South Carolina CWP, Florida CWP, and
Basic Pistol Class

Class Description
Class Schedule
How to Apply

South Carolina issues its Concealed Weapons Permit (CWP) to legally qualified residents of the state, to active duty military personnel in the state on permanent change of station (PCS), and to qualified non-residents who own real property in the state.

We think that South Carolina CWP holders need more protection and much more instruction than the bare minimum required by the state. We provide it.

South Carolina residents who travel
need a non-resident Florida CWP too  

There isn't a federal or national Concealed Weapons Permit to cover you when you travel from state to state in the U.S.A.  The federal government does not issue a CWP. Concealed Weapons Permits come from the states, just as drivers licenses do, and depend entirely on each state's laws. But there the comparison ends. States honor every other state's drivers licenses but that's not true of Concealed Weapons Permits.

States are not required to honor each others' CWP. Each state chooses whether to issue a CWP, decides who can get a Concealed Weapons Permit, and whether to honor another state's CWP. It's a tricky situation that can cost you big if you get trapped in its complexities. It's why we advise South Carolina residents to get both a South Carolina CWP and a Florida CWP, and why we help our students apply for both permits with this one class at no extra charge for the class.

"Reciprocity" between two states means that they've made an agreement to honor each other's permits. (Of course you need to comply with the laws of each state you enter.) South Carolina does not have reciprocity agreements with most other states. But many of those other states do honor Florida's non-resident CWP. So if you want to carry your concealed handgun when you travel you'll want both the South Carolina and the Florida permits.

Check our reciprocity links on the menu at your left and you'll see that Florida has reciprocity with most states that issue the CWP—many more than South Carolina. With our class you can get a non-resident Florida Concealed Weapons Permit as well as the South Carolina CWP. With that Florida CWP you can travel through most states legally armed. Our Basic Pistol class lets you apply for the Florida CWP as soon as you complete it. We help you do it all with this one class.

We'll teach you the basics and can even lend you one of our own handguns by advance arrangement. Our classes are small and tend to fill quickly. To reserve your place in a class please email us now. Please include your local phone number(s) whenever you email us so we can call to answer your questions and determine your needs.

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We'll instruct you in the law and in firearms safety. (The photo shows the best way to check that a semi-automatic pistol is unloaded: you look and you feel. We show you what you need to know.) We'll teach you how to shoot defensively, to protect your life. You don't need experience or even a handgun of your own to take our CWP / Basic Pistol class. We teach you how to choose the right handgun for you and we can lend you one of our own handguns to use in class while you learn. We don't try to sell you a gun: we're not salespeople in disguise. Our only interest is what works for you.

Our class is approved by SLED (the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division) as the training requirement for South Carolina's Concealed Weapons Permit (CWP). The State of Florida accepts our Basic Pistol certificate for both its resident CWP and its non-resident CWP. We can accept Florida residents here on military service or a visit. And we can accept residents of any state who might move to Florida.

You can apply for both your South Carolina CWP and your Florida CWP at the same time or different times. It's up to you. Having both permits is a good idea for South Carolinians who travel to states that do not honor the South Carolina CWP. The Florida CWP is recognized by many more states than South Carolina's. We provide you with both the South Carolina application and the Florida application, and we guide you through the application processes.

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Our combined Concealed Weapons Permit and Basic Pistol class includes the eleven essential subjects required by state law for the South Carolina CWP.  The state requires every student to complete a checklist during the class to document knowledge and understanding of those subjects. We guide every student through that checklist to detail his or her individual training requirement for the Concealed Weapons Permit in South Carolina. There are two parts.

Disabled Veterans, Retired and Former Military, Active Military, Retired Law Enforcement, Active Law Enforcement need complete only the following six subjects on the "Legal Aspects of the South Carolina CWP" to meet the training requirement for a South Carolina Concealed Weapons Permit and can stop there and apply for their SC CWP:

1. Statutory and case law regarding deadly force
2. SC laws governing firearms and concealed weapons permits
3. Proper firearms storage practices that deny access to children
4. Prohibited carry locations
5. Liability and responsibility issues relating to firearms
6. Proper interaction with Law Enforcement Officers

Everyone else who wants the South Carolina CWP (and those veterans, military, and law enforcement officers who want more than the minimum) continues through the remaining five subjects to complete the entire class:

7. The four cardinal firearms safety rules
8. Handgun safety, manipulation, and operation
9. Basic handgun marksmanship
10. Proper concealment techniques and drawing from concealment
11. Qualification on the range with the instructor

Don't feel overwhelmed by the paperwork needed to apply for a South Carolina CWP. We supply the checklist and application, glide you through every step, and even provide the official certificate of completion for use in future years and future purposes.

At the same time we incorporate the Basic Pistol components of our combined CWP and Basic Pistol class to include essential elements for civilians who want to behave responsibly and protect themselves and their families.

The Basic Pistol elements of this combined CWP and Basic Pistol class give you greater depth of knowledge, skills, and attitude so you leave with much more than simply paperwork for a concealed weapons permit. We give you the foundation to know what you are doing, why you do it, and how you do it. This aspect of our class is excellent in itself and also prepares you for advanced training in Home Defense, Defensive Handgun, and perhaps even our Range Safety Officer class and Pistol Instructor Training class. The best start for everything related to handguns begins here, with the basics:

Basic Pistol

1. Gun safety, safe gun handling, child safety, and safe gun storage
2. Pistol knowledge
3. Ammunition knowledge
4. Fundamentals of pistol shooting
5. Handgun shooting positions
6. How to shoot effectively
7. Firearms and the law, and avoiding confrontations
8. Handgun cleaning and maintenance

All parts of our combined CWP and Basic Pistol class work together without boring repetition or wandering byways. Every aspect of our Concealed Weapons Permit and Basic Pistol class is packed with instruction, information, and training. We further enhance our class with demonstrations, handouts, and materials we developed so our students get maximum lasting benefit.

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We schedule our combined Concealed Weapons Permit (CWP) and Basic Pistol classes at our training facility in the Greater Columbia, SC, area. Here are our currently scheduled  CWP and Basic Pistol classes. 

How to Apply

Email us now to attend our combined Concealed Weapons Permit (CWP) and Basic Pistol class. Please include your telephone number so we can call to prequalify you for the class, determine your needs, and answer your questions.

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