I have not heard if there is a window of time that an applicant must apply within taking the permit to carry class. Must you apply for the permit within 30, 60, 90, 180 days of taking the class? I took my class but then money got tight in our house. I'm going to have to wait a couple months before I apply for my permit.

From the statute:

Subd. 2a. Training in the safe use of a pistol. (a) An applicant must present evidence that
the applicant received training in the safe use of a pistol within one year of the date of an original
or renewal application.

https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/sta ... id=624.714

This is correct. I applied ~9 months after I took my class, no problems.

That's all correct, but it's good to scrape up the permit fee and not put it off, for a couple of reasons:

#1, you get your permit sooner, of course, and

#2, you never know when some crazy judge will overturn the law and your year might expire in the time it takes to get the law re-passed. That's what happened to me while I was procrastinating.

Lucky for me Joel was generous enough to let me re-take his class at no charge, after which I pretty much went straight downtown to the courthouse with my hundred bucks.

Would you be willing to share where you took your class?

J-- P-n-z

I would suggest that your instructor may have glossed over some of the finer points of MN law. I KNOW he skipped a MAJOR point. If you have the time and opportunity, I'd make an effort to take another class. I know several instructors that offer reduced fee audit of their courses.

Until you've driven something other than a Pinto, you don't really know why some people prefer a Cadillac.

You're not a big fan of the instructor mentioned above, huh? While I imagine this opinion could be justified, I have a difficult time believing this board is 100% objective about the subject considering the man in charge. I'm not speaking from a position of authority, just one of a critical observer. Would such "MAJOR" points be any of the ones addressed in Joel's book? If so, it might be a good idea to purchase the book instead of taking a whole other course. It would probably be cheaper and having the volume as a permanent reference is not a bad idea.

Getting the book is always a good idea. No one retains 100%, and the book is comprehensive and highly readable.

Full disclosure: Joel is my friend. Fuller disclosure: I met him because I was a fan of the book.

I do offer discounts for upgrades to TCCarry. Given my experience with students who have gone through some instructors' classes, there've been more than a few times when I've been tempted to offer surcharges to their students; they pretty consistently get things that I think -- objectively or not; decide for yourself -- are pretty important remarkably wrong.

I can pretty much count on having to spend a fair amount of time unteaching some stuff to students who took their class from a given instructor when they upgrade to TCCarry.

I may be mistaken, of course, but the third or fourth or fifteenth time that I hear about the same bad information/suggestions being given by a given instructor, I'm not exactly unsure. Happened just yesterday, in fact; one of the folks taking a renewal from me had taken his original class with one of the instructors I've got mentally tagged as, err, differently-clued, and he took me aside on a break and asked me if I'd guessed who his original instructor was.

It wasn't a hard guess. I'd figured it out from his second question. (It wasn't, for once, the guy mentioned above; it's a fellow -- not involved in the Forum, by the way -- who at best skims over some of the legal requirements so that he can spend as much time as possible on both shooting and upselling his turn-you-into-a-warrior classes.)

Beyond that, I think there's an issue of focus. I think there's legitimate reasons that different instructors focus on different aspects of the various issues involved; I tend to disagree with some decent instructors' focus, but I don't think they're wrong like, say, the guy who wastes class time doing a demonstration of him shooting a full-auto rifle (this has approximately what to do with a carry class?), but, hey, if I thought that their focus was a better expenditure of time than what I do, I'd be doing it instead.

I don't think that doing things differently than I do is wrong, in and of itself; I think that doing some things differently is wrong.

I think there are some very, very good instructors who charge less than I do. (Simple proof: if you accept that there are very, very good instructors who aren't me, that must be true, as I think I charge more than any other instructor around.) In some cases, quite a lot less.

That said, hey, folks get to make their own decisions. If somebody thinks that taking an inadequate class and then backfilling the decision by getting a copy of the book, if they actually read and learn from it, they're probably making a better decision than just taking an inadequate class.

We didn't shoot full-autos nor did the instructor.

The majority of the class was spent discussing the use of deadly force and there was a lot of his personal stories and experiences.

There was some discussion about different holsters and ways to carry.

There was some discussion about if you get Utah + MN = how many states you can carry in.

There was not nearly enough clarity made about the Minnesota laws and that's what frustrates me. I did not know that I had 1 year after taking the class to secure my permit. I've had to ask questions here on the board and do some internet research to find answers to lingering questions that were not addressed in the class. I appreciate all your responses in helping me. Thank you.

I am leaning towards NOT getting a permit. I may get a permit just so that I can purchase handguns on the spot of sale. But I really don't feel comfortable enough to carry on a regular basis. I don't feel that I know the MN laws well enough and I'm more likely to get in trouble while carrying (carrying into a place that I'm not supposed to) than to actually have to use it in a defensive situation. My home is a different story. Break into my house, and it's over. I know my rights in defending myself & family in my home. At this point, I'm not comfortable enough with MN law to want to carry concealed (or open). I feel I will be hassled by the police & the public if my conceal isn't as good as it should and is detected. I'm not sure it's worth the hassle. As some of you have read in my past posts, I had a brush with the law years ago where I was accused of domestic assault but was acquitted and the case was thrown out of court. My brush with the law sucked! Being handcuffed and treated like criminal sucked! Being in jail sucked! I never want to have an experience with the law like that again! I am feeling that carrying may cause me more trouble than it may be worth and will always be worried that cops will treat me like crap again for an unjustified reason / misunderstanding.

Joel - Please PM me how to acquire one of your books and the price, please.

judo.xxxxxxx, feel free to audit a class of mine. Oct 5th or 17th. If interested PM me for a rough outline of when areas are covered and sit in onall or portions if you want.

And get the book..........worthwhile expenditure

Since Joel's probably gone to bed by now, and since it's not secret, here's a couple ways to get the book:

From the author: http://ellegon.com/features/data/orderingthebook/

From the publisher: http://www.aacfi.com/products/MNEveryth ... ToKnow.php

At Burnsville Pistol Range (go there on a Saturday afternoon, and you'll probably see Joel there)

If you're around the southwest metro (EP, Minnetonka, etc), you can stop by and pick one up from me -- I buy them by the case for my classes.

I didn't get to take Joel's class, but I did read his book. I assume that his class is quite good if it's anything like the book. Regardless of who you took a class from, JudoknowifIgottagun, you would benefit from having the book on hand as a solid reference, especially if you're interested in the legal matters relevant to carrying in Minnesota.

JudoknowifIgottagun,

I don't normally carry, only when I feel a need will I. I used to do marketing focus groups downtown Minneapolis in the evenings. They paid in cash and got done around 9 pm or later. Walking around parking ramps is always dangerous in my mind, so I would carry then, always going wide around corners, 'hand in coat pocket' ready for anything. Now going to the local grocery store on a Saturday mid morning, no need for me in my mind.

If confronted by police for what ever reason while carrying, staying calm is the number one priority - you get excited and they get more excited and you will be on the losing end. I have gone through the scenario in my mind and I would tell them you have a permit and legally carrying X located on my body and ask them how they would like to proceed - Hands open and away from the side of the body and no quick movements. Never mention gun or pistol as those key words get too much attention, just say 'legally carrying' . Now if I remember to do that is another thing but that is what I have rehearsed in my mind.

Wisdom from my dad when I was 6; To each their own. If you don't want to get a permit because your uncomfortable with brushes with law is fine with me but what a permit does allow you do to is carry legally when you feel you need to.

P.S. I did take Joel's class and it is very good.