gunsmith
member
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0520gunpermits20.html
Peter Corbett
The Arizona Republic
May. 20, 2004 12:00 AM
Arizonans love their guns.
A century after the six-shooter helped settle the state, about 67,000 gun owners legally carry concealed weapons in Arizona, more per capita than in Texas.
The typical concealed-weapon permit holder is a middle-age White male living in the north Valley. Nearly one in five is female, including 52 pistol-packing women over age 80, according to an Arizona Republic review of concealed-weapon permit data maintained by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
"I guess they want to learn how the gun operates," said Sgt. Bill Whalen, supervisor of the DPS Concealed Weapon Permit Unit. "It's not like they're taking it to bingo on Friday night."
The Republic reviewed the data to learn who is packing heat, where they live and why they choose to arm themselves with weapons in their ankle holsters and purses.
It turns out that one of every 95 Maricopa County residents holds a carry permit, although in some ZIP codes in the Valley, that ratio is as high as one of every 56 people. High-concentration areas include stretches along Loop 101 from Surprise to Scottsdale and pockets in Tempe and Chandler.
The data also show:
• One of every 82 Arizonans can legally carry a concealed weapon, compared with one of every 92 Texans and one of every 40 Utah residents.
• 99 percent of permit holders are White, including Hispanics.
• More than 13,500 women have permits, 20 percent of the total. Women account for 10 percent of Arizona's 154,043 hunting licenses.
• More than a quarter of the permit holders are 50 to 59 years old.
• In the decade that concealed weapons have been legal, 750 permits were revoked, generally for felony or domestic-violence convictions.
As with other gun issues, there is disagreement on the risks and benefits of concealed weapons. Law enforcement officials say the law has worked in Arizona. Few permit holders have been accused of getting overzealous with their guns and few have helped to thwart crime, police say.
Gun owners get the $50 permits for many reasons: protection, to learn gun safety and legal issues, or simply to make it easier to carry a weapon in their car.
High concentrations
Police and gun instructors cannot easily explain why some areas are thicker with residents carrying hidden weapons.
The Republic's review of 2003 population estimates and ZIP code data shows that the 85382 ZIP code in Peoria has Maricopa County's highest rate of permit holders, one of every 56 residents.
That statistic surprised Bill Sandvig, past commander of the volunteer Maricopa County Sheriff's Posse, which patrols the area's Westbrook Village retirement community.
It is a quiet neighborhood, where the only crime wave has been a series of golf-club thefts from open garages.
"I was talking to some of the posse, and they say there are a lot of single women who might have a gun stashed in the drawer," Sandvig said, adding that the women tend to be inexperienced with guns.
Permit holders must take a 16-hour course on gun handling, safety and legal issues, plus qualify on the gun range.
In the 85382 ZIP code, nearly nine of 10 residents are White and the median household income is $56,916, about 20 percent higher than the Maricopa County figure.
Half of the county's 10 ZIP codes with the highest rate of permit holders have median incomes that exceed the county's median income. That includes the 85254 ZIP code in northeast Phoenix, where the median income is $73,758 and 91 percentof the residents are White.
More income, schooling
Permit holders typically have more education and income than the average citizen, says Mark Hanish, Scottsdale Gun Club sales and marketing director.
They also are willing to take responsibility for their own protection, he said.
Hanish's gun club, which teaches concealed-weapon classes, opened in the Scottsdale Airpark last month.
Residential areas near the shooting range have a high concentration of permit holders. That high concentration was a factor in the high-end gun club's decision to locate there, said Hanish, who previously analyzed the DPS permit data.
Barry Tietler, 60, a Cave Creek gun dealer and instructor, said he has taught about 500 people in his concealed-weapon class over the past decade. Former students include homemakers, clerks, blue-collar workers, teachers, judges and politicians.
Tietler's latest class of 20, seven of them women, did its required target shooting at the Ben Avery Shooting Range this past weekend; 17 students qualified. The class included experienced and novice shooters.
Roger Hick, 57, of Sun City West, said he is an unlikely person to pursue a permit. He considers himself a liberal and forbids his oldest son to even play with toy guns.
Now he wants to learn to handle a weapon to protect himself and his wife when they move to land they bought in New Mexico 30 miles from Taos.
"I'm not hiding in a cave with my gun," said Hick, a General Electric manager for 26 years. "I just want to know how to use it."
Randy Ripps, 46, of Scottsdale, is the more traditional person one might expect to pursue a such a permit.
He grew up around guns in Pennsylvania and took hunter-safety classes as a boy. An information technology manager for American Express, Ripps said he wants the permit so he can legally carry a handgun when he goes hiking or camping.
"I don't think I would feel comfortable carrying (a concealed weapon) all the time," Ripps said.
Rosemary Oblinger, 52, of Phoenix, said she took Tietler's class to become more comfortable and confident in handling and cleaning her revolver. She had enjoyed target shooting but knew little about guns.
Oblinger, who is semiretired, said she may carry a concealed gun while riding an all-terrain vehicle alone or hiking with her girlfriends near her home.
DPS gun permit supervisor Whalen said it is not uncommon for people to take the permit class even if they want to keep a gun only in their home.
Permit holders are currently restricted from carrying their weapons in bars and restaurants with bars.
That would change under a bill under consideration in the Arizona Legislature.
A Senate vote is pending.
Arizona law enforcement officials and bar industry lobbyists oppose that legislation.
