Local Gun Shop Sees Increase In Sales After Pistol Permit Law Change

CHARLOTTE, N.C.– Hyatt Gun Shop has been very busy in the weeks following state lawmakers vote to override the veto of Senate Bill 41. 

“Business more than doubled during these last couple of weeks,” owner of Hyatt Guns Larry Hyatt said. 

 The bill, which is now a law, eliminates the requirement to apply for a gun permit through a county sheriff’s office before purchasing a handgun. 

Larry Hyatt, owner of Hyatt Gun Shop  said the new law just simplifies the permit process. 

It does not waive a criminal background check — meaning convicted felons still cannot purchase a firearm. 

“If you could not buy a gun two weeks ago with the permit system you still cannot buy a gun today,” Hyatt said. 

Hyatt said he saw customers wait several months to buy a gun because of the backlog on permit applications at the Sheriff’s office. 

“Well we’ve got pent up demand because the permit system got so far behind during COVID” Hyatt said.

 Some customers said the new law makes it faster and easier to legally buy a gun. 

” I think this bill helps the law-abiding citizen be able to get a gun quicker and be able to defend their lives instead of waiting and going out to the sheriff’s department to make that happen,” Randall White said. 

Hyatt said while eventually the demand will slow down he believes overall more people will continue to buy guns under the new law. 

“Demand is really brisk because a lot of people did not want to go through the system and now they’re coming in and buying a firearm legally.”