Looking for CCW class near Tampa, FL

[Alex45ACP]

Anyone know of a CCW class soon near Tampa?

I'm not interested in taking a "combative shooting class" or whatever, I just want to jump thru the legal hoops and get the permit process started because I know it takes about 3 months.

 

[Heavy Metal Hero]

I know the gun shows do it, and so does Shooting Sports on Dale Mabry.

 

[Il Duca]

Those are about the only places I know of that do them unless you go somewhere like S2 in Clearwater. And a tip on speeding the process. Go to one of Sheriff's offices that does electronic fingerprinting, I know they do it downtown in Tampa. It will cost you $5 but it's worth it. My permit took about 12 days to get to me once I submitted everything. And if you have taken the Hunter Safety Course that includes live fire, you are exempted from taking the Concealed class. That's what I did.

 

[sig226]

I don't know if the gun shows are the same near Tampa as they are in my area, so take this for what it's worth.

In Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami Dade, we get a lot of people who took the class at a gun show and realized that they did not learn a thing. They end up paying to take it over again in a small sized class.

One instructor (not going to say who it is) teaches the class at the shows, then sends the students to fire one round at a nearby range. Then they can pick up their training certificate.

Even if you have the hunters' safety certificate, or your military papers, the class is worth it because they review Florida laws. That's worth a hundred bucks if it keeps you from accidentally committing a crime, or making some other mistake and having to hire an attorney to defend yourself. The small classes are best because you can ask questions and interact with the instructor.

The last I heard, they were taking six weeks to process the applications via snail mail. If you do the electronic fingerprints, the sheriff gets $44.00, maybe plus the $5.00 fee, but you don't have to pay as much to the Department of Agriculture when you mail the application. It speeds it up quite a bit.

HTH

 

[pharmer]

Great Lakeland RPC (Lakeland Center) show is two weeks from Sat. No shows competing, lots of action in and AROUND the show. Plan to spend the day if you take the class. Take it in the afternoon on Sat or morning on Sun. Joe

 

[Il Duca]

the sheriff gets $44.00

By jove you're right! For some reason I forgot about that.

 

[CDignition]

Go to Manatee Gun Club in Myakka.. they have real good CCW classes.

 

[iiibdsiil]

Go to the Indoor Shooting Range on 301/Fowler. $75. Real nice people. Trust me on this!

 

[MarkDido]

If you do the electronic fingerprints, the sheriff gets $44.00, maybe plus the $5.00 fee

Not so. In Orange County, the fee that the S. O. collects is 5.00. The $44.00
goes to Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to process the fingerprints.

And I know this because it's what I do for a living

As of right now (subject to change at the whim of the government) you only have to be fingerprinted for the initial application. When you renew 5 years later, the price for the CCW drops by the amount of the fingerprinting.

 

[Billy_H]

It will be more money ($120) than most others in the area, but Norm Belson's class is well worth the money and includes a 200rnd defensive pistol class. The classroom portion of the class is taught with a level headed approach to safety, which is more than I can say for a lot of the other classes people have told me about.

The class is taught out of Knights Shooting in Pinellas Park.

http://www.staysafestreets.com/sf1.htm

 

[lacoochee]

I agree with iiibdsiil, I think the folks you find in the Indoor Shooting Range on Fowler are the nicest and down to earth people you will meet in the Tampa area. They are invariably polite and easy to talk too.