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The Year of the Gun: Carry Permit, Sales Figures Explode in 2016

Friday, December 9, 2016

The Year of the Gun: Carry Permit, Sales Figures Explode in 2016

The number of persons in the United States with concealed carry permits has reached an all-time high of close to 15 million. John R. Lott, Jr. of the Crime Prevention Research Center explains:

As of the beginning of this year, there were over 14.5 million concealed carry permits in the US. That represents a 215% increase in the number of permits since 2007. Since then there has been an increase of about 100,000 permits in just Florida alone, so the total is probably near to 15 million now. Yet, those numbers are clearly an underestimate of the number of people who can legally carry because there are 12 states now where you don’t need a permit to be able to carry, and while some people in those states still get a permit to be able to carry outside their state, the number of permits in these Constitutional Carry states does tend to fall.

The biggest increases in permit have been for women and for minorities.  The number of women with permits has increased twice as quickly as the number of men with permits.  Some evidence suggests that permit-holding is increasing about 75% more quickly among minorities than among whites.

As Dr. Lott mentions, this escalation is particularly compelling given the rising number of states that have adopted “permitless” concealed carry laws, with such laws passed recently in Missouri, West Virginia, Mississippi and Idaho. More than six percent of adults in the United States have a permit to carry a concealed weapon; in ten states, more than ten percent of the adult population are concealed carry permit-holders. 

This year is also on track as record-setting for firearm sales. National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figures from the FBI show that to date, the figures for each month this year have eclipsed monthly totals of a year ago, often by significant margins. This November has been no exception, with an increase of over 14 percent compared to the previous November, and November 25, “Black Friday,” is now the highest ranking day for NICS checks since the NICS system was established.

Although NICS checks data doesn’t correlate exactly with the number of firearms acquired in a given timeframe (there are other reasons why NICS checks may be performed, and the same person may buy several guns in a single transaction subject to one background check), NICS checks are required before a firearm may be acquired legally from a licensed firearm dealer and are a fairly reliable indicator of sales.

Yet, contrary to the apprehension and alarm expressed by gun-control groups, this expansion in gun ownership, permit-holders and permitless carry laws doesn’t correlate with an increase in violent crime. Permit holders, as a class, tend to be substantially more law-abiding than the general population. The Crime Prevention Research Center notes that the crime rate for the general population is 37 time higher than the rate for police officers, yet concealed carry permit holders “are convicted of felonies and misdemeanors at less than a sixth the rate for police officers.” Another source indicates that “more people were murdered by fists and kicks in 2015 alone than were murdered by firearm-wielding concealed-carry permit holders in the last ten years.” Overall, gun crime victimization is lower than it was 20 years ago. 

This may explain why gun-control efforts keep failing – most Americans understand that criminals are unlikely to bother obtaining a carry permit or indeed, to follow any other law. An August poll found that 58 percent of Americans believe gun ownership does more to protect people from becoming victims of crime than it puts people’s safety at risk.  

The next milestone? Legislation that would respect the rights of individuals who possess concealed carry permits in their home state, or who are not prohibited from carrying concealed in their home state, to exercise those rights in any other state. The concept of national reciprocity of carry permits has been formally endorsed by President-Elect Trump, and U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, a Republican from North Carolina, has already announced plans to push forward a Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 when the new Congress meets next year.

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Colorado: General Assembly Continues to Follow California's Lead; Semi-Auto Ban Scheduled For Hearing

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Colorado: General Assembly Continues to Follow California's Lead; Semi-Auto Ban Scheduled For Hearing

The Colorado General Assembly continues to follow California's lead when it comes to gun control, this year already pushing for an 11% Excise tax on firearms/ammunition and now pursuing a ban on commonly owned semi-automatic ...

Wisconsin: Legislation Updating the Definition of Muzzloader Signed by Governor Evers

Friday, March 15, 2024

Wisconsin: Legislation Updating the Definition of Muzzloader Signed by Governor Evers

Yesterday, the governor signed Wisconsin Act 116, formally Senate Bill 587, into law. This legislation establishes a new definition for “muzzleloaders” that would allow for the use of innovative technological advancements that could benefit sportsmen, ...

Maine: NRA Fires Back Against Gun Grabbers

Friday, March 15, 2024

Maine: NRA Fires Back Against Gun Grabbers

For months, anti-gun politicians and gun-grabbing groups have been running wild in Augusta, spreading misinformation about firearms in a desperate attempt to pass the most extreme gun-control in the country. The proposals carry the same theme, ...

Delaware: Senate Passes Maryland-Style Permit to Purchase Scheme

Friday, March 15, 2024

Delaware: Senate Passes Maryland-Style Permit to Purchase Scheme

Last night, the Delaware Senate passed Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 2 (SB 2) by a vote of 15 to 6. This extreme legislation will impose a Maryland-style “handgun qualified purchase card” and a handgun transfer ...

Virginia: More than a Dozen Anti-Gun Bills Sent to the Governor!

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Virginia: More than a Dozen Anti-Gun Bills Sent to the Governor!

The newly elected Virginia General Assembly has prioritized restricting law-abiding citizens' Second Amendment rights and has made good on that priority this session. This year, dozens of anti-gun bills have been considered in both chambers ...

Colorado: Semi-Auto Ban Introduced in General Assembly

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Colorado: Semi-Auto Ban Introduced in General Assembly

Anti-Gun extremist State Reps. Tim Hernandez (D-04) and Elisabeth Epps (D-06) introduced House Bill 24-1292, a bill banning the manufacturing, importing, purchasing, selling, offering to sell, or transferring ownership of so called “assault weapons”. 

Washington Post’s Somewhat Pro-Gun Column Inadvertently Exposes Problem with Mandatory Storage Laws

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Monday, March 11, 2024

Washington Post’s Somewhat Pro-Gun Column Inadvertently Exposes Problem with Mandatory Storage Laws

We generally don’t expect to see the Washington Post say anything positive about firearms or law-abiding gun owners, although there are occasional Op-Eds from pro-Second Amendment lawmakers, unbiased researchers and Constitutional scholars, and the like.

Appropriations Bill Passes with Language Protecting Veterans’ Second Amendment Rights

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Monday, March 11, 2024

Appropriations Bill Passes with Language Protecting Veterans’ Second Amendment Rights

Last week, Congress approved a package of legislation to fund various government agencies that corrects a longstanding and shameful practice that had been depriving American veterans of their Second Amendment rights since 1998.

Colorado: Mandatory Storage Bill Passes Committee and Hearings Postponed Due to Weather

Thursday, March 14, 2024

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Today, HB 24-1348 which mandates how firearms must be stored in unattended vehicles, passed out of the House Judiciary Committee and is now eligible for a final vote on the House Floor. Please contact your lawmakers by using the ...

Utah: Governor Cox Signs Legislation Protecting Financial Privacy of Gun Owners!

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Utah: Governor Cox Signs Legislation Protecting Financial Privacy of Gun Owners!

Today, Governor Spencer Cox signed HB 406, legislation that provides important financial privacy protections for gun owners when purchasing firearms, firearm parts, and ammunition. The NRA would like to thank Governor Cox for signing this ...

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NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.