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Western Sport

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Posts by Lance Rankin

Best first guns to buy in Texas: handguns, shotguns, and rifles

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I’m Lance Rankin, owner and gunsmith at Western Sport in Roanoke, Texas, just north of Fort Worth. I’ve been helping first-time buyers pick a gun since I took over this shop in 2017, and the questions are always the same: what’s the best first gun to buy in Texas, what does the law require, and how do I not waste money? Here’s how I walk customers through it at the counter.

The legal basics in Texas

Texas keeps it simple. No permit is required to buy a gun here. Federal law says you must be 21 to buy a handgun from a dealer and 18 for a long gun, and every dealer sale runs through the NICS background check. Handgun purchases from a dealer generally require Texas residency, so if you just moved here, get your Texas ID sorted first.

Texas also has permitless carry, so eligible adults can carry a handgun in most public places without a license. Legal doesn’t mean ready, though. Get training before you carry. I walk through the whole purchase process, including buying online and picking up at a local dealer, in my guide to how to buy a gun in Texas.

Start with the job, not the gun

Before you look at a single model, decide what the gun is for. Home defense, concealed carry, range fun, hunting? A gun that’s great at one job is usually mediocre at another. Most first-timers are best served by one of three answers.

Handguns: the best first gun in Texas for most people

For most people, the best first gun in Texas is a mid-size 9mm semi-auto pistol. Big enough to shoot well, small enough to carry, and 9mm ammo is cheap enough that you’ll actually practice. The Glock 19 is the default recommendation for a reason: it’s boringly reliable and everything on earth fits it. The Sig P320 is another solid pick, and its modular design lets you change frame sizes later without buying a new gun.

Skip the temptation to buy the tiniest micro pistol first. Small guns are harder to shoot, not easier. And don’t assume you need to spend a fortune; I keep an updated list of good 9mm handguns under $500 that I’d stake my name on.

A word on revolvers: they’re mechanically simple and there’s no slide to rack, which helps folks with limited hand strength. The trade-off is lower capacity and a heavier trigger. They’re a reasonable nightstand gun for the right person, just not my default recommendation anymore.

Shotguns: the home defense classic

A pump-action shotgun is rugged, affordable, and effective. A Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 will outlive you with minimal care. For a new shooter, think hard about 20 gauge instead of 12; the recoil is noticeably friendlier and it still does the job at home defense distances. Keep the barrel on the shorter side of legal for maneuvering hallways. I go deeper on models and loads in my home defense shotgun guide.

Rifles: for the range and beyond

If marksmanship is the goal, nothing beats a .22 LR rifle to start. Ammo costs pennies, recoil is nil, and you can burn a whole afternoon learning trigger control for the price of one box of centerfire.

If you want one rifle that grows with you, it’s the AR-15. It fits nearly any body size, parts are everywhere, and as an AR specialist I’ll tell you it’s also the easiest rifle in the world to learn to work on. We’re an authorized Daniel Defense dealer, and a DDM4 is a buy-once gun, but there are honest budget options too. Start with my best AR-15 for beginners writeup.

Budget for more than the gun

Plan on three things beyond the purchase price: a proper safe or lockbox so the gun is secure but reachable, a few hundred rounds of practice ammo, and a training class. A $500 gun plus a class will serve you far better than a $1,200 gun and no training. Every instructor worth their salt teaches the same fundamentals: treat every gun as loaded, finger off the trigger until you’re on target, and know what’s behind your target.

Come handle a few

Specs don’t tell you how a gun fits your hand. Rent a few models at a local range if you can, then buy the one you shot best, not the one the internet liked. That’s the honest answer to the best first gun in Texas question: the one that fits you. We’re an online store with local pickup by appointment here in Roanoke, and I’m glad to talk through options first. Call 817-393-4000 or email [email protected].

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to buy a gun in Texas?

No. You’ll pass a federal background check at the dealer, and you must not be a prohibited person, but Texas requires no purchase permit or license.

What’s the best first gun for home defense?

