NORWICH – For the past few weeks, a dramatic increase in firearm sales have swept across the nation and Chenango County is no exception. Gun vendors in the county have notice a marked increase in the number of guns being sold and many are even selling out. In particular, sales of “assault weapon” type rifles, specifically AR-15 model semi-automatic rifles, have skyrocketed, spurred on by talks of renewing the Federal Assault Weapons Ban which expired in 2004, in the wake of the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn. on Dec. 14.
Local retailers, such as Mayhood’s Sporting Goods in Norwich, have completely sold out of all their AR-15 rifles and other similar products. “People are scared. They want their guns, and they are afraid they won’t be able to get them,” said store manager Brian Horton. “Distributors are saying we won’t be able to restock because of the ban.”
“If there has to be a ban, it should be on 35 mags not semi-automatics,” Horton added. “They are just fun for target practice and a great coyote gun."
David Francis, owner of Heading Due North in downtown Norwich, has also noticed a marked increase in the amount of guns being sold at his East Main Street store. “People you would never expect to see are buying guns,” said Francis. “People are afraid. You have a person with mental illness killing 26 people in Newtown, and now someone murdering his own mother with a hammer, setting fire to the house, and then shooting the responders. People are scared in general.”
Although the recent spike in “assault weapon” sales seems directly linked to the renewed political debate over gun control as well as concerns over personal safety associated with acts of violence in the national news, the number of pistol permits issued in Chenango County during 2012 almost doubled from 2011, while 24 new permits were issued in December alone. During 2012, 594 pistol permits were issued in Chenango County, including 298 new pistol permits and 296 transfer permits, which are usually issued to someone already holding a pistol permit issued elsewhere. There also were 1,400 amendments made to existing gun permits, which most often indicates a transaction between gun owners. These numbers were a significant increase from 2011, when only 150 new and 206 transfer pistol permits were issued, along with 1,040 amendments made.
The marked rise in pistol permits being issued in Chenango may be attributed to a few things.
“People are concerned over rumored changes,” said County Clerk Mary Weidman, adding while most current gun owners are familiar with the rules and have not shown too much concern, many people unfamiliar with the system have. “(Judge) Sullivan’s retirement means there is a new county judge as the officer in charge of permit regulations, who determines local policy, and people are uncertain because (Frank) Revoir has not yet made it crystal clear where he stands on guns.” After ten years in office, most people understood where Judge Sullivan stood on guns, Weidman said. “Sullivan was very specific, he enacted some new initiations such as necessitating safety trigger locks, and requiring the completion of a gun safety course to get a permit.” On top of completing a gun safety course, in order to receive a pistol permit, people in Chenango County must pass a mental health check, an FBI background check, and receive a thumbs up from the county sherif’s office. Pistol permits in the Chenango County, unlike elsewhere, are also permanent – once issued, they’re good for life.
People co-registering their guns to ensure they stay in the family also accounts for a portion of the permits being issued, said Weidman. If someone with a registered pistol dies and no one else is co-registered to the gun, the pistol becomes illegal and the person in possession of it must turned it over to the authorities, or face criminal charges.
In nearby Ithaca, the municipality has initiated a gun buy-back program in the wake of the Sandy Hook mass shooting. “The sheriff and I have been talking about it,” said Weidman. “People should be turning in any unregistered or illegal guns,” she said, adding most long guns such as shotguns and rifles are not illegal.
The county is also on track to begin issuing new plastic pistol permits to replace the current green paper permits sometime around March. County officials have ordered the necessary equipment and are currently in the process of updating records.