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Permit to Carry Classes
Carrying a gun is a serious choice. Take a serious class from a serious instructor...who doesn't take himself too seriously.
My carry class is for real. You'll find shorter classes, and cheaper classes, but you'll look hard to find a better one.
About the class:
Classroom
This is a typical schedule. The class consists of about five to six hours in the classroom,
followed by a trip to the range for a brief shooting qualification exercise.
"Andrew knew his stuff, and taught a very good class. He teaches with a fun attitude, and seems to really enjoy teaching the permit to carry class. Thanks, Andrew."
- Geoff B.
See more comments from students
More specifically:
| 9:00 | Start classroom portion |
| 12:00 | Lunch |
| 3:00 | Head to Burnsville Pistol Range in your personal vehicle |
| 3:30 | Shoot qualifications |
| 4:30 | Finished |
The time does vary a bit from class to class, depending on the number of students, the depth of class questions and discussions,
and the capacity at the range.
Did you know that stress and adrenaline will change your grip, stance and point of aim?
Photo © 2013 Mark Bitner. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
The Minnesota Permit to Carry a Pistol class will allow you to apply for a Minnesota Permit to Carry (as
well as permits from several other states). Assuming you are not
disqualified for being a felon, gang member, illegal alien or drug
addict, you will be issued a permit within a month of submitting the
application.
The permit to carry class centers around my own curriculum, based on a variety of authoritative sources. It covers the legal, moral and practical aspects of carrying a firearm in Minnesota. The topics covered include:
- Choosing to carry
- Basic pistol knowledge
- Legal self defense
- The lethal force encounter
- Stress effects
- The aftermath
- Legal carry (application, limitations, travel)
- Practical carry (holsters, routine police encounters)
- Tactical Carry (concealment, malfunctions)
- Range exercise
Shooting
State law requires an "actual shooting qualification exercise." Sadly, some "instructors" hand their students a loaded .22-caliber
target pistol, have them shoot ten rounds at a close target, and proclaim them "qualified." (Some even used toy guns or computer
simulators until state officials slapped them down.)
The qualification target. The inner two ovals are "perfect" shots. The whole target is a little over two feet wide and three feet high.
In my class, I require a realistic shooting exercise. That means loading a real, defensive-caliber gun yourself, shooting at real self-defense distances of 15 and 21 feet, and using both one and two hands. (Why one hand? Because you might have to open a door, carry a child or deal with an injury in real life!)
If you already know how to safely handle, load, shoot and unload a revolver or semi-auto pistol, you shouldn't have any problem passing the qualification. Most people who have at least some experience shooting a pistol pass the test on the first try (and of course, my beginner-to-carry class and beginner pistol class students get a lot of good experience in class.
It also turns out that most rifle or shotgun shooters have no problem adapting their skills and experience to a pistol with just a few minutes of instruction and practice.
If you're not sure, or just have a question, please feel free to contact me.
If for some reason you're not ready, or you're having a bad day, don't worry. If it's a small issue, I'll help you fix it. If you really don't have the skill yet, I'll recommend that you get some practice or instruction, as needed, and come to my next class to retake the qualification. I don't charge extra, of course, if you need to retake the test. My goal is the same as yours: to ensure that you are a safe and educated shooter.