Teaxas concealed carry isn't particularly good, IMO.
If I understand correctly (please correct me if I'm wrong), obtaining a Texas permit requires one to take a course, pass a range test (with the right kind of gun, no less), have passport photos made, apply for the permit, then and wait a few months for it to arrive. The class costs you about ~$100 and takes an entire day, plus the ammo costs for the test. The permit itself costs $140 and is only good for 4 years.
....
So overall, you're looking at spending $250 or $300, not including the value of your time, just for a permit that lasts 4 years. Once you have the permit, there's a laundry list of places you still aren't allowed to carry concealed. You can only carry the kind of gun you qualified with (don't take the test with a revolver and carry a semiauto). And you can NEVER carry open.
Again, with the unwarranted cynicism...
Yes, you have to pass a range test, but the snide "with the right kind of gun" is unwarranted. Anything .32 caliber center-fire or larger qualifies as "the right gun". Once qualified there is no caliber restriction on what you can carry.
Your assessment of what you can carry vs your qualification is also incorrect. You are not restricted to "only carrying the type of gun you qualifed with" If you qualify with a revolver then you are limited to carrying a revolver. If you qualify with a semi-auto you can carry anything you can keep concealed, revolver or otherwise.
Classes do indeed cost around $100. Most also include the range time for qualification, which is also part of the "most of a day" time figure you mentioned. Qualification takes 50 rounds. Less if you keep all your shots on target at the 3 and 7 yard lines. (Do that and you've already score high enough to pass without having to shoot the 15 yard drill). After qualifying I usually stay and burn up a lot more ammo than that.
Yes, the permit lasts four years, but the renewal is a limited version of the original class. (Half day). As a result there are many renewal-only classes that cost anywhere from two-thirds to just half what the full-day initial class costs, including qualifying. On the third renewal you get a 10 yr permit instead of a 4.
Yes, there are certain PUBLIC places you can't carry but the list is fairly short and very well defined. Private business are free to allow or restrict carry as the property owner desires. To restrict carry they must place an large and quite obnoxious sign with very specific wording at every entrance. Most property owners realize the sign might as well say "Disarmed Victims Here" and have chosen not to post them. (I am big on property owners' rights, so I'm VERY okay with this. I don't patronize businesses that post the sign, of course, but it's still their right as the owner to make that choice.)
Yes, Texas is in the "middle of the pack" when it comes to carry laws. But we're working on it an making regular, substantive, significant gains and, thankfully, have a generally pro-gun public and government stance. I'll take that. I'll darn sure take it over a bunch of other places.
Question for those in the know, since we're talking about carry vs general ownership, are there any of the open carry or easy-permit states that DO have more strict state-level laws regarding general firearms ownership? (In other words, the reverse of what we have here in Texas?)
Brad
