How Can I Get My Concealed Carry Permit After This Mistake

Why do I have to be 21 to get a concealed weapons permit?

It’s just a bit of hold-over confusion about when adulthood actually begins.Military service, legal independence, long gun purchases, voting rights, etc. all begin at age 18. Obviously you know that alcohol and handguns come at 21.Which age should be correct? Which one is more scientifically-valid? Ah, who the hell knows. Some say that the brain isn’t fully developed until 21, or 24, or 72, but in that case we should probably raise the age of legal adulthood to 21. I don’t foresee that happening.Recall the fact that 21 used to be the voting age. This changed because people didn’t like the fact that one could fight in a war but not vote at the age of 18, 19, or 20. If federal law changed to make the handgun and drinking age 18 instead of 21, few people would remember that it used to be 21 after a few decades. It’s all a little arbitrary. Why not 17 or 19 for legal adulthood?The Gun Control Act of 1968 is what determined that FFL’s couldn’t sell handguns to under-21’s. Funnily, it’s been legal for 18-year-old adults to buy handguns in private transactions since then in most states. You can buy it from your neighbor, but you can’t buy it from a dealer after a background check. Pointless.I’m guessing that the CCW age is 21 everywhere simply because it mirrors the age for buying handguns through an FFL. If the age were lowered, I would expect to see a lot of CCW statutes changing to match.

What is the number 1 mistake people make when carrying a gun in their pocket, and how do you avoid it?

#1 mistake? CARRYING it in your pocket. Avoiding it is easy. a properly fitting moulded holster which properly covers the trigger.Most if not all ND’s (Negligent/accidental Discharge) are caused by something catching the trigger, be it something in your pocket, or the piece of a leather or universal fit holster.These days you can get a properly fitting moulded holster in a variety of styles…on the belt, shoulder, chest, inside the belt…the list goes on. If you are legally carrying a concealed weapon then you have a responsibility to wear it properly. It also says a LOT about your level of responsibility when dealing with law enforcement.

Do you feel safer with or without a concealed carry?

I live in a very civilized university town with a low crime rate. Yet, over a period of a few years, I was twice “cornered” by younger men who just wanted to harass a convenient target (a senior citizen alone on the streets at night). The old reasoning which says you can run or fight off potential attackers became especially flimsy during those times. Afterward I was more aware of just how unprepared I was for such random (and fairly rare) situations. I realized too that it had been entirely up to the troublemakers just what they might decide to do, how far they might want to go.Between those two events I was on a bus and saw a disabled man getting on the bus. He sat near enough to me so that I could ask about his injury. He was about my age. He told me two men had hit him with bricks behind a store he’d just left after picking up some snacks. At least one blow had given him a consussion from which he’d never completely recover. The strangers had left him unconscious and if not for another exiting customer he might not have survived long enough to get up and get himself some medical help.That did it. I decided that since I’ve always owned guns and had had concealed licenses in the past that I’d get another and keep it renewed (my state required 4 year renewals). If you are caught just once in your lifetime upprepared to be at the mercy of hostile strangers, that may indeed be all it takes to snuff you out like you never counted or existed. Very few people will care. Your attackers will be unlikely to ever be caught and tried for their crime against you.And you are the only person who can do anything to prevent that from happening.

Is open carry of guns permitted in bars in Texas?

Short answer: no, it’s a felony for anyone besides a uniformed peace officer to openly carry a firearm into establishments that meet the legal standard for a “bar”.The “51% sign” posted in bars (establishments that make 51% or more of their revenue from the sale of alcohol for on-premises consumption) does not have any language about the type of weapon or how the weapon is carried. It simply states that the licensed or unlicensed carry of a weapon on the premises is a felony. Therefore it is illegal to carry a weapon into a “bar” under the authority of any state license including a Texas CHL, regardless of carry mode.Now, under TPC 46.035(k), it’s a defense to prosecution that the establishment didn’t post the signs as required under TGC 411.204. That section requires the “51%” sign to be posted prominently at each entrance to the premises; if the only sign in the bar is behind the bar next to their liquor license, that’s not posted at the entrance and therefore you have the legal defense of improper signage. Because it’s a defense to prosecution, you have to present it at trial; it’s not an exception to the law, just a way that you should be found not guilty under the law. It can also still be argued that if you saw the sign, recognized what it was and ignored it, you’re still in violation. Whether you win your court case or not, it will be very expensive and you’re unlikely to ever make the same mistake twice, one way or the other. If in doubt, leave the gun in a locked glovebox.Additionally, Federal law trumps state. Someone carrying a weapon under authority of the federal LEOSA may enter a bar or other “51%” establishment with that weapon. LEOSA, however, requires the weapon to be concealed at all times.

If you apply for a conceal and carry license and get denied how long do you have to wait till you can apply again?

Depends on the law where you are. And the reason you were denied. In Canada, most requests end up being denied. Some US States allow you to apply for a license multiple times, while others do not, or base further applications on the reason your original was denied.