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Owner: Gun shopping on rise- C&P
FrancF
Member Posts: 35,278 ✭✭✭
High-profile shootings in area among several possible reasons
CONCORD - Business is booming for Mike Threadgill. Over the past six months, Threadgill, owner of Eagle Guns, said gun sales in his store are up 60 percent over previous years.
Threadgill believes the rise is due to the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, which upheld but could have diminished gun ownership rights; an increase in high-profile murder cases in the area; and a boost in the number of shooting sports competitors. Whatever it is, he added, he welcomes the business.
"It seems like it's going so fast that as soon as I fill up one case and move to the next," he said, "I'm going right back to refill that first case because all of the guns have been sold."
Threadgill, who is also the pastor of Gordon Heights Baptist Church, is an advocate of the right to own guns for protection and believes more crime may be prevented by more personal gun ownership. Several customers agree with him on the issue, including some family members of shooting victims.
"If my dad would have had a gun, he could have absolutely defended himself," said Joseph Noles, son of Darrell Noles, one of the Sun-drop shooting victims. "He may have had a chance."
Noles said he and his father were regular customers at Eagle Guns before the shooting because of their love of hunting, but since the death of his father both he and his mother have considered taking a concealed weapons class.
"We've talked about it and it's something we're thinking about for our protection," Noles said. "If my father would have had a concealed weapon, he could have protected himself and we don't want to be in a position like that."
The Sun-drop shooting, Threadgill said, has been a hot topic among customers since the June 13 slayings. Many of his customers are searching for smaller, more concealable handguns, like 9-millimeter Glocks or a small 45-caliber as protection.
Currently, there are 1,798 gun permits in Cabarrus County, sheriff's deputies said. Deputies haven't noticed an increase in applicants, but they said the stream of candidates seems consistently steady.
Rodney Hays, an employee of Eagle Guns and former shop owner himself, said the rise in ownership has little to do with the negative aspects of gun ownership.
"Anything can be used as a weapon," he said, sitting outside of the store. "It just depends on how it's used, and guns just get a bad reputation from people who don't use them properly."
Hays said he's noticed a large number of women purchasing guns to get involved with armed sports, like skeet shooting. A few female customers in the Roberta Church Road store Friday were searching for the right skeet shooting or hunting rifle.
Business is so good for Threadgill and company that the store is working on a more than $1 million 17-lane shooting range that is slated to open in January. Threadgill received permission from the county last week to begin construction on the new range.
"It's been one of the busiest times I can say we've had," Threadgill said. "It's a great time to sell guns."
CONCORD - Business is booming for Mike Threadgill. Over the past six months, Threadgill, owner of Eagle Guns, said gun sales in his store are up 60 percent over previous years.
Threadgill believes the rise is due to the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, which upheld but could have diminished gun ownership rights; an increase in high-profile murder cases in the area; and a boost in the number of shooting sports competitors. Whatever it is, he added, he welcomes the business.
"It seems like it's going so fast that as soon as I fill up one case and move to the next," he said, "I'm going right back to refill that first case because all of the guns have been sold."
Threadgill, who is also the pastor of Gordon Heights Baptist Church, is an advocate of the right to own guns for protection and believes more crime may be prevented by more personal gun ownership. Several customers agree with him on the issue, including some family members of shooting victims.
"If my dad would have had a gun, he could have absolutely defended himself," said Joseph Noles, son of Darrell Noles, one of the Sun-drop shooting victims. "He may have had a chance."
Noles said he and his father were regular customers at Eagle Guns before the shooting because of their love of hunting, but since the death of his father both he and his mother have considered taking a concealed weapons class.
"We've talked about it and it's something we're thinking about for our protection," Noles said. "If my father would have had a concealed weapon, he could have protected himself and we don't want to be in a position like that."
The Sun-drop shooting, Threadgill said, has been a hot topic among customers since the June 13 slayings. Many of his customers are searching for smaller, more concealable handguns, like 9-millimeter Glocks or a small 45-caliber as protection.
Currently, there are 1,798 gun permits in Cabarrus County, sheriff's deputies said. Deputies haven't noticed an increase in applicants, but they said the stream of candidates seems consistently steady.
Rodney Hays, an employee of Eagle Guns and former shop owner himself, said the rise in ownership has little to do with the negative aspects of gun ownership.
"Anything can be used as a weapon," he said, sitting outside of the store. "It just depends on how it's used, and guns just get a bad reputation from people who don't use them properly."
Hays said he's noticed a large number of women purchasing guns to get involved with armed sports, like skeet shooting. A few female customers in the Roberta Church Road store Friday were searching for the right skeet shooting or hunting rifle.
Business is so good for Threadgill and company that the store is working on a more than $1 million 17-lane shooting range that is slated to open in January. Threadgill received permission from the county last week to begin construction on the new range.
"It's been one of the busiest times I can say we've had," Threadgill said. "It's a great time to sell guns."
Comments
Former Member U.S. Navy Shooting Team
Former NSSA All American
Navy Distinguished Pistol Shot
MO, CT, VA.
what state?
NC, "I think" http://www.independenttribune.com/