up shots, shoot one-handed, and more. George works individually with students to carefully diagnose the little things that get in the way – things that other instructors may not see. He gives generously of his expertise, so that all his students perform to the highest standard, while maintaining a positive and encouraging attitude. A lesson with George is time and money well spent!

Eric H.

My fiancé and I had been talking for years about getting our pistol permit and finally decided it was time. Both of us had never used a firearm prior to today, so we did research on who were the top instructors in the area. George came highly recommended and the reputation is well deserved. Not only is he professional, talented and great at teaching but his respect for the sport as a whole is admirable. I would recommend him to anyone that is looking to learn or improve their sport. After speaking to friends that have taken a similar class, we learned that they did not receive the same level of attention and training. And upon completion of the class, we actually felt that we didn't pay enough for the education and training we had received!

We are already planning to take another class with him in the next few weeks!!!

Rebecca & Shaun

Both my husband and I, as new permit and gun owners, wanted to take a lesson to learn proper techniques early on instead of trying to undo bad habits later. I felt very comfortable with your instructions and method as well as being able to ask questions. I also appreciate your simple approach to teaching the key steps for accurate shooting. You were thorough in your explanation, had us practice what you told us and then let us apply it with your guidance. The results were amazing! Thank you so much! I can see why you are so highly recommended. You can add Tim and myself to that chorus.

Faith & Tim C.

Just wanted to thank you so much for the pistol permit class. Not only did you teach me the fundamentals but you made sure I was hitting the bullseye each time on the target. I realized how great of an instructor you are when I saw the class next to us, which had a line of 30 students (from a different class) each student walked out shot about 6 shots got a handshake from the instructor and was allowed to head off with almost no experience. While you stood next to each of us and allowed us to shoot 4 guns, allowing us to shoot multiple magazines for each gun. I just want to say thank you for not only teaching me how to be a safe law abiding gun owner, but for also leaving me with the ability to be a pretty good shot! To say the least it made my week and I walked out feeling very confident in myself, which is always a great feeling!

Andrew L.

I had the pleasure of taking a course with George and had such a great experience. We learned extensively about the pistols we would use and the best way to fire them. We had a small class of four and were able to get a lot of individual time to get one on one action and become as knowledgeable as possible before using the weapons. After each shot I didn’t feel comfortable about or missed slightly George did a stellar job showing me why I missed and helped me correct it. I eventually had almost all bulls eyes and it was my first time shooting! I noticed a large NRA instructing class come in one by one take a few shots and leave, and it helped me realize the huge difference between this course and the others. I fired multiple clips with multiple pistols and felt very good about all of them. I highly recommend Z Pistol Basics if you really do care about learning the right way. This was a very positive experience for me and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Tim L.

I can’t say “thank you” enough to George for the two evenings of one-to-one sessions he did with me. Being from the UK I had no experience of firearms at all and really didn’t know what to expect from a shooting range and the world of firearms. George’s calm, methodical and patient teaching eased any of my nerves and his years of experience and passion for the sport really helped me learn and enjoy the firearms. By listening to what he said I was soon surpassing any of my expectations of accuracy by consistently hitting the bullseye. And honestly, I loved every minute of it. Anytime I’m anywhere near Southington, CT I’ll be on the phone to George to see if he has time to go shooting again.

Mike B.

Thanks, you could have canceled the class due to the no shows, but you didn't and I got a 1 on 1 class. Very thorough and well taught. I learned so much about the working of semi-auto and revolvers. Also breathing, aiming, trigger pull, follow through, and so much more. Never did I think that out of 90 rounds I could get 75 bullseyes. I feel that I got the BEST classroom and rangetime anyone could ask for. I will give your name to anyone who wants quality training. You have my phone # give it to anyone that might have questions.

Bob T.

