Gibbons gets certified, renews weapons permit

RENO -- Gov. Jim Gibbons temporarily surrendered his concealed weapons permit after it was found he hadn't completed required qualification training for each of his nine handguns.

The Washoe County Sheriff's Office renewed the governor's permit in December, after Gibbons and a certified firearms instructor signed an application saying he received necessary training on nine weapons, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported Wednesday.

But Gibbons took only seven guns to the qualification test. He promised the instructor he would come back with the remaining two weapons within a few days but said he "got busy" and didn't return to be tested after receiving the permit.

About a month later, Gibbons "realized he had not followed through on his intention to test the two weapons" and turned his permit back in to the Sheriff's Office, press secretary Ben Kieckhefer said in a written statement.

Gibbons then went through proper certification with the nine pistols and was reissued a permit.

Kieckhefer would not say what prompted Gibbons to turn in his permit and did not name the instructor who signed Gibbons' weapons qualification.

Gibbons denied getting special treatment from sheriff's staff or the instructor, and said he surrendered his permit until he completed the necessary training.

"I heard a question about it and I remembered, 'Oh darn, I was going to do that,' " he told the newspaper.

Kieckhefer said Gibbons doesn't carry a firearm but owns many handguns and shotguns. "He doesn't carry. He likes to hunt. He likes to shoot shotguns recreationally. He likes to exercise his rights afforded under the Second Amendment."

Gibbons originally qualified with all nine guns, had the permit 10 years and was renewing it in December, Kieckhefer said.