KurtC

It doesn't currently meet the requirements. The New Jersey HQC requires a bit more proficiency. You get two attempts to achieve 80% during the actual qual, but the training course will most likely walk you through it several times until they are sure you will pass. That is what you are paying them for.

You need to qualify with the sidearm that you will carry. Not just to appease the powers that be, but to protect yourself in court in case you are involved in an "event." You will need proof that you are proficient with the sidearm you were carrying and did not act recklessly. Just out of interest, I once shot the HQC with an AMT Back-Up in. 45acp. If you are unsure what a rude little POS that is, Google it. It has a trench instead of sights. My score was closer to the 80% mark than the 100.

25 yards is not that far. Grocery stores, parking lots, shopping malls, even some class rooms and hallways. The HQC establishes that one is not just safe with firearms, but actually proficient under stress. It also builds confidence. Once you've shot it a couple of times, you'll appreciate it more. There are more challenging aspects of the HQC than the 25 yd phase. Example: You are in a supermarket pushing a cart down the aisle. Bad guy appears at end of the aisle with an AR15. You are too old, fat and slow to run, so you kneel down, rest your hand on the cart and take a couple of shots to solve the problem and save your life, just like you practiced on the HQC.

Rubber grips absorb recoil, but generally suck for concealed carry or qualification. Use the walnut grips for actual carry, as the rubber ones will snag on your clothing. During qualification, you tend to not always grip the sidearm perfectly. Wood or plastic make it much easier to adjust your grip better before actually pulling the trigger, especially if it is 95 degrees and your hands are sweaty. I qualified with the SP-101 when they first came out. Great revolver. When the 9mm version came out, I switched to one of them. Performing reloads and keeping the revolver fully charged during quals is much easier with moon clips than speedloaders or speed strips. It has a short sight radius, so make sure you can hit a Q target at 25 yards. You will probably get tired of reloading long before the recoil bothers you. For all handguns...make sure you find out your POA for a center mass POI at 25 yds. Handguns all have different trajectories, based on barrel length, recoil and velocity. This is especially true for .45's. You may have to aim high or low on the Q target at 25 yds to keep your hits inside the coke bottle.

After 35 years of going thru this process, which is longer than most folks at the PD and County have been alive, this is the best advice I can give everyone... Follow the established procedures perfectly. Don't try shortcuts or substitutions. Don't tell anyone involved in the process how things ought to be or how to do their jobs. Be polite at all times. If you have to appear in person, be the quiet professional, not the clown demanding his rights. Be patient. Don't make weekly inquiries as to how your application is coming along. They may not be able to deny your application based on justifiable need, but they can very easily slow walk it thru, reject it for mistakes or omissions, or lose it altogether. If there's one thing you learn in the Army, it's not to piss off the folks that do your paperwork or cook your food. Once the PD's get swamped with applications, they will be the ones to demand change.

Just think of it as a lazy background check. Objections instead of references.

For my latest renewal, I told the PD that my prints had just been run thru FARS for a Permit to Purchase. They checked with the County and were told that a fresh set of prints had to be run through Morpho specifically for Permit to Carry. I got the new number from my PD and executed the Morpho trip. When the PD got the results about 2 weeks later they forwarded them to the County and the application was processed.

Had breakfast this morning with a friend from Delaware. As part of their CCW process, he was required to run week long post in the Notice section of a local newspaper stating that he was applying for a Permit to Carry a Handgun and that anyone with a reason to object should contact the PD number provided.

This ^^^ The problem is finding someone to just run you through the HQC if they aren't personally familiar with your skill level.

This ^^^ With a typical qualification, they quickly refresh standard safety and use of force, the move on to the shooting. That's for folks who have done it before. For folks new to the process, the instructors will have to start with the basics and move up to a qualification. Figure on at least one full day for individual instruction and two or more for group.

They need 3 inked copies of the form because one stays with the local PD, one stays with the county and one goes to the SP. Fill out the form. Make 2 additional copies (I make 3). Take them to your references and have them sign each one. When they are all signed, take them to the notary. Sign your signature on them in front of the notary and have them notarized. I do one extra, for my records, but also in case one of the references somehow botches their signature. If you need to be fingerprinted by Morpho, stop by your local PD or SP and get the Investigation number. You can then schedule your appointment on line. If one Morpho doesn't have any openings, try another. If you live near PA, use one of theirs. They will have more appointments available than NJ. Fortunately, we are now doing this in the digital age with the aid of the internet. 35 years ago, we had to fill out all the forms on a typewriter. You had to fingerprinted by you local PD in person. They were then mailed to the SBI and FBI for a criminal check, done by hand. It often took 6 months or more just to run the prints.

