When I got CT pistol permit way back in 1987 it was an annoying and intrusive process but it seemed mostly a matter of checking the boxes and jumping through the right hoops. No anticipation that a denial was very probable.
Unconstitutional but it was the process.
Sign off by a certified NRA instructor, background check, interview with county sheriff or police chief, don't remember which and I got my permit.
Has it changed much since then?
It doesn't sound like it has. I am hoping for a streamlining of the entire process, which includes the (always has been) stupid requirement of getting a town permit first. Which, by the way, no longer even allows you to carry in that town. So, WHY DOES IT EXIST?
The process of getting a state permit is the same once you get your town permit as it is for non-residents, which again begs the question of why require a town permit first if the state is just going to make you go through the same process again?
Lastly, once you add up all the fees leading to the final permit, I think you can argue that it's prohibitive enough to force a change, if some entity has the time, money, and lawyers to do so.