The number of Tennesseans licensed by the state to legally carry a  concealed weapon has increased by 51,000 people last year.

New state statistics place the number of Tennesseans potentiallycarrying a legal handgun to 268,711.

According to Tennessee Department of Safety figures, the rise in numbers represents an increase of 23 percent over the 218,004 Tennesseans with handgun-carry permits on Jan. 1, 2009. By comparison,the 2008 increase was 14 percent.

The new data indicates approximately six percent of Tennessee residents old enough to have a handgun-carry permit — those aged 21 and up— had one at the start of this year.

Knoxville has the highest concentration of permit-holders among the state's largest cities. More than 11 percent of its residents 21 and older are licensed to carry firearms.

The permit rate is a little lower in Memphis. The 20,716 people in the city with gun permits account for about two out of every 50 Memphis residents 21 and up, or nearly 5 percent.
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