http://www.mustangnews.info/CatIndex.aspx?pageType=1&id=4699
Recent newspaper article describing how my county is ramping up (SDA) CCW/CHL's the last couple of years. We are a small county, maybe 100,00 total in population adjacent to Oklahoma County.
The number of Canadian County residents obtaining conceal-carry gun permits more than doubled in 2009 — local gun owners are calling it the “Obama effect.”
In 2009, almost 1,500 Canadian County residents obtained a conceal-carry gun permit through the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, up from 609 permits granted in 2008. Oklahoma as a whole saw a similar spike as 35,962 permits were granted, an increase of 17,452 permits from the previous year.
At Sears Gene Supply Co., Mark Elmenhorst said his family struggled just to keep shelves stocked. Elmenhorst is also president of the Canadian County Friends of the National Rifle Association.
He estimated in 2009 their business in both firearms and ammunition doubled, if not tripled.
“It would have done more than that if we could have kept product in stock,” Elmenhorst said.
Sales skyrocketed after Barack Obama's victory in the November 2008 general election. Gun owners feared the Chicago native would push for legislation curbing conceal-carry laws.
In 2009, demand for gun safety classes also climbed. Union City resident Kay Meritt, a National Rifle Association-certified instructor, said his classes were packed. He teaches alongside his wife Vonnie Meritt, who is also a certified conceal-carry permit instructor.
“Last year, almost every month we had a class,” he said. “It took a big jump.”
That demand has since subsided, Meritt said. When no legislation surfaced, Elmenhorst said business also fell back to more normal levels.
“They thought they (the Obama administration) would bring in anti-gun bills and everything,” Elmenhorst said. “He couldn't — he just had too much on his agenda to do that.”
Supreme Court rulings
Instead, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down two decisions supporting gun ownership rights. In the 2008 decision, D.C. v. Heller, justices ruled 5 to 4 that a Washington, D.C., ban on handgun ownership violated the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The ruling applied only to federal laws.
On June 28, in McDonald v. Chicago, the court narrowly ruled that the Constitution's “right to keep and bear arms” applies nationwide. In this case, Otis McDonald challenged Chicago handgun bans and said he needed a handgun for protection because he lives in a high-crime neighborhood.
Mustang-area resident Charles Smith said these decisions are victories for gun rights proponents. Smith is executive director of the Oklahoma Rifle Association, with about 6,000 members. He said ORA membership has grown about 20 percent during the Obama presidency.
Advocates of gun rights should still be concerned, he said, since both decisions came down to a 5-4 vote. A small change could impact future related cases.
“People who thought about a conceal-carry license thought they should go ahead and get it now,” Smith said.
Many Oklahomans are still thinking along those lines, said Darren DeLong, Oklahoma NRA field representative. He estimated more than 60,000 Oklahomans are active NRA members.
“There will be a lot of court challenges,” he said.
While some urgency has ebbed, Smith said sales slacked more because of supply and demand. Demand drove manufacturers beyond their ability to turn out guns and ammunition, and prices climbed. As prices climbed, fewer gun owners could afford to stock up.
Feeling of safety
Brad Homer can still remember the jab of a pistol barrel as the robber shoved into his gut.
Homer, then 20, was working at an Oklahoma City grocery store when he made what he called the stupidest decision of his life. When a thief demanded money from the store register, Homer jumped on the man's back. Then the man pulled his gun.
“He was a professional, or I would probably be dead,” said Homer, who lives in Mustang.
To his knowledge, Homer said he doesn't believe anyone was convicted in the incident. In minutes, he said he came to grips with his mortal-ity.
He also became a gun rights advocate. Homer said he carries a concealed handgun for his family's safety, and he is also an avid hunter.
He's not been in a dangerous situation since, but if confronted again, Homer said he would fire without hesitation.
“It's kind of a last resort,” he said. “If you are going to pull it you better plan on using it.”
Obtaining a conceal-carry permit
Oklahoma law does not allow cities to impose their own gun ordinances, Smith said.
“Oklahoma is what we consider a very gun- friendly state ... we are not that far removed from the frontier experience,” he said.
Any Oklahoma adult can purchase a gun. State law has requirements for someone to carry a concealed weapon.
*Applicants must take an eight-hour safety and training class taught by a certified instructor.
*They must file an application with two passport photos at their sheriff's office. Workers complete a preliminary background check and take the applicant's fingerprints. The applicant also swears an oath that the information they have submitted is correct.
*Application fees cost $100 for a five-year license for a new applicant, and $200 for a 10-year license. Renewals cost $85 for five years and $170 for two years. Another $25 fee covers fingerprinting and background checks.
Grounds for denial include having a felony conviction, a victim protection order, multiple intoxication misdemeanor convictions, illegal drug use or possession conviction and domestic abuse conviction. A history of mental illness could also be considered.
