What was your CCW course like?

[webyourbusiness]

I did my CCW course this afternoon at my local range - it was a fairly long course, from 1PM and we got done at just past 6PM - so I can now apply for a CCW permit. The instructor is the swat trainer for a nearby city (current serving with just about 30 years service) and we had to take a multiple choice test which required 100% pass rate and a fairly easy qualification shoot - is that normal? - they said it was over and above what most CCW courses require, which I believe as my local county guidelines state ANY handgun training course will do.

The qual shoot was 5 repetition of draw from concealment at 15 ft with a 5 second exposure, we had to reholster in the next 5 seconds before the target entered the next repetition. That was followed by 5 repetitions of a 7 ft with 4 second exposure, followed by 5 reps of 5 ft with a 3 second exposure. scoring was done with a center mass box equalling 5, outside box 4 point and outside that 0 - total possible score was 75, with a required "pass" rate of 80% or 60 out of a possible 75. I shot 4th out of 12 of us qualifying - and was the first to shoot a 100%, although one guy only dropped a single point. After me I think another 4 or 5 shooters max scored as well... it wasn't THAT hard, although before I'd seen it done it sounded tougher than it actually was.

[MakeMineaP99]

I live in a free state, no class required.

[webyourbusiness]

Technically, no "class" is required - but proof of competence is...

From: http://www.weldsheriff.com/CSOC_CCW_APPLICATION.pdf

1. Evidence of experience with a firearm through participation in organized shooting competitions or current military service.

2. Evidence that, at the time the application is submitted, the applicant is a certified instructor.

3. Proof of honorable discharge from a branch of the United States Armed Forces within the three years preceding submittal of the application.

4. Proof of honorable discharge from a branch of the United States Armed Forces that reflects pistol qualifications obtained within the ten years preceding submittal of the application.

5. A certificate showing retirement from a Colorado Law Enforcement Agency that reflects pistol qualifications obtained within the ten years preceding submittal of the application.

6. A training certificate from a “handgun training class”. Which is defined as a firearms safety course offered by a law enforcement agency (including Division of Wildlife hunter safety card), an institution of higher education, or a public or private institution or organization or firearms training school, that is open to the general public and is taught by a certified instructor, obtained within the ten years preceding submittal of the application. The applicant shall submit the original training certificate or a photocopy thereof that includes the original signature of the class instructor. In obtaining a training certificate from a handgun training class, the applicant shall have discretion in selecting which handgun training class to complete.

The last sentence pretty much leaves it wide open - sounds to me like a basic NRA handgun safety would suffice... but I took this because it included a good portion on the statutes and other good stuff.

[918v]

That's a harder course of fire than I ever had to do.

[creophus]

Did mine at the local gun show. A buddy of mine looked for guns while I sat in the class. There were no walls so you could see hear what else was going on in the show, so that was a bit distracting. From there we went to the range to fire ONE round. They signed off and that was that.

The info was very good though. The most important thing I remember is that even if you have a gun, DON'T GO LOOKING FOR TROUBLE!!

[Pitmaster]

I live in a free state, no class required.

And its a lifetime license.:thumbsup:

[Rick]

I had to sit through about 6 hours of classroom. Also had to demonstrate the ability to load a revolver and semi auto with the instructors guns and dummy rounds. There was a written test at the end. The test is not required in the state law but this is the instructors policy.

For the range portion you had to practice shooting at least 50 rounds. You had to shoot both a revolver and semi auto. You could shoot 49 rounds through one type and 1 round through the other.

The actual test was 20 rounds on a NRA B27 target at 7 yards with at least 18 (IIRC) of them on paper.

[glock27mark]

5 hours, thats short. our class was 8 hours. 5 classroom and 3 onthe range.
but all in all it was very informative.

[slowride]

5-6hr course, pretty informative.

[MONTEGOD7SS]

Back home in TN one of the CCW instructors is a current LEO and truly believes that everyone should have a gun. The "test" consists of him reading out the answers and everybody writing them down. He said he hasn't had anybody fail the test yet. :rofl:

Next up is the "field" test which is fired from two, five and ten yards I believe, and all you have to do is hit black on a torso target. Little ole lady was in the class and almost didn't pass but luckily she put a few of them through one hole. :animlol:

Gotta love classes like that.

