Course Testmonials

The course is given on a very high standard. The instructor is extremely good skilled and has a lot of knowledge. The day itself is well structured and proven to be very usefull. I would recommend this to every MSO.

Just wanted to thank "Nobby" for the time and effort in putting us through the course. Extreamely pleased with the way the course was conducted, I must admit that, at first I thought; hang on a minute " £360 just to do the one day course? You gotta be kidding me. Turned out I was wrong , It was an awesome course, taught by an awesome Instructor. I will, in the future, definatley recommend this course to my friends out there who are also looking to get into Maritime Security.

Great one day course with a very competent instructor. 4 persons pr group which allows plenty of hands on with the weapons, and feedback from Mark. Will recommend it to anyone.

An extremely well run course, with expert instruction. The course is well constructed, with time spent in the classroom and a 25m indoor range. The course covers the background of the piracy threat, trends and insight into specific incidents. It also covers the importance of the legal issues surronding the use of a weapons in an incident. The day is kept to a maximum of 4 people allowing a lot of hands on with the weapon systems and allowing plenty of interaction in the classroom. I would recomend this course to any PCASP, it certainly sets the benchmark in safety and personal confidence on the various weapon systems that you are likely to come across.

VG. First rate instruction. Excellent day.

The course will ensure that students are safe, confident and competent in handling any firearm likely to be encountered within the maritime security industry. The drills that are taught are simple but effective and are easily transferred across all of the live-fire semi-automatic weapon systems used throughout the day... of which there are plenty! The administration side of Shooting Training Solutions is equally as efficient as the training. Booking the course was easy with all communications promptly answered. My certificate was posted on the day of completion and STS even emailed a copy direct to the company I work for. Overall an enjoyable day with high-quality instruction delivered in a relaxed yet professional manner.

Excellent instruction from a very experienced instruction. Many thanks.

This was my fourth time with Shooting Training Solutions, from initial qualification to 3 times requalifying. The course has gone from strength to strength. Mark has a great deal of experience in this field and enjoys shooting and giving something back. This is evident in his quality of instruction. There are only 4 in the class which allows for a great balance between instructor and student. The morning is spent in the classroom updating you with what is happening in the industry from Intel to industrial trends. Then you are reaquainted with the weapons followed by WHT's. After the provided lunch the afteroon is spent wholly on the range. The whole course runs smoothly and all the subjects covered are relevant and enjoyable. A Quality Course with Quality Instruction with great facilities. Thanks Mark.

I can't fault the Maritime Firearms Competency 1 day course, from the instruction to the facilities and the range of weapons to get hands on, it was an excellent day out brushing up on skills that are highly perishable. I would highly recommend taking this course prior to taking on any maritime work as not only are weapon skills brought up to speed, but also use of communication during firing and the legal implications of using weapons in the maritime environment.

This course is run by one of the most professional, experienced and decorated people within the industry. The standard of quality is parrallel to no other, (hence why I drive all the way down from Scotland even when there are courses that are closer). If your skill fade is obvious you will be aided by 1 to 1 tuition, bearing in mind dry drills will always be done first, to brush off those cob webs that we ALL DO get after having not touched variant weapon sytems in so long. The aim is to get all passed safely, in which with each course that I have been on, there have been no failures, however, that said, I do know that there have been failures in the past, so "Walter Mitty's" (which we know that are out there) take heed. Great, Relaxed and Safe course that will be recommendnot only by myself but by others too, with a shoot at the end to complete the day to win some money from the instructor is never a bad thing is it !? Weapon systems used are - M16's M4's AK Variants, HK variants , Bolt actions, Brownings, Bannellis SLR's and more. Now I beg the retorical question who can compete with that ? Top Class Day.

I recently undertook the 1 Day MFCC with STS down in Sherbourne. The course is extremely well run with expert tuition provided by ex UKSF instructors. The facilities are great, and courses are kept to a maximum of 4 which means there is alot of hands on with the weapons and alot more scruitiny when it comes to individual weapons handling. This in turn provides you as an operator with confidence that when you deploy with guys that have been on the course that they are to a rigorously maintained standard. Coming from a UKSF Background myself I was a little aprehensive about undertaking a course that may have taught me to suck eggs. However, It definately shows that despite how good you once may have been that skill fade effects us all, and previous "bad habits" when operating once familiar weapon systems have to be ironed out when in the civillian sector. You will leave the course with renewed confidence in your shooting abilities and weapons handling and I would highly recommend this course to all prospective and current MSO's. With the industry becoming more regulated this will soon be a must for all transits, and you wont go far wrong by choosing this course.

Excellent trainig with exceptional relevant material not just weapons drills. Instructor has unparralled experiance and industry knowledge and will pass on his wisdom to the students and help guide and advise them. Course is well set out and structured with all material being relevant backed up with Operational Experiance.

awsome course Equipment & storeage was excellent

An extremely well organised, intesne and challenging day. Mark is a great instructor who emparts years of experience and knowledge very effectively. I found him to be approachable, helpful and over delivered on my expectations. The delivery of the weapon systems training was well structured and extremely helpful, offering direct advice to my shooting techniques and also for working in the marsec industry. Highly recommended.

