Order online, pick up at a licensed dealer in Taylor County. Abilene started as a railroad cattle-shipping town on the Texas and Pacific line and is now home to Dyess Air Force Base and three universities: Abilene Christian, Hardin-Simmons and McMurry. Frontier Texas downtown tells the story of the region's cattle and buffalo days.
Pick an FFL dealer near you that accepts shipped transfers and name it at checkout. We confirm their license and ship the firearm to them. Ammunition, optics and parts ship straight to your door where Texas law allows.
Texas has no permit to purchase, no gun registration and no state waiting period. When you buy from a licensed dealer you show photo ID, complete ATF Form 4473 and the dealer runs a federal NICS background check; a valid Texas License to Carry can stand in for the NICS check at many dealers. Federal law sets the dealer minimum at 18 for rifles and shotguns and 21 for handguns. Private sales between Texas residents need no state background check, but it is a crime to sell to someone you know cannot legally have a gun.
Dealers in these communities all work for Abilene-area buyers:
Since September 1, 2021, adults 21 and older who may legally have a firearm can carry a handgun in Texas without a license, concealed or openly in a holster, unless a recent conviction for certain assault, deadly conduct, threat or firearm disorderly conduct offenses bars them. The License to Carry is still issued, statewide, by the Texas Department of Public Safety, not the county. It costs $40, needs four to six hours of classroom training plus a shooting test, and runs four years at first and five on renewal. Schools, courts, polling places, 51 percent bars and posted businesses stay off-limits.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department sets deer seasons county by county. For 2026-27, white-tailed deer archery season runs October 3 to November 6, 2026, and the general season runs November 7, 2026 to January 3, 2027 in the North Zone, which takes in all of Central Texas, and to January 17, 2027 in the South Zone. Many counties add a special late or muzzleloader season from January 4 to 17, 2027. Any legal firearm may be used except rimfire ammunition, which is banned for deer. Check the Taylor County page in the Outdoor Annual for bag limits and antler rules.
Taylor County is in the North Zone with a five-deer bag and a special late season in January. The Callahan Divide south of town and the rolling plains around it hold whitetails, hogs and quail on private ranches.
Abilene State Park and the historic village of Buffalo Gap sit in the Callahan Divide hills south of the city.
Yes. Order here, name a licensed FFL dealer in Tye, Merkel, Buffalo Gap, Abilene or anywhere in Taylor County, and we ship the firearm to them. You fill out ATF Form 4473 at their counter and they run the background check.
No. Texas has no permit to purchase and no registration. You pass a NICS background check and complete Form 4473 at the licensed dealer near Abilene who receives your order.
No. Texas has no state waiting period, so once the dealer's NICS check comes back as proceed you can take the firearm home the same day.
The Texas Department of Public Safety issues every License to Carry in the state; the Taylor County sheriff does not. You apply online, get fingerprinted and finish four to six hours of classroom training plus a shooting test with a certified instructor.
We ship every firearm to a licensed dealer near Abilene that you choose at checkout. The dealer runs the background check and hands the gun over; ammunition, optics and most parts ship to your door.
Yes, if you are 21 or older and not barred from having a firearm. Carry concealed or openly in a holster, and stay out of places state law or a posted sign puts off-limits.
Shots across Hill Country and West Texas pastures run from brush-close to 300 yards, so the .243, 6.5 Creedmoor, .270, 7mm-08, .308 and .30-06 are all common. Use expanding bullets, remember rimfire is banned for deer, and check your county's antler rules.
Each dealer sets its own fee, commonly $20 to $75. Call before you order to confirm the price and that they accept firearms shipped from an online store.
General information, not legal advice. Rules current as of September 2026. See our Texas gun law overview and check with Texas Department of Public Safety, Handgun Licensing or a local attorney about your own situation.