By Craig Anderson

DOVER — Proposed legislation that would require a training course and permit to purchase a handgun in Delaware is sure to evoke a passionate response, local gun sellers said on Friday.

“I don’t think it will help the crime situations that occur in the cities every night,” Smyrna Sporting Goods owner Brian Brown said.

“It’s just going to upset law-abiding citizens. When you can walk in and buy a gun five minutes after filing a background check one day and next week go through all sorts of hoops to make a purchase, I would think that would be upsetting.”

While Mr. Brown said “I don’t have a crystal ball,” he said he believes already surging demand for guns could increase even more to get in front of a training course requirement.

Also proposed is a ban on magazines that could hold more than 17 rounds. The two gun-control bills were filed on Thursday by Delaware senators.

If the gun control efforts are successful, The Trading Post’s general manager Lance Moffa believes sales could drop due to the dearth of instructors who could teach a course.

If approved, Mr. Moffa said his business “will follow the rules but I hope they enact sensible legislation. There may be room for some compromise but that will have to come with a significant amount of debate and discussion.”

Any push for gun control measures would face a concerted opposition, Mr. Moffa said.

“I think there’s a long road ahead for any legislation to pass,” he said. “You have a lot of people who will fight it tooth and nail.”

Mr. Moffa described current business as steady but predicted a spike in sales if the push for legislation gains momentum. First-time buyers are especially prevalent, he said.

“We don’t have lines out the door like you see on TV but I think you would see that as more and more people find out about and follow the progress.”

In Dover, Shooter’s Choice general manager Kim McDaniel predicted that “we’re going to get even busier and we’re busy now” prior to any potential legislation.

While Ms. McDaniel said no bill will change the alleged actions of people like those charged in recent mass shootings in the U.S., a focus on providing additional mental health resources would be more appropriate.

“They’re blaming inanimate objects for a person’s actions,” she said. “They don’t blame cars when someone drives drunk and kills somebody, so why blame a gun when something really bad happens.”

In Milford, Delmarva Speed and Sport owner Dean Scarborough described the impact of potential legislation as “not good for someone who wants to keep them in their house for potential protection and a feeling of security.”

Mr. Scarborough said business has slowed in recent weeks and he was unsure whether it would increase dramatically if legislation approaches.

“It might not happen just because of the lack of availability (of firearms) in the first place,” he said.

And there’s clearly been a heightened market for firearms purchases, according to the merchants.

At one point last winter, Ms. McDaniel said the commerce made every day seem like Black Friday.

Mr. Brown said patrons have been seeking “anything that will go boom” for more than a year.

“It’s hard to get products on the shelf and you can’t keep them on the shelf long enough because manufacturers can’t send supplies fast enough.”

Federal background checks — required before purchasing a gun — rose in Delaware from 46,427 in 2019 to 77,057 in 2020, an average increase of around 2,550 per month, according to data from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System overseen by the FBI. That includes January and February 2020, when the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic hadn’t yet set in.

Last year was a historic one nationally, as well — nine of the 10 top weeks for background checks since Nov. 30, 1998, came in 2020. Two weeks in December ranked No. 3 and No. 6 since that 1998 date, while two November weeks were No. 5 and No. 10.

The checks are at least being processed efficiently, according to Mr. Brown.

“They are doing a perfect job,” he said. “It’s a shame that the rest of government doesn’t work that well.”

Ms. McDaniel concurred on the efficient background checks, noting that some can be returned within an hour and others in a day or so.

While the Delaware State News received 79 concealed carry license notice of application ads from individuals in 2019, the volume soared to 260 in 2020. There were 29 and 28 ads placed in November and December, respectively, and 23 in January.

As of Aug. 20, 2020, there were 9,496 active concealed carry permits in New Castle County, 5,123 in Kent and 6,696 in Sussex.
Attempts to get further information through Superior Court were unsuccessful.

An application for a concealed carry license is filed with the prothonotary’s office in the candidate’s home county.

According to the state of Delaware, the following persons are prohibited from possessing deadly weapons or ammunition in Delaware:

• Any person previously convicted of any felony.

• Any person previously convicted of any misdemeanor involving physical injury to another or domestic violence, unless more than five years has elapsed from the date of the conviction.

• Any person previously convicted of any crime involving the unlawful use, possession or sale of any illegal drug.

• Any person who has not yet reached his or her 25th birthday who has been previously convicted as a juvenile of a crime which, if committed by an adult, would constitute a felony.

• Any person who is subject to a protection from abuse order issued by a competent court.

• Any person who has previously been committed to a hospital or mental institution for treatment of a mental disorder.

Possession of a deadly weapon by a person prohibited from doing so — with or without a permit or license to carry such a weapon concealed — is a felony in Delaware.

Delaware law prohibits the possession of silencers, sawed-off shotguns and machine guns under all circumstances.