Utah Residents Seek Firearms Training

The Utah Department of Public Safety (UDPS) received 7,020 requests to purchase or redeem firearms in Utah County. That compared with 7,955 requests in Salt Lake County, which has roughly double the population. Utah is a gun-friendly state, and Utah County might be the gun-friendliest county in the Beehive State. As for the state, the number of valid concealed-carry firearm permits in is about the same as in Texas, which is widely viewed as a gun-loving, gun-supporting state, but Texas has nearly 10 times the population of Utah.

The UDPS reported that as of Dec. 31, 2013, there were 535,857 valid holders of Utah concealed carry permits. About 194,000 of those were Utah residents and the remainder live in other states but possess a Utah permit. That compares to 584,850 valid permits in pro-gun Texas. Out-of-state residents seek Utah concealed carry permits because 35 other states recognize Utah’s permit, according to the UDPS. One criticism of Utah’s permit is that holders are not legally required to demonstrate or meet a specific level of firearm proficiency. But while Utah law may not require proficiency training, many Utah residents seek training on their own.

Read more at: ksl.com