Well how about them apples? Wisconsin finally joined the Concealed Carry Weapons (CCW) club—leaving Illinois as the last holdout. And now America’s Dairyland has deep-sixed the new law’s four-hour mandatory training requirement. “There’s no reason why we have to micromanage how people obtain their concealed carry permit,”state Sen. Glenn Grothman told postcrescent.com. “Other states with no minimum training requirements haven’t had any problems [and there’s] going to be no problem in the state of Wisconsin either.” But if there’s just one CCW-related “problem,” the gun grabbers will be all over it. Oh well. When they can provide any statistical evidence that proves that training improves safety or reduces crime, then we’ll talk. Meanwhile, it’s good to know that common sense is alive and well in the Eat Cheese or Die state.

22 COMMENTS

  1. I don’t believe that training would reduce crime, but it can help you be saver gun owner. I’ve taken several classes just for fun and to help improve my skills, but I’m against forcing people to take any class against their will.

    • Yep I agree. Mandatory training is a poll tax- there should be no obstacles to exercising your rights. I would certainly encourage everyone to get training, but unless it’s free, easily accessible, fast and proven to be effective, nothing should be mandatory.

    • I agree. I had to take a course through the local sheriff’s department here in VA before I got my permit. I did not need the class, but many of those in the class had no experience with firearms before, but had purchased them for CC. The deputy who was in charge of the range portion kept the worst offender at the range for over an hour of very much needed instruction on basic marksmanship and handling. While it was a slight hassle, I had no problem at all with taking the class after seeing how ill prepared some of the other applicants were.

  2. Wait, someone’s paying attention to history, not just making up arguments about “without training there will be blood in the streets”? Imagine that…

  3. Is having a training requirement all that bad?. Most if not all states have a required hunter safety/training requirement some being 2 days long. I do not believe 4hrs is a big deal. I agree that people are responsible for their own training but I believe something should initially be required. I went through this for my states CCW and do not see the issue. While you cannot fix stupid, stupid should not be propogated.

  4. had to go 8 hrs in missouri, which included the range time. we went over the law in detail. I don’t have a problem with training b/c how else will you know and obey the law?

  5. The trainings kind of fun and important, but ends up being a deterrent to getting a permit, along with public notices in the newspaper, having five or six people affirm you’re not crazy, and asking judges if it’s OK with them for you to exercise your rights (imagine if newspapers had to ask if it was OK to print something).
    PA doesn’t require hours of training, the system works for them. Given so many examples of working permit systems it should be up to the states.

    WI keeps getting better and better. They get those taxes down and I might look into moving there some day.

    • It also only costs 20 bucks to get a LTCF in PA, and SOME county Sheriffs will hand you the document on the spot, while others will wait out all or most of the legally-permissible 45 days.

    • GS, last week, you said the weather is too bad to move here. We are not doing anything about that.

      As far as the four hours of training goes, I am for it since I have noticed a lot of people in guns stores asking questions about ccw weapons in recent months, and many of these folks have never before held a gun. I would really like these folks to have some training.

  6. I have to agree with Pascal. The few hours of mandatory training I took required a basic understanding of the laws and weeded out one young lady who couldn’t keep her rounds on the silhouette at five yards.
    We shouldn’t forget that gubment run schools, movies and TV have been aggressively dumbing down the population for decades. Remember that kid in yesterday’s IGOTD post?

  7. Training is good. Training is great. So is personal freedom. I’m not aware of training requirements for exercising any rights reserved to the People by the Constitution. So, no, training should not be mandatory, and yes, people should train.

    • I believe in most states you only have to pass a written exam if you are 18 years old.

      When I moved form California to Washington I didn’t even have to take a test to get my WA drivers licence; my CA licence was a month from expiring.

  8. If anyone wants government to manage gun safety training, then they should put it back into the school curriculum like it used to be. …How much safer the country would be if kids learned at an early age how to safely handle firearms. I mean, it’s not like it’s in The Constitution, planted right on the heels of the First Amendment or anything.

  9. I think pursuit of training should not be mandatory, but when a person does it – then they show some good sense and dedication. Plus – I want to pursue it the way I see best.

    When I started shooting and getting ready to carry – I sought out an older man in my area who was a retired Marine and had been a pistol instructor during his military career. He saw real combat more than a few times. He was impeccable in safety and in teaching forms, etc. He also taught my son. He has no official credentials at the local range or from the NRA. Local LEOS don’t know he exists since he keeps to himself and stays off their radar. training from him – how would I prove that or quantify it? But I got trained for in excess of my expectations.

    I’m hoping to get him to do some refresher training with my son and I and maybe be willing to impart a little more real world knowledge.

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