CCW

[pinecone70]

I am signed up for concealed carry class on Sunday morning. I'm nervous already, after receiving the liability waiver in the mail the other day....I could get shot by some newbie! OMG! If all goes well with the county application, I could be licensed to carry in just over a month.

[Mjolnir]

No worries and hopefully you have a good instructor. I had a lot of fun and learned a lot too.

[Suwannee Tim]

I've had many newbies and veterans point firearms at me, I can say that I'm not enthusiastic about it. I haven't been shot yet. Won't be surprised if I am. Pretty good to get a permit in a month, my wife's took five.

[pinecone70]

Well.....The county's website says about a month, that doesn't mean they will get it right in the mail. My permit to buy pistols took twice as long last year, due to lots of applicants.

[mrkirker]

Good luck on the garnering the permit, pinecone. You'll do just fine. And, if the instructor is worth his salt, after one warning, he'll D/Q anyone flashing folks with their firearm.

[Pistolenschutze]

There's no reason to be nervous, Pine. The instructors in such classes are almost always very well qualified, and are careful to see the newbies don't get hurt, or hurt someone else. You should also get a little range time out of the deal. When I applied for my CCW here in Colorado, the whole process took only about a month as I recall, and part of that was because our local sheriff likes to meet the people who get permits. He had all the permitees meet at his office so he could hand out the permits personally. Of course, I live in a small county population wise, so it was possible for him to do that.

Congrats on making the wise decision to go through the process and get a permit, by the way! Odds are, you will never have to draw a weapon, and that is what one always hopes will be the case. Yet the world we live in can be a dangerous place, and having the means and skills to defend oneself at need, can be a gift beyond price. Best of luck!

[pinecone70]

Thanks, Pistol! I have done a ton of thinking about the responsibility of carrying and all the implications. Minnesota is a non-concealed state, but the law tells everyone that the general public had better NOT see anyone carrying openly. It is also against the rules here to defend a stranger. I will learn all the details in class about the laws and behaviors expected of me. I know I will probably never have to draw a weapon on anyone, but I would rather have the option than not.

[ARB]

I'm sure you'll be fine. I took my class through Bass Pro for free. The instructors were very good. I was nervous however, that some of the folks in the class had never fired a handgun before. They passed the whole class. One thing I did like was that if they thought anyone looked or acted questionably they said they were out. I wish it was a little more selective. Anyway, have fun, it's always good to get to the range.

[carver]

Originally Posted by pinecone70

I am signed up for concealed carry class on Sunday morning. I'm nervous already, after receiving the liability waiver in the mail the other day....I could get shot by some newbie! OMG! If all goes well with the county application, I could be licensed to carry in just over a month.

As my instructor said: "Do what I tell you, and there is no way you will fail! If you don't do what I tell you, when I tell you, you will be leaving here real quick"! No body got sent home!
Enjoy!

[Double Deuce]

I am still waiting through the 80 days it is taking to get mine, should have it by mid Sept.

[Prizefighter]

In my experience, the CCW class is more about being exposed to the rules and regulations, along with a smidgen of firearm safety. There's no time spent on technique or skill. In other words, easy peasy.

Congrats, by the way. Even if you don't have to be a deadeye, it's still very satisfying to slip that card in your wallet.

[artabr]

I'm sure that you'll do great, Pinecone.


Art

[pawn]

You will enjoy the experience and likely end up tops in the class.

[sabashimon]

Good luck Pinecone!

[kutaho]

You'll give em what for.

Just keep an eye on the newbie's.

[hayes1966]

This is not like a high school/college exam. As an instructor I want to see you handle the firearm in a safe and responsible manner. That is all you have to do, the rest is up to the instructor, it is his job to teach.

[pickenup]

Slice of pie........
or
Piece of cake.......
or
Whatever.......

Don't worry, you will do fine.

[pinecone70]

Thanks everybody! I am looking forward to it now. I purchased a couple of holsters last night and like them both, one IWB and the other a minimalist belt holster. Having trouble finding a belt though, I'll have to look in other stores because Cabela's didn't have any.

[45nut]

Originally Posted by pinecone70

Well.....The county's website says about a month, that doesn't mean they will get it right in the mail. My permit to buy pistols took twice as long last year, due to lots of applicants.

You need a permit to BUY a handgun? Where the hell is that in the Constitution? I thought only the Socialist North East ran programs like that, oh and Kalifornicate?

When will it end?

[pinecone70]

Yes indeed. In MN, the state does a background check and then issues a paper permit, good for one year, to purchase pistols. There is no cost to the applicant, at least *snark*. The concealed carry permit will allow me to purchase pistols for the full five years, so I hope my application is approved. I think the number of applicants has dropped so hopefully the sheriff's department isn't overrun with applications now. I don't really know.

I do like being 'sheriff approved' and background checked though, for some reason.

[ARB]

Originally Posted by pinecone70

Thanks everybody! I am looking forward to it now. I purchased a couple of holsters last night and like them both, one IWB and the other a minimalist belt holster. Having trouble finding a belt though, I'll have to look in other stores because Cabela's didn't have any.

It could be totally different up there, but we couldn't use holsters. They had a chair in front of us to lay the firearm on between qualifications. (Probably, to lessen the chance for a student to shoot themself in the foot.)

[pinecone70]

I'm sure they won't allow holsters in class, I just bought them for eventual carry.

The instructors will probably keep a sharp eye on the class, I'm sure there will be some new gun handlers there. The roster says that we should "bring a gun you are competent with" to class, but they also offer rentals for people that have never touched a gun before.....OMG....

[Pistolenschutze]

Just out of curiosity, Pine, which pistol do you plan to carry when you get your permit?

[TranterUK]

Originally Posted by pinecone70

I am signed up for concealed carry class on Sunday morning. I'm nervous already, .

Well done pinecone. Nervous? You will be, for about five minutes. By the end of the course you will want to talk about nothing else. I have done many courses and always started nervous. Heres a laugh. The first time I stood in front of a class as in instructor having just qualified, I could hardly speak for the lump in my throat. It was foreign weapons familiarisation, and I almost dropped an AK47 on my foot!

Just give it your best shot, so to speak.

[pinecone70]

Originally Posted by Pistolenschutze

Just out of curiosity, Pine, which pistol do you plan to carry when you get your permit?

Um, as much as I hate to admit it, the only suitable carry gun I have is the Walther PPK/S...

I do have faith that the sucker has been fixed and fine tuned by S&W now. I have tested it at the range and will continue to do so. Many holes in the silhouette target at center mass.

If I can decide on a more appropriate carry model, I do have a gunsmith/FFL buddy that can order guns for me, as the selection in the local shops is very poor.