According to Firearm Chronicles
North Carolina is one of a handful of states that requires a permit to purchase a pistol, and the North Carolina Rifle & Pistol Association says it’s time for the law to be repealed. The Second Amendment organization says it’s hired a law firm to work with their lobbyist to help push repeal in the next legislative session, and also wants to work to educate the public on the “antiquated and unsafe law.” Fred Edgecomb, president of the NCRPA, believes that the “Jim Crow Era-like gun law” turns the right to keep and bear arms into a privilege, and argues that the current coronavirus state of emergency has revealed just how easy it is for the law to be used to deprive people of their ability to legally acquire a firearm.
Last month the NCRPA issued a press release opposing a local official’s exploitation of the COVID-19 pandemic stating that, “During a crisis there should be no doubt about our ability to protect and defend ourselves and loved ones, yet Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker has taken action that could leave law-abiding citizens defenseless. His office announced that it will not issue new Pistol Purchase Permits until at least April 30th.” While Concealed Handgun Permit holders and those with an approved Pistol Purchase Permit could still obtain handguns, that left new prospective gun owners especially vulnerable.