One year ago this month, I completed another DPS "Instructor Renewal" School - where we typically get updates on law changes every 2 years. One of the topics was on a new law that allows the classroom portion of the License to Carry course to be completed online. The DPS presenters indicated that "The Department" was not real excited about the idea and did not think that very many instructors or companies would be jumping through the hoops to get their courses "approved" until well after 2018. Well, they were wrong.

As of today, there are 11 outfits listed on DPS's web site and my phone has begun to ring from people seeking to complete the required "Range Portion" where Govt Code 411.188 (on page 18 of the 2018 LTC-16) reads:

(d-1) A qualified handgun instructor shall require an applicant who successfully completed an online version of the classroom instruction part of the handgun proficiency course to complete not less than one hour but not more than two hours of the range instruction part of the handgun proficiency course BEFORE allowing a physical demonstration of the handgun proficiency as described by Subsection (d)(2).

Several months ago, I added a blurb to the LTC page on our web site, clearly stating the above (that some instructors may chose to ignore) and the manner in which DCSA would offer "completion sessions" for 1 or 2 people at a time. But, due to the instructor time required and private range reservation, the minimum cost is $120.00 on a weekday or $160.00 on a weekend - the same price whether 1 or 2 people.

It appears that several of these "certified online LTC instructors" have never taught an "in person" LTC class in their life and people are learning the hard way that it would often take less time, money and grief just to take a regular class.

After 20+ years of having the DCSA office phone almost constantly on call forwarding to the cell phone, I made the phone call this past week to have the 940-241-2376 landline disconnected at the end of this month.
Business cards, the web site, etc. are being changed to reflect sole usage of the cell number 972-849-0075. Please make this change in your contacts info. and use the 972-849-0075 cell number if you need to call or text. (Please use it sparingly and let me know if you text who you are, as I may or may not have you in the contacts.)
 
As you may have followed, the Texas Legislature is in the final days of the 2017 session. Senate Bill 16 is one of the few “gun bills” that made much progress. Effective Sept. 1, there will be a rather dramatic decrease in the fees to the State for the License to Carry a handgun – as in $40 maximum. So ….. if you have friends or family who have not yet got the time, money and motivation all together at the same time, this might just be the ticket. Students can take the LTC class this summer, but not apply until Sept. 1 or after to save as much as $100.
 
Another semi-recent addition to www.dentoncountysports.com that I encourage you to check out is the “Active Shooter Defenses” class. Both the classroom segment and the special one-on-one shooting segments go well beyond the “bare bones” training of traditional LTC classes. 

Over the years, many students have inquired about doing an Appleseed Rifle Clinic and how to get started with possible modifications to their 10/22. In addition to a loop sling and possibly some trigger work, below is a list of links where some of us obtained other helpful accessories.

1) Scope rail- EGW model 46100  http://www.midwayusa.com/product/263151/egw-1-piece-picatinny-style-base-ruger-10-22-matte

2) Scope BSA Sweet .22 3-9x40mm http://www.amazon.com/BSA-Sweet-3-9x40mm-Rifle-Scope/dp/B000NJUPAS

3) Extended mag release- PWS T3 Lever   http://www.primaryarms.com/PWS_T3_10_22_Magazine_Release_Lever_p/4t3mrlb1.htm

4) Bolt Lock Back- Volquartsen Automatic Bolt Release Ruger 10/22  http://www.midwayusa.com/product/928688102/volquartsen-automatic-bolt-release-ruger-10-22
or http://www.amazon.com/Volquartsen-Custom-Automatic-Release-Black/dp/B0029M0U66/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1441671614&sr=8-2&keywords=ruger+10+22

With the new "License to Carry" (LTC) and some "Open Carry" options coming to Texas on January 1. 2016, the Legislature has also stipulated that some "Retention Training" be included in DPS' new LTC class lesson plans. 

