My Minnesota Permit to Carry classes are held by appointment at my office at 2500 Shadywood Road, Suite 100, Orono, MN 55331 and scheduled throughout the year. Although I can come to your location to accommodate larger groups, my classes are typically limited to 6 people to provide more personalized training. I am available to train on most weekdays, or weekends. My class begins at 9:00am and goes until you are finished at the range, usually by 5-6pm. You may join a pre-scheduled class if seats are available, or schedule a private class for you and your friends. The shooting qualification will be done at one of the local ranges.
My new student tuition is $175 per student. My renewal student tuition is $95. Renewal students can take my class anytime within one year before the expiration of your permit. Range fees and ammunition are not included. I offer a $50 discount from my $175 new student tuition if you are willing to bring a friend or family member. I will also extend the $50 discount to each new student you bring with you for training. However this discount does not apply to renewal students, because I have already discounted the tuition $80 to $95. I would appreciate your sharing this website with your friends and family. I provide the same training for either new or renewal students.
Contact me at 612.388.2403 to schedule your training.
Every student will receive a copy of the book Minnesota Guide for Armed Citizens, a $34.95 value.
If you do not yet own a gun, you do not need to go out and buy one before attending my class. I have guns students may use for free to qualify (you do need to buy the ammunition however). I would prefer that you wait to buy your new gun until after we discuss how to determine what is a good carry gun for you and how to correctly fit a gun to your hand in the class.
Pre-registration and payment is required to guarantee your seat. I can accept VISA or MasterCard credit cards by phone.
You might be asking yourself "why should I take this guy's course? Aren't all carry courses pretty much the same?"
Well, no.
After authoring the Minnesota Guide For Armed Citizens, Wisconsin Guide For Armed Citizens, Florida Guide For Armed Citizens and the Illinois Guide For Armed Citizens I created a curriculum for each state to integrate LTI training with the textbook. The two compliment each other because the book does not contain all the information you will receive from an instructor in the class, which is by design. Note taking is minimal, because you will be directed to sections of the book where the important information you need to remember has already been written down. You just need to know it is there and where to find it. While you are writing yourself notes, you are not listening to what is being said, so you actually can miss part of the training by taking copious notes. Missing what could be important training while writing yourself notes doesn't make sense either.
Because LTI does not print thousands of manuals with a copy of the PowerPoint, the curriculum can be updated as often as necessary to give you the most current information. LTI's different training style avoids the aging of material by not creating the problem in the first place. This is also the training model my instructors follow in Wisconsin, Illinois and Florida, which allows them to maximize the use of the time they spend in class with their students. The books are updated as needed so students are provided with timely information.
As a former commercial insurance broker for thirty years, I know that LTI's students leave class knowing how to be properly insured should they need to use reasonable force in self defense to protect themself or their families. They are armed with questions to ask their insurance professional, and provided the resources they can turn to for help if it is needed (neither I or any of my instructors sell insurance to anyone, nor are we paid to direct anyone to insurance professionals who we trust). Some people have already found out at the worst possible time (after they shot someone) that they could not afford to do what they did to save their life. You still have time to make a choice if you want to be one of those unprepared people or not, depending upon who trains you. State laws typically do not require of any firearms instructor, to explain how you can finance a righteous defensive gun use.
Some instructors do try to sell their students legal defense plans, or stand alone policies but they typically have low limits, exclusions that may not be good for you, restrictive terms, and they are comparatively expensive. Worse yet, how do you know if you even need it until you have discussed this with your insurance professional? Some people suggest buying an Umbrella liability policy, but they too may contain problematic exclusions or conditions and of course they are always an additional cost. Just because you could spend your money, does not mean that you should until you know if you are properly insured or not.
Please discuss this with a knowledgeable insurance professional so you know that you are properly insured and protected financially for the legal costs or other damages from either intended or unintended consequences from a righteous defensive gun use.
A $60 class from "brand X" could wind up easily costing you well over $200,000 or more if you do this wrong. Low "price" and low "cost" are not interchangeable terms.
All my renewal students and LEOSA students attend the same classes as my new carry students. It is nearly impossible for other instructors to put this amount of experience in one class which benefits all students. I know a good deal, but if your class also includes a citizen who has been armed for 5 or 10 years, or a retired law enforcement officer with 25 or 30 years of law enforcement experience, you will be treated to a different perspective of life than just mine. My law enforcement clients range from former local street cops and sheriffs deputies to the heads of regional FBI offices and the Federal Reserve.
My new student tuition is $175 per student. My renewal student tuition is $95. Renewal students can take my class anytime within one year before the expiration of your permit. Range fees and ammunition are not included. I offer a $50 discount from my $175 new student tuition if you are willing to bring a friend or family member. I will also extend the $50 discount to each new student you bring with you for training. However this discount does not apply to renewal students, because I have already discounted the tuition $80 to $95. I would appreciate your sharing this website with your friends and family. I provide the same training for either new or renewal students.
Contact me at 612.388.2403 to schedule your training.
Every student will receive a copy of the book Minnesota Guide for Armed Citizens, a $34.95 value.