Peter Corbett
The Arizona Republic
May. 20, 2004 12:00 AM
Arizonans love their guns.
A century after the six-shooter helped settle the state, about 67,000 gun owners legally carry concealed weapons in Arizona, more per capita than in Texas.
The typical concealed-weapon permit holder is a middle-age White male living in the north Valley. Nearly one in five is female, including 52 pistol-packing women over age 80, according to an Arizona Republic review of concealed-weapon permit data maintained by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
"I guess they want to learn how the gun operates," said Sgt. Bill Whalen, supervisor of the DPS Concealed Weapon Permit Unit. "It's not like they're taking it to bingo on Friday night."
The Republic reviewed the data to learn who is packing heat, where they live and why they choose to arm themselves with weapons in their ankle holsters and purses.
It turns out that one of every 95 Maricopa County residents holds a carry permit, although in some ZIP codes in the Valley, that ratio is as high as one of every 56 people. High-concentration areas include stretches along Loop 101 from Surprise to Scottsdale and pockets in Tempe and Chandler.
The data also show:
• One of every 82 Arizonans can legally carry a concealed weapon, compared with one of every 92 Texans and one of every 40 Utah residents.
• 99 percent of permit holders are White, including Hispanics.
• More than 13,500 women have permits, 20 percent of the total. Women account for 10 percent of Arizona's 154,043 hunting licenses.
• More than a quarter of the permit holders are 50 to 59 years old.
• In the decade that concealed weapons have been legal, 750 permits were revoked, generally for felony or domestic-violence convictions.
As with other gun issues, there is disagreement on the risks and benefits of concealed weapons. Law enforcement officials say the law has worked in Arizona. Few permit holders have been accused of getting overzealous with their guns and few have helped to thwart crime, police say.
Gun owners get the $50 permits for many reasons: protection, to learn gun safety and legal issues, or simply to make it easier to carry a weapon in their car.
High concentrations
Police and gun instructors cannot easily explain why some areas are thicker with residents carrying hidden weapons.
The Republic's review of 2003 population estimates and ZIP code data shows that the 85382 ZIP code in Peoria has Maricopa County's highest rate of permit holders, one of every 56 residents.
That statistic surprised Bill Sandvig, past commander of the volunteer Maricopa County Sheriff's Posse, which patrols the area's Westbrook Village retirement community.
It is a quiet neighborhood, where the only crime wave has been a series of golf-club thefts from open garages.
"I was talking to some of the posse, and they say there are a lot of single women who might have a gun stashed in the drawer," Sandvig said, adding that the women tend to be inexperienced with guns.
Permit holders must take a 16-hour course on gun handling, safety and legal issues, plus qualify on the gun range.
In the 85382 ZIP code, nearly nine of 10 residents are White and the median household income is $56,916, about 20 percent higher than the Maricopa County figure.
Half of the county's 10 ZIP codes with the highest rate of permit holders have median incomes that exceed the county's median income. That includes the 85254 ZIP code in northeast Phoenix, where the median income is $73,758 and 91 percentof the residents are White.
More income, schooling
Permit holders typically have more education and income than the average citizen, says Mark Hanish, Scottsdale Gun Club sales and marketing director.
They also are willing to take responsibility for their own protection, he said.
Hanish's gun club, which teaches concealed-weapon classes, opened in the Scottsdale Airpark last month.
Residential areas near the shooting range have a high concentration of permit holders. That high concentration was a factor in the high-end gun club's decision to locate there, said Hanish, who previously analyzed the DPS permit data.
Barry Tietler, 60, a Cave Creek gun dealer and instructor, said he has taught about 500 people in his concealed-weapon class over the past decade. Former students include homemakers, clerks, blue-collar workers, teachers, judges and politicians.
Tietler's latest class of 20, seven of them women, did its required target shooting at the Ben Avery Shooting Range this past weekend; 17 students qualified. The class included experienced and novice shooters.
Roger Hick, 57, of Sun City West, said he is an unlikely person to pursue a permit. He considers himself a liberal and forbids his oldest son to even play with toy guns.
Now he wants to learn to handle a weapon to protect himself and his wife when they move to land they bought in New Mexico 30 miles from Taos.
"I'm not hiding in a cave with my gun," said Hick, a General Electric manager for 26 years. "I just want to know how to use it."
Randy Ripps, 46, of Scottsdale, is the more traditional person one might expect to pursue a such a permit.
He grew up around guns in Pennsylvania and took hunter-safety classes as a boy. An information technology manager for American Express, Ripps said he wants the permit so he can legally carry a handgun when he goes hiking or camping.
"I don't think I would feel comfortable carrying (a concealed weapon) all the time," Ripps said.
Rosemary Oblinger, 52, of Phoenix, said she took Tietler's class to become more comfortable and confident in handling and cleaning her revolver. She had enjoyed target shooting but knew little about guns.
Oblinger, who is semiretired, said she may carry a concealed gun while riding an all-terrain vehicle alone or hiking with her girlfriends near her home.
DPS gun permit supervisor Whalen said it is not uncommon for people to take the permit class even if they want to keep a gun only in their home.
Permit holders are currently restricted from carrying their weapons in bars and restaurants with bars.
That would change under a bill under consideration in the Arizona Legislature.
A Senate vote is pending.
Arizona law enforcement officials and bar industry lobbyists oppose that legislation.
:banghead: 