My 13 year old son and I just wanted to express our appreciation in your professionalism and manner in which you instructed the NRA Firearms Safety Course which we both attended in Jan 2014. Although I've been a pistol permit holder for over 25 years, having both military and law enforcement firearms training, I believed it would be best to have my son taught by a professional for 2 main reasons; the first being that I wanted to minimize any added stress or anxiety that may be brought on by being “taught by Dad”, and the second reason was that the research that led me to your name had given me the added confidence that your well known reputation among local shooting ranges and gun stores assured me that my son would be receiving first rate instruction in the safe handling, understanding and respect that firearms require. I will highly recommend your name to friends and family as well as anyone looking for a true professional from which to learn firearms safety training or anyone who wishes to strengthen the skills they may already have which was my case as I certainly left your class a better shooter than which I started (as was proven at the range that day). Again, thank you for everything.

Giuseppe L.

My husband and I recently took George Zownir’s pistol basics class and we would highly recommend his class to anyone interested. George’s classes are small, which also eliminates any intimidation and he really works with you one-on-one. He provided everything we needed for the entire day and equipped us with basic pistol knowledge and safety, as well as giving us the confidence to handle, load/unload and shoot several different pistols. He was patient, thorough and made sure we felt comfortable and confident in what we were doing.

George provided us with a great first experience (including BOTH of us shooting bulls-eyes) and we both left saying we had FUN. We wouldn’t hesitate to call George again! He is very knowledgeable and a wonderful instructor!

Ashley and Ben N.

For anyone wishing improve your shooting 100%, Mr. Zownir is your man. He is one of the rare individuals who can preform the art as well as teach the skills necessary to become a skilled and confident shooter. When I started I was lucky to hit the paper. After one lesson with George, I was just hitting bulls-eyes! He will you save you much trial and error. You will appreciate his low key style and ability to make the student comfortable. My wife and her friend took a pistol permit class with George an loved it. If you are interested in shooting, treat yourself to a class with George and enjoy the results. Truly, you will not be disappointed!

Al B.

For our anniversary, I wanted to do something different and take my boyfriend to the shooting range. Since neither one of us had a permit, Wolf’s Range in Bristol, CT suggested I call George Zownir for a supervised session/private shooting lesson. We had the best time! George was amazing! He was patient, encouraging, and a wonderful instructor, so much so that my boyfriend and I, each never having shot a pistol, were hitting the center of the target with no problem. After his technical instruction, I am very confident in my shooting skills. We have recommended him to our friends and plan to take his course for our pistol permits! I highly recommend contacting George Zownir if you are interested in learning how to shoot a pistol and want to have a fun and exciting day out. Thanks again, George!

Angela M.

As a woman that has never shot a gun before, the words that came to mind when I thought of guns was “scary” and “intimidating”. That was before my lesson with George! Since then, I think of guns as “manageable” and more importantly “fun”! I went from being afraid of picking up a gun to being able to shoot bulls eyes. I knew nothing about guns when I started the class but now know all the components and about the bullets too. I am now comfortable handling a gun and am confident that I would be able to use one in an emergency situation.

You definitely get more than your money’s worth in the time George spends with you, and the value of what he teaches is priceless! He offers a very small classroom size and spends as much time with you as needed. Never once did he look at his watch to determine when the lesson was over — it was based on our progress. It is very obvious that he really loves what he does. If you really want to learn (the right way) definitely don’t hesitate to call George — you will not regret it!

Becky O.

I began shooting six months ago, and have been taking instruction from George monthly. When I first started I was lucky if I could shoot a twelve-inch group. George methodically pointed out my many errors, and corrected each one over time.

Recently George suggested I move up to a higher caliber pistol. I purchased a M&P 9 Pro. Once again I started shooting twelve-inch groups and once again George methodically pointed out my errors. The results were amazing as is demonstrated by the before and after target groups.

There is no doubt that George is an accomplished pistol shooter. But more importantly, he is able to teach that skill to others.

Ray D.
Ray’s target

Just wanted to give you a great big thank you for the 2 private lessons we had. I had originally gotten my pistol permit because it was on my bucket list of things to do before turning 50. A friend of mine told me to go for it, so I did. Truth is I was always afraid of guns.

