Recommend Concealed Carry Guns
By Phil Ryan
The following is a list of guns that I personally like for a concealed carry option. I do not represent any of these companies, nor do I make any claim that these products are the only options available, nor any guaranty implied or otherwise. There are many quality firearms available for personal defense. This is my personal opinion. For those of you reading this on the website, there is no reason to email me you personal dislike for any gun on this list, not everything is for everybody!
The biggest problem I've observed in the last 15 years is people buy quality handguns but, the guns become cumbersome for daily continued carry. A student recently repeated a saying to me, "A 32 in your pocket is better than a 44 in the glove box." I couldn't agree more. The majority of violent crime victims are confronted outside their vehicle in the parking lot, on the sidewalk, in their own driveway, etc… They are not so fortunate as to have the luxury of being in their vehicle and digging it out of the console when it hits the fan!
If you choose to carry a different model or make of gun, that's fine, I'm not saying your wrong and I'm right, these are my personal suggestions based on my experiences.
Guys, insisting your wife carry a .45 because, “They don’t make a .46,” is macho crap. If you don’t think she can pull a .38 snub or .380 at 2 yards, shoot someone in the brain housing group and end it…well? Encourage her to get a gun she can handle and carry. Her big heavy hard to carry and conceal .45 in the closet on the shelf or in the glove box won’t help her when the rapist tries too grab her in the parking lot! Nothing is funnier then when a couple approaches me a gun show looking to by a holster to conceal her Glock 22 with an M3 Tac-light on the rail, especially when she’s a she 5-4 110 lbs, and in form fitting clothing. To top it off he insist she wear it somewhere on her body, yeah, right.
Some of these suggestions for a carry gun aren't going to be something you take to the range and shoot all day. You take them to the range fire a couple mags or cylinders, to show you're proficient, the ammo you carry functions in the gun and then practice with a larger gun. Marksmanship is marksmanship.
- Kahr Arms: P / PM / CW model guns
- Glock: 26 / 27 / 36
- Kel-tec: PF-9 / P-11 / P-32 / P-3AT
- Smith & Wesson: J-frame revolver lightweights / M&P sub-compacts
- Taurus M85 revolver lightweights / Millennium Series / 709 Slim
- Springfield: 3" 1911's / XD subcompacts
- Colt: 3" 1911's
- Kimber: 3" 1911's
- Bersa: Thunder 380's
- Sturm Ruger: LCP 32 or LCR .38
- Berretta: Tomcat 32 / Model 84 or 85 .380's
- Sig Arms: P232 or P238
By Phil Ryan
Many years ago when the CHL was being debated, one of the biggest concerns was safety. As always, detractors use safety as a way to complicate a guaranteed Second Amendment right to “keep and bear arms”. So the State requires specific areas be taught and a minimum of 10 hours and no more than 15 hours of instruction. Is that bad? Well, maybe not.
The Texas CHL original course is designed to teach you the laws concerning the carrying of the handgun, much more than marksmanship. You should know how to shoot. But if you don’t, the current curriculum requires a basic marksmanship and safety portion with a range qualification to ensure you can hit a target at a reasonable distance. This should encompass about 3 hours of the class. Any instructor spending 5, 6, 7 hours on the range in a 10 hour course is doing a disservice to their students. Lining up milk jugs full of water and shooting them with different calibers can’t be found in the Department of Public Safety instructor’s guide, but, it’s happening.
Why would an instructor do that? I don’t want to be self aggrandizing, but, frankly, those instructors don’t know what they are doing and have little to no knowledge of the law and how it applies to you, the legal carrying of that handgun and most importantly the use of deadly force. Imagine, pulling your handgun in a stress situation, pulling the trigger believing you're justified because, “I feared for my life” and finding yourself on trail for aggravated assault or murder, all because your instructor wanted to shoot jugs of water rather than spend the 2 plus hour’s we spend on the use of force alone. The words I feared for my life do not appear in Chapter 9 of the Penal Code which covers justified use of force in defense of person or property.
