US arms sales hit all records in 2020

Almost two months are left until the end of 2020, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, and US firearms sales hit a new high, surpassing the previous record set in 2016. The edition told in more detail CBS News.

Photo: Shutterstock

The surge in sales began when the coronavirus hit the country in March and prompted a nationwide lockdown. “Everybody went to grocery stores first to stock up on food, then they went to gun stores,” said Eric Wallace, owner and manager of Adventure Outdoors in Smyrna, Georgia.

Arms sales are expected to increase ahead of the holidays. November and December have traditionally been some of the busiest months of the year, the industry trade group noted in an analysis based on the FBI's National Instant Crime Check System (NICS), which is viewed as a proxy for sales.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation found that 17,2 million background checks were completed this year, up from 15,7 million in 2016, the previous record for arms sales. Since March, purchases of firearms have grown every month, with over 1,7 million background checks carried out in October alone, an increase of about 60% over the same period in 2019.

Nearly 5 million Americans bought firearms for the first time in 2020, citing factors such as the pandemic and nationwide protests against police brutality that have been accompanied by violence and looting.

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“Politically motivated calls to defunded police also continue to drive sales,” the foundation said, noting that firearm sales typically rise during presidential election years.

"We saw a slight slowdown in April and May, but it's picked up every month since then," said gun store owner Wallace. “A lot of the reason is from civil unrest and talk in the news about defunding the police - people have decided they need to take action to protect themselves, their families and their homes.”

Between 40% and 50% of the store's sales this year came from first-time gun buyers, he said.

Joe Biden proposed stricter gun handling, including banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines; requiring background checks for all sales of firearms, including online and at gun shows; and limiting the number of weapons Americans can buy to one per month.

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Increased armorer activity

Firearms sales have plummeted over the past few years, in part as concerns about tighter gun regulation under President Donald Trump have diminished. A spate of mass shootings across the country also forced some large companies and retailers to stop doing business with the arms industry.

The rise in demand for firearms can also be seen in the latest income statement from Sturm Ruger & Co., which showed that sales jumped to nearly $ 146 million in the third quarter, up 53% from $ 95 million a year earlier. The arms manufacturer's sales in the first nine months of the year were $ 400 million, sharply higher than the $ 305 million in the same period last year.

Speaking with analysts last week, Sturm Ruger CEO Christopher Killoy explained the spike in sales with calls from some for cuts in law enforcement funding, civil unrest and "concerns about personal and home protection caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic."

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