Concealable-handgun demand
exceeds supply, retailer says
I
more misery caused by handguns
'han I’ve seen protection,” Pack
ard says.
Packard, like Burks and Jagels,
favors gun control. He says people
should be made responsible for the
guns they own to prevent guns
from falling into the wrong hands.
How people can be made respon
sible, Packard is not sure.
Jagels says education is the only
effective and fair way to control
guns. Gun owners should be
Ill
required to demonstrate their
competence with weapons before
they can buy one.
‘‘There is no quick fix,” he says
“The only way to get rid of hand
guns is to go into the homes and
take them away, and God help the
agency that tries to do that.”
Burkes says swift and sure pun
ishment for criminals who use
weapons is the best solution. A
criminal will get a weapon even if it
is illegal, he says.
1
Graphic by Ken Babbs
Packard says changing society's
perception of guns may be the only
answer.
“When you decide to buy a gun,
whether it is a handgun or a deer
rifle, what you’re really doing is
saying you’ve decided that you are
willing to kill something under
some certain circumstances.
“That's a very heavy thing, and I
don’t think many people think
about that.”
Bills may provide
easier gun access
By LESLIE FERRIS
Oftha Emerald
Multnomah County sheriffs
say passage of two bills pending
in the Legislature could result in
more Oregonians carrying con
cealed weapons.
HB 2421 and SB 887 would
require Oregon county sheriffs
to grant concealable weapon
permits to applicants who meet
state law criteria. Currently, the
sheriff can grant or deny a per
mit request, even if the ap
plicant meets state criteria.
“Essentially, the (House) bill
would change the permissive
language of the law, which says
the sheriff ‘may’ issue a con
cealed weapon permit, to man
datory language, which says the
sheriff ‘shall’ issue a permit if
the person meets certain condi
tions,’’ says House Judiciary
Counsel Steve Griffith.
Chief among these conditions
are that an applicant not have a
criminal record and have a valid
reason for carrying a concealed
weapon. A $10 application fee is
charged, and the permit must be
renewed each year.
A coalition of gun clubs called
‘‘Gunners of Oregon, Inc.’’
requested the bills be in
troduced to the House Judiciary
Committee and the Senate Jus
tice Committee. Both committes
have held hearings on the bills,
and more hearings will be
scheduled.
John Nichols, a former Mult
nomah County deputy sheriff,
said he and others requested
the bill to provide uniform,
statewide licensing criteria He
said the House bill has been
amended to apply only to con
cealable pistols and revolvers.
And the bill would increase
penalties for those carrying un
licensed weapons.
“Sheriffs in some counties
have been very arbitrary about
issuing permits,” Nichols said.
"In Multnomah County, you just
about have to show up with a
death certificate to prove you
have reason for needing a per
mit.”
Nichols says he believes
many law enforcement adminis
trators have testified against the
bill because "they think the ci
tizen is an incompetent slob
who can't be trusted.
"But there’s a great differ
ence between what the street
policeman thinks and what the
administrator thinks."
Edgar Martin, Multnomah
County sheriff, says since 1968
his office has issued just two or
“In Multonomah
County, you just about
have to show up with a
death certificate to
prove you have a
reason for needing a
permit.”
three permits per year. In con
trast, Douglas County has is
sued 60 concealable weapon
permits this year, and Lane
County currently has 783 out
standing.
"We feel in such a densely
populated area as Portland,
there’s a high potential for
violence," Martin says. ‘‘The
question of carrying concealed
weapons in a relatively
unpopulated county like Doug
las or Grant County is a different
question than in a densely
populated area like Multnomah
“If passed, the bill would re
sult in larger numbers of ci
tizens carrying concealed
weapons in our society. "
By RICHARD WAGONER
Of the Emerald
Guns.
America won its independence with them,
tamed the west with them, and helped feed its
families with them.
They are collected and coveted by millions of
Americans. And they are hated and feared by
millions more.
America has had a long and intimate affair
with firearms. But as violent crime increases,
accidental shootings occur, and presidents, mu
sicians and other public figures are wounded or
killed, some people feel that affair has soured
Yet the sale of guns mounts across the
country, and Eugene is no exception.
While many — if not most — firearms are
purchased for sport or collection, fear of burglary,
rape and robbery has prompted many local re
sidents to set aside their apprehension of guns
and spend up to $500 for a handgun.
“Expensive guns, quality guns, are the ones
that are in demand,” says Jeff Jagels, retail
manager at Lenz Firearms Co., a local gun sales
and repair shop.
"Especially the concealable handguns — the
small autos or snubbed-nose revolvers. Supply
doesn't exceed demand," he says.
Jagles describes business as good, and his
stock of quality handguns indicates the type of
weapons consumers want.
"In any season but hunting season, hand
guns are the bread and butter of a gun shop.
About 70 percent of our sales are handguns.”
Jagels attributes the sales handguns are
enjoying to fear of rising crime and the feeling that
police can no longer protect lives and property
“It's a shame Business is usually best in
times when either crime goes up or government is
screaming for more gun control,” he says. "Our
best times are the worse times for victims."
Women and young couples are becoming
more frequent gun shop customers, Jagels says.
Women prefer the small, automatic pistols — such
as Smith and Wesson 38-caliber specials or .22
automatics — because they are easy to shoot and
don’t recoil much.
"They (some women) used to say they
wouldn't want (a gun) in the house. They still don't
want to shoot one, but it gives them peace of
mind," he says.
Jagels recommends at least a 38-caliber
pistol for defensive use. Gun owners shouldn’t be
interested in a gun’s killing power. They should be
concerned with its stopping power
a gooa .00 caiiDer — wmcn wouiu cost auuui
$135 new — has enough power to knock a man
down, he says.
Jagels is concerned some people who pur
chase guns don’t know how to use them. He
advocates requiring a test — similar to a driver’s
test — for all potential gun purchasers insuring
they know how to operate and take care of the
weapon.
“Ignorance about a product is more deadly
than the product itself,” he says.
Local law enforcement officials share Jagels’
concern.
Lane County Sheriff Dave Burks, who is
responsible for handing out concealed weapon
permits locally, says he is careful in deciding who
can carry a gun.
Burks says Lane County — which currently
has 783 outstanding concealed weapon's permits
— is “right in the middle” in granting them.
Douglas County, smaller in population than
Lane, has issued about 60 permits since last
January. Officials there say most gun permits
aren’t renewed when the yearly application ex
pires.
Burks grants concealed weapon permits to
Lane County residents who can prove to him they
have an “exceptional" need to carry one. That
need may be because their life has been threa
tened or because they have a job that requires
carrying large amounts of cash
To obtain a concealed weapon permit, a
resident must first apply at the sheriff s office and
explain in detail why the permit is needed
The applicant is fingerprinted, and those
records are sent to the FBI and the state police to
check for prior arrests. Anyone with an arrest
record is denied a permit.
About seven weeks after application, the
background information from the federal and
state agencies s sent to the sheriff's office, where
it is reviewed and the pe .an ’her approved or
denied. The sheriff has complete discretion in
deciding who will receive a permit.
Permits are reviewed every year, and if any
arrests or other damaging background turns up,
the permit is revoke /s.
Eugene Police Cl ames Packard also is
concerned about the growing number of gun
owners.
Packard says he sympathizes with people
who feel they need the extra protection a gun
gives. But he ears the damage they can cause in
inexperienced hands.
“When used by untrained people, I’ve seen
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