The requirements have been in place for decades. The only one dropped is the letter of need, #5 below.

The Safariland paddle holsters are extremely comfortable. I've had to stay in decent shape over the years and that flexible paddle keeps the sidearm from riding on my hip bone. It also keeps the butt close to one's body. I know I've used them with my 92D.

The Safariland 568 is an excellent holster, but don't think they are currently in production. I've been wearing one all evening with a Beretta PX4. They are probably still available on Ebay.

It would not surprise me in the least if NYC offers tax breaks to establishments that post "No Firearms" signs. For anyone thinking they can ignore such signs and carry concealed into the building, the charge may only be criminal trespassing, but it will also get your permit revoked.

No, because states have different requirements for the permit. NJ is not going to honor any of the other states unless they have similar requirements, which I seriously doubt any have.

No, he can prohibit a lot of places. When I was in a Ranger Battalion at Ft. Benning, GA in the '80s, I had a GA carry permit. It clearly stated on the permit that it was not valid at sporting events, churches or places that serve alcohol for consumption on the premises. Florida had similar restrictions. No part of an establishment where alcohol was the primary offering. Restaurants OK, bars No Go.

They can easily use FARS to get an application started by using it for the initial background check, as done when applying for a purchase permit. That would at least eliminate the trip to Morpho. I've never had to use a level 2 or 3 holster to carry concealed. The "concealment" adds an extra layer of retention. The few times I've carried openly I used a lever 2. My sidearms tend to be in the rare or collectable category, so I prefer Safariland holsters with the suede lining. They protect the finish of the sidearm and are only about $40. I believe the model is 5196.

If you have shot LE qualifications in the past, you can probably convince one of the RPO instructors to run you thru the HQC. It's about 2 hours. Figure on $100-200. If you've never shot an LE qualification before, it will have to be a training as well. That's probably one or two full days and I am sure any courses are filling up fast. Individual training will cost $1-2k. Group training will be more cost effective. There are several firearms training centers in NJ. Try google.

Pick a quality holster that remains open. Train and qualify with the one you will carrying. Quality training will also have you live fire from concealment. I've had to qualify numerous times from concealment. It's up to the instructor. It's a good idea to have one of the shoot-me-first vests handy, in case it comes up during training. On a humorous note, I showed up for a qualification once and didn't have a suitable jacket (washable), so the instructor goes to the back of his vehicle and pulls out an army poncho. "Here, wear this. You should be familiar with one." Fine, just make sure you show it on my paperwork.

The notary is for the applicant's signature, not the individual references. The fingerprint investigation results need to go directly to the investigating authority. That's why you need the ID number from your PD. Hopefully they won't prohibit Public Transportation. That's probably where folks need to protect themselves the most. Train stations and their parking lots.

The Bruen decision only tossed out the "justifiable need." New Jersey considers the references to be part of your background investigation. Getting that removed may take another court case. I also believe they use the references to cover the issuing authority's butt, in case the permit holder does something stupid or irresponsible.

Don't form any bad habits, like having to look while reloading or reholstering. Many encounters happen in the dark and you won't be able to see anyway. If there is a night phase to the qualification, the lights will be out. Concentrate on situational awareness. You may have drawn thinking there is a deadly threat, but if there isn't you will have to reholster while keeping your eyes on the situation. You don't want to get sucker punched or cold cocked because you weren't paying attention. Keep in mind that your instructor may feel differently, especially with those beginning with defensive handgunning. Safety will be paramount with initial training. Follow his instructions to get through the qualification.

The state doesn't have any holster requirements for the handgun permit. There is a level 3 retention requirement for guards and armored car drivers that carry exposed. The concealed holster requirements will be up to your instructor and range. The instructors I have always used required me to be able to reholster with one hand and without looking, but that may not be necessary at the beginner level. Check with the instructor that will be doing your qualification. Shoulder and cross draw holsters are usually not allowed. Keep in mind that if the holster has a retention device, such as a strap, it will have to be engaged each time you reholster. It would not surprise me if Murphy adds a retention level when they start rewriting the rules. Level 2 is still concealable, Level 3 gets bulky.

The NJ permit does not list your handguns. When I submit my renewal, I show qualification with 2 separate handguns, often one revolver and one semi, just so they know I am proficient. If I decide to carry a different sidearm, I qualify with it first, for my records. I do not recommend carrying any sidearm that you have not qualified with. You want to be able to CYA in the event of an incident.