Bend gun dealer, officials see spike in firearm interest

Normally, it’s a hunting rifle that’s the big seller at Bend’s Trigger Happy Guns.

But this week, pistols like the Springfield XDS 9mm are popular.

“It seems like everybody is a little bit scared these days,” shop owner Eric Priller said Wednesday. “People are coming and buying a lot of semi-auto pistols. They’re looking for concealment guns. They want to protect themselves and their families.”

It’s mass shootings — like last week’s tragedy at Umpqua Community College — that have some new customers arming up.

“We had the same jump after the Sandy Hook shooting and the Aurora, Colorado theater shooting,” Lt. Mike Herbes said.

Herbes is a firearms instructor with Oregon Precision Firearms Training. He also works as regional training lieutenant with the state Department of Public Safety Standards and Training.

All week, his phone has been ringing off the hook.

“The very next day, some even that night (after the UCC shooting,) Herbes said. “They’re interested in carrying a concealed weapon to protect themselves when they go to a ball game or go shopping in the mall.”

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office issues about 10 concealed handgun licenses each day. Those can be new permits, transfers or renewals.

Last year, 906 people applied for new licenses. This year, there’s already more — so far, 930 applicants.

Sheriff’s Lt. Tim Leak said the growth stems from both the county’s growing population, and more interest.

“Not everybody necessarily wants to have a gun on themselves at all times,” Leak said. “But I think people are becoming more and more cautionary, when it comes to public events or places where there is a lot of people. And I think they want to have the ability to protect themselves or their family.”

That’s exactly why Priller said he got in the business.

And when bad things happen, he hopes he can help people feel a little better.

“We feel good that we’re helping people out,” Priller said. “We’re giving them all the information, so they can feel comfortable and confident.”

Leak said although he wouldn’t be surprised if more people applied for concealed handgun licenses this week, there’s really no way to tell.

“For what happened in Roseburg last week, we may not be able to tell the implications of that for quite some time, because our (licensing) appointments are already scheduled out through December,” Leak said.

Herbes said it’s not just private citizens hoping to gain new gun skills, but law enforcement agencies hoping to brush up on theirs.

“There’s a big spike,” Herbes said. “I’ve just about got my calender filled up for the next three or four months with doing active shooter training around the state.”