More Western Pennsylvania Gun Sales Go To 1st-time Buyers

A gun store called Shooters Bench in West Deer in Western Pennsylvania is just one of many gun stores reporting large increases in sales to first-time gun buyers. Shooters Bench owner Ed Negley was quoted in a article as saying that he had experienced a 30 percent increase in handguns sales.

His store sells about 1,800 handguns yearly either in person at the shop or online. Gun license approvals in Allegheny, Armstrong, and Westmoreland counties, according to the article, are expected to keep going up. Licenses to carry concealed firearms in the first 10 months of the year in the three counties are up 39 percent, rising by 8,741 to 31,011, according to data from sheriff’s departments, which conduct criminal background checks and issue the licenses.

Another Western Pennsylvania gun store owner, Debbie Schultz, owner of Schultz’s in Apollo, Pennsylvania, said handgun sales at her store are up this year. She said she sells an average of 400 to 500 handguns each year. A further uptick is that the number of women buying guns has doubled — from 50 to about 100 — so far this year.

There were nearly 10,300 handgun permits issued for the first 10 months this year in Westmoreland compared with 8,000 during the same period last year.  According to state police, 755,800 firearms were sold or transferred in 2015, up nearly 12 percent from 2014. Most were handguns. Firearms dealers sold 421,811 handguns in 2015 compared with 333,953 rifles and shotguns.

The article went on to say that Allegheny County handgun licenses are up about 40 percent over last year. On an average weekday, 50 to 75 people apply for licenses.