The State of New Jersey is at it once more. The NJ Concealed Carry regulations have undergone another revamp, specifically addressing the training requirements. These updates come swiftly on the heels of the changes made in July of this year. The good news is, this new course of fire isn’t as rigorous as the one before.

If you’re wondering about the details, it’s crucial to read the memo released by the New Jersey Attorney General. This document gives a clear picture and framework for understanding whether or not you might need to “requalify”. You can access the memo at this link: https://nj.gov/njsp/firearms/pdf/Memo_to_LE.pdf

Once you’ve perused the memo, you’ll note vital takeaways for anyone holding a NJ Concealed Carry Permit. For instance, if you haven’t completed the HQC2-Modified (this being the course of fire that the State mandated around July 1, 2023) or haven’t successfully undergone a CCARES evaluation (a course of fire aligning with the protocol) by December 31, 2023, your permit might no longer be valid.

To check if you’ve complied with the CCARES protocol during your initial TTC Qualification Course, here are the criteria you must have met:

• A minimum of 50 scored rounds per participant. (The TTC Handgun Qualification Course met this).
• Secure at least an 80% passage rate using an FBI type Q target. (The TTC Handgun Qualification Course satisfied this).
• Fire a minimum of 10 rounds each from the 15, 10, 7, 5, and 3-yard lines. If you’ve shot fewer rounds from these distances, the balance must come from farther distances.
• Safely holster and unholster during the shooting course, which includes drawing the weapon from a secured holster for firing at each mandatory distance and then reholstering after completing the round. (The TTC Handgun Qualification Course passed this).
• Show proficiency in safe reloading during the shooting course. (The TTC Handgun Qualification Course covered this).

It’s essential to know that if you’ve already cleared the HQC2-Modified, which was set from the start of July 2023 to 15 September 2023, there’s no need to requalify. Kudos to those who managed to clear the HQC2-Modified – it’s a commendably comprehensive training course!

Lastly, remember that New Jersey isn’t rolling out an entirely new course of fire. Instead, they’ve outlined minimal standards each trainer should use as their protocol. Our team has curated a course of fire based on this, and we plan to have it up on our site soon. We believe it provides a realistic gauge of the NJ Concealed Carry Permit holder’s basic standards. This course of fire has been integrated into all our CCW Qualification Courses for NJ Permit sessions.

In the meantime, Keep Training!

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Concealed Carry in NJ: Understanding the Changing Landscape

So, you’ve obtained your concealed carry permit in NJ. With the state’s evolving regulations, especially with the introduction of interim qualification standards, it’s natural to wonder where this journey ends and how much is truly enough. While we’re not just another NJ gun store or NJ gun range, we believe in the importance of training. Even if you’re an experienced gun-carrier, there’s always more to learn.

Training is different from qualification. At TTC, we focus on providing the right type of NJ firearms training so that you meet the measurable standard of a given task, the qualification. This ensures that you’re adequately prepared in the unfortunate event that you need to use a handgun for defense.

Decoding M.A.S.P.: The Gold Standard of Firearm Training

In my previous career as a SWAT and Law Enforcement training officer, a term stood out – Minimal Acceptable Standards of Performance (M.A.S.P.). Our defenders, whether in law enforcement or military, adhere to this standard. The CCP Qualification course (HQC-modified) is the state’s benchmark of these minimal standards. While the term “minimal” indicates the bare minimum, our goal is to ensure you surpass these standards:

1. Safely load and unload a handgun, whether at home or discreetly in your vehicle.
2. Master the art of safely drawing and holstering a concealed handgun, especially with concealing clothing.
3. Develop the skills to flee, move to cover, issue commands, all while managing a loaded handgun. Know when to holster and when to keep the gun ready.
4. Achieve accuracy when targeting, understanding the responsibility that every bullet carries.
5. Adapt to diverse environments – day or night, indoors or outdoors, crowded or secluded places.

