We all know how great it is to do things for the fist time. First Bicycle, First kiss, First time to drive a car or ride a motorcycle. First time to shoot a gun. First time to catch a fish. First time to take a deer. Many of our "firsts" are also the best or at least the most memorable.

Today I renewed my CHL for the 4th time. At sometime during the process it occurred to me that when this one expires I'll be 75 years old. I certainly don't feel like it but it is not outside the realm of possibilities that this will be my last one.

I hate how that feels.

Carrying the thought forward I realize that I'm smack dab in the middle of the time of life when that will be a common occurrence. I'll be renewing my drivers license in a few months and the same could be said for that as well. I have no intention of being one of these old timers that doesn't know when the party is over. Many times they refuse to stop and cause accidents resulting in serious damage, injury and death. That won't be me.

When you stop and think about it everything you do for a first time you will also do for a last time. Whoa! I think I better stop here. This is startin' to get depressing.

Ah well, just to cheer myself up I think I'll have a toddy and go to sleep planning my next trip to the range.

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Real men love cats!

Im fixing getting mine for the first time--hopefully in March or April. Just not sure which gun I wanna take with me to qualify with?

I am getting along in years myself...be 69 this year and for some reason it is starting to occur to me that I am getting old....I am still very healthy and can do most things that I want to within reason, but I know this is slowly (hopefully) going to go away...I retired at 58 and hadn't had any thoughts about getting old until this year....thanks for the reminder....

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carpe diem
one day at a time

Yeah that new gun feeling is great ain't it? If it's just for qualification I'd take the one I could shoot the most accurately. Kind of ironic but ever since I got my Lew Horton N frame .44 spl I had planned to qualify with it for my next chl renewal. But now there is a new law here in Texas and "continuing education" (class room and 40 or 50 rounds from the firin' line) for renewal is no longer required.

I always qualified handily with a Glock but this time when I knocked out center mass I was gonna look a lot better doin' it.

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Real men love cats!

Here's hoping you remain in good health much longer than you anticipate, sir.

Ill most likely take my P-38. Ive not fired a 45 in over 12 years. How far away is the target? Last time I qualified for anything--it was only 15 or 20 yards.

You are quite welcome sir!

Hmmm maybe we should cut back on all the old geezer posts. We are gonna scare all the young'uns off and we'll be all that's left around here.

Yep. Time to start pumpin' iron and gettin' in shape for the tri-athelon in a couple of months. (doin' my best Barney Fife here) sniff sniff shoulder shrug.

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Real men love cats!

They are always changing it but the last time I qualified you fires a few from 3 yds, a few from 7yds and a few from 15 yds and a few from 25 yds for a total of 40 rounds and some of them are timed.

But if you currently have a Texas CHL you will not have to take any classroom courses or qualify with any handgun. You can renew on line

I post this link to aid a fellow Texican in his quest to renew his chl. If it's inappropriate please delete it.

www.texas.org

Click on "Concealed Handgun License" and follow instructions. If the link gets zapped I'll PM you.

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Real men love cats!

I'm 80. My concealed carry license doesn't expire until 2018. Hope I'm still around to renew it. I don't think I'll have to shoot any qualification, but if I do, It will be either my Colt Combat Commander in 45 or RIA Compact.

Hasnt been zapped but, i got a pesky: "server not found."

Hopefully itll be working tomorrow when I get back on. Im about headin for several hours of horizontal rest. :-))

Can I jump ship just a little bit here?
Just a related question. Do most states require you to carry the same gun you qualified with?

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Regards, Ron
USASA 1965/69

Ohio doesn't .

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Enjoyment=M&P²

Arizona only requires that you mail back the forms they send you, with payment of course.

Many of us here are higher on that glass mountain than others. We just never know- almost 17 years ago now I had a triple-by-pass after driving 40 some miles home having a heart attack -I have known for some time the true meaning of living on borrowed time. God has allowed me not only to see my Grandchildren grow up, but enjoy a Granddaughter I had no idea of at the time. She came along some 9 years ago and is our shining star. Kids are all doing well in their own right as well. I live every day as if it was my last- only God knows.

florida is the same way just mail in the money

Hopefully the end of one journey means the beginning of another.
The bright side is if you've lived a decent honorable life, the older you get, the less time you have left to mess that up!

WVA doesn't require it either.

Who knows.... I could get run over by a bus today.

My grandfather began thinking in terms of his expiration in his mid 70s. He lived to see his mid 90s, Two decades is a long time to have these kind of things weigh on the mind.

Texas used to require you to carry a revolver if you qualified with a revolver but you could carry either if you qualified with a semi auto. They dropped that requirement recently.

Don't worry about the target, if you can hit the side of a barn you can hit this one! Really, it's huge, the size of an adult. Good luck and have fun.

Thanks to Walkin Jack for letting me use his thread and also to the responders.

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Regards, Ron
USASA 1965/69

I'm not all that old but I have a condition called Multifocal Motor Neuropathy or MMN. It's a degenerative peripheral motor nerve condition.
There's lotsa stuff I can't do anymore. According to my doctor, I shouldn't be able to walk but I'm stubborn and refuse to sit in an electric wheelchair or own a vehicle with an automatic transmission. I know one day I'll have to but I'm putting that day off for as long as possible.

