It was a record-breaking third quarter for Ohio, as 24,474 citizens received concealed-carry permits. That total—a 59 percent increase over the same time last year—puts the yearly total to date at 93,851. In all, the state has more than 574,000 valid concealed-carry license holders.
Jim Irvine, board president of the Buckeye Firearms Association, isn’t surprised. He suggested that gun ownership is becoming mainstream and points out, "Concealed carry used to be mostly hardcore shooters, but it has become increasingly popular with soccer moms and others who just want to be safe in their everyday life."
Irvine also referenced the gun-reform legislation that went into effect last year. “We were widely criticized for supporting a reduction in required training from 12 to eight hours,” Irvine said. “The reason was simple; we wanted more people to get training. The numbers indicate that the change in required training is having the effect we intended.”
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