Florida concealed carry applications are flooding in at a hefty rate of nearly 20,000 a month, and the state now has more than 1.5 million actively carrying residents, reports local media.
The influx of permit applications came after the terrorist attack on military recruiters. The state then bumped active military and veterans to the top of the list, and now many other Florida residents are heading to state offices to fill out an application.
“We had a high water mark in 2012, where almost 200,000 applications were submitted to the department,” said Aaron Keller, of the Florida Department for Agriculture and Consumer Services. “This past year, that number was closer to 130,000, so it really does fluctuate, but we are seeing increased demand, continuing to see a lot of demand.”
The rate of concealed carry applications in Florida has been steadily growing, which bodes well not only for gun stores, but also for firearms instructors.
“It’s very steady and constant,” said Talon Range owner J.D. Johnson. “We’re running at full capacity and probably if we offered more classes, we could probably fill more classes. We just don’t have the time to do it.”
Johnson says gun owners want the extra training because it makes them feel safer.
“I think they want the training to feel safer in their daily lives,” said Johnson. “I mean, we have a lot of people that see the news, that hear of all the bad things going on in the world and I think they are looking for some understanding and feel the need to protect themselves.”
But it’s not all good news in Florida. Wednesday, lawmakers will be asked to ratify the law that puts active military and veterans at the front of the list, which means they’ll have to go through the nearly 3-month process along with everyone else.
Florida processed more concealed carry applications this last August than any other August in the last decade. Hopefully, that trend will continue and we’ll see more Floridians carrying concealed.
(This article was a submission from freelance writer Brent Rogers)