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AR-15 Rifles, Pistols & Tactical Gear | Gun Store in Roanoke, TX

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Tactical Shooting

Texas License to Carry (LTC): Complete Step-by-Step Guide

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I’m Lance Rankin, owner and gunsmith at Western Sport in Roanoke, Texas, and I’ve walked a lot of customers through their first License to Carry. The process looks bureaucratic from the outside, but it’s really just five steps in a row, and none of them are hard. Here’s the whole thing, start to finish.

Why get an LTC when Texas has constitutional carry?

Fair question. Since 2021, most eligible Texans can carry a handgun with no license at all; my Texas constitutional carry guide covers those rules. I still tell most customers to get the LTC. Reciprocity is the big reason: a Texas LTC is honored by around 30 other states, while constitutional carry ends at the state line. It also speeds up gun purchases, because the license works as your background-check waiver at the counter, no waiting on a delayed NICS response. And a handful of locations and situations are simply cleaner with a license in your wallet. Quick terminology note: the LTC used to be called a CHL before 2015, and it covers both concealed and open carry.

Who qualifies

You need to be at least 21 (with exceptions for military members), legally able to possess a handgun, and free of felony convictions. Certain misdemeanors, pending charges, chemical dependency, and some mental health adjudications are disqualifiers, and federal rules apply on top of the state ones. You don’t have to live here, either; out-of-state residents can hold a Texas LTC. If you’re unsure whether something in your past is a problem, DPS publishes the full eligibility list, and it’s worth reading before you spend money on a class.

Step 1: the class

Texas requires four to six hours of instruction from a DPS-certified instructor, taken in a classroom or online at your own pace. It covers Texas carry law, use of force, non-violent dispute resolution, and safe storage, and ends with a written test. The test isn’t there to trip you up; pay attention and you’ll pass. You get a completion certificate at the end that you’ll upload later, so don’t lose it.

Step 2: the shooting proficiency

The range portion happens in person with a certified instructor even if your classroom time was online. You’ll shoot 50 rounds at three, seven, and fifteen yards on a B-27 silhouette, a target roughly the size of a doorway. Any handgun you can run safely will do, revolver or semi-auto, and most instructors have loaners. If you can keep your hits on a paper plate at seven yards, you’ll be fine. If you can’t yet, that’s not a reason to quit; it’s a reason to practice, and the practice is the point.

Step 3: the online application

Applications go through the Texas DPS website and take maybe fifteen minutes. Have your driver’s license handy, plus your addresses and employers for the last five years, which is the part that sends everyone digging through old email. The standard fee is $40; veterans pay $25, active-duty military pay nothing, and certain judges and first responders get reduced rates. You’ll upload your course certificate through the same portal, so double-check that every detail matches your ID before you submit. Typos are the cheapest delay to avoid.

Step 4: fingerprints

After you apply, you’ll get instructions to schedule fingerprinting through IdentoGO, the state’s contractor. It costs about $10, takes ten minutes, and requires a photo ID. Skipping this step is the most common way applications stall, so book the appointment as soon as the email shows up.

Step 5: the wait

DPS runs your state and federal background checks and, by statute, has 60 days from a complete application to act. Plenty come back faster; some take the full stretch. You can track your status on the DPS site. Then the license lands in your mailbox and you’re done until renewal, which is a simpler online process.

A few notes from the counter

Take the shooting test with the gun you plan to carry if you can; the qualification is easy, but it’s a free diagnostic on how you and that pistol get along. If you don’t own one yet, do the class first and shop second. My best first gun in Texas guide is written for exactly that buyer, and best handgun for women covers the fit questions spec sheets ignore.

One caution: carry law changes, and this guide reflects the rules as of this writing, so verify current requirements with DPS when you apply. If I can help you pick a pistol for the qualification or a holster for after it, call 817-393-4000 or come see us at our Roanoke, TX gun store by appointment.

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AR-15 vs AK-47: Which Is Better for Home Defense?

