Getting My Concealed Handgun License

By Chris Chumita

We finally did it. This past weekend, my wife and I finally took our twelve hour class that is required to obtain our concealed handgun license (CHL). It may be shocking to many people that I waited this long to obtain my CHL, because I have been very active in the fight to protect our Second Amendment rights. I am a part-time police officer, and that allowed me to carry off-duty without obtaining a CHL.

Even though I had not had the time to take the required training, I needed to shake the feeling of being a hypocrite. I have often asked pro-Second Amendment people to obtain their CHL, even if they did not plan on carrying a firearm. This would increase the number of people who have their CHL and strength is in numbers. Having a high number of CHL holders helps pro-Second Amendment organizations, such as the Buckeye Firearms Association, in the fight to pass good legislation. How could I continue to ask people to obtain their CHL, if I did not do the same?
How did the class go? It went very well.

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We attended class at the Phoenix Firearms Training Center at Atwell’s in Painesville. Our instructor was the owner, Mike McKenney. McKenney was one of the first CHL instructors, and his company has instructed over 3,000 students since the passage of the original concealed carry bill. He is also a Second Amendment activist, and is very supportive of the Buckeye Firearms Association. In 2006, he donated his classroom and helped instruct a “Refuse To Be A Victim” class with me that was used as a fundraiser for the Buckeye Firearms Association.

The first part of the class was the NRA’s Basic Pistol course. Everything from the basics of gun safety, to the parts of a gun, to the basic fundamentals of shooting was covered. My wife and I felt that McKenney was an amazing instructor. He definitely knew the material and you could tell that he really enjoyed teaching. He was able keep the class simple enough for the beginners and kept the more experienced shooters interested.

The second part of the class covered the ins and outs of Ohio’s CURRENT concealed handgun law and the appropriate use of deadly force. McKenney was able to clearly explain the confusing law and gave the students multiple sources for more information.

One of the best parts of the class was when the topic of civil liability was discussed. The other students were shocked to learn that you could be sued for a self-defense shooting. They were even more shocked to learn that they could be sued for defending their lives in their own homes. He ended the discussion by briefly discussing the need to pass a Castle Doctrine/Stand Your Ground law in Ohio.

The entire second day was held on the range. I was really looking forward to the range portion for two reasons. The first was that it is always fun to throw some rounds down range and the second was an opportunity to fix some “bad shooting habits” that I seemed to have recently picked up.

On the range, McKenney was assisted by another excellent instructor, Mike Doyle. McKenney and Doyle were able to improve the shooting ability of experienced shooters and had amazing results with the students who were shooting for the first time.

My wife also really enjoyed the class and felt that the class was “women friendly”. The class was NOT a testosterone filled experience that was intimidating to women. In fact, we were both happy to see that there were five women in the class and it makes sense that a class that deals with personal safety would be well attended by women. It is important to note that women are the fastest growing segment of gun owners.

By the completion of the class that exceeded all of the state requirements, we were given our certificates, and all of the required paperwork that we will need to apply for our CHL.

McKenney and the Phoenix Firearms Training Center is just one example of the hundreds of excellent instructors that we are fortunate enough to have in Ohio. If you would like more information about the Phoenix Firearms Training Center, you can contact Mike McKenney at:

Phoenix Firearms Training Center

440-285-9512

Chris Chumita is an active volunteer and editor with the Buckeye Firearms Association.