Why Pay More? Taking Your Permit to Carry Course Shouldn’t Break the Bank
How much should a Minnesota Permit to Carry course cost? The truth is, getting a “Permit to Carry a Firearm in Minnesota can be very expensive, and for some folks, it can be too expensive, and they go unprotected.
Unlike several other states that only require that citizens be “law abiding” in order to carry a firearm, Minnesota requires that potential applicants attend a “Minnesota Permit to Carry a Firearm” course, conducted by an organization certified by the BCA. The cost for that course is left up to the individual training organization, yet most of these organizations price their classes at $100, $150, or even $185. At Plane Cents Self Defense (PCSD), we believe that it’s your right to obtain a permit to carry a firearm, and that you shouldn’t be “priced out” of that right.
So what exacty do you get for $75 from PCSD? You’ll be taught all of the key things that will keep you out of trouble in Minnesota, including the three key things that the state requires us to teach, including: Instruction in the fundamentals of pistol use; Instruction in the legal aspects of firearm possession, carry and use, including the rules governing the use of deadly force; and an actual shooting qualification. For a preview of the topics we’ll cover, check out our class primer. In addition to those topics, we’ll also provide you with the appropriate instruction and certificate that you’ll need if you’d like to apply for your Utah permit, which when combined with your Minnesota permit, will allow you to carry in 31 states. Oh, and we’ll also throw in a home cooked meal!
So what extra things are you taught by those training organizations that charge $25, $50, or even $110 more than PCSD? Guess what? You get taught EXACTLY THE SAME THINGS. They won’t teach you about a secret 5th rule governing the use of deadly force that only they know about (here’s a hint, there isn’t one), and you won’t be taught about a 5th universal safety rule that they invented, that’s worth the extra $110 just to hear about it.
About Our Website
One thing you’ll notice about our website is that we like having a dialogue with our prospective and past students, including filling you in on our thoughts, and what we’ve been up to lately. We might not look as fancy as eBay, but then again, we’re not trying to sell you a Mercedes, or a piece of toast that has the image of Jesus on it. We’re just trying to provide a good product at a price that doesn’t break the bank. We might even occasionally miss the spell checker as we keep our website up to date (for example, we recently listed a class in “Boomington” instead of “Bloomington”, but we thought that one was actually kind of funny). Then again, if a misspelled word here or there really bothers you, we can direct you to a few other training organizations who will provide pretty good spelling for a mere $50 extra. If you want some really nice grammar, it’ll cost you an extra $110. It’s your choice, but we’re betting that the extra $110 would buy a lot of practice ammunition.
About Plane Cents Self Defense
So you know by now that I’m a firearms instructor (to that end, I’ve had more than 200 hours of formal firearms training, and am Minnesota Board of “Peace Officer Standards and Training” (POST) Certified Range Qualifier), but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Like most of my students, my interests are far and wide. If you also share an interest in any of the topics below, I’d love to trade stories about our joint interests.
I am the proud owner of an 2007 Dyna Wide Glide, my third new Harley in 30 years. My first Harley was a 1979 new Sportster, then a new 1980 FLH. My wife and I toured the Colorado rocky mountains on that second bike for two weeks with nothing but some clothes and a S & W 659 .357 magnum. Since then, I’ve been to Sturgis twice, and will see you this year! If your cycle club wants a training on location I’m your man!
What’s Amsoil you say? If you have to ask, you must not ride a bike. I became an Amsoil dealer when it saved my engine at Sturgis. I was in a parade there and the temp was 116 degrees in the shade going 5 MPG stop and go for two hours. I saw bikes overhead and start smoking, but not mine! Harley riders swear by the stuff.
Marcia and I are “First Family Lifetime Members” of Front Site Firearms Training Institute in Las Vegas. If you’ve always told yourself that “someday” you’d like to try something like Front Site, you won’t regret it. We’ve been there twice in the last year. www.FrontSite.com
I’m a certified Glock Armorer and have my own Glock repair facility.
I teach guitar, piano, voice and music theory. Ok I might not look like I do, but I do, really! I play the blues and was in a band that played 50s and 60s rock and roll (and of course, because of me, we also played the Blues). I went to McPhail college of music, and I played in the college electric guitar orchestra. No, not the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), just the electric guitar orchestra.
I am a certified ABC bowling instructor and was the bowling coach on my son’s bowling team in high school. I bowled in tournaments for three years and was at one time on four teams four nights a week (don’t ask Marcia about that one). I have a bowling ball drilling machine in my basement and a small Proshop, and I still drill balls for my friends. My best scores on record was 299 several times, but never a 300. However my son who I taught to bowl has thrown several 300s and a 870. That’s a 300, 279 followed by a 221 in a high school tournament. Show off.
I’m an instrument rated pilot and aircraft owner. I have a few stories to share here as well, including losing two engines in flight!
I’m a licensed Bail Bondsman (I can be there if you’re arrested to bail you out!), and I’m also a “Fugitive Recovery Agent” (www.mnfugitiverecovery.com). This means on a weekly basis I find myself in “condition orange”, and have developed situational awareness to a fine art. I enjoy sharing these stories in class so that we can discuss ways to avoid the types of situations that I must put myself into weekly! I realize that that may not quite compare to the stories a web developer or a mediocre science fiction writer might share, but hey we do our best.
I’m a dive coordinator scuba divers license, professional scuba diver. I haven’t quite figured out how to carry while scuba diving, but I’m giving it some serious thought, and will let you know if I put something together in my shop.
I hold a class 01, 02, SOT, 07 Federal Firearms License (machine guns) as a dealer and gun manufacturer, developing enhancements and parts for light machine guns. Ask me about giving one of these firearms a test run after class! Believe me, it’s an experience you won’t forget!
More about Plane Cents, and “Joe’s Thoughts of the Day”