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In just weeks, Texans will be able to openly carry their holstered handguns.
As the state and its residents prepare to shift from concealed to open carry, Tarrant County residents are ready — collectively, they account for the second highest number of licensed residents in any county in the state.
Harris County has led the way for years, with the most residents licensed to carry concealed handguns. Tarrant County follows right behind, a Star-Telegram analysis of Texas Department of Public Safety data shows.
Maybe it’s the cowboy culture. Or maybe it’s because Fort Worth is where the West begins.
But there has been a six to seven percent increase in the number of Tarrant County residents gaining concealed handgun licenses in recent years.
“It’s like the old west,” said Curtis Van Liew, a local instructor with Texas EZ Concealed Handgun License class. “If you start from the east boundary of Texas and move west, the further west you go, you’re going to see more leniency when it comes to firearms.”
Soon, though, the Concealed Handgun License in Texas as it exists will be just a collector’s item.
It will be replaced with the License to Carry, or LTC, as Texans renew or apply for a license after open carry goes into effect Jan. 1, 2016.
The number of Texans with licenses to carry handguns continues to grow, this year reaching nearly 914,000, or nearly 4 percent of Texas’ 27 million residents.
Now, as licensed Texans are on the verge of being able to carry their weapons openly, interest in the license has seemed to increase.
“We’ve seen a pretty significant influx in inquiries about open carry since it passed,” Van Liew said. “It’s like anything, when it first comes out and it’s new, people are on board with it.
No one is sure how the switch to open carry may impact the number of licenses issued next year and beyond.
But Texans should be ready for a culture shift, at least at first.
“It’s not strap on your hog’s leg (a six-shooter) and go to the restaurant,” said Alan Korwin, author of more than a dozen gun law books, including the “Texas Gun Owners Guide. “It’s more nuanced than that.”
“I think there will be initial shock with people openly carrying,” Van Liew said. “Some people will be absolutely stunned by it.”
Despite the change in law, some, such as Van Liew, say they still plan to keep their weapons concealed.
“I want all the benefits and advantages I can have if I’m ever in a confrontation,” he said. “The biggest one is the element of surprise.”
http://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article46946035.html
As the state and its residents prepare to shift from concealed to open carry, Tarrant County residents are ready — collectively, they account for the second highest number of licensed residents in any county in the state.
Harris County has led the way for years, with the most residents licensed to carry concealed handguns. Tarrant County follows right behind, a Star-Telegram analysis of Texas Department of Public Safety data shows.
Maybe it’s the cowboy culture. Or maybe it’s because Fort Worth is where the West begins.
But there has been a six to seven percent increase in the number of Tarrant County residents gaining concealed handgun licenses in recent years.
“It’s like the old west,” said Curtis Van Liew, a local instructor with Texas EZ Concealed Handgun License class. “If you start from the east boundary of Texas and move west, the further west you go, you’re going to see more leniency when it comes to firearms.”
Soon, though, the Concealed Handgun License in Texas as it exists will be just a collector’s item.
It will be replaced with the License to Carry, or LTC, as Texans renew or apply for a license after open carry goes into effect Jan. 1, 2016.
The number of Texans with licenses to carry handguns continues to grow, this year reaching nearly 914,000, or nearly 4 percent of Texas’ 27 million residents.
Now, as licensed Texans are on the verge of being able to carry their weapons openly, interest in the license has seemed to increase.
“We’ve seen a pretty significant influx in inquiries about open carry since it passed,” Van Liew said. “It’s like anything, when it first comes out and it’s new, people are on board with it.
No one is sure how the switch to open carry may impact the number of licenses issued next year and beyond.
But Texans should be ready for a culture shift, at least at first.
“It’s not strap on your hog’s leg (a six-shooter) and go to the restaurant,” said Alan Korwin, author of more than a dozen gun law books, including the “Texas Gun Owners Guide. “It’s more nuanced than that.”
“I think there will be initial shock with people openly carrying,” Van Liew said. “Some people will be absolutely stunned by it.”
Despite the change in law, some, such as Van Liew, say they still plan to keep their weapons concealed.
“I want all the benefits and advantages I can have if I’m ever in a confrontation,” he said. “The biggest one is the element of surprise.”
http://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article46946035.html
