Four Days, 1,500 Rounds: How Sheriff's Deputies Train to Carry a Firearm

The Reno County Sheriff’s Office conducts a 40-hour basic handgun training course designed to prepare new deputies to safely and effectively carry a firearm in the line of duty. The course is typically completed over four days and is required before a deputy is issued a duty handgun. The handgun training is held at the new Reno County Training Complex that includes a shooting range. 

This training is intended for newly hired personnel, including jail staff and reserve deputies. Many participants enter the course with little to no prior firearms experience, so instruction begins with fundamental safety and firearm handling skills. From there, the course progressively builds toward more advanced techniques and qualification standards.

The program includes approximately nine hours of classroom instruction. About half of which focuses on legal education, including state statutes, federal law, and relevant case law. Deputies are also trained on use-of-force guidelines and the Sheriff’s Office’s firearms policies to ensure they understand the legal and procedural requirements surrounding the use of a firearm.

The remaining time is spent on practical, hands-on training at the firing range. Deputies are taught core skills such as proper grip, sight alignment, trigger control and draw. Additional instruction covers reloading, clearing malfunctions, positional shooting, and shooting while moving. Training begins at close distances - approximately a yard and a half - and progresses to distances up to 25 yards.

Each participant fires approximately 1,500 rounds over the course of the training. Deputies complete multiple live-fire qualification courses, including the Kansas CPOST standard, legacy KLETC qualifications, and a Sheriff’s Office-specific course that incorporates best practices from various law enforcement training programs.

To successfully complete the course, deputies must pass both practical and written evaluations. The practical portion requires meeting minimum scoring standards on live-fire exercises, while the written test assesses knowledge of legal concepts, policies, and safe firearm handling.

“We start at the very basics and build up from fundamental handling and safety so they can meet state standards to carry a firearm as a commissioned deputy,” said Sgt. Dustin VanScyoc.

Upon successful completion, deputies are authorized to carry a department-issued handgun while on duty. The standard issue firearm for the agency is the Glock 47, equipped with a red dot optic.

Class sizes typically range from five to 17 participants, with an optimal size of around six students. The Sheriff’s Office maintains a two-to-one instructor-to-student ratio to allow for individualized instruction and oversight. Instructors are certified through the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) and have attended other instructor level firearms related classes.

The course is offered on an as-needed basis, generally about twice per year, depending on staffing needs. Training records are maintained for each deputy to track performance and proficiency over time, supporting ongoing evaluation and development in firearms use.