I recently headed to the Range Ready Facility in Louisiana, where CZ-USA hosted us to attend a course taught by Jeff Gonzales of Trident Concepts. As you’d expect, this wasn’t just a course; it was a chance to examine and shoot the CZ DUTY at the range. Thanks to CZ-USA for hosting the event.
Most of the time, when a company reveals a new product, they show it to you, let you shoot a few magazines, and that’s it. That’s fine for a general look, but getting to take the gun through an actual class is a whole different beast, especially when the class is taught by a seasoned instructor with a solid track record.
Who Is Jeff Gonzales?
Jeff Gonzales served in the U.S. Navy as a SEAL and has been instructing for over 20 years. Jeff first came onto my radar over a decade ago when he started mounting red dots to handguns.
Jeff helped propel the concept of a pistol-mounted red dot to its current state, and from what I’ve seen, he has never failed to keep his techniques and skills up to date. I was excited about the opportunity to train with him at Range Ready, and I wasn’t disappointed.
The Trident Concepts Course
Two dozen attendees showed up to take the class, and we were split into two groups—let’s call them Chalk 1 and Chalk 2. The Range Ready facility features a massive main range with plenty of room for all 24 of us to line up and shoot.
While breaking us into two groups doubled his workload and his time roasting in the hot Louisiana sun, it also doubled the students’ capacity to learn. Working with 12 students at a time allowed Jeff to provide more individual attention.
That’s an important consideration when you remember the DUTY is a brand-new gun that many of us were shooting for the very first time. It’s not necessarily a safety issue, but this was a show-and-tell event, and more one-on-one time meant more time learning the gun
The math is simple: if you only have to watch 12 shooters, you can spot and correct their flaws far better than with 24. So while Chalk 1 shot, Chalk 2 got to sit in the shade and enjoy the cool air from a Cajun Kooler. Poor Jeff didn’t have that luxury.
Additionally, the facility had four or five range safety officers on the line at all times. I didn’t keep an exact count, but anytime you looked over your shoulder, someone was watching to ensure everything remained safe.
Between strings of fire, Jeff followed a consistent format: explain the course of fire, demonstrate it, provide detailed instruction, and answer questions. One moment that stood out was during a drill—I can’t recall which—when Jeff fired a shot that landed outside his target zone.
He paused, looked at us, explained exactly what error he made, and then reshot the drill. He owned it without making excuses, turning it into an immediate lesson on how to avoid making the same mistake.
After that, we headed to our designated targets and started making our own mistakes with the new DUTY pistol.
Going Loud with Trident Concepts
We approached the drills the same way you build a pyramid: start with the foundation and build up. We started slow and held to a strict accuracy standard.
As shooters, we had to punch tight groups, as small as possible, with no time limit. From there, we layered on speed, firing pairs, drawing from the holster, engaging multiple targets, shooting single-handed, and more.
We ran a variety of well-known drills, each tweaked to be tougher and more dynamic than usual. Instead of a standard Bill Drill, for example, we fired two rounds each into two separate targets placed at staggered distances.
Jeff also threw in occasional friendly competitions among the students. I always like competition in training because it adds an extra layer of stress, exposing either your best shooting or your underlying flaws. The end of each day featured a main match, and I managed to take second place on both days.
What can I say? Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.
Throughout the course, Jeff was right over our shoulders, diagnosing and correcting technique. Better yet, he asked probing questions: “What did you see? What did you feel?” He pushed us to diagnose our own mistakes first. If we couldn’t figure it out, he was right there to point out the issue and how to correct it.
There was also a heavy emphasis on proper red-dot mechanics: staring at the target rather than the dot, keeping your visual focus where it belongs rather than chasing the reticle. It’s something every shooter should know, but when you’re hot, sweaty, and fatigued, that reminder is invaluable.
Running the CZ DUTY
A class like this is about as good a proving ground as a new gun can get. I put roughly 600 rounds through the CZ Duty over the two days, starting with the medium grip module and switching to the large module on day two. With my 2XL hands, the bigger module gave me just a little more to hold on to.
Reliability was a non-issue. My gun never hiccupped, and with 24 of us running the DUTY through the same drills, I never heard anyone mention a malfunction. For the full breakdown, check out my CZ Duty Review.
After Action
Jeff’s teaching style is practical and straightforward. His explanations are clear and well-demonstrated, and he consistently explains why a drill matters, what skill it sharpens, and what common traps to watch for.
Starting deliberately and working our way up wasn’t just the safest approach; it was the most effective way to build toward dynamic, high-speed shooting.
The range environment remained controlled and safe throughout, with zero safety violations. Having dedicated RSOs keeping watch across the firing line made sure any potential issue was handled right away.
If you’re looking for practical, safe, and engaging firearm instruction, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Jeff Gonzales and Trident Concepts. Check out the Trident Concepts course schedule to find a class near you.
A Few Things Worth Adding
Jeff Gonzales is a former U.S. Navy SEAL and the founder of Trident Concepts, which he started more than 20 years ago. He was an early adopter of red dots on handguns, running them on pistols as far back as 2009-2010.
Yes. Trident Concepts offers courses for civilians, including concealed carry classes, as well as training for law enforcement and military students.
On the target. Jeff’s emphasis in class was to keep your eyes on the target and let the dot come to it, rather than chasing the dot.
A striker-fired, modular 9mm that CZ launched on October 6, 2026. It has a removable serialized chassis, swappable grip modules, and a direct-mount optics system, and it starts at $729 MSRP.
