Texas Defensive Firearms Training, LLC

FAQ

Details: Category: FAQ; Last Updated on Sunday, 19 June 2011 21:12

What are the NRA three basic rules of gun safety?

Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction

Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot

Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use

Who is eligible for a Texas Concealed Handgun License?

Any person who:

is a legal resident of Texas (or another state when applying for a nonresident license)
is at least 21 years of age.
has not been convicted of a felony.
is not currently charged with a felony or Class A or B misdemeanor* or equivalent offense.
is not a fugitive from justice for a felony or Class A or B misdemeanor or equivalent offense.
is not a chemically dependent person.
is not incapable of exercising sound judgment with respect to the proper use and storage of a handgun.
has not, in the five years preceding the application date, been convicted of a Class A or B misdemeanor* or equivalent offense.
is fully qualified under state and federal law to purchase a handgun.
has not been finally determined to be delinquent in making a child support payment administered or collected by the attorney general.
has not been finally determined to be delinquent in the payment of a tax or other money collected by the comptroller, a tax collector of a political subdivision of the state, or any agency or subdivision of the state.
is not currently restricted under a court protective order or subject to a restraining order affecting the spousal relationship, other than a restraining order solely affecting property interests.
has not, in the ten years preceding the date of application, been adjudicated as having engaged in delinquent conduct violating a penal law of the grade of felony, and:
has not made any material misrepresentation, or failed to disclose any material fact in the application.

Why do I need firearms training if I already know how to shoot?

This question is quite typical consider the following:

Shooting a firearm on a Saturday afternoon at the range, under no stress, at a non-threatening paper target, within a known distance, in broad daylight; is quite different than shooting a fast moving intruder in your semi-lit home after being jolted awake in the middle of the night, from the sound of broken glass.

When you experience stress your mind will react based on the training you have and the concepts you practiced. If that training consisted of slow-fire shooting of paper targets at 25 yards you may have a problem. Things happen quickly in the real world and situations on the street and in your home can be quite different than those experienced in casual shooting.

Who may take a firearms course?

Any person who is legally eligible (see reference) to possess a firearm.
(We do request that anyone under age 18 take the course with a parent or legal guardian.)

Reference: 18 U.S.C. 922(g), 18 U.S.C. 922(n), and Texas Penal Code Sec. 46.04.

Can I use hand-loads or reloaded ammunition for any of the courses?

All ammunition used in the training classes must be a commercially manufactured or military surplus ammunition, no reloaded or hand-loaded ammunition. Ammunition must be duty or training style (Hollow point, FMJ, round nose, or semi-wadcutter), and should not be steel core, tracer or incendiary type ammunition.

What is the minimum age requirement to take a class?

A parent or guardian is required to take a class along with a child under the age of 18. If you are unsure about your youth taking a class ask yourself: "Do you feel comfortable with the child next to you with a loaded gun?" If you have any doubts, you may want to wait a couple of years.

I've been shooting for years, do I need to start with a Basic Class?

No.

Each individual has different backgrounds and shooting skills and you may choose to take an intermediate or advanced class. Keep in mind, the basic classes are a nice refresher as the intermediate and advanced classes deal with rapid fire and multi-target drills.

I hate guns, and they scare me. Should I still consider training?

Absolutely. Whether or not you decide to take a training course, you should look into firearms training. In the courses offered here, there is nothing to be frightened of and nothing scary occurs in the classroom or the range.

We can work with you at your comfort level to build the confidence and knowledge you need to safely handle firearms.

What can I do to prepare for any of the courses?

The best thing you can do is get a good night's sleep the night before, and come to class with a good, positive attitude.

What type of ammunition should I bring to class and how much is enough?

We strongly recommend you purchase new factory ammo for the courses. When you train in our courses you are surrounded by other students, we prefer that you use factory new ammo to minimize problems and reduce hazards to others and yourself.

Always bring a bit more ammunition than the minimum outlined on the class syllabus. If you don't shoot it you can take it with you and use it on another day of practice or training.