At a recent instructor conference in Houston, we were told that DPS is working on a special 10 minute video for instructor recertifications and that the same video could be used in classes as soon as it is received The title of it was semi-jokingly referred to as "Sherrie's-methods-of-how--to-NOT-get-your-gun-taken-away-and-used-on-you." 

Many of us think the best way to accomplish THAT is to keep the thing CONCEALED.  ;-)  

Some of us also think that an inordinate amount of time and effort has been expended in relation to the relatively small % of license holders who will actually carry openly (hopefully in a manner that serves as a good ambassador for the Second Amendment).

In any event, all of this prompted my retrieving a Smith and Wesson Model 3913 (Thank you, Bonnie) for purposes of more food for thought for a few people who have concerns of the possibility of being overwhelmed and their gun being snatched by a criminal. Note the "safety switch" in the photo is up, the red dot is showing and the gun is ready to fire. 
For many of us (including 1911 fans), this set up is just downright BACKWARDS: the thumb safety, if there is one, needs to be such that it can be instinctively wiped DOWN (and off) with the gun hand thumb. However, some manufacturers use this "bassackwards" arrangement and some shooters don't have a problem getting acclimated to it. 

Some of us do consider that if a criminal did snatch this type of handgun while the safety was engaged, before they could figure out how to get the safety off, we could (1) take the gun back away from them, (2) go for a backup gun and/or (3) be waaaaaay out of range before they could figure out how to make it go bang.  ;-)

As many Texans likely know by now, we have a new "Open Carry" law that goes into effect January 1, 2016. In conjunction with this, DPS will be revising subsequently issued handgun licenses to eliminate the words "Concealed Handgun License" and replacing our 20-year old "CHL" terminology with "License to Carry", or LTC as the new abbreviation. 

For whatever (controversial) reason(s), the new law (House Bill 910), states that handguns carried OPENLY must be in a "belt or shoulder holster". This - and a lot of unsettling thinking - prompted me to take the adjacent photograph last week in the privacy of our classroom using a (triple checked unloaded) semi automatic pistol in a pretty typical "horizontal" shoulder rig.

So yes, you ARE seeing and reading this correctly. Come January 1, any one of us could very well be standing in the checkout line at Lowe's, Kroger, Walmart, etc and find ourselves looking down the muzzle of a LEGALLY carried handgun in a HORIZONTAL shoulder holster. (Yes, VERTICAL shoulder holster rigs, although not as common, are available.)

The new law includes a provision for businesses to be able to simply ask license holders to leave if they do not want them carrying openly on their private property. The law also gives specifications for sizing and specific verbiage (in English and Spanish) of a new "30.07 sign" that businesses can place at entrances if they want to prohibit open carry of handguns.

While some extremist "pro gun" folks take the position that the "non gun" people should just "get used to seeing handguns in public", horizontal shoulder holsters that "muzzle" people, in my no-so-humble opinion, is NOT going to be a good way to be a good ambassador for the Second Amendment. All it will take is a very small number of license holders carrying openly in holsters as described in the adjacent photo for us to see hundreds - if not thousands - of 30.07 signs going up all over the state by February 1.

Since the late 1990s in especially Hunter Education classes (and sometimes in CHL classes), we instructors have presented various scenarios and asked students to answer 3 basic questions for each scenario: Is it a safe shot? Is it a legal shot? Is it an ethical shot?  In regard to the open carry of handguns in horizontal shoulder rigs, I conclude with similar as food for thought for what, by January 1, will be very close to 1 million Texans with a license for this option.

Question: Is it safe?   
Answer: See NRA Rule #1 and Jeff Cooper's Rule #2.

Question: Is is legal?  
Answer: Re-read the first three paragraphs above, see Texas DPS web site and House Bill 910.

Question: Is it ethical?  
Answer: See Webster's Dictionary definition: "The discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation."

Thanks for reading - and thinking about it all. Feel free to leave questions or comments below and/or share this far and wide with those who may have need or interest.