Over the years I have had multiple students take a 4 hour renewal course from us and tell us that we taught them more in 4 hours then their original instructor did in 10 hours. What’s even worse is when a student tells us their original class was 4 hours or 7 hours. The State requires a minimum of 10 hours. How is this possible? I guess you’d have to observe their class and ours to see the difference. When that instructor signs your certificate they are stating you met the minimum training requirements which is 10 hours for an original CHL. When you sign it you’re saying you did meet that standard. You also sign and Eligibility Affidavit saying you met the training requirements, both state documents. If you did not meet the training requirement and you sign them, it's found out that it wasn’t true, that is falsification of a state document a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year in jail and a fine up to $3500.00. Ouch! Further, if you have a job that requires a security clearance or ever try to get one, you’ll lose it or won’t get one. It’s a moral turpitude crime, lying, cheating, stealing category, it’s not worth it! Oh, at the very least you’ll get your license revoked and lose all the money you spent, and it’s happened more than once.
We are very detailed on where you can and can’t carry your handgun, another area that could get you in trouble with the law if you don’t know it.
As far as a range qualification, don’t you want to know that the other 250,000 plus license holders will hit their target and not you?
Am I trying to scare you into taking your training with us? No. We just believe in doing it the right way, for your sake and the sake of the program.
Are there other good instructors out there, of course, the bottom line is this; the majority of the course for an original CHL is the law and knowing the law, that’s what is going to keep you out of a problem you may not want to be in. We pride ourselves on teaching you the material, not the answers to a test. If it came down to it, who would you want testifying on your behalf, two state license police instructors and certified police firearms instructors or,…? We hope you choose us for you training.
Table of Contents
This is copy of an email sent to TXDPS Concealed Handgun Legal concerning no discount for veterans over 60 years of age. Sent 12/21/09:
To: T.D.P.S. Concealed Handgun Legal
From: Phil Ryan 00009602
Subject: License Fee’s
It has come to my attention that the fees being charged veterans whom are over 60 years of age (and been discharged for 366 days or more) are being over-charged for their Texas Concealed Handgun License.
Government Code Chapter 411.195 REDUCTION OF FEES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, the department shall reduce by 50% any fee required for the issuance of an original, duplicate, modified, or renewed license under this subchapter if the applicant for the license is 60 years of age or older.
Government Code Chapter 411.1951 WAIVER OR REDUCTION OF FEES FOR MEMBERS OR VETERANS OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES. (a) In this section, “veteran” means a person who:
(1) Has served in:
(A) The army, navy, air force, coast guard, or marine corps of the United States;
(B) The state military forces as defined by Section 431.001; or
(C) An auxiliary service of one of those branches of the service in which the person served.
(2) Has been honorably discharged from the branch of the service in which the person served.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, the department shall waive any fee required for the issuance of an original, duplicate, modified, or renewed license under this subchapter if the applicant for the license is:
(1) a member of the United States armed forces, including a member of the reserves, national guard, or state guard; or
(2) a veteran who, within 365 days preceding the date of application, was honorably discharged from the branch of service in which the person served.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, the department shall reduce by 50 percent any fee required for the issuance of an original, duplicate, modified, or renewed license under this subchapter if the applicant for the license is a veteran who, more than 365 days preceding the date of the application, was honorably discharged from the branch of the service in which the person served.
Based on the aforementioned, the fees for veterans over 60 years of age, meeting the criteria of over 365 days since honorable discharge should be reduced by 50% for 60 years of age, than an additional 50% for veteran status.
The current published fee’s for the persons in question are:
- Original License over 60 - $70.00
- Veteran - $70.00
- Renewal over 60 - $35.00
- Veteran - $35.00
- Original License (60 + and Veteran) - $35.00
- Renewal (60+ and Veteran) - $17.50
- Duplicate, Modified or Change of address - $6.25
The government code specifically states that there is a discount(s) for meeting both criteria, and notwithstanding any other provision as stated, the veteran discount is in addition to, any other fee that would be normally charged.
The intent of the veteran discount was, to honor the service of those who were in the military. There is no benefit for a veteran over 60 years of age based on the current fee’s being charged.
I look forward to your response,
Respectfully Submitted,
Philip A. Ryan
Instructor #00009602
instructor@txconcealedcarry.com
214-893-4116