We realize factory ammo is expensive because we pay for the ammo out of our own pocket just like you.

How often does violent crime occur?

The latest statistics (2008) from the FBI crime statistics report indicate the following:

An estimated 1,382,012 violent crimes occurred nationwide in 2008, showing a decrease of 1.9 percent from the 2007 estimate.
The 2008 estimated violent crime total was 1.6 percent above the 2004 level but 3.1 percent below the 1999 level.
There were an estimated 454.5 violent crimes per 100,000 inhabitants in 2008.
Aggravated assaults accounted for 60.4 percent of violent crimes, the highest number of violent crimes reported to law enforcement. Robbery comprised 32.0 percent of violent crimes, forcible rape accounted for 6.4 percent, and murder accounted for 1.2 percent of estimated violent crimes in 2008.
In 2008, offenders used firearms in 66.9 percent of the Nation’s murders, 43.5 percent of robberies, and 21.4 percent of aggravated assaults. (Weapon data are not collected for forcible rape offenses.)

Which fundamental handgun skill is the most important?

Trigger Control. Improper trigger control results in far more shooting errors than all other mistakes combined. Trigger control alone can destroy the ideal combination of the other fundamental skills. Proper trigger control enhances the ability to shoot fast and accurate.

How often should one practice?

How often a person practices will depend on their training goals. To maintain firearms skills that are mastered, monthly practice is recommended. However, if a person is working on mastering new skills or is wishing to improve skills more frequent practice will be necessary.

Note: Not all of the practice requires live fire exercises at a gun range. Many defensive firearms skills can be practiced through dry firing.

What is "Dry Firing?"

Dry firing is the practice of "firing" a firearm without ammunition. That is, to pull the trigger and allow the hammer or striker to drop on a action proving dummy (snap cap) or an empty chamber.

What are the carry conditions for firearms?

General

Condition 1 - To place a weapon in condition 1, a round must be in position to be fired and the safety must be on.
Condition 2 - To place a weapon in condition 2, a round must be in position to be fired, the weapon’s action must be closed, and the hammer must be forward. (This condition only applies to weapons that have external hammers).
Condition 3 - To place a weapon in condition 3, ammunition is in position to be chambered, the chamber is empty, the action is closed, and the safety is on.
Condition 4 - To place a weapon in condition 4, all ammunition is removed, the chamber is empty, the action is closed, and the safety is on.

Single Action Handgun

Condition 1 - Magazine inserted, round in chamber, slide forward, hammer down, weapon on safe.
Condition 2 - Does not apply to the semi-automatic pistol.
Condition 3 - Magazine inserted, chamber empty, slide forward, weapon on safe.
Condition 4 - Magazine removed, chamber empty, slide forward, weapon on safe.

Semi-Automatic Handgun

Condition 1 - Magazine inserted, round in chamber, slide forward, hammer down, weapon on safe.
Condition 2 - Magazine inserted, round in chamber, slide forward, hammer down.
Condition 3 - Magazine inserted, chamber empty, slide forward, weapon on safe.
Condition 4 - Magazine removed, chamber empty, slide forward, weapon on safe.

Shotgun

Condition 1 - Ammunition inserted into the magazine tube, breech bolt forward with a round in the chamber, weapon on safe.
Condition 2 - Does not apply to the Combat shotgun.
Condition 3 - Ammunition inserted into magazine tube, breech bolt forward on an empty chamber, weapon on safe.
Condition 4 - Magazine tube empty, breech bolt forward on an empty chamber, weapon on safe.

Carbine Rifle

Condition 1 - Magazine inserted, round in the chamber, bolt is forward, ejection port cover is closed, and the weapon is on safe.
Condition 2 - Does not apply to the Carbine Rifle.
Condition 3 - Magazine inserted, chamber is empty, bolt forward, ejection port cover is closed, and the weapon is on safe.
Condition 4 - Magazine removed, chamber empty, bolt forward, ejection port cover closed, and the weapon is on safe.