With little coverage in the mainstream press, gun rights advocates have continued to make significant gains in the court of public opinion. The average American has become far more supportive of gun ownership, and substantially more opposed to restrictive gun control (Gallup 2015). Reflecting this change in attitude is the fact that Americans are buying more guns, and getting more permits to carry them, than ever before.

The ATF and FBI estimate that there are now somewhere near 300 million guns in America. But getting reliable statistics from surveys is difficult. As pointed out by the Crime Prevention Research Center: “Polling relies on people’s willingness to reveal whether they own a gun. And the changing political environment after mass shootings or a growing distrust of government may affect people’s willingness to reveal that they own a gun.”

One indicator of the rate at which Americans are buying guns is the number of background checks run by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS for short). The checks are run for every retail transaction involving a firearm, not just a small sampling. And while transfers between private parties are not included, the NICS numbers are at least a rough barometer of current trends.

But one of the most reliable measures of the public attitude about guns is the number of people choosing to carry a firearm for personal protection. On that score, a recent report by the CPRC contained some interesting tidbits:

Since President Obama’s election, the number of concealed handgun permits has soared, growing from 4.6 million in 2007 to over 12.8 million this year. Among the findings in our report:

  • The number of concealed handgun permits is increasing at an ever-increasing rate. Over the past year, 1.7 million additional new permits have been issued—a 15.4% increase in just one single year. This is the largest ever single-year increase in the number of concealed handgun permits.
  • The rapid increase in concealed carry permits is also mirrored by the rapid increase in gun sales. NICS background checks soared from 11.2 to 21 million between 2007 and 2014. The sale of guns accelerated further over the last two years—averaging 14 million during 2008 to 2011 and over 20 million during 2012 and 2013.
  • States with the largest increase in permits have seen the largest relative drops in murder rates.
  • Since 2007, permits for women have increased by 270% and for men by 156%.

Another fascinating finding is that legal carry by minorities is increasing more than twice as fast as for whites. Along with the surge in women getting carry permits, this is particularly embarrassing for our opponents who often claim that “only middle-aged white guys” want to carry guns.

The full report (“Concealed Carry Permit Holders Across the United States”) is available on the CPRC website at:

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2629704

Note: We urge you to download the PDF file and read the full 27 page report. It is a goldmine of factual data that can aid you in your communications with current legislators as well as potential candidates in the 2016 election.

There are numerous reasons for the changing attitudes toward guns and gun owners, but one major factor is YOU. With nearly 13 million permit holders now carrying (with few exceptions) responsibly and courteously every day, the American public at large is becoming increasingly supportive of our right to carry.

Let’s keep that pendulum swinging.