Welcome to LONESTARGUNS.com

Guns and Firearms Information Site
Plano, Texas

LONESTARGUNS.com is a gun information site that proudly bears the web address of a longtime firearms store and warrranty repair-gunsmithing establishment in the Dallas suburb of Plano, Texas. The store is now gone and nothing is for sale on this site; nor is this site related to the last  owner of the store.  PLEASE NOTE: There is no longer a Lone Star Guns telephone number. The old number is out of service. 

Although some of the information here pertains only to Texas or Dallas-area gun enthusiasts, such as our Concealed Handgun License information and shooting range information, our list of gun companies covers much of the gamut ... and any rifleman would be proud to own one of Frank Smith's fine custom long guns.

On the subject of the CHL, this site recommends two specific instructors: David Hammers, who teaches at The Bullet Trap in Plano, and Police Officer T.J. Pilling, who teaches at Tiger Valley Tactical Institute for Gun Education and Research. I've known both of them for many years and have no reservation in recommending them to you. 

Warranty repairs are always a subject of anxiety since you want your firearm repaired properly and returned quickly. Some of the gunmakers require you to return the gun to them. But if they allow outside work, I recommend Frank Smith for Remington, Walther and Smith & Wesson work. Frank's also highly skilled at any other work you need, especially S&W shotguns. He also has parts. See our diagrams for specific info.

A good shooting range for rifle or pistol is often hard to find in urban areas, even if you just want target shooting instead of firearms training or shooting lessons. The Dallas-Fort Worth area has several good shooting ranges in Dallas, Richardson, Plano, McKinney, Arlington, etc., but Tiger Valley near Waco is my favorite.

Tiger Valley is a premier firearms training facility on a 168 acre site conveniently located in Central Texas. Tiger Valley offers pre-designed courses as well as custom designed classes to meet the firearms training requirements of Federal, State, and local Law Enforcement agencies. 

The Bullet Trap in Plano has good facilities and a complete retail selection of guns, ammo, and accessories. 

This site has information about shooting ranges, custom guns, gunsmithing, and warranty repairs of guns, diagrams of Smith & Wesson and Winchester shotguns, parts diagrams, and contact information for major gun companies. They include: HANDGUNS ... American Derringer, Bowen Classic Arms Corp. revolvers, Colt's Manufacturing Co. pistols and revolvers, Dan Wesson Firearms,  Freedom Arms revolvers, Glock pistols, Kahr Arms pistols, Kel-Tec pistols, Magnum Research pistols, North American Arms revolvers, Para Ordnance pistols, Sturm, Ruger & Company pistols and revolvers, SigArms pistols, Smith & Wesson revolvers and pistols, Springfield Armory pistols, United States Firearms Mfg. Co., Inc. revolvers, Walther America pistols. RIFLES ... American Hunting Rifles, Bushmaster AR-15 type rifles, Ballard Rifle & Cartridge, CZ (Ceska Zbrojavka) rifles, DPMS / Panther Arms AR-15 type rifles, Marlin Firearms Co. rifles, Sturm, Ruger & Company rifles, Weatherby Rifle Co., Winchester rifles. SHOTGUNS ... Benelli, USA shotguns, Ithaca shotguns, Mossberg shotguns, Remington Arms Co. Inc. shotguns, Sturm, Ruger & Company shotguns, Winchester shotguns.

On the subject of shooting, have you heard about the Appleseed marksmanship program of the Revolutionary War Veterans Association? The RWVA is a 501.c.3, tax deductible, non-profit, insured organization that is staffed by volunteers dedicated to reconnect the modern-day rifle owner to the American Rifleman heritage of the Founders of this nation. They do this through marksmanship clinics intended to take the participants back to the original struggles faced by the revolutionaries in 1775. The point of the Appleseed shoots is not about shooting the rifle you wish you had, but learning to shoot well with the one you already have. They teach the modern rifle owner how to accurately and effectively use their rifle in field conditions -- no bench-rest, no bipods. These skills will improve the shooters’ shooting abilities, regardless of what rifle they have in their hands. Visit their web site for additional information:  www.appleseedinfo.org .

For information about gun laws and whether your handgun license is valid in other states, see http://www.handgunlaw.us/

If you want to get involved in the growing Open Carry movement, see http://www.opencarry.org/ for more information. The Open Carry movement is popular in several states. The DPS says it was discounted in Texas in favor of concealed carry for two reasons: 1) They didn't want to frighten unarmed civilians, and 2), If bad guys could see at a glance who was packing, they'd want to mug the first person who wasn't. So concealed carry protects everybody.

I personally feel open carry offers a significant deterrent effect and I would rather have somebody steer clear of me because of the .45 on my hip than approach me and get so far involved that I would have to draw the weapon to drive him off.

Now the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down D.C.'s handgun ban,  confirming your Constitutional Right to keep and bear arms. And it's about time. 

While on the subject, let me applaud Congress for extending our right to protect ourselves to national parks. That goes into effect in February 2010. And I'm heartened by efforts in Texas to allow licensed carriers access to college campuses. That measure got into the House Calendars Committee in the waning hours of the legislature and could be resurrected in special session. 

I do, however, want to say something about the current panic mentality that another "assault weapons" ban is coming and that the government plans to tax ammunition out of existence. This administration has enough problems to solve without upsetting all the Republicans in D.C., and I think the Parks bill is a good example of the fact that we don't need to fear any draconian changes in the near future. For me, I'm letting the manufacturers catch up with market demand and I'll buy what I think I need once prices come back to more realistic levels.

Please be aware: THERE IS NO PENDING LEGISLATION TO REINSTITUTE THE SO-CALLED "ASSAULT WEAPONS" BAN OR INCREASE THE FEDERAL EXCISE TAX ON AMMUNITION.

Although President Obama has openly admitted his favor for the ban, the ammo tax is a different matter. It stems from a 1999 comment, reproted by the Chicago Defender newspaper, when Mr. Obama was a state senator. A confusing quote indicates he would be in favor of a five-fold increase in the ammunition tax (from 11% to 55%). Please note, this is not a 500% tax. And, in the years after that comment, Mr. Obama made absolutely no attempt to sponsor or support such legislation. 

It is just an Urban Myth. Sure, he is anti-gun, but he has taken no direct steps in that direction since being elected president.  

Bob