From the Washington Times: Concealed-carry permits increasing as gun sales level off

The Washington Times has a long article on our annual report on concealed handgun permit report:

More than 16.3 million American residents now hold concealed weapons permits, according to a new report that says even as gun purchases are leveling off, the rate of folks applying for permission to carry their firearms is still rising.

Some 1.83 million new permits were issued in 2016, setting a new record for the fourth straight year, according to the Crime Prevention Research Center. The total number has jumped more than 250 percent from the 4.6 million permits just a decade ago. . . .

The surge in permits comes even as gun purchases have dropped, on a year-to-year basis, so far under Mr. Trump.

John R. Lott Jr., the researcher who led the report, said that while gun sales were sparked in part by fears of stricter sales controls, those getting permits are motivated by a desire to make sure they can protect themselves outside their homes.

That’s been particularly pronounced among women and minorities.

“It’s pretty much the most vulnerable people in our society who benefit the most from having the option to be able to go and protect themselves,” he said.

Five states that broke the data down by race — Arizona, Connecticut, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Texas — found that permits for blacks increased 30 percent faster than for whites between 2012 and 2016.

Mr. Lott also said mass shootings have pushed Americans to look into permits. Online searches for “concealed carry” surged following last June’s terrorist attack that killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, the new report said. . . .

The rest of the article is available here.