DELAWARE, OH - Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine (R) has released the concealed handgun license (CHL) statistics for the fourth quarter of 2011. Ohio sheriffs set a new record issuing almost 12,000 CHLs for the busiest fourth quarter in the program's eight-year history.

Demand was up 12% compared to the same period a year earlier. By the end of 2011, approximately 265,083 Ohio residents were licensed to carry concealed handguns. This number will likely approach 300,000 by the end of 2012.

This means that more than five people per hour, or 184 per work-day, received a new or renewed CHL from an Ohio sheriff.

With over 265,000 Ohio citizens licensed to carry handguns, anytime you are in a group of 32 adults, odds are there is at least one licensee present. If you are with an older or more affluent group, the odds are even greater. In short, there are few public locations you can travel in Ohio where there will not be a license-holder nearby.

While a handful of people have opposed concealed carry in Ohio, it is becoming apparent that. while no large group of people is perfect, the CHL-holder has proven to be considerably more law-abiding than the population at large. There have been few problems with the CHL program and citizens continue to apply for and receive licenses.

Buckeye Firearms Association is a grassroots political action committee (PAC) dedicated to defending and advancing the right of Ohio citizens to own and use firearms for all legal activities, including self-defense, hunting, competition, and recreation. We work to elect pro-gun candidates and lobby for pro-gun legislation.