My CHL journey.

[schufflerbot]

i decided to pursue my CHL after years of my two good friends hounding me to do so. until recently, i have only owned a shotgun for home defense and hadn't ever considered carrying a weapon anywhere outside of my home or the range. im not sure what clicked in my head, but something switched on and i've begun to feel almost obligated to start carrying a concealed handgun. perhaps it's my daughter turning one, perhaps it's the undeniable decline in the overall quality of human beings i encounter on a daily basis, perhaps my friend's planted a seed that finally sprouted in my mind. regardless of the root cause, i've jumped in head first and couldn't be happier about it.
So, i did my research and snagged a brand new Walther PK380 for a little under $400. I know it's not the name brand 'king of the hill' or anything, but weighing all the factors, it was a perfect fit for what my family needed. I've put almost 300 rds through it and other than a few FTFs from a box of winchester white (thank you wally mart) she's performed flawlessly and im in love with that little .380 auto.
I went to my CHL class this weekend at Shooters Station in Conroe. nice group of people, i've heard before that they're jerks... i didn't get that feeling at all. definitely VERY strict when it comes to safe handling of weapons, but i love to see that in range personnel. class flew by, i learned a TON of stuff regarding psychology, conflict resolution, general spatial awareness, etc... stuff i was really impressed to see on the curriculum.
Scored 249/250 on the shooting portion and 100% on the written exam and now im gathering all the required docs to send in to DPS. Other than a little legal mishap from 1996 - when i was 18 - my record is squeaky clean. I've spoken with two people from the DPS office and one person here who have advised that my situation should not affect my CHL acceptance.

so, in a nutshell - that's what's brought me to this site, as well as this way of life (as soon as i get my plastic!) i couldn't be happier and cannot wait to do my part as a law abiding, rights exercising citizen of Texas. Thanks to all who have provided insight, feedback and advice over the last week. it's appreciated and i'll definitely be frequenting this forum!!

[GeekwithaGun]

[USA1]

We all have our own reasons for getting our CHL. I'm glad you found yours.

BTW, your journey won't be over when you get the little plastic card, it will just be starting.