[BIGGUNGOBOOM]

Next up is the "field" test which is fired from two, five and ten yards I believe, and all you have to do is hit black on a torso target. Little ole lady was in the class and almost didn't pass but luckily she put a few of them through one hole. :animlol:.


I love it.

ours was a 16 hour class but was a body guard class.
the normal nevada one is bout 4 hours class and one hour shoot

[Frost]

Eight hours in the class then a shooting proficiency test.
The classroom part was looooooooong, the instructor tried to keep it interesting but still it was way more time than he really needed. The state mandates 8 classroom hours, one of our legislators took the class and introduced an amendment to shorten the time, I have not heard anymore about that though.

I think I could do the shooting part with my eyes closed.
I practically did.
I took it right after having really bad pneumonia and my vision was so blurred I could not see well enough to align the sites. I shot by Zen and scored 100%.

[freakshow10mm]

8 hours classroom, 10 minute range.

10rds at a pie plate at 7y slow fire from low ready for each shot
10rds at a pie plate at 7y as fast as we could pull the trigger and still hit the target
10rds at three pie plates 2rds each plate until slide lock

Supposed to be 5hrs classroom, 3hrs range.

[BigSlick]

Mine been pretty simple.

Walk in, they see who I am, I tell em I know Koski, I get my permit on da spot, good ta go.

4 minutes max.

Fella dat taught my last class was something to be believed.

Only thing dat spook me in a CCW class is some a da others attendees. Some pretty good wit a gun, we in Texas, so you a expect dat, others brutally inept.

Some got no bidness wit a gun in they posession. Instructor was pretty good about it, but went strictly by da book. You ain't prepared, you don't pass, you cain't handle a gun, you don't pass, you fail either test, you don't pass. No hand holdin for da weak or inexperienced, just a reccomendation to learn some basic gun handling and safety skills an try again.

He wasn't about tryin ta help errybody pass, just present da material put out by da state an test. If ya pass, great. If not, dats your problem.

He wasn't a jerk or anythang, it was what it was supposed to be, a training class in the laws/specifics of state guidelines and a shooting proficiency test.

No cuttin granny any slack cause she couldn't shoot dat 686 worth a damn an no slack for da nerd dat couldn't load a mag in his own damn gun

A couple of em was kinda put off by dat, but hey, what da hell it supposed ta be ? You jus want one so we a make it easy ?

Nope, sorry, homey don't play dat.

Shootin test was five different drills, timed and scored. Best possible score 250 on the shooting test. 80% required ta pass. It a take a idiot ta miss at da ranges tested. If ya cain't hit at those ranges, you really need some time on a range to brush up on ya skill.

I pass both wit a perfect score, but dat ain't no huge accomplishment.

He tryin ta give me crap about shootin da test wit handloads an told me shoot factory is all dat he gonna accept. I say OK, gimme my money back an I a go somewhere else cause I carry with these exact handloads an why da hell it a make any dfference ta him ? He got all bowed up an I aks him where da hell it say no handloads in da state regulations - it don't say no handloads in da state regulations.

He start tellin me *if* I had ta blah blah blah... you done yet ?

I shot da test wit my handloads an picked up my brass too, plus a lil extra (;) ) He didn't like dat too much either but hey, what he gonna do ?

Class ain't about livin up ta his standard, it about livin up to da state standard.

He told me he hope I never actually need ta use my gun in a SD situation cause usin handloads gonna get me killed.

I told him I hope I never hafta actually use my gun in a SD situation for any reason handload or not, but if I did, I a call him for some store bought ammo reccomendation when thangs look like they gonna get hot, jus so I a be safe ;)

He jus give me dat look, an finished my prints and pics, didn't say nothin else.

I wuz gonna shoot it all hollywood ta mess wit him a lil bit, but I couldn't do it witout laughin, so I just got thru it like I normally shoot.

[WalterGA]

No class in GA! The next step, of couse, would be a class required for firearms ownership.

[zdogk9]

No class required here in Washington, shall issue State. One of the local deputies gives a class in the state laws relating to self defense, well worth attending.
County sheriff he figures everyone should carry.

