Gun store owner offering free training courses after seeing less demand in Florida

WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. - As you might expect, fewer people are applying for concealed weapons permits now that they're not required in Florida, but some are still pushing for gun owners to get the training, and one man is even offering it for free.

Edwin Rivera owns Smokin Gunz in Winter Springs. He says he's selling more of his custom guns than ever, but fewer people want training.

"We were doing, I would say, 40 classes a month, and now in this last month we’ve done about five," Rivera said.

Data from the State of Florida shows the number of new concealed weapons permits has been dropping since 2020. It continued to drop in July when the state's law changed.

"There’s no excuse not to have a concealed weapons permit, there’s no excuse not to have the right information," Rivera said.

Rivera says there's no excuse in his area, offering free training in December to anyone who signs up.

"Not only on the physical aspect of getting a gun and going to the gun range and learning how to actually use that weapon but just knowing the ins and outs of the law, the ins and outs of personal defense," Rivera said.

While he's seen a dip in his concealed weapons course, he has taught more court-ordered diversion courses for people breaking rules he thinks they should learn from the beginning.

"People having a gun in their car, I’ve seen for people pulling the gun at the wrong moment, and then just other places like the courthouse and trying to pass through security," Rivera said.

Rivera says anyone who signs up can schedule a free training course for the second week of December which usually costs $90.

People will still have to pay for range time, and to the state for the permit.