'Massive spike' in gun and ammunition sales as FBI background checks break May record

 
Article written by Paul Bedard in "The Washington Examiner":
 
Gun sales and FBI background checks on purchasers soared in May, which recorded the third-highest level of checks ever in the 22-year history of the federal system.

According to the FBI, there have already been more than 15 million background checks this year, used mostly for legal sales, putting the country on a pace to break last year’s all-time high of 28 million checks in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

May’s 3,091,455 background checks was the highest for any May recorded. March was the highest month on record, at 3,740,688.


Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting told Secrets that there was an 80% jump in gun sales in May 2020 over May 2019. That included a 94% surge in handguns.

The surge came before the national rioting over the death of George Floyd in police custody and the violence and damage in cities that occurred.

Justin Anderson, the marketing director for Hyatt Guns in Charlotte, North Carolina, one of the nation’s largest gun stores, said politics and the virus drove sales in May.

“We’re seeing many first-time gun buyers. This is just unprecedented. Two things are at work here: The pandemic has forced many to rethink their reliance on others to provide them security. Additionally, many people are seeing what government overreach looks like. This is exactly the type of situation the Second Amendment was written to address,” said Anderson.

He added: "Civil unrest has taken hold across the nation, and as a result, we are seeing a massive spike in business, especially AR-15s, magazines, and ammunition. The time to just ‘think' about buying a gun is over. It’s time to get off of the fence and make sure you have the means to protect yourself and your family.”

Several stories have reported gun shortages, and in some places, it is extremely hard to find ammunition.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/massive-spike-in-gun-ammo-sales-fbi-background-checks-break-record-in-may