Another newbe

[TominDallas]

Hello, Tom here. 58 years in the DFW Texas area. Thirty years ago if you'd told me I'd consider carrying a gun around every day I'd have called you crazy! My wife and I sent our paperwork off for a Florida CHL this week. This world is not the same world I grew up in. I don't look forward to it. I think it'll be a nuisance. My wife's all gung-ho though. We have a pair of Walther CCP 9mm's and she has a Ruger MkIII .22, mainly for inexpensive trigger time. I'm seriously considering a .45 ACP which is not a friendly weapon to carry but it's effective for what it was made to do. The Walthers are pretty small and lightweight.
I'm studying on all the ramifications, when and where to carry. What to expect. What NOT to do. I appreciate this forum and I appreciate the information to be gleaned. Tom

[longhorn86]

First, welcome to the Forum!

May I ask why you refer to carrying a .45 as unfriendly?

[TominDallas]

I thought about that wording, wondering if it was the correct term. Not really unfriendly, just seems like it might be a little bulky compared to what I have now. Been looking at various models and brands. I do want the weight and the full size to help with kickback. I've got a friend who's carried them since before there was a CHL law and he wears them inside his waistband. I wear my Walther 9mm inside my left ankle and the compact build allows me to almostforget it's there sometimes. I've been thinking for some time about where to put a full size ACP in the summer. Buy larger jeans and go inside the waistband or see if it will fit on my ankle like the Walther?

[longhorn86]

I carry an XDm .45 3.8 compact IWB. They key is to get a quality gun belt. In the summer, I carry it IWB with cargo shorts. The belt makes all the difference!

[GlassG19]

Hello, Tom here. 58 years in the DFW Texas area. Thirty years ago if you'd told me I'd consider carrying a gun around every day I'd have called you crazy! My wife and I sent our paperwork off for a Florida CHL this week. This world is not the same world I grew up in. I don't look forward to it. I think it'll be a nuisance. My wife's all gung-ho though. We have a pair of Walther CCP 9mm's and she has a Ruger MkIII .22, mainly for inexpensive trigger time. I'm seriously considering a .45 ACP which is not a friendly weapon to carry but it's effective for what it was made to do. The Walthers are pretty small and lightweight.
I'm studying on all the ramifications, when and where to carry. What to expect. What NOT to do. I appreciate this forum and I appreciate the information to be gleaned. Tom

Welcome Tom,
Not to jump off another newbie subject but.
So you do have your Texas LTC & just want your FL license cause you plan on moving or visiting there?. I've heard of folks getting different outta state licenses cause Texas is too strict & other states are much easier to qualify.

[C-dub]

Welcome to the Forum Tom.

A good gun belt and proper holster will greatly help with the weight and comfort issue in carrying a heavier handgun. My normal EDC is a Glock 30SF with its standard 10 round mag +1 and two spare full size spare mags with 13 rounds each. Before getting that I did carry its big brother, a Glock 21SF without any issues. There are many here that regularly carry a full size handgun without any issues. However, there is a saying regarding comfort.

Carrying a handgun is supposed to be comforting, not comfortable.

[RoyGBiv]

Welcome! (n00b. Not newb)

My wife loves shooting her CCP. And so do I.

Just curious, why Florida?

[TominDallas]

I appreciate the responses. Am I mistaken in thinking a full size ACP is too large for summer dress? I wear straight-legged jeans with my Walther and was considering a pair of flair-legged (boot jeans) for the big gun.OR tuck it into a holster inside the waist. I know a 9mm Hollow Point is a devastating round at center body mass. It's a lot (or it seems to this beginner) to be like comparing a Ford Ranger to a Ford 3/4 Ton Diesel. The Ranger will do a lot but the big one will do a lot more.
My wife and I went the Florida CHL route because at the time it was half the time and half the money for a permit good in 33 states including Texas. That was before the Texas law changed to allow for open-carry but open-carry makes no difference to me. I feel that a handgun strapped to my side would put a big target on my forehead in some cases where I'd rather keep it to myself. I also feel like there's also a potential for someone trying to take it by surprise if they see I've got it.
This of course doesn't take all situations into account, but in a crowd or in public if some person or persons want to do harm they would look to take out anyone who might pose a threat to them in doing whatever they had in mind. A legal handgun owner would be a first target. Eliminate the threat and make a statement at the same time.

[cbunt1]

Carrying a gun, any size, is a lifestyle decision. As such, it comes with clothing and equipment decisions to support it.

I would never say that carrying a full-size .45 (by that I assume you mean a 1911 pattern pistol) isn't feasible in standard Texas summer dress, nor is carrying a full sized Glock 17/22, even OWB.

Most days I carry either a Commander sized 1911 with two spare mags, or a Glock 22 with one spare mag, in standard-cut Wrangler blue jeans and an un-tucked polo shirt. These days I'm 50/50 OWB vs. IWB with the pistol, and almost always OWB with the mag pouches.

