Thank your lucky stars that NBC 2 reporter Rachel Polansky has uncovered a massive and dangerous flaw in Florida’s firearms purchasing laws that somehow nobody else noticed in roughly three decades.

The NBC2 Investigators have uncovered a flaw in Florida’s gun checks system.

300,000 people legally bought guns in Florida in the last four months. Only 100,000 people got their licenses to carry in the same time frame.

What does that mean for the other 200,000 people? Do they already have their licenses? Are they illegally carrying?

The NBC2 Investigators found out no one knows for sure because two different state agencies handle Florida’s gun buying-and-carrying process.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is responsible for gun purchases. From July through October 2016, FDLE approved 319,616 gun purchases and denied 4,411.

The Department of Agriculture is responsible for concealed weapons permits. From July through October 2016, Dept. of Ag. issued 99,774 concealed weapon permits and denied 1,184.

This means FDLE can give you the okay to buy a gun, even if the Dept. of Ag. says you can’t carry it.

Like, OMG, guys. Totally!

We’ve double-checked Polansky’s numbers, and discovered they are correct: people buy guns without obtaining concealed carry permits!  In fact, there are “just” a little over 15 million concealed carry permit holders among the estimated 110+ million gun owners in the entire country, who own somewhere between 300 million and 600 million firearms. Using Polansky’s math, that means there may be 95-100 million people illegally carrying up to six guns every day in the United States!

…or Rachel Polansky is prone to jumping to hysterical conclusions without doing the basic level of research we’d expect from “C” students in middle school.

Reality Check

The vast majority of people who purchase firearms do not purchase them for concealed carry, and therefore don’t need or want a concealed carry permit.

• People who buy rifles or shotguns or handguns to hunt with do not need a concealed carry permit.
• People who buy rifles or shotguns or handguns to target shoot do not need a concealed carry permit.
• People who buy rifles or shotguns or handguns for self-defense in their home or on their property not need a concealed carry permit.

In short, the supermajority of Florida’s gun owners neither want nor need a concealed carry permit for their purposes. They can purchase, possess, lawfully transport, and use guns perfectly legally without a concealed carry permit issued by the Department of Agriculture.

The only people who need a concealed carry permit in Florida are those who want to carry a concealed handgun on their persons when they leave their property.

Stunning, right? But it gets better.

A person with a concealed carry permit does not have to get a concealed carry permit for each handgun they purchase. Many concealed carriers are also collectors, and may have 3 or 4 or dozens of handguns, but only need the one concealed carry permit.

Put bluntly, Ms. Polansky, you didn’t discover any sort of a flaw in the firearms purchasing and concealed carry permitting process.

What you uncovered was a flaw in your ability to do basic research which makes people wonder if you’re in the right line of work.