About Us
Andy Bell-Owner
I have been shooting for 40 years and weaponry was part of my youth. The Rock Island Shootery came into being as a result of this hobby. I held the rank of Command Sergeant Major in the Army, was an Army Ranger and shot with and trained with some of the finest combat shooters in the United States. While shooting is a hobby, it was always done with improvements in mind. Training shooters is a lifelong pursuit and one that became reality at the Shootery. I recognized a void in shooting instruction in the market place some years ago. The training I saw was boringly mundane at a fundamental level and extremely expensive at the expert level. More succinctly, shooting ranges would not allow any type of shooting based on reality. Shooting lanes were straight to the front, only single fire was allowed and a shooter could not train themselves or be trained on likely hostile events. Multiple targets, rapid fire, draws from concealment were not and most often are not allowed. It is this disconnect we address at The Rock Island Shootery. It was built with realistic training to the ordinary shooter. It was geared to serve unsure shooters and equip them with a sound ability to effectively confront a hostile threat. Women, executives, young adults, people at risk, and anyone who wants to pursue mastery of hand held firearms.
SSG Jeramy Smith-Advising Director and Guest Instructor
Jeramy is a nationally recognized shooter, competition shooter, and experienced where it matters: In combat. Jeramy served 8 years in the 75th Ranger Regiment and is currently instructing at the 75th Ranger Regiment. He was the number 1 Pistol shooter in Joint Special Operations Command which encompasses arguably some of the finest combat shooters on earth. Additionally, Jeramy served in the 3rd Ranger Battalion in numerous deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. In my view, one the finest and most capable instructors, shooters, and Americans I have ever known.
SSG Smith is a member of U.S.P.S.A. and competes in 3 gun and multi-gun competitions throughout the south and southeast.
Josh Gamboa- Guest Instructor
Josh has been shooting with us for several years. Josh exited the Army as a Sergeant First Class and spent 8 years in the 2nd Ranger Battalion at Fort Lewis, Washington. With 6 combat tours under his belt in both Afghanistan and Iraq as a Ranger, Josh's credentials are impeccable. Additionally, Josh was a the winner of the 75th Ranger Regimental Combative's competition which, bluntly stated, is a "man on man fighting competition" with some of the finest hand-to-hand fighters on earth. He didn't compete - He WON. His technical eye on weaponry and instruction personality makes him a natural asset to our staff.
It is an honor to have such high level experts as guest instructors.