Congrats. Stiff fee for it too.
Not for CCW( been 42 years since I touched a weapon) but I have article2 (range in lombard) weapons training coming up end of April. Classes are absolutely booked. I’m going to ask if any of it can be applied toward CCW hours.
For anyone WITHOUT military experience, it's a combination of 16 hours classroom & range certification.
Now, the state says "8 hours." The material the state REQUIRES to be taught takes far less than 8 hours. That material is more like 90 minutes. The range certification also takes far less than 8 hours as you're only required to put 21 rounds out of 30 into the target at 35, 30, then 20 feet.
Some CCW Trainers are spending 2-3 hours class time, then an hour or less on the range. That's primarily because those CCW trainers are going by the MINIMUM State requirements for classroom and range training.
I frankly speaking happened to like the fact that the instructor I had (NRA Certified, Ex-Military, Retired State Police) chose to use the NRA Basic Firearms training in his course.
I'm familiar with Article 2 in Lombard -- never been there. You may want to ask what material they're incorporating into their classes and if they're following the state minimum OR if they're adding the NRA Basic Firearms class. If you want the name of the CCW Trainer I used let me know, I'll send that to you in Freepmail. He's in Oak Forest, IL.
I’m on the waiting list at Article II. Nice local range run by good folks.