A POSSE AD ESSE

MISSION

CHAMPION the responsible use of defensive firearms and SUPPORT the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States through training, education, and outreach.

VISION

GROW the gun community in a meaningful way by providing NRA Pistol Instructor Certification courses to qualified candidates

TRAIN responsible citizens to use appropriate levels of justifiable force, while defending themselves and their loved ones; to control the outcome of the fight - and WIN

VALUES

PROVIDE

Safety and realism in training

DELIVER

High quality customer service

UPHOLD

The NRA "GOLD STANDARD" of firearms training

CHALLENGE

The "Square Range" paradigm 

ELEVATE

Individual shooting performance

PRODUCE

Performance-based individual results

Since 2017, TEAM RICHARDS has trained over 400 shooters in all pistol disciplines, including advanced NRA pistol shooting courses; and we have certified over 100 NRA Pistol Instructors, over 80 NRA Range Safety Officers, and over 60 NRA Chief Range Safety Officers (as of DEC 2025).

TEAM RICHARDS has also developed a series of tactical pistol courses known as "GUNFIGHTER", as well as well as a series of AR-15 courses that range from introductory Carbine to Advanced Tactical Shooting (Rifle and Pistol combined), that are not available anywhere else in NM.

Over 60% of our students trained are female, and over 80% are minorities. Over 20% of our NRA Certified Instructors and Chief Range Safety Officers are female and 60% are minorities. Over 30% of all persons trained students are from outside New Mexico. Students come from as far away as Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas to train with TEAM RICHARDS.

TEAM RICHARDS has certified members of the El Paso Police Department (TX), the NASA Police Department (WSMR), The Las Cruces Police Department (NM), the Bosque Farms Police Department, the Espanola Police Department, The Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (Artesia), and The United States Army (Ft. Bliss, TX).

TEAM RICHARDS Cadre of Advanced Pistol Instructors include law enforcement officers, military veterans, private investigators, security contractors, personal protection professionals, competition shooters, and armed citizens from all over New Mexico (USA).

TEAM RICHARDS offers training courses in New Mexico (USA) ONLY.

 WHY TEAM RICHARDS?

TEAM RICHARDS is an extension of the Richards family of Southern New Mexico, which has grown to encompass hundreds of students and instructors from New Mexico and Texas.

The "TEAM" concept was born out of our professional origins working with the NRA Training Program at Fort Bliss (TX), where NRA Certified Instructors were recruited, selected, and developed under the supervision of a NRA Training Counselor. The diversity of experience and training backgrounds in that program combined to create unique experiences for students in the program. Many long-term relationships forged during that time still remain, consolidated with teammates we have recruited, selected, and developed ourselves. 

We continue to develop "cohorts" of instructors as they progress through their advanced pistol instructor training, introducing the "team" concept as early as Basic Instructor and Basic Pistol Instructor training. "We all need more friends," so we encourage networks and foster teamwork everywhere we go. One person, alone, can achieve much. With the mutual support of a collaborative of certified professionals, everyone benefits - most of all, the students who enroll in training.