San Diego CCW

[MajorCaliber]

I feel your pain, Kate. I was without for two months due to delays at SDSO despite having my application in at the earliest possible date acording to their schedule. It turns out now they recommend starting the renewal process 90 days in advance, which is not really a solution as long as their processing capacity remains less than the demand.

As far as knives go, everybody has their own preference. I recommend you take a look at the Kershaw Blur. I have tried hundreds of various models. I like the Blur because it is a great size, small enough to carry easily but large enough to be robust and give you confidence in your grip. The one thing that puts it above all others I have tried is the way it absolutely SNAPS open and locks once you start the blade. Many other knives require a bit of a wrist flick or will not reliably open to full lock every time (especially if any lint has gotten into the mechanism after carrying over time). Compare the feel of the opening to any other blade and I'll bet you feel the difference. There are a variety of blade shapes available in the Blur product line. I prefer the tanto.

[LoadedM333]

San Diego CCW

My CCW expires this Wednesday. I applied for the renewal mid-July, and uploaded all documentation besides the requalification cert, at that time. I did the requalification 29 days before expiration, and uploaded that doc on the same day. And, as of 2 minutes ago, Permitium still says my application will be assigned to a processor "shortly." ...

[Nachoman]

If one doesn't have access to a scanner, did anyone submit pictures instead of scanned copies of their drivers license and training certificate? My scanner is at work, which is closed due to Covid.

[MajorCaliber]

If one doesn't have access to a scanner, did anyone submit pictures instead of scanned copies of their drivers license and training certificate? My scanner is at work, which is closed due to Covid.

Yes, I submitted clear, focused photographs of documents that I was unable to scan. Nobody raised an issue over this. I would examine the photo closely before you send it to make sure it is legible (with magnification) and the entire page is in the frame.

[Kate]

I feel your pain, Kate. I was without for two months due to delays at SDSO despite having my application in at the earliest possible date acording to their schedule. It turns out now they recommend starting the renewal process 90 days in advance, which is not really a solution as long as their processing capacity remains less than the demand.

As far as knives go, everybody has their own preference. I recommend you take a look at the Kershaw Blur. I have tried hundreds of various models. I like the Blur because it is a great size, small enough to carry easily but large enough to be robust and give you confidence in your grip. The one thing that puts it above all others I have tried is the way it absolutely SNAPS open and locks once you start the blade. Many other knives require a bit of a wrist flick or will not reliably open to full lock every time (especially if any lint has gotten into the mechanism after carrying over time). Compare the feel of the opening to any other blade and I'll bet you feel the difference. There are a variety of blade shapes available in the Blur product line. I prefer the tanto.

Thanks for the recommendation, Major!

Do you have any recommendations on good, or even sort of good, training options?

I have actually taken the Front Sight edged weapons course several years back. They don't offer it often, and I ended up really sore and bruised at the end, but it did give me an idea about how it works. And, it was that class that convinced me I could not let an attacker EVER get that close to me.

But perhaps with more consistent training, it might be enough...

And, Thank you!

Katie

[Nachoman]

Yes, I submitted clear, focused photographs of documents that I was unable to scan. Nobody raised an issue over this. I would examine the photo closely before you send it to make sure it is legible (with magnification) and the entire page is in the frame.

Great, thanks for the confirmation.

[MajorCaliber]

Thanks for the recommendation, Major!

Do you have any recommendations on good, or even sort of good, training options?

I have actually taken the Front Sight edged weapons course several years back. They don't offer it often, and I ended up really sore and bruised at the end, but it did give me an idea about how it works. And, it was that class that convinced me I could not let an attacker EVER get that close to me.

But perhaps with more consistent training, it might be enough...

And, Thank you!

Katie

I don't have any local training options to suggest unfortunately. Any training I have, I got many years ago in martial arts classes and I would describe it as unorthodox but brutally effective. So much depends on what type of assailant you face. Your knife against their gun: just a hair above useless. Your knife against their knife: you need to start with the mindset that even the winner goes to the hospital. Your knife against a larger, more powerful, but unarmed assailant: you have an excellent chance if you can get the knife out and ready before contact occurs.

[L84CABO]

If one doesn't have access to a scanner, did anyone submit pictures instead of scanned copies of their drivers license and training certificate? My scanner is at work, which is closed due to Covid.

Download "Genius Scan" on your phone. It's free and works great!

[luv2shoot]

I am thinking now that I need more "edged weapons" training, since knives are a concealed weapon that one does not yet need a permit for. But I sure hate the idea of those people being close enough to me that a knife might work. Heck, even mace distances are probably too close...

I hate this...

While there are extremely effective knife fighters out there, in my opinion it takes a lot of training to get good enough to be confident. Sure, if you’ve had years of martial arts training including edged weapons you’re probably decently effective but if not it takes a while to get there. Then, what if you’re faced with someone who also has knife fighting skills?

For the regular person, a good OC spray (not mace) would be my second choice after a firearm. A good spray can reach 12-15 feet versus contact and while it can be fought through if you’re trained, it's difficult to continue an effective attack once sprayed. Even better there’s almost no chance of permanent injury so less liability and much lower threshold of use. A knife would still be a deadly weapon, OC would not. The best part is anyone can do it with almost no training.

Sabre Red or First Defense are good brands and if you get the inert training unit too, it’ll help you understand range, spray pattern, etc. for the same real unit. I was actually quite impressed how far the 2.5 oz canisters sprayed and would feel quite comfortable with one as a secondary weapon.

[CessnaDriver]

I have superior knife fighting skills....

Run!

Agreed on the spray. Nothing wrong with having a blade for last resort.

I'm still a couple weeks out from expiration, submitted two months ahead of time, but seems a lot of us will be going through limbo of unknown lengths.

[Nachoman]

Submitted my renewal yesterday with full documentation and the training certificate. I guess we'll see how long it takes to get a call for an appointment.

[Kate]

Submitted my renewal yesterday with full documentation and the training certificate. I guess we'll see how long it takes to get a call for an appointment.

Don't hold your breath...

[Kate]

VERY good advice on the OC spray. Thank you very much...

Katie

[Kate]

My CCW expires this Wednesday. I applied for the renewal mid-July, and uploaded all documentation besides the requalification cert, at that time. I did the requalification 29 days before expiration, and uploaded that doc on the same day. And, as of 2 minutes ago, Permitium still says my application will be assigned to a processor "shortly." So, on Thursday, if I leave the house, it will be without a handgun.

And, this makes me much sadder than I thought I would be. It has surprised me how much my level of fear has gone down being out and about. And, I am pretty sure the fear of those bad things happening again will keep me inside a lot more.

I am thinking now that I need more "edged weapons" training, since knives are a concealed weapon that one does not yet need a permit for. But I sure hate the idea of those people being close enough to me that a knife might work. Heck, even mace distances are probably too close...

I hate this...

So, this afternoon, I got a call from the SDSDO to schedule my appointment. They offered 24 September! I mentioned I had heard thing were backed up to October, and she said the WERE back up, but they made some changes and moved everybody up. I did not ask what changes or other details.

I also asked if scheduling an appointment suggested my application for renewal was approved. She said, No, all it means is that the decision will be made before the 24th. To me, that is good and bad, but I like that they schedule the appointment ASAP and then hope things work out.

So, for me, 2 weeks with no CCW. THAT will not be too bad to quarantine inside for...

Katie

Edited to add: Permittium still shows the application is awaiting being assigned to a processor...

[CessnaDriver]

I've not heard of anyone not getting renewed. Did anything change from two years ago? I would think the same good cause would be fine.