TexasCHLforum.com

New to texas, about a year since i moved from alaska as it was where i was stationed for 4 years. Moved to texas and never leaving. Recently applied for and received my CHL which all in all took almost exatly 1 month to do the app, fingerprints and wait time! Ive had it for a few days now but have yet to carry my glock 23, it usually stays in my vehicle as im just not to comfotable carrying it on ly person yet. i hope this is normal.

Welcome to the forum! Lots of good folks and good information here.

There's a well known phrase that goes something like "carrying isn't supposed to be comfortable it's supposed to be comforting."

Welcome! Glad you got here as soon as you could! But carrying in the vehicle does you ZERO good if the crap bits the fan and you outside of the vehicle. The best way to get comfortable is to carry it. And also don't think carrying with an empty chamber is a good idea either because I don't care how fast you are, you will never be faster than the guy with one in the pipe. Especially if he's the bad guy. Get you a good holster. One that covers the trigger guard totally and practice practice practice. The biggest safety is between your ears. I carry a glock 19 and have for almost two years. Never had a problem. Stay smart. See the gun in and out of your holster. Practice drawing and holstering ( unloaded of course ) and carry on! Remember carrying a gun is not comfortable it's comforting. And if done with the right holster and belt. Yes belt is the heart of your system then it can be fairly comfortable. I hope you love Texas as much as I do and have a long happy prosperous life! And oh one more thing


THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND SACRIFCE!

Welcome to the Forum and Texas. You may wish for cooler weather again this summer.

Try carrying your Glock around the house some and see if that helps you to become more use to carrying. Be sure to have a good gun belt and a good holster. That will make a huge difference in carrying.

Thanks guys! Ive got a cc holster from academy, 35$ and it seats perfectly to my liking and covers the trigger.

I went for a walk with my wife at a park this evening but left my firearm in the car as i didnt see any signs banning the carry but i was being a weenie and just to worried about it being legal or not.

I was hoping for a few opinions on keeping a seperate firearm in my vehicle at all times besides the one i cc. I would just love knowing ive always got one in my car. Thinking of grtting a basic 9mm, specifically a taurus pt709 slim. Im a Glock guy 100%, but its a good little firearm for the vehicle i think.

Is this a smart idea?

Thanks for your input!

When you say you were stationed there, I assume it was for our country which I thank you for your service and welcome to the Forum. I think we were all a little nervous the first few days of carrying, I know I was for sure. It will become so natural for you within a few weeks you will find yourself feeling "naked" if you dont have it with you at your side. Just take it slow in the beginning if that makes you feel better, nothing wrong with that. You will soon learn how few people will notice, especially if you Conceal Carry. Some start by carrying while at the house just to get the feel for where you want it to ride. I myself like the 4 o'clock position.

Good folks here and you will learn a lot from some more knowledgeable folks than me here. Stay safe and CARRY ON!.

Thank you! Yes i was stationed in fairbanks with the Army, you'd think id be 100% comfortable carrying but its just A different story when you transform back to the civilian life.

Cc while shopping at an HEB is that common? I guess i could say im extremely cautious with people with everything going on now days and just am never too sure where carrying is legal if i dont see any signs before entering places..

Welcome to Texas. I always have a pistol in my truck. I drive an F-150 and bought a Console Vault which installs inside the console and very secure. Highly recommend this product but you have to check if they make one for your vehicle. I am in industrial sales and generally don't carry when I'm on sales calls. Very of my accounts are posted 30.06 but many have some type of "no firearms" signs. While I would not be violating the law by carrying on their property, if I was discovered, I would be banned from the account. Looking forward to retirement though and will always carry.

Alaska2texas wrote:
I was hoping for a few opinions on keeping a seperate firearm in my vehicle at all times besides the one i cc. I would just love knowing ive always got one in my car. Thinking of grtting a basic 9mm, specifically a taurus pt709 slim. Im a Glock guy 100%, but its a good little firearm for the vehicle i think.

First off, welcome to the forums and welcome to the great state of Texas.

As to your question about having a gun in your vehicle, I personally conceal carry most of the time (except at work) but I also keepa gun in my truck that stays there. My suggestion for a "truck gun" is one that you wont be overly sad about loosing. What I mean by that is, if someone breaks into your vehicle and stumbles upon that gun, you probably don't want them stealing a high dollar gun or one that would cost a ton to replace. My truck gun is a S&W SD9VE, I've found that it's a very reliable gun and it was extremely cheap so in the event someone breaks into my truck and it gets stolen, I wont be too upset that it's gone and could easily go out and purchase another.

Thank you guys! Ive got a 600$ alarm and very dark tint. If anyone even sneezes anear my car the alarm goes off and my fob notifies me with a high pitch ring. I am very thankful for your response, the 9mm im considering purchasing is between 220$-250$ abd ive owned one in the past so i know how it shoots :)

Thank you for your feedback!

Alaska2texas wrote:Thank you! Yes i was stationed in fairbanks with the Army, you'd think id be 100% comfortable carrying but its just A different story when you transform back to the civilian life.

Cc while shopping at an HEB is that common? I guess i could say im extremely cautious with people with everything going on now days and just am never too sure where carrying is legal if i dont see any signs before entering places..

Many of us carry in stores that aren't posted either 30.06 or 30.07. Start reading up on what signs you need to be aware of. I'm sure they covered this in your LTC class, but I can easily understand confusion over the signs. Basically, 30.06 means no CC. 30.07 means no open carry. Thats a good start but I still suggest reading and learning about the signage. It won't be long till you are at ease with carrying in public, just do it at your pace.

Thank you mxrdad!

I know the basic signs however i just need a refresher like you mentioned. My CHL course was almost 2 years ago, so i do need to re learn them.

Thank you for your input!!

This forum is so handy!

Oh, I did not know you could take the CHL/LTC class 2 years prior to filing the actual application. From your original post, I thought you just recently took the course. See? That's why I let others with more experience do the suggesting. I am fairly new myself.

Yes sir, i moved here in august 2015. Took ly chl course that october, didnt turn in the 100 form until feb this year. So technically a year and some change :) i wanted to wait and gain more confidence before actually obtaining my license so i gave it some time before the application process.

just relax, depending on which city you're in, since you're Army, I'm guessing San Antonio, but there are a couple of other places you could be....in SA there really are very few places you can't carry that would end up being on your regular routine, well, outside of the military base, that is.
HEB, you're good. Church, fine. Park, go for it. Home Depot and Lowes, ok.