The state of Texas has always had a fondness for its guns. Since Jan 1, for the first time in nearly 150 years, properly licensed Texas citizens with a valid CHL or LTC permit have the right to open carry handguns in belt or shoulder holsters.

With this new law, I'm predicting the re-emergence of an old tradition in Texas — the barbecue gun. The tradition of Texas barbecue itself has never gone away, and now you will have the ability to dress in style with your handgun if you have a CHL or LTC permit.

What is a barbecue gun?

A barbecue gun is a large, intricately engraved pistol with custom handles, and it rests comfortably in a belt holster in plain sight. The holsters are usually leather and may also be intricately carved. This would be for formal wear worn with your suit to parties, weddings and — you guessed it — barbecues.

These guns usually are bigger, since concealment is no longer the objective. They have longer barrels, thus a longer sight radius, which improves accuracy. They also carry a lot more ammunition. You can trade your seven rounds for a full 18.

In addition to being decorative, the gun must be fully functional, and you must be proficient with it.

When I first got my large pistol, I named it "The Ghost" because the longer barrel did a lot to quiet the noise of the gun, and the longer, heavier action recoiled much smoother. It is also quicker reacquiring targets, and I shoot it with much more accuracy.

Currently, there is nothing ornate or special about our EDC guns. They are small, scratched from use and functional, but they have evolved to carry less ammunition and have short barrels. Their recoil has been known to be quite painful if you carry larger calibers.

These were never designed to show off. In fact, mine is named "The Darkness," because with luck it is never destined to see the light of day. As many of you may guess these names came from a novel "Lions of Tsavo," which is a historical account of two lions terrorizing the building of a railroad in Kenya.

The truth about open carry

People use the following arguments against open carry:

• Someone will take it away from you and steal it, maybe shooting you in the process.
• Wearing a gun will make you the first target in a criminal or terrorist action.
• You will make the people around you nervous.

Most states that have open carry — Texas is actually the 45th state to allow it — have not seen these problems. For the most part, people do not open carry. While I do not claim to have all of the facts, I have only heard of one instance where someone's gun was stolen off him, and before that event he had been flashing it around. This is a good reason to have a holster with retention built in.

I have also heard of one instance where a gang was going to rob a coffee house early in the morning and their scout went into the establishment, saw some guys sitting at a table with sidearms and chose to go down the street to rob another cafe.

What to watch out for

Just as we study the effects of tunnel vision in a shooting, someone who is nervous and amped up to a daring robbery will most likely have tunnel vision and not notice your weapon in their focus on the clerk and cash register.

However, having the gun on your body in the open does put you in a situation where you might have to take action. Remember as an LTC licensed person, you are not law enforcement. If you do not want to be involved, it is always best to conceal. One of the important points I stress in my LTC classes is the best fight is the one you live to walk away from.

Another important safety rule for the barbecue gun is no matter how much someone might be admiring it, never let them handle it.

The most common danger to a person open carrying is the new 30.07 sign. This is the new sign that businesses must display if the property owner does not want anyone open carrying in their establishment and has the same effect as the 30.06 sign, which prevents legal concealed carry. As a matter of fact, in regard to the size and wording, the two signs look a lot alike, and many places will post both.

The danger these signs present to the person open carrying is everyone can immediately see you are in violation of the ordinance. Some of us may have accidentally walked past the 30.06 sign (these are not always posted in the most obvious of places) and beat a hasty retreat as we became aware of the situation. With open carry, this blunder becomes obvious, so it is important to be observant and respectful of the owner's desires.

If a person is open carrying, he stands an excellent chance of being questioned by the police, and this may make some nervous. In an encounter like this, remain calm. You are one of the good guys. Reduce the officer's tension by smiling (even if surrounded by armed officers overreacting), and keep your hands away from the gun. All you have to do is show him your CHL or LTC permit, when he asks.

In fact, some police officers also have a variation of the barbecue gun called a "court gun." When they dress snappily to go to court, they will bring a nice-looking gun to court rather than the scuffed, scratched field piece.

We all like fashion accessories.