I didn’t feel like I learned much in the pistol permit class that I took in April from another instructor, so was looking for someone to actually teach me how to use a gun. Wolf’s Range gave me your contact info and I can’t tell you how grateful I am they did. You really took the time to explain all the basics that I should have learned from “that other place”. As you know I was pretty nervous the first time and really did not have the confidence that I could actually hit the target. With your patience and taking the time to really explain every step to me I fared pretty well! My second class was FANTASTIC. All week I had looked forward to going to the range. You built up my confidence and made me want to do better with every shot I took.

What turned out to be something to cross off my bucket list ended up being something that I truly enjoy and will keep up. Looking forward to more instruction from you!

Thank you again!

Evelyn P.

I never imagined myself on a gun range and when my 16 year old son and I decided to take a gun lesson, I didn’t know where to turn. I called a range and without hesitation, they gave me George’s contact information. George quickly impressed me by responding right away to my inquiry. When we met him, he put my mind quickly at ease. George is extremely knowledgeable and I had total confidence that both myself and my son were well taken care of and safe. George made the lesson instructive, fun and truly wanted us to do our best in the range. We are actually considering taking a gun permit class and would definitely arrange that class with George.

Bonnie and Chandler H.

I contacted Wolf’s a month ago to ask if they offered group shooting for my bridal party who had never shot before. The woman on the phone told me she could put me in contact with George Zownir and maybe he could accommodate us. I was getting married on May 18, 2012 and wanted a fun and exciting day with my Best Man and Groomsmen (5 guys total). Only one of us had shot a gun before and we were all pretty excited and nervous. George replied to my email the next day and then we chatted on the phone. He told me we would have a great time and did we ever! We shot for 2 hours and with each passing minute things just got more and more exciting. George arranged for us to be at Wolf’s after hours so we had the whole place to ourselves which was nice. George arranged for another instructor to be with him and they both brought a variety of their own personal guns for us to shoot. I couldn’t believe they trusted us with their own personal collection. We hit the classroom for a 15 minute briefing to go over the basics and then we got right into the good stuff. Like I said, we shot a variety of guns and different calibers of ammo. We started with paper targets and then shot some bowling pins and golf balls. We had competitions and SO MUCH FUN! I would highly recommend that anyone wanting to do this, ask for George. He was patient, respectful and highly knowledgable but most importantly it was a very safe and controlled environment. George made the experience so much fun that I think most of us will be looking into getting our permits and spending many more hours at Wolf’s in the future. Heck, we may even bring the girls along next time :)

Chris M.

I cannot thank you enough for your wonderful NRA basics class. Your class was worth every penny! It was like having a private class with the attention I received. I was very hesitant about taking this class as I had never fired a gun in my life. You gave me the confidence and the fundamentals I needed to complete the course. If anyone is new out there George is your man. He takes as much time as you need to help you at the range and in the classroom. His private setting at his home only adds to the warmth of taking this course. Please feel free to use this on your website and I will tell as many people as I can how wonderful you are! Kudos to you George! Thanks to you I may have found a new hobby!

Jimmy V.

Thank you so much for your instruction and all the time you spent with us for the NRA class. The class ran longer than expected, probably because of all our questions, but you took a lot of time with each of us at the range, and it didn’t feel rushed. I was very impressed with your wealth of knowledge: I learned more that day than I have all year at my job!

I feel more confident walking into a range for practice now, and you’ve removed some of the fear due to inexperience on my part. I am looking forward to practicing and becoming better.

Anyone who is considering obtaining a permit should take YOUR class. I will highly recommend it to my friends.

Claire G.

I recently took the NRA Pistol Permit Class with Z Pistol Basics and wanted to recommend this class to others. Owner/instructor George offers small classes, allowing for much more one-on-one instruction. There were only three people in my class. I had not fired a gun in years, but after spending the time with George, I felt really comfortable once we got to the range. All of the safe gun handling instructions we received during the class time became second nature at the range. Though I may need to continue shooting to get better, the instruction given by George left me with the confidence of being a safe shooter when I return to the range.

