Shooting Competency for Carry Permit?

When I got my pistol permit down here in Alabama at first I was happy that I didn’t have to take a class. My mother convinced me to take a concealed carry defensive handgun course in Birmingham which is 2 hours north of me. I haven’t regretted it and have wanted to get the targets that they used to practice on but have been short of time and money (the farm life sucks my time).
In general, I believe that you should have a shooting competency but in all reality you should be forced take a concealed carry class in order to get your permit. There was so much that I learned and it really catapulted me into my journey of carrying for defense. At that time I was really green. I admit after a year that I’m still green but I’ve learned a lot in the past year. Especially that I need to practice more.
Anyways that’s my two cents. A bit long winded and probably off topic slightly so for that I apologize.

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@luke_ouellette I don’t think you have to worry about long winded here :wink: … some of represent that remark :smile:

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Really? Seriously? They paint their livestock??

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I’ve seen brown ones painted. My second cousin doesn’t paint his, all his cows are the standard Holstien white cows with black spots you think of when you think of WI cows. And 2 black bulls. Well actually 1 is all white, because of the freezer paper. :cut_of_meat::cut_of_meat::cut_of_meat:.

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My brother in law had a black Akita Newfoundland mix. BIG black dog. My father in law used to take the dog to the UP in early fall and spray paint him because he looked like a bear.

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Yup. Thankfully, someone local bought the property those guys hunted. Now it’s hunted by local people.

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Where we are, we aren’t painting the horses and cows, but my neighbor jackets her big dogs in hunter orange before she puts them out in her back pasture to run.

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Here is an idea of government mandated training I could get behind.

The government is so worried about guns and gun safety lets tell them to introduce a mandatory MUST PASS gun safety class in grade school.

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I like that. Brilliant!

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I like this! Train everyone on how to use a gun safely…

Slightly off topic - IMO there are a lot of things that should be taught in school that aren’t. How to do your taxes, how to change a flat, how to balance a checkbook - things you really need as an adult. But we cannot stop teaching science or geography otherwise we have generations who think the world is flat and other weird things…

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I agree to a point. Some people don’t believe in guns, and that is their right. I don’t want their kids forced to do something they don’t believe in, just like I don’t want my child forced to pass a test about something I might be morally supposed to. Taught as an elective, absolutely.

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I agree, however, I also know how much kids don’t know what they believe in vs what their parents believe in until they move out of their parents’ home.

I mean really, I did NOT believe in Geometry… but I still had to take it! :wink:

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I mean what the parents believe. It becomes to easy at that point for a misguided individual, to force their ideals on young minds. I wouldn’t want things I don’t agree with forced on my child. There’s too much of that with our young people happening now.

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@Dawn believe it or not most of that USE to be taught in schools when I was growing up.

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Just something to think about here. How do you think the anti 2A politicians are going to do away with private gun ownership? Most aren’t dumb enough to come right out and say that’s their plan, they’re much slicker than that.

High taxes on any purchase to do with firearms; high cost of permits; long wait times and jumping through hoops to get a permit; magazine restrictions; banning certain firearms and ammunition. Those are all ways to dissuade people from owning a firearm.

What better way to really crack down on gun ownership than a government mandated requirement that you have to prove your competency with a firearm? I’m not talking about an NRA course, but one that is truly run by a government agency, possibly with anti 2A instructors. Everyone has to take the class, including renewals, no exceptions. Prior military service, retired or past LEO, no one gets a free pass.

My wife recently took a class to apply for her LTC. Oddly enough in Massachusetts there is no requirement for live fire. I told her to take a class that offers it, so she did, and would suggest anyone with no prior firearms experience to voluntarily do so. Would I agree to it be mandated by the government? Absolutely not!!

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My current state has a required day long course that includes live fire. But the shooting test is easy, perhaps too easy. The written test is also fairly easy, if you listen to the instructor’s presentation. I would also have to say the instructor was a good one. I am planning to move to a state where there is no written or live fire test, and while I don’t feel too bad about my abilities, it makes me wonder how many others who will have CCDWs will be as accurate.

I flies in the face of the Second Amendment but I do like the testing, I would rather a test be designed by people who know something about firearms and shooting that the ‘government’. I know of a couple of individuals who got their CCDW, a couple from this state have not shot their firearm since and a couple from the state I plan to move back to who bought a firearm and didn’t shoot it for at least three years.

I believe most concealed carriers and most firearm owners do practice regular and fairly often, but some do not. I generally shoot at the local range at least once a month When I do I try to get a group of shooters and non-shooters to go with me. I refer to this as a Chew & Pew. Breakfast and shooting. It keeps some of us sharp, let’s new people try a firearm with people who actually know a little bit about them and has introduced several people into the shooting world and a few new CCDWs.

We, as this community, need to assist other coming into the lifestyle enjoy it, remain safe with it, and prepare for it.

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Here in TX they require at least 70% of 50 rounds in the 7 & up rings at 5, 7, & 15. There is a class and test for the ltc laws, which is a good thing, so that you know if you are breaking any. These were included in order to get the laws on the books for cc, which has become cc or open carry (license to carry or ltc).

My wife fired my model 64 Smith on Thursday and we sat in class on Saturday then went to the range and qualified.

Now my wife has shot rifles and shotguns and a Taurus 85 ( one day at a range with my sons), so not a newby but a neophite as to the bigger Smith.

Laws were made with the the class and shooting to quiet the fearful folks somewhat.

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In the early 80s when I was a USAF firearms instructor we would go into all the area schools around Goldsboro NC and teach a gun safety course. It was great and the kids really got involved. To bad the liberal loons have ruined this.

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Not always liberals that are against it its the anti-gunners. I know liberals that have a dislike for guns in general but will defend my right to have them. I also have a few friends who I would classify as very liberal and never miss a chance to go shooting with me. Being liberal or conservative Democrat or Republican does not automatically put you in one group or the other.

I do not consider myself to be in any of those groups I have listed. I find I can agree and disagree with each one of them depending on the subject matter.

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In TX, NM, OK (going CC this year) the requirements are very minimal. They ensure that under ideal conditions at close range you have a reasonable chance of getting an upper body hit.

That’s about it.

I can’t encourage my students enough to get more training and encourage them to take at least one more advanced training course and progressively more advanced courses at least every couple of years along with frequent, realistic, contextual practice.

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