What to expect at HCP class.

[Guest Muttling]

If you've paid attention to the discussions on here about where you can/can't carry and when you can/can't shoot, you can just about pass the test without even taking the class. If you listen carefully and think about how you could find yourself in the situations they describe, you will pass with flying colors.

The legal aspects of how to legally carry and when you can legally shoot are what the course is primarily about.

[Guest kingtone]

. I was just curious of what to expect. .

well, if you happen to be taking the 2 day class that i took,

you can expect a lot of bull**** stories, sexist comments, bad language, racist remarks from other class member, 8 hours of boredom that could've been done in 1hr, bigoted attitude, sleazy pre-pay legal sales pitch and a lot of time wasted.

And that was just on the first day.

second day at the range was fine.

[Oh Shoot]

As far as the exam...do we pick up a book at theh dmv or how we study for that?

There ISN'T a book, AFAIK.

- OS

[Guest ab28]

The class is boring, and aimed at newbies. Nothing wrong with that, but it did stretch my patience a bit.

[TNTitan]

bring a book, laptop, PSP or something else to kill some time because you may have a loooong wait if you are in the last group to shoot (1-2 hour wait depending on the class size and range availability)

[Guest kingtone]

oh.. and expect to have at least 1 or 2 people in there that think they already know everything and refer to others as 'newbies'....

[Guest Bluemax]

We had to do all kinds of stuff in ours...

Shooting backwards using the mirror wasn't too hard, but the forward roll with weak hand double tap failed a bunch of folks...

- OS

Should we tell about the blindfolds, chanting monks and the bobo paddle ?

[Guest 270win]

Eight hours is a very long time for a class. I am really glad I did mine in Arkansas and not Tennessee. The sad thing is, I can't even draw from a holster at ranges in Memphis by just showing my Tennessee carry permit or when it was valid, my old Arkansas license. At an indoor range I go to in North Little Rock, Arkansas, I can practice drawing and firing as long as I have a valid license/permit. RangeUSA and RangeMaster want me to pay 100 bucks for some extra 'class'. Total garbage when I had to show competency in safe handling in drawing and holstering with a semi auto (if i carried a semi auto in AR i had to qualify with one) for my class back in Little Rock.

We spent some time watching a video in my class in Little Rock that went over drawing from concealment, proper drawing and reholstering, different ways to conceal handguns as required by AR law. I have no idea if TN classes do this, since you can openly or conceal your handgun here. My instructor stressed keeping finger away from trigger until ready to fire a lot. Luckily the class was very small (about 10) and consisted of a couple who had licenses in another state but couldn't outright transfer them, some airborne guys, and some folks who carried that just wanted to 'get legal'. We had ten pages of paperwork for the state police app. and were fingerprinted....medical records releases to the state police...every page had to be notarized...went over AR deadly force laws....the instructor was a seasoned state LEO officer and instructor for a state agency so he did a good job. We did not have to take any sort of written test. We later individually went to his house to qualify and pick up our notarized paperwork and fingerprint cards to mail to the state police.

Edited September 20, 2009 by 270win

[Guest ab28]

oh.. and expect to have at least 1 or 2 people in there that think they already know everything and refer to others as 'newbies'....

I have been shooting for years, not a newbie. Nothing wrong with being one, I have taught plenty of people to shoot. I was stating what my experience of the class was.