Why Mere Qualification Isn’t Enough

Think about the current process: A resident can visit an NJ gun store, purchase a firearm, secure a concealed carry permit, and potentially never fire that gun. Is that the person you’d want nearby in a crisis? While visiting an NJ gun range is a start, it isn’t enough.

Competitive shooting has its merits, but real-world scenarios are unpredictable. The standards set by NJ, as mentioned in N.J.S.A. 13:54-2.4, might lean heavily towards law enforcement training. However, they may not always align with the situations a civilian CCP holder might face.

Beyond the Basics: Training at TTC

Our advice isn’t just about ticking off qualification boxes. We urge you to consider additional training, especially ones that are court defendable and based on the lawful use of self-defense. Proper training results in qualification, and these qualifications set the standard.

This late summer and fall, TTC offers specialized programs dedicated to NJ Concealed Carry classes, practice qualification sessions, Revised Qualifications for current CCP holders, and a dedicated class for initial qualification for prospective permit holders. Join us and elevate your skills.

Find our full training class schedule here.

For private lessons training, go here.

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FROM: Scott Lessig – TTC Director of Training

DATE:  25JUL2023

RE:  Revised CCW training and qualification standards from the NJSP and NJOAG

Many of you are asking for advice on whether or not you are required to complete the new training standards.  You may have also seen what other ranges are doing.  Some ranges have said that they have been told by the NJSP that their previous qualification is similar enough to the new test and are telling their customers that the previous qualification is enough. Some ranges are recommending that everyone since the Bruen decision should qualify.  We are also aware that the some of the new training forms from the NJSP forms webpage indicate that “Any requirement for classroom training and target training shall not be required for a renewal applicant who completed the instruction and training when obtaining a permit to carry a handgun issued within the previous two years.”  There’s lots of conflicting information out there.  The best advice that I can give you is to read the revised statute N.J.S. 2C:58-4 (signed into law on Dec 22, 2022) and review the Administrative Code N.J.A.C 13:54-2.4 and apply it to the training that you have received and the date that your Concealed Carry Permit was granted, and make your decision on whether or not you want to requalify.

We have a different perspective, instead of looking to see whether one should qualify or not, why not train and advance your skillset?  We are the Tactical TRAINING Center; training is what we do to prepare ourselves for what we don’t want to have to do.  We train UP to standards, not DOWN.  Our initial qualification course mirrored the Retired Officer’s Qualification Course, and we had a failure rate of about 15-20%.  Most of those who did fail, obtained additional training, practiced and then passed.  Some of those who failed, decided to go to another range with lesser qualification standards.  In the end, those who went to other ranges and got their permits, didn’t do themselves nor their families any favors.  It’s interesting that the new standards are similar to what ours had been.  The CCP holders who came to our range and passed, proved that they possess a skill and proficiency based upon a real world environment and creditable standards. “They Earned It”.   Training to the standard of a new qualification course will only enhance your skills and credibility.

Think ahead, if you are involved in an incident and your training records come into question (which they likely will), do you really want to rely on “we were told that we don’t have to requalify” or would you rather demonstrate that you passed the new standards, and have documentation to prove it?  Perhaps if you don’t requalify, you’ll second guess and you won’t carry.  Doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of obtaining your CCP?  For those who indicate that CCP is a Constitutional Right, I entirely agree.  Unfortunately, most of our political leaders in New Jersey disagree, and don’t want people to carry guns, are passing laws left and right to prevent it.  Until we get some relief in the form of case law or revisions you have to navigate this at your own legal peril.  I personally commend you for assuming responsibility for your own personal safety, don’t stop now.  Protect yourself legally, so you can protect yourself physically.

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We all are anticipating that our Second Amendment representative groups will counter these soon to be signed laws.  The Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs (A.N.J.R.P.C) seems to be ready with a federal lawsuit.  This is good news.  I suggest that you read the lawsuit as well.   https://www.anjrpc.org/page/CarryLawsuitFilings . We are also hoping that the federal appellate courts act quickly and put a stay to the requirements in the laws.

