Neighbor getting CHL in Texas, what gun?

T

TXAZ

New member
My neighbor wants to get a CHL in Texas, but needs to Between us girls can't seem to hit anything inside the 5 ring. He's taken classes but doesn't seem to improve for very long. He has a snub nose .38. I'm thinking the short barrels are a part of the problem.

If he gets a pistol with a much longer sight radius I'm thinking he's likely to get more accurate, or possibly enough to pass the shooting test. Does that make sense? Any recommendations?
 
You are on the right track, but I think you joking. i thought all texans could shoot. Must be a city boy.
A glock(if he likes tupperware), a S&W revolver 3 inch barrel, To many to list.
 
Rent a Glock 19, if possible, and qualify with that. If he qualifies with a revolver that is what he will be limited to carry if CHL is approved. If he qualifies with a semi-automatic he can carry either type.
 
Maybe he's one of those people who really shouldn't be carrying. Don't flame me for this, but some people just can't hit squat and may be more of a danger to themselves and bystanders than to a BG. Just sayin'.
 
If he is serious about shooting and SD, he "should" buy something that he can shoot.

A .38 snub is a particularly difficult weapon to shoot well. Not impossible, but for a new shooter, might as well be.

I would start with a .22, shoot it a lot, and then buy a 9mm and learn to shoot it well. Start at 9 feet (really) and work yor way up from that.

However, few people will actually do that. Do you have a .22 that you can take him shooting with ten-twelve times (100 rounds per)?

Do you have a 9mm that he can transition to?

Do you have the time/patience/ammo to guide him through this process?
 
this may sound stupid....but if hes using a snubby 38....sometimes its the type of target that actually affects your accuracy...if i shoot at a black background target with the circles and crosshairs i only do a 1 foot group at 35ft.....

but if i put up a simple paper plate or other object with no marking i always group less than five inches...no idea why

but reccomendations for carry guns of mine would be

Full size....1911 45acp...G22.....Beretta 92....CZ75

Compact....S&W/ruger/charter arms 38spl.....Bersa 380 cc model...G26
 
In Texas to get a CCW you have to qualify with your gun. If you use a revolver then you can only carry a revolver. If you use a semiauto to qualify then you can carry either. Also it must be a .380 or larger to qualify. Yes, you can carry a smaller caliber but it must be a .380 or larger for qualification. Dumb rules but it is what it is.
 
In Texas to get a CCW you have to qualify with your gun.
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This is not correct. You can qualify with a borrowed or rented gun, and many TX CHL schools offer rental guns.
If you use a revolver then you can only carry a revolver. If you use a semiauto to qualify then you can carry either.
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Correct; FWIW I took my TX CHL proficiency class with a borrowed gun because the only automatic pistols I owned at the time were .22's, and I didn't want to be limited to carrying revolvers.
Also it must be a .380 or larger to qualify.
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This is also incorrect. It must be .32 caliber or larger.
 
Quote:
In Texas to get a CCW you have to qualify with your gun.

This is not correct. You can qualify with a borrowed or rented gun, and many TX CHL schools offer rental guns.

Quote:
If you use a revolver then you can only carry a revolver. If you use a semiauto to qualify then you can carry either.

Correct; FWIW I took my TX CHL proficiency class with a borrowed gun because the only automatic pistols I owned at the time were .22's, and I didn't want to be limited to carrying revolvers.

Quote:
Also it must be a .380 or larger to qualify.

This is also incorrect. It must be .32 caliber or larger.
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Thanks for the clarity. What I typed and what I was thinking were totally different. I meant to say you have to use the type of gun you want to qualify, not your personal gun. For the life of my I don't know why I was thinking .380 as well.
 
Longer barrel, shorter barrel, if he can't shoot, he needs to get some instruction. Sight alignment, Sight picture, trigger control...especially the last one. Dry fire will be of immense help with all three. Remember, you MUST see the front sight clearly, not the target to improve shooting hand guns. Rod
 
Between us girls can't seem to hit anything inside the 5 ring. He's taken classes but doesn't seem to improve for very long. He has a snub nose .38. I'm thinking the short barrels are a part of the problem.
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Yup. Snubbies take practice.
 
However, if you can't pass the TX CHL test with a snubby, you have a major shooting problem that can't be solved with a hardware solution.

Yes, snubbies are harder to shoot but not that hard.

I second the suggestion that a quality instructor needs to watch this person for things like grip, trigger control, flinching, etc.
 
1. Proper instruction.
2. I'd recommend a .22 of some sort for general practice.
A combination of the two made a huge difference for my wife. Shooting the snubbie or the .380 was a chore. Once she settled in with the .22 she started to enjoy herself and her groups shrank immediately. When she went back to the carry guns she did noticeably better with them.
 
What Glenn said. The test is easy. If you can't pass it there is a problem. A snub .38 is not a good gun to learn with. The recommendation to rent a Glock 19 is a very good one. Easy to shoot accurately. CHL shooting requirements are online. Check them out, go to a range with the right target and practice.
 
Yea it be the 38. I suck with mine and have a hard time hitting where I shoot. I need to learn more on that DAO trigger.
 
For grins, I looked up when I shot the old TX CHL DPS target with a 442. Max points were 250. I scored a 240. I even scored a 230 with a 1 5/8 inch NAA mini (which you can't use for the test but I shot the protocol to see what I could do).

I'm not William Tell and uglier than Annie Oakley, so training is the key.
 
You are on the right track, but I think you joking. i thought all texans could shoot. Must be a city boy.
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All REAL Texicans CAN SHOOT.

For the CHL test I'd get a Glock 17 and shoot wal-mart Winchester FMJ and be done with it. That is all you need. Keep the snub out of it (and for that matter the dinky P3ATs and LCPs.)

The test is a joke. At the DPS academy (10 years teaching the CHL classes from the first day it was taught) I shot left handed on the test. Had Troopers come up to me and explain I could use both hands (LOL!!) I told them I was ok and I was not left handed. Used Glock 26 and S&W 2 inch 64. I tried my 640 .38 Spl. but that five shooter kind of confused the RO as to how much ammo to load for each stage.

Sad thing was I could not hip shoot at 3 yards due to the bullets angling up and over the berm, and when it was near downtown Austin I didn't want to hit the roof. Would have loved to do that while others crouch and take their two handed 'stance'.

So just get or borrow an easy shooting simi-auto for the test.

Deaf
 
First I would definently qualify with a semi so you have more carry options later on. The Glock and S&W M&P are good choices, and easy to shoot when they have the lighter weight triggers installed.

Next I agree with all those above, your neighbor needs to practice with a 22 A LOT.
My guess is a lack of quality Trigger Time is the biggest issue here, compounded by a difficult to shoot well handgun.

I carry my 442 Pro Moonclip a great deal, and I shoot it fairly well. I practice a great deal with my LCR-22.

I shoot my S&W 4" 64 in handgun matches every month. I shoot ammo by the brick through my S&W 4" 617.

I also have a Colt 1911 and an XDm 40. I shoot my Ruger MK III Hunter a great deal for practice.

When practicing with a 22 you do not have recoil covering up bad habbits. Not to mention extending your practice Dollars much further. Now he needs to start spending those practice Dollars shooting up a few bricks of 22 ammo.
He also needs to be shooting a Centerfire in the mix also.

If he plans on carrying the J Frame 38 for Concealed Carry, I would also own a S&W 43C or the Ruger LCR-22 to practice with a great deal.

Bob
 
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