Texas Gun Owner's Guide, by Alan Korwin and Georgene Lockwood. Copyright 2002. Paperback. 278 pages.
This is the book on Texas gun laws. If you take a class to obtain a concealed handgun license, this is probably the book they will use. It is a comprehensive guide to Texas laws on gun ownership. It should be read by every Texan who owns a gun, whether or not they carry concealed. If you only read one book, this is the one to read.
The Concealed Handgun Manual: How to Choose, Carry and Shoot a Gun in Self Defense, by Chris Bird. Third Edition, Copyright 2003. Paperback. 411 pages.
Chris Bird is a former police reporter for the San Antonio Express-News. He holds a concealed handgun license (CHL). This book is a must read for anyone in Texas who has or is considering a CHL. The book is amply illustrated with clear photographs, and covers how to choose a handgun, how to carry concealed and how to shoot what you carry. The book covers both the philosophy of gun rights and the specifics you will need to know once you have decided to carry in Texas.
In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection, by Massad F. Ayoob. Copyright 1980. Paperback. 130 pages.
I consider this book essential reading for anyone with a CHL. As the preface says, "Every other book on self defense with firearms has begun with the draw and ended with the last shot." Ayoob deals with the psychology of the gun fight--both what goes on up to and during a gun fight and, just as importantly, what goes on after the last round is fired.
The book examines the law of lethal force and considers the legal and psychological ramifications of owning and using a firearm in the home, on the street, in your car or at your business. Ayoob shatters many myths in this books, and they are myths worth shattering. In my opinion, Ayoob is one of the best gun writers in America. Don't go armed without reading this book.
Gun Proof Your Children, by Massad F. Ayoob. Copyright 1986. Paperback. 17 pages.
Don't let the short length of this book fool you. It is packed with great advice for dealing with a problem every parent should face--whether or not they have guns. Kids are curious. They will find guns. Even if you have trigger locks on all your guns and they are stored in a gun safe, what about the guns of your neighbors? Ayoob advocates gunproofing your children rather than relying on allegedly "childproof guns." Ayoob is a great gun writer, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who has guns or kids.
Boston's Gun Bible (revised), by Boston T. Party. Copyright 2002. Paperback.
This is an essential book for anyone who wants to understand how the right to self defense is essential to the preservation of liberty. It has tons of specific information about rifles, shotguns, handguns and gear. It contains Boston's personal evaluations of various weapons. You will be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable book on all aspects of choosing, using and caring for guns. But more than that, this book makes the case that the presence of liberty is not automatic, and that an armed population is essential to the retention of the liberty our forefathers fought so hard to gain. There will always be debate on whether the preservation of liberty owes more to the pen or the sword. To consider the arguments in favor of the sword (and to learn everything you need to know about its modern equivalent, the gun) read this book.
Nation of Cowards: Essays on the Ethics of Gun Control, by Jeff Snyder. Copyright 2001. Paperback. 174 pages.
The Seven Myths of Gun Control: Reclaiming the Truth about Guns, Crime, and the Second Amendment, by Richard Poe. Copyright 2001. Hardback. 290 pages.
Stopping Power: Why 70 Million Americans Own Guns, by J. Neil Schulman. Copyright 1994, 1999. Paperback. 318 pages.
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