2016 Was a Record Year for Concealed Carry Permits in Minnesota

Minnesota saw 60% increase in concealed carry permits in 2016.

News keeps coming in about firearms sales and permit records that were set in 2016.

Now Minnesota officials are saying Sheriff's departments in the Land of 10,000 Lakes issued 71,156 concealed carry permits in 2016. That's a 60% increase over the year prior and the most issued since Minnesota started issuing permits.

According to MPR, some of the numbers can be directly attributed to renewals in a five-year renewal cycle going to back to 2003.

But, just like nation-wide background checks, the increase can also probably be attributed to the political climate in an especially hostile election year. MPR also reports the FBI recorded background checks soared in 2008 and 2012 years when Barack Obama was elected.

So it's little surprise that in the lead-up to the 2016 election the number of Americans buying guns went way up. Especially since many people and news outlets expected a Hillary Clinton victory in November. The FBI did 1.9 million checks in September alone.

High-profile crimes like the Orlando, Pulse Nightclub shooting also help boost firearms sales and the desire to carry. You may recall gun sales jumped 40% after that shooting.

Minnesota isn't the only state to see an uptick in carry permits. Ohio also had a record year in 2016.

And the number of people concealed carrying firearms may only go up as more and more states are implementing "constitutional carry" laws.

NEXT: NEW HAMPSHIRE BECOMES THE LATEST STATE TO ADOPT CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY

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