You can learn all sorts of interesting tidbits in concealed carry classes. Like, for instance, that hollow-point bullets are like “whirling fan blades of death.” Hold that thought for a hot second.

When I moved to South Carolina, I needed to get a South Carolina resident Concealed Weapons Permit. Even though I had taken classes in Florida, I had to take the state-mandated concealed carry course for South Carolina. At the time, there was a legal requirement that the class had to be at least eight hours in duration. At least the state certified the instructors, so I figured that the quality of instruction would be reasonable. Well … not exactly.

My first carry instructor spent six of the eight hours telling us how good a gunfighter he was. In between claims he could beat any of us in a gunfight because he “wasn’t afraid of incoming fire” and would, therefore, take his time to aim and take us out with one shot, he spoke of how hollow-point bullets “expanded in midair to an inch or two across, like whirling fan blades of death.” Yes, this is a true story. When I had to retake the class four years later because I missed my renewal date, one of the “instructors” offered to take toe prints of the ladies because he had a foot fetish.

The moral of this story is simple: Finding a concealed carry class is easy. Finding a good one? Not so much.

Read the rest: How to Find the Right Concealed Carry Class