i don't get it.

S

SWglockmagnum

Moderator
So, i finally started the process of getting my CHL in Texas.

Which i think is pretty cool. i honestly don't plan to carry a gun (or 3) everywhere i go, more than anything, i just want the license to make it easier to purchase guns, and to make it a little safer legally to get to the gun range without having to jump through a bunch of hoops, like hiding the gun in one place, hide the clip in another place, etc etc, i can just throw the crap in a bag or a pocket or whatever and go.

but... the weird thing is... i almost feel like i'm doing something wrong by getting it. i think they have programmed it into me so deeply that "guns are bad" from childhood, though i obviously know better, i was raised around guns.... but..... i seriously feel almost dirty or something for having a CHL.

maybe not dirty... but the other thing, a huge reservation of mine is, if i have a gun on me at any given time, i'm inclined to use it if the need arises. which is the POINT. but it sure seems like those who have a licensed fire arm on them and use them tend to go to prison whether it was legit or not. and it doesn't seem like anyone really teaches the "what to do / what not to do" scenarios as well as they should aside from by the book. for example, i would have no idea what to do if i was walking to the store at night and some dude jumped out from behind a bush and came after me, and i shot him. i assume call the cops, but... aside from that, no freakin idea...

are you supposed to say "STOP! ARE YOU ARMED? BECAUSE IF YOU ARE, I AM TOO, LEGALLY, AND WILL SHOOT YOU IF YOU THREATEN MY LIFE.... hold still while i pull out my cell phone camera.... state your name and that you consent in me shooting you"

because.......... that's what they make it seem like...

"well, how do you know he would have harmed you?"

"HE JUMPED OUT OF A DAMNED BUSH AT ME AT 2 AM... What... you think he was gonna ask me if he could bum a cigarette?"

i digress...


Aside from that, i legitimately feel that it's my constitutional right to carry a firearm, and given my neighborhood, it's a fairly decent idea to have one if i'm out at night by myself, or, am working in my garage with the door cracked open. certain types of people love to sneak up on me while i'm welding and ask me for money or ciggs or whatever. it's always something stupid, and they come right into my garage a lot of times, or are drunk / stoned / on crack and will stick their heads under the garage door and look in when it's cracked open to try to talk to me... frikin ridiculous.. it really is...

actually, that leads me to a question for another post. cool..
 
I don't think you'll be as inclined to use it as you might think when you start carrying. As time passes, you will feel more and more comfortable with your decision. Train a lot with your carry gun so that it feels like an extension of your body. You'll love the peace of mind should the need ever arise to use it.

Not a EDC-er myself, but I just thought I'd help you along!
 
I don't want to discourage you from getting your CHL, but the way the laws are currently written, you can legally carry a handgun in your car without a CHL as long as it is concealed.

A lot of the questions you have about using deadly force in self-defense will be covered in any decent CHL class.
 
thanks guys....

yeah i was actually (and still am) confused about the car laws.

maybe this is the previous law, but i thought it was that you could have a gun(s) in your vehicle, and had to be concealed aside from rifles, and the ammo couldn't be accessible... so either the ammo / clips / mags go in the trunk and the gun goes in the glove box or console, or visa versa, but you cant or couldn't have the ability to put the two together without going through a lot of hassle.

so... if you are in your car, and you have a gun sans CHL, can it be on your person concealed? or does it have to be in the console etc?

the catch 22 being, if you for some reason have to leave your vehicle you are breaking the law by having a firearm without a permit, or, breaking the law technically by breaking concealment to move it from your body to the console.

lol

of course, if you have a CHL you HAVE to tell a police officer you have it, and are carrying a weapon, or aren't whatever the case is, but... if you don't have a CHL, you DON'T have to tell a police officer that you have a weapon......... though, if he finds it on his own, you're going to jail for a while.

it's really weird......



and as far as practicing and letting it become an extension of my body, yeah, i can see that happening pretty quickly.
 
so either the ammo / clips / mags go in the trunk and the gun goes in the glove box or console, or visa versa, but you cant or couldn't have the ability to put the two together without going through a lot of hassle.
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The old law more or less said you couldn't have a handgun under your immediate control. It could be in the trunk or perhaps in a locked container not within reach of the driver.

There has never been anything in the TX penal code that differentiates between loaded and unloaded firearms. If it's legal for you to possess it, it's legal for it to be loaded. If it's not legal for you to possess it, you can't unload it and make it legal that way.
so... if you are in your car, and you have a gun sans CHL, can it be on your person concealed? or does it have to be in the console etc?
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It can be anywhere as long as it's concealed.