[mbradst]

My class was loooooooong. It was 10 hours and two hours of range time. Ohio requires 12 hours with at least 10 of them classroom instruction. My wife took the class with me. First time I ever saw her fire a gun. That was one of the hottest things I have ever seen in my life.

[coltc]

Mine was 12hrs all in one day. Forget the break down exactly but so many hours in the classroom then so many on the range.

The range time was pretty cool. First up they had the people with little to no experience shooting and behind them, watching them to make sure they were safe, was the more experienced people in the class. I was one of the more experienced.

After the limited experience people shot, we were up next. We went thru more difficult shooting than they did. The instructor shut off the lights and it was pretty damn dark and we shot. Different drawing methods, light levels, points of aim, etc.

After the class, you took your crap down to the Sheriff's office and applied for the permit. Two weeks later I had mine.

[saunderscc]

My class in Norfolk, VA was only 3 hours. Two classroom and one shooting. Nothing special. I say Norfolk, because shovel66 over in VA Beach, didn't have to go to class. He just showed up at the courthouse and put in the paperwork. I guess in VA it just depends on the locality for requiring a course or not.

[HellsBelle]

I've had permits in two states, TN and MS. I've been carrying since 1999.

TN requires a range and a written test and some paperwork. There's about 4 hours or so of class time, about 4 hours of range time. You get your license about a month after submitting your paperwork.

MS requires a set of fingerprints, a set of passport photos, a bunch of documents to be filled out and notarized and a hell of a lot of waiting. It took me 120 days + for my permit to come in from the time I submitted my paperwork.

[ept000]

Here in California, yes some of us in California do have CCW's, we had to take a two day class. Eight hours per day, four hours in the classroom and four hours on the range per day. The guy that used to teach the class was great and would have a very long question and answer sesion. The four hours per day on the range was some of the best instruction a person will ever get for the money. I was surprised how many people were taking their guns out of the package FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME! We did a lot of shooting, a few hundred rounds per person. At the end of the class there is a timed shooting test at different distances, and even one handed. If you don't pass, you stay after class and do it again until you do. I have no problem with more extensive shooting tests. After all, these same people are out on the streets with the rest of us, and if they ever need their weapon I want them to have a decent chance of hitting what they are shooting at.

[xtimberman]

The Texas thing was pretty much covered above. Newby CHL applicants have more classroom hours than renewals. Some instructors make the course interesting and some are giant blowhards.

At my last renewal, I witnessed something very interesting. A husband/wife pair were planning to qualify on revolvers, and Texas has an interesting CHL qualifying quirk concerning revolvers. If you qualify with a revolver, you are allowed to "carry" only revolvers, but if you qualify with an auto pistol, you can "carry" any type of concealable firearm. The instructor was adamant that everyone qualify on auto pistols, so he supplied the husband/wife pair with two of his own personal G-19s.

They were both reluctant and nervous - neither were familiar with Glocks. He hadn't fired an autoloader in many years, and she had never even handled one. They were given about one minute of familiarization and both easily qualified. Admittedly, the course of fire is simple, but I still believe that this incident is a testament to the simplicity of the Glock.

xtm

[ept000]

The Texas thing was pretty much covered above. Newby CHL applicants have more classroom hours than renewals. Some instructors make the course interesting and some are giant blowhards.

At my last renewal, I witnessed something very interesting. A husband/wife pair were planning to qualify on revolvers, and Texas has an interesting CHL qualifying quirk concerning revolvers. If you qualify with a revolver, you are allowed to "carry" only revolvers, but if you qualify with an auto pistol, you can "carry" any type of concealable firearm. The instructor was adamant that everyone qualify on auto pistols, so he supplied the husband/wife pair with two of his own personal G-19s.

They were both reluctant and nervous - neither were familiar with Glocks. He hadn't fired an autoloader in many years, and she had never even handled one. They were given about one minute of familiarization and both easily qualified. Admittedly, the course of fire is simple, but I still believe that this incident is a testament to the simplicity of the Glock.

xtm
That's very intresting. Our renewal is supposed to require you shooting every gun listed on your permit. In the intrest of saving time the instructor will allow you to qualify with the gun that is the most difficult to shoot, and if you pass he will sign you off on the rest of them, which makes perfect sense to me. Of course our instructor is also a very normal, level headed guy, who loves to shoot and reload. He also stopped by one day to tell my daughter that he had watcher her shoot one day, and was very proud of not only how well she shot, but how safe she was as well. That kind of thing goes a LONG way in my book. He's a good egg.

