Articles of and by the Membership in
Texas Association of Concealed Carry Instructors
MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE by John K. Shankers, USMC, Retired
Being a Texas Concealed Handgun Instructor, I am required to teach gun safety and stowage of firearms to my students. I am not a firearms dealer but I do have some knowledge on guns. I know what I like and what I look for in a gun.
A question that comes up frequently from students is "I have been thinking about getting another gun…what do you think I should get?"
My first response is to tell them to buy a major manufacturer's gun from a reputable firearms dealer. My personal preference is a MK IV, Series 80, Colt Officer's 45 ACP. This gun is very accurate and dependable but must be kept cleaned and well lubricated. There are two safety features on the handgun. One is the safety lever on the left rear of the slide and the other is the safety feature in the rear of the pistol grip. An average magazine holds eight rounds. The handgun is thin which makes it easy to conceal and fits well in the average person's hand.
Colt firearms are hard to find and expensive, but obtainable at Gun Shows and reputable firearms dealers. I highly recommend a Colt.
Some other popular handguns are as follows:
" Wilson Combat-Model 1911 Automatic. Bill Wilson Owner of Wilson Combat makes a dependable and accurate handgun. Not as expensive as the Colt.
" Sig-Sauer P226, Automatic is reliable with a good trigger pull in the single action mode. Don't like the trigger pull in double action as is too long and hard. The de-cock is on left side of gun with no manual safety. Very pricey.
" Beretta 92F - Semi automatic. Adopted by the military. One of the most reliable in production today. It is soft shooting double action with single action most controllable. Extremely accurate. It is a terrific service sidearm (long, tall & thick) but not useful as concealed carry.
" Glock 19 - Has a good reputation with police in this country. It is a gun for the "masses". It is very forgiving for those with no pride in ownership as it will still perform fairly well without being cleaned regularly. Throw it around in the dirt, etc., pick it up and fire. No safety, no de-cocking with a fairly responsible accuracy. The trigger pull is long. It has an extremely tight chamber. The use of major factory ammo is best as reloads will hang.
" Mini Glock 26 - Is a small cut-down model 19. Big hands can't hold it but great for concealment.
" Browning Hi-Power Automatic, Mark III - Dependable and reliable but not very accurate. It has a long trigger pull. It is controllable with very little muzzle flip. Good concealment weapon and good choice for single action.
" Smith & Wesson Automatic - Trigger fetch is too long as the trigger finger is actually touching the frame of the weapon when fired which distracts the shooter and affects concentration.
This is just a few of the many choices of firearms available and it all depends on your choice and what suits your needs.
Now that we have looked at some choices of handguns, let's look at an important point regarding ammunition malfunction. I recommend major name-brand ammunition.
On the range normally full metal jacket ammunition is recommended for targets and in the home for self-defense, jacked hollow-point ammunition for the simple fact we don't won't to go beyond our target inside the home.
A common technique that causes ammunition malfunction is poor rotation of your ammo. In automatic pistols when a round is chambered into the barrel several times, this wears a groove in the projectile casing of the round which can cause a malfunction of the round. An easy fix for the situation is to set that ammunition aside that has been chambered previously and use it on the range for practice. For self-defense purposes, only rely on ammunition that has not been previously chambered.
Bottom Line
Remember, I recommend to all to get your Concealed Handgun License as soon as possible. Even though you can have a handgun in your vehicle as of Sept. 1, 2007, as long as you are traveling and:
1. The handgun is NOT in plain view
2. NOT engaged in criminal activity (other than a Class C misdemeanor)
3. NOT Prohibited by law from possessing a firearm
4. NOT a member of a criminal street gang (Section 71.01)
Each county differs in the definition of what the word "traveling mode" means. Most of the counties in the Galveston, Houston and surrounding areas all agree on the word traveling to be a minimum of three counties. That being said, keep in mind that in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver's compartment, the firearm shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console; South Texas CHL Supply has an excellent and portable vehicle handgun safe.
In closing, most important, DO NOT drink and drive, so make a commitment NOW that you will NOT drink and shoot. Keep our shooting sport safe.
American By Birth
USMC
Marine By Choice
SEMPER FI
Texas Concealed Handgun License Instructor
Captain John K. Shankers
(409) 771-3155
by Antonio Orozco III , Texas Concealed Handgun Magazine, Vol 1, No. 2, Anthony's Back Page
NEW - TX DPS Certified CHL Instructors Graduated Class of 2009
June 1, 2009, a new class of CHL Instructors began promptly on time. You have to give a lot of credit to Marion Stahl and "the crew" for hopping and bopping" till it all gets done. I watched them and it was a work of art; when questions or obstacles arose there was always one person in the bunch that had the answer at her finger tip. The TX DPS Troopers teaching the classes are still driven by Sgt. Jimmy Holmes, and were now under the direction of Lt. Hitt.
Getting back to the new slate of candidate Instructors, the varied group was just as expectant and energetic as those that had already gone before them. Always, there is a mass of new information to glean from them because there are so many varied backgrounds and so much expertise abounding. Anyway, their enthusiasm for what the near future has in store for them as Certified CHL Instructors is what rubs off on you the most; they are quite a group of entrepreneurs.
