Florida CCW/F Licensees, how was your carry class?

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MedWheeler

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I'd like to hear from those of you who took gun classes specifically for obtaining your carry permit. I understand these classes can vary greatly, with some being fairly extensive, and others not even requiring a firearm be discharged. Did you take yours at a gun show? In a store (Dick's, Gander Mountain, etc)? Through a private instructor?
Don't worry. If you took what you think was a "cheesy" class, we'll collectively assume you went on to get more and better training, and we won't disparage you or the class. It's just that someone in another thread I didn't want to hijack got me to thinking about this. I did take one, though I had LE experience. Mine was through a private instructor, a retired Army major, and fifty rounds were involved. I took it for my "G" license, as I was thinking about becoming an armed guard, and I didn't know at the time my LE card would have sufficed. I think the course was 16 hours long (two weekend days.)
 
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and fifty wounds were involved.
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What does this (quote) mean?

I wasn't required to take a class, though I did take one from a personal acquaintance who is an NRA instructor and former Army in order to get a "primer" on the relevant laws and also learned a few things about pistol shooting in the process.
 
Basically we had to show up to the lgs, listen to the instructor talk for 20 minutes, fire exactly 1 round from a .38 revolver(seriously at like 5yards) then paid 70$ and were given a completion certificate .
 
I think that's supposed to be "fifty rounds". :D If I had to get fifty wounds to qualify, I would have passed on a CCW.

I took a two hour course on gun safety, and Florida gun laws, which covered things like where you can and cannot carry, concealed weapons techniques and requirements, and when drawing and shooting a weapon is justified and legal. This was back before the Florida "Castle Doctrine" law was passed, so things have change a little in that regard. I didn't have to shoot to qualify for the certificate, but I'm a member of a gun club, an NRA Life Member, and have competed in rifle and pistol competition, so I would qualify if they ever add on any requirement for demonstrating proficiency.
My gun club offers a similar course, combined with practical shooting and marksmanship and safety training that's a little more comprehensive.
 
I took mine at the Davie Bass Pro. Basically it was a Sig sales pitch with some not so great legal advice tossed in. I think I fired 2 rounds out of .22. It completely sufficed for what it was. However, s 790.06(2)(h) Fla. stat. is pretty broad, pretty much any firearms class (7) or competition (5) would suffice, If I were to do it again. I'd take a cheap Frank Garcia class (or any class from a good instructor) or just submit a range card.

(h) Demonstrates competence with a firearm by any one of the following:
1. Completion of any hunter education or hunter safety course approved by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or a similar agency of another state;
2. Completion of any National Rifle Association firearms safety or training course;
3. Completion of any firearms safety or training course or class available to the general public offered by a law enforcement, junior college, college, or private or public institution or organization or firearms training school, utilizing instructors certified by the National Rifle Association, Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission, or the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services;
4. Completion of any law enforcement firearms safety or training course or class offered for security guards, investigators, special deputies, or any division or subdivision of law enforcement or security enforcement;
5. Presents evidence of equivalent experience with a firearm through participation in organized shooting competition or military service;
6. Is licensed or has been licensed to carry a firearm in this state or a county or municipality of this state, unless such license has been revoked for cause; or
7. Completion of any firearms training or safety course or class conducted by a state-certified or National Rifle Association certified firearms instructor;

A photocopy of a certificate of completion of any of the courses or classes; or an affidavit from the instructor, school, club, organization, or group that conducted or taught said course or class attesting to the completion of the course or class by the applicant; or a copy of any document which shows completion of the course or class or evidences participation in firearms competition shall constitute evidence of qualification under this paragraph; any person who conducts a course pursuant to subparagraph 2., subparagraph 3., or subparagraph 7., or who, as an instructor, attests to the completion of such courses, must maintain records certifying that he or she observed the student safely handle and discharge the firearm;
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I took mine at shootstraight gun store and range.
it was 3hours class time, and 10 rounds fired from 7 yards, to pass you had to get 7 out of the 10 on the 6inch target. also in the class he brought a revolver and a auto and showed everyone how to clean both ,including how to take down the auto..
 
