Talladega, Alabama- May 2025- The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is excited to announce a full lineup of classes and clinics hosted at its Talladega Marksmanship Park in Alabama!
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Outside of the routine Basic Handgun, Shotgun, and Rifle classes offered at the park each month, the clinic schedule presents a variety of disciplines led by such partners as Steyr Academy, GLOCK, and more.
All courses are open to the public except Street Cop University’s two classroom classes, which are for Law Enforcement only and serve as continuing education for local entities.
CMP is also implementing its four-hour Concealed Carry Class, led by Talladega Marksmanship Park manager Bret Lankford, where students will learn gun handling techniques, safety, legal requirements, and more.
Current Clinic Schedule:
- May 2-4 – Steyr Academy
- July 16 – Street Cop University/Legal Use of Force (Law Enforcement Only)
- July 26 – Defensive Handgun with Greg Bettis
- Aug. 8 – Steyr Academy
- Aug. 19 – Street Cop University/Interdiction Academy (Law Enforcement Only)
- Sept. 2 – GLOCK Armorer Course
- Sept. 3-4 – GLOCK MOS Operator Course
- Sept. 5-7 – Steyr Academy
- Sept. 27 – Concealed Carry with Greg Bettis
- Oct. 3-5 – Steyr Academy
- Oct. 6-7 – NLEFIA Red Dot Sights for Duty Pistols (Law Enforcement Only)
- Oct. 11 – Pistol Mounted Optics: Foundations with Cougar Mountain Solutions
- Oct. 12 – Pistol Mounted Optics: Practical Application with Cougar Mountain Solutions
- Oct. 18 – Defensive Rifle with Greg Bettis
- Nov. 7-9 – Steyr Academy
- Nov. 8 – Frank Proctor Shooting
- Nov. 15-16 – Frank Proctor Shooting: Handgun
- Nov. 20-21 – Thunder Ranch: Handgun
- Nov. 22-23 – Thunder Ranch: Carbine
- Nov. 22 – Frank Proctor Shooting: Carbine
Learn more about Talladega’s upcoming classes at https://thecmp.org/training-classes-at-talladega.
About the Instructors/Courses:
Bret Lankford: Lankford is a retired Law Enforcement Officer with 32 years of service. He became a certified firearms instructor in 1990 and has since earned further certifications with the FBI, NRA, GLOCK Professional, the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors, Instructor Development through Auburn University, Montgomery, and the National Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor Association. Lankford has been employed with the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park since May 2020.
Greg Bettis: Bettis began his career as a patrol officer in 1984 in the Metro-Atlanta area. He went on to serve 14 years in criminal investigations, becoming a Georgia P.O.S.T. certified instructor in 1989 with 4,200 hours of law enforcement training. He also holds a State of Georgia Master Instructor Certificate and has taught thousands of officers in the classroom and within various environments.
Steyr Academy: Steyr Arms, Inc. is a firearms manufacturer with over 150 years of innovation. The company specializes in products that are often utilized by the military and law enforcement. As a subsidiary to their production division, Steyr Academy trains individuals on practical uses of firearms through valuable instruction, led by Brian Marshall, a 28-year veteran of local and federal law enforcement with two decades of instructor experience.
GLOCK Courses: GLOCK, a longtime sponsor of several CMP events throughout the year, showcases a brand of pistols with a reputation as top performers in the marksmanship world. Its Armorer Course is an eight-hour classroom training on how to safely use and maintain GLOCK firearms, while the MOS Operator Course is a two-day course built to enhance knowledge and skills with GLOCK firearms, designed as a dynamic shooting course.
NLEFIA (National Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors Association): Established in 2015, the purpose of the NLEFIA is to advance the knowledge and skills of professional firearms instructors in law enforcement, the military, and private sector communities. The NLEFIA is committed to a means for networking and continuing educational training by providing advanced certifications to professional firearms instructors.
Cougar Mountain Solutions: Led by founder and instructor, Erick Gelhau, who is an accomplished author and marksman. Gelhaus served in all three components of the U.S. Army, with time as a heavy weapons squad leader in ground combat. He began teaching in 2001 and held a 30-year career in law enforcement. Outside of competitive shooting, Gelhaus has spoken at numerous training conferences and symposiums, including Rangemaster’s TacCon and the SHOT Show’s Law Enforcement Education Program.
Frank Proctor Shooting: Frank Proctor served over 20 years in the military, with the last 16 in the U.S. Army Special Forces. Between deployments, he served as an assistant instructor for Combat Marksmanship, CQB, Breaching, and the Sniper program, later becoming a primary instructor where he not only taught but also learned from others around him. Now, he’s a competitive shooter and offers private training in the Talladega area.
Thunder Ranch: Thunder Ranch was founded in 1993 by Clint Smith, a Marine Corps Veteran (serving two infantry and Combined Action Platoon tours in Vietnam) and a longtime Law Enforcement officer who led a Firearms Training Division and is a precision rifleman. The goal of Thunder Ranch is to provide premier training, remaining at the forefront of innovative practices for rifle, shotgun, and other formats.
By Ashley Dugan, CMP Staff Writer
About the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park:
Talladega Marksmanship Park, “The Home of Marksmanship,” is a worthy destination for firearm supporters and guests looking for practice, competition, and mindful learning opportunities. Featuring CMP electronic targets and scoring monitors that can only be found at the 500-acre facility, the park regularly hosts rifle, pistol, and shotgun events all year long. The CMP’s Unknown Distance Range at Talladega also allows guests to practice their skills in the field of over 100 steel targets, while the 20-lane life-size 3D target Archery Range provides even more marksmanship fun at the park.
The public is welcome daily, all year long, to test out their firearms or to simply explore the grounds. Off the firing line, the Club House holds a fully stocked Pro Shop that includes an exclusive collection of rifles, commercial sales, marksmanship accessories,e s and CMP memorabilia that is always open during park hours. Learn more about the park at https://thecmp.org/ranges/talladega-marksmanship-park/.
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