In Wake of Herring Concealed Handgun Move, Virginians Rush to Get Utah Permit

The Times Dispatch has the story here.  The term rush apparently is an understatement:

Out of concern that their concealed-handgun permits soon could be invalid in other states, Virginia gun owners are rushing to get permits from an unexpectedly distant location: Utah.

“I wouldn’t say a rush. I would say an avalanche,” said James Reynolds, president of Proactive Shooters, a Richmond-area firearm instruction company that has added extra Utah-specific classes to keep up with the demand for the state’s permits.

Herring is pushing the line that if you have a Virginia permit nothing changes, completely ignoring the fact those permits will likely no longer be accepted in the states Herring has unilaterally ended recognition.

Proactive Shooters is not the only firearm safety company experiencing an uptick in Utah Permit interest:

Pegasus Firearms of Chesterfield County posted a bulletin on its website advertising its Utah courses, complete with a warning that Herring’s decision could mean Virginians no longer will be able to take concealed firearms to North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

Buddy Blanton, the owner and lead instructor at Pegasus, said inquiries and sign-ups are “definitely increasing,” perhaps by about 25 percent. He said several gun owners with whom he’s spoken long have considered a Utah permit, but Herring’s announcement was the final nudge.

“I think a lot of Virginians did not take advantage of that because of the fact that Virginia had very good reciprocity agreements across the board,” Blanton said.

Whether it's retailers or firearm instructors, it seems gun ban Democrats just can't help increase the business of the firearms industry.