Going Above And Beyond The Basic Concealed Carry Test

Concealed carry shooting tests are, by and large, rather basic tests of pistol marksmanship. Here in Florida, the requirement for a concealed carry permit is that you “must show competency with a firearm.” What “competency” means in this context is up for discussion, but it is generally agreed that there is a shooting qualification with an actual firearm (not a laser training gun or airsoft pistol) that is required before you receive a Florida concealed carry permit. 

This is not true of other states, however. Concealed carry shooting tests are quite common. They can range in difficulty from no shooting test at all to “shoot a pistol and have it hit the paper somewhere,” to requiring at least some measure of accuracy. There is also a growing number of Constitutional Carry states that require no permit at all for lawful concealed carry of a defensive firearm. 

 

License To Thrive

If you live in a state like me that has a concealed carry shooting test of some kind, keep in mind that the test is there to provide you with a license: It is not an in-depth evaluation of your shooting skills. Think of it this way: Remember when you applied for and received your driver’s license? Did the driving test prepare you in any way for dealing with rush-hour traffic, or how to handle a patch of black ice on a cold winter’s night? Mine didn’t. I had to learn how to handle those potentially dangerous situations through practice and honing my skills behind the wheel. 

The test is there to prove you know how to operate the machine without hurting anyone else. As a responsible gun owner, it’s up to you to go beyond the basic knowledge of pulling the trigger and making the gun go bang. Developing your marksmanship to the point where you can hit your target on-demand and on-time is where practice and skill-building comes in, allowing you to shoot and succeed at even the toughest concealed carry test. 

Making The Grade 

Claude Werner is one of the leading lights in the firearms training world. He has written a great e-book, Indoor Range Practice Sessions, which outlines various concealed carry tests from around the country. I highly recommend this book if you want to go beyond just having a license to carry a gun and instead become proficient with the gun you carry. All these tests should be easy to shoot on either an indoor or an outdoor range.

Here, I give examples of just a few of the tests included in Claude’s e-book.

Ohio Concealed Carry License Competency Exam 

Shot at relatively close distances (5 yards and 3-ish yards), this is a good example of an introductory-level concealed carry shooting test.

The Ohio course requirements are as follows:

1. Target – Any silhouette target, such as a B27, USPSA target or similar 
2. Distance – 10 and 15 feet
   
3. Time Limit – None.
4. Shooting Position –Two handed standing at 15 feet. One handed standing at 10 feet.
5. Starting Position – Pointed below the target (Low Ready).
6. Number of Rounds – 30 rounds total. Start each stage loaded with six (6) rounds only. If your handgun only holds 5 rounds, load with five and follow the sequence listed.
7. Firing sequence – Follow the sequence indicated in Procedure. Remember, there is no time limit, so use the sights and press the trigger smoothly.
8. Scoring – Rounds must be within the outline of the silhouette. Rounds that cut the edge of the silhouette count.
9. Procedure –
   1. Place the target at 15 feet (five yards). Load the firearm with 6 rounds. At 15 feet, assume a Low Ready (pointed below the target) position. When ready, raise the firearm and fire 2 rounds into the center of the target.
   2. Return to Low Ready. Repeat the exercise 2 times. [5 shot revolver: 2 rounds once & 1 round once]
   3. Reload the firearm with 6 rounds. Assume the Low Ready position. When ready, raise the firearm and fire 3 rounds into the center of the target.
      Bring the firearm back down to Low Ready. When ready; raise the firearm and fire 3 rounds into the center of the target for a total of 6 rounds.
      [5 shot revolver: 3 rounds once & 2 rounds once]
   4. Reload and repeat Repetition c. 1 time.
   5. Bring your target back and mark your hits with masking tape.
   6. Place the target at 15 feet (five yards). Load the firearm with 6 rounds. Assume the Low Ready position. When ready, raise the firearm and fire 4 rounds into the center of the target. Unload the firearm.
   7. Place the target at 10 feet (three+ yards). Load the firearm with 6 rounds. Assume the Low Ready position with the pistol in your dominant hand. When ready, raise the firearm and fire 2 rounds into the center of the target using only your dominant hand.
   8. Return to Low Ready. When ready, raise the firearm one-handed and fire 2 rounds into the center of the target using only your dominant hand.
   9. Unload the firearm and make it safe.
   10. Success measurement – To successfully complete the competency exercise, your rounds should have hit within the outline of the silhouette and you should have safely unloaded the firearm twice. 

Missouri Concealed Weapons Permit Live Fire Test

20 rounds shot at a distance of 7 yards. This a good place to start your concealed carry journey, as this is a typical distance for a self-defense encounter. 

