Despite some of the strictest and most labyrinthine gun laws in the nation, Citizens of the Bay State are arming themselves at a record pace.
According to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, 54,263 residents applied for a new license to carry (LTC) permit in 2021 surpassing the total in 2020 and nearly doubling the totals in both 2018 and 2019.
Massachusetts law for the LTC permits allows citizens 15 years of age and up the right to purchase, possess, transport, and carry all firearms including all handguns, rifles, and shotguns as well as ammunition and feeding devices such as speed loaders.
In addition to the permit applications, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reports that they conducted 259,248 background checks for firearm purchases in the Bay State in 2021, falling just shy of the record of 262,583 set in 2020.
“The demand is pretty high,” Jim Wallace, executive director of the Gun Owner’s Action League tells Boston 25 News. “People, in general, are taking more responsibility for themselves.
A lot of people have finally woken up and realized that the police can’t always be there. Wallace continues that women are increasingly interested in arming themselves for self defense.
Recent polling also shows that support for additional gun control measures is at a 10 year low. A poll by Quinnipiac in December showed that 47% of respondents supported calls for more gun control while 48% opposed.
A November Gallup poll showed that only 52% of respondents favored stricter gun sales laws which is down 12% since 2019.
