• Current Texas CHL Holders, Veterans, Fire/Police/EMT: $20
• All others: $30
• Outgoing transfers: $20 + Actual shipping cost (rounded up to nearest $5).

We plan on holding these prices for the foreseeable future.  We’d prefer to keep things the way they were, but we strongly feel that our new rate structure is still competitive and will help cover all our administrative costs as our business grows.  We appreciate your understanding with this issue!

FROGLUBEis a revolutionary bio-based gun cleaner, lubricant and preservative (CLP) product made from non-toxic, non-petroleum ingredients and developed and refined by US Navy SEALs.  This completely US-made product includes a new technology lubricant designed to replace inferior and toxic petroleum-based products that foul actions, attract carbon and stick to dirt and grime.  It is safe for all finishes and functions as an all-weather lubricant and protectant for your firearms.  In addition, it won’t harm non-metal surfaces such as plastic, rubber, wood, or leather.

We love this stuff (we use it for cleaning and lubricating our pistols and rifles), and are delighted to offer FROGLUBE CLP kits for $29.95.  These are improved kits that come with 1.5oz of the reformulated FROGLUBE liquid, 4oz FROGLUBE paste, Nylon Cleaning Brush, a Microfiber Towel, and a new 1.5oz bottle of FROGLUBE solvent in a Reusable Tube.  If you’re still skeptical, ask to try one of our one dollar sample tubes (also handy to toss into your range bag!) and check it out!

We now also offer FROGLUBE “FROGWIPES”, a convenient, resealable pack of 5 wipes pre-treated with FROGLUBE paste.  These are excellent for tossing in your range bag, and are available for $6.95 per pack.

Added bonus: It freakin’ smells great!  (Well, unless you hate the smell of Wintergreen, in which case, you won’t like it)

Note: A portion of the profits from the sale of any FrogLube product goes to the Navy Seal Foundation.

Oh, for the record: No frogs are harmed in the making of this product

For your entertainment, check out this review and demo of FrogLube from “Gun and Gear Reviewer” (sootch00)

We encourage you to create an emergency action plan for you and your family.  Part of that plan should include emergency supplies and water for your family for at least a week.  We are proud to now offer Wise Company emergency supplies as part of our in-stock offering.  We currently carry the Essential Survival Kit from Wise, which has food and supporting items to sustain one person for two weeks, or two for one week.  This is a GREAT “grab and get out of here” package, all you need to add is water!

The Essential Survival Kit from Wise includes the following for the low price of $169:

• Packages of Pocket Tissue (6)
• 4-in-1 Dynamo Flashlight (6)
• Deck of Playing Cards (1)
• Water Proof Matches (50)
• Waste Bags (2)
• Note Pad (1)
• Golf Pencil (1)
• Mylar Sleeping Bags (2)
• Leather Palm Work Gloves (1)
• 36 Piece Bandage Kit (1)
• Water Filtration Bottle (1)
• Portable Stove (1)
• Stove Fuel Tablets (16)
• Metal Fork (1)
• Knife and Spoon (1)
• Sierra Cup (1)
• Wise Emergency Food Supply (44 Servings) including:
  • Savory Stroganoff
  • Chili Macaroni
  • Creamy a la King and Rice
  • Pasta Alfredo
  • Creamy Pasta and Veg Rotini
  • Teriyaki and Rice
  • Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
  • Hearty Tortilla Soup
  • Apple Cinnamon Cereal
  • Brown Sugar and Maple Cereal
  • Crunchy Granola

We’ve tried most of these food items ourselves and we love ‘em!

Note: If there are other “prepper” or disaster readiness items you are looking for, let us know!  We are expanding our offerings to include readiness supplies, and would love to know what your interests are.

Let’s say you’ve found the perfect handgun on Gunbroker.com, and you’ve won the bid or pressed the instant-gratification “Buy it now” button. Your next step is to find a local Federal Firearms License (FFL) holder in your area that will do a “transfer”, hopefully for a reasonable price. Most reasonable dealers charge about $20. The Old Cannon Armory charges $20 for most customers as well, but if you’re active duty military/fire/police, or you have a current Texas Concealed Handgun License, the fee is $10 (That’s our way of saying “Thank you!”). No matter who you use, it’s generally considered good manners to let your FFL know you’re looking to buy a gun. This not only helps them prepare to be contacted by a seller, but also gives the FFL a chance to talk to you about your purchase plans. Remember, most FFLs are extremely well-versed in firearms and have a network of wholesalers they can work with. By discussing your plans with your FFL, you might save possibly hundreds on your purchase by buying through them. Many people that purchase on the internet hope that they can save a lot of money, but after shipping and transfer fees are added, they discover they paid more than it would have through their local FFL.

Once your purchase is complete with the seller, they will notify your local FFL, who will send the seller their license information. The Old Cannon Armory does this all electronically (we’re very “21st Century” here), so the process is as fast as a simple email. The next step is to wait for the gun to be shipped to your local FFL. Depending on the seller and the arrangements you have made, this can take from one to seven working days. Be sure to get a tracking number, and take the time to share it with your FFL. The seller’s relationship is focused on you, so they sometimes forget to give your local FFL any tracking information. Once your local FFL has received the firearm, it must be processed and recorded. This can also take one or two working days, so if its urgent, you should discuss it with them.

