If I want a gun and carry just because I CAN, that is good enough for you?

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77. No, it's not as simple as that ...

You take a class on many topics that involve different types of handguns, how to handle them safely and the laws concerning the use of such weapons for self defense in Florida. You will have to pass a test afterward and you will also be required to go to a gun range and prove that can actually hit a target usually at a very close range with a handgun.

These classes are offered by many different instructors and even at gun shows. The quality of these classes varies considerably.

If you are just interested in the simplest way to get a carry permit merely to mock gun ownership I would suggest a gun show. You do have to go to a gun range afterward and discharge a handgun in the presence of an instructor to prove that you can do so safely. Here's a link to check: http://www.suncoastgunshows.com/html/concealed_weapons_permit.htm

If you really wish to take a more in depth class I would recommend finding a good instructor in your local area. One of my co-workers took a class from an individual I recommended who was a retired police chief of Cincinnati Ohio. This instructor actually had his students to fire a large number of rounds at various distances out to 25 yards. He would also give the student a lot of advice on how to point shoot at extremely close range and the basics of target shooting. Unfortunately this instructor died in a traffic accident largely because he was not wearing his seat belt.

Another instructor was a prosecuting attorney and would tell his class that he was going to teach them gun safety and the laws involving the legal use of firearms for self defense in Florida. He also told them that if they screwed up he would be very happy to prosecute them. Here's a link to a gun school: http://www.equip2conceal.com/classes/florida-classes I have no idea how good this class is as it one just a site that I found by using Google.

If you have proof that you have ever attended a firearm safety course you can bypass the concealed weapons class. Also if you have been honorably discharged from the military and have a DD Form 214, you can use that document as proof of firearms training.

One advantage for you in taking such a course is that you can use your experience while posting here on DU. Since you are largely critical of concealed carry, I would recommend the gun show route. Not only is it possibly cheaper, the quality (from what I understand) is inferior to taking a more expensive course from a better instructor. If true it should provide fodder for posts critical of concealed carry.