Recent newspaper article describing how my county is ramping up (SDA) CCW/CHL's the last couple of years. We are a small county, maybe 100,00 total in population adjacent to Oklahoma County.
The number of Canadian County residents obtaining conceal-carry gun permits more than doubled in 2009 — local gun owners are calling it the “Obama effect.”
In 2009, almost 1,500 Canadian County residents obtained a conceal-carry gun permit through the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, up from 609 permits granted in 2008. Oklahoma as a whole saw a similar spike as 35,962 permits were granted, an increase of 17,452 permits from the previous year.
At Sears Gene Supply Co., Mark Elmenhorst said his family struggled just to keep shelves stocked. Elmenhorst is also president of the Canadian County Friends of the National Rifle Association.
He estimated in 2009 their business in both firearms and ammunition doubled, if not tripled.
“It would have done more than that if we could have kept product in stock,” Elmenhorst said.
Sales skyrocketed after Barack Obama's victory in the November 2008 general election. Gun owners feared the Chicago native would push for legislation curbing conceal-carry laws.
In 2009, demand for gun safety classes also climbed. Union City resident Kay Meritt, a National Rifle Association-certified instructor, said his classes were packed. He teaches alongside his wife Vonnie Meritt, who is also a certified conceal-carry permit instructor.
“Last year, almost every month we had a class,” he said. “It took a big jump.”
That demand has since subsided, Meritt said. When no legislation surfaced, Elmenhorst said business also fell back to more normal levels.
“They thought they (the Obama administration) would bring in anti-gun bills and everything,” Elmenhorst said. “He couldn't — he just had too much on his agenda to do that.”
Supreme Court rulings
Instead, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down two decisions supporting gun ownership rights. In the 2008 decision, D.C. v. Heller, justices ruled 5 to 4 that a Washington, D.C., ban on handgun ownership violated the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The ruling applied only to federal laws.
On June 28, in McDonald v. Chicago, the court narrowly ruled that the Constitution's “right to keep and bear arms” applies nationwide. In this case, Otis McDonald challenged Chicago handgun bans and said he needed a handgun for protection because he lives in a high-crime neighborhood.
Mustang-area resident Charles Smith said these decisions are victories for gun rights proponents. Smith is executive director of the Oklahoma Rifle Association, with about 6,000 members. He said ORA membership has grown about 20 percent during the Obama presidency.
Advocates of gun rights should still be concerned, he said, since both decisions came down to a 5-4 vote. A small change could impact future related cases.
“People who thought about a conceal-carry license thought they should go ahead and get it now,” Smith said.
Many Oklahomans are still thinking along those lines, said Darren DeLong, Oklahoma NRA field representative. He estimated more than 60,000 Oklahomans are active NRA members.
“There will be a lot of court challenges,” he said.
While some urgency has ebbed, Smith said sales slacked more because of supply and demand. Demand drove manufacturers beyond their ability to turn out guns and ammunition, and prices climbed. As prices climbed, fewer gun owners could afford to stock up.
Feeling of safety
Brad Homer can still remember the jab of a pistol barrel as the robber shoved into his gut.
Homer, then 20, was working at an Oklahoma City grocery store when he made what he called the stupidest decision of his life. When a thief demanded money from the store register, Homer jumped on the man's back. Then the man pulled his gun.
“He was a professional, or I would probably be dead,” said Homer, who lives in Mustang.
To his knowledge, Homer said he doesn't believe anyone was convicted in the incident. In minutes, he said he came to grips with his mortal-ity.
He also became a gun rights advocate. Homer said he carries a concealed handgun for his family's safety, and he is also an avid hunter.
He's not been in a dangerous situation since, but if confronted again, Homer said he would fire without hesitation.
“It's kind of a last resort,” he said. “If you are going to pull it you better plan on using it.”
Obtaining a conceal-carry permit
Oklahoma law does not allow cities to impose their own gun ordinances, Smith said.
“Oklahoma is what we consider a very gun- friendly state ... we are not that far removed from the frontier experience,” he said.
Any Oklahoma adult can purchase a gun. State law has requirements for someone to carry a concealed weapon.
*Applicants must take an eight-hour safety and training class taught by a certified instructor.
*They must file an application with two passport photos at their sheriff's office. Workers complete a preliminary background check and take the applicant's fingerprints. The applicant also swears an oath that the information they have submitted is correct.
*Application fees cost $100 for a five-year license for a new applicant, and $200 for a 10-year license. Renewals cost $85 for five years and $170 for two years. Another $25 fee covers fingerprinting and background checks.
Grounds for denial include having a felony conviction, a victim protection order, multiple intoxication misdemeanor convictions, illegal drug use or possession conviction and domestic abuse conviction. A history of mental illness could also be considered.