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Keep on Chooglin'

Not Texas. Here you can qualify with a 22--and carry a 50 or-qualify with a 45--and carry a 25--kinda thing--which I really like :-))

thanks to this thread I have gotten back out walking again...it also made me remember my mantra of "quality and quantity"...I don't renew my CPL in Washington for another 4 years and you just go into a nearby County Sheriff and pay your money...no shooting involved...I believe you are only as old as you let yourself be...I had a harder time turning 49 than 50 and I am probably going through the same thing with getting close to 70...I am going to go shoot today just to have some fun...thanks for the "jump start"

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carpe diem
one day at a time

Thats great to know. When I qualified with the State, the target for the AR and 30-30--was 100 yards away. Im much better with a rifle-not bad with a pistol. In my class of around 60--I scored the best with those rifles. I came out not bad with the hand gun--bearing in mind that I didnt have anything at the time--to practice with and had been several years since I last fired a shot.

I recall our targets were a head on a bust. We were also timed on how fast and how accurate we were firing I think 50 rounds w/ a .357. My score was low 90s of 100 possible. Today I dont think ill be near as good?

I know exactly what you mean. I was diagnosed with Essential Tremors back in 2005, but have had symptoms since around 1994. Anyway, it ended my LE career. As far as I know, there are three of these conditions called: Essential Tremors, Intentional Tremors and Familiar Tremors. I dont know what the differences are between the three because--mine "Ess Trem" is exactly like a lady I know who has Familiar Trem, and our symptoms and probs are exactly the same.

Here is how mine effects me: I have memory loss, I get dizzy exercising, my body shakes all the time like one might who was standing naked in a frozen lake with a bucket of water tossed on you for good measure to make sure the wind chill factor is high. Sometimes the shakes are not so bad and I can function, sometimes they keep me from simply lifting a glass of water to drink from and is VERY hard to keep from spilling it all over the place.

Because of my shakes, is partly why I buy heavy rifles and pistols-because it stops me from shaking and I can still shoot. Last year when I bought my STG 44/22, I was shaking badly and the guy I got it from was wondering why I was buying a gun and how I expected to be able to handle it. I said nothing, grabbed the 10.4 pound rifle--and my heft of the rifle--was rock steady. He grinned and gave me a thumbs up.

Same thing when I hold my new 45. :-))

Anyway,I too have been told ill end up in a wheelchair, because I also have Degenerative Bone Disease. Im fighting using a cane now--and pain killers. So far so good.

I just renewed my CCW two days ago, I turn 80 this coming Saturaday, it will expire next in 2019, i figure on renewing it again then.
Glen

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NRA Life 1969
OGCA

I thought in Texas, after the 3rd time, it became permanent. Maybe just no qualifying.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

happy birthday Pinduck

Ahem...May I make a small but significant correction here?

In the state of Texas the minimum caliber allowed for CHL qualification is .380. As far a what you can carry that is up to you. You may indeed qualify with one caliber and carry another but the minimum allowed is the .380. I often carry my KelTec P-32 as a BUG or a "beach gun" etc.

A new law as of September of '13 is that you may qualify with either a revolver or a semi auto and carry either. Before if you qualified with a revolver you were not allowed to carry a semi auto but if you qualified with a semi auto you were allowed to carry either one.

As you were men!

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Real men love cats!

Jack
After 75 all they want to know is are you still alive.
Blessings

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TEXAS, by GOD

this past December I turned 66; today I went in to see my doctor. Blood pressure was 116/80, all blood work was normal cholesterol was good. I have Rumatoid arthritis. it affects my hands and elbows and shoulders. I have less pain after shooting when I use a larger heavy hand gun cause they take most of the recoil. I do have problems with my feet and ankle's as a result of the arthritis as has been said I am going to keep on keeping on as long as I can. I don't renew my CLP for another 3 years and will continue to do so as long as I can raise my arms.

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Carpriver.

I stand corrected Sarge,

He said it, I didnt.

back from shooting....shot my m&p 22lr-mod.15-3 38 spl. and m&p 40....I feel much better now....also scored 500 22lr and 2 boxes of 50 wad cutter 38 on the way home...life is good.......I guess 68 isn't that old after all

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carpe diem
one day at a time

Well, just wanted to say that all you more "seasoned" fellows are an inspiration to me as I sneak up on 60. There's no way I'm as old as I am, given how I feel and the fact that the latent 14-year-old inside is still giving me fits (and lots of enjoyment too!) on a regular basis.

In all seriousness, though: hope I'm still doing the things you guys are when I reach the number of birthdays you have. If I'm still able to shoot a pistol on the day I draw my last breath, I'll consider it a life well-enjoyed...if not always well-lived

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!

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Ukraine -- now more than ever

Ya, thanks for making me feel young at 62. Whats this qualify thing some speak of??

Make no mistake----this life is not the ultimate reality.
Blessings

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TEXAS, by GOD