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Full disclosure before we start: I’m Lance Rankin, owner and gunsmith at Western Sport in Roanoke, Texas, and AR-15s are my specialty. I build them, repair them, and sell them every week. So yes, I have a horse in this race. I’ll still give the AK its due, because it’s earned it, and then I’ll tell you which one I’d actually keep by the bed.

Two very different design philosophies

Eugene Stoner designed the AR-15 to be light, accurate, and modular: aluminum receivers, polymer furniture, tight tolerances. Mikhail Kalashnikov designed the AK-47 to run no matter what: stamped steel, wood, and loose tolerances that let it digest mud, sand, and neglect. The old sports car vs pickup truck comparison is a cliche because it’s true. The AR is a precision instrument that rewards care; the AK is a crowbar that happens to shoot.

The cartridges

Spec 7.62x39mm (AK) 5.56x45mm (AR)
Bullet weight ~123 gr ~55-77 gr
Muzzle velocity ~2,350 fps ~3,000+ fps
Muzzle energy ~1,550 ft-lbs ~1,250 ft-lbs
Practical range ~400 yards ~600 yards

The 7.62×39 is the heavier hammer: more energy up close, more of a shove on your shoulder, more of a rainbow trajectory. The 5.56 is light and fast, shoots flat, and with the right loads tends to fragment or tumble when it hits, dumping energy quickly instead of sailing on through. That last part matters a lot in a minute.

Reliability

The AK’s reputation is deserved. Its long-stroke piston vents dirty gas away from the action, and those loose tolerances mean it keeps running filthy. The AR’s direct impingement system blows gas back into the receiver, so carbon builds up where the work happens. Here’s the honest gunsmith’s view, though: a quality modern AR that’s lubricated will run thousands of rounds without a hiccup. The ARs that come across my bench choking are almost always bone dry or bargain-basement builds. The AK forgives neglect; the AR just asks you not to neglect it.

Accuracy and recoil

No contest here. A decent factory AR shoots 1 to 3 MOA and a good one under 1; most AKs live in the 3 to 5 MOA range. Inside a house neither matters much, but the AR’s lighter recoil and flatter muzzle do. Faster, easier follow-up shots, friendlier for new shooters and smaller-framed family members who may also need to run the rifle. The AK’s push is manageable, just more work.

Accessories and ergonomics

Home defense happens in the dark, and a white light on the gun is not optional; you have to identify what you’re pointing at. The AR makes this trivial: rails everywhere, lights and red dots bolt on in minutes, and the controls sit right under your thumb and trigger finger. Mounting the same gear on an AK means aftermarket handguards, side rails, and compromise. It’s gotten better, but it’s still a project instead of a purchase. My home defense optics guide covers what’s worth mounting.

Cost

Funny thing: the old “AKs are cheap” rule died years ago. Import restrictions pushed decent AKs to $600 to $1,000, right on top of good entry-level ARs, and 7.62×39 no longer embarrasses 5.56 on price the way it once did. Budget shouldn’t drive this decision anymore.

The home defense verdict

For most people, the AR-15, and over-penetration is the deciding factor. Every rifle round will go through drywall, but quality 5.56 defensive loads fragment and shed energy much faster through building materials than a 123-grain 7.62×39 bullet does. If you have kids down the hall or neighbors close by, that difference is worth taking seriously. Add the easier accessory mounting, softer recoil, and controls your whole family can learn quickly, and the AR is the better tool for the job. An AK in trained hands will absolutely defend a home; it’s just working harder to do what the AR does naturally.

If you’re starting from zero, my best AR-15 for beginners guide narrows the field, the home defense AR-15 setup post covers ammo and configuration, and if you’d rather build than buy, how to build an AR-15 walks you through it. We do custom AR builds and Cerakote in-house, and I’m always glad to talk you through the choice in person. Call 817-393-4000 or come by the shop in Roanoke.