Before I had even started the cup of coffee after a good nap yesterday, The Wife wanted me to head over to the computer and check out a puppy she had located on the internet. Then she asked about promptly going to see it, maybe buy it, as it was quite close to what she had been searching for since our last dog(s) died. And of course, first come, first serve, $200 cash.

The short version is, I canned my other plans, took a really quick shower, jumped into minimal clothes and we rolled out into Friday evening traffic, headed for some address southwest of I-35E and I-20. The Wife had printed out a Google map and directions. She even offered to drive while I got back into finishing a good book. 

As we were on the last leg of the 1+ hour drive in Metromess traffic, the seller texted her with a new meetup address "in the same neighborhood". Hmmmmmm. Condition Bright Yellow. Back to Google on the cell phone and ?????  Then, shortly after driving past the original location and unable to readily locate the new street, she rolled down the window and asked an older lady walking down the side of the street if she knew where such and such street was. Nupe, wrong language. 

With her head on a swivel and driving a bit deeper into the sunset in a rather dubious district in Desoto, The Wife suddenly said "You DO have a gun on you ...., right?"   :-D   "Ok, just checking."  

A reminder here in regard to some bullets in some cases "slipping the crimp". Smith and Wesson was the first I recall putting such warnings in their instruction manuals, especially on the guns in the 11 and 12 ounce range. From testing (load 5, shoot 4, then compare the last one to others in the box) we have done at the range and observed over the years, the slippage can happen even with some of the "standard weight" 15 oz. models. The slippage has been usually only slightly visible, but occasionally enough to keep the cylinder from rotating. 

However, just yesterday I observed an incident with the semi-new 17 ounce 9mm Ruger LCR and the Federal Aluminum cased 115 grain bullets. A buddy had shot 4 of 5 rounds then proceeded to unload the cylinder by ejecting the moon clip with four empties and 1 live round (which he planned to use in loading up another full moon clip for his wife). The bullet on that 5'th round fell completely out of the aluminum case and all the powder spilled out onto the shooting bench!

For any Freedom Plan people or recent students who would like to join us, a heads up here about this coming Friday night. At least 3 of us plan to have a semi-major cleaning session on several "work horse" pistolas starting around 6:00. Then Wallace is due out 7:30ish when we will get the chronograph set up to test some misc. loads.

The recent blog post at http://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/slide-lock-reload-methods/ prompts my writing this one. The article gives some overall good "pros" and "cons" regarding the two primary methods of quickly chambering the first cartridge in a semi-automatic handgun. 

As those who have taken one of my Handguns 101 classes or Shooting Skills Tuneups may recall, I try to get students to know how to use BOTH methods - or in some cases, the "overhand" method (a variation of the slingshot method). One of the reasons for my emphasis on primarily using the slingshot (or overhand) method to chamber the first round is that it helps ingrain a skill set that is very important when the time comes for rapidly dealing (slap, rack, ready) with the most common stoppages. 

Much of what is stated in the article (and here) is rather "generic". No one know more about the guns than the folks that made them, so their instruction manual should super-cede. Kahr Arms, for example, often says NOT to use any method except the slide release to chamber the first round. And for good reason. For some people, anything else can cause the slide to fail to go into battery (close all the way). However, for many shooters with some common Beretta semi-automatics, the thumb safeties mounted on the back of the slide can make the sling shot method quite painful on their thumb and/or index finger - and therefore impractical. 

A good friend and I did a little more "break in" shooting tonight with a semi-new Ruger LC9-S. The slide lock/release on it is still so tight that the only way either of us could drop the slide was via the slingshot or overhand method. Making the point, once again, that the only way to really know how to "run the gun" under even a little stress is to DO IT. Preferably fast and frequently. 

Feel free to chime in here on what works best for you.

It's not often that I am really impressed with most videos on You Tube, but this one is an exception. The first half (about 18 minutes total), in light of recent events, is very timely. While the last half is certainly "should know info" for anyone who carries a handgun. I do wish, instead of saying "personal weapons", he would have clarified better by stating "hands and feet".  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwC-RHsC6gw