Gun sale surge aimed at defense set to break record

Nearly 26 million background checks were run through the FBI’s national instant check system through August, and this month’s totals could push the numbers past the record 28.3 million checks from all of 2019.

“It’s across the board — it’s everything,” he said.

Hawk, though, said the stores has been trying to steer new customers into buying revolvers or weapons with a built-in safety mechanism.

He said customers are asking for Remington and Mossberg brands, but Remington’s bankruptcy filing and logistics issues in Mossberg’s barrel line are affecting the supply chain.

“So then the next brand after that — it’s mostly Turkish guns, and a lot of those parts have been coming in and flooding the market,” he said.

In August, there were an estimated 1.8 million gun sales — a 58% increase from last year, according to Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting, a research firm.

“With the hunting season about to begin in earnest and the presidential election season about to start in earnest as well, 2020 will, without doubt, exceed the previous high of 16.6 million units sold in 2016,” said Jurgen Brauer, the group’s chief economist.

Hawk said there have been supply chain issues when it comes to ammunition.

He said two or three months ago, his store was able to get 25 cases of 9 mm ammo, the most popular round, but then that dipped to 10 cases and then one case.

“NSSF estimates that there are nearly 5 million first-time gun buyers in 2020,” he said

“That means there are also 5 million first-time ammunition buyers and 5 million first-time recreational shooters attending classes and filling ranges

Gun-control groups warn that the explosion in sales also has led to an increase in the number of background checks that reveal banned buyers who can slip through cracks in the system

Between March and July, there was a 54% increase in the number of background checks that were delayed past three days compared to the same period in 2019, translating to nearly 300,000 sales that could have proceeded before a check was finished, according to the group Everytown for Gun Safety

“At the beginning of the pandemic, the [Justice Department] warned President Trump that the background check system was going to be overwhelmed — but rather than addressing it, Trump added fuel to the fire by making it even easier to buy guns,” said Rob Wilcox, deputy director of policy and strategy at Everytown