Posted on 03/25/2020 7:41:25 AM PDT by w1n1
Neither hurricanes nor 9/11 caused as big a surge in gun sales as Coronavirus - Gun shop owners have never seen such a surge in sales — not after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, not in reaction to mass shootings, not even when Category 5 hurricanes threatened to flatten South Florida.
Fear and uncertainty about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic are motivating people to buy guns and ammunition as they seek protection from possible doomsday disintegration into lawlessness, with home invasions, looting, runs on banks, and fights over food, medicine, hospital beds and shelter across the land.
"Our sales are up 80 percent, with a huge increase in first-time buyers who are worried about martial law, economic collapse, unemployment, shortages, delinquents roaming the streets," said Alex Elenberg, manager of Charlie's Armory on West Flagler Street. "If you can't defend your house and your family, what good are you?"
The United States is the home of the world’s largest gun-owning population per capita, where 40 percent of Americans say they own a gun or live in a household with guns. Even so, concern about the accelerating spread of COVID-19 is causing a spike in sales, according to sellers and data from gun-tracking agencies, such as the FBI’s National Instant Crime Background Check System, which saw a doubling of checks on applicant buyers last week.
In Florida, the number of background checks posted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which closely correlates with the number of gun sales statewide, has risen to unprecedented levels, up nearly 500 percent on Friday alone, with 13,192 checks recorded compared to 2,646 on the same date last year.
From St. Patrick's Day on March 17 through Saturday, 56,677 checks were recorded compared to 11,842 during the same five-day period in 2019. While the volume of checks in the FDLE's Firearm Purchase Program decreased 16 percent in 2019, it’s up 38 percent in 2020, with a week to go in March. Read the rest of Coronavirus gun sales.
Hard to find a bargain for all the Dark Cloud buyers out here all of a sudden.
Yeah, just what we need. A bunch of newbies waving their guns around without an ounce of training or practice.
In other words, the average "Am Shooting Journal" reader.
SHTF reality is sinking in. What happens when our government flees or gets decapitated non by a nuke, but by a highly contagious airborne virus.
Non = not
My local, small, family owned gun store (Colorado):
$50,000 worth of business, Saturday before last.
$40,000 last Saturday
$30,000 midweek (Stock running low)
Limit of 2 boxes of ammo.
10 people in store max.
4 day waiting for background check
The virus didn’t do that, the martial law dictatorships did that.
"Due to the volume of business, and a shortage of staff on-hand, we will stop allowing people into the line for store admittance at 12:00 PM.
Thank you for your understanding."
My cow-orker here says that, if he gets a Trump check, he will spend it on guns.
Gotta start somewhere. There’s a first time for everything.
Oh man, that's too damn funny!!
That’s Nasty!
LOL
Yes! She certainly is!
Get tested as soon as possible and if you see even one Chinese in America, spit in public, knock him down.
Do not send a stool specimen!
Also--do not target Chinese people or anyone else.
Do not send a stool specimen!
Do not send a stool specimen!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.