A reliable mid-size 9mm pistol or a pump shotgun. Either works well; the better answer is whichever one you’ll actually train with.

Handgun or rifle first?

Handgun if defense and carry are the priority. A .22 rifle if you mainly want to learn to shoot well on a budget.

Can I try before I buy?

Yes, and you should. Ranges with rental counters let you compare grip, recoil, and trigger feel across several models for a few dollars each.

How do I transport a gun in my car in Texas?

If you’re not a prohibited person, Texas generally allows it. Keeping the gun unloaded in a locked container is the safe habit while you’re new.

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S&W CSX E-Series: the micro 9mm that finally got the trigger right

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Lance here from Western Sport in Roanoke, Texas. The video above is a full review of the S&W CSX E-Series micro 9mm, and it’s worth your time if you’re shopping this class of gun. I want to add my own two cents as a gunsmith and dealer, because the CSX has an interesting history: the original was a good idea with real problems, and the E-Series is S&W admitting that and fixing it.

What the S&W CSX E-Series micro 9mm is

Think of it as a hammer-fired, single-action micro 9mm with 1911 manners in a double-stack carry package. That’s a rare combination. Most guns in this class are striker-fired, so if you learned on a 1911 and want that crisp single-action trigger and thumb safety in a modern carry size, the CSX is one of the only games in town.

What the E-Series fixed

The original CSX’s trigger was its weak spot. False resets, inconsistent breaks, the kind of thing that erodes your confidence in a defensive gun fast. The reviewer found the E-Series trigger crisp with a short, positive reset, and that matches what I’ve felt handling them. S&W also added an ambidextrous safety, which lefties will appreciate.

One honest caveat from the review that I’ll echo: if you have big hands, watch for a little bite from the grip during recoil. Micro guns make you pay for their size somewhere, and a snappy recoil impulse comes with the territory on a 3.1-inch barrel. Handle one before you buy if you can.

Capacity and magazines

The E-Series ships with three magazines: a flush-fit 12-rounder for deep concealment, a 15-round extended, and a 17-round full-length mag. That’s genuinely useful. Carry the flush mag in the gun and the 17 as your reload, and you’ve covered both concealment and capacity without buying anything extra. Twelve-plus-one from a gun this size would have sounded like fiction ten years ago.

Reliability and optics

The reviewer ran Federal, Blazer Brass, and Magtech through it with zero malfunctions. That’s one gun and one test, not a fleet study, but it lines up with the E-Series’ reputation so far, and reliability was the other knock on the original. The slide serrations are aggressive enough that shooters with less hand strength can rack it without a fight.

It also comes optics-ready with a Shield RMS-pattern cut, so you can mount a small red dot without sending the slide off for milling. That’s table stakes for a carry gun now, and S&W got it right from the factory.

My take

The S&W CSX E-Series micro 9mm is for a specific shooter: someone who wants single-action mechanics and a manual safety in a modern micro nine. If that’s you, it’s a legitimate carry gun now, not a curiosity. If you’re indifferent to the 1911-style controls, a striker gun may serve you just as well for less fuss, and I keep a running list of favorites in best 9mm handguns under $500. Either way, feed it right; see my self-defense 9mm ammo picks before you load it for carry.

We can get the S&W CSX E-Series micro 9mm in for you here in Roanoke, or you can browse the rest of our pistol inventory online. If you buy one elsewhere we handle FFL transfers for $40 plus the $10 NICS check. Call 817-393-4000 or email [email protected] and I’ll get you sorted.

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Griffin Armament suppressors: a gunsmith’s take on why they’re worth a look

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I’m Lance Rankin, the gunsmith behind Western Sport in Roanoke, Texas. We’re a Type 07 FFL with an SOT, which means suppressors are part of my daily work, not a sideline. I see a lot of cans come across the bench, and Griffin Armament is one of the brands I keep recommending. Here’s why.

