[Pegnboo]

I'm the bird flu preparedness coordinator for our family. I'm much more comfortable with planning for our food/water/medical needs than planning for safety and protection.

I'm old enough to remember my mother, brother and sisters down at the local firing range learning how to shoot BB guns (with the plan on moving up to *real* guns) during the Cuban missle crisis. We never made it up to the next step so while I do have family members that hunt, none of us are familar with handguns.

I think we need some basic training before we apply for a permit but after reading some posts on this list, it seems it could be months before we actually get the permit, so we should apply first? What resources are out there for training and also for gun selection?

I apologize if this is not the type of thing ya'll can address on this list and would be most appreciative if you could point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

 

[ls1ssdavid]

In my own opinion if you are planning on getting a Georgia Firearms Licence to be able to carry, then you should apply as soon as possible. The faster you get the permit the better. And as you said it takes a few months. So whats the harm in applying now. All you have to do is drive to your countys probate court. On this website it gives good information on many if not all countys probate courts and that can help get you in the right direction.

As for firearms selection, there are so many diffrent firearms sold that anyone can find one perfect for themselves. However it would be impossible for and one of us to tell you which gun is best for you. Things to consider are caliber of round, Safety's on the weapon, overall size of firearm, if used for home security maybe buy one that has a rail system so you can have a light attached. But if you go to your local gun dealer i'm sure if you talk with them they can assist you in finding a gun that fits your needs.

As for traning I'm sure your local gun store/range can assist you with that as well. I know the ranges near my home offer classes. They are all basic and are for new shooters. They consist of class time simply on the safety of firearms to showing you basic ways to clean your firearm. Then the acutal application of shoot your firearm. And teaching basic fundamentals of marksmanship.

And welcome to the forum

 

[jrm]

Pegnboo,

There is not reason not to apply now. It will take a while to get it. Even if you get the license before you feel you are adequately trained, there's nothing that says you have to carry just because you got your license.

Welcome to the site.

 

[Malum Prohibitum]

Training as a family os a good idea. Are you looking for recommendations for training, or just tips on the firearms license?

By the way, you do not need a firearms license to carry in your home, car (somewhat restricted without license), or place of business.

Also, as jrm said, there really is no good reason to wait on applying for the license. Just because you have a drivers license does not mean you own a car. But if you are thinking about driving in the future or buying a car, a drivers license is a good thing to have.

 

[Gunstar1]

Most gun ranges that I have been to have a list of people who will do either classroom training or private training. Most ranges will typically have a selection of rental guns so you can try a few out before you buy.

If you apply for a license at the same time you start training, the way some counties work you will be trained long before your license is ready.