The Wandering Minstrel

The Better Half and I are one step closer to obtaining our Arizona CCW permits. We went to the training class this morning which consisted of firearm handling and shooting safety, firearm parts and their operation, ammunition and its function, shooting fundamentals and firearm selection, cleaning and storage. They also briefed the class on Arizona firearms laws and interfacing with law enforcement for the last hour.

I asked if the reduced CCW training requirements would affect reciprocity with other states. The answer was it would not affect reciprocity for either states with formal agreements or states that informally honor Arizona permits. They admonished us to check the laws every time we venture into other states since things can change.

During the class, the staff called individuals to a podium where we got fingerprinted. We got all the forms and materials needed to mail to the Arizona Department of Public Safety. All that goes into the USPS on Monday. And then the wait begins for the permits to arrive.

While doing reserch about Indian Reservations yesterday, I came across another website dedicated to CCW and reciprocity maps, etc. This one, USA Carry, has a nice interactive graphics feature where you can see any state’s recognition by other states to honor that state’s CCW permit. Likewise, you can see (by state) which permits are recognized by that state.

I did a screen capture of Arizona’s recognition, not necessarily reciprocity, but whether permits are honored or not. On the left is states that recognize Arizona and on the right, states Arizona honors. Ignore Wisconsin for the time being, since they are still sorting out the details of their recently becoming the 49th state to issue CCW permits. As for the gun-grabbing state of Illinois - well, what can you say about “OBAMALAND” being the last hold out on this fundamental second amendment right?

Both are clickable images.

Bottom line - Arizona residents who have an Arizona CCW permit can carry in 35 out of 50 states. And, anybody (eligible under the usual rules) can carry in Arizona - EVEN IF YOU’RE A RESIDENT OF ILLINOIS!

The Better Half and I are planning to head off to the range this week and shoot off a few rounds with our carry guns and their backups. I pulled the magazine out of my Glock 30 (Fat Man) and put it next to my backup mag - the former loaded with Hornady 230 gr. JHP loads and the latter with Winchester 230 gr. JHP. The Better Half took this (clickable) image showing both loads. Hornady on the left.

Time to clean the carry guns. The Minstrel and I both pulled our carry guns out and cleaned and lubricated them this afternoon. Rosie (the Riveter) was absolutely filthy and the salt and rust were in evidence. Believe me - this gun looked much better after I scraped all the crud off of her. Minstrel’s Glock 30 (Fat Man) was in better shape, but he just recently started carrying him in lieu of “Little Boy,” the Glock 26 9mm. Clickable image.

After finishing Frank James’ “Effective Handgun Defense,” I ordered more books on the self-defense topic thanks to a couple of tips from DrJim who blogs at “Every Blade of Grass.”

Left to right in the (clickable) image above, are “In the Gravest Extreme” by Massad Ayoob, “The Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry” also by Ayoob and “Armed Response” by David Kenik. I have already finished the books on the left and right and I am about a quarter of the way through the big book in the middle.

My impression of all of these is very good. All I can say about getting into a position which requires the use of deadly force is I hope to heaven it never happens to us. But if it does, all three of these shed light on techniques and most importantly, what to expect in the aftermath. It’s not going to be pretty, that’s for sure.

Ayoob’s big book in the center is a bit more enjoyable reading than the other two, but only because of the frank descriptions of the reality of the self-defense experience and the repercussions that may follow in the other two. There is a little of that in the big book, but there is also lots of photos of guns and some interesting anecdotes. Even though I have not finished the digest, I can say it promises to be good reading.

The Wickenburg Sportsmen’s Club is offering Arizona CCW permit training this month. The Better Half and I want to get our permits, but with the 60-day processing period, we won’t have the permits in time for the Gun Bloggers Rendezvous. That, and other complications, will cause us to have to miss this training session.

Since the Club offers training quarterly, we plan to attend the September class and qualification. We need the CCW permit to allow us to carry when we travel out of Arizona on our vacations in the future. The good news is that most states where we want to visit (except Nevada) accept our Utah CCW permits, so this summer’s vacation can proceed as planned.

Here are some details regarding the WSC Training on July 23rd:

To qualify for an Arizona CCW permit under ARS 13-3112, you must:

• Be a United States citizen, a resident alien (valid green card) is OK.
• Be 21 years of age or older
• Not be under indictment for and have never been convicted of a felony
• Not suffer from mental illness and never have been adjudicated mentally incompetent or committed to a mental institution
• Not be unlawfully present in the United States
• Satisfactorily complete the 8-hour firearms safety-training program approved by the AZ Dept. Of Public Safety.

What to bring: Gun, holster & belt (REQUIRED) (No shoulder holsters), 25 rounds of ammunition to qualify. It is advised to bring extra ammo. (FACTORY AMUNITION ONLY – NO RELOADS), eye and ear protection. Also bring drinking water, non-alcoholic beverages, & snacks. You may bring your lunch or restaurants are close by.

NO LOADED FIREARMS ARE PERMITTED IN ANY TRAINING AREA UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUIRED BY THE INSTRUCTOR.

Cost: Per Person $79.00 Couples: $150.00 (Includes required finger printing and range fees.) In addition to the class fee, a $60 cashier’s check or money order made payable to Arizona Dept. of Public Safety is required when you submit your application in order to process your 5-year CCW permit. Do not send the payment to DPS in with your class registration. You will mail this in with your application and fingerprint card, which you will be given in class.

I finally resumed reading Effective Handgun Defense after it has been on the shelf since January of 2008. I got about halfway through the book today and I can say that it is illustrated, informative, entertaining and sprinkled with history and humor.

It’s about time I resumed reading this book. I have an excuse, though, we were distracted by retiring, building a house, moving, etc. Funny with most of that now behind us, we just seem to have a little more time on our hands to get caught up on our reading.

During the passage where the exploits of the James brothers (Frank and Jesse) are discussed, the Author, Frank W. James, makes the humorous point that he is no relation to his infamous namesake. It made me chuckle.

Email received this morning from NRA-ILA:

On April 7, Senate Bill 1467 passed in the state House by a 33 to 24 vote, with three absences. If signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer, SB 1467 will prohibit an educational institution from adopting or enforcing any policy prohibiting the possession of a concealed weapon by a permit holder or regulating the lawful transportation or storage of a firearm. This self-defense reform bill would only enable those legally allowed by state and federal law to carry a firearm on a college or university campus to do so, ending the arbitrary boundaries where a person can lawfully carry a firearm for self-defense. However, this legislation does not prevent colleges or universities from prohibiting the carrying of a firearm inside campus buildings.

It was originally reported that SB 1467 would be sent back the state Senate to consider the House version of the bill, but it has since been determined that it was unnecessary. SB 1467 will instead be sent to the Governor’s desk for her approval. Please contact Governor Jan Brewer today and respectfully urge her to sign SB 1467 into law.

Click here to contact Governor Brewer

Clickable image - University of Arizona Campus, Tucson, AZ