(OT) Texas License to Carry range test passed!

Sweet100s

Big thing done on my post vaccination ToDo list: 

Passed the Texas License to Carry  test.  

The test is designed to be more difficult than I thought it would be
(timed # of shots with a certain level of accuracy at distances of 3, 7, 15 yards) 

The end group wasn't good enough to show, but I was pretty happy with shooting the only perfect score in the class.

After first 1/3 of course of fire complete, the instructor (former LEO and totally excellent as an instructor) said in this BOOMING voice: 

"GENTLEMEN. BE ADVISED. The young lady on the far left has a group the size of a half dollar.  Pick it up!"  ;-) 

I thought, O.M.G.  Mostly I just felt very relieved that I passed.   Also more confident that I do have a minimum level of skill, and somewhat confident that I could still be accurate under stress.  (I realize a real situation would be tons more stressful, but this test included a good amount of stress all things considered.)  

One thing in hindsight: All the women in the class congratulated me and asked me questions. 
Except for the instructor,  none of the guys did.

Course of Fire:

3 yard line - 20 shots:

• 1 shot in 2 seconds, 5 times
• 2 shots in 3 seconds, 5 times
• 5 shots in 10 seconds, once

7 yard line - 20 shots:

• 5 shots in 10 seconds, once
• 1 shot in 3 seconds, 5 times
• 2 shots in 4 seconds, once
• 3 shots in 6 seconds, once
• 5 shots in 15 seconds, once

If you shot all 5’s at the 3 and 7 you’d have 200 points before the 15,
25 points more than is needed to pass.

15 yard line - 10 shots:

• 2 shots in 6 seconds, once
• 3 shots in 9 seconds, once
• 5 shots in 15 seconds, once
  
  Above from https://txconcealedcarry.com/range-qualification/
  

SGH

Congratulations sister Sweet. It’s great to see woman taking interest in guns. 

OhioEgger

Congrats!
Sounds like Texas has a pretty good test. Honestly, I wish the states that have "no permit" carry laws would move to something like that. The old "with great power goes great responsibility" idea.

caliking

Shame on the guys for not giving credit where its due.

But, what's the "real situation" that's anticipated?

ColbyLang

Louisiana has a bill on the governor’s desk to do away with carry permits. Concealed carry for all! Nothing can go wrong there. BTW, I’m all for it passing

nealmgb

Concealed carry for all here in Missouri.  Not a good idea at all.  Without testing and training the gun owner is irresponsible.  Guns left in vehicles end up stolen.  Guns left irresponsibly in the home are found by young children and they or a young friend or sibling ends up dead.  Your required to learn to properly and safely operate a motor vehicle but not a deadly firearm?  Not a good idea at all.

WeberWho

Congrats! @Sweet100s

RRP

Congrats on your accuracy! 

Up here in IL it is almost - yet sad as well - that here so MANY shootings are done by idiots who seem to have learned their way to shoot a pistol is from cheap B grade movies way up in the air at arm’s length where aiming is pretty hard to do anyway! It’s not unusual for police to gather 20 to 30 casings and only 1 or 2 people got hit in a leg or foot. 

OTOH the gun crime in Chicago seems that many more shots get fired and more innocent children and bystanders die.

stlcharcoal

nealmgb said:

Concealed carry for all here in Missouri.  Not a good idea at all.  Without testing and training the gun owner is irresponsible.  Guns left in vehicles end up stolen.  Guns left irresponsibly in the home are found by young children and they or a young friend or sibling ends up dead.  Your required to learn to properly and safely operate a motor vehicle but not a deadly firearm?  Not a good idea at all.

10+ yr MO & IL CCW Instructor here......

You are assuming/projecting the absolute worst case scenarios, some of which have NOTHING to do with Concealed Carry.  CCW has been around since 2003, and the toned-down "constitutional carry" came about in 2017.  Since going into effect over four years ago, there has not been a rise in ANY statistic when it comes to legal gun ownership and use.  There has not been a rise in theft, negligent discharges, etc......nothing......same as when CCW went into effect almost 20 yrs ago.  The "wild west" never happened as media and nay-sayers predicted in 2003, nor 2017.  With the exception of the one drunk guy in the Florissant bar a few years ago, I always challenge anyone to name another time in MO with an irresponsible CCW'er without going to Google to find one.  It's literally a handful of times in nearly 20 yrs.

The 8-hr class and 50 rounds fired were what people made of the class.  Some didn't need to be there at all, a few got something out of it, and some needed more training but met the minimum.  Anybody can take the training online now or read the law.  Tactical training has always been available to all, and some elect to take it on a regular basis.  CCW is a right and gives you the ability to protect yourself and loved one, it is NOT a license to enforce or be a vigilante.  Even before 2017, you could get a FL or AZ permit through the mail and legally carry in this state without doing the 8-hr course......which plenty of people did.  IL has a 16-hr class with recurrent training every few yrs--their stats are not any better than Missouri.

