Posted by Wayne G. Barber
Tens of thousands of new gun licenses were issued to Massachusetts residents in 2015, continuing a recent surge, according to state data.
There were 342,622 active Class A firearms licenses statewide, according to figures provided by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services earlier this month. That was up about 24,700, or 7.8 percent, from the same time a year ago.A Class A license, the broadest license available under state law and by far the most popular, allows the holder to carry rifles, shotguns, or handguns. It also allows the holder to carry a concealed handgun.
The number of Class A licenses has increased by 104,150, or 44 percent, from five years ago.
A steady rise in the number of active Class A gun licenses in Massachusetts
Class A licenses are the broadest license type available under state law and by far the most popular.
The increase in the popularity of gun licenses in recent years has been attributed to fears that lawmakers might impose further restrictions on gun ownership, particularly in the wake of high-profile mass shootings.
“People are rightfully concerned that they won’t be able to exercise their civil rights,” said Jim Wallace, executive director of the Northborough-based Gun Owners’ Action League of Massachusetts, an affiliate of the National Rifle Association. “Especially in this state, [the push for new regulation] just seems to never stop.”
“There is certainly fear of overregulation,” he added.
Massachusetts is considered to have some of the tightest gun restrictions in the country. Wallace said there have been campaigns for even tighter restrictions within certain cities and towns.
“There have been a number of local efforts,” said Wallace. “It’s no longer just happening down in D.C. or on Beacon Hill, it’s happening in people’s backyards.”
He said he thought a few other factors might also be causing the increase in gun licenses.
An increasing number of women are obtaining licenses, he said.
He also said people who are between their mid-20s and mid-30s have become interested in gun ownership, more than previous generations.
Wallace said he thought the Internet had helped the trend because it has made it easier for people to find information.
“Now, if you say, ‘I want to get involved in clay [skeet] shooting. How do I do this?’ You just get online and everything is right at your fingertips,” he said.
Wallace said there’s also increased interest in gun ownership from “people coming into the hunting world because they want natural food.”
Source: Boston Globe Matt Rocheleau
SOURCE: Massachusetts Department of Criminal Justice Information Services
The increase in the popularity of gun licenses in recent years has been attributed to fears that lawmakers might impose further restrictions on gun ownership, particularly in the wake of high-profile mass shootings.
“There is certainly fear of overregulation,” he added.
Massachusetts is considered to have some of the tightest gun restrictions in the country. Wallace said there have been campaigns for even tighter restrictions within certain cities and towns.
“There have been a number of local efforts,” said Wallace. “It’s no longer just happening down in D.C. or on Beacon Hill, it’s happening in people’s backyards.”
He said he thought a few other factors might also be causing the increase in gun licenses.
An increasing number of women are obtaining licenses, he said.
He also said people who are between their mid-20s and mid-30s have become interested in gun ownership, more than previous generations.
Wallace said he thought the Internet had helped the trend because it has made it easier for people to find information.
“Now, if you say, ‘I want to get involved in clay [skeet] shooting. How do I do this?’ You just get online and everything is right at your fingertips,” he said.
Wallace said there’s also increased interest in gun ownership from “people coming into the hunting world because they want natural food.”
Source: Boston Globe Matt Rocheleau
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