HOUSTON—What some are calling a handgun loophole is fueling a heated debate in the Lone Star State, with a growing number of critics blaming Utah’s Concealed Handgun Program for placing Texans at risk.
“I would say having a Utah license only would paint someone as a very incompetent gun owner,” said Jim Pruitt, of Pruitt Guns and Ammo in northeast Harris County.
Utah’s concealed handgun permits are considered perfectly legal in Texas, thanks to a reciprocity agreement the two states share. But some Houston-area firearms instructors say Utah’s requirements are too lenient.
Students for the Utah course are not required to perform live fire training, which is a prerequisite before receiving a permit through the Department of Public Safety’s Texas Concealed Handgun Program.
“I believe that training is paramount,” added Pruitt.
Other firearms instructors disagree.
“It’s a false sense of security is what it is,” according to Brad Brasuell, a Denton County firearms instructor who teaches the Utah course. He believes live fire training is a waste of time.
“With the Utah program, I’m able to concentrate 100 percent of my time and focus on the 20 percent of the core material that people need to know of the day-to-day of carrying a handgun,” he added.
The Utah program costs about $65 compared to $140 for the Texas program. Some local firearms instructors want the state legislature to declare the Utah program illegal in Texas. But for now, thousands of Texas gun owners continue to obtain their concealed-handgun permits without ever firing a shot.