If you don't want guns left in cars to be stolen, do not make gun-free zones (AKA: target-rich environments.)  It has always been legal to carry in your car in MO.  Has nothing to do with CCW laws, nor training. 

Guns have always been legal in homes, has nothing to do with CCW laws, nor training.  Gun locks are available for free at any police station and come with ANY firearm purchase--can't make people use them.  Prescription drugs, Tide pods, pit bulls, etc are just as dangerous with kids around.  It comes down to responsible parenting--if they're not safe with their firearm, they're not safe with anything else.  Make yet another feel good law, and people are still gonna die because they are stupid.

The bad guys are already carrying guns.....illegally, without training, in an unsafe manner, and wherever they want.  Do not project what these dirtbags are doing onto LAW ABIDING and SAFE gun owners/CCW'ers (whether or not they have a permit.)  

As far as the motor vehicle analogy goes, look how many automobile accidents and deaths there are in this state on a daily basis.  Just because somebody went through drivers ed at age 15-16, doesn't make them a safe driver, nor law abiding.  There are still unsafe drivers, texting drivers, drunk drivers, unlicensed/uninsured drivers, and f'n morons on the road.

Make all the licensing and training requirements you want, and stupid will still happen.

Sweet100s

caliking said:

Shame on the guys for not giving credit where its due.

But, what's the "real situation" that's anticipated?

re: Credit 
It wasn't a big deal at all.  Everyone was totally friendly.   
Just something I noticed in hindsight.     The entire day went by so quickly there was no time to think. 

Re: whats anticipated
Parole.

On a smaller level, i've been assaulted (need a lesser word, but...) 3 times by homeless people.  I think I have a sign on my back that says,
"I'm a nice person and feel free to demand things from me."

1) Eons ago, In downtown Austin with a buddy, within < 10 seconds after walking out of Second Bar and Kitchen.  A homeless person puts his arm on my shoulder and starts to take my purse.  I reacted so strongly I was actually afraid I had hurt him.

2) ~ 5 years ago, New York City, on a work trip, somewhere near 23'rd and 9'th

3) First night in Anchorage Alaska, the summer before last.   

 I heard Anchorage has a meth problem, and already had looked at crime incidents by location before ever booking the hotel, which I do before traveling to a new city.   

 Just in the short distance between the Hotel Captain Cook and Voyager inn, a homeless person decides I should give him money.  I outran him, but barely.  I remember thinking I did not want to get stuck with a needle but also I didn't want to spend 2 hours filling out a police report when already exhausted from the flights getting to Anchorage.  

(If you have to lay hands on someone else in self defense, a police report is almost always a good idea...) 


@caliking, to be clear,  none of those homeless situations would have justified lethal force in my eyes, but the possibility is:  What if they became worse.  

For example, this stabbing in an Austin store by a homeless person happened last month: 
https://www.kxan.com/news/crime/man-stabbed-stranger-in-northwest-austin-sporting-goods-store-police-say/

"The arrest affidavit says the victim and McPherson didn’t know each other."
[...[
 The victim was in the store shopping for a hat, and then felt pain in his left shoulder. The victim reached back after feeling the sharp pain and noticed “a lot of blood on the palm of his hand,” the affidavit said."

"Police said the victim’s wound was about four inches to the left of their neck"

The weekend before, I was just in an Austin Academy Sports store buying 2 12 lb dumbbells!. (10 lbs are too light now, 15's are too heavy) 

caliking

I realize this is a touchy subject. 

My “take home “ lesson is:
1) I may be safer around pit bulls, than I may be around homeless people?

PigBeanUs

The only solution is more guns for everyone. 

I think fully-automatic rifles should be legal. 

The fact that I can’t have a M134
mini-gun mounted to the roof of my car is oppression. 

SGH

@Sweet100s
You like to cook. You carry a gun. You have a job. Perfect woman in my book 👍

lousubcap

Congrats on achieving a personal goal with class and professionalism. 

Mickey

What will you carry?

Sweet100s

Mickey that's like asking what color underthings I prefer. 

SGH

Sweet100s said:

Mickey that's like asking what color underthings I prefer. 

Since you brought it up sister, what is your preferred color 

Sweet100s

LOL Yea yea good try 

SGH

Sweet100s said:

LOL Yea yea good try 

I had to try sister 

nolaegghead

I wear invisible underthings.

Fred19Flintstone

Congrats!  Wilma has said she will get a CPL (Concealed Pistol License) "some day".  So far, she's in no rush to get it.  However, we have a weapon in the safe for her if some day ever gets here.  It's a Ruger LCR in .327 magnum.  That's a pretty stout round, but it also shoots a .32 H&R magnum.  That's softer to shoot and she deems it acceptable.