That first shot… I remember mine.
It was a long time ago, but I still remember how I felt: empowered, excited, and even a little scared. Looking back, I might have been even more nervous if I understood then what I know now.
Because every time you pick up a firearm and every time you pull the trigger, there is a responsibility that comes with it.
My time training with Bryan and PDX Arsenal has helped me grow as a person, a student, and now a firearms instructor. This is the story of that journey—and man, has it been a ride.
Learning Respect Before Mastery
I grew up around firearms. My stepfather was a police officer, and my mother also worked in law, so I was taught from an early age to respect firearms and understand the responsibility that comes with them.
What I didn’t have, was the opportunity to pursue real mastery of them, even after my time in the military.
For the last decade, I’ve worked in another environment where seemingly small decisions can carry very real consequences: skydiving.
As a skydiving instructor, I learned how to balance fun with risk, recognize when something isn’t right, and understand the importance of preparation and good decision-making. Some of those lessons came the hard way. My body carries a little more surgical steel these days, but fortunately, I’m still here to talk about those experiences.
I’ve completed more than 2,000 skydives and helped over 500 students earn their licenses in the sport.
Of everything I’ve experienced in the sky, though, teaching has always been my favorite part.
There’s something incredibly rewarding about taking the knowledge you’ve accumulated, including lessons you’ve sometimes learned the hard way, and using it to help someone else become safer, more capable, and more confident.
I’ve always been a bit of a risk seeker and an adrenaline junkie. Eventually, that path brought me back to firearms—and that’s where I met Bryan.
Becoming a Student Again
About two years ago, I started training with Bryan at PDX Arsenal.
I didn’t have some grand plan at the time. I simply knew I wanted to become a better shooter and develop the skills I might need to protect the people I love if that day ever came.
From our first lesson, I knew I had found the right instructor for me.
The training was hands-on and professional, but it was also enjoyable. More importantly, there was always a reason behind what we were doing. I wasn’t interested in simply learning how to shoot better—I wanted to understand why certain techniques worked and continue building on them.
The more I learned, the more interested I became.
Eventually, I realized that what excited me wasn’t just becoming a better shooter.
It was teaching.
I already knew how rewarding it could be to help someone develop skills and confidence through skydiving. The idea that I could bring that same passion for teaching into firearms training suddenly made perfect sense.
That’s when the second stage of my journey began.
Becoming a Firearms Instructor
For the last six months, I’ve dedicated myself to training multiple times each week, both with Bryan and on my own.
I didn’t just want to be good.
I wanted to be great.
That meant going beyond simply putting rounds on target. It meant learning the finer points of pistol and rifle shooting, understanding the advantages and limitations of red dot sights compared with iron sights, learning concepts such as target demand, and understanding something every responsible firearm owner should know: how to properly maintain the equipment they depend on.
And the list keeps growing.
One of the most humbling things about firearms training is realizing that the more you learn, the more you recognize how much there still is to learn.
For me, that has only made the process more exciting.
As I’ve continued developing as a shooter and firearms instructor, I’ve become increasingly excited about taking what I’ve learned and sharing it with other students.
More Than Learning to Shoot
One of the things I’ve come to appreciate about PDX Arsenal is that training here isn’t just about teaching someone how to handle a firearm.
It’s about the person holding it.
People come to firearms training from completely different backgrounds and for completely different reasons.
Some want to become more confident firearm owners. Some want to develop their shooting skills. Some are interested in personal protection. Others may be handling a firearm for the first time and aren’t entirely sure what they’re looking for yet.
That’s okay.
Our job as instructors isn’t to make everyone fit the same mold. It’s to meet students where they are and help them progress from there.
We want our students to leave with useful skills, but we also want them to feel comfortable asking questions, making mistakes, learning, and continuing to grow.
Because ultimately, becoming competent with a firearm isn’t something that happens after one class or one trip to the range.
It’s a journey.
Mine started a long time ago with that first shot. I didn’t know exactly where it would take me, and I certainly didn’t expect it would eventually lead to becoming an instructor.
Now I get the opportunity to help other people begin their own journeys.
Whether you want to become a more confident firearm owner, improve your shooting skills, or you’re simply curious about taking that first step, I’d be excited to work with you.
You don’t have to know exactly where you want the journey to take you.
You just have to be willing to take the first step.
And who knows—you might make a friend along the way.
— Shea Servo
Instructor, PDX Arsenal