Jay: Thanks for the clarification. As I mentioned previously, some local licensing judges go 'librul' and restrict you to 'hunting and target' only when issuing a carry weapons permit, but others realize that to be an inappropriately restictive limitation for the law abiding citizenry and just issue you a ccw. Interestingly enough, our local licensing judge, who is a firm advocate for 2nd Amendment rights and who issues ccws without restrictions on the use of the sidearm, is subjecting himself to the process of applying for a ccw. I used to think that sitting judges could simply utilize their court powers to obtain a ccw but I was wrong - they have to go through the same process we do if they wish to carry legally.
This particular judge is a cool headed fella who is puting himself through this process to better understand how the process works and how it feels to have your entire life history laid out for some bureacrat to review to determine if you are 'qualified' to own/carry a handgun. He is one of those who feel that if there is no cause to deny there should be no reason not to issue. I have had the chance to speak with this judge a couple of times - most recently when I was drooling over a Cimarron Arms repro of an 1873 SAA in their Original Finish - and I let him keep my Cimarron Arms catalog because he seem really interested in those cowboy guns; he asked me about local activities, calibers, etc., and I think he has taken a liking to one of their nickle plated 45s with a 4&3/4" bbl.
So, whether you intend to first purchase a hunting handgun for target and hunting, I hope you can deal with a local licensing judge who is as open as mine is, because later on Jay, you may wish to purchase something smaller you can carry and/or have your wife and children share with you. Just my two cents. Mikey.
