New resident - CHP as way to purchase target pistol within first year?

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I don't know if this is on topic, but I am new to pistols and have newly moved to NC. I am looking to target-shoot rimfire pistol with my son in my rural Orange County backyard, and wondered if anyone has any thoughts on how I could do that.

Background:

If I understand correctly pistols are not available for purchase out of state - they would need to be transacted under the NC laws no matter where purchased. Looking into the NC regs it looks like the county calls the shots. Orange County has a 1-year residence requirement for pistol purchase permit but does not seem to have a time-limit for concealed handgun permit. The CHP appears to be enough by itself to let one buy a pistol.

I have no need to actually carry of my property- all I want is to get a .22 pistol to target shoot in my backyard with my son (he gets to use the Ruger 10/22 rifle - only fair) . I am OK taking a course and would have no problems with any kind of background check and I could justify the request to carryif a justification is needed. The only issue is that if possible I'd like to do this sooner rather than wait a year.

I'm new to pistol shooting but took rifle in college. I played with a Browning Buckmark at Davi's range in Durham - am thinking of getting a Sig Trailside when I can.

Questions:

Are my assumptions correct?

What's involved in passing the concealed carry course? (and of course, I don't have a pistol to practice with or bring to the class....would that complicate things?)

Is there any other approach, other than waiting for next summer?

Thanks in advance for any help and advice.

Best,

Joel

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Welcome to North Carolina!!!

Sorry that you moved in to the influence area of the People's Republic of Chapel Hill. If this residency requirement is true then you can try to go to another counties sheriffs department and say that you are purchasing a pistol for collecting purposes. That would be the only reason that you could get a pistol purchase permit in another county.


For the concealed carry course, you take the test, go to the sheriffs department, fill out the paperwork and wait up to 90 days for your permit but if you cannot buy a pistol purchase permit for a year, then I think that it would be similar for a CHP.

Good Luck!!!

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The OC sheriff has considerably more hoops to jump through for a pistol permit applicant vs. a concealed handgun permit applicant - go figure. In NC, I believe pistol purchase permits are closer to may-issue but CHPs are shall-issue.

Earlier this year, my wife and I obtained our CHPs in Orange County well inside of a year's residence in the state - no problem at all. At application time we were told it'd take about six weeks. After about four weeks Roxie Wilkins called to say our permits were ready. On picking them up we took her up on their offer to laminate the permits for $5 each.

My recommendation: take the required class and go get your CHP. Forget about the purchase permit. My only caveat is be sure to practice before you do the class. At the class we attended at a range near Burlington, they had pistols for rent and offered shooting lessons.

More info:

(the purchase permit)
http://www.co.orange.nc.us/sheriff/communityService/gunpermit.htm

(CHP)
http://www.co.orange.nc.us/sheriff/communityService/ccw.htm

One other thing: on the CHP page it says "The applicant must successfully complete an approved firearms safety and training course and deliver to the Sheriff a copy of the safety course certification."

The latter part of the sentence is incorrect. They will (as per NC statute) take your original certificate for their files, and return to you a copy. I mentioned this to them but the page hasn't changed.

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Thanks dubccat and xdfan for the posts and the good info. I am now signed up for a basic pistol course and a follow-on Conceal Carry course and will go that route - with some luck I will have my application in before Halloween.

Thanks again,

Joel

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Excellent. Please let us know how it goes!

BTW, I OCed a little in downtown Hillsborough last weekend. While driving by to see a particular building, my wife decided we ought to get out and walk around a bit.

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xdfan wrote:

Excellent. Please let us know how it goes!

BTW, I OCed a little in downtown Hillsborough last weekend. While driving by to see a particular building, my wife decided we ought to get out and walk around a bit.

Click to expand...

Hi xdfan,

Hope the OC went without incident.

I just finished the Concealed Carry course today (took basic pistol last weekend). I was a little concerned last week when they said at the basic pistol course that the criteria for passing the CC range session was "90% in the black." Hadn't seen the targets then - thought they were the target pistol targets. Of course today on the range we saw the big silhouette targets...big relief here - there's a whole lotta black!

Had to use a completely different pistol - never had shot a revolver, never had shot a double-action, never had shot anything larger than 22...but the loaner .38 spcl.was a very nice S&W 19 with target trigger and target hammer....got all shots in the black other than the first shot I ever took with a double action.

So now I have a nice certificate - after I make a copy next stop isHillsborough to file the application.

Here's hoping.