BOWIE, Md. (WUSA) -- Rick Stern is a firearms instructor from Bowie. He said ever since a judge's ruling earlier this week that made it significantly easier for Maryland residents to get permits to carry concealed handguns, his business has been absolutely booming.
"My phones have been off the hook with people interested in taking classes," Stern said.
According to Stern, even though the ruling has been good for business, and for supporters of the Second Amendment, he's quite sure that it won't be good for the state of Maryland as a whole unless a meaningful training component is added to the process of getting a concealed carry permit.
"I don't think that it's appropriate that you buy a gun and nobody gives you any professional instruction," Stern said.
This week's ruling strikes down a requirement in Maryland that anybody applying to carry a handgun give a "good and substantial reason" to do so. The ruling was widely applauded by gun owners, but some gun owners think the ruling could have potentially dangerous consequences.
Rick Stern, for example, says it makes no sense to require extensive training and testing to get a driver's license but virtually no training or testing to get a license to carry a deadly weapon.
The ruling is scheduled to go into effect on August 7th.