“In Arkansas, we are a constitutional carry state now, you don’t have to have a permit to open carry or concealed carry,” law enforcement officer and shooting instructor Josh King said of Ark. Attorney Gen. Leslie Rutledge’s declaration.

That is, if you’re a law-abiding citizen, of course. So, why then are so many Arkansans still signing up for concealed carry classes and eager to have that permit?

Law enforcement officer and shooting instructor Josh King explains three primary ways he believes people benefit from obtaining one.

“The benefits to getting a concealed carry still in a constitutional carry state, is the ease of mind of a a firearm. When you have a concealed carry, you have already done the background process, so when you go to purchase a firearm, there’s no waiting period- there’s no background check because you’ve already gone through that and it’s valid, so it speeds up the process.”

Secondly, he explains the benefit for a person who is traveling to another state.

“A person with a firearm who is the traveling to another state, when you have a concealed carry in Arkansas, it’s reciprocal in another state and other states.”

“Just because they have open carry or constitutional carry, more likely than not, it [their law] is for the citizens and residents of that state only, so if you’re visiting and traveling over that state, you do not have the right to carry in that state, like their residents do, but if you have a concealed carry, other states recognize that and you’re allowed to carry…”

“Finally,” King said, “the biggest [reason] for me… to take a concealed carry course from a knowlegable instructor, is the knowledge and confidence and the training. Just like anything else, it is not required, but… you can’t put a price on it.”

Being compitent, he adds, could save a life.

One of many classes available in central Arkansas, is happening Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. at the Searcy Police Department.

More information on that specific class is available on Facebook at One Shot Defense Systems.