If you do not yet own a gun, you do not need to go out and buy one before attending my class. I have guns students may use for free to qualify (you do need to buy the ammunition however). I would prefer that you wait to buy your new gun until after we discuss how to determine what is a good carry gun for you and how to correctly fit a gun to your hand in the class.
Pre-registration and payment is required to guarantee your seat. I can accept VISA or MasterCard credit cards by phone.
You might be asking yourself "why should I take this guy's course? Aren't all carry courses pretty much the same?"
Well, no.
After authoring the Minnesota Guide For Armed Citizens, Wisconsin Guide For Armed Citizens, Florida Guide For Armed Citizens and the Illinois Guide For Armed Citizens I created a curriculum for each state to integrate LTI training with the textbook. The two compliment each other because the book does not contain all the information you will receive from an instructor in the class, which is by design. Note taking is minimal, because you will be directed to sections of the book where the important information you need to remember has already been written down. You just need to know it is there and where to find it. While you are writing yourself notes, you are not listening to what is being said, so you actually can miss part of the training by taking copious notes. Missing what could be important training while writing yourself notes doesn't make sense either.
Because LTI does not print thousands of manuals with a copy of the PowerPoint, the curriculum can be updated as often as necessary to give you the most current information. LTI's different training style avoids the aging of material by not creating the problem in the first place. This is also the training model my instructors follow in Wisconsin, Illinois and Florida, which allows them to maximize the use of the time they spend in class with their students. The books are updated as needed so students are provided with timely information.
As a former commercial insurance broker for thirty years, I know that LTI's students leave class knowing how to be properly insured should they need to use reasonable force in self defense to protect themself or their families. They are armed with questions to ask their insurance professional, and provided the resources they can turn to for help if it is needed (neither I or any of my instructors sell insurance to anyone, nor are we paid to direct anyone to insurance professionals who we trust). Some people have already found out at the worst possible time (after they shot someone) that they could not afford to do what they did to save their life. You still have time to make a choice if you want to be one of those unprepared people or not, depending upon who trains you. State laws typically do not require of any firearms instructor, to explain how you can finance a righteous defensive gun use.
Some instructors do try to sell their students legal defense plans, or stand alone policies but they typically have low limits, exclusions that may not be good for you, restrictive terms, and they are comparatively expensive. Worse yet, how do you know if you even need it until you have discussed this with your insurance professional? Some people suggest buying an Umbrella liability policy, but they too may contain problematic exclusions or conditions and of course they are always an additional cost. Just because you could spend your money, does not mean that you should until you know if you are properly insured or not.
Please discuss this with a knowledgeable insurance professional so you know that you are properly insured and protected financially for the legal costs or other damages from either intended or unintended consequences from a righteous defensive gun use.
A $60 class from "brand X" could wind up easily costing you well over $200,000 or more if you do this wrong. Low "price" and low "cost" are not interchangeable terms.
All my renewal students and LEOSA students attend the same classes as my new carry students. It is nearly impossible for other instructors to put this amount of experience in one class which benefits all students. I know a good deal, but if your class also includes a citizen who has been armed for 5 or 10 years, or a retired law enforcement officer with 25 or 30 years of law enforcement experience, you will be treated to a different perspective of life than just mine. My law enforcement clients range from former local street cops and sheriffs deputies to the heads of regional FBI offices and the Federal Reserve.
What my students have said about my training:
"I was totally in awe. First time I paid attention during that long of a class in my whole life."
"I understand the risks and responsibilities of carrying. The book will be a great reference at home."
"The class was presented well, easy to follow and a large amount of participation."
"There was never a question Gene was asked that he did not know the answer in detail. All points were covered thoroughly."
"Provided a global overview of being an armed citizen."
"This is a great class with a strong emphasis on the legal, practical and financial aspects of defensive carry, and was thought provoking regarding the possibilities that come with a potential deadly force encounter."
"Direct and factual - You will know at the end of the class for certain, whether you want to actually carry a gun!"
"You get a fair, non-judgmental, informative, direction of how to properly conceal and carry and to be properly prepared to do so."
"I'm a Nam Vet and was a gun nut before, during and still am today. I've always known how to shoot and during Nam was usually in a free fire zone. That was different. It was war. But you kept my attention through the whole class and I understand what else can be done before you have to pull a gun. The cell phone was awesome being your number 1 weapon. Thank you Gene."
"I was totally in awe. First time I paid attention during that long of a class in my whole life."
"I understand the risks and responsibilities of carrying. The book will be a great reference at home."
"The class was presented well, easy to follow and a large amount of participation."
"There was never a question Gene was asked that he did not know the answer in detail. All points were covered thoroughly."
"Provided a global overview of being an armed citizen."
"This is a great class with a strong emphasis on the legal, practical and financial aspects of defensive carry, and was thought provoking regarding the possibilities that come with a potential deadly force encounter."
"Direct and factual - You will know at the end of the class for certain, whether you want to actually carry a gun!"
"You get a fair, non-judgmental, informative, direction of how to properly conceal and carry and to be properly prepared to do so."
"I'm a Nam Vet and was a gun nut before, during and still am today. I've always known how to shoot and during Nam was usually in a free fire zone. That was different. It was war. But you kept my attention through the whole class and I understand what else can be done before you have to pull a gun. The cell phone was awesome being your number 1 weapon. Thank you Gene."