Long gun carry isn't in the statute. It is an exemption in another statute.

In plain english it goes: 'Carrying a {longgun} is prohibited, unless you have a permit to carry a pistol.'

The guys that wrote it are smart. But, this section could have used a little something extra to help us out.

Short form: because that's the way it was, and with all the other stuff that needed to be changed, messing around with the name didn't make a lot of sense. Besides, if poor Skogie's attention had been called to 624.7181, Skogie would have had a strokie.

When you say "that's the way is was" are you refering to the former "may issue" law? Is that what the wording was on the old permits so they just left it as is in the shall issue law?

I have always been curious myself as to the use of the word "pistol" on the permit. Although "pistol" in defined in the statute, the word "handgun" would have been more appropriate. A purist will tell you that a revolver is not a 'pistol'. And, like the OP said, knowing that the people who wrote the law are well versed in firearms I awaly thought it should say "Permit to Carry a Handgun" I know it's semantics but I always felt 'handgun" would be more correct and figured there was some underlying reason for using pistol instead.

Sure. But while I'm not fond of test cases, I'd purely love to be around for the one where a guy gets prosecuted for carrying a revolver because some cop and prosecutor think he only gets to carry a semiauto

Why do our permits say "PERMIT TO CARRY A PISTOL"?

Yeah. What I mean is that there isn't anything in the statute specifying the permit toward handguns particularly. And that is good business.

https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=624.714
subd. 1a.Permit required; penalty. A person, other than a peace officer, as defined in section 626.84, subdivision 1, who carries, holds, or possesses a pistol in a motor vehicle, snowmobile, or boat, or on or about the person's clothes or the person, or otherwise in possession or control in a public place, as defined in section 624.7181, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), without first having obtained a permit to carry the pistol is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. A person who is convicted a second or subsequent time is guilty of a felony.

https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=624.712
Subd. 2.Pistol. "Pistol" includes a weapon designed to be fired by the use of a single hand and with an overall length less than 26 inches, or having a barrel or barrels of a length less than 18 inches in the case of a shotgun or having a barrel of a length less than 16 inches in the case of a rifle (1) from which may be fired or ejected one or more solid projectiles by means of a cartridge or shell or by the action of an explosive or the igniting of flammable or explosive substances; or (2) for which the propelling force is a spring, elastic band, carbon dioxide, air or other gas, or vapor.
"Pistol" does not include a device firing or ejecting a shot measuring .18 of an inch, or less, in diameter and commonly known as a "BB gun," a scuba gun, a stud gun or nail gun used in the construction industry or children's pop guns or toys.