If you get out of the vehicle the handgun can't come with you unless you're going directly from your vehicle to a place where it's legal for you to have the handgun.
if you have a CHL you HAVE to tell a police officer you have it
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The law says that if you have a CHL and if you're carrying a handgun and if an officer asks you for ID, you must provide him your CHL in addition to the ID he requested. There is no longer any penalty for failing to do so, that part of the law was rescinded.

Most, if not all of this will be covered in your CHL class.
 
I don't live in Texas, but a big reason I got my CCW permit was just in case my vehicle breaks down... Especially since I have to drive through the City of Denver to get to a range I frequent. I'm not leaving my range bag in the car on the side of the road and if I didn't have my CCW permit and was approached by Denver PD, I'd never see my guns again (and that's the best case scenario).
 
Lack of knowledge on a subject usually breeds fear of the topic.

Saying that, and not trying to persuade you one way or the other in regards to you getting your CHL, I would suggest a competent SD training course that not only offers tactics in SD but covers what your actions should be immediately following a SD episode.

In a nutshell, your actions following a SD situation in which you did bodily harm to the attacker with any kind of weapon(gun,knife, golf club,etc) should be the same regardless.

Check out and take a good course in your area. It will answer some of the questions you have.

Too, as has been said, ccw'ing a gun takes some time getting used to. But again, a gun carried for SD is just a tool used for defense. Same as if you defended yourself with a SD tool of another choice.
 
Unfortunately, classes are expensive, but books aren't. Massad Ayoob has written several that will absolutely help you. Start with "The Gravest Extreme" and go from there.

I agree with others, you will likely find you are better at keeping yourself out of trouble and are therefore LESS likely to use your carry weapon. It is a huge responsibility, and you clearly aren't taking it lightly. You will be fine.
 
By the way, I am not saying, don't take a class. I just recognize not everyone can afford them. If you can afford one, take it.
 
It's good to be concerned about carrying, it's a huge responsibility ...

I have to say that since I started carrying, eight years ago, I have become a far nicer person. I go out of my way to avoid annoying folks, don't get involved in arguing with clerks or stick my nose in anybody's business, no fingers at the rotten drivers you share the road with .. my temper is far more under control ... the idea of carrying is to protect your life and the lives of those you love if there is no other way to solve whatever problem you're facing ... the gun is always a last resort ... but having it can get you out of situations you can't evade in any other way ... much of how you should respond is covered in your CHL class, but I would urge you to get some professional training after you get your plastic ... I've taken four courses so far, and each one has been eye-opening and has given me a new perspective on carrying a firearm and how and when to use it ...
 
I've taken four courses so far, and each one has been eye-opening and has given me a new perspective on carrying a firearm and how and when to use it ...
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Excellent post bikerbill.

Over the last 20 or so years, I've been fortunate enough to have sit in on many classes. Probably a good half dozen have been refresher classes in which I've been asked the question "didn't you already take this class?" My response is usually "Yep, but I always take away something I didn't know the first time."
Too, laws change. So it never hurts to take refresher course's.

As far as ccw'ing and attitude goes, like bikerbill, I don't walk away from trouble, I run. Avoiding serious conflict if at all possible is a must.
Also, there are places I used to frequent when I was younger I simply stay away from nowadays. Maybe it's just part of getting older but I will say if I've got the urge to go to one of these places,if I'm ccw'ing, that's my personal,deciding factor for not going. This makes the wife happy also.;)

Hey...it just dawned on me... that's the reason she always asks me if I've got my gun when I leave. :rolleyes:
 
Even though we have the Stand Your Ground law I prefer to walk away (or run) to avoid conflicts. I don't think CC allows you to SYG no matter what but only as a last resort. It's just common sense and I may be branded as a coward but I'm still here (not dead or in jail.)
 
I agree I always have at least 2 guns on me and I still avoid conflict like the plague. The best way to survive a fight is to avoid it. The guns are there in case some thing is unavoidable.
 
To me one of the most important aspects of carrying a firearm is to always be trying to avoid conflict. If you are armed and you cut someone off and flip them the bird as you do so, and they follow you until you stop and then come at your car with a tire-iron in hand and you shoot them.... While you MAY walk, your life is still entirely farked by this... Possible arrest, definite lawyer costs, possible lawsuit, might lose your job, etc. Totally not worth it.

As bikerbill points out, carrying tends to make you more peaceful. And as I would like to point out, if it doesn't, or if you start finding yourself wanting to go looking for trouble, or if you find yourself going to bad areas in the hopes trouble finds you, then you need to either stop carrying or at least seriously reexamine yourself and your reason for carrying.

