WCPO: Ohioans Gear Up For New Concealed Carry Law

Could this be WCPO's attempt to balance their recent "scare business about concealed carry" report?

March 1, 2004
Cincinnati WCPO (ABC) TV

People have been lining up to buy them and now they are lining up to learn how to use them.

Ohio's new concealed carry law has driven a tremendous amount of interest in handguns.

The new law signed in January does not go into affect until April 8, but Ohioans who are anxious to carry a concealed weapon are getting their "ducks in a row".

Maybe you've seen the full-page gun sale ads in the paper.

People are also spending money on training, taking pistol training classes at Target World and around the state.

Shooters' Supply Shop in Loveland has seen a steady stream of customers since early January.

People like Diane Craft of Lebanon are gearing up for Ohio's concealed carry law to go into effect.

"Exactly, I was waiting a long time for this law because I feel safer with a weapon because I am a woman and I'm out late and I just need something for self-defense in case something happens," Craft said.

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Owner Dan Lovett said business is up about 40 percent from this time last year.

"And who's coming in to buy guns? Mostly people with experience shooting who don't really have anything for concealed carry," Lovett said.

Lovett is busy and at a gun show about once a week in our area, where the traffic is increasing too. People like Rob Abner of Bethel are buying up smaller, lighter weight handguns along with special fannypacks, planners, and other accessories to conceal them.

Along with the time and money invested in buying a gun, those who want to carry must also invest in 12 hours of training under Ohio's law.

To help, Ohioans for Concealed Carry has set up a not-for-profit training network, in an effort to keep training costs down. Two day classes at Target World run about $150, but some courses around the state cost at least double that.

"Because it's 12 hours of training so it'll be two days of classes so it would be fairly expensive so we're trying to keep the cost down," said John Fenton, Ohioans for Concealed Carry.

Ohioans for Concealed Carry expects more than 70,000 Ohioans will sign up for firearms training in the next year and they are asking anyone certified to train to contact them.