Rangemaster Staff

A few thousand people in the U.S. and Europe have taken our instructor development courses over the last few decades. We’re also fortunate to have dozens of Rangemaster alumni who volunteer to assist with classes when we teach in their locales. But beyond Tom and Lynn Givens, there are only five official Rangemaster staff members. Learn more about each of them below.

John recently retired from over 20 years of service in federal law enforcement, serving primarily in uniformed patrol. He currently serves as an instructor (firearms, tactics, active shooter, & use of force), an armorer, and supervisor for his agency.

John has been a Rangemaster Staff Instructor since 2001 and has helped teach armed citizens, law enforcement officers, and military personnel across the country.

Since 2005, John has been a researcher, author, and lecturer. He has been a speaker for the National Tactical Invitational (NTI), Rangemaster Tactical Conference, Indiana SWAT Officer’s Association, Georgia Tactical Officers Association, Indiana Sheriff’s Association, and the featured speaker at the International Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors Annual Training Conference. John has over 2,000 training hours in a variety of related fields.

Tiffany is a “late bloomer” who underwent a 180-degree-conversion in the world of firearms. She grew up subscribing to common fears and misconceptions about guns and gun owners. After college, she reluctantly enrolled in a Rangemaster handgun safety course, and she was hooked. Her interests and training have expanded from handguns to shotguns and carbines. In addition to being mentored by Tom and Lynn Givens and other Rangemaster instructors, Tiffany has also trained under Jim Higginbotham, John Farnam, Craig Douglas, Massad Ayoob, and many other respected veterans of the self-defense community. She is member of the NRA and the Second Amendment Foundation, and she has earned instructor credentials from the State of Tennessee, the State of Mississippi, the National Rifle Association, the United States Concealed Carry Association, Massad Ayoob Group, and Rangemaster (Master Instructor Certification).

Aqil is the founder and lead instructor of Citizens Safety Academy. His background as a firearms instructor started at age 12, teaching urban youth in his father’s gun club. He followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming an NRA Certified Instructor at the age of 22. He has been training civilians for over 30 years and training law enforcement for over 25. His passion is teaching regular people how to keep themselves and their families safe. Credentials include:

  • Rangemaster Pistol and Shotgun Instructor Certification (Master Instructor rating)
  • Yavapai Firearms Academy Instructor Certification
  • Defense Training International Pistol Instructor Certification
  • NRA Training Counselor and Certified Instructor in the several disciplines
  • NRA Law Enforcement Pistol/Shotgun/Patrol Rifle Instructor
  • NRA Chief Range Safety Officer
  • NRA Refuse to Be a Victim Instructor and Regional Counselor
  • USCCA certified instructor
  • Federal Protective Service/DHS Approved Instructor
  • New York State Police/Armed Guard Instructor
  • Tennessee State Handgun/Armed Guard Instructor
  • IALEFI Master Instructor
  • Sabre Red Civilian and LE instructor
  • And many others

After 25 years in the field as a peace officer, Lee Weems has transitioned into a full-time training role. He previously served two terms on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (GALEFI) and is certified by GALEFI as a Master Firearms Instructor. He is a graduate of the FBI’s Law Enforcement Instructor and Police Firearms Instructor training programs. He received the Distinguished Weapons Expert rating based on his score in the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers’ Firearms Instructor Training Program. He holds a Master Instructor certification from Rangemaster, and he is a Handgun Combatives Certified instructor. He owns and operates First Person Safety, a Georgia-based training company.

Ashton co-teaches our shotgun program along with Tim Chandler. Ashton is currently a law enforcement officer in Pennsylvania and a long time student of the shotgun. He has trained extensively on the shotgun with Rangemaster (Shotgun Instructor and Advanced Instructor) as well as being rated a Rangemaster Professional Instructor with handgun. He is a factory certified armorer on the Beretta 1301 and a Vang Comp trained armorer on the Remington 870 and the Mossberg 500/590 series. A few of his other certifications include:

  • NRA Law Enforcement Instructor, Handgun, Shotgun, Patrol Rifle
  • State of Pennsylvania Certified Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor
  • Graduate of TMACS TAPS Law Enforcement Pistol Instructor Course

Tim co-teaches our shotgun and shotgun instructor development courses with Ashton Ray. Tim is a long time student of the shotgun, having trained on it extensively with Rangemaster (Defensive Shotgun Instructor and Advanced Defensive Shotgun Instructor). He has also trained with Rob and Matt Haught, and has presented a training block on the shotgun at the Tactical Conference each year since 2019. He is a factory trained armorer on the Beretta 1301, the Remington 870, and the Mossberg 500/590 series.

Tim also has an extensive education as a handgun trainer. He has trained with:

  • Rangemaster- certified Professional Firearms Instructor
  • Todd Louis Green
  • Craig Douglas
  • Greg Ellifritz
  • Ken Hackathorn
  • Kyle DeFoor and many others.