Also, don't be surprised if at first you feel very weird. It can be unnerving at first to be walking around with a gun on you in normal situations. However, you will get more comfortable with time and it will be okay.
 
You are over thinking this.

Get your license and start to carry the smallest gun you'd feel comfortable to deal with a deadly threat.

You are best served by keeping the fact you are carrying to yourself unless asked.

As long as you are carrying legal,only a police officer needs know if you are carrying and telling him depends on the laws where you live and if he askes.

And if someone on the street in plainclothes asked me,I'd say,I need to see some i.d. first.

Concealed carry is a private thing.

You are not out to save the world and you are not the worst person in the world for realizing you might need a gun sometime in the future to save your life,.

Get the license,carry responsibly and keep that fact to yourself.
 
they come right into my garage a lot of times, or are drunk / stoned / on crack and will stick their heads under the garage door and look in when it's cracked open to try to talk to me... frikin ridiculous.. it really is...
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Hmmm... Doesn't sound like a good situation. It's the "underbelly"... and there's generally a lot of chatter and gossip among these types... I have come to understand that reputation is a big factor or they will continue trying to get something from me... even if it's just my attention. They are very needy people.

If I become widely known as someone who will put up with that behavior, it only gets worse.

If I become widely known as someone who WON'T put up with such behavior, it tapers off fast. They tend to categorize in very simple terms: "hard" or "soft"... That's been my experience.

I gotta be hard first. They understand hard best.

I also have Sheriff's Association insignia quite visible on my property... Simple things like that can be effective... They'll go elsewhere with their neediness.
 
ok... so ... actually, i have more questions, and yeah i do understand that a lot of this will be covered, i just feel the obligation to ask for clarification.

still assuming Texas:

basically it is currently legal to have a gun in your vehicle either loaded or unloaded because the state shows no difference between the two, though it has to be concealed.

do you have to be able to prove WHY you have the weapon in the car? for example "i'm on the way to the range, i'm on the way home from the range, i'm taking it to get serviced, i'm on the way to my ranch" etc? or can you just....... have it?

Granted, i don't get into trouble, and i am going to get my permit, but i do have other friends who have pistols and ask me stuff like this all the time.


((assuming you have a weapon and no CHL and it is concealed in your vehicle.))
lets say you're on the way home one night at 2:30am Saturday morning from working incredibly late Friday night, and are speeding to get home. faster than the posted speed limit, but safely, and the police have a drunk driver speed trap set up on the highway (as they often do) and you get pulled over. This particular officer is a hard nose and is itching to find something on your and is GOING to give you a hard time no matter what.

He decides to pull you out of the car and do a search.

Now, legally, if you don't have a CHL, you are not required to tell him you have a weapon.. does that account for when he asks specifically? "Do you have any knives or firearms or drugs in the vehicle i should know about?"

if you say no and he finds the weapon, is that illegal? I assume if you say YES, then the answer changes, because you're legally allowed to have it in your vehicle.

Can he legally confiscate the weapon / arrest you ? What are his courses of action?

presumably, if he's going through this much trouble for someone going maybe 10mph over the speed limit, you're GOING to go to jail and have to fight it in court regardless of legalities. guilty until proven innocent.

Granted, this sounds like a VERY specific scenario, but, i have found myself in this exact situation on a few occasions MINUS having a firearm. the situation where they searched my entire car 3 times over, called in dogs and all sorts of stuff TRYING to take me to jail but came up empty handed and ended up letting me go with a "warning". This happened when i was in my late teens and early 20's with long hair driving around in a hotrod.

with that said...

it is STILL an ever present fear of mine to actually have a weapon in my vehicle even with a CHL, or worse yet, have a CHL, get pulled over and NOT have a weapon on me.

the officer says " do you have a weapon with you now?" and i say "No.. i don't" and he says "are you lying to me? slowly step out of your vehicle and place your hands on top of your head... do you mind if i look around?"

!!!!!!!!!! CRAP .....

if i do have a CHL and do have a weapon, he asks, i say yes, and he may or may not ask me to hand it to him for the duration of our encounter and will hand it back to me.
 
You've always been able to carry a concealed and loaded gun in your vehicle in Texas under the "travelling" provisions of the state constitution, which was not defined and therefore not recognized by Harris County (and probably others)

A couple of years ago, the Texas legislature changed the law so that if you are in a vehicle you are presumed to be "travelling."

I'm a native Texan (now living in Minnesota) and I drive back home at least once a year. All the states between here and there honor my CHL except TX. But that's OK because I'm "travelling" and can have a loaded gun in my car -- I just have to keep it concealed, and can't carry it around outside the vehicle except on private property.
 
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