[Trayderjoe]

I was hoping that you might have recommendations for a good CCW class in the area? I am not looking for a "check the box class", but a "done right class". Speed of certification is not a concern, and attending multiple classes to obtain certification is welcome.

Also, do you have dealer recommendations for firearms purchases?

Thanks in advance for your input.

[borjo]

If you're a Villager you could join the Villages Straight Shooters, The Villages Straight Shooters - Home. They hold many classes, shoots, seminars and monthly meetings. All info. on web site.
Rural King has reasonable prices for guns but I am far from knowledgable about purchasing unless you know what you want already. Some instructors want you to wait until after your CCW course before you purchase so you can try a few out first.

[Trayderjoe]

Originally Posted by borjo

If you're a Villager you could join the Villages Straight Shooters, The Villages Straight Shooters - Home. They hold many classes, shoots, seminars and monthly meetings. All info. on web site.
Rural King has reasonable prices for guns but I am far from knowledgable about purchasing unless you know what you want already. Some instructors want you to wait until after your CCW course before you purchase so you can try a few out first.

Thanks for the info. I am a Villager, and have had some basic training and the opportunity to shoot various handguns and a rifle at a shooting club back in Michigan. I already have an idea of what I am looking to purchase, if/when I am successfully certified for a permit.

I'll check out the club and see what they can share. More recommendations are certainly welcome!

[BobnBev]

Are you an honorably discharged veteran with a
DD-214?

[Carl in Tampa]

Originally Posted by borjo

If you're a Villager you could join the Villages Straight Shooters, The Villages Straight Shooters - Home. They hold many classes, shoots, seminars and monthly meetings. All info. on web site.
Rural King has reasonable prices for guns but I am far from knowledgable about purchasing unless you know what you want already. Some instructors want you to wait until after your CCW course before you purchase so you can try a few out first.

Interaction with several people at a gun club meeting can be of inestimable value. If I were still full time in The Villages, I would be a member of this club. (They meet this coming Tuesday.)

Go to their web site and browse through their drop down menus. There are hours of reading material to be reviewed.

If I were just now breaking in to being a concealed weapon carrier, I would defer my gun choice until I had experience with several weapons. Talk to others and see what they like, and see what appeals to you. (More about this below.)

You will discover that virtually all of the "qualification courses" for a CCW license are brief and will not provide the kind of in depth information you appear to seek. That in depth information and experience will come better from a gun club membership.

Incidentally, if you were ever a sworn law enforcement officer, or were trained in firearms handling in the military, the qualification course requirement can be waived.

Now, about that gun choice. Most males of my acquaintance who carry pistols are current or former law enforcement officers. We all carry semi-automatic pistols; most in 9MM caliber.

The reason for 9MM is that most calibers smaller than this are not considered adequate for stopping a determined attacker. (After decades of using .40 caliber, the FBI has returned to 9MM.) Another reason for the 9MM is that recoil from higher, more powerful, cartridge loads are difficult for some people to handle. (Would it be sexist to mention female law enforcement officers?)

Back in 1990, after years of denigrating the Glock pistol, I was convinced by a friend to examine its virtues. I was so impressed that I bought a Glock Model 19, and even became a Glock armorer. Since 1990 I have fired thousands of rounds through that pistol, with never a failure to fire or pistol jam. Glock has a very unique "safe action system" which prevents misfires if the pistol is dropped. Quite simply, if you pull the trigger, it will fire. If you don't, it won't.

Glock makes six models of 9MM pistols Two are for competition and not appropriate for concealed carry. The Model 17 is a full sized police pistol. The Model 19 (my favorite) is a mid-sized (detective) pistol, and the Model 26 is the subcompact "Baby Glock."

The main problem with the Model 26 is that it has a double stack magazine in a very small pistol and it seems awkward to conceal. Glock addressed this with the slimmer (single stack) Model 43. The main concern about the Model 43 is that the magazine holds only six rounds, for a total of seven when the pistol is full loaded. The Model 43 should be quite easy to conceal in a concealed carry situation.

A chart of Glock pistol models is available at Full Line of Pistols | GLOCK USA

[kcrazorbackfan]

S&W Bodyguard .380. Fits nicely in your front pocket in a nylon sheath. Doesn't have the recoil of a 9mm or a .40 and a well placed .380 round will take down anyone.