Who Griffin Armament is

Griffin was founded by two brothers, Austin and Evan Green, and they build everything in-house in Watertown, Wisconsin. That matters more than it sounds. When a company machines its own parts under one roof, it can prototype fast, catch problems early, and control quality at every step instead of hoping a subcontractor got it right.

They’ve also never been a loud marketing company. The money goes back into R&D instead of billboards, which is part of why shooters who know the brand tend to be loyal and shooters who don’t know it walk past it. If you’ve never handled one, you’re missing out.

The materials story

Griffin has leaned hard into additive manufacturing, and one result is their proprietary Nickel 625X alloy. The short version: better strength and heat resistance than the conventional materials most of the industry uses, with heat treatment tuned to the alloy. Suppressors live a hard life. Heat and pressure cycles are what kill them, so material choice is where the real engineering happens, not the logo on the tube.

Mounting systems that stay put

A suppressor that loosens under fire is somewhere between an accuracy problem and a dangerous one, so I pay attention to mounts. Griffin gives you options. Their Gate-Lok system works with a standard A2 birdcage, which is a practical touch; plenty of rifles already wear one, and it keeps the cost of entry down. Their Dual-Lok system uses active-locking splines so the can physically can’t back itself off under recoil and heat.

As the guy who gets the phone call when a can shoots loose, I appreciate companies that treat mounting as a design problem rather than an afterthought.

Suppressed-first rifles

Griffin also builds complete rifles, and their approach is what they call suppressed-first: buffer systems, bolt carrier groups, and gas systems tuned to run right with a can on the muzzle, and still run right without one. Anyone who’s shot a standard AR suppressed knows the problem they’re solving. Hang a suppressor on a rifle that was gassed for bare-muzzle use and you get extra blowback in your face and a bolt moving faster than it should. A rifle built for suppressed use from the start is just more pleasant to shoot. If you’re new to the platform, my beginner’s AR-15 guide covers the basics before you go down the suppressor rabbit hole, and 5.56 vs. 300 Blackout is worth a read since 300 BLK is a natural pairing for suppressed shooting.

Buying a suppressor through us

The NFA process scares people off more than it should. As an SOT dealer, we handle Griffin suppressors start to finish: pick the can, do the paperwork with us, wait out the ATF, then come pick it up in Roanoke, just north of Fort Worth. My wife Donna runs our compliance side and keeps the paperwork clean, which is half the battle with NFA items. The legal side is also moving in the right direction; I wrote about the federal court rulings treating suppressors as protected arms if you want the background.

Browse what we carry in the store, or just call me at 817-393-4000 and tell me what host gun you’re running. I’d rather match you to the right can than sell you the expensive one.

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Magazine capacity bans: where they came from and where the courts stand

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I sell magazines every week here at Western Sport in Roanoke, Texas, and I build ARs for a living, so magazine capacity law is not an abstract debate for me. It decides what I can ship and to whom. Texas has no capacity limit, but plenty of my online customers live in states that do, and the map keeps changing. Here’s the short history and the legal picture as of this writing.

Where the 10-round number came from

Modern capacity limits started in New Jersey in the early 1990s. The big one was the 1994 federal assault weapons ban, which set 10 rounds as the national ceiling for new magazines. That number wasn’t ballistic science. It was a political compromise that stuck, and when other states wrote their own laws later, they mostly copied it.

The federal ban sunset in 2004, and a lot of people figured the issue was dead. It wasn’t. After a string of high-profile incidents, states started passing their own versions, and the list has grown since.

Which states restrict capacity

New York, Connecticut, Colorado, Maryland, California, Washington, and Illinois have all enacted magazine restrictions, on top of New Jersey’s. The details differ. Some cap at 10 rounds, some at 15, some ban sales but grandfather what you own, some restrict manufacture too. If you live in or near one of these states, the specifics matter a lot, and they change. Check your current state law before you buy, and when in doubt, ask a local attorney who handles firearms cases.

From behind the counter, the practical effect is real. When an order comes in from a restricted state, we either ship a compliant version or we don’t ship at all. It’s a paperwork headache for dealers and an honest trap for gun owners who move between states without realizing their standard magazines just became contraband.

