Rush is on for concealed-weapon permits

Maybe it’s a personal stand for gun ownership or fears of federal anti-gun legislation. Whatever the reason, people are rushing to get concealed-weapon permits in Flathead County.

Sheriff Chuck Curry said his office averaged 20 applications for such permits each week prior to the Dec. 14 school shooting in Newtown, Conn. But that number spiked to 80 the first week following the tragedy and has remained high ever since, with 77 permit applications submitted this week.

“It goes up and down,” Curry said. “We get more in the summer and less in the winter, but it hasn’t fluctuated like this before.”

In fact, the Sheriff’s Office has added a day to its collection of permit applications to alleviate long lines on Wednesdays, previously the only day it accepted the applications. People now may apply from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays as well as the usual period of noon to 4 p.m. Wednesdays.

As of this week, a total of 4,665 county residents had active concealed-weapon permits.

Despite the jump in applicants, Curry guessed many of them did not actually plan to carry a weapon.

“I think increasingly, or at least more so since the Connecticut shooting, people are very concerned about the potential for some sort of federal gun control,” Curry said. “And while they don’t necessarily plan on carrying a gun, they view a permit perhaps as something that might be one more ace in the hole or something in their tool belt that will keep that from affecting them.”

One reason he gave to support his theory is the looseness of gun control in the state.

“Montana has very liberal concealed-weapon laws to start with, so really the only place you need a permit to carry a concealed weapon is inside the limits of any incorporated city or town,” Curry said. “So for many people — carrying their gun while they’re hunting or carrying their gun in their car — a permit really truly isn’t necessary.”

He also noted that having a concealed-weapon permit precludes the necessity to go through a background check when purchasing a firearm. Making that all the more notable is the record number of background checks completed in Montana in 2012.

According to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System, the state completed its highest number of background checks last year since the system was launched in 1998, with a total of 134,455 checks. The new record is an increase of roughly 25,500 over the previous record of 108,974 set in 2011.

In addition, December 2012 set the record for the most background checks in any month since the system launched, with 18,562 checks.

Curry said he had no personal thoughts on any pros or cons of concealed-weapon permits, adding he doesn’t think having a permit makes any impact on the responsibility of the permit holder.

“The nice thing is that to get a permit you at least have to prove some sort of documentable training in firearms or firearms safety. Does that make them more responsible? That’s a good question. But we don’t really have a lot of irresponsible gun owners here,” Curry said, adding “most people here in Northwest Montana have grown up with guns.”

Concealed-weapon permits in Montana do not apply solely to firearms; they also include a “dirk, dagger, pistol, revolver, slingshot, sword cane, billy, knuckles made of any hard substance, knife having a blade four inches long or longer, razor (not including a safety razor), or other deadly weapon.”

The application includes a lengthy list of factors that would make a person ineligible for a permit, including but not limited to having been charged with, awaiting judgment on or having been convicted of any state or federal crime punishable by incarceration for one year or having been dishonorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces.

The sheriff also may deny any application based on a reasonable belief that the applicant is “mentally ill, mentally defective, or mentally disabled or otherwise may be a threat to the peace and good order of the community.”

Permit holders may not carry a concealed weapon while under the influence of an intoxicating substance or in a building owned or leased by the federal, state or local government, a bank, a credit union, a savings and loan or similar institution or in any room in which alcoholic beverages are sold, dispensed and consumed.

Applications for the permits can be found online at FlatheadCountySheriff.com by clicking “Programs and Services” at the top of the screen and selecting “CWP Application” from the list. Applications also may be obtained and must be turned in at the Sheriff’s Office, 920 S. Main St. in Kalispell.

Reporter Jesse Davis may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at jdavis@dailyinterlake.com.