I took my class at "Shoot Straight" too. Taught by a member of the Tampa police swat team, the info was excellent and delivered with competence and humor. He provided some excellent stories about the legal problems that can bite you if you do use your gun in a self-defense situation. "Shoot Straight" has its own range and classroom, so it was an excellent facility for this training.
 
I took mine about 5 years ago here in FL. It was at the local indoor gun range that a friend worked at (I won't name names, but its the only indoor range in my city). They have a guy that does classes every wednesday, and I think he's some kind of sheriffs officer or something. The class was only like 1.5hrs, and the first half was just going over the laws about when its justifiable to use deadly force versus when its not. Then it was about an hour of this officer getting his mall ninja kicks by explaining the tactical advantages of this stance, that grip, and these quick reload methods, etc (basically rambling one topic to the next without a clear objective).

Then we each went into the indoor range and each one of us had to demonstrate our weapon was safe, load it, fire 3 rounds hitting the paper at 7yds, then demonstrate the weapon was safe again. This turned out to be not so much a challenge as it was a platform for him to go all mall ninja again about how using the slide stop to chamber a round is less tactically sound than slingshotting. When I went in, I demonstrated my 1911 was safe by locking the slide back and showing him the chamber, then I put in the mag and hit the slide stop. He actually started yelling and made me unload the gun and do it again by slingshotting the slide. :banghead:

Basically the class was a complete waste of time, but was just a necessary box I had to check to get my permit.
 
Class at EOSS range ran 4 hours and covered basic firearms safety, handling, selection, methods of carry, detailed review of the Florida State Statutes, specifically as they apply to carrying a concealed firearm; review of ‘Castle Doctrine’ and ‘Use of Force’ statutes and laws. Assistance in filling out the application and range time, shooting approximately 20-25 rounds for qualification and to verify safe and proficient handling as well as marksmanship skills.
 
i got many years ago, before it was popular....two hours class time, me and one more person, at a LGS...two minutes at the range "i just need to see if you can handle a gun"....piece of cake...gary
 
I searched around asking advice IRT who was the most highly regarded instructor in my area. One guy's name kept popping up and after I finally tracked him down found out that he lives less than 1 mile down from me, same road and he even has his own range. :cool: We really hit it off, knew some of the same people and so forth. His standard class was 4 hours classroom and at least 4 on the range. As it turned out he kind of "took me under his wing" and spent a lot of extra time with me after the other students left on range day. Lots of emphasis on safety, decision making under pressure and such. He offers advanced PD and HD classes so they are next in line.

Guess in short my experience so far has been A+++ 100%!
 
Back when I first got my license, along with the application forms you got a blank fingerprint card, which you had to take down to the local sherriff's office yourself to get prints taken to send with the app. Lately, most of the places that offer the classes around here have a deputy or someone take your prints with an optical scanner, which saves getting inky fingers. The wonders of modern technology. :cool:
 
One round fired? Two rounds fired? No rounds fired?

I don't want to hijack your thread, but as an instructor, I am a little floored that the problem is so widespread. I understand that the statute is not clearly defined, but geez.

I have been noticing the "no live fire" trend for a while. Lots of instructors out there doing no live fire and ok'ing folks to apply for Florida despite the statute. My students do a 50 round skills demonstration on a variety of safe handling & discharge techniques. Wait until someone shoots an innocent bystander and they pull the instructor's records for that student and find no live fire....
 
I don't know that lack of a live fire part is a MAJOR problem, as I kind of doubt there are very many absolute novices that decide to go get a concealed weapon or firearm license with no previous experience with a gun whatsoever.
 
Took mine at a local fl gunshop. Maybe an hour course, never handled a gun, never fired a shot.
 
I shot a box of 100 9MM with my XD and a 50 round box of .380 in my LCP for my course. The instructor encouraged his students to bring their own guns but if they didn't he provided a few. He also insisted that we shoot both semi-auto and revolvers. I mentioned that I had never fired a wheel gun before but would like to. His reply was that he insisted that any of his students get at least passingly familiar with both types as a safety issue.

We did have two people in my class that had never held a pistol in their hands.......ever!
 
Listen to a summary of the self defense laws in florida for an hour, shoot a few rounds, get certificate. It was pretty quick and painless.

My wife's class was apparently horrible. The guy read from the florida statute book, word for word, for 3+ hours, then took them on the range.
 
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