Strange/Funny Permit Class Stories

[Guest President Fernatt]

Okay so I recently took my permit class a while back and there were some strange folks there. I was just curious if any of you have some funny or strange stories about your own permit class. My experience was annoying and disturbing. I guess the saying is right that there is "one in every group" and it certainly held true in my class. There was a man in a wheel chair who was the "know-it-all" mall ninja who felt the need to CONSTANTLY:rolleyes: interrupt the instructor and throw in his 2 cents about everything. I swear the class would have been 3 hours shorter without him. He actually called out the instructor on multiple occassions on things he felt were being taught incorrectly...only to have the instructor completely own him! We also had a man who had just turned 90 years old! He kept a massive cigar in his mouth the entire 8 hours. It looked like a soggy piece of rolled up cardboard nearly dripping with spit. Blah! He had attempted the test many times and could not comprehend the concept of true/false or writing the answers on the line even with assistance from others. I felt bad for him but I am genuinely concerned and frankly scared that he was driving...much less attempting to carry a weapon. Then of course there was the scruffy video-game/serial killer type that laughed at stories of children accidentally killing one another when handling guns. People are crazy and my stories are mild but I know there must be more! Please share!

[JC57]

Wow - I've got nothing like that. The class I took at RangeUSA in Memphis last year consisted of about 12 people, mixed genders, ages, and ethnic backgrounds. Everyone was polite and attentive, and the instructors were exemplary. There was an older woman who was having a bit of struggle on the qualifying course but they gave her the time and assistance she needed and she completed the course successfully. I learned quite a lot in the classroom portion about the current TN laws and the various legal and liability issues. It was time well worth spent for me.

[redfsr]

I had to take a hunters safety class in Texas a while back and in it was a deputy constable that was the know it all. During the course, he kept interrupting and adding his 2 cents. Out of a class of about 20 people, he and a 14 year old female failed it. I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

[Guest President Fernatt]

It was time well worth spent for me.

That's a blessing. I enjoyed my class and learned a lot but it could have been better. Maybe there should be a class to screen you to take the permit class. lol! Just kidding, that would be ridiculous

[Guest President Fernatt]

Out of a class of about 20 people, he and a 14 year old female failed it. I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

That's pretty funny! I have a problem with a lot of the constables. I appreciate their work and some of them are respectable...but most around here are obese elderly men who are wannabe cops. "almost" felt sorry indeed lol Maybe I am wrong in assuming others have experienced strange permit classes.?

[quietguy]

My class was pretty tame, until we hit the range. We fired 48 rounds each, and my target had 49 holes in it.

[Guest President Fernatt]

So are you an amazing shot or was someone else a disturbingly poor shot?

[Murgatroy]

My class was normal. Around twenty folks. Mixed gender, mixed ethnicity. Friendly folks, good teacher. I had a good conversation with him during and after class.

Even the shooting part went well. The instructor even quipped how we must all be 'serious' as the smallest caliber was a 9x19mm.

[Guest nashvegas]

In the range portion of the class I took a few years ago ago, the guy next to me couldn't seem to get his handgun to fire, and asked for help. Dropped the mag... he had loaded the cartridges in backwards.

[Kenstaroni]

I had a lady shooting next to me with a revolver with a laser on it. I watched her laser bounce all over the place on the target which was pretty humorous until she got her gloves caught in the cylinder and pointed the gun at me and asked for help. Needless to say I quit laughing at that point....taking the class was the most dangerous thing I've done involving a firearm....lol

[Guest 73challenger]

Ha my class was pretty mild as well. There was a older guy who I think was just getting his HCP because his renters were giving him a hard time. There also was a mall ninja type who kept pestering the instructor during breaks. He said I shouldn't ever sell my Taurus 1911 because "I must have got a good one" because I had a majority of my 48 rounds in a 3-4" circle. (Hope he doesn't post on here )

[Guest RevScottie]

Best part of our class was the instructor commenting on the video portion where the officer pulls the female over. He told us the video had an error in it because the officer pulling the lady over was not supposed to touch her boobies during a search.

[Guest bkelm18]

Nothing eventful in either of mine. In VA, there was an older lady who didn't know the difference between a revolver and a semi-auto even though she already carried (open carry is legal in VA without a permit) and said she put her gun on her dashboard when driving. For my TN class, the instructor didn't really know the law all too well. I think he just got his info off the video which was severely outdated in some respects. He told the class a couple times we were not allowed to carry in Walmart since they sold alcohol. I spoke to him on one of the breaks and told him that law changed a few years prior and we could carry where it was sold, just not served (at the time). He said he'd look into it.