[SSDD45]

The best training in MN, http://www.slr15.com/handguncourses.html#handgun1
You get hands on training, shooting over 300 rds!

Direct from the web site:
Handgun 1 - MN Permit to Carry

Outline and Course Objectives
The Handgun 1 Course is designed for the novice shooter or remedial training for the more experienced shooter.


The handgun is primarily a defensive weapon. Small and easy to conceal, it is often the first choice when selecting a firearm for defense. The handgun is the most difficult to master in comparison to the shotgun, carbine/rifle, or sub-machine gun.


If you are going to be relying on a handgun for self-defense, then you need to be able to use it properly with accuracy and safety.


Our emphasis is to introduce the Fundamentals of Firearms Safety to the novice, and will teach the skills necessary to properly use the revolver and semi-automatic handgun in a self-defense situation.


Successful completion of this course qualifies as approved training for a Minnesota Permit to Carry. Defensive Edge is a MN BCA Approved Training Provider.


The hands-on course will cover the following:

Legal aspects of owning, transporting, and using a firearm for self-defense
Tactics of self-defense
Proper Stance
Grip
Draw Stoke/Presentation/Reholstering
Sight Alignment/Sight Picture
Trigger Press
Reloading
Malfunctions
Firearms Safety Issues (range/home/on-off duty)
Ballistic Issues
Cleaning and maintenance

[KpaxFAQ]

No class required in the great gun state of PA! :sifone:

[freakshow10mm]

The way it should be.

[Bogey]

My class was 2 hrs, 50 minutes long.

Shot 15 rounds at 7 yards.

[Steve Koski]

At my ccw course they asked which of us were going to carry pepper spray, then they sprayed us.

Then they asked which of us were going to carry guns, then they shot us.

Life is tough in Montana.

[MullahElRon]

I'd hate to have a bunch of people runnin' 'round with guns that actually knew what to do wid 'em. T'aint natural.

[Frost]

Steve

Where did they shoot you?
Is that why your voice is so high?:rolleyes5:

[918v]

At my ccw course they asked which of us were going to carry pepper spray, then they sprayed us.

Then they asked which of us were going to carry guns, then they shot us.

Life is tough in Montana.


:rofl:

[Nature Boy]

We got spend about an hour and a half talking to a old lawyer that had been a LEO, and a Judge who let us ask a lot of questions.

I thought it was amazing how he could answer a question 3 or 4 different ways but he did it by using the point of view of the cop, the judge, and the lawyer.

The shooting was done by a guy with lots of credentials who really knew his stuff. There were some people there that literally were touching guns for the first time but he had them up to speed in just a few minutes.

There was even one guy who came over to me cause he noticed that I had a glock and asked, "I know what the thing here on the left side does but what are these two little things on either side for". I told him they were for taking the slide off to clean the gun, " he said, you mean that comes off".

[cvfl]

That's very interesting. Our renewal is supposed to require you shooting every gun listed on your permit.
In TX if you qualify with a revolver - you get a permit for revolver only. You qualify with an auto - you can carry either (or both).
My class was boring as hell. Wife and I shot side by side - and both aced it using our little subcompacts. Instructor told us that was the best he'd seen people shoot the test in awhile. I was proud of wifey.

[yammerschooner]

8 hours of class. 50 rounds of ammo.

[DCGoth]

Florida has a rather liberal choice of classes. You can qualify at a gun show with a brief lecture and firing one round.

I chose to take a course that was 8 AM - 5 PM - 4 hours class time, and 4 hours range time. We fired 250 rounds at varying distances, multiple targets, using 10 rounds, four silhouettes across lanes, double tapping the first three, then four into the last target. We then did moving targets, having to empty the magazine before the target arrived to the line. Our final two shots were one fired point-blank into the target and one fired two inches from the target.

We also fired double-handed, right-handed and left-handed, only being allowed to use one hand to drop and insert the mag, chamber the round and fire.

I plan on taking his two tactical courses, the first of which is 400 rounds and the second being 500 rounds.

