About US

MISSION

At Bear Arms Training, our mission is you. We offer exceptional firearms training, personalized instruction, and a strong focus on planning, preparation, and safety, all rooted in real-world scenarios. Our expert instructors are dedicated to providing comprehensive training to help you excel in personal protection and self-defense.

A NRA Approved Training School

Nate Bearield

Nate Bearfield is the Owner/Lead Instructor of Bear Arms Training, a premier provider of firearms training in Virginia. With a strong reputation for delivering advanced firearms instruction, Nate has trained active FBI agents, members of the United States Marine Corps, and the U.S. Army.

As an instructor, his extensive Range Master Certification
underscores his commitment to firearms safety and excellence in training.
Nate specializes in self-defense training and real-world scenario training, empowering law-abiding citizens with the skills necessary for personal protection. His comprehensive Virginia firearms courses include concealed carry training and advanced firearms instruction, tailored to meet the needs of both beginners and experienced shooters.

Bear Arms Training is also focusing on making classes more personalized by creating opportunities for students to fine-tune their shooting skills in all classes.

ACCOLADES / TRAINING

Range Master, Graduate, Advanced Pistol Instructor
Active Self Protection Instructor Course, Graduate, Expert Witness Preparation
Modern Samurai Project, Scott Jedlinski
Tim Herron, Tim Herron Shooting
Special Operations Combatives (SOCP) Force-on-Force Program, Warrior Poet Society
Maryland State Police, Wear and Carry, Instructor
Weapons Control Board, Prince William County
Elite Shooting Sports, Active Shooter Threat Response
OnSight Firearms Training, Ben DeWalt

In addition to his instructional expertise, Nate is expanding his skills into competitive shooting, further enhancing his knowledge and proficiency in the firearms field.

Mastering shooting reqires precise technique, unwavering focus, and consistent practice. How you train will determine your success!

– Nate Bearfield

Testimonials

The best firearms training coarse. You’re not only taught on a physical level but also the mental and emotional level. Amazing lecture and the training feels very much like a 1:1 even when in groups. Highly recommend!

Kaitlyn Ashby
10/05/2024
My training experience with Bear Arms Yesterday 9-21-2024 I took Bear Arms' EDC 1.0 Principals of Concealed Carry training. Nate Bearfield was our instructor. The course was very comprehensive and covered in depth: responsibilities that come with owning a firearm, safety, legal aspects of gun ownership, what justifies the lawful use of lethal force in defense of life, what to expect should an unexpected worst case scenario happen and you ever have to use lethal force to defend life and how to prepare for dealing with the aftermath of such an event before it happens, some real world examples of life-taking and life-threatening crimes, and more. The course also provided insight into some of the dark reality which necessitates the stopping of a threat to life, which i will never forget; it was very sobering. Following the classroom work was time and instruction at the gun range which was also outstanding. Nate can not only teach extremely well but he can also do extremely well. As time and circumstances permit, I will be signing up for more training. Thank you Nate for the great training!

David Sunkel
9/22/2024
Basic pistol course Nate was a pleasure to learn from. He challenged my daughter and I during our class instruction because the class was small, there was a lot of opportunity for one on one instruction for all shooters which was excellent. This was my daughter’s first official handgun instructional course and she did awesome. She learned quite a bit from Nate, and he was very informative and hands on in his instruction. That is why we took the course so that my daughter could learn more and become a better, more responsible shooter & future handgun owner. Thank you Nate! Greatly appreciate your help.

Lee Martin
4/20/2024
Highly Recommend!! Do not look elsewhere! Ladies First course was incredibly educational and lots of fun! Nate Bearfield is extremely knowledgeable. The class is very interactive and easy to understand. It is evident that Mr. Bearfield truly cares about your personal growth and knowledge. He even takes his class a step further and offers to assist you make a decision on a type of firearm that is right for you. At the range there was one-on-one personalized training for each of us which was so wonderful since each of us had different needs and areas of improvement. HIGHLY recommend this course!! You will not be disappointed.

Lisa Joy
Real Estate Agent, Lisa Joy, Realtor
1/14/2024
A first-class program! Had a wonderful bonding experience at Bear Arms Training with my son while he was home from college over the Holidays. I loved our training session with owner/instructor Nate Bearfield! Nate is passionate and dedicated to being an extremely knowledgeable and experienced instructor who is committed to developing safe, responsible gun owners and citizens. His classroom and range instruction was masterful and attentive to the needs of each of us (a beginner and a 22-year Army veteran) with the right amount of knowledge sharing, encouragement and self-reflection that made learning fun and memorable. This is a first-class program with its own private range and multiple different firearms available to "test drive" for fit, options, and familiarization. I am already looking forward to my next session with my son!

Steve Swanson
1/03/2024
Instructor Nate I had Nate as a private firearm instructor. He was awesome!!! Incredibly knowledgeable, patient, motivating, encouraging. I loved our session. Nate has a true passion for teaching/helping people...amazing instructor and high quality person. Totally recommend.

Dave OBrien
12/06/2023
Training above and beyond expectations I recently attended a CCW course given by Nate Bearfield. The course exceeded my expectations. Nate is a people person. He genuinely cares about his students. If you want the best possible training with someone who treats you like family, Nate is your guy. When teachers have the ability to make learning fun, you will get more out of the work and hours invested. You will look forward to regular training to keep proficient. I highly recommend Bear Arms training.

John Murphy
Self
11/05/2022
Ladies First Training Course The training was very informative and the manner of instruction was very practical. I could easily relate to the importance of the topics presented and Nate did an outstanding job keeping the training interesting. He also did an excellent job in emphasizing firearms safety and is clearly very passionate about making sure all students understand how important the safe handling of firearms is. I also enjoyed that Nate allowed us to try firing different firearms on the shooting range. That opportunity provided me the chance to personally experience the differences between the different firearms. Overall, this was a fantastic learning experience which I know will be of great value to me as I build my experience on the shooting range.

Nicole Blair
N/A, N/A
8/24/2022
Pistol Fundamentals Class To become eligible for my concealed carry permit, I took the pistol fundamentals course. I quickly came to the conclusion that if you want to own and operate a firearm responsibly, there is a ton of material to learn and analyze. Nate gave students abundant opportunity to ask questions, and his classroom instruction method—a discussion-based approach—allowed for lots of engaging discussion between students and the teacher. Nate took the effort to make sure everyone on the range was comfortable with their surroundings. He also spent a lot of one-on-one time with each student on the range to assist them in determining what they could improve upon. Throughout the whole teaching of the class, Nate's expertise, enthusiasm, and "why" were very evident. It's fantastic that you can tell he genuinely cares about helping people. I wholeheartedly endorse this course for anyone interested in learning how to shoot for fun, self-defense, or simply to get more knowledge about firearm safety. 5 out of 5 would recommend!

Alex S.
7/24/2022
Great Training Nate did a great job training us! If you are looking for a trainer that is not only good at their subject matter but also has a strong why, this is the company for you.

Timothy Nelson
CEO, Bull Run Financial Group
7/24/2022