As thousands of people are expected to attend the Miami Gun Show this weekend, experts have pointed out a downward trend in the number of people taking gun safety courses since Florida's permitless carry law went into effect.
More than 10,000 are expected to attend the gun show on Saturday and Sunday at the Miami-Dade County Fair and Exposition.
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"This is going to be a busy show for us. Miami is always strong, but we got a big following down here," said Robert Geisler, general manager of Florida Gun Shows. "Everybody wants to come out and support their second amendment and wanna protect themselves and their families."
According to Florida Politics, the number of people who applied for concealed carry permits, which includes classes, dropped by nearly 64% over the same three-month period a year ago.
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“But we’re encouraging people to do it anywhere that it's offered. You can do it at your local gun shop, there’s a lot of places that offer concealed weapon classes," Geisler said. "It's good to get that basic understanding of gun safety."
James Moesch is a local instructor at Miami Gun Training in Miami Lakes.
“First off, I noticed my phone doesn't ring as much as it used to, but also the people seeking that type of training has greatly reduced since the law was enacted," he said.
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Moesch says in Miami, the number of people taking classes has also dropped.
“According to a local Department of Agriculture office, in January of this year before the law, they had 73 applications for a concealed carry permit. September of this year after the law, there's only 13," Moesch said.
Moesch agrees with the permitless law and believes people should also arm themselves with knowledge by taking the course, or the consequences could be fatal.
“First is, legally, there a lot of places where you cannot carry, and in the class, we go over those possessions, restrictions, and also first and foremost is safety," he said. "So it's more than just carrying the gun – if the first time you interact with your pistol is when you have to use it, you’re probably going to make a mistake and you don't want that."
Moesch feels so strongly about the course he says he now offers it for free. You can register at www.miamiguntraining.com
According to state figures, more than 2.5 million people have permits to carry.