The Missouri course requirements are as follows:

1. Target – B27 silhouette target
2. Distance –7 Yards
3. Time Limit – None.
4. Shooting Position – Two handed standing.
5. Starting Position – Pointed below the target (Low Ready).
6. Number of Rounds – 20 rounds total
7. Firing sequence – Follow the sequence indicated in Procedure. Remember, there is no time limit, so use the sights and press the trigger smoothly.
8. Scoring – Rounds must hit within the outline of the silhouette. Rounds that cut the edge of the silhouette count.
9. Procedure – You will fire 20 rounds at 7 yards.
   1. Place the target at 7 yards.
   2. Load the firearm with a maximum of 10 rounds. Come to Low Ready. When ready, raise the pistol and fire 10 rounds, reloading as necessary.
   3. Bring the target back and mark your hits with masking tape.
   4. Send the target back to 7 yards. Load the firearm with a maximum of 10 rounds. Come to Low Ready. When ready, raise the pistol and fire 10 rounds, reloading as necessary.
   5. Bring the target back and count your hits.
10. Success measurement – To successfully complete the test, 15 of your rounds must have hit the silhouette. Although any hit on the silhouette counts, hits outside the 7 ring are undesirable.

Test Number Three: The North Carolina Concealed Handgun Permit Proficiency Examination

Another test that uses common distances for armed defensive encounters. As with the other tests, there is no time limit, so make every shot count. 

North Carolina Concealed Carry Test:

1. Target – Any silhouette, such as a B27 or B21
2. Distance – 3, 5, and 7 Yards
3. Time Limit – None.
4. Shooting Position – You may shoot from any position you are comfortable with. Two handed standing is preferred.
5. Starting Position – Pointed below the target (Low Ready).
6. Number of Rounds – 30 rounds total
7. Firing sequence – Follow the sequence indicated in Procedure. Remember, there is no time limit, so use the sights and press the trigger smoothly.
8. Scoring – Rounds must be within the outline of the silhouette. Rounds that cut the edge of the silhouette count.
9. Procedure – You will shoot 10 rounds at 3 yards, 10 rounds at 5 yards, and 10 rounds at 7 yards.
   1. Place the target at 3 yards.
   2. Load the firearm with a maximum of 10 rounds. Come to Low Ready. When ready, raise the pistol and fire 10 rounds, reloading as necessary.
   3. Bring the target back and mark your hits with masking tape.
   4. Send the target out to 5 yards. Load the firearm with a maximum of 10 rounds. Come to Low Ready. When ready, raise the pistol and fire 10 rounds, reloading as necessary.
   5. Bring the target back and mark your hits with masking tape.
   6. Send the target out to 7 yards. Load the firearm with a maximum of 10 rounds. Come to Low Ready. When ready, raise the pistol and fire 10 rounds, reloading as necessary.
   7. Bring the target back and count your hits.
10. Success measurement – To successfully complete the test, 21 of your rounds must have hit the silhouette. Although any hit on the silhouette counts, you should begin to count only hits inside the 7 ring of a B27 or 5 ring of a B21. When shooting at a B21, remember that hits in the head are actually misses if you are shooting at the body.

Arizona Concealed Weapons Permit Qualification Course:

Arizona is one of the permit-free Constitutional Carry states I mentioned before. As such, a test and a permit are no longer needed for concealed carry of a pistol. However, this was the test I had to pass years ago to get my permit to carry. Newer gun owners will need some practice in order to pass the tighter-than-usual accuracy requirements of this test.

Arizona’s Test:

1. Target – Any silhouette target, such as a B27. You must draw a box on the silhouette 14 inches wide and 16 inches high. Use a magic marker.
2. Distance – 5 and 10 Yards
3. Time Limit – None.
4. Shooting Position – Two handed standing is preferred.
5. Starting Position – Pointed below the target (Low Ready).
6. Number of Rounds – 10 rounds total
7. Firing sequence – Follow the sequence indicated in Procedure. Remember, there is no time limit, so use the sights and press the trigger smoothly.
8. Scoring – Rounds must hit within the outline of the drawn box to count. Rounds that cut the edge of the box count.
9. Procedure – You will fire 5 rounds from five yards and 5 rounds from ten yards.
   1. Place the target at five yards.
   2. Load the firearm with a maximum of 5 rounds. Come to Low Ready. When ready, raise the pistol and fire 5 rounds.
   3. Bring the target back and mark your hits with masking tape.
   4. Send the target out to 10 yards. Load the firearm with a maximum of 5 rounds. Come to Low Ready. When ready, raise the pistol and fire 5 rounds.
   5. Bring the target back and count your hits.
10. Success measurement – You must have seven (7) hits within the 14 x 16 box to pass the test. Hits on the silhouette outside the box do not count.

Don’t Just Pass Your Concealed Carry Test, Live The Life

Being able to document your progress comes in quite handy if you need to prove your competency in court. As such, being able to prove that you are not only good enough to pass your state’s concealed carry test, but the concealed carry tests for other states as well, could be a big help inside the courtroom if need be.