https://www.reddit.c...hours_and_cost/
I am making this post on a throwaway account. I dont want to be ridiculed for my decision to take this class, compared to the state requirement of a 16 hour course (illinois)
The course I took was given to me by a certified Sheriff In Illinois. He quoted and charged me $420. This covered the CCL license fee within the state ($150). It also covered the fee for the range, the 30 rounds of ammo that I shot at the range. And the rest went to his fee for the class. (Roughly 230$). I broke it down as follows: $17.74 for 30rds of 9mm (bought at a discount for bulk order), 20$ range fee, 150$ state fee, 232.26$ his cut for the class.
Why: So I took this cheating version of the class because in my line of work I dont have the time of day to offer to the state. Therefore i've been putting off my class for some time. However at my job I overheard my boss referring someone to this class. I asked him for the credentials of the guy giving the class and I too become referred to him. I took the class and left the office, 3 hours after it started, with me completing the course in the eyes of the state. Besides this training, I have been given "family style" training from my father. What he seemed adequate to teach me on how to fire a gun. I also went to a free 2 hour course before I ever owned a gun to teach me the proper handling of a gun that my father may have missed.
What: So at my class, I arrived and filled out some paperwork, He signed the CCL permit paperwork approving I took the class, and I signed it too. After that, I went into his consulting room where he had me handle my firearm, as well as his glock and p226. He watched as I handed my firearm to him, cleared, and got a sense of my knowledge of firearms. And he taught me according to what I may not know already. He discussed when it is ok to fire a gun at someone, when I would be allowed to draw my firearm and allowed me to ask any questions I had at any time. He gave his opinion on where to carry (6 o'clock) However I prefer AIWB and will continue to train and carry at such point on my body. He then talked with me about proper care, proper stance, and how to handle the firearm. I.e Cleaning & storing my guns. We also talked a little bit about the type of ammo, grain, what matters and why in ammo selection. (I plan to carry 124-146 grain hollow point ammunition.) I asked questions pertaining about the knowledge when I could carry into specific buildings. He told me to make sure I read the stickers carefully. As sometimes they only refer to employees, not customers as well as knowing the laws directly about this information. i.e no gov. buildings, schools, etc. One thing we also touched over was Bullet drop, aiming, and he noted I most likely wont need to consider bullet drop too much as Defense often happens within close range. Never the less he notified me about how to aim for longer ranged targets. We discussed grip aswell.
Cont. After the classroom portion of his class, we went to a local range to practice. He had probably 1000 rounds of 30rd boxes of ammo in his trunk, and grabbed one for me to shoot. After referring to his training in the class and his correcting of my grip at the range, I shot all 3 guns available to me. 10 rounds in each gun, all 9mm. I didn't miss a single shot from 15ft. And my shots were quite accurate for my shooting. Something that I've been struggling to do by myself or when shooting with my father. This leads me to note, I improved my grip and stance quite a bit while shooting already. At this point We cleaned up, and left for the classroom again. Where he got my photo, and sent the proper info to the state to being the process of me getting my license.
Overall, im happy I will get my ccl. If I had the opportunity I would take the proper class of 16 hours to get the adequate state required training. However I also feel comfortable around firearms, so im not too worried that I cant at this time, plus I feel like I did learn enough to properly carry, and In my opinion I have the right mindset to do so. I do plan to practice by myself at least every two weeks at a range. But I also would like to take a physical course to help me better train for the pressure involved in CCW use. And How to properly, safely, and quickly draw AIWB. This stuff I cant guarantee is trained in the actual Illinois class, so perhaps I missed on on training I want for a more convenient class. Im not sure.
Please give me your opinions on the matter, did I make a Dumb, stupid decision by cutting the class short, spending more money and saving my time? The opportunity cost is too great in my eyes to take off two full days of work for a CCL.
Do other states have the same requirements for obtaining the CCL, or is the required 16 hour class a joke in many of your eyes? Thanks!
Edited by solareclipse2, 10 January 2018 - 06:17 PM.