Mark P.

I am 13 years old and wanted to learn how to shoot a pistol. Mr. Zownir was very good. Before we entered the range he taught me safety and let me handle a pistol and revolver. I learned how to safely hold and sight the guns. Then we entered the range and he taught me the proper stance and shooting methods. I shot both guns and did a good job. It was fun and I recommend him to anyone who wants a pistol lesson.

Matt L.

I just wanted to say “thank you” again for all your help last week at the range getting my gun straightened out. I would have been lost if it wasn’t for you! You didn’t need to spend that amount of time out of your own range time to help me. It was truly appreciated.

I never got the chance to thank you for my lesson either. The pointers you gave me from how to grip the gun to technique in firing was such a tremendous help. Taking the NRA class then expecting to just be able to walk in a range and shoot is not something I was too comfortable with. Your lesson gave me a solid foundation to my shooting technique and the confidence, especially as a woman to be able to handle her own. I look forward to another lesson soon.

See you at the range!

Lynn

My in-laws recently gifted me a private range session with George. I never shot a hand gun, even once, before this session. I learned quickly that George is very passionate about this sport, but also very serious about safety and responsibility. He was professional and methodical in his preparation and instruction before I fired my first shot. During my session, I fired several hand gun models and was amazed with the high percentage of shots near the target center. I’m certain that my success was based on the excellent instruction I received from George. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would highly recommend others to try it – with George.

Monte M.

I’ve only shot once before I had my 1 hour session with George, my husband has shot a few times. The experience was amazing! George is an excellent instructor and I even got a few bulls eyes with a 45! (my husband was impressed). Since we did this one hour introduction to shooting, we are now planning on an official NRA class with George. We recommend taking the class with George and even trying the 1 hour introduction to shooting if you are not sure. Thanks George! And we will see you soon for our NRA class!

Megan and Nate M.

I have recently attended a pistol permit class with instructor George Zownir. George is very welcoming to the people who attend. He takes you in with care and makes you feel at home. As the class started it was very clear that George is very thorough and takes pride in conducting this class. George has an overwhelming knowledge of gun control and makes you feel comfortable with handling the pistols he presents which are from his own collection. Not only does George have the upmost respect for guns and teaching about guns, but he is an excellent marksman which was proven at the range at the end of the session. I would highly recommend taking a pistol permit class with George Zownir, he is a great teacher and coach.

Michael H.

George Z. taught a very thorough and invasive NRA pistol permit class, while still providing a comfortable atmosphere for learning the necessary material. He is willing to answer any questions you may come up with throughout textbook or hands-on parts of the course. While at the shooting range George can help correct bad habits from previous students who have fired before, as well as give step by step directions to first time individuals no matter what type of gun you choose to shoot with.

Outside of being a good trusting friend of mine he is a great NRA instructor and never leaves out any vital information on important safety measures of proper handling, loading, storing, and firing of a pistol or revolver. Therefore, I would highly recommend George Z. as a certified NRA instructor to any friends, family or people of interest that are inquiring a pistol permit.

Tim C.

Thanks for the great instruction you put in to your classes. You learn the basics+ the confidence in handling a firearm. Your class went far beyond my expectations. I look forward to more one on one training in the future.

Mike B.

I recently attended Z Pistol Basics NRA Basic Pistol Course run by George Zownir. George ran an informative course that covered all that is required by the NRA and more. He kept the class small allowing personal attention ensuring we understood the entire material well. His knowledge and enthusiasm regarding the subject material, proper gun handling and shooting technique was excellent. Prior to going to the range he spent plenty of time with each attendee on the proper handling and use of the two pistols we were to use at the range. Once at the range George didn’t rush us through the process and made sure we were comfortable and demonstrated our knowledge prior to our session ending. I recommend that anyone who wishes to obtain their NRA Basic Pistol Course certification take George’s class.

Pat S.