I just bought a porcupine style flash light. I was planning on keeping it in my car and was concerned about the laws in Texas. Anyone have any information about this?
I just bought a porcupine style flash light. I was planning on keeping it in my car and was concerned about the laws in Texas. Anyone have any information about this?
It's Texas, you can probably have a flashlight with a bayonet that shoots batteries...
Google "Texas Castle Law".
If you are in imminent danger, you can do anything to protect yourself.
Texas law forbids carrying "clubs." Clubs can mean anything the cop and DA want it to. Sort of like "burglar tools."
The "Castle" law isn't quite that simple, either. You usually have to be in your home or car and someone must be making an illegal entry before it applies.
Don't run your mouth without knowing the "facts". Direct from the Texas DPS website, posted in Sept. 2007:
HB 1815
excludes from unlawful carrying of a weapon a person who is carrying a handgun,
illegal knife, or club on the person’s own premises or premises under their control or inside of or
directly en route to a motor vehicle that is owned by the person or is under their control.
Paladin
ETA:http://www.rc123.com/texas_castle_doctrine.html
Last edited by Paladin; 01-17-2010 at 08:55 PM. Reason: add reference
Qui Me Tangit Paenitebit (he who touches me will repent)
You're right, you can carry a club in your car. You can't carry it in general. If you get out of the car and use the "club" light to check a tire or assist someone else, you are technically in violation.
If you'll notice, HB 1815 permits you to carry a club to your car, but it doesn't permit you to take it from your car back to your house. It also doesn't allow you to carry it to your wife's car if you're not the one driving.
EDC: Surefire e2l, Novatac P7/d2flex
If you live in Texas you probably will not have a problem. If you should decide to move you may have a problem but it will probably be worth it.
Can you post a picture of a "porcupine style" flashlight?
Thanks guys. I'll post pics when it's done. Just ordered all the parts.
I think in Texas you are ok as long as you have a gun attached to your flashlight![]()
Spit out my drink on that one!
As a kid, I used to fly down 3 times a year to Houston TX to visit my family.....While my mother and brother would be at work, I would spend the afternoons at pawn shops hunting out used rare CD's and such.
Of course, all the pawn shops had gun cases, and at almost every single shop, when they'd see me checking out the hardware, even the Class 3 stuff, they'd offer for me to handle it, in the store.
I'll never forget...I was about 16 or 17 at the time (late 80's), and there was a fight between two mexican dudes in the front of this pawn shop. The guy had been showing me this a NIB (or damn close) IntraTec Tec-9, Full Auto. He sees the two beating each other, grabs a bat, hands me the Tec 9, and says "watch this for me for a minute, son".
15 minutes later, after the cops had come and one of the 2 was ambulance material, he came back, in thanked me for "keeping an eye on the gun case" (I didn't, but was alone), and let me take the stack of CD's in my hand for $20.
This all is off-topic, but if anyone hasn't experienced full-on TEXAS, yes, a bayonetted flashlight that shot exploding batteries would probably be legal, and definitely be available with pearled handles and a place to hold a beer, in TX.
SF E2D | SF L1 new | SF LX2 Lumamax | SF X300 on HK45 | Fenix P1 | 4-7's Quark R2 AAx2 | 4-7's Quark MiNi 123 | InovaX5 | InovaX0 | 2D 4D MagLED Drops | 3D 15yr old Vanilla Mag Beater with LedDrop| Many Mini Maggys | EDC: Quark MiNi123 and a Benchmade Osborne 940.
As a native Texan and long-time member of the "First Liar Doesn't Have a Chance" club, I'll affirm that the majority of our law enforcement officers, especially out here in the rural areas, are more likely to compare weapons with you than hassle you as long as you show reasonable evidence of living brain cells.
I'm confidant that flashlights, even with agressive bezels, would not be a problem around here.
If you have a flashlight with a bayonet that shoots venting batteries that explode, any Texas cop would want to know where to get one for him/herself so they can replace their flash bang and tear gas grenades and launcher with a more compact, all in one weapon.
Like Dave Keith said and I stated before, good luck finding an LEO that would hassle you. And the comment made about comparing weapons well your right...done it before!!
Maybe our weapon laws (or lack there of) would convince some of you non-Texans to move on in...
Regards
What, exactly, do you mean--a flashlight with retractable spikes, like this K2?
My lights, all AA, neutral or warm: 3 Fenix TK20s; 2 Malkoff M30WFs; 2 Shiningbeam Romisens (5A); Dereelight XP-G R5 (close enough); UK 4AA incan.
This is a porcupine-style light (a.k.a. pocket shredder, lol):
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/sho...d.php?t=211416
~Brian
excludes from unlawful carrying of a weapon a person who is carrying a handgun,
illegal knife, or club on the person’s own premises or premises under their control or inside of or
directly en route to a motor vehicle that is owned by the person or is under their control.
I'm curious about what this means exactly.
I guess that article doesn't apply to people with any kind of carry permit. However, I thought in Texas you didn't need a permit to open carry, only to conceal carry.
Oh well, it doesn't matter. Good luck finding a cop who actually cares about a flashlight with pointed ends. It's not really a club. It's a small light with sharp end.