Our instructor was a retired marine. He also will continue to answer any questions on an unending basis. The course wasn't the cheapest, but I do feel like I took away a great deal of knowledge and experience.

[Phunahm]

My class was great the instructors were both Police officers and funny as hell.....the class was 8 hours long 5 class time 3 range.....they didn't care if you could group rounds we used actually silhouette targets and make sure you could hit that target in a low ready point of attack, they just wanted to make sure you knew how to handle a fire a gun properly.....the test 80% was the requirement ....I'm actually thinking about going to their more advance class also......:patriot:

[Warhorse]

That sounds a lot like my class. we did have to keep all shots fired on an 8 1/2" X 11" piece of paper though (that was the target).

[bricks]

I'se a popo in Tejas. All I gots to do is get my supervisor to sign off on a letter saying I ain't had no complaints agin me, I ain't been convicted of whoopin wife, what guns I farred at tha qualification range, and a few other things, then send it along wit fangerprints and $25, and I gets my license for another 5 years.

Easy.

[BOM]

A joke.

[nwsalmon]

No testing required in WA. Just pay the fee and wait for the CPL to arrive in the mail.

[PCFlorida]

The class was hosted at a local gun shop / range and was taught by the firearms instructor for the local Sheriff's dept. About 3 hours class time and an hour on the range. He was more concerned (rightly so) with safety than if you could hit the target.

[thorn]

Ohio mandates around 12 hrs of training/classroom... so mine was something like 8am-3pm on a saturday & sunday.

Lots of classroom time discussing the history of guns, different calibers, basic cleaning, equipment, very generalized instruction on the legal ramifications. How to get a sight picture, stance, etc. Info on range commands, and how the qualification worked.

We hit the range on Sunday, with some time for warm-up. Final qualification was shooting at 3yds and 7yrds, plus a written NRA test.

The instructor was really good. Big on safety. He wouldn't let you coast through the classroom; attention was mandatory... and honestly, I just soaked up all the knowledge and enjoyed the lecturing and the history. Learning more about guns is never boring to me.

Only one guy failed. More accurately, he was tossed out of class after being 90 mins late the second day. Immature gangbanger type... honestly, I think the entire class was glad to see him gone.

thorn

[DarkBlue]

My class in New Mexico was two days long and covered NM CCL laws, qualification shooting at 3 yards and 7 yards, general handgun safety.

[Hal-koll]

Another CA license holder here, each county is a little different.
I sat through 8hrs of talk time and about 30 minutes of range time. We had to shoot at 3yds, 5 yds and 7yds and keep them on the target. I think it was 18 rounds total. My renewal is going to be a 4 hour class and I'm not sure if the range qualification is any different.
I enjoyed it, I had been away from handguns for quite a while and even used one of the range rentals to shoot for qualification. It was the same make and model I was going to purchase so I had no paperwork problems, we just listed the make and model of the handgun we shot at the class on our papers, no serial numbers.

-K

[ept000]

Another CA license holder here, each county is a little different.
I sat through 8hrs of talk time and about 30 minutes of range time. We had to shoot at 3yds, 5 yds and 7yds and keep them on the target. I think it was 18 rounds total. My renewal is going to be a 4 hour class and I'm not sure if the range qualification is any different.
I enjoyed it, I had been away from handguns for quite a while and even used one of the range rentals to shoot for qualification. It was the same make and model I was going to purchase so I had no paperwork problems, we just listed the make and model of the handgun we shot at the class on our papers, no serial numbers.

-K
What county are you in?

[Steve Koski]

I can hardly remember. It was in '94 or '95.

[Hal-koll]

What county are you in?


Kern
I took the class in 2006, I am due to renew this year.

-K

[KCGunnr]

You folks on this board carry WEAPONS? :confused:

CONCEALED even? :yikes:

Isn't that dangerous???

My mom told me I'd poke my eye out. You guys better be careful!

[gokyo]

WA

As it has been stated the Great State of Washington is a Shall Issue State.

Show up, do not be a fellon and get a CWP.

Heck it is harder to shoot at one of the ranges I go to. First time you show up they require you to take a safety course for 10 bucks.

However they have a bunch of people who keep shooting themselves there. I think they needed to give the class to keep their insurance.

[fludy12]

My first CCW class was awesome. Did it at Gunsite in Paulden, AZ.