Recently, I had decided that it was time to take the concealed carry course, which is a requirement in order to be licensed here in Texas. I got in touch with Carl C. Chandler, who owns and operates " Texas Armed Citizen Training Academy "on the Chandler Ranch . At the Chandler Ranch you will also find the Lone Star gun range, and the Mark V Gun shop, all located in Bosque county, just few miles outside of Waco. Carl is a retired Texas peace officer with over 30 years experience, and 25 years experience instructing specialized firearm training. Mr. Chandler is a certified instructor and has connections throughout the country in the Firearms Industry and Professional Law enforcement. He has addressed several concerns to the state regarding the law and has had a major impact on gettingrevisions written.

Carl is Department of Public Safety certified, and offers a one day program for citizens wishing to be licensed by the state of Texas to carry a concealed weapon. Oh,Boy! All kinds of state regulations and paperwork. Not to worry. Carl knows what he is doing. His wife, Alice, is a D.P.S. certified "Teachers Teacher", and can complete your packet as fast as you can complete the training. Carl takes pride in the fact that Alice is well known in Austin, and considered to be the best person in the state for filling out the paperwork properly. This really is a hassle free way to handle this training.

Well, Carl say's he is the best and I soon learned he has very good reason to say so. The day started out at 9:00 am. Upon arriving at the ranch I was greeted by Alice, and had a moment to meet the other students. We then went in to begin the classroom part of our instruction. We were made to feel at home in the relaxed setting, the coffee was hot and smelled great. Carl began the instruction by reading some different facts about incidents in which society has benefited from licensed armed citizens. He also read about an incident in which a citizen abused his license and was convicted. I was impressed with Carl's knowledge of the law. He reviewed the D.P.S. training manual for this course, with us and translated the government jargon into simplified "Cowboy English". After the instruction we were required to take a written exam. The test was easy after listening to Carl explain the law to us in a language that I could understand.

Next, we headed to the range, which is only about a rocks throw from where we held class, to complete the firing portion of our certification. Carl gave us some extra safety instruction, and a tip or two on nailing the X-ring and we then proceeded to shoot. First we fired 20 rounds at 3 yards, hey, I know what you are thinking, but most conflicts occur at this range. We then fired 20 rounds at 7 yards and last we fired 10 rounds at 15 yards. You must score a 175 out of 250 points. Most of Carl's students score an average of 240, even people who are not avid shooters. All of us qualified with a semi-automatic in .32 cal or larger(.45 acp for me, because I am a love sick puppy for my 1911)which is the state requirement. You may shoot a revolver, but Carl recommends shooting the semi-auto because if you qualify with the revolver you will only be allowed to carry a revolver. If you qualify with a semi-auto you may carry either or both. After the testing and shooting we went inside where we signed the official documents, were fingerprinted, and photographed.

All in all it was a good day and a great time. I was surprised at amount that I had learned in such a short time. Carl offers a lot of different training courses at the ranch, including: Law enforcement classes, Firearms training, VIP protection, and the "Triple Threat Martial Arts" training.

Carl C. Chandler or Alice Chandler may be reached at: 1 800-527-2403. They can help you with many needs. Also remember, that they are a full service gun shop and provide an inexpensive place to shoot as well. If you are worried about going to one of these classes as a beginner, keep in mind that all of the students are considered to be "Very Important People" by both Carl and Alice and it is reflected in both the instruction and handling of the state required forms.

By: Justin Boyette