I managed to talk to a few, before or after my presentation to them (I went in to introduce them to T.A.C.C.I.) and was surprised at the varied personalities and professionalism they all held. On one end of the spectrum is John Shanker out of La Marque, Texas; hint: he goes by Capt. Bad Boy. John spends about 6 months out of the year over Singapore way, working as a Semi-Submersible Rig Capitan. If John can switch to a permanent land job he plans to rev up his CHL classes. Far north of John, in Fort Worth, is Greg Leal. Greg already is an Instructor in Private Security, TCLEOSE Firearms, Pistol & Shotgun, plus 5 more areas including American Red Cross First Aid; what a deal. Ken Lewis out of San Antonio is a Training and Range Consultant, and Alvin Clairborne in Little Elm is CEO of Port-USA, a Data and Reporting Service.
One group sells custom law enforcement apparel, another "fella" is a Supervisor at Bell Helicopter, and yet another is just in it for the money…now there's an "honest injun- joe six-pack." I've named a few and listed some of their expertise…only time and space restrains me from introducing Robert Owens in Florence, Jim Augustine from Austin, Edgar Carrier from Houston and Timothy Reynolds in Flowermound, then there is Joshua Nobles down Tomball way and William Petch in Pinehurst, Fred Califfie in Copperas Cove, Steven Sprague in Converse and J. Clements, M Taylor, J. Cox and B. Koenig……….and another 400+, what a deal.
Some of these guys are just coming out of the chute, some have distinct advantages of being hooked up with existing Instructors and businesses. They all have earned our nod, let's do what we can to help them succeed as newly christened TX DPS Certified CHL Instructors. Our toll free line remains available to any 2009 CHL Instructor that they may call in for advice, counsel, help in getting started, how to prepare lessons, or wherever we can help. Antonio - CHL Instructor and Owner of South Texas CHL Supply
Instructor Of The Month by Anthony, Texas Concealed Handgun Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 1, Pages 14-15
There is no ongoing program presently whereby we grade or select any one person as Texas' CHL Instructor of the Month.; perhaps we should, and maybe, this could be the start of one. But in order for me to introduce Cheryl Lamar-Wagner, TX DPS Certified Concealed Handgun Instructor, Manager at Hot Wells Shooting Range in Cypress, TX, I needed a title on this piece that would most accurately portray who she comes across as; if I had the power, she would be my first selection for it.
I first met Cheryl when Rick Mackey and myself, stopped by Hot Wells, to peddle our wares. Rick is C.E.O. and President of CHL Protection Plan and at the time, I was a Board Director of Texas Concealed Handgun Association; we were there to introduce to, and enlist Cheryl's aid in promoting, CHLPP and TCHA. What I came away with on that first meet was that even though Cheryl already had many interests, although she already promoted various other enterprises, she was just as willing to hear us out, and then got on board to boot. Too often, whilst out fanning the flames on behalf of TCHA I heard dispar-aging remarks about "another association," or "I'm already a Life Member of NRA," or "I'm already a member of TSRA." So is Cheryl and more; think Gun Owners of America, etc. Cheryl also had brochures at her place to sign up for "prepay legal," not the same as the CHL Protection Plan because CHLPP is for CHL carriers, only. Nonetheless, Cheryl joined both, and promoted both. That's character, she gives everybody a chance, except CNN; she turned them down when they came wanting an interview with her.
What else makes her unique enough for the title? Here is a brief narrative on her and on Hot Wells. Her father is an elder practicing Chiropractor out of Tomball, TX and started the range. He and some pals were out under the trees sighting in their guns when too many people started dropping by to do the same, that it had to become a business; so he took a dozer to the rice field, pushed up some dirt to form the berms, and now it is a thriving Gun Range almost within the city boundaries of Houston. And as many of you can attest to, if Mom & Pop owned a business back then, you worked in it as well - without pay. So Cheryl grew up in, and worked on, "the Range," as does her own son now, Donovan Scott Lamar. He owns and operates Guardian Defensive Shooting as well as being a CHL Instructor at Hot Wells; visit their web site to see the layout and get an idea of what they do; go to www.cdshoot.com.
Since 1975, when her Dad first pushed up the berms, Hot Wells has evolved with the times and so has Cheryl. Running a modest, to some of you, 150 students per month, the range is also supported by regular shooters coming in for practice, others coming to "sight in" rifles, and oh yes, others to shoot Skeet; there's a range out back for them as well. At 51 years young, Cheryl has been a TX CHL Instructor since 1996, is an NRA Pistol & Shotgun Instructor, a TX Parks and Wildlife Hunters Ed Instructor, was named NRA's 2007 Recruiter of the Year, holds an NRA Life membership, has membership in TSRA, is a Life Member of G.O.A. and still joined TCHA, writes a Newsletter, raises her kids, runs the shop, and oh yes, has personality. Gotta luv her. The range has a separate Law Enforcement section where local L.E. practice and re-qualify, D.E.A. uses it, and even the S.S. has stopped by; that's Secret Service for anyone "less tech savvy." Cheryl is set up to handle deaf students and even an occasional "Spanish only" speaking student. She gives active duty and recent discharged Vets a $50 only rate package - that's a full class, documents, Notary, photos and prints, Range Fee, PLUS…lunch! Wait, there's more! But I'm out of my allotted space…
The first day I met her, Cheryl was at the table in her customary chair, facing the entry, fielding business calls as they poured in. She listened attentively as Rick and I peddled our wares, and never missed a beat as business walked in the door. "Coupla fellas" walked in during our sales pitch announcing they were there to "do some shootin." Cheryl waved them on by, said "just toss your money there in the bucket 'fore you leave, and be careful out there!" Mother, multi-tasker, business manager with character and personality, gotta' luv her.
Anthony
Sadly, Ms. Cheryl Lamar succumbed to Cancer, late 2009,
and is no longer with us. "Only the good die young."
Our prayers to the family, we salute her.