On days I need to be a little "neater" than an un-tucked polo, I use a Comp-Tac MTAC Tuckable IWB holster. I have one that fits the Commander-length 1911, and one that fits the Glock 22. Either works well. Those days I move the spare mags to a pocket and call it good. I've tried some of the IWB mag pouch solutions, and have found that I'd rather try to carry a porcupine than keep trying with IWB mag carry.

It does take some time to find the right gear, the right place to carry, and the right arrangements for you. When I first started carrying every day, keeping a J-Frame .38 hidden felt like trying to sneak a Bazooka past airport security, but over time I became more comfortable with carrying, and found more options that worked better. I gradually worked up to larger guns.

I have made some adjustments to my pant size and my shirt size. They may look a little "rumpled" and aren't quite as tight as I would have worn when I was younger. I find starch in my dress shirts makes the pistol a little easier to hide. Good gun belts are key, as are quality holsters.

On the other hand, I have known some people that have trouble comfortably and discreetly carrying a .22 derringer or an LCP .380. Most of the time it's a function of the holster/belt combo.

[longhorn86]

My wife and I went the Florida CHL route because at the time it was half the time and half the money for a permit good in 33 states including Texas.

You may want to reconsider this approach, Florida CHL will not afford you the protection if you are caught with your handgun in school zone. Only TX resident LTC exempts you from the federal GFSZA

[TominDallas]

Good point to be aware of. I live on land which is adjacent to school property. In other words, I LIVE in a school zone and therefore I must travel through one to even get to my house. We were told in class that we could not enter a school (The building) but could drive into the driveway to pick up a child for instance. Something I'll need to research to be sure.

[TominDallas]

Longhorn86 brought up a valid question. I do remember this being discussed in the class but still spent some time making sure. According to all information I can glean, like many states which recognize permits from other select states, Texas does recognize a Florida CHL and treats it as a Texas CHL. The key being "inside the car" . Whether I hold a Texas or any other CHL state's permit, schools are a gun-free zone. Period. I can however carry inside my car, even while in parking areas or driveways otherwise on school property. If I leave my car, the gun stays inside and locked up.


This is how the Texas Penal code defines carrying with regards to schools....PC §46.03. PLACES WEAPONS PROHIBITED. (a) A person commits
an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly possesses or goes with a firearm, illegal knife, club, or prohibited weapon
listed in Section 46.05(a):
(1) on the physical premises of a school or educational institution, any grounds or building on which an activity sponsored by a school or
educational institution is being conducted, or a passenger transportation vehicle of a school or educational institution, whether the school or educational institution is public or private, unless pursuant to written regulations or written authorization of the institution;

The Penal Code also defines premises as (3) "Premises" means a building or a portion of a building. The term does not include any public or private driveway, street, sidewalk or walkway, parking lot, parking garage, or other parking area...

From what i understood from my CHL instructor, concealed in the vehicle while you are dropping off/picking up is ok as is leaving it locked in the car while you are in the building. And as MCP1810 stated as long as there are no school related activities going on in the parking lot at the times... Hope this helps.....

[MeMelYup]

Longhorn86 brought up a valid question. I do remember this being discussed in the class but still spent some time making sure. According to all information I can glean, like many states which recognize permits from other select states, Texas does recognize a Florida CHL and treats it as a Texas CHL. The key being "inside the car" . Whether I hold a Texas or any other CHL state's permit, schools are a gun-free zone. Period. I can however carry inside my car, even while in parking areas or driveways otherwise on school property. If I leave my car, the gun stays inside and locked up.


This is how the Texas Penal code defines carrying with regards to schools....PC §46.03. PLACES WEAPONS PROHIBITED. (a) A person commits
an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly possesses or goes with a firearm, illegal knife, club, or prohibited weapon
listed in Section 46.05(a):
(1) on the physical premises of a school or educational institution, any grounds or building on which an activity sponsored by a school or
educational institution is being conducted, or a passenger transportation vehicle of a school or educational institution, whether the school or educational institution is public or private, unless pursuant to written regulations or written authorization of the institution;

The Penal Code also defines premises as (3) "Premises" means a building or a portion of a building. The term does not include any public or private driveway, street, sidewalk or walkway, parking lot, parking garage, or other parking area...

From what i understood from my CHL instructor, concealed in the vehicle while you are dropping off/picking up is ok as is leaving it locked in the car while you are in the building. And as MCP1810 stated as long as there are no school related activities going on in the parking lot at the times... Hope this helps.....

This may be what you are looking for. https://www.atf.gov/file/58691/download

[twomillenium]

Tom, welcome to the forum.
You ask a lot of valid questions and may I suggest you take the Texas LTC course from a competent instructor. It will well be worth the cost because the class is structured around Texas Law and the do's and don'ts. Again, welcome to the forum.

P.S. I know several states do not recognize nonresident license. I do not know if that is included in the 33 state Florida reciprocity.

[thatguyoverthere]

Tom, let me also welcome you to the forum. You will find lots of good info here from lots of very knowledgeable folks.

In that regard, MeMelYup is correct. The Gun Free School Zone Act does specifically state that the law does not apply only if the school zone is located in the state which issued the license. So technically, your Florida license would not be good for that issue here in Texas. Refer to the first line of section 2(B)(ii) of the Act, found at the link that he provided.