Gun Shows A Hot Ticket Amid Talks Of Tighter Laws

DENVER (CBS4) - The Tanner Gun Show starts Saturday in Denver and gun enthusiasts are sure to talk about the renewed calls for tough gun laws.

CBS4 found the number of people applying for gun permits has skyrocketed and wait times have gone from minutes to hours to days. The backlog for permits is now in the thousands.

"Everyone is worried laws are going to go up and this is our last chance to get it," Josh Robinson said.

Robinson went to the Douglas County Gun Show hoping to find ammunition for the AR-15 semi automatic rifle.

"I guess they sold out within an hour," he said.

It's the same type of weapon used in the Connecticut school shooting. Concern is high among gun enthusiasts that laws will tighten.

"We're worried that we're not going to be able keep our guns for our safety and we're not doing anything wrong," Crystalin Benedetto said.

Just this week some retailers suspended sales of certain semi-automatic rifles. The head of Colorado-based Jax Merchantile stopped selling firearms that come with magazines holding more than 10 rounds. Jim Quinlan said he's taken some heat from customers, but it's one of the things he's struggled with for years.

Carol Fabert said she went to Saturday's gun show to sell jewelry. While she believes in the Second Amendment, she's emotional with what she's seeing so soon after the Connecticut tragedy.

"There are little kids carrying around plastic machine guns. What are you teaching your kids after what just happened? What are you teaching your kids?" Fabert said.

With opinions strong on every side, Marty Pieper believes as the gun debate takes over, so too will the old law of supply and demand.

"It's weird because two weeks ago you could of bought one gun for $1,400, and now it's $2,400, $2,700. It's jumped up like crazy," he said.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has added staff and lengthened hours trying to keep up with all the requests.