Poll: Reasons you have not gotten a CHL?

[bdickens]

New member here.

Cost is the main reason I haven't made the plunge yet. But I've already made the decision. I just have to dispose of some financial obligations first before I can take the class. Fortunately, I'm a vet and can get the application fee discounted.

Also trying to convince the wife to take the plunge, too. She probably needs to carry worse than I do, being petite, attractive and female. She's starting to soften up.

[stormbringerr]

It seems the class can be distracting with a lot of knuckleheads asking crazy hypothetical situations and confusing people about what the law really is. :) :)

What about the guy who thinks it's a hunting license for thieves. :x
There is alway one in the group.

Glenn

PS-I do not know how to do the quote-in-a-box thing, so I cut and pasted sort of.

G

what does hunting license for thieves mean?do you mean a license to hunt thieves?

[drw]

I voted "Other" for a variety of reasons, all of which are somewhat related. It all boils down to the fact that the idea of a "permit" to exercise a right (a right given to us by the Creator, not the government) is offensive to me.

If we submit to a permit to bear arms, then are we indicating to our elected servant-government that we will next be willing to submit to a permit to free speech? I can imagine a future where that very thing could happen.

It is akin to getting a marriage license. Why does the government need to give permission to get married? God instituted marriage in the beginning.

And then there is the issue of registration. The recent news about the Washington DC LEO going door-to-door asking for "voluntary" searches of people's homes is just another case in point on this issue. I don't like the idea of being on a list in some bureaucrat's office. Who knows how they will use that list of names at some point in the future?

Bearing arms ("carrying") is a God-given right, affirmed in the 2nd amendment. That's why I've never gotten my CHL, as much as I would love to have one.

If I'm off-base here, someone please set me straight. Shamefully, my fear of the consequences has prevented me from exercising this right (only in my vehicles and on my property do I current bear my arms) and I'd love to have a CHL so I could carry in public, where the arms may truly be needed on a daily basis.

[Mike1951]

If you choose not to get a CHL as a matter of principle, that's fine.

But if you avoiding a CHL for fear of being on a LIST, unless you've avoiding getting a SSN, any type of license, voter's registration. etc, you're already on far too many lists to worry about being on a CHL list.

And unless you've bought every one of your firearms 'off the books', then they know you own firearms.

Of course, we know that no such list is being maintained, because that would be illegal for our government to do.

[drw]

Of course, we know that no such list is being maintained, because that would be illegal for our government to do.

That was sarcasm, right?

[Mike1951]

I've never used smilies, but if there was one for sarcasm, I couldn't find it.

[drw]

The thing about all the lists you referred to above: they are nearly universal lists. Having a SSN or a drivers license basically means that you exist. It doesn't alert anybody that there is anything unusual about you.

History is full of stories of governments registering certain groups of people, and a decade or so later using those registries to start rounding up people. It would be naive to believe that such a thing couldn't happen here.

I've bought guns FTF and from dealers. The thing about dealers, for now at least, is that they don't send the information to the government. The file away the paper in their filing cabinet and there the information sits. There will come a time when FFL records are opened and instantly accessible to the feds, but that time has not yet come.

[Mike1951]

Right now, if I purchase a gun using my CHL, there is no need to run the NICS check.

Without the CHL, the NICS check is run on every firearm you buy from a dealer.

I prefer the former.

It seems there is more danger of the NICS history being retained.

[drw]

Great point!

[Paco]

My issue was cost and time, I just finally got fed up with all the bone heads taking innocent people out and NO ONE was able to do anything about it! I will not be a victim, nor will my kids; which is why they are all in Martial Arts now (even the 3 year old).

I told my wife after the Omaha mall shooting "I'm purchasing a pistol and I am getting my CHL" and there was no discussion other than "how much will it cost so we can put it in the budget?"

[texasmr2]

I did not hesitate to take my CHL class, which only took 8hr's, after selling gun's to customer's as I work at Academy, and hearing about the ordeal they just had the day before. I borrowed the money to take the class. To the people who have mentioned "why not break the class's down into seperate 2hr event's" that would be even more of a waste of time and energy having to adjust your schedule around 4-5 seperate class's, that's not very good time management imho.

Also concerning the online course idea, who's gonna take your finger print's and notarize your affidavit's? CHL class's usually take place on either sat or sun but some offer 3-4 class's a week.

[Liberty]

I did not hesitate to take my CHL class, which only took 8hr's, after selling gun's to customer's as I work at Academy, and hearing about the ordeal they just had the day before. I borrowed the money to take the class. To the people who have mentioned "why not break the class's down into seperate 2hr event's" that would be even more of a waste of time and energy having to adjust your schedule around 4-5 seperate class's, that's not very good time management imho.

Also concerning the online course idea, who's gonna take your finger print's and notarize your affidavit's? CHL class's usually take place on either sat or sun but some offer 3-4 class's a week.

Your instructor could get in some trouble over this. It is supposed to be a minimum of 10 hours. Maybe you spent 2 hours at the range.

[ProudNativeTexican]

I waited so long to get me CHL cause I have never really been one to shoot handgun. I grew up shooting rifles and once in awhile plunking with handguns. For graduation my dad got me a Colt 1991 and I started shooting a little more. Several times I started thinking about getting my CHL but didn't think I would carry so I didn't really see a reason to get one. Even two years ago I even did online forms and then didn't even take the class. But then a few months ago a friend was offering the class and in a matter of minutes I was talked into getting me CHL. Now I have started reading and looking online about getting a good carry gun.

ML

[texasmr2]

I did not hesitate to take my CHL class, which only took 8hr's, after selling gun's to customer's as I work at Academy, and hearing about the ordeal they just had the day before. I borrowed the money to take the class. To the people who have mentioned "why not break the class's down into seperate 2hr event's" that would be even more of a waste of time and energy having to adjust your schedule around 4-5 seperate class's, that's not very good time management imho.

Also concerning the online course idea, who's gonna take your finger print's and notarize your affidavit's? CHL class's usually take place on either sat or sun but some offer 3-4 class's a week.

Your instructor could get in some trouble over this. It is supposed to be a minimum of 10 hours. Maybe you spent 2 hours at the range.

Actually it was 9hr's which included the 1hr on the range. I know it's supposed to be minimum 10hr class but that is up to the instructor's discretion not mine. I passed the class that's all that matter's to me and any reprecusion's from the shortened time period is not my fault or concern.

[tarbe]

I finally took the class and submitted my paperwork, at age 50.

I am a former Marine, lifelong shooter, handloader, etc. I consider myself a sheepdog.

I waited so long only because I wanted to be absolutely as certain as I could be that I was ready to take on this responsibility.

CCW goes so far beyond gun ownership, so far beyond using firearms for hobbies. I could not take this lightly in any way, shape or form. Not that we take gun use or ownership lightly, but CCW is so much more potentially serious in its ramifications.

Finally, my guilt over not taking advantage of this opportunity to serve my fellow man (not to mention my family) moved me to go for it.

The prospect of a Democrat President alongside a Democrat Congress greased the skids.

Tim