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Best Firearms 2026: Picking Your Perfect Trio

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Here’s a thought experiment I never get tired of: if you had to cover your bases with just three guns, one rifle, one shotgun, one handgun, what would you pick? The video below is one shooter’s answer, and it’s a good excuse to talk through the reasoning. The picks are his; the commentary is mine. I’m Lance Rankin, owner and gunsmith at Western Sport in Roanoke, Texas.

The rifle: Daniel Defense DDM4V7 in 300 Blackout

Hard for me to argue with this one, and not just because we’re an authorized Daniel Defense dealer here at the shop. DD builds some of the best factory ARs money can buy, and the V7 is the sweet spot of their lineup. His is chambered in 300 Blackout and topped with a Vortex Razor HD, which makes it a natural suppressor host and a fine hog and deer gun inside 200 yards. Is it more rifle than most people need? Sure. But quality you buy once tends to be the cheapest quality in the long run. If you’re weighing the caliber choice, my 5.56 vs 300 Blackout post covers the trade-offs honestly.

The shotgun: Beretta 1301 Tactical

The 1301 keeps showing up on these lists because it keeps earning it. Fast gas system, soft shooting, and it feeds a wide range of ammunition without complaint. Some folks argue it out-reliables shotguns costing considerably more, and I won’t fight them on it. It made my own list of the best home defense shotguns, so no objection from this corner.

The handgun: FN 510 in 10mm

This is the spicy pick. The FN 510 is a full-size polymer 10mm, and 10mm is a do-everything cartridge if you can handle it: mild FBI-spec loads for the range, full-power loads that make it a legitimate woods gun. The honest trade-offs are cost and recoil; 10mm ammo isn’t cheap, and a defensive handgun you don’t practice with is a liability. For a three-gun battery where the pistol has to cover hiking in hog country as well as the nightstand, though, I get it. Most folks are still better served by a 9mm they’ll actually shoot; my 9mm vs .45 ACP piece explains why capacity and practice win arguments.

What I’d tell a customer

The pattern behind these picks matters more than the models: buy proven reliability in each category, pick calibers you can feed, and spend real money on the gun you’d bet your life on. Swap the 510 for a Glock or P320 and the trio gets cheaper to run without getting worse. And there’s no shame in building the battery over a few years instead of one big check.

So, same question to you: three guns, all your bases. What’s your trio? We stock or can order everything mentioned here, with online ordering and local pickup by appointment in Roanoke. Call 817-393-4000 or email [email protected] if you want help putting yours together.

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2A Culture Wars: The Right to Bear Arms Will Prevail

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Author Larry Correia sat down with Mark Smith for the conversation below about the state of the gun rights fight, and it’s one of the more encouraging discussions I’ve heard in a while. The interview is theirs; the notes and opinions here are mine. I’m Lance Rankin, owner of Western Sport in Roanoke, Texas, and I’ve watched this fight from behind an FFL counter for years.

The case for optimism

Correia’s core point is that gun owners are winning, and the long view proves it. Thirty years ago, during the Clinton assault weapons ban era, only a handful of states had shall-issue concealed carry and exactly one had constitutional carry. Today half the states have constitutional carry, Texas among them, and after the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision every state has to issue carry permits on objective standards. Add over 400 million privately owned firearms and a recent run of court victories bigger than anything in the previous fifteen years, and the trend line is hard to argue with. I see the same thing at street level: the people buying their first gun in my shop look like everybody, because they are everybody.

Why culture matters more than politics

The part of the interview worth chewing on is the culture argument. Correia leans on Andrew Breitbart’s old line that politics is downstream from culture. If movies, novels, and media only ever portray gun owners as villains or rubes, no amount of litigation will hold the line forever. His answer is for creators to make good, entertaining work where guns and gun owners are simply normal, and to entertain first rather than preach. He’s practiced what he preaches; his novels are technically accurate about firearms and found a huge audience that felt ignored by mainstream entertainment.

He also draws a historical parallel I hadn’t considered: the backlash after Brown v. Board of Education, when segregationists fought the ruling for years before losing for good. The wave of defiant state laws we’ve seen since Bruen looks a lot like that pattern, and if he’s right, the pushback is a sign the other side knows it’s losing.

