Concealed Carry Applications, Gun Sales Increase Statewide

Concealed carry appears to be taking hold in Wisconsin.

As of Tuesday, the state Justice Department had received just shy of 45,000 permit applications. The agency had approved a little more than 13,000 applications and issued about 12,700 permits.

Meanwhile, it appears gun sales are on the increase. The DOJ’s handgun hotline, which retailers call to start background checks on would-be gun buyers, took 7,355 calls between Nov. 1 and Monday. The hotline has averaged about 6,550 calls per month this year.

Legal questions linger about liability for businesses that choose not to allow concealed weapons. The state’s concealed carry law states businesses that allow them are immune from liability in a shooting incident, but it remains unclear what level of responsibility business that don’t allow them bear.