Minnesotan making up for lost time on getting concealed handgun permits

Hundreds of prospective gun-toters have lined up at sheriff's offices around Minnesota in a new rush for handgun permits since they became widely available again one month ago.

According to a state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension database, 932 permit applications have been filed since the state's 2003 handgun law, suspended for nearly a year by court rulings, went back on the books May 25.

But the BCA database lags behind actual filings, and Star Tribune checks with local sheriffs found more applications than that in the seven-county Twin Cities area alone. Those counties have seen more than twice as many applicants as during the 30 days before the law was ruled unconstitutional in mid-July 2004 on grounds related to how it was enacted. . . .