When reading the law, you will see that many requirements are overly broad, vague and a direct violation of many of our rights, not just our Second Amendment rights.  In addition to the overly broad and undefined “prohibited areas”, the law also seems to provide for some permission to be in these areas when carrying a handgun.  I found the term “brief, incidental entry onto property” interesting.  This seems to allow a carry permit holder onto one of the prohibited areas for a short time.  The prohibited areas include the buildings, grounds, or parking areas of the property.  So would I be violating the new law by carrying my handgun into my county administration building in order to get a tax map, so I could see where the “prohibited” property lines are located, as long as my time was “brief, incidental entry onto property”?  Gosh, I hope there’s not a line of other carry permit holders when at the clerk’s office.  And what if I walk along a property line of an allowed area on my right and a prohibited area on my left and my handgun is on my right side? Would that be a violation and does that mean that I have to walk backwards on my way out?

A few other portions of the law made me think as well.  The new law says that the permit holder must declare to a law enforcement officer on a traffic stop or other incident that they are carrying a handgun.  What if the permit holder is stopped in one of the prohibited areas?  Isn’t there a Fifth Amendment that seems to have been forgotten about here? And, am I reading this correct, you’re supposed to secure the handgun in your vehicle and you must secure it in a case, safe, trunk of the vehicle, unloaded of course, which means that you would unload and possibly reload in public?  Can I yell, “Thay hello to my leettle frien”, in my best Cuban accent ala Tony Montana as I reload in the parking lot?  In yet another section of the new law, it says that a police officer can inspect the gun, if the permit holder is under criminal investigation.  Is there a Fourth Amendment (search and seizure) issue that needs to be considered?  Would I be out of place if I asked the officer to clean it while they inspected it?

The problem with the law and many others in New Jersey is that it’s not a “workable” law and over-burdens and over-complicates concepts for the citizens, law enforcement and legal system.  The new training requirements are required to take place 7 months from now.  What we will continue to do at the TTC is provide you with the best training programs and firearms related products.  Many of our customers have already received their carry permits.  The great news is that it has forced the NJ legislature to recognize that the carrying of a firearm by citizens exists and it is here to stay.

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When I bought my first firearm over 30 years ago, my research into purchasing firearms consisted of reading magazines, talking to people some of whom lacked real knowledge, and going to firearms stores.

I wish the Tactical Training Center and its rental program were around when I first started my journey towards purchasing my first firearms. I would have saved money and I would have saved space in my gun safe, taken up with firearms I rarely use. Even though I feel comfortable enough now to buy a firearm without shooting it first, I still enjoy and find it beneficial to shoot other firearms. Learning the mechanisms of a new firearm helps to continually improve my shooting skills.

Every shooter from new to seasoned will benefit shooting other firearms. Not only will it help you decide exactly what firearm you’d like to buy, it will increase your firearms operational knowledge. A fun thing that I like to do is experience a firearm of a different type than I’m used to. Say you only own a semiautomatic pistol, shooting a revolver can be fun and exciting. Same goes for those firearms owners that only own a shotgun. It will be great to experience a modern sporting rifle.

The Tactical Training Center located in Flemington, NJ, has over 70 firearms available in the rental program. These firearms range from .22 caliber bolt action rifles to a .44 caliber revolver and everything in between. In addition the firearms are well maintained with regular cleaning and inspections. The Tactical Training Center also has a very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful sales staff that can assist you in both renting and purchasing firearms. Whether you are just starting in firearms, owned firearms for a few years or a seasoned firearms owner, renting a firearm at the Tactical Training Center is for you.

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As a reminder, all persons shall apply for a duplicate FID to replace a lost, stolen or mutilated card, or in the case of a change of residence by the holder, within 30 days of such loss, theft, mutilation, or change of residence. 

For more information on obtaining your NJ Firearms Purchasers Identification (FID) card or NJ Permit to Purchase a Handgun go to www.njportal.com/njsp/fars and/or visit the New Jersey State Police website www.njsp.org/firearms/firearms-faqs.shtml

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