Gun Stores Enjoying Surge in Sales in Wake of President Obama’s Reelection
OutdoorHub Reporters 11.27.12
Current gun owners and first-time purchasers are flocking to gun stores after President Barack Obama’s reelection to office, fearing another ban on “assault weapons” and more stringent control of guns in general.
In October, background checks on people applying to buy a gun rose by 18.4 percent, an indication that sales will shortly follow suit. In 2008, there were 12.7 million applications processed compared to 11.2 in 2011 and guns were reportedly “cleared off the shelves” following Obama’s initial election.
“Sales are up. I had a guy waiting here first thing in the morning [the day after the election]. He came in, bought two AK-47s. It’s going to be good for me for business,” John Kielbasa of Fernwood Firearms in Hankins, New York, told CNN.
In Colorado Springs, Mel Bernstein of Dragonman Arms told local KOAA TV station that he now sells an average of 25 guns a day, significantly up from the usual six to eight guns a day.
Sellers across the United States are reporting similar surges. In the video below, WCTV in Tallahassee, Florida spoke to local gun owners about the “best gun salesmen in the country.”
httpv://youtu.be/DbBp_s8yImk
The last “assault weapons” ban, which was introduced in 1994 and expired in 2004, was signed into law by former President Bill Clinton. It banned the manufacture of certain types of firearms with features such as pistol grips, threaded barrels, and folding stocks, in addition to specific models of firearm mentioned by name, for non-government or -law enforcement use. These types of gun are now the most popular guns being purchased at stores nationwide.
While the Obama administration did not act to renew any such ban in the first term, many gun enthusiasts worry that recent events may lead to a reintroduction of the ban. Reportedly, President Obama has expressed interest in reintroducing the ban.