The common-use argument

The 2022 Bruen decision changed how courts judge these laws. The government now has to show a regulation is consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearms regulation, not just that it sounds reasonable.

Here’s the problem for capacity bans: magazines holding more than 10 rounds are standard equipment. A Glock 19 ships with 15-round magazines. Nearly every AR-15 ships with 30s. Millions of law-abiding owners have them, which puts them squarely in “common use” under the Supreme Court’s own test. Several challenges to state magazine bans are working through the federal courts on exactly that theory. As of this writing, results have been mixed at the circuit level and the Supreme Court hasn’t settled it, so don’t assume any particular ban is dead or safe. Check where the litigation stands before you act on it.

My advice

Know your own state’s law cold, and if you travel with firearms, know the laws of every state you pass through. If you live somewhere free of these limits, don’t get complacent; these bills show up in legislatures that people swore would never pass them.

And buy quality while you’re at it. A cheap magazine causes more malfunctions than any other single part. I wrote up my honest take in Magpul vs. Lancer magazines if you’re stocking up, and if you’re setting up a rifle for the house, my home defense AR-15 setup guide covers what actually matters. We stock magazines and compliant versions in the store, and I’m happy to talk through what’s legal to ship to your state. Call 817-393-4000 or email [email protected].

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Second Amendment at the Supreme Court: the Rahimi case, and where it landed

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I’m Lance Rankin, owner and gunsmith at Western Sport here in Roanoke, Texas. When the Supreme Court took up United States v. Rahimi, my phone rang more than usual. Customers wanted to know if the case would change how gun laws get judged. Fair question. Here’s my read as a working Texas FFL, and where things stand as of this writing.

What the case was about

Rahimi centered on 18 USC 922(g)(8), the federal statute that strips gun rights from people subject to certain domestic violence protective orders. After the Court’s Bruen decision, the government has to show that a modern gun law fits within the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation. Rahimi’s lawyers argued there was no Founding-era practice of disarming citizens under these circumstances, so the statute had to fall.

That put the Court in an awkward spot. Bruen set a strict historical test, and this was the first big chance to see how strictly the justices meant it.

The amicus wave

What caught a lot of attention was the breadth of groups filing briefs on the Second Amendment side of the methodology question. The Second Amendment Foundation, Firearms Policy Coalition, Gun Owners of America, the National Association for Gun Rights, the Cato Institute, the National Association of Federal Defenders, the California Rifle and Pistol Association, and the National African-American Gun Association all weighed in. That’s not a narrow slice of the political spectrum. The shared concern was that courts should judge gun laws by constitutional text and history, not by whatever policy feels right this decade.

How it came out

The Court decided the case in June 2024 and upheld the statute, 8 to 1. Chief Justice Roberts wrote that when a court has found someone poses a credible threat to another person’s physical safety, that person can be temporarily disarmed without violating the Second Amendment. Justice Thomas was the lone dissent.

Two things worth knowing about that ruling. First, Bruen survived. The Court kept the text-and-history framework; it just clarified that the government needs a historical analogue, not a historical twin. Second, the ruling was narrower than the headlines suggested. It dealt with temporary disarmament after an individualized court finding of dangerousness. It did not bless every gun restriction on the books.

What it means for you

Lower courts are still working out how much slack the “analogue, not twin” language gives the government, and follow-on cases keep moving. If your rights turn on any of this, check the current status of the law and talk to an attorney; a blog post from a gunsmith is not legal advice.

Day to day, not much changed at the counter. If a protective order shows up in your background, that was a denial before Rahimi and it’s a denial after. If you’re new to all this, my plain-English guides on how to buy a gun in Texas and what an FFL dealer actually does cover the process.

I’ll keep following the court fights that actually matter to gun owners, including the suppressor cases that hit closer to home for us as an NFA dealer. Questions? Email me at [email protected] or call the shop at 817-393-4000.

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