His reading list

For folks on the fence, or trying to persuade someone who is, Correia recommends Massad Ayoob’s Deadly Force, Kathy Jackson’s The Cornered Cat for women considering concealed carry, and John Lott’s More Guns, Less Crime for the data-minded. His own In Defense of the Second Amendment is a readable, conversational take. I’d second the Ayoob recommendation in particular; every armed citizen should understand the legal side of self-defense before they need to.

The Rust tragedy and safety

The conversation also touches on the Alec Baldwin shooting on the set of Rust. Set protocols were reportedly violated, and Correia’s observation is that ingrained safety habits, the kind experienced gun owners carry everywhere, are exactly what was missing. Whatever the courts decided about blame, the lesson for the rest of us is old and permanent: the four rules apply to everyone, every time, no exceptions. A young woman died because they weren’t followed.

Where I land

Correia’s optimism is earned, but it isn’t a reason to coast. Court wins came from decades of funded litigation, and culture shifts because millions of ordinary owners are good ambassadors: taking new shooters to the range, storing guns responsibly, and being the calm, competent face of gun ownership their neighbors meet. If you’re one of those new owners, start with my best first gun in Texas guide or come by the shop, and if you’re carrying, know the law in my Texas constitutional carry write-up. The culture war is won one range trip at a time.

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Shooting Through Car Windows: Calibers and Glass Performance

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What actually happens when a bullet hits a windshield? The video below runs a proper test: multiple calibers against automotive glass with high-speed cameras catching the results. The testing is theirs, not mine, but I’ve spent enough years around ballistics as a gunsmith to add some context. I’m Lance Rankin, owner of Western Sport in Roanoke, Texas.

Why windshields are weird

Side and rear windows are tempered glass, built to shatter into pellets. Windshields are laminated: layers of glass bonded to a plastic interlayer, curved and raked at an angle. That combination deflects bullets, strips jackets, and sends a cloud of glass along for the ride. Angle matters enormously; a head-on hit behaves nothing like a shot taken across the hood.

What the testing showed

.22LR: The surprise of the video. Fired from a rifle, it punched through the windshield intact, dragging plenty of glass with it. Don’t ever assume a windshield stops even the smallest rounds.

9mm: FMJ made it through but had its jacket shaved off by the glass. The hollow point actually did a bit better, expanding roughly as designed. The bigger takeaway was deflection: the testers note a bullet can wander anywhere from a few inches to nearly a foot for every foot of travel after the glass. Point of aim and point of impact part ways fast.

5.56: M855 green tip, with its steel penetrator, stayed largely intact and tumbled on exit, handling the glass well. The 77-grain OTM broke up more but still delivered a serious impact.

7.62×39: The AK round’s 123-grain bullet fragmented some but had the mass to push through convincingly.

.308: Fired from a SCAR-H, both M80 ball and 168-grain match went through like the glass wasn’t there, shattering it violently and sending fragments downrange at speed.

Shotgun: A rifled slug went straight through with minimal deflection. Buckshot pellets scattered and deflected like handgun rounds. If a shotgun has to defeat a barrier, the slug is the tool.

My takeaways

Three things stand out. First, glass changes everything: bullet construction that performs beautifully in bare gelatin can come apart on a windshield, which is why barrier performance matters when picking defensive ammo. My best 9mm self-defense ammo guide leans toward loads that hold together. Second, the glass itself becomes a projectile; anyone inside a car that’s being shot through is taking fragments regardless of caliber. Third, for a defensive rifle, this testing is another point in favor of 5.56 with quality ammo. It handled the barrier fine, and the capacity and recoil advantages over .308 are real. I dig into rifle choices in my home defense AR-15 setup and 5.56 vs 300 Blackout posts.

Last thing, and it matters: this is ballistics education, not a suggestion. Shooting at or from a vehicle carries enormous legal weight, and self-defense law around cars is unforgiving of bad judgment. Get real training before you ever need any of this, and know your state’s law cold.

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