Need to rethink how I carry, moving to the surface of the Sun

[HeavyDuty]

I’m thinking it’s more protection for when I don’t notice a sign. I do try to always be cognizant of signage and obey restrictions, but over the years in IL I had a few “oh, shit” moments when I saw a legal but poorly placed sign when leaving…

[Trooper224]

I'm hoping our LE folks don't take it as skirting the law.
I have it on good authority that the carve out was a compromise intended to enable vetted volunteers to carry in more places.

Our prohibited places are such an embarrassment. Especially compared to our "reputation".

Carry on!

I hadn't been to Texas in a while, since before CCW was big thing. Then, I paid a visit to some friends in Huston and was surprised at how much of a cluster fuck your carry regs are. I mean, by God Texas! and all that. Ours are almost wide open by comparison.

[Chuck Whitlock]

Now that I’ve been here awhile, it’s time to apply what I’ve learned.

For every day carry my absolute favorite holster is JMCK’s OWB2 with a light cover garment. However, something I hadn’t foreseen is Texas is quite a bit more restrictive when it comes to no-fly zones, at least compared to NH. More than once I’ve had to walk back to the car and unthread the holster to stow it in the safe - with me carrying 1911s more often again, I don’t want to be unholstering as a matter of course. I prefer removing and donning the holstered pistol.

I need to find a decent easy on - easy off OWB for my 1911s, a Ruger Officers sized 9mm and my pair or DW ECPs to use on the days where I’m either unsure if I’ll be running into a 30.06 sign or know that I will be seeing them but still want to carry the rest of the day.

Any ideas? Something like a Milt Sparks Axiom or Kirkpatrick Reserve would work, but I’d prefer something Kydex for everyday.

https://www.ttgunleather.com/product...ovable-holster

I wear one of these (w/full body shield) at work with my SA Champion. Have it on right now, in fact.

I didn't need the quick on/off, but found it in-stock on the site and jumped on it. I think that the loops spread the weight a little more, and are just a little more stable, than standard belt loops.


Just saw that this was available in-stock:

https://www.ttgunleather.com/product...snap-removable

[Rex G]

What used to be nice, about Texas firearms law, is that long guns flew SO under the radar, being legal to possess/carry in an amazingly wide range of places, because that which is not prohibited, is, by default, permitted. Then, along came the permit-less carry law, last year, which threw long guns under the legal bus, while gaining so very little in actual handgun carry freedom. I consider the 2021 legal changes to have been a significant net loss.

One major example of a change, in long gun freedom, was that a 30.06 or 30.07 sign, that prohibited licensed handgun carry, at a location, had no effect on carrying/possessing a long gun at the location. A yoga mat bag*, or a photographer’s tripod bag**, will nicely conceal a minimal-legal-length long gun. Well, the language of the new (2021) 30.05 signage prohibits “firearms.” Some folks say that they are not seeing 30.05 signs. Well, I am seeing them. It is not that I want to regularly tote a concealed long gun, such as my Remington TAC-14, or taken-down Browning BLR Takedown, but the loss of a freedom, or a convenience, is a loss of that freedom/convenience.

(Personally, the LEOSA, and the companion Texas law on the same matter, allow me to carry handguns, as an honorably-retired peace officer, but I lament the loss of a freedom, regardless, and, of course, realize that what a legislature or congress giveth, it can taketh.)

*A yoga mat bag, especially if paired with an article of yoga-ish clothing, perhaps a loose T-shirt, is amazing good urban camouflage, as it presents such a left-ish appearance.

**Professional-appearing photography equipment is not allowed at some few venues/places, but, otherwise, a tripod bag raises few eyebrows.

[Rex G]

I hadn't been to Texas in a while, since before CCW was big thing. Then, I paid a visit to some friends in Huston and was surprised at how much of a cluster fuck your carry regs are. I mean, by God Texas! and all that. Ours are almost wide open by comparison.

Sadly, true. From 1877, until the early Nineties, when the licensing system was finally started, there was no generally-legal handgun carry, in Texas. Police used their/our “discretion,” in deciding whether to make the arrest, for illegal carry, if y’all know what I mean. “Officer discretion” was, in effect, the handgun carry “system,” in Texas. This not being the Politics section, I will go no further in that direction.

It was difficult to get the handgun licensing law passed, and, of course, during the inevitable compromises that occurred, plenty of prohibited areas, and other restrictions, were written into the bill. Some of these have been remedied, as Texas shifted more conservative.

Interestingly, until shortly before I was being trained, in the academy, in 1983/1984, it was not generally legal for a sworn peace officer to carry, outside his/her immediate jurisdiction, unless actually performing a specific LE task, such as a chase, or serving a warrant. We were advised that Austin police might still arrest us, for unlawful carry of a handgun, if we traveled there. (Austin was already Weird, back then.) We were advised to be careful about some isolated counties, too, where it might take years for some police and prosecutors to finally get the message. The Texas Penal Code has long had a way of being worded in a way that allowed local DA interpretation to have quite wide latitude, including that it was a mere “Defense To Prosecution” that allowed a peace officer to carry a handgun.

(A “Defense To Prosecution” allows a defendant to be arrested, charged, and tried, with the trial being the time to argue, in one’s defense, that the Defense To Prosecution applied. An “Affirmative Defense” is better, but, does not totally protect one from being detained/arrested.)

It was not until the Nineties that some things got sorted-out, where Texas peace officers could carry, within Texas. School campuses, and school functions, in particular, were subject to much interpretation, and re-interpretation, by District Attorneys. Yes, indeed, I risked arrest, technically, for being armed, while taking my kid to school. That is why I have much empathy for the private citizen, in the weapon carry legal landscape.

[farscott]

I need to find a decent easy on - easy off OWB for my 1911s, a Ruger Officers sized 9mm and my pair or DW ECPs to use on the days where I’m either unsure if I’ll be running into a 30.06 sign or know that I will be seeing them but still want to carry the rest of the day.

Any ideas? Something like a Milt Sparks Axiom or Kirkpatrick Reserve would work, but I’d prefer something Kydex for everyday.

Perhaps I am uncoordinated but I do not find the Sparks Axiom to be easy ON. The snaps are easy OFF, but I have issues getting both one-way snaps on the each paddle side to snap and lock into place. More than once I ended up with a single snap securing one side of the holster. And this is not detectable until the snaps are at eye level. As such, I can recommend the Axiom if quickly removing and securely replacing the holster is a requirement.

[03RN]

A Raven phantom with QMS.

There's a commander one on the arfcom EE.

[HeavyDuty]

A Raven phantom with QMS.

There's a commander one on the arfcom EE.

Not seeing it, damn.

[Trooper224]

Perhaps I am uncoordinated but I do not find the Sparks Axiom to be easy ON. The snaps are easy OFF, but I have issues getting both one-way snaps on the each paddle side to snap and lock into place. More than once I ended up with a single snap securing one side of the holster. And this is not detectable until the snaps are at eye level. As such, I can recommend the Axiom if quickly removing and securely replacing the holster is a requirement.

I recently tried Sparks magnetic loops. They're the best thing since sliced bread.

[JTQ]

For every day carry my absolute favorite holster is JMCK’s OWB2 with a light cover garment.

I need to find a decent easy on - easy off OWB for my 1911s, a Ruger Officers sized 9mm and my pair or DW ECPs ...

Any ideas? Something like a Milt Sparks Axiom or Kirkpatrick Reserve would work, but I’d prefer something Kydex for everyday.

Aholster only shows their Belt Holster down to Commander size, but they may be able to accommodate the shorter guns for you.

Aholster Belt Holster https://aholster.com/product/belt-aholster/