NORWICH — Pistol permit applications have been on the rise over the last year, nearly doubling from 2015 to 2016, throughout Eastern Connecticut and the state overall.

The number of pistol permit applications processed by the State police for the entire state of Connecticut nearly doubled between 2015 and 2016, according to statistics provided by state police spokeswoman Kelly Grant.

The number of new pistol permits issued throughout the state in 2016 was 29,941 compared to 17,327 in 2015, a difference of 12,614 equating to a 72.8 percent increase in one year.

The numbers over the last five years however, show a spike in 2013 with 26,672 permits issued state wide, the year after President Obama was reelected compared to 17,496 in 2012 while settling back down to 18,086 in 2014.

Numbers are also up throughout Norwich, Griswold, Voluntown and Putnam, all of which have nearly doubled from 2015 to 2016.

Gun enthusiasts throughout Eastern, Connecticut are speculating that the rise in popularity lately is due to a number of reasons ranging from earlier fears of Hillary Clinton being elected to changes in Connecticut gun laws.

“People are getting nervous that they won’t be able to get a permit later or that the application price will go up significantly,” Nick Santiago owner of 1 Stop Tactical, a new firearms shop located on North Main Street in Jewett City said.

Since his shop opened in the beginning of March, he has seen a flood of interested pistol and firearms buyers. On his first day of opening, “the store was so packed that you could barely walk through,” he said. Santiago reported well over 100 visitors on the first day of opening and over 200 throughout their first weekend.

“There is definitely a lot of interest in this area and the popularity is gaining,” Santiago said. “But in Connecticut especially, there is an increase in gun holders because of Malloy’s anti-gun stance and the changing laws. People worry that they won’t be able to get a pistol permit down the road, so they are doing it now.”

When it comes to Connecticut’s 2013 gun restrictions, passed in response to the Newtown school shooting which left 20 children and six adult staff dead, the sweeping law required background checks for all firearm sales, added more than 100 guns to the state’s assault weapon ban and restricted ammunition purchases.

The recent proposals from Malloy calling for significant fee hikes for gun owners renewing their five year gun permits have sparked an initiative for new permit holders to get their permits while it’s still affordable.

Nicholas Brisson, a Voluntown pistol instructor for NRA safety courses, a course needed to pass before being able to apply for a permit, believes that Governor Malloy’s proposed permit fees hikes are fueling the fire for those wanting a pistol permit to obtain one now.

“With Malloy potentially raising the cost of the pistol permits people are trying to get it done before that passes,” Brisson said.

Brisson, who organizes and teaches an average of two NRA safety courses per month, said that he has seen growing numbers in young pistol permit seekers and increasing numbers of women seeking to obtain their permits, a phenomenon he couldn’t explain.

Lauren Rugh, a 25-year-old from Ledyard, a pistol permit holder since 2015 said she got her permit primarily for protection reasons but has seen an increase in the popularity of guns amongst the millenial generation nostalgic for an idealized version of what America is.

“You go on Instagram and see a photo of a guy riding a horse with a rifle and an American flag waving off the back saying ‘Make America great again’ and this idea is what represents America to a lot of people. Even if that isn’t what America is now, guns still represent a certain American ideal,” Rugh said. “The Trump message definitely motivated people.”

But self protection seems to be the driving force behind why Connecticut residents are taking that final step in getting the permit.

Santiago said that his most popular sales are from Glock hand guns and that the majority of sales focus around small hand guns and pistols. Santiago believes that hand guns offer the portable protection people are looking for.

“People are looking to carry just to have protection, changing laws in Connecticut won’t stop anyone from breaking laws, it would only take protection away from people,” Santiago said.

For Rugh, she says that she hasn’t remained under a veil of naivety believing that the world is safe place - a sentiment that has been amplified by the fact that her father has owned a security alarm business throughout her life.

“Having a house alarm isn’t enough. If someone comes into my house while I’m alone and the alarm goes off, that might not stop someone from killing me with a gun. I want to protect myself with just as an effective of a weapon. I won’t go down as a helpless victim,” Rugh said.