[Guest Old goat]

There was a lady in mine that when we went out to the range had a 38 revolver and 500 rds of 22 lr. And then the kid who kept asking if he would be able to carry his piece in Walmart, but he failed the range protion.

[Defender]

Mine was not memorable but I heard about a class recently where the instructor shot off his pinky!

[DWARREN123]

Mine was male/female mix. No one shot themselves or anyone else, everyone was attentive and passed both portions and everyone had fun.

The video was outdated and the instructor stopped to inform us of the new info.

Why can't the video be correct and updated as needed and be available for download by everyone?

Edited July 13, 2011 by DWARREN123

[Guest bkelm18]

Why can't the video be correct and updated as needed and be available for download by everyone?

$$$$$$

[peejman]

The classroom portion of mine was fine. The instructors did a good job making it interesting and keeping us awake. I'd say they had about 20 handguns (some new, a couple kaboomed) on a table up front and everyone was allowed to check them out during breaks. Several were passed around during the class. I remember hearing a few stupid questions, but no mall ninja antics.

The shooting portion was outdoors on 29 deg day. The targets were fixed and the firing line consisted of a line of benches that we had to pick up and move to each distance. Not a big deal to me. There was "that one guy" shooting a .22 SA revolver using the classic one-hand straight arm bullseye technique. He was a good shot but exceedingly slow. Everyone would fire their 6 rounds and wait for him to finish. The instructors repeatedly told him "anywhere in the black is fine". I think he had a 2.5" group when finished. The girl next to me worried me a little. She had a SIG .45 that went bang, bang, click several times. Seems it was over-lubricated and the cold temp gelled the oil causing light strikes. She also started shooting almost from the hip. She held the gun with both hands, but very, very low. The malfunctions attracted the instructors who coached her and she did fine. I do recall the instructors laughing about the SIG's and HK malfuctioning while the Jennings and HiPoint did fine.

[bigwakes]

I took my class in 2000 at Range USA in Memphis. There was an 85 year old woman that could not hold the .38 revolver on target. One of the instructors held out his hand for her to rest the pistol on for every volley of shots. It was comical. I went with a guy from work. I had a Ruger P95 and he had a Ruger P87. I had one hole in the paper out to about 10 yards and he was all over the place. He looked at me and said his sights must be off. We traded and he was still all over the place.

[Guest President Fernatt]

These are pretty good! ...especially 73challenger lol

[Caster]

The gentleman who gave me my permit course over a decade ago has since passed away, but his range was under the big powerlines. The shooting part of our test was over right at dusk. I watched in amazement as he began to knock over bowling pins at 80 yards with a Colt woodsman..22LR people! I mean as fast as I could have done so with a rifle. He then stood under the tower, which due to the terrain, put the lines rather close to the ground and held florescent light bulb aloft like a sword and it actually began to light up. I'd never seen that before!!!! We then went into his living room to watch the video, his wife came out with a pitcher of lemonade, and a sheet of cookies from the oven and watched the video. Funny, right before something "important" was being said he would always clear his throat rather loudly:)

[Caster]

The gentleman who gave me my permit course over a decade ago has since passed away, but his range was under the big powerlines. The shooting part of our test was over right at dusk. I watched in amazement as he began to knock over bowling pins at 80 yards with a Colt woodsman..22LR people! I mean as fast as I could have done so with a rifle. He then stood under the tower, which due to the terrain, put the lines rather close to the ground and held florescent light bulb aloft like a sword and it actually began to light up. I'd never seen that before!!!! We then went into his living room to watch the video, his wife came out with a pitcher of lemonade, and a sheet of cookies from the oven and watched the video. Funny, right before something "important" was being said he would always clear his throat rather loudly:)

Rest in Peace old buddy.

[brooksjr]

My wife and I were the only people in our class.

[AdotOdot4]

Nothing notable in mine except a couple women wearing v necks doing the hot brass dance.

[UncleJak]

Asides from my jam-master-jennings, the highlight of my range test was the fella next to me. During one of my firings, a brass from my lane ejected down his collar. He jerked and sent a nice shot onto my target. 49 shots on a 48 shot target...a bit scary.