The final step is the “transfer.” Federal firearms laws require a very specific process that ensures a custodial record of the firearm is kept, and that the acquiring owner is legally allowed to own a gun, so this is where the paperwork part happens. This process only takes a few minutes though, and isn’t very difficult. You will fill out a 4473 form and answer a series of questions, along with showing proper identification. Once that is complete, the FFL will run a quick background check on you through the FBI database (if you have a current Texas Concealed Handgun license, the background check isn’t necessary). Once the background check is complete and approved, you officially become the owner of your new firearm. Congratulations!

Confidence, Comfort, and Concealability

It’s easy to talk to “experts” who will go on about ideal calibers, “knockdown power”, bullet capacity, pistol style, etc., but we have consistently found that the three factors above make all the difference in creating a postiive concealed carry experience.

Confidence – A handgun that you are not comfortable with is a handgun that will stay locked away and never be carried.  Plain and simple.  While this may seem obvious, the confidence factor goes beyond the mental sense of security you get from carrying a handgun.  Handguns are mechanical devices, which means even the most reliable pistol in the world can fail at the most critical time.  Knowing how to pull the trigger is a relatively simple task, but knowing how to quickly reload or clear a “stovepipe” in an emergency situation is also just as important.  Learning these skills contributes to the confidence you will have in times when you must defend yourself or your family.  This is why we recommend participating in friendly shooting matches sponsored by the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) or the US Practical Shooting Association (USPSA).  These organizations have exciting, and extremely safe, shooting matches that will help you learn and retain the basic motor skills you should have for carrying a concealed weapon.  We recommend going about twice a year, but we’ve found that many new owners get so thriled with the events that they go monthly.  If you don’t have a local IDPA or USPSA shooting group, we recommend joining the Texas CHL Forum and asking questions there about where to shoot, and perhaps even find helpful members that can help you improve your shooting skills.

Comfort – A handgun can be heavy and bulky, or small and compact, but any handgun can be uncomfortable to wear in a holster without considering your lifestyle and needs.  Your local gun dealer should be well-versed on the many options and styles available, but be wary if they offer you choices without first asking you questions about the size of the pistol, the style of clothes you commonly wear, and how active or sedentary you are when out in concealed carry situations.  If you’re female, we strongly recommend visiting Kathy Jackon’s excellent Cornered Cat site for articles about issues that women often face regarding gun ownership, particularly the article “Straight Talk About Curves” (and if you live in the Austin area and want to speak to a woman directly about concealed carry comfort issues, look no further than Julianna Crowder at TheGlockGirl.com). Just like cars, a good pistol/holster combination can make the difference between not even noticing you’re carrying a handgun, to being painfully aware of every second you’re carrying one.

Concealability – Nobody wants to strap on a handgun that, while comfortable, protrudes like a 1980s cell phone.  While smaller pistols can be more concealable, they can also be so small that you cannot quickly get a grip on it when it is needed, so accessibility is the other side of the concealability coin.  In any case, it’s important that you try different positions with your holster (hip holsters, in this case) that will afford you concealability without sacrificing easy access.  New concealed carry owners will always feel self-conscious the first few times they carry their handgun, but they also discover that people don’t notice if your handgun is reasonably concealed.  There’s even an amusing name for carrying a concealed handgun for the first time, the “Wally Walk.”  This generally implies an outing to a local department store (i.e., Wal-Mart) for some normal shopping needs while you are carrying concealed, and almost every person reports a high degree of self-consciousness when first walking in, then discovers over time that their handgun becomes just as insivible to them as it is to others.

We understand that there are many other factors to selecting a handgun (and accompanying holster), but Confidence, Comfort, and Concealability make the biggest difference in the long run.

The history behind the flag, its relation to the Texas batle for independence, and the significance of the cannon itself can be found in various history books.  For a brief overview, the Wikipedia entry on the Battle of Gonzales is a good starting point.

Somewhat lost to history, however, is that the flag was originally called “The Old Cannon Flag.” The residents of Gonzales literally had in their posession an old cannon that was likely discarded from earlier wars, and even lacked cannonballs. Thus the cannon itself had little military value, but stood as central icon that literally started the Texas war of independence, as it was the Mexican Army’s formal demand for the surrender of the cannon that touched off a war that would end with Texas’ independence.

Noah Smithwick, whose personal accounts of the early history of Texas are detailed in his story, “The Evolution of a State,” had this to say about the flag, “[It] consisted of a breadth of white cotton cloth about six feet long, in the center of which was painted in black a picture of the old cannon, above it a lone star and beneath it the words, ‘Come and take it,’ a challenge which was lost on the Mexicans. It was not called the Lone Star, however, but the Old Cannon flag.”

While its relevance was great, its value at the time as a military piece was very low. A volunteer militia attempted to transport the cannon from Gonzales to Bejar (San Antonio), but the transport trundle fell in disrepair, and the cannon was ordered abandoned near the Sandies Creek. Through a twist of fate, the cannon resurfaced, literally, 100 years later on that same creek, and is now displayed at the Gonzales Memorial Museum. It should be noted, however, that the rightful history of the cannon may never be known, as some accounts claim the cannon was successfully transported to Bejar (San Antonio).  A detailed account can be found in the article, Fate of the Gonzales Cannon.