Florida gun sales, state background check staffing up prior to Obama's executive order

MANATEE -- Since Barack Obama was elected president, gun sales in Florida have been on the rise. His latest gun control move by a proposed executive order may spur even more sales and drive up the number of concealed carry permits in the state, gun dealers and state officials say.

Adam Putnam, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs commissioner, said the state anticipates more concealed carry applications after the executive order.

"Due to this overreaching executive action, we anticipate a surge in the number of applications for concealed weapon licenses in Florida, and we are preparing to meet this increased demand," said Putnam, a Republican who served in Congress for 10 years before being elected the state's Agriculture Commissioner in 2010.

But Obama's executive order does not place any restrictions on current gun owners; rather, it strengthens requirements for dealers to ensure anyone "engaged in the business" of selling firearms is licensed and requires customer background checks.

For example, a person does not have to own a gun shop to be subject to these requirements; anyone selling firearms at gun shows or over the Internet should be subject to the same licensure and background check requirements, according to the order. The order also addresses other background check issues as well as strengthening the nation's mental health care system and improving gun safety technology.

Background checks in Florida go through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. A gun dealer calls FDLE to initiate the background check.

As federal firearms licensees, or those permitted to manufacture, import and sell ammunition and firearms, have increased in Florida, FDLE has added staff who perform background checks. Between fiscal year 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, FDLE added 38 staff to perform background checks to bring the total to 78, according to data provided to the Bradenton Herald by FDLE. The previous largest increase came between the previous two fiscal years, from 40 employees in 2012-2013 to 50 in 2013-2014.

FDLE has not requested any additional background check staff for fiscal year 2016-2017.

The background check requests are submitted through a toll-free phone number or a web-based application, said Molly Best, FDLE public information officer. The checks run through state and national criminal history databases, state and national "hot file" databases and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. If there is a question in the check, FDLE contacts the appropriate jurisdiction.

Most background checks are completed in four minutes or less, Best said. If the background check is not finished within three days, the gun dealer may elect to release the firearm to the consumer before completion of the check.

About five gun shows a year come to the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau in Palmetto, according to Elliott Falcione, executive director of the bureau. The bureau staff work with the Palmetto Police Department or the Manatee County Sheriff's Office to determine the number of officers needed "to create a safe environment for consumers," Falcione said. The companies who operate gun shows pay for the law enforcement staff per policy of the bureau.

It's gun show operators' "responsibility to stay within the law from an event-to-event standpoint," he said. "If the law changes, I'm sure the federal government will notice them because they have a license to sell guns in the state of Florida."

Doug Thompson, owner of Bullseye Indoor Pistol Range & Pawn in Palmetto, said he's seen increases in sales of weapons and sales of ammunition as well as a spike in interest for both instructional and concealed-carry classes and memberships at the range.

Thompson expects to see a boost in sales on Black Friday every year, but that used to taper off as the New Year rolls around. This year he hasn't seen that, and he thinks a combination of homeland security issues, fear of crime and concern about lessening gun rights contribute to the continued surge.

"A lot of them are afraid that their Second Amendment rights may be infringed on," Thompson said. "They're afraid of being held up; everybody's a little bit scared right now."

And it's not just local gun sales that are up; Smith and Wesson stock was up 11 percent at the market's close on Tuesday and Sturm, Ruger and Co. stock was up 7 percent.

Don Burrow, owner of Right on Target in Bradenton, said he'd also seen increased enrollment in his classes because of homeland security concerns before Obama issued the order. He said he isn't sure yet how the executive order will affect his customers and "nothing goes by us without a background check being done."

In Burrow's experience, the checks are usually done "within a few minutes," but during busier times, such as the holiday season, it takes hours. Either way, Burrow said the checks are usually wrapped up and he has an answer within a day.

Janelle O'Dea, business reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7095 or follow her on Twitter: @jayohday.

This story was originally published January 5, 2016 at 6:31 PM with the headline "Florida gun sales, state background check staffing up prior to Obama's executive order ."