Course given to an Impressive standard from an obvious expert. All equipment and facilities provided were excellent with a variety of weapon systems taught relevant to use within the maritime industry. I would highly recommend this course; great instruction and superb CD hand out to keep you fresh on what you’ve learnt. 10/10

Would recommend this course to any one who is new to the maritime industry .instructor was very profesional learnt a lot off him looking foward to do a refresher course next year with him. Weapons were great and a new experience for my self with new weapon systems, keep up the the good work and see you soon mark many thanks for every thing you tought me

Shooting Training Solutions offer the opportunity for personnel currently employed in the Maritime Security Industry to refresh their weapon handling skills. You should leave the course with the necessary skills to deploy safely into the maritme environment. More importantly, the course is as highly regarded by the Industry 'watchdogs' as it is by maritime companies seeking to deploy well trained and skilled operators and is a necessary tick in the box; for some major companies the ONLY recognised  tick in the box for recognised firearms training and certification. Completion of this course will go a long way to keeping you in work. Highly recommended! Â

Returned to renew my fire arms competency, the course was very well run just like the previouse course I did with Shooting Training Solutions. Very professional and informative. Would highly recommend to my peers looking to get their fire arms competency. Mark is a very proffessional instructor and has a broad and vast skill set to offer his students.

ighly recommended course instructed by probably the most experienced person I've met. All areas of maritime and firearms are supported with personal a relevant experiences. Good amount of range time as well with relevant a enjoyable shoots. Will definatly go back.

This is my second visit to STS and can wholly recommend the refresher course. It was situated within a couple of hours drive for me and course and content were second to none. The course is kept to a minimum of 4 people which enables a dedicated service from the instructor and a more one on one tuition. The facilities were very good, with the classroom and range are all on site. Classroom work and practical work are evenly matched throughout the morning with the practical firing taking place in the afternoon. The instruction is clear and concise and is quite informal lending itself to a very well presented day. Lunch is provided and depending on how successful the day is going you can get away by around 1500 - 1600. The knowledge of the instructor is considerable and he puts it accross extremely well. Overall a very good course and i'll continue to use STS as long as it is around and I remain in the business.

I have now done two courses with Shooting Training Solutions, the Maritime Firearms Competency Course and the refresher training a year later. Both courses are run extremely professionaly with the instructor have a wealth of experience and expertise. There is only ever a maximum of 4 people per course so you are guaranteed to get individual attention and a better quality of teaching. I highly recommend this company.

I Attended the Shooting Training Solutions refresher course June '14, after completing the Firearms Competency course previously. Obviously the Maritime Firearms Competency certification is mandatory for most companies these days, so if you're going to shell out several hundred pounds it might as well be on a decent course. The Shooting Training Solutions option is, in my opinion, the best currently on the market. It is also worth noting that there are contracts on certain companies vessels that that you won't get on without the STS certificate. The day itself is very well constructed, set in a comfortable classroom / 25m indoor range, using almost all of the weapon systems you'll see around the industry. The instructor, Mark Knowles's military record speaks for itself, and makes him uniquely qualified to deliver the training. Regardless of your previous military / industry experience you will come away having learned something.

Having completed the STS Maritime Firearms Competency Course previously with Mr Knowles I had high expectaions of the Refresher Course. The excellent instruction combined with the relaxed delivery from the subject matter expert (Mr Knowles) made for a justifiably intense yet highly enjoyable course. This both complimented and enhanced the professionalism of all attendees. I highly recommend Maritime Security Operatives to complete this course in order to remain current, competent and well informed. Andrew Silvey Maritime Security Operative and Project Manager

By far the best firearms course I've been on. The instructor is very highly qualified with a lot of exsperience. The course is ran over one day with four students for the best training.

Having completed my initial firearms competency course with STS I had no problem with returning to them for my annual refresher training. The course is kept small to ensure that all students receive the best possible training. The depth of knowledge and competency of the instructor is second to none, and as an ex Skill at arms instructor myself I know if someone is competent or not. The joining instructions are very clear as to what is required and what is expected from students during the course. The facilities at the centre are very good with a variety of weapon systems being used during the course and a CD with weapon manuals and shooting aids being provided at the end to successfull students. The afternoon range work is a cullmination of the mornings lessons put into a realistic setting where marksmanship and weapon handling skills are tested in full. Overall my experience and the experience of my colleagues who have attended this course is entirely positive, I have no problem in recommending this course to anyone who is either currently working within the industry or someone trying to get into it. As this course is ISO 9001 accredited any maritime security company should recognise and accept this qualification without hesitation as it meets all industry standards. I will definitely be returning for my refresher training again next year as I feel this is without doubt not only the best course but also the best value course anywhere.