According to the National Shooting Sports Federation, gun sales in the United States soared to 2 million firearms in January, an increase of 75% from January 2020.
That increase in sales also has created an increase in requests for concealed carry permits in the area.
Rachel Kline, a clerk in the Clarion County Sheriff’s Office, has noticed a “significant increase” in the number of concealed carry permits since the general election in November.
“That is up about 150 from what we did at the same time the previous year,” she said.
Venango County also has seen an increase.
“Last year, from February 2019 to February 2020, we had 1,855. From February 2020 to February 3, we have had 2,460,” Venango County Sheriff Eric Foy said.
Foy’s office, just like the Clarion County’s Sheriff’s Office, said some of those permits were for renewals, but could not immediately provide a breakdown between new applications and renewals.
Kline said people have sought the permits for protection and self defense. “Many people are concerned over what had been going on in the country,” she said in reference to the riots that took place in some of the nation’s cities during the summer.
Foy agreed many people are seeking to protect themselves and their families.
“We have seen a lot of first-timers coming in,” he said. “A lot of fathers are bringing in their sons or daughters for the first time. We see husbands bringing in their wives. There are a lot of women who are packing.”
Foy also pointed to the outcome of the presidential election as another motivation among some people to apply for concealed carry permits.
“In my opinion, it always seems that when we get a new president there is talk of them taking away gun rights and people get nervous. That talk is out there,” he said. “There are bills in Congress to tax ammunition and to work really hard (on taking away) our Second Amendment rights.”
Clarion County Sheriff Rex Munsee said the biggest influx his county had came after the December 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Massachusetts.
For three months after that mass shooting, the demand for permits increased significantly.
“We had a line all day long,” Munsee said. “We have a steady flow right now. Some people don’t think we are open because of the COVID, but we have been.”
“Once the paperwork is finished, I take their photo and it’s done,” Kline said. “It has taken longer since October and November because statewide there has been a greater demand. The Sheriff’s Office uses the same system as the gun stores. Post-election, there were some busy days.”
Foy agreed there is a “bump in the road” with the state’s system.
“They were inundated with permits from across the state. They were having trouble keeping up,” he said. “Usually, we can get someone in and out of here in 15 minutes.”
And, Munsee said, there is a slowdown in processing permits around the holidays because people at that time are buying guns as gifts.
The COVID-19 pandemic, though, created an additional problem in Venango County.
“For a while when we were shut down, we had to suspend permits for a couple of weeks until we could get a remote system and location. We were doing them in a different county building in Franklin,” Foy said. “We were actually doing appointments because of the restrictions on people coming into the courthouse.”
Still, county residents seeking permits were not deterred.
“I would say Venango County is a well-armed community,” Foy said.