New guy here *UPDATE*

[Cool Arrow]

Hello every one. My name is Frank and have been reading this forum and others to see if I qualified for a CHL. From what I have read here I think I am. I qualify for purchasing a handgun, as soon as some mistakes on my background are corrected at the different agencies. If all goes well I will begin the process on getting the CHL. I had a 2nd degree felony deferred adjudification back in 1994 and was successfully released from supervision in 2004 and the court document reads "set aside" so I think that I have let enough time pass and have been on the straight and narrow and am no longer the big dumb kid I was back then. I look forward to learning more on this site as to make getting my CHL as painless as possible. Thanks!

-Frank

[The Mad Moderate]

Welcome!

[paulhailes]

Welcome to the forum, there are some very knowledgeable people here that can defiantly help you with your questions.

[USA1]

there are some very knowledgeable people here that can defiantly help you with your questions.

And then there are the rest of us.


Welcome to the forum Frank!

[MoJo]

Welcome!

[texanron]

Welcome to the forum Frank! I too had some things in my past that caused me to have to wait some years before getting my CHL. Good luck!

[Cool Arrow]

Welcome to the forum, there are some very knowledgeable people here that can defiantly help you with your questions.

Thanks for the kind welcome everyone!

Paul thats what I am hoping for. I am really not sure how to proceed and how long it takes to get my background updated with the correct info at the DPS and then at the federal level. I will see if there are posts with problems similar to mine before asking a question that may have been asked before.

-Frank

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Cool Arrow:

Welcome, friend. You'll like it here. We have gun nuts and gun enthusiasts - you make the call! :-)

When you take your CHL class, make sure that you use a semi-automatic pistol to qualify. Texas CHL's that qualify
with a semi-automatic can carry either a semi-automatic or a revolver. If you qualify with a revolver, you will be
restricted to revolvers when you get your plastic (your CHL).

What handguns are you considering? Forum members love to suggest what they own!

SIA

[Cool Arrow]

Cool Arrow:

Welcome, friend. You'll like it here. We have gun nuts and gun enthusiasts - you make the call! :-)

When you take your CHL class, make sure that you use a semi-automatic pistol to qualify. Texas CHL's that qualify
with a semi-automatic can carry either a semi-automatic or a revolver. If you qualify with a revolver, you will be
restricted to revolvers when you get your plastic (your CHL).

What handguns are you considering? Forum members love to suggest what they own!

SIA

I have shot with a Berretta p4 storm and really liked it. I heard the revolver restriction from one of my co-workers before. I may borrow my brother in laws p4 for the class when it come time to take it. Would that be an OK way to go or does it have to be your own gun?

Thanks!
-frank

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Cool Arrow:

You can use a borrowed gun - no problem.

I believe the model you are speaking of is Beretta PX4 Storm. They are good and some members have very high
round counts through them without issues. They have also undergone some rigorous torture testing (10,000 rounds). If I knew the link,
I'd post it.

When you consider buying your own gun, see how it feels in your hand and if you like the looks.

Don't fall for the theory "the smaller it is, the better it is". Middle-sized and full-sized guns soak up more recoil and have higher rounds available.

IMHO - Stick with a caliber from one of the big 3: 9MM, .40, or .45.

SIA

[Cool Arrow]

Cool Arrow:

You can use a borrowed gun - no problem.

I believe the model you are speaking of is Beretta PX4 Storm. They are good and some members have very high
round counts through them without issues. They have also undergone some rigorous torture testing (10,000 rounds). If I knew the link,
I'd post it.

When you consider buying your own gun, see how it feels in your hand and if you like the looks.

Don't fall for the theory "the smaller it is, the better it is". Middle-sized and full-sized guns soak up more recoil and have higher rounds available.

IMHO - Stick with a caliber from one of the big 3: 9MM, .40, or .45.

SIA

Sounds like great advice, Thanks surprise_i'm_armed, Seems like it was a good idea after all to sign up on this forum.

[doc.lonestar]

This is a great site with a lot of great CHL information to be found.

Welcome and be safe

[Cool Arrow]

Well I just got a call back from a lady at the DPS Criminal History Dept and she said she updates my record from having a conviction to deferred like it is supposed to be. I then went=on the Criminal Background search function on the DPS site and it still comes up CONVICTED I read on here that the State likes to run things in batchs so I will give them a few days before I call back. She said they already forwarded the Court Documents to the FBI.

Step one is in process.

Now I need to learn how to wait.

[dicion]

Waiting indeed, as there is a decent amount involved in the process, although nowhere near as long as it used to take

Congratulations on keeping on the straight and narrow, unfortunately, there's lots of people out there that think one past mistake should ruin your entire life. However, I pretty sure that most of us here at the forums know that people make mistakes, and believe that yes, they should pay properly for them, but once that payment is done, they should have their life fully re-instated.

The PX4 Storm is a very good handgun, but as said above, be sure to try out any handgun before you purchase it. Best way to do it is to find a range that rents a wide variety of handguns, and go there for a session to try them out.

I'll go one step further than above, and recommend, in my own personal highly weighted opinion, that you should purchase a handgun with a caliber that starts in "4"... and ends in "5 ACP"

But that just might be my love of 1911's talking...

Stick around, read some of the past more popular threads and FAQ lists created around. Soon enough, you too will be telling people to 'keep reading all the way to (i)' like the rest of us

[Cool Arrow]

Thanks dicion for the advise, my buddy has one of those 1911's and it is nice! To rich for me at this time but I will get me one, one of these days. I just want to get this taken care of so I can feel like a whole person again and not like a second class citizen. I am also wondering if I should try